In this episode of ATTRA’s Voices from the Field, NCAT Agriculture Specialist Audrey Kolde continues her investigation into sustainable and organic farming practices by learning more about the Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources (STAR) project. Audrey speaks with STAR project director, Jake Deutmeyer, to learn how this national, non-profit organization established and expanded the STAR framework for conservation practice, evaluation, implementation, and valuation. Designed and led by producers, the STAR tool utilizes science and experience to target local solutions for local natural resource concerns, and to support farmers and ranchers on their conservation journey – wherever they are.

NCAT Resources:

Soil Health Indicators and Tests – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Episode 382: Organic Certification: One Step at a Time – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Ask an Ag Expert Connect – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Find Organic Resource Organic Farming – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Other Resources:

Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources

This work is supported by NCAT’s Preparing a Resilient Future: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Training for Organic Field Crop and Livestock Producers in the Northern Great Plains.’ Project, award no. 2021-70033-35698. from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.

In this episode of ATTRA’s Voices from the Field, NCAT Agriculture Specialist Tammy Howard speaks with participants from her USDA‑funded project, Bringing the Farm to School. The project is designed to help agricultural producers build the skills and capacity needed to sell their products directly to schools. Alongside this training, NCAT and the National Farm to School Network have also hosted facilitated networking events to connect producers with school food buyers.

Tammy talks with her NCAT colleague and Growtopia Farms owner Cody Brown, as well as Matt Hanson from the Central Texas Food Hub, a social enterprise of the Central Texas Food Bank. Both Matt and Cody attended one of these networking events in Central Texas. Their conversation highlights their personal experiences and offers practical advice for developing strong producer-buyer relationships that support successful school food sales.

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NCAT Resources

Bringing the Farm to School Through New Connections Blog

Scaling up for Regional Markets Tutorial

Scaling up your Vegetable Farm for Regional Markets

Farm to School Sales: Profiles of Ranches Making It Work

Food Hubs: A Producer Guide

Episode 358. Abundant Montana “Meet Up” Meets with Success

Other Resources

Bringing the Farm to School Project

National Farm to School Network

Central Texas Food Bank

Growtopia Farms

In this episode of ATTRA’s Voices from the field, NCAT Agriculture Specialists Danielle Duni and Darron Gaus speak with Jeremiah Eubank, a rancher in Canyon Lake, Texas.

Jeremiah and his wife Maggie operate Pure Pastures, a family-owned multi-species grazing operation. The Eubanks have been ranching since 2015, using trial and error to perfect their rotational grazing practices. They strive to provide the most flavorful and nutrient dense meat to their community, while rebuilding topsoil and the native prairie landscape that once dominated the Hill Country.

This conversation covers some of the practical ways listeners can “tune their eye” and make better decisions while monitoring rangeland, resulting in better, more usable data.

Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.

ATTRA Resources:

Monitoring Checklist

Rangeland App: Modern Tool for Graziers – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Test Driving the New LandPKS Land Monitoring App – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Soil Moisture Monitoring: Low-Cost Tools and Methods – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Assessing Soil Health on Grazing Lands Using a Shovel and a Knife – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Safe to Fail Trials with Graeme Hand – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Resources – Soil for Water

Additional Resources:

Pure Pastures

Grassland Production Forecast (Grass-Cast) | Drought.gov

CoCoRaHS – Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network

Grazing Monitoring Stick

How to Use a Grazing Monitoring Stick

Tags: Grazing, Soil Health, Sustainable Agriculture

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Agriculture Specialists Nina Prater, Darron Gaus, and Lee Rinehart continue their exploration of plant nutrients. In previous episodes, they covered nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium, and in this episode they dive into the pungent world of sulfur. They discuss the history of sulfur, how sulfur is related to air quality, how sulfur works in the soil, why it is so important in plants, and how to manage sulfur in sustainable and organic ways.

Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.

ATTRA Resources:

Nitrogen: https://attra.ncat.org/episode-260-rising-fertilizer-costs-look-to-history-for-answers/

Phosphorus: https://attra.ncat.org/episode-304-phosphorus-and-the-beauty-of-biology/

Potassium: https://attra.ncat.org/episode-323-potassium-from-past-to-present/

Calcium: https://attra.ncat.org/episode-365-calcium-the-premier-soil-nutrient/

Overview of Cover Crops and Green Manures: https://attra.ncat.org/publication/overview-of-cover-crops-and-green-manures-2/

Managing Soils for Water: How Five Principles of Soil Health Support Water Infiltration and Storage: https://attra.ncat.org/publication/manage-soil-for-water/

References:

Britannica Science: https://www.britannica.com/science/sulfur

Decades After Clean Air Act, Most Smokestacks Still Lack Scrubbers: https://publicintegrity.org/environment/decades-after-clear-air-act-most-smokestacks-still-lack-scrubbers/

Air Pollution Legislation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leblanc_process

Hell on Earth: The Sulfur Mines of Sicily: https://www.lagazzettaitaliana.com/history-culture/10307-hell-on-earth-the-sulfur-mines-of-sicily

Revisiting the role of sulfur in crop production: A narrative review:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666154324000504

Sulfur Deficiency: https://www.sulphurinstitute.org/sulphur-in-agriculture/sulphur-deficiency-sources-and-symptoms/

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Agriculture Specialist Audrey Kolde sits down with colleagues Ann Baier and Andrew Coggins to discuss the initial steps in obtaining organic certification in farming. Before coming to NCAT, Audrey worked as a manager of vegetable production on a certified organic farm, and she brings that experience to this conversation.

