(12/2/08) Students at Wilkes University, located in downtown Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, got to try something new in the school cafeteria this fall: fresh produce that was raised by fellow students. Mesclun salad mix, Brandywine tomatoes, Chioggia beets, Hakurei turnips, and Fingerling potatoes are just a few of the crops that became part of the menu selection as part of the university’s commitment to greening the campus. As students bit into what could have been their first taste of an heirloom tomato, students were also experiencing the harvest from the first season of the student-run SPIN farm.

On the small fields known as Fenner Farm, five Wilkes students spent their summer prepping soil, planting seeds, pulling weeds, and harvesting organically raised produce. Under the guidance of NCAT’s Northeast Regional Office Director Lee Rinehart and Agriculture Program Specialist Andy Pressman, the students operated the first and only campus SPIN farm in the country. SPIN stands for Small-Plot-Intensive and is a low-input, non-technical, market garden design system for sub acreage land bases. Production at this scale requires intensive plantings, often closer than conventional spacings. The principals of SPIN are attractive to both beginning farmers who have barriers to land and start-up costs, as well as established farmers who are interested in diversifying or downsizing their operations. SPIN farming is being practiced all over the world.

Jason Brady serves customers at a farmers' market.

The student farmers learned about direct marketing through produce sales and different post-harvesting techniques. A majority of the produce that was harvested on the 2,200 sq. ft. Fenner Farm was sold to Wilkes University’s contracted food service company, Sodexo. The national food service corporation has implemented an initiative to support fresh and local foods by purchasing and preparing meals that use foods raised by local farmers. Fenner Farm produce could also be purchased at a local dairy store that carries sustainably raised meats, dairy products, and fruits and vegetables. In addition, Farm Manager and freshman student Jason Brady experienced first-hand selling at a farmers' market that was part of a Fall Harvest Festival sponsored by a local not-for-profit organization that supports sustainable agriculture.

Fenner Farm is now a recognized name around the Wilkes University campus and has attracted the support of many students and faculty, some of whom have an interest in volunteering on the farm, or perhaps even becoming farmers themselves next year. Wilkes University freshman students are required to do a service learning project and Fenner Farm offers the opportunity to fulfill this requirement. A few students spent time this fall putting most of the garden to rest for the winter by planting cover crops. Some students helped Brady plant next year's garlic crop. Four students have started a year-round indoor shoots production operation where they will be growing trays of pea, corn, and sunflower shoots. And a few accounting majors will be managing the costs and produce sales from the farm. Fenner Farm is a living classroom for students interested in sustainable and urban agriculture and has developed into a project that invites involvement of students in all majors. NCAT Northeast looks forward to continuing its work with Wilkes University and Fenner Farm and providing technical support to all SPIN farmers.

Alternative Livestock Marketing Project Underway

(11/24/08) NCAT has been awarded a contract to conduct a natural livestock feasibility study for Inyo County, California. The county sees that the development of a natural meats industry has the potential to help preserve and enhance the family ranches that are located throughout the Owens Valley. Cattle and sheep are already produced in the area, so the county wanted to investigate the market for local meat products.

NCAT Agriculture Specialist Jeff Schahczenski is serving as project leader. As a part of his research, Schahczenski needed to gather information about the livestock production and marketing in Owens Valley. To educate the local producers on alternative production and marketing options and to gather their input, Schahczenski organized a workshop, “Alternative Livestock Production, Processing and Marketing Options,” which was sponsored by Inyo and Mono Counties’ Agricultural Commissioner’s Office, Inyo County and Mojave Desert-Mountain RC&D. The workshop in November drew about 40 participants, consisting of producers, Extension educators, and interested community members.

NCAT livestock specialists Lee Rinehart and Linda Coffey, along with Schahczenski, presented at the workshop. Rinehart discussed natural, organic, and grass-fed beef production and marketing. Coffey covered sheep production and alternative marketing options for lamb and sheep products. The economics of alternative beef production and marketing were covered by Schahczenski. The workshop also featured Steve Lewis, University of Nevada-Reno Extension, who discussed efforts by Nevada livestock producers to create a mobile slaughter and cut-and-wrap facility. George Work, a California rancher, also spoke on his work with cooperative meat marketing and mobile processing units. The workshop also featured a steak taste testing. Conventional steaks and local grass-fed steaks were prepared for participants to taste, and the grass-fed steaks won the taste test.

Participating NCAT staff members deemed the workshop a success. They were able to meet many local producers and learn how the ranchers are marketing their livestock. They were also able to learn about production methods and the challenges area producers face. The community members in attendance expressed their support for the development of local meat products, and the producers were able to learn about alternative marketing options.

The information gathered from this workshop will help Schahczenski as he finalizes his feasibility report for Inyo County officials. A second workshop is scheduled to be held January 7, 2009, and will feature education and discussions of how to build a regional food system. The agenda features NCAT Program Specialist Nancy Matheson, who has extensive experience in food system development. For more information on the project contact Jeff Schahczenski.

Energy Assistance Referral Feature Increases Usage

(11/17/08) NCAT’s National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) clearinghouse was featured this month in one of the nation’s most widely read publications.

The November edition of AARP Bulletin, the organization’s monthly publication that reaches a large portion of its almost 35 million members, included NEAR as part of an article titled Cold Comfort: How to Cope With the Cost of Heating Your Home, by Dianne Donovan. The article highlights ways people can get assistance paying high heating bills this winter.

NEAR is a free service for people who want information on where to apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which may pay a portion of the energy bills of eligible low-income persons. This October Congress increased LIHEAP’s funding to $5.1 billion, the highest level in the assistance program’s 27-year history. NEAR can also direct people to other forms of assistance in their state.

According to the article, high heating costs place a big burden on older Americans, who are more likely to live on fixed incomes. With energy costs expected to rise this winter for heating oil and natural gas, demand for energy assistance is also projected to go up.

After the article hit doorsteps in early November, NEAR staff said calls and e-mails requesting assistance increased dramatically. Statistics for this month aren’t available yet, but requests made to the referral line were already at record levels.

In October calls jumped almost 32 percent over 2007 figures, from 1,934 to 2,550; and visits to the NEAR website increased by almost 2,000, from about 4,800 to about 6,700. In 2004, calls and e-mails to NEAR requesting assistance rose almost 45 percent from 16,724 to 24,244 in 2007.

NCAT started the NEAR project in 2001 in response to an increasing number of calls from residents across the country seeking help in accessing energy assistance. The project now provides four portals, including a toll-free phone line, e-mail, the project website and the Interactive Voice Response system. The latter two operate 24 hours a day.

You may view the article online.

To contact NEAR for information on where to apply for energy assistance in your state, call 1-866-NRG-NEAR or visit the NEAR website. Eligibility varies by state.

Microirrigation Guide Released

(11/10/08) NCAT has added a new title to its series of take-to-the-field pocket guides designed to save irrigators energy, water, and money by improving efficiency. The California Microirrigation Pocket Guide was co-authored by NCAT’s Mike Morris and Larry Schwankl, an irrigation expert from University of California Extension. The guide was developed and produced by NCAT with funding from RMA, the USDA – Risk Management Agency.

book cover Like NCAT’s earlier pocket irrigation guides, the new publication has a section on maintaining pumps, motors, and engines, and another section on system management and maintenance. The discussion covers all kinds of drip irrigation systems—above-ground and subsurface—as well as microsprinklers. The management guidelines and advice for microirrigation are considerably different from other systems, and were developed especially for this guide. They are based on the practical experiences and lessons learned by California irrigators, who are world leaders in microirrigation.

Topics addressed include determining how much water to apply, monitoring soil moisture, and specialized concerns such as chemigation and coping with salinity. In addition, the guide includes newly developed guidelines on measuring stem water potential in plant tissues, and features never-before-available evapotranspiration tables for many crops and growing regions in California.

The material in the publication was reviewed by leading irrigation experts from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of California Cooperative Extension, and the Center for Irrigation Technology.

The compact 150-page spiral-bound book is printed on Forest Stewardship Council-certified 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper, using vegetable-based and low-VOC inks. An initial 1,000 copies were distributed by NRCS in California. NCAT has additional copies available for volume distribution. A bar code and ISBN number printed on the cover also facilitate potential retail sale.

Bridging the Cultural Divide in the Southeast

(11/4/08) In mid-October NCAT Technical Specialist Marisa Alcorta traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina for a conference on Cooperative Extension programs for Latino populations. "Bridging the Culture Divide" addressed the challenges of the new Hispanic South. Through NCAT's ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service project, Alcorta has been working to create Spanish-language publications for the nation's growing numbers of Latino farmers. These publications are a valuable resource for Cooperative Extension programs across the country.

The purpose of the conference was to provide tools and information to Cooperative Extension agents, through cultural training, to better serve the growing Hispanic Latino population in the Southeast. Extension agents at the conference are working with programs for family, youth, communities, nutrition and health, 4-H, and agriculture.

Over the past 15 years, the Southeastern U.S. has seen a tremendous increase in the Hispanic population. Between 1990 and 2000, Southern states experienced Hispanic population increases of 394 percent in North Carolina, 337 percent in Arkansas, 300 percent in Georgia, 278 percent in Tennessee, 211 percent in South Carolina, and 208 percent in Alabama.

Notable speakers at the conference included Fiorella Horna-Guerra of the North Carolina Farmworker Health Program. She led participants in humorous yet eye-opening activities to show how personal identities and cultural biases lead to misunderstandings with people from different cultures. Problems arise when Hispanic immigrants move to communities that are traditionally non-Hispanic, where they face alienation, hostility, and isolation from community services and resources.

Dr. Rogelio Saenz from Texas A&M University gave a fascinating overview of the history of immigration to the U.S. He compared the wave of immigrants in the late 1800s, who came mostly from Eastern and Southern Europe, to the current wave of immigration, now mostly from Latin America and Asia. Dr. Saenz discussed how the driving factors of globalization and nationalism play a large role in this phenomenon. He provided demographic statistics that showed how the Hispanic population was changing in this region, and facts and research to debunk many myths and misperceptions about Hispanic immigrants.

One of these myths is that Latino immigrants don't want to learn English. Dr. Saenz described three different case studies showing that, in fact, learning English is one of the highest priorities for immigrant families. Extension agents at the conference who work with Hispanic populations noted that they have also found this to be true.

The conference included planning for collaborative programs with a number of community agencies. Future projects include a taskforce to explore the possibility of Extension Agents traveling to Mexico for an international immersion experience. A successful pilot program of this concept was completed in 2006. The immersion training would provide Extension agents with the cultural competency to serve the South's new Latino clientele. For more information about the conference, contact Marisa Alcorta, marisaa@ncat.org, 406-533-6654, or visit the program’s website.

