In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Felicia Bell talks with beginning farmer Violet Keys about the journey that took her from a career in the military to beginning Synergy in the Garden, a 6-acre urban agriculture operation in Jackson, Mississippi.  Violet discusses overcoming her nervousness as she begins her farm – where she plans to grow medicinal herbs, cut flowers, and other crops. She and Felicia also talk about creating a business plan and utilizing USDA financial and planning assistance. Violet shares her dream of creating a “healing space” for veterans that is also an asset to her community.  Related ATTRA Resources: ·        Financing Your Farm: Guidance for Beginning Farmers ·        Selling to Local and Regional Markets: Barriers and Opportunities for Beginning Farmers ·        Veteran Resources ·        Farm Start-Up ·        Farmer Well-Being Contact Felicia Bell at feliciab@ncat.org.   Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.   You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.  

Lessons Learned from a Southern Farmer: Violet Keys of Mississippi

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.

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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, scientists, and universities trying to key in on some of the barriers keeping more operations from adopting regenerative grazing methods.      Today’s conversation is between Peggy and Jenny Pluhar, Executive Director of the Texas Grazing Land Coalition, and ranch manager for Taylor Ranches in the panhandle of Texas. She is also the co-author of the book Texas Range Plants. Jenny details her work with the Texas Grazing Land Coalition and the new project the coalition is working on, called “Principles Before Practices.”      Related ATTRA Resources:  ·        Livestock  ·        Climate Solutions  ·        Soil    Related NCAT Resources:  ·        Soil for Water     Other Resources:  ·        AG Proud  ·        Texas Grazing Land Coalition ·        Texas Grazing Land Coalition Facebook page ·        U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef  ·        Texas Range Plants    Contact Darron Gaus at darrong@ncat.org.  
Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.  
You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other
resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG. 

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: ·        Permaculture ·        Climate Change and Perennial Fruit and Nut Production: Investing in Resilience in Uncertain Times ·        Weekly Wednesday Workshop: Permaculture 101
 
Other Resources: ·        Home-Scale Forest Garden with Dani Baker preview ·        The Home-Scale Forest Garden: How to Plan, Plant, and Tend a Resilient Edible Landscape ·        Cross Island Farms 
Contact Gabriella Soto-Velez at gabriellas@ncat.org.           
Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.   
You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.  

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 turning waste streams into biofuels and how that research led to the new biodigester’s design and its installation at the farm.     The discussion covers the unusual scale of the project, which was designed to manage the manure from 150 dairy cows and up to three tons of food waste daily. The project is meant to demonstrate to mid-sized farms across Pennsylvania and elsewhere that it is possible to manage waste streams in an environmentally sound way by
transforming them into a source of carbon-neutral energy.      Related ATTRA Resources:  ·        Biodiesel Use, Handling, and Fuel Quality  ·        Micro-Scale Biogas Production: A Beginners Guide  ·        Anaerobic Digestion of Animal Waters: Factors to Consider     Other Resources:  ·        Biogas – Dickinson College Organic Farm  ·        Dickinson College YouTube Channel  ·        USDA Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy
Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants  ·        USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) On-Farm Energy Initiative    Contact Chris Lent at chrisl@ncat.org.           
Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.   
You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted,
practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other
resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.   


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  ·        Subtropical Soil Health Initiative  ·        Cover Crops for Hot and Humid Areas  
Other Resources:  ·        Ridge to Reef Farm  
Contact Gabriella Soto-Velez at gabriellas@ncat.org.   
Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.   
You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted,
practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other
resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.  

Farm to School with Ridge to Reef Farm on St. Croix, US Virgin Islands

In this episode of Voices from the Field, Kandi Williams of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff’s Small Farms Program talks with Arkansas farmer Michael Henegan about his farming heritage and some of his methods to reach markets that others don't by wildcrafting local herbs and plants, including mullein and poke salad. 
 
Kandi also works with the Silas H. Hunt Community Development Corporation, which partnered in producing this podcast.  This podcast was also produced by the National Center for Appropriate Technology
through the ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture program, under a cooperative
agreement with USDA Rural Development. This podcast was also made possible in
part by funding from the Southern Risk Management Education Center, USDA
National Institute of Food and Agriculture, through the University of Arkansas.  
Related ATTRA Resources:  ·        Business and Marketing  ·        Risk Management  
Other Resources:  ·        Milliesbarn Veggie Farm  
Contact Justin Duncan at justind@ncat.org.  
Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.  
You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted,
practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other
resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.  


Lessons Learned from a Southern Farmer: Violet Keys of Mississippi

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