In addition to her role as an NCAT Agriculture Specialist, Ann is also certified organic inspector. Ann has inspected numerous organic farms, livestock operations, and handling (processing) facilities to ensure compliance with USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) and international organic standards.

NCAT Agriculture Specialist Andrew Coggins facilitated ten Organic Academy Roadshow workshops in five states between 2022 and 2024, providing training to farmers and ranchers on organic production practices for both crops and livestock.

Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.

NCAT Resources

Ask an Ag Expert Connect – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Find Organic Resource Organic Farming – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Other Resources

Organic Regulations | Agricultural Marketing Service

Organic Integrity Database https://www.ams.usda.gov/services/organic-certification/farms-operations

If you are a producer who wants to get certified by a USDA-accredited certification agency, find the current list of those: https://www.ams.usda.gov/resources/organic-certifying-agents

Organic Trade Association’s study finds that the USDA Organic label is among the most trusted by consumers. https://www.farmprogress.com/organic/organic-stands-out-in-a-growing-sea-of-labelsutm_rid=CPG02000008489713&utm_campaign=97156&utm_medium=email&elq2=9b2f8ae1c10944179ff6cf3d4e18209c&sp_eh=54253693183eb833a6e39ca4dab2768d807401229a0c2ea146804e542447f37c

This work is supported by NCAT’s Preparing a Resilient Future: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Training for Organic Field Crop and Livestock Producers in the Northern Great Plains.' Project, award no. 2021-70033-35698. from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Agriculture Specialist Lee Rinehart is joined by Mike Miezianka, co-founder of Toasted Oysters, a 3 1/2-acre aquaculture farm on Great South Bay off of Long Island. Mike and his business partner Ray Smith cultivate authentic Blue Point Oysters which they sell to distributors and restaurants on Long Island and beyond.

In this conversation, Lee and Mike discuss the promising future of aquaculture, including regulations on food safety and environmental stewardship which is paving the way for more farms to be established in waters around highly populated areas. There is a steady demand for these products, perhaps due in part to an increasing awareness of the ecological benefits of oysters, such as their ability to filter water an enhance marine habitats. Mike also shares advice for beginning farmers interested in getting started in aquaculture as well as some of the tools he and Mike have utilized to increase efficiency and reduce labor on their farm.

Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.

NCAT Resources

Aquaculture – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Small Steps, Big Vision: Oyster Farming on Long Island’s Great South Bay – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Case Study: Solar Oysters LLC – AgriSolar Clearinghouse

Armed to Farm – Sustainable Agriculture Training For Military Veterans

Other Resources

Toasted Oysters - Authentic Blue Point Oysters

Ocean Farming: a Conversation with Bren Smith

You can get in touch with NCAT specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT agriculture specialist Eric Fuchs-Stengel sits with Jack Kittredge and Julie Rawson, the couple behind Many Hands Organic Farm and co-authors of the book Many Hands Make A Farm. The farm has been selling to the public since 1985, and specializes in certified organic produce, meat and eggs in Barre, Massachusetts.

In this conversation, Jack and Julie share how they started their farm by cultivating a community of volunteers, many of whom have become shareholders and paid staff over the years. They also offer tips on how best to communicate with volunteer workers and discuss the importance of celebrating milestones and sharing meals as way to foster cooperation and productivity on the farm.

Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.

NCAT Resources

Organic Farming – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Organic Certification – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Other Resources

Many Hands Organic Farm

Many Hands Make a Farm Book

You can get in touch with NCAT specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Agriculture Specialist Audrey Kolde dives into irrigation with Dr. Stacia Congers, an associate professor and statewide irrigation specialist and engineer at the Louisiana State University Agriculture Center. Audrey and Dr. Congers talk about all things water: floods, droughts, as well as interesting research projects that may yield promising advancements in agriculture irrigation.

Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.

NCAT Resources

The Texas Irrigator’s Pocket Guide – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Tutorial: Sustainable Irrigation, a Beginner’s Guide – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Measuring and Conserving Irrigation Water – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Soil Moisture Monitoring: Low-Cost Tools and Methods – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture

Other Resources

Stacia Conger

Drought Irrigation Response Tool (DIRT): A Manual

You can get in touch with NCAT specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.