Southeast Office Busy With Local Outreach

(10/27/08) NCAT’s Southeast Office in Fayetteville, Arkansas, has recently been involved in several local sustainability events. As one example, NCAT staff participated in Fayetteville’s “Twist of Green” festival. “Twist of Green” was a family-friendly event that focused on showcasing the area’s organizations, resources, and research that focus on sustainable living. The festival encouraged participants to have educational booths and to not have paper handouts. NCAT staff members Alice Beetz and Robyn Metzger designed a display that demonstrated how to use a home worm bin as a way to convert kitchen waste into a valuable resource for gardening or houseplants. Festival-goers were able to harvest worms from an established bin and transfer them to a new one. NCAT staff were able to introduce NCAT to community members and make some contacts with people who were interested in sustainability and alternative energy.

NCAT Program Specialist Alice Beetz demonstrates composting with worms at NCAT's "Twist of Green" exhibit.

NCAT also recently served as a sponsor for the Fayetteville Sustainability Summit. This event was designed to help citizens, students and local businesses learn how the City of Fayetteville, its business partners and its corporate citizens are leading the way in sustainability initiatives. NCAT staff members Katherine Adam, Alice Beetz, Anne Fanatico, and Margo Hale took part in the event, where they attended sessions and staffed an NCAT booth.

In addition, Katherine Adam and Anne Fanatico took part in the World Food Day event that was held at the University of Arkansas October 16. The theme for the event was “Choices for a Warm & Hungry Planet,” with a focus on the impacts of climate change on world food supplies. Adam and Fanatico hosted a roundtable for NCAT, where NCAT materials were distributed and participants could come to discuss agricultural issues.

NCAT Specialists Janet Bachmann and Anne Fanatico also recently participated in a meeting to examine how small producers can aggregate product for large buyers like Walmart. A larger summit on this topic is expected next spring. This meeting was hosted by the University of Arkansas’ Applied Sustainability Center. Fred Kirshenmann, a long-time leader in the sustainable agriculture movement, also attended the meeting. NCAT hosted a Sustainable Agriculture Appetizers event with Fred Kirschenmann that evening. About 25 people attended, including NCAT staff, and co-sponsors Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) and Ozark Slow Food. People enjoyed the opportunity to draw Fred into discussions about sustainability.

For more information on activities of NCAT’s Fayetteville, Arkansas, office, contact Anne Fanatico, Southeast Region Office Director, at annef@ncat.org.

Geothermal Energy Renaissance in Progress

(10/21/08) Jeff Birkby of NCAT recently attended the Geothermal Energy 2008 Conference and Expo in Reno, Nevada. More than 1,000 attended the international conference on geothermal, about 40 percent more than last year.

man standing by geothermal generating equipment

Jeff Birkby visiting a geothermal power plant in southern Idaho.

“There’s a real resurgence of interest around geothermal energy because of new technologies for capturing geothermal heat and converting it to electricity,” Birkby said. “Energy costs are rising and carbon emissions are an issue with fossil fuels—all of that makes geothermal power look more attractive.”

The geothermal expo, which ran October 5 to 8, was sponsored by the Geothermal Energy Association and the Geothermal Resources Council. The conference featured state and federal regulators, oil company executives, investor-owned utility officials and private developers from around the world displaying new technologies to capture geothermal energy. The Geothermal Energy Association said new geothermal projects in 12 Western states have the capacity to provide up to 3,368 megawatts of new electric power. That would double current U.S. geothermal capacity, the association said.

Birkby said geothermal energy is experiencing a “renaissance” for two main reasons: new technologies that make the energy easier to harvest and more concern about energy supply. “There’s so much happening with these new technologies getting more geothermal energy than experts ever thought possible,” Birkby said. “With these new geothermal power turbines, you can generate electrical energy at temperature as low as 165 degrees (Fahrenheit). That’s about the same temperature as a hot cup of coffee.”

Geothermal energy is also extremely reliable. “It’s even more dependable than coal … there’s very little downtime with a geothermal power plant,” Birkby said. “And geothermal power is also carbon-free. You pull up the water, take the heat out of it, and re-inject the water back into the ground to be heated again—there are very few environmental concerns.”

Birkby said the new geothermal technologies for electrical generation have opened up the potential of tapping into hot water from oil wells in eastern Montana, Wyoming, and other states. “Many of those wells have water close to boiling,” he said. “They could be adapted to put a turbine in the well and generate electricity as well as heat.” Birkby said geothermal power generation projects using hot water from oil wells are already underway in Wyoming, and he is hopeful that we could soon see a similar demonstration projects in Montana.

For more information on the geothermal energy expo, visit www.geo-energy.org/2008_ts/.

NCAT Seeking Farmers and Ranchers to Review Online Energy Calculators

(10/13/08) Dozens of web-based farm energy calculators have recently become available on the Internet. These calculators are intended to help agricultural producers estimate their own energy costs, improve their energy management, and save energy and money. Through a project titled "Building Farm Energy Self-Sufficiency," funded by the USDA Risk Management Agency, NCAT is conducting a study to learn if these calculators are truly useful and what can be done to improve them. We are seeking farmers and ranchers who are willing to test and review several of these calculators.

No special expertise with energy or prior experience with web-based calculators is required. NCAT will provide instructions, a list of websites to be tested, and a comment sheet that can be returned by e-mail, fax, or US mail. NCAT staff will also be available to answer questions by phone or e-mail. Reviewers are expected to work from home, and will need to provide their own computers and Internet access. A high-speed connection would be best, although dial-up access is acceptable.

NCAT will pay $40 per hour for up to 6 hours of this work (i.e. up to $240 total). Testing needs to be completed and all comments received by Thanksgiving, November 27. Each participant will also be expected to participate in a brief phone interview after they have submitted their comments.

NCAT is signing up reviewers on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are interested in participating, please reply to Holly Hill, hollyh@ncat.org or 406-494-8652. Please note that NCAT is no longer soliciting reviewers, many thanks to those of you that helped out.

NCAT Brings Latest News to Oilseed Growers

(10/06/08) NCAT specialists recently produced a newsletter that reports the most current information on key aspects of the oilseed industry. Montana Oilseeds Update 2008—Fall Edition is directed at the state's oilseed growers and processors. The publication covers marketing news as well as practical details about growing and crushing oilseed, and uses of oil (such as biodiesel) and oilseed cake. The newsletter was developed as part of NCAT's Oilseeds for Fuel, Feed, and the Future Project.

The fall issue of the Update features Montana market outlets for oilseeds, such as the Camelina Company in Valier, Montana. The company contracts for camelina acres in Washington, Wyoming and Montana. The newsletter reports the company's current price and shipping arrangements, and how they deal with farmers. Camelina Company provides its growers with a manual outlining the best way to raise, harvest and store a camelina crop. "So far, alfalfa growers seem to have the best luck raising camelina on the first try," reports the company's Montana sales director. "If you're a successful alfalfa producer, camelina won't be a hard crop to raise."

The newsletter provides useful contacts and market opportunities for producers. This issue describes how Earl Fisher Biofuels in Chester, Montana, has developed into a bio-products business. The company is partnering with other groups to market bio-lubricants, animal feed, soil amendments, and biodiesel.

The Update profiles individual growers, too. The experience of seasoned farmers is extremely valuable to new producers. Leonard Stone is a Geraldine, Montana, farmer who has grown camelina since 2004, rotating it with his wheat and barley crops. In his years of growing camelina, he has experimented with various seeding and harvesting methods and seeding rates. "Camelina is a very hardy plant. It competes well with weeds, especially if it's established early," Stone said. He plans to seed his camelina in late October or the first part of November this year with an air seeder at a slightly higher seeding rate than he has in the past, 5 to 6 pounds per acre.

To learn more about the Montana Oilseeds Update or the Oilseeds for Fuel, Feed, and the Future Project, visit www.ncat.org/special/oilseeds.php or contact Program Specialist Al Kurki, alk@ncat.org, 406-494-0104 or Research Specialist Holly Hill, hollyh@ncat.org, 406-494-8652.

The Montana Oilseeds Update 2008—Fall Edition was developed with funding from the USDA Risk Management Agency and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Northeastern Venues Host NCAT

(9/30/08) NCAT staff members from the Northeast Regional Office have recently been busy attending conferences and networking with organizations in New England. NCAT Specialists Andy Pressman and Lee Rinehart visited Shelburne Farms in Burlington, Vermont. Shelburne Farms is working farm and nonprofit environmental educational center. Pressman and Rinehart spent time visiting with staff members and learning more about Shelburne Farms and their educational programs. Pressman and Rinehart also spent time at the Intervale Center in Burlington. The Intervale Center is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop farm- and land-based enterprises that generate economic and social opportunity while protecting natural resources. Pressman and Rinehart were able to introduce NCAT and its projects to Intervale staff.

Pressman and Rinehart also recently attended the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) 32nd Annual Common Ground Country Fair. The Common Ground Country Fair featured vendors, exhibitors, and demonstrations. It also served as a way for fairgoers to connect with Maine organic farmers. The NCAT staff had an ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service display where they passed out ATTRA project publications and spoke with farmers and other Fair attendees. The first day of the fair generated a record attendance of over 18,000 with thousands more on Saturday.

NCAT staff members Lee Rinehart and Jeff Birkby attended Farm Aid in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Rinehart and Birkby staffed an ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service booth at the Farm Aid Farm Yard, which highlighted a partnership between Farm Aid, ATTRA, Rodale, and Organic Farming Research Foundation called the Farmer Resource Network. Rinehart and Birkby were able to visit with many farmers and also attend the Farm Aid press conference with musicians Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young, among others such as Arlo Guthrie and Frances Lappe.

NCAT’s Northeast Regional Office is located at the Lands at Hillside Farms in Shavertown, Pennsylvania. For more information on NCAT’s work in the Northeast contact Lee Rinehart (lee@ncat.org) or Andy Pressman (andyp@ncat.org).

Organic Beef Producers Progress Toward Cooperative Marketing

(9/22/08) NCAT agriculture specialist Jeff Schahczenski recently produced a report aimed at helping individual organic beef producers lay the foundation for successful cooperative marking efforts.

The report, titled Building a Montana Organic Livestock Industry, features results from a survey sent to members of the Montana Organic Producers Cooperative and is sponsored by the Growth Through Ag project.

The Montana Organic Producers Cooperative (MOPC) formed in 2007 to build on their success in marketing certified organic beef.

NCAT polled members about cost of production including grass, cow-calf costs and raising calves to slaughter weight. NCAT also polled the co-op members about profits, losses and break-even selling prices and compared the results to another study by Iowa State University that measured organic grass-feed and conventional beef.

“Understanding the profitability and structure of this new and growing market niche is important for farmers who are considering transitioning to organic systems of livestock production,” Schahczenski said.

Montana ranks fourth in the nation in total certified acreage for livestock production with 103,433 acres of certified quality organic pasture land in 2005.

The results of the survey will help MOPC members understand the challenges of supplying a regional and national organic grass-finished beef market and directly assist MOPC members in the short term by laying the foundation for continued success of a unique cooperative marketing effort with great economic development potential within Montana and surrounding states.

