In this podcast, Robert Maggiani, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, talks with Juan Raygoza about his farm in South Texas.

Juan moved to the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas in 2007 with little money. His goal was to farm vegetables for his family. At first he borrowed land to farm, and then was able to purchase seven acres with the help of a USDA loan and is now owner of Terra Preta Farm in Edinburg, Texas. NCAT has worked with him on several projects over the past five years and helped get his farm certified organic.

Juan talks about the challenges of starting from scratch to become a farmer in an underserved community.

Robert is a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program in NCAT's Southwest Regional Office in San Antonio, TX.

Resources mentioned in this podcast:

Juan Raygoza's farm website

ATTRA Resources:

Videos

Urban Farms: Commercial Farms or Socially-Minded Operations?

Crop Planning for Vegetable Farmers

Farm to Hospital in the Rio Grande Valley: Getting Ready

Pubs

Feasibility Study for a Texas Organic Food Hub

Community Supported Agriculture

Federal Conservation Resources for Sustainable Farming and Ranching

Basic Accounting: Guidance for Beginning Farmers

Food Hubs: A Producer's Guide

Scaling Up Your Vegetable Farm for Regional Markets

Organic Specialty Crop Production in Texas: A Grower's Handbook

Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.

You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website.

You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page.

Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website.

Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages!

Southwest Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Western Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Rocky Mountain West Regional Office: Facebook

Gulf States Regional Office: Website /