The widespread narrative on why we’re experiencing a food crisis is that it is because of high fuel and fertilizer prices, the disruption in market chains caused by the war in Ukraine, and lingering COVID impacts. But that’s not the whole story. When there is a food crisis, the common narrative is that increasing productivity is the answer and that global agribusinesses and global markets can meet these needs.   This “feed the world” narrative has been adopted by the media, business...

Feeding the World: Localism, Ecological Resilience, and Farmer Agency

From cover crops to regenerative grazing and organic production to marketing, ATTRA - Voices from the Field is your weekly sustainable agriculture podcast. Voices from the Field is produced by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). Since 1976, NCAT has provided relevant information, individualized technical assistance and in-depth resources to support sustainable agriculture and accessible energy solutions. Learn more at NCAT.ORG and ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.

Education

Training

Language Courses

Higher Education

K-12

Educational Technology

Business

Investing

Careers

Management & Marketing

Business News

Shopping

Science

Earth Sciences

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Tracy Mumma talks with her husband, David Sturman, and daughter, Lina Sturman, about using draft horses on the farm. They discuss some of the jobs horses can do, including logging and agritourism, and some of the different hitches that can help make effective use of horsepower. They also cover some important considerations for anyone considering using draft horses on the farm, based on decades of shared experien...

A Closer Look at Draft Horses

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Darron Gaus joins Peggy Sechrist, a pioneer in the organic beef industry in Texas and a long-time Holistic Management International educator.  Darron, who is based in Victoria, Texas, co-leads a working group with Peggy in Texas as part of NCAT’s Soil for Water Southern SARE project. That project includes some great conversations with members of the working group – a four-state team of producers, scien...

Principles Before Practices with Jenny Pluhar

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Gabriella Soto-Velez talks with author and farmer Dani Baker. Since her retirement from another career and subsequent inspiration from an Extension class on permaculture, Dani has become well known for her takes on creating “resilient edible landscapes.” She and Gabriella discuss the benefits that come from realizing that nature knows what it is doing.Related ATTRA Resources:·        Permacul...

The Home-Scale Forest Garden with Dani Baker

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Northeast Coordinator and Agriculture Specialist Chris Lent talks to Matt Steiman, the Farm Energy and Livestock Manager at Dickinson College Organic Farm in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, about the farm’s new biodigester. A farm-based biodigester can turn cow manure and food waste into natural gas to produce electricity for the farm to use and to sell to the utility grid.  Matt and Chris discuss Matt’s research over the past 14 years on ...

Mid-Scale Biodigester with Matt Steiman of Dickinson College Organic Farm

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Gabriella Soto-Velez talks with Nate Olive, the owner of Ridge to Reef Farm on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. Nate talks about the innovative market- diversification strategies that have contributed to his farming success and the challenges and opportunities of the St. Croix market. Related ATTRA Resources: ·        ATTRA Internship Hub ·        Subtropi...

Feeding the World: Localism, Ecological Resilience, and Farmer Agency

Download our free app to listen on your phone