The economic development potential is significant given the historically higher prices being offered for certified organic grass-finished beef and the rapidly growing demand.

NCAT will present the survey results at Farming with Grass, a national conference held in Oklahoma in mid-October, and at the annual membership meeting of the cooperative held in conjunction with the Montana Organic Association meeting in early December.

Wine-Grape Growers Evaluate Organic Practices

(9/17/08) Many wine-grape growers are looking carefully at organic production, assessing whether the practices will improve the wines made from their grapes. In July the Napa Valley Grapegrowers held a conference to hear about progress in organic wine-grape production.

The Organic Winegrowing Conference drew a sold-out crowd for the second time in its three-year history. Held this year at Frog's Leap Winery in Rutherford, California, the two-day conference featured industry leaders who have converted their vineyards to organic production or planted new vineyards according to organic specifications.

NCAT Agriculture Specialist Marisa Alcorta attended the conference and reported that one of the most compelling speakers was Andy Hoxsey from Napa Wine Company and Yount Mill Vineyards. Hoxsey is the largest organic grower in the Napa Valley, according to Alcorta, and has been certified organic for 25 years.

"For scale," Alcorta said, "Andy Hoxsey gave us some numbers. In Napa there are 77 organic vineyards, totaling 1,800 acres of land. His farm makes up one-third of the organic acreage, at 600 acres. He said it is difficult to assess organic practices because it takes a long time to see the results of what you are doing. For them it took 10 years to see a difference."

"When they started, organic matter in their soil measured 1.5 percent. Only in the last four or five years have they started to see a significant increase, and now organic matter is at 4.5 percent. They make their own compost, which is quite an effort at that scale. Hoxsey emphasized that only 33 to 40 percent of their compost is humus. Too much humus can tie up nutrients in the soil, so they are careful to make high quality compost. Hoxsey says that now he can taste a difference in his grapes, because of the increase in organic matter."

Other conference speakers included Ted Hall of Long Meadow Ranch, Phil Coturri of Oakville Ranch, and Elizabeth Whitlow with California Certified Organic Farmers. Topics included quality in organic wine and grapes, biodiversity and pest management in vineyards, and marketing organic wine. There was a presentation about equipment for organic production and a field demonstration the following day.

Marisa Alcorta joined NCAT in early 2008, working in the California office. She is finishing her master's degree at UC Davis in Horticulture & Agronomy, with a focus on weed management in vineyards. Alcorta received her B.S. in Plant Science from Cornell University, where she studied sustainable agriculture and international development. Before coming to NCAT, Alcorta worked with farmers in Ohio, New York, and Texas, organizing cooperative markets and a new farmers' market. Her duties at NCAT include outreach to Latino farmers as well as writing and answering questions about grapes, weed management, compost, cover cropping, and stone fruit crops. To learn more about the Organic Grape Growing Conference, e-mail her: marisaa@ncat.org.

NCAT to Exhibit at Farm Aid Concert

(9/10/08) The annual Farm Aid benefit concert is set for September 20 in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The Farm Aid concert, a brainchild of singer Willie Nelson, raises awareness of the value of small farmers and locally grown food in America. This year, more than 25,000 concertgoers at the sold-out show will have the opportunity to visit a “Homegrown Village” exhibit area that will showcase the direct connection between food and farming. One of the features of this activity area will be a pavilion that showcases Farm Aid's Farmer Resource Network national partners, including NCAT's ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.

Lee Rinehart, NCAT's Northeast Office Regional Director, and Jeff Birkby, ATTRA project Outreach Director, will staff NCAT's display at the concert. The display will feature a live large-screen link to the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website operated by NCAT.

The ATTRA website offers breaking sustainable agriculture news and special features, as well as links to online versions of more than 200 ATTRA publications on sustainable agriculture. Farmers who visit the site can submit questions to NCAT’s professional staff, for research and response. The site serves as an introduction to the many resources and services ATTRA offers, and the Farm Aid concert should provide a venue to reach a new and receptive audience. The Farm Aid concert will be carried live over Direct TV, as well as through a live stream on the Farm Aid website.

This is the first year that NCAT and the ATTRA project will have been represented at the Farm Aid concert, though the two organizations share a similar devotion to helping family farms remain environmentally and economically viable. Farm Aid has recently launched a Web page recognizing its new national partners in the Farmer Resource Network: ATTRA, the Organic Farming Research Foundation, and Rodale Institute.

NCAT Specialist Participates in Organic Training

(9/4/08) NCAT Specialist Anne Fanatico recently attended an International Organic Inspector Association (IOIA) organic livestock training held in Warren, Vermont. This four-day training was co-sponsored by Vermont Organic Farmers.

The training prepares individuals to become organic inspectors and is also popular with accredited certifying agencies and educational groups, in order to educate their staff about organic production. The course consisted of instruction in the National Organic Program standards, review of organic production practices, guidance on materials approved for organic production, and evaluation of organic livestock operations. The course concluded with an exam and an inspection of an organic dairy operation.

In addition to attending the course, Fanatico also provided supplemental educational materials for other participants. Fanatico developed training materials on organic poultry production and inspection. These materials will be added to the IOIA training manual and will be used in subsequent courses. Fanatico also taught a section of the organic livestock training course. She covered topics such as living conditions, health, feed, and on-farm processing for organic poultry operations. Fanatico was also able to introduce the other course participants to the numerous NCAT and ATTRA publications that cover organic certification and production.

Fanatico commented that she was surprised at the differences between organic production and inspections for poultry and those for other livestock, especially concerning feed and feeding issues. Fanatico’s training and experience with organic poultry complements the expertise of other NCAT Livestock Specialists who have also received IOIA training. NCAT Specialists use information from the training in their work on sustainable and organic livestock projects.

For more information about IOIA training see www.ioia.net. For information about organic poultry production and inspection, see www.sustainablepoultry.ncat.org or contact Anne Fanatico at annef@ncat.org.

Biodiesel Workshops Tour Southeast

(8/25/08) This month, NCAT is partnering with Piedmont Biofuels to teach farmers how to successfully make their own fuel from agriculture products or by-products that can be grown locally.

Piedmont Biofuels will lead the series of full-day workshops across the Southeast.

The workshops will include an introduction to biodiesel production and proper handling and use. There will also be a hands-on opportunity for participants to make a small batch of biodiesel and tour Piedmont’s mobile biodiesel production trailer.

Piedmont hauled the trailer to visit 1,000 agricultural producers in 11 eastern and southeastern states last winter. Even though the tour logged thousands of highway miles, it did not burn any petroleum on its way. Biodiesel made during each day's demonstration powered the pickup truck that pulled the trailer to the next workshop.

Funding for this workshop is provided by the USDA Risk Management Agency through a cooperative partnership agreement with NCAT as part of a project called “Managing Farm Energy Risks.”

The main objective of the workshop is to demystify biodiesel production, emphasize methods for producing high-quality fuel and teach proper safety precautions. Questions are encouraged, so come out and learn about how you can convert plant matter and restaurant waste to a high-quality fuel for diesel engines.

The seminar is free and there is a $20 charge for lunch. Scholarships are available. For more information or to register for the workshop, call (334) 724-4441.

Schedule:

August 28	Quincy, Florida	University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences North Florida Research and Education Center, 155 Research Road, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
August 29	College Park, Georgia	Camp Fulton Truitt Educational Center, 4300 Herschel Road, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
August 30	Tuskegee, Alabama	Vocational Building on the campus of Tuskegee University, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
September 3	Bloomingdale, Georgia	Ottawa Farms, 702 Bloomingdale Road, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Earth Gauge Program Sending NCAT Information to Meteorologists

(8/21/08) The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) recently awarded NCAT a Small Grant for Earth Gauge. Under this grant, NCAT will provide information about the impacts of weather on agriculture, for use by the Earth Gauge™ Program.

Earth Gauge provides free environmental education training for broadcast meteorologists. Each week the program distributes a free e-newsletter to meteorologists, with environmental information tied to their local 3- to 5-day forecasts, as well as tips viewers can use to address impacts in their local communities. To help expand the scope of environmental content provided to meteorologists through the program, NEEF awarded six Small Grants this year, to non-profit organizations and universities.

NCAT is participating in the program by providing 40 seasonally appropriate Earth Gauge moments related to weather and its impact on sustainable agriculture. The text for each "Moment" contains information on a specific weather impact, as well as recommended viewer actions and reference to a source of more information.

NCAT has already supplied its Earth Gauge Moments for summer, addressing topics such as improving drought tolerance of soils, purchasing seasonal produce, and keeping harvested crops fresh in hot weather. The tips refer viewers to NCAT publications available online through ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. To date, the program has distributed some of NCAT's tips to cities in Texas, Alabama, Wyoming, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Missouri, North Carolina, Mississippi, Washington, Kansas, and New Jersey.

For the duration of the grant, NCAT will furnish the program with ten new Earth Gauge Moments each season.

Fueling the Farm

(8/12/08) Farmers and ranchers are feeling the pinch of high fuel prices. NCAT has been showing producers across the country how to save energy and use renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, anaerobic digesters, and biofuels on the farm. In mid-July the second annual Fueling the Farm Workshop took place at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) in Goldsboro, North Carolina. NCAT was co-sponsor of the event.

The first day was called "Managing Energy Risks, Reducing Energy Costs, and Exploring Alternative Energy Sources." A keynote address by North Carolina energy office director Larry Shirley started things off. During the course of the day, producers had the chance to evaluate their energy saving options and learn how to finance and build renewable energy projects.

There was an informative talk on efficient farm vehicles by Matt Veal of North Carolina State University. Up to 60% fuel consumption reductions are possible through changes in tillage, planting patterns, tractor operation, proper tire inflation, etc.

Participants also heard an update on carbon offsets by Christopher Galik of the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy at Duke University. CEFS has been measuring carbon sequestration in long-term study plots for around a decade. CEFS also unveiled a solar water-heating system that will heat greenhouse benches for transplant production.

NCAT Program Specialist Mike Morris and Steve Moore from CEFS led a tour of Cherry Research Farm, pointing out energy efficiency improvements made as a result of the energy audit that NCAT Energy Engineer Dave Ryan conducted there last year. Several of the improvements Dave suggested have now been carried out.

The second day of the event was an intensive, hands-on demonstration of sustainable and small-scale biodiesel production, led by Matt Rudolf of Piedmont Biofuels and Matt Steiman of Dickinson and Wilson Colleges in Pennsylvania. The demonstration included strategies for recycling and reusing ingredients such as methanol. About 75 people attended on the first day and about 60 people on the second day.

Many of the talks will be posted within a few weeks to the CEFS website, www.cefs.ncsu.edu. NCAT was the main funder for the event, with funds coming from a USDA Risk Management Agency grant. For more information, contact Mike Morris, mikem@ncat.org.

Interns Produce Multimedia Projects

(8/1/08) Summer interns in NCAT’s Southeast Region office (Fayetteville, Arkansas) have been working on a variety of sustainable agriculture projects. Interns Byrhonda Lyons, Lakeitha Ruffin, and Betsy Conner have developed short videos highlighting local food and sustainable agriculture in the Fayetteville area.

Conner, Ruffin, and Lyons.

The interns were trained in video capture and editing in order to complete their projects. They spent a great deal of time interviewing and recording farmers market vendors, producers, consumers, and agriculture specialists. The first video they completed highlights the Mill District Farmers Market in Fayetteville. This is a new and growing market. The video will be used to educate people on the market and highlight some of its vendors. The video will be aired on Fayetteville’s Community Access Television (CAT) station.

Lyons, Ruffin, and Conner also completed a video on local food, "Think Globally, Act Locally." This video highlights local producers and features interviews with other local foods advocates. This video will also air on CAT. Other projects still in progress include a video introducing NCAT’s Fayetteville staff and an interview with Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture staff members.

In addition to completing the videos the interns also conducted “Short Takes.” These were short interviews that were recorded in the CAT television studio and aired on the CAT station. The interviews highlighted several aspects of sustainable agriculture and local foods in the Fayetteville community. Interviewees included NCAT’s Southeast office director Anne Fanatico, farmers market vendors, an University of Arkansas researcher, and a Slow Food member.

The completed projects will be a great tool for educating the public and promoting local food and sustainable agriculture in the Fayetteville area.

Byrhonda Lyons is a Journalism student at the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff. Lakeitha Ruffin is completing her Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and Betsy Conner is completing her degree in Poultry Science, also at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

NCAT Progressing with Software Development for Revenue-based Farm Insurance

(7/28/08) NCAT is working with the Computer Science Department at Montana Tech and making progress on development of a novel risk management insurance tool for the Risk Management Agency of USDA. A team of farmers and insurance experts met in Seattle in June to give input into the design of the new software tool.

The tool is being developed to help farmers take advantage of a relatively new whole-farm insurance product called Adjusted Gross Revenue-Lite (AGR-Lite), which insures historic farm revenue, rather than a specific crop. “AGR-Lite may become one of the better types of insurance for farmers and ranchers because it protects against dramatic price changes in crops and livestock as well as from weather,” said Jeff Schahczenski, the project director for NCAT.

As the project enters its second year, efforts are being made to produce a software tool that will be very farmer and rancher friendly. “If software tools are going to work they must be designed and tested by the end-users. This often takes more time, but we have to be assured that the tool will be useful,” said Schahczenski.

A major difficulty that prevents more farmers from using AGR-Lite is that it is more complicated than standard crop insurance products. Many of the farmers and ranchers who could use this farm insurance product are often those with smaller and highly diversified farms who can not easily get all the records together to purchase the coverage. This new whole farm revenue insurance was expected serve the needs of beginning, socially-disadvantaged, specialty, organic and direct market farmers and ranchers who grow a wide variety of crops and livestock. NCAT’s project should help more of these producers use the insurance program as intended.

Further information on the project can be obtained by calling Jeff Schahczenski at 406-494-4572.

Rural Coalition Working to Build a Just and Sustainable Food System

(7/21/08) The 30th Anniversary Assembly of the Rural Coalition took place this past June in Homestead, Florida. Rural Coalition members include diverse community-based organizations from across the U.S., such as farmer cooperatives, fair trade associations, and groups promoting economic justice and civil rights. Members work to improve the national food system and for better work places, health care, rural development, education, and housing. NCAT is a member of the coalition and was represented at the assembly by Agricultural Specialist Karen Van Epen.

Hosted by the Farm Worker Association of Florida, the assembly met in Homestead at the Everglades Farmworker Village community center. In 1992 Hurricane Andrew destroyed the "temporary" farmworker housing that had existed on that site for 20 years. Farmworkers from all over southern Florida were left homeless.

After the hurricane, a task force of farmworkers, growers, churches, and housing organizations joined with politicians and the USDA Rural Development to secure construction funds for modern farmworker housing. The project took many years to complete. Today the rebuilt complex includes over 400 energy-efficient homes, a grocery store, daycare centers, a health clinic, and various recreation and meeting spaces.

The theme of this year's assembly was "The Great Immigration Debate." The hosts made a point of highlighting many aspects of the immigration situation in Southern Florida. There was an okra-picking contest, in case anyone imagined farm work is easy. Members also visited day labor contracting sites and participated in a street rally to alert day workers to changes in law enforcement policy.

The hosts conducted tours of Little Haiti in Miami—a neighborhood where illegal immigrants congregate—and of the Mikkosukee Indian Nation. The Mikkosukees retreated deep into the Everglades when the Spaniards arrived in the 1500s. The swamps protected the tribe, which was never conquered.

Several days of the assembly were devoted to learning about each others' histories. Many Rural Coalition farmer members have had to struggle repeatedly to keep their land. The stories of immigration and of the strong desire to farm resonated with everyone. Participants contributed their family histories to a revised timeline of American immigration.

On the last day of the assembly, Towson University professor Chris Braun and his award-winning debate team from Baltimore coached volunteer debaters. The inexperienced but impassioned teams did a great job of firing up the audience, convincing everyone of the importance of promoting just and equitable immigration policies.

USDA representatives—including Dr. Gladys Vaughn of the Office of Outreach and Ron Brown from Risk Management—attended the assembly to explain their work and ask for feedback. Hubert Hamer and Dan Beckler of the National Agriculture Statistics Service met with Rural Coalition members to describe their efforts to accurately count minority and immigrant farmers for the Census of Agriculture.

To learn more about the Rural Coalition, visit www.ruralco.org. For information about the assembly, contact Karen Van Epen, 406-533-6653.

Farm Tours Showcase Oilseed Production

(7/17/08) During the latter part of June, NCAT and its partners in the Oilseeds for Fuel, Feed and the Future Project sponsored farm tours in Big Sandy and Geraldine, Montana. These two tours featured farms that have been engaged in growing and pressing oilseeds for several years.

Bob Quinn's camelina field.

On June 20 a tour of the Bob Quinn Farm near Big Sandy attracted nearly 125 people. Organic farmer Bob Quinn began the day with a presentation on the potential he sees for sustainable agriculture to solve the interconnected farming, health and climate crises by keeping income and jobs in small communities, providing nutritious, seasonal food, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by growing fuel on the farm.

Quinn has grown camelina for several years. He estimates that at a yield of 1200 lbs per acre, he would need 7% of his acreage in camelina production to provide his farm fuel needs. With further research and a higher-oil-yielding variety of oilseed, he believes that this percentage could drop to 3-5%.

Quinn recently purchased a new German-made oilseed press with a capacity of around 1800 pounds per day, which is suitable for pressing food grade oils. With a diesel engine conversion kit, he is running his farm equipment on straight camelina oil, rather than going through the extra steps of processing his oil to make biodiesel.

A June 26 tour at the Leonard Stone farm near Geraldine showcased four sections of camelina. On each of his camelina plots, Stone is testing production under different variables, including camelina variety, number of tillage passes, rolling or not rolling, and rotation sequences. Stone does not process his own oilseed on-farm, but has contracts to sell his seed to Great Northern Growers and the Camelina Company.

At the tour, Alan Brownell from the Camelina Company talked briefly about their contracts with farmers. The company is currently offering between $0.16 - $0.18 per pound. Brownell said that last year the camelina they crushed had an average of 38% oil content.

These tours help farmers and others learn about the realities of raising camelina and processing the oilseed for fuel and other products. The Oilseeds for the Future Project aims to reduce risks and create new opportunities for Montana farmers who want to participate in, and benefit from, an emerging bio-based economy.

EBT Programs Available at Five Montana Farmers Markets

(6/30/08) Summer is coming on strong and farmers markets around the state are open with garden-fresh produce now available. This summer Montanans with electronic benefit transfer cards can use their EBTs to purchase a wide range of goods at five farmers markets in Montana.

The Valley Farmers Market Cooperative in Hamilton is the newest market to accept the EBT cards. Other markets in the program are in Bozeman, Helena and two in Missoula.

Customers can use EBT funds to purchase produce, milk, meat, cheese, bread, candy and cold sandwiches. Cards can also be used for bedding plants and seeds to grow vegetable gardens.

The EBT program allows low income Montanans to buy fresh nutritious food from farmers markets This keeps local dollars in Montana communities and supports local farmers selling to their neighbors. Last summer, the first year of the program, markets accepting the cards processed more than $5,000 in EBT sales. Other transactions with credit and debit cards added another $5,000 in local sales.

The five markets that now accept EBT cards in Montana are:

In downtown Bozeman, the Original Gallatin Valley Farmers Market at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon, June 23 to September 15.
In Hamilton, the Valley Farmers Market Cooperative, Third and Bedford streets on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., May through September.
In Helena, the Helena Farmers Market, Fuller Avenue on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. until November 1.
In Missoula, the Clark Fork River Market, in the Holiday Inn Express Missoula-Riverside parking lot next to Caras Park on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. until October 18.
The Missoula Farmers Market, at Circle Square on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon, until October 18. This year the EBT kiosk is in the entryway to the market, and accepts debit and credit cards as well.

The Farmers Market EBT project is funded by the Montana State Department of Health and Human Services. The National Center for Appropriate Technology, in partnership with the Alternative Energy Resources Organization, is administering this pilot program to help farmers markets provide healthy, locally produced food available to low-income Montanans.

For more information about the Farmers Market EBT project contact: Tammy Hinman, Project Manager (406) 494-8683, 800-275-6228 tammyh@ncat.org

National Dairy Summit Involves NCAT

(6/23/08) NCAT Program Manager Teresa Maurer and Margo Hale, NCAT Specialist, participated in “Sustainability Summit: Creating Value Through Dairy Innovation," a national three-day conference held in Rogers, Arkansas, June 17-19. The focus of the Summit was to identify opportunities in the fluid milk value chain to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase business value. The Summit was attended by more than 200 dairy industry stakeholders, including producers, processors, manufacturers, retailers, researchers, and educators. The meeting was sponsored by Dairy Management Inc (DMI), International Dairy Foods Association, National Milk Producers Federation, and the University of Arkansas Applied Sustainability Center.

The Summit included presentations on sustainability and greenhouse gases, including information on the carbon footprint of the milk value chain. The meeting was directed using the Appreciative Inquiry model. Appreciative Inquiry allows a large group of participants, from different areas and levels, to work together to initiate change. Participants broke into groups to focus on reducing greenhouse gases for specific areas of the milk value chain, from crop production to packaging. There were more than a dozen groups focused on crop production, milk production, transport, processing, packaging, distribution, and retail. Maurer participated in the group that focused on energy efficiency in milk production, and Hale participated in a group that targeted pastured dairy production. Each group developed initiatives that will increase the sustainability of the dairy industry and increase business value.

The groups will be working to implement their initiatives in all sectors of the dairy industry. Proposed initiatives included conducting energy audits for farms, education and tools for carbon sequestration, building methane digesters, shelf-stable milk products, and coordinated trucking efforts. The vision that was developed by the Summit participants was for the dairy industry “to be a leader in sustainability, ensuring the health and well-being of the planet, our communities, and stakeholders.”

For more information about the Summit, contact Margo Hale (margoh@ncat.org) or Teresa Maurer (teresam@ncat.org).

Next Generation Award Launches Graduates

(6/16/08) Four 2008 high school graduates have received cash awards from NCAT to aid them in continuing their educations. NCAT’s Next Generation program awards $500 in cash to the son or daughter of an NCAT employee when the student graduates from high school. To qualify for the award, the graduate must be planning to go on to attend college or technical school. Students must complete an application form to receive the award.

NCAT’s Board of Directors approved this special benefit for the organization’s employees and their children beginning in 2006. The award is designed to help cover the student’s expenses related to continuing education, and funds may be used at the employee and student’s discretion.

This spring four students in Montana and California have received NCAT’s Next Generation award.

Zoe Dufour, daughter of NCAT’s California Regional Office Director Rex Dufour, plans to continue her education by attending Sacramento City College, in California. She will be taking classes in art and Italian, and hopes to attend art school in Florence, Italy, the following year.

The other three recipients are all children of NCAT employees based in the organization’s Butte, Montana, Headquarters Office.

Dylan Griffin, the son of Program Specialist Sherry Vogel, will be attending the University of Montana and plans to study literature and German.

Brianne McClafferty, the daughter of Human Resources Specialist Therese McClafferty, will attend the University of Montana – Montana Tech in Butte, where she will play college basketball while studying business.

Cody Thom, the son of Computer Specialist Mary Ann Thom, will be attending the University of Montana taking general courses while he investigates options for a career.

The Next Generation award is one of many ways in which NCAT supports further education, and part of NCAT’s benefits package for employees.

Interns Find Opportunities at NCAT

(6/9/08) Five interns are gaining work experience at NCAT’s Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Butte, Montana, offices this summer. These interns are the latest in a long list of students who have interned with NCAT over the organization’s 32-year history. Interns have the opportunity to work alongside NCAT staff members and apply their skills on a wide variety of projects.

Conner

Lyons

Ruffin

Three interns from Arkansas schools are working on sustainable agriculture projects this summer at NCAT’s Southeast Regional Office. Byrhonda Lyons, a junior, is a Journalism student at the University of Arkansas in Pine Bluff. Betsy Conner is a senior Poultry Science student at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Also joining NCAT from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville is graduate student Rena Ruffin, who is completing her MS in Agriculture Business. All three will be working with NCAT program specialists on research, publications, online materials, and special projects.

Wulf

Meanwhile, two interns are working in NCAT’s Headquarters Office this summer. Krystal Wulf, who graduated from Evergreen State College and will begin graduate studies at the University of Montana, is interning in the Human Resources department. Megan Agusto, a business student at Montana Tech of the University of Montana, will be working with NCAT’s National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) project.

Agusto

NCAT has a long-standing tradition of providing internship opportunities to students from the colleges and universities in the communities where NCAT offices are located. NCAT also has a relationship with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, which helps match interns from that school with NCAT opportunities.

NCAT still has internship opportunities open for 2008 in its California, Northeast, and Midwest Offices. Details on these positions and the application process can be found on the Employment Opportunities page of the NCAT website.

Energy Audit Shows Potential Savings for Butte Schools

The "Business Partners" performance-based business electric conservation project that NCAT operates for NorthWestern Energy identifies and implements energy savings across the utility's service area. The Montana Standard wrote about a recent energy audit that NCAT's energy engineers conducted for Butte's School District. NCAT found that district schools could save an estimated $104,000 by implementing a slate of recommendations including more efficient light fixtures and motion detectors to turn off lights in vacant spaces.

SPIN Farming Workshop a Success

The small plot intensive (SPIN) farming workshop co-sponsored by NCAT at Wilkes University May 19-20 was characterized by organizers as "a huge success." The Times-Tribune and Wilkes University both provided coverage of the event and the urban agriculture project that NCAT is helping the University conduct this year.

Nevada Ranchers Eager to Learn about Organic Agriculture

(6/2/08) A meeting and farm tour in Fallon, Nevada, this spring were filled to capacity with farmers who wanted to hear how to convert to organic production. NCAT California Regional Office Director Rex Dufour was one of three speakers at the workshop sponsored by the Nevada Organics Council.

Farmers gather before the organic workshop at Lattin's Country Kitchen in Fallon, Nevada

Dufour introduced the audience to NCAT's ATTRA project. Known as the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, ATTRA provides publications and other resources for farmers. Dufour spoke about the trends that are pushing and pulling the growth of the organic market nationally and in the West. He also described ecological approaches to pest management.

Fred Thomas, of California Certified Organic Farmers’ "Going Organic" Project, explained the certification process to the crowd. He emphasized the advantages of good record keeping and of formulating an Organic System Plan. Thomas is a cover crop specialist and he talked about the importance of building healthy soil with cover crops.

The meeting featured tasty local, organic food prepared by Reno chefs who specialize in fresh seasonal cuisine.

Harvindar Singh of Whole Foods Market also spoke at the meeting. He is a “local product forager” who was hired by the market to help increase the amount of local produce in the stores. Whole Foods is committed to featuring organic foods whenever possible. He also stated that Whole Foods is interested in using its parking lots as sites for farmers' markets.

After a delicious meal of grass-fed meat and local organic foods, the group toured Lattin Farm and neighboring Mewaldt's Organic Produce.

Rick Lattin is an innovative Fallon farmer with several value-added projects on his farm, including hoop houses, a bakery, agritourism, and agri-education. He has converted some of his land to organic production, and is in the process of certifying additional land.

Farm tour participants listen intently to farmer Bill Mewaldt describe the transition to organic production.

Neighbor Bill Mewaldt was the inspiration and impetus for Lattin to begin switching to organic methods. A longtime advocate of organic production systems, Mewaldt raises vegetables, berries, flowers, herbs, and seedlings.

Farmer Rick Lattin explains how he uses the hoop house to extend the growing season.

Dufour has an ongoing relationship with the Nevada Organics Council. He visits the state at least once per year to attend and speak at meetings. The Nevada Organics Council has been an outspoken advocate for the ATTRA project, recommending it as a great resource for farmers. For more information, contact Dufour at rexd@ncat.org, 406-494-6650.

Ranch Tour to Feature On-Site Biodiesel Processing and Use

(5/19/08) Folks who want a firsthand look at on-ranch biodiesel production and use are invited to a free tour of the Rocking Z Ranch, sponsored by NCAT and its partners in the Oilseeds for Fuel, Feed and the Future project. The tour is set for 2:00 pm on Wednesday, May 28th, at the Rocking Z Ranch 26 miles north of Helena, Montana.

The tour will highlight:

Zack Wirth's 80 gallon biodiesel processor, along with vegetable oil and biofuel storage on the Ranch.
A stationary engine that can burn straight vegetable oil (SVO), biodiesel or petrodiesel. This 80 hp engine runs the Ranch's irrigation system.
Hosts Zack and Patty Wirth's stories on how they developed this system, and the problems and benefits they've seen.

Pre-registration by May 23rd is encouraged. Call Al Kurki at 406-449-0104 or e-mail (alk@ncat.org) to register and to get more information.

Owner Zack Wirth said his original motivation for using both RSVO and biodiesel on his ranch was that the hay crop didn't justify the fuel cost. With taxed diesel fuel now costing over $4.20 per gallon, Wirth says finding his way through the "good, bad and the ugly" of biodiesel production makes more sense every day.

Wirth says mastering the production and use of biofuels has educational value as well. He shares his story with folks from all over the world who stay at the Rocking Z Guest Ranch. He has done several presentations for other Montanans who are curious about on-farm biodiesel production. "Like anything that's new, one is bound to make mistakes. I've have had one large expense that was due to human error. However, in the long run I am saving money. If I can spare others making those same mistakes, I'm all for it," Wirth says.

The Rocking Z tour and other biodiesel and oilseed tours held this summer in Montana are part of a larger project called “Oilseeds for Fuel, Feed and the Future.” Partners in the Oilseeds for Fuel, Feed and the Future Project include the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), Montana DEQ's Air and Energy Bureau, the Montana Grain Growers Association, Alternative Energy Resources Organization (AERO), the Montana Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Great Northern Growers Coop, and Montana Farmers Union. For more information, go to www.ncat.org/special/oilseeds.php.

Here are directions to the Rocking Z Ranch: The Rocking Z is 1.8 miles west from Interchange 216 (the Sieben Interchange) on I-15 24 miles north of Helena. The Ranch is across the stream and RR tracks. The County Road is paved to the Ranch, however if the road has turned to gravel, you've gone too far.

NCAT Specialists Complete Organic Training

(5/12/08) NCAT Specialists Linda Coffey and Margo Hale recently attended a five-day organic livestock training conducted by the International Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA). This training prepares individuals to become organic inspectors. Coffey and Hale will use the information from the training in their work on sustainable and organic livestock projects.

The training consisted of four days of instruction in the National Organic Program standards, review of organic production practices, guidance on materials approved for organic production, and evaluation of organic livestock operations. Sarah Flack, organic dairy consultant, and Dr. Guy Jardowski, DVM, holistic livestock veterinarian, taught sections on working with organic livestock operations. NCAT Specialist Anne Fanatico also provided supplemental course material on organic poultry production. The course concluded with an exam and a student-conducted inspection of an organic dairy operation. Course students, including Coffey and Hale, each had to write inspection reports, as if they were inspecting the operation for an accredited organic certifying agency.

“This training course was a great opportunity. I am now very comfortable with organic standards and feel much more confident as I help our clients with their organic livestock production questions,” said Hale.

Several other NCAT Specialists have previously completed IOIA organic inspector trainings. Lee Rinehart and Andy Pressman attended livestock and crops courses, respectively, in November 2007. Ann Baier, Holly Born, and Rex Dufour have also completed IOIA training courses.

For more information about IOIA training see www.ioia.net.

Montana Food Corps Brings Local Food to State Students

(5/5/08) Over the past year Montana schools and colleges got a welcome boost from a group of young, energetic Americorps volunteers. NCAT's Grow Montana Food Corps is working to bring fresh, locally produced food to the state's students.

Food Corps Volunteers from left to right: Patrick Murphy, Kevin Moore, Sarah Kester, Tessa Roberts, Erin Foster West.
Photo: Sarah Kester

The program enhances the strength of Montana's farm economy as well the health of the state's young people. By the end of the 2008 school year, the VISTAs (Americorps Volunteers in Service to America) will have helped return over $1 million to Montana’s farmers and ranchers through farm-to-cafeteria projects at two University of Montana campuses, Salish Kootenai College, Montana State University, and the Missoula County public schools.

Food Corps is the result of a partnership between the Grow Montana coalition and these educational institutions. Grow Montana promotes Montana-owned food production and distribution as a sustainable economic development strategy. NCAT is a founding member of the coalition and administers the Food Corps program.

This is the first time a statewide team of VISTA volunteers has been trained to develop farm-to-cafeteriaprograms and sent out to work with partnering institutions in multiple communities.

Keeping Montana Food Dollars in Montana

Montana's public institutions spend nearly $33 million annually on food. The Food Corps volunteers' job is to help steer more of these food dollars to Montana farmers and ranchers and local communities. Food Corps volunteers reach out to community groups, political officials, restaurateurs, and food producers to create support for farm-to-cafeteria programs and the local food movement.

Food Corps volunteer Erin Foster West has been working since August with Missoula County public schools. She has helped them spend more than $12,000 on local food and nearly $150,000 on dairy. Erin works closely with teachers from 10 schools to provide nutrition and local food education through taste tests, cooking projects, and field trips.

Erin has also worked with nearby Alberton school district, helping coordinate a Farm-to-School Day featuring local potatoes, beef, onions, apples, and pumpkins. Erin has so many ideas for growing the program that she is considering a second year as a Food Corps volunteer.

University of Montana

A truckload of Montana cantaloupes heads for the Farm-to-Cafeteria program.
Photo: UM Dining Services

The farm-to-cafeteria initiatives at the University of Montana–Missoula started in 2003. Now Food Corps volunteer Sarah Kester is helping the university dining services reach their goal of spending 20 percent of their budget on farm-to-cafeteria items. Sarah launched a staff newsletter to promote local products and seasonal produce. She is experimenting with social networking websites such as MySpace and Facebook to increase student awareness and commitment to local foods.

Food Corps member Kevin Moore has pushed the University of Montana–Western’s local food purchases up from 16% to 18% of their budget, doubling the percentage of local food purchased since his arrival there in July 2006. Kevin has taken a strong leadership role with this year's new team, and serves as liaison between the Grow Montana steering committee and the Food Corps.

Grilling local meat for student meals at University of Montana–Western in Dillon.
Photo: UM-Western Food Service

Cheri McCarthy, who heads UM–Western's food service, points out that "Dillon is cattle country. Even some of my kitchen staff are ranchers. It just makes sense for us to serve Montana beef." Chancellor Dick Storey said, “The farm-to-college program is crucial to the university and our state and local economies.”

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer awarded an EcoStar to NCAT's Grow Montana Food Corps in 2007 for good environmental performance. Now the Food Corps is looking for recent college graduates who would like to be part of the program. See www.growmontana.ncat.org/foodcorps_faq08.php for information about how to join.

To learn more about the Food Corps and farm-to-cafeteria programs, contact Nancy Matheson at 406-227-0389 or visit the Grow Montana website.

NCAT Announces New Staff Members

(5/2/08) The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) announces the recent hire of new professional staff members. NCAT is a national non-profit organization headquartered in Butte for the past 32 years.

“We are pleased to have such skilled individuals joining our organization’s team,” said Chief Operating Officer Marcia Brown. “NCAT’s nationwide sustainable energy and agriculture services rely on the dedication and commitment of our personnel. These new members will be valuable additions to our national staff.”

Hal Hubber

In April Hal Hubber joined NCAT’s Business Partners team as an Energy Analyst. The Business Partners program is a performance-based business electric conservation project NCAT operates for NorthWestern Energy. Hubber is a licensed professional with thorough knowledge and experience in interior architectural design. He has extensive experience in facilities management, planning and construction. Hubber will put his skills to work in helping Montana businesses identify and install lighting and equipment upgrades that provide energy savings.

Kimberley Darrah

Several new staff members are joining NCAT’s Accounting Department in Butte, to help the organization administer its multi-million dollar annual budget and 6 regional offices across the country.

Kimberley Darrah will serve as Controller at NCAT. She earned a Masters of Accountancy degree from the University of Montana, and has been a senior consultant for an accounting firm in Butte.

Pam Turk-Bell

Pam Turk-Bell is a new staff accountant at NCAT. She earned a B.A. in Business & Information Technology, and has extensive experience in accounting in the Butte community.

NCAT is currently in the process of recruiting additional professional staff for its sustainable agriculture and farm energy projects. For more information, visit NCAT's Employment Opportunities web page.

NCAT Receives Climate Change Grant from the Turner Foundation

(4/28/08) NCAT recently received a $20,000 grant from the Turner Foundation to fund components of the Montana Climate Action Project. The Montana Climate Action Project is a collaboration of partners in Montana working to find solutions, create opportunities and empower people around the issue of climate change. The project goal is to provide Montana citizens with the information and tools they need to understand climate change and make personal changes that will have a positive effect on the climate change crisis.

In November of 2007, the Montana Governor’s Climate Change Advisory Committee (CCAC) released a report containing 54 recommendations for climate change mitigation opportunities in Montana. Using the Turner Foundation grant, the Montana Climate Action Project will develop a citizens' guide to the CCAC report to inform Montana citizens about positive climate change opportunities in Montana, gather broad support for solutions, and ensure that the proposed recommendations inform policy and become implemented.

Another component of the grant includes the development of the Montana Climate Action Project website, which can be found at www.montanaclimatechange.org. The website contains information on climate change in Montana and ways that Montanans can help halt climate change in their daily lives. In addition, the website will include a link to the Citizen’s Guide, as well as links to useful tools, such as carbon calculators, and to other organizations and resources focusing on climate change.

Finally, the project will launch a pilot media campaign using four or five of our partners’ diverse member constituencies to create messages about the urgency of climate change in Montana. This pilot campaign will take advantage of the opportunity to reach our various partners’ members, including farmers, conservationists, senior citizens and many others, to broadcast publicly the impact that climate change is having on individuals and how the CCAC report relates to them.

Home Energy Rater Training to Be Rescheduled

(4/25/08) Due to low registration, the Home Energy Rater training scheduled for May 5-9, 2008, at NCAT’s headquarters in Butte will be rescheduled for a later date. Check back for more information.

NCAT Appears at The Living It Green Expo

(4/22/08) Staff members from NCAT’s Southeast Field Office ( Fayetteville, Arkansas) showcased NCAT projects and publications at The Living It Green Expo held in Rogers, Arkansas, April 5-6. The educational goals of The Living it Green Expo are to protect the environment for children and their future; teach environmental values; demonstrate healthy lifestyles and their impact on the ecosystem; promote sustainable neighborhoods; educate communities about the impact of global warming; promote environmentally preferred products and “green living” practices; and increase public awareness and concern about the impact of wasteful consumption.

An estimated 60,000+ people of all ages and backgrounds attended The Living It Green Expo. More than 60 exhibitors, representing a wide range of business, educational, governmental, and non-profit organizations, participated. In addition, the event featured over 20 learning presentations covering topics such as solar and wind energy, composting, and “green” home construction.

NCAT staffers Katherine Adam, Janet Bachmann, Anne Fanatico, Margo Hale, and Teresa Maurer all participated in the weekend event. They staffed a NCAT booth that offered publications and other NCAT materials. During the event, staff members were able to visit with many Northwest Arkansas residents and help people become more familiar with NCAT’s mission and projects.

For more information on The Living it Green Expo see www.livingitgreen.org or contact NCAT Specialist Margo Hale at margoh@ncat.org.

'Energy on the Farm' Workshop Scheduled

(4/17/08) Many farmers are exploring the possibilities for energy efficiency and renewable energy to cope with high and fluctuating energy costs. Some are making their own fuel from agricultural products or byproducts, including vegetable oil or crops that can be grown locally. A day-long workshop, "Energy on the Farm: A Toolkit for Taking Control of Energy Bills," will provide information on alternative options to improve farm energy efficiency.

NCAT is joining with the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), Piedmont Biofuels, and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) to present a full-day workshop on farm energy audits and biodiesel production and use. The workshop will take place May 29, 2008 at the Lands at Hillside Farms, in Shavertown, PA, from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Funding for this workshop is provided by the USDA Risk Management Agency, through a cooperative partnership agreement with NCAT, as part of a project called “Managing Farm Energy Risks.” The workshop is produced in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture and the Lands at Hillside Farms.

The day will begin with an introduction to biodiesel production by Piedmont Biofuels, a biodiesel cooperative in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Participants will learn how to convert plant matter and restaurant waste into a high quality fuel for diesel engines. A demonstration on the innovative mobile biodiesel processing trailer will cover production as well as proper handling and use, giving participants the opportunity to see all the components of a small commercial biodiesel production system in operation, including oilseed crushing.

This field day will also focus on emphasizing farm energy audits as a means for farmers to explore potential energy savings. A tour of The Lands at Hillside Farms and its milk processing facility will demonstrate how farmers can benefit from an energy audit. Information on how to have an energy audit performed on your farm will be provided along with a description of what resources are available to improve energy efficiency in your operation. People of all levels of experience are encouraged to attend.

The workshop costs $15 for PASA members and $25 for all others. For more information, or to register, visit www.pasafarming.org or call 814-349-9856.

Tour Emphasizes Organic Soil Management

Grower John France, who began converting his conventional operation to organic almost 20 years ago, stresses the importance of cover crops for high quality fruit production.

(4/9/08) John and Cindy France have been leaders of the organic movement in California's Southern San Joaquin Valley since their first orchard was certified in 1990. In late February 2008 John France gave a tour of his ranch for farmers attending the California Small Farm Conference, held this year in Visalia.

NCAT Program Specialist Rex Dufour designed the tour for growers unfamiliar with organic agriculture. As they traveled together to the France Ranch in Porterville, Dufour gave them a brief summary of organic practices and standards. Then the group got to hear two farmers explain why they decided to convert to organic production, and the challenges of transition and maintaining certification.

France digs up a bell bean legume from a walnut orchard that he planted with a cover crop mix that also includes vetch and rye. Nodules on the roots of the bell bean fix nitrogen in the soil. "It's cheaper to grow your nitrogen than buy it," France said.

The Frances grow blueberries, table grapes, mandarins, nectarines, oranges, peaches, and walnuts on 765 acres of certified organic ground. They have developed a packing shed to market their own fruit and the produce of other organic growers in the area. France and his wife Cindy started the business, hoping to provide the good service they were always searching for. They pack and market for other growers who farm 3,000 acres of certified organic fruits and vegetables, including peaches, Valencia oranges, blueberries, bell peppers, and cauliflower.

John France shows visitors around the packing shed at Sierra Heights Marketing.

During the dry hot summers, drip irrigation will save water in the France Ranch table grape vineyard.

John France discussed the details of his farming operation with the 30 visitors. He emphasized the importance of knowing your soil and learning how to manage it ecologically in order to maintain sustainable production. He uses many different methods of irrigation on the ranch, in an effort to conserve water and grow healthy trees and vines. To learn more, visit www.sierraheightsmarketing.com.

The second stop on the tour was John and Monica Pizura's Wicky-Up Ranch, just east of Woodlake in the beautiful Sierra foothills. In contrast to the France Ranch, this operation grows only oranges on 19 acres of ground which has been certified since 2005.

At Wicky-Up Ranch, the Pizuras mow their orange groves to manage the resident vegetation and conserve the soil.

John and Monica are newcomers to organics and find nutrient management the most challenging aspect of their farm work. Many of their trees are decades old, and had grown accustomed to chemical fertilizers. Adjusting to an organically managed nutrient regime is a work in progress.

To complement their farm production, the Pizuras run a delightful bed and breakfast in the Craftsman-style house on the property. The B&B is surrounded by their organic orange orchard, so the fragrance of orange blossoms wafts through the area during bloom time. To learn more about Wicky-Up Ranch and their bed & breakfast, visit www.wickyup.com.

John Pizura explains the transitional management strategies for his citrus orchard, such as heavy application of compost to the soil in the initial years of the process.

The California Small Farm Conference will meet again March 1–3, 2009 in Sacramento. For more information about this year's tour, contact Rex Dufour, rexd@ncat.org, 530-792-7338.

NCAT Offering Timely Farm Energy Resources

(4/4/08) Planting season is in full swing across much of the country, and farmers are facing unprecedented fuel and fertilizer costs. Farmers seeking to manage their energy risks, cut costs, or explore renewable energy alternatives can turn to NCAT for a variety of information and assistance.

During the past year, NCAT has released a number of publications on farm energy conservation and alternative fuels through ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. Development of these publications was funded by the USDA Risk Management Agency.

Titles include Conserving Fuel on the Farm; Biodiesel Use, Handling, and Fuel Quality; and Small-Scale Wind Energy on the Farm. These publications, and others on many aspects of farm energy efficiency and renewable energy production and use, are available free online in the Farm Energy section of the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website.

The same website offers access to an online Farm Energy Search Tool that makes it easy to find energy-related equipment, funding, and technical assistance in your state. News stories, funding opportunities, and events related to farm energy are posted on this site weekly.

NCAT is also helping farmers learn more about alternative fuels and energy conservation through workshops being held across the United States. To date in 2008, NCAT has been involved in organizing and presenting workshops on biodiesel in Florida, Montana, and South Carolina, with additional events planned during the remainder of the year. NCAT specialists have also given farm energy presentations at conferences, including the Tuskegee Farmers Conference, where NCAT Energy Engineer Dave Ryan fielded audience questions on energy use.

Farmers don’t even need to attend a conference or field day to access NCAT expertise. NCAT’s team of energy specialists is available through ATTRA to answer farm energy efficiency and alternative fuels questions from farmers and agricultural educators anytime, either online or by phone at 800-346-9140.

NCAT’s involvement in helping farmers deal with their challenging energy will continue over the next few years under several ongoing projects. In addition, NCAT has just received notice that a new a two-year $97,000 project for “Energy Training for Agriculture Professionals in the Southern SARE Region” has been awarded funding. Farmers facing energy challenges and seizing energy opportunities will be able to rely on NCAT for assistance.

New American Farm Conference Highlights ATTRA

(3/20/08) NCAT will be especially well represented next week at the national Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) conference. SARE’s New American Farm Conference: Advancing the Frontier of Sustainable Agriculture will be held March 25-27 in Kansas City, Missouri. SARE is celebrating its 20th anniversary and this conference will give farmers, ranchers, teachers, researchers, students, and advocates an opportunity to learn about SARE-funded research, experiences, and innovations.

NCAT is an official co-sponsor of the conference through its ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. NCAT is using the conference as an opportunity to let the sustainable agriculture community know that ATTRA is back at full strength. The ATTRA project celebrated its 20th anniversary on June 1, 2007, but due to project funding cuts, had to wait until this year to celebrate.

NCAT staff members will be participating in the conference in a variety of ways. There will be an NCAT booth with lots of ATTRA materials, staffed by NCAT’s Agriculture Specialsts. California Field Director Rex Dufour will be giving a presentation and Southeast Regional Field Director Anne Fanatico will present a poster. In addition, New American Farm conference-goers will also have a chance to meet 18 NCAT staff members who will be in attendance. At a special event on Tuesday evening, March 25, NCAT staff will be introduced and the ATTRA anniversary recognized at a “Culture and Agriculture” session. The session will also feature nationally recognized Kansas singer-songwriter Ann Zimmerman, who will provide music related to sustainability of farms and farm people. On Thursday, the ATTRA project will be highlighted again through sponsorship of locally provided food on the 12 tours that will be part of the conference.

For more information on SARE’s New American Farm Conference please visit the SARE website.

Linking Consumers and Farmers in Southwest Iowa

(3/3/08) In the future, residents of Southwest Iowa will find more locally produced food available, thanks to the Southwest Iowa Food and Farm Initiative, a project coordinated by NCAT's Midwest Regional Office Director Holly Born. Ironically, this fertile agricultural region no longer supplies much of the food consumed by those who live here.

The Southwest Iowa Food and Farm Initiative (SWIFFI) promotes the production and consumption of locally grown fruits, vegetables, meat, and poultry products. The area served by the initiative includes Adams, Adair, Cass, Guthrie, Audubon, Shelby, Pottawattamie, and Montgomery counties. These communities share a landscape, history, and culture. The initiative is sponsoring a regional chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local, food system mapping exercises, trips to learn about successful local food systems in other parts of Iowa, workshops to clarify regulations for local foods purchasing, and a pilot project to help new food producers.

Agricultural producers who want to supply local markets confront many problems, such as lack of local distribution channels. Under funding from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the Iowa West Foundation, SWIFFI is investigating distribution options for southwestern Iowa and carrying out strategic planning and mapping for a regional food system.

Another SWIFFI project will give local food producers an opportunity to apply for mini-grants of $500 provided by the Wallace Center for Rural Research and Development through funding from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. These grants can make it possible for farmers to purchase equipment to improve their operations.

Regional food systems have many advantages. They are efficient and good for the environment, reducing the distance that food is shipped. Local food systems give a competitive advantage to local producers, processors, and retailers. Successful businesses strengthen the economies of the communities where they are based.

Local food systems also support long-term connections between farmers and consumers. These interactions encourage identification with the region's culture, history, and ecology. Because locally produced food is consumed while it is fresh, it contributes to a healthier population.

SWIFFI was formed last year by the Cultivators, a group that includes Keith Booth of the Wallace Foundation for Rural Research and Development. Located in Lewis, Iowa, the Wallace Foundation houses NCAT's Midwest Regional Office. Other Cultivators include staff from the Cass County Memorial Hospital and county extension offices as well as local farmers and business owners.

SWIFFI was funded with a grant from the Regional Food Systems Working Group, coordinated by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Similar efforts are underway in Northwest, Northeast and Southeast Iowa. For more information, contact Holly Born, (712) 769-2604.

NCAT Provides LEED for Homes Ratings in Montana

(2/25/08) NCAT has been trained to act as a LEED for Homes Rater in Montana. LEED for Homes, a program administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), promotes the design and construction of high-performance green homes. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria. The LEED program offers a family of certification standards for green construction and major remodeling including homes, schools, commercial buildings and interiors, and neighborhoods.

Architects, real estate professionals, facility managers, engineers, interior designers, landscape architects, construction managers, lenders and government officials use LEED to help transform the built environment to sustainability. LEED certification provides independent, third-party verification that a building project meets the highest green building and performance measures. As a LEED for Homes Rater in Montana, NCAT will be working with green building consultants and builders in the state to verify that their home building projects meet the criteria for LEED for Homes.

LEED for Homes is a relatively new component of the LEED program. Its pilot phase was completed in late fall of 2007, and the LEED for Homes rating system was officially launched in November 2007. Homes that qualify for LEED are energy efficient, conserve natural resources, create less waste, and offer occupants good indoor air quality.

Home builders, designers and owners interested in learning more can visit the USGBC website, or contact NCAT or Earth Advantage, Inc. Earth Advantage has been selected by the USGBC to be a LEED for Homes Program Provider. Earth Advantage works with building professionals in the Northwest to help them understand and incorporate high performance green building practices and materials into their projects, in order to comply with LEED standards.

NCAT to Sponsor Small-Scale Poultry Training

(2/20/08) NCAT, Heifer International and the University of Arkansas are sponsoring a 2 ½-day training on pasture-based poultry production for small-scale commercial production. The training will focus on natural and organic management, with topics including production systems, housing, breeds, health, and processing. NCAT Specialist Anne Fanatico will be one of the featured speakers at the training. Fanatico will speak on alternative production systems, nutrition, marketing, and economics. The training will cover meat chickens and layers, with special sessions on turkeys, geese, ducks, and guineafowl.

The training will feature a hands-on component for production and processing. Participants will be visiting the poultry production and processing operations at Heifer Ranch. They will also watch a video about a mobile processing unit for poultry. The training sessions will be video-taped and the videos will be posted online at a later date.

The workshop will be held March 10-12, 2008 at the Heifer International Ranch and Learning Center in Perryville, Arkansas. Only limited openings remain. To see the full agenda and to register, visit www.regonline.com/smallscalepoultry2008. For more information, contact Anne Fanatico at annef@ncat.org or 1-866-442-6085 (toll-free).

For more information on alternative poultry projects and training, please visit www.sustainablepoultry.ncat.org/index.html.

Farm Energy Management Sessions Offered at Tuskegee Farmers Conference

(2/11/08) Responding to the serious challenge posed by high energy costs, Tuskegee University Cooperative Extension & College of Agricultural, Environmental and Natural Sciences will offer two workshops on managing farm energy risks at the 116th annual Farmers Conference, at Tuskegee University on February 21-22.

Started by Booker T. Washington in 1892, the Farmers Conference is the oldest continuously held agricultural conference in the United States.

On Thursday, February 21, NCAT's Senior Energy Engineer Dave Ryan, P.E. will lead a workshop titled “Slaying the Energy Cost Dragon.” This dialogue on farm energy use, assessment, and management will include innovative ideas for reducing fuel and electric costs, as well as opportunities for farms to generate their own energy, using biodiesel, wind turbines, or solar panels.

On Friday, Mr. Ryan will lead a free-wheeling “Ask the Energy Expert” discussion, responding directly to questions from the audience.

RMA logo Funding for these workshops is provided by the USDA-Risk Management Agency, through a cooperative partnership agreement with NCAT, as part of a project called “Managing Farm Energy Risks.”

These workshops will be free and open to the public. For more information, or to register, please contact Barrett Vaughan, P.E., btvaughan@tuskegee.edu or (334) 727-8527.

Tour to Highlight California Small Farm Conference

(2/4/08) The 21st California Small Farm Conference will be held February 24 to 26 in Visalia, near Fresno. This event brings together small farmers and farm supporters for three days of farm tours and workshops about improving agricultural practices. This year's theme is "Growing Opportunities." The focus will be on local food systems.

NCAT Specialist Rex Dufour is working to organize a tour to a couple of the region's organic farms. The market for organic food is increasing rapidly in the West and throughout the US. Consequently many growers are interested in converting their operations to answer the growing consumer demand. Dufour has arranged tours of France Ranch, a medium sized (765 acres) organic fruit and nut operation with a packing house, as well as a smaller (18 acre) organic orange operation. This day will be especially interesting because it gives farmers the opportunity to learn from their peers.

A featured speaker at this year's conference will be Dr. Preston Maring of Kaiser Permanente. A vocal advocate for fresh, local foods in healthcare institutions, Dr. Maring initiated farmers' markets at Kaiser Hospitals for the staff and community. His idea has spread so that now, in addition to farmer's markets, many Kaiser Hospitals offer locally grown and organic food in their cafeterias and patient meals.

Other keynote speakers include Huell Howser, host of numerous PBS shows including the popular California Gold, and David Runsten, executive director of Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF). For more than 20 years, CAFF has been advocating for family farmers. They are currently sponsors of the Growers' Collaborative, an enterprise that coordinates and delivers orders for fresh local farm products to institutions such as schools and hospitals. CAFF is also very active in policy discussions that affect local food systems, such as food safety.

Workshop topics at the conference this year include cultivation, water conservation, pest management, business development, USDA opportunities, and marketing. In addition, workshops will address issues facing new farmers and farmers' market managers.

The California Small Farm Conference has its roots in a direct marketing conference for farmers’ market managers and farmers who sold at farmers’ markets and at their farm stands, u-pick operations, etc. The University of California's Small Farm Center was another important element of the first conferences.

This year the conference will award the first Tom Haller Award, named for the person whose drive, leadership, and vision launched the conference. From the beginning Haller stressed the importance of including small farmers not just as participants but also as presenters, since he saw them as the experts on important areas of innovation. That is just one of the things that marked this conference as ahead of its time.

For more information, contact Rex Dufour, or see the conference website.

Biodiesel Production and Use Workshops Scheduled

(1/30/08) Piedmont Biofuels, the National Center for Appropriate Technology, and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, in collaboration with Florida A&M University's Statewide Small Farm Programs, are planning two different full-day workshops on biodiesel production and use. The workshops take place February 9 and 10. The first workshop is an advanced workshop, and the second is offered at a beginning level.

Funding for the workshops is provided by the USDA-Risk Management Agency, through a cooperative partnership agreement with NCAT, as part of a project called “Managing Farm Energy Risks.” The workshops will be conducted by Piedmont Biofuels, a biodiesel cooperative from Pittsboro, North Carolina. The main objective of these workshops is to demystify biodiesel production, emphasizing methods for producing high quality fuel as well as proper safety precautions.

The advanced workshop will take place February 9 at Crescent Moon Farm, 145 Crescent Moon Trail, in Sopchoppy, Florida, from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm. The workshop will examine a working on-farm biodiesel plant, discuss what has worked and what has not, and identify improvements to the plant design that will improve efficiency and safety. In addition, participants will learn quality control procedures designed to ensure the highest quality fuel. This workshop is ideal for individuals that have already started to produce biodiesel and need advice on how to improve their fuel production process.

The beginning workshop is set for February 10 at Barnhart Farms off U.S. 90 East on Barnhart Road in Monticello, Florida, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This workshop will begin with an introduction to biodiesel production, proper handling and use, and the US biodiesel industry, followed by a hands-on opportunity for participants to make a small batch of biodiesel. The workshop will conclude with a tour of a mobile biodiesel production trailer, giving participants the opportunity to see all the components of a small commercial biodiesel production system in operation.

The workshops are free, but a $20 fee per workshop will be charged for lunch and refreshments. For more information, or to pre-register for the workshops, call (850) 412-5260 or e-mail Jennifer.Taylor@famu.edu.

On February 28, Piedmont Biofuels, the National Center for Appropriate Technology, the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association and the Clemson Sustainable Agriculture Program will offer a biodiesel production and use workshop in Florence, South Carolina. This workshop will begin with an introduction to biodiesel production, proper handling and use, and the US biodiesel industry, followed by a hands-on opportunity for participants to make a small batch of biodiesel. The workshop will conclude with a tour of a mobile biodiesel production trailer, giving participants the opportunity to see all the components of a small commercial biodiesel production system in operation. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to learn about the feasibility of growing their own oilseed crops for oil that can be used to produce high quality biodiesel.

The South Carolina workshop is free and includes lunch. Pre-registration is required To register or for more information contact Kelly Gilkerson with the Clemson Sustainable Ag Program: (864) 656-5057 or kgilker@clemson.edu.

NCAT Represented at the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference

(1/28/08) In January, NCAT Program Specialist Margo Hale attended the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) conference held in Louisville, Kentucky. The Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms Conference was SSAWG’s 17 th annual conference, and it boasted an attendance of more than 1,200. While the conference focuses on producers and production from Southern states, attendees come from all over the country. This year 37 states were represented, including participants from Hawaii and the Virgin Islands!

The conference featured short courses on topics such as organic vegetable production, website design, and business planning. Attendees could also participate in field trips to area farms. These trips highlighted permaculture, diversified vegetable, diversified livestock, community food system, and vineyard and winery operations. The conference had two days of concurrent sessions where producers and educators presented on topics such as livestock and vegetable production, farmers markets, farm policy, soil health, local food systems, and much more. A special session with Wendell Berry, notable agriculture author, featured readings of Berry’s work and discussion with him.

There was also a trade show with dozens of sustainable and organic agriculture organizations, suppliers, and vendors represented. NCAT and ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service exhibits were on display and ATTRA materials were distributed. This served as a great way to let people know that ATTRA’s funding situation is resolved and services are once again available for farmers and agricultural educators. Hale was very encouraged by the numerous ATTRA clients that stopped by the booth to say they were glad to see that ATTRA was back. She was also able to introduce NCAT and the ATTRA service to many producers and educators.

The conference concluded with a “Taste of Kentucky Dinner”. The menu featured food produced by the state’s sustainable farmers. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture helped to arrange the local food meal for more than 1200 attendees! Joel Salatin, well-known sustainable farmer and marketer, gave the keynote address, discussing why sustainable farms and local food systems are so important.

For more information on the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Conference visit www.ssawg.org or contact NCAT Specialist Margo Hale (margoh@ncat.org or 800-346-9140).

NCAT Energy Savings Project to Expand

(1/18/08) On January 1, NCAT began work under a two-and-a-half year agreement with NorthWestern Energy to develop multifamily and non-residential demand-side management projects across NorthWestern's Montana service territory. NCAT has operated its Business Partners Energy Services Program since 2006, under single-year performance-based contracts with NorthWestern Energy. The new agreement extends the project for a longer term, and more than triples the project's annual energy savings goals.

During 2007, NCAT worked toward the target of helping business save 1.25 average Megawatts, or 11,000,000 kWh/year. Under its new agreement, NCAT will seek to create more than three times as much energy savings each year. With the increased program activity, NCAT will be increasing the size of its project team.

Through this program, NCAT develops and sells energy saving projects to retail, commercial, and industrial energy customers of NorthWestern Energy. NCAT works with NorthWestern to identify customers with savings potential, and also contacts potential clients directly. NCAT's energy engineers first visit the energy customers' facilities to conduct energy analyses, and then work to develop proposals of specific projects for clients. These proposals focus on strategies and technologies that will result in energy savings for the clients, and help them take advantage of utility incentives for demand-side management measures.

NCAT develops projects that include more efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems, and electric motors in industrial facilities. Past projects have led to the installation of more efficient and effective lighting in operations ranging from grocery stores to lumber mills. Clients often find that new lighting not only reduces energy costs by thousands of dollars annually, but can also improve working conditions. Similarly, efficiency upgrades to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in an eight-story bank and office building delivered savings of an estimated $80,000 annually, offering an expected two-year payback.

Registration Open for 'Food and Energy from the Ground Up: Efficiency's Role in Sustainable Agriculture'

(1/2/08) Discounted early bird registration is available until January 4 for the ACEEE Forum on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture, set for February 20-22 in Des Moines, Iowa. NCAT's Mike Morris is co-chair for the conference, along with Rich Hackner of Wisconsin Focus on Energy and GDS Associates.

The event is titled "Food and Energy from the Ground Up: Efficiency's Role in Sustainable Agriculture." The premise of the conference is that increased energy production by agriculture must be accompanied by equally significant improvements in efficiency in our food system and throughout our economy. Participants will be talking about creatively adapting to limits, instead of perpetrating the myth of unlimited growth.

"We'll be challenging biofuel advocates, organic and sustainable farming advocates, food processors, farmers, utilities, and others to explain how energy efficiency fits into their plans," says Morris. "We'll also be hearing about recent research into energy-efficient agricultural practices, food processing, biofuel production, and local and regional food systems. The topic of efficiency will be front and center, instead of being treated as an afterthought."

The conference is designed for agricultural producers and energy consumers, as well as utilities, policymakers, scientists, and others. Topics will include biofuels, energy efficient crop production, farm energy audits, food miles, and carbon trading. The conference agenda features site visits, two days of plenary speakers and topical breakout sessions, and an "Info Fair."

ACEEE, the American Cocuncil for an Energy-Efficient Economy, organized its first Forum on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture in November of 2005. This second forum will continue the process of planning and building a more energy-efficient agriculture and food system.

Early bird registration ends January 4, with registration available at the regular rate until February 1, and a late penalty charged after that date. For more information, or to register online, visit the conference website.

Great News for NCAT's ATTRA Project!

NCAT’s ATTRA project, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, has been federally funded for fiscal year 2008. ATTRA’s funding was part of the omnibus appropriations bill funded by Congress and signed by the President on December 26, 2007.

We have called our project staff back from lay-off and began providing full services on January 2. Our toll-free phone lines are once again open for 12 hours per day and you can call and get assistance from one of our program specialists. We are taking on new research cases and will begin writing new publications to assist farmers, ranchers and others in obtaining up-to-date, cutting-edge information on sustainable agriculture. Our website is once again featuring a full range of timely news and information.

After a year with significantly cut budgets and services we are looking forward to working with our ATTRA clients in 2008 to provide the services they want and need. Look for new and exciting publications, updates and improvements to the website, new partnerships and trainings.

NCAT thanks all of our clients and friends for their support during this past year. We appreciate the kind notes and letters we received thanking us for our past services. Many of our supporters made donations that allowed us to keep our website up and running, to send out our Weekly Harvest e-newsletter and to keep our toll free hotline answered for four hours per day as we waited for the appropriations process to proceed. Thank you so much for your help!

View Earlier NCAT News

NCAT News

THE NCAT MISSION Helping People by championing small-scale, local, and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources.

THE NCAT MISSION
Helping People by championing small-scale, local, and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources.