(12/27/04) At the close of each year, NCAT takes the opportunity to recognize employees who dedicate themselves to making the world a better place by volunteering. These folks are not only involved in championing worthwhile causes during their working hours, but also spend their weekend and evening time on behalf of diverse worthy community groups.

Some of the efforts that staff supported in their own communities were youth programs such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, 4-H, FFA, Little League Baseball, Band Boosters, Athletic Booster Club, YMCA, Future Problem Solvers, and high school speech teams. Employees also volunteered for libraries. In addition, numerous NCAT employees are active within their churches, especially in youth education. A number volunteer for organizations that support sports, including Butte Soccer Club, High Country Motocross Association, Butte Tennis Association, the Mile High Nordic Ski Club, and the Montana Officials Association.

Many NCAT volunteers give of their time to people in need, through Highlands Hospice, Washington Regional Hospice, the Food Bank, Butte Rescue Mission, Butte and Missoula Habitat for Humanity, 7 Hills Homeless Shelter, and Cooperative Emergency Outreach. Other NCAT employees support people in urgent need by volunteering for 15-90 Search and Rescue and donating blood through the American Red Cross. Some NCAT staff members assist with community fundraising by volunteering with United Way and the Montana Shares campaigns, or participating in community service organizations such as Kiwanis. Other NCAT staff members support their communities by volunteering for community institutions or civic organizations including Fayetteville Council of Neighborhoods, EdTech Federal Credit Union, and Arkansas Citizens First Congress. At least one staff member works as an election judge.

Many employees volunteer for conservation organizations or groups that promote sustainable energy or agriculture. NCAT staff members serve as board members for National Wildlife Federation, Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund, Clark Fork River Technical Assistance Committee, and Garden City Harvest. Staff members also volunteer for Big Butte Task Force, Montana Renewable Energy Association, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Seed Savers Exchange, Montana Organic Certification Advisory Council, Arkansas Farm Community Alliance, and Audubon Society.

In addition to their individual volunteer efforts, NCAT's Montana employees support Montana Shares and United Way through workplace giving campaigns. Employees at NCAT's Butte headquarters participate in the Mining City Christmas program, adopting two needy families and purchasing toys, clothes, and grocery gift cards for them. Butte staff also donated money and groceries to the Butte Rescue Mission at Thanksgiving.

NCAT Works with Others in Pursuit of Mission

(12/20/04) NCAT's mission is to help people by championing small-scale, local, and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources. In this big task we've been fortunate to collaborate with numerous agencies and organizations throughout NCAT history, and particularly during 2004.

NCAT has enjoyed working on grants, contracts and special projects from a range of state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Montana Departments of Agriculture and of Environmental Quality, and Arkansas Energy Office. Within USDA, NCAT has worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Forest Service, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, and the Western and Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education programs.

During this past year, NCAT has collaborated with numerous other nonprofits in producing publications and training sessions designed to educate the public, and creating networks that help individuals learn from each other as they adopt more sustainable practices and technologies in agriculture, energy and community building. Organizations that NCAT worked with in 2004 include: Southern and Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Groups, Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, Independent Organic Inspectors Association, Alternative Energy Resources Organization, Farmworkers’ Institute for Education and Leadership Development, California FarmLink, Southwest Marketing Network, Henry A. Wallace Center for Agricultural & Environmental Policy at Winrock International, Mississippi Center for Nonprofits, The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Agricultural Land-Based Training Association, Organic Farming Research Foundation, North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, Montana Renewable Energy Association, Farm to Table, and the Western Rural Development Center. NCAT also works with the NorthWestern Energy company on several renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

In its turn, NCAT supports a number of causes through membership in organizations such as the Montana Wind Energy Working Group, the Northwest Energy Coalition, and the International Association of Sustainability Businesses and Organizations. NCAT also supports a Montana State Science Fair award.

NCAT has cooperated with several educational institutions, both in placing student interns and in carrying out projects. In 2004, we worked with Montana State University’s Cooperative Extension Service and other Cooperative Extension offices, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, Washington State University, Montana Tech of the University of Montana, and the University of Arkansas.

Harvesting Clean Energy Conference Set for Montana

(12/13/04) The 5th Harvesting Clean Energy conference is slated for January 20-21, 2005, in Great Falls, Montana. This annual Northwest regional conference brings together agriculture and energy to advance opportunities for producers and rural communities to profitably diversify into clean energy production. NCAT is playing an important role in the event in 2005, as it comes to Montana for the first time.

NCAT representatives have been working with other organizers for nearly a year to plan the coming event. In addition to NCAT, other conference organizers include the Office of the Governor and Office of the Secretary of State, US Department of Energy, Montana Grain Growers Association, Alternative Energy Resources Organization (AERO), Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Climate Solutions, and Northwest Co-operative Development Center.

The Harvesting Clean Energy event is designed for Northwest farmers and agriculture leaders, tribes, rural utilities and economic development officials, lenders, elected officials and public agencies, as well as energy developers and consultants. The agenda includes discussion sessions focusing on the practical steps to successful project development, financing, and marketing. Technologies addressed by the event will include utility-scale wind power; biofuels – ethanol and biodiesel – along with associated bio-based products; and energy efficiency and renewable technologies to enhance farm operation profitability.

NCAT not only helped to plan the event, but several staff members will be integrally involved in its execution. NCAT's Executive Director Kathy Hadley has been chosen to provide the overview for the opening plenary session. NCAT Energy Engineer Dave Ryan will moderate a panel on working with utilities in clean energy projects. Program Specialist Mike Morris will moderate a panel on Small-Scale Renewable Energy for the Farm, Ranch or Home, featuring farmers and ranchers who have increased profitability through energy efficiency and renewable energy systems. In addition, NCAT is cooperating with the Montana Renewable Energy Association to provide hands-on renewable energy exhibits for the conference.

The conference agenda is available at the Harvesting Clean Energy website. Online registration for the conference is provided, with discounts offered for registrations before January 9, 2005.

NCAT Helps Ag Educators Learn About Organic Agriculture in Montana

(12/6/04) During the summer of 2004, NCAT joined in a collaboration with several other groups to help Natural Resources Conservation (NRCS) staff in Montana learn more about how they can support farmers transitioning to organic agriculture. “Montana is second in the nation in organic acreage,” says Rick Fasching, NRCS state agronomist and a member of the project planning committee. “Our field staff need to be able to answer producers’ questions and support the conservation aspects of organic production.” NCAT and several other groups are helping to meet that identified need through special training sessions.

In order to help NRCS staff learn more about organic agriculture and the way it is being applied in Montana, collaborating groups have hosted several on-farm workshops. These workshops were held in conjunction with a summer series of sustainable agriculture farm tours across Montana, organized by the Alternative Energy Resources Organization (AERO). The workshops looked at both organic beef production and organic dryland crop rotations. In addition to AERO, NCAT and the Montana NRCS office, other collaborators in the project include Montana State University’s Cooperative Extension Service, the Montana Department of Agriculture, the Independent Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA), and the Western Sustainable Agriculture Working Group.

The project won't end after the summer's workshops on making the transition to organic agriculture--the group is planning more tours and workshops as well as an Organic E-newsletter, a Montana-based Website about organic agriculture practices and resources, and an organic information hotline. NCAT's coordinator for this project is Nancy Matheson, at 406/227-0389.

NCAT has several organic agriculture training projects in progress across the country, with NCAT staff participating in the organization and presentation of workshops in California, Montana and the South. These workshops are helping to equip agricultural educators with the tools they need to aid farmers in entering a rapidly growing organic marketplace. In the Southwest, NCAT is also involved in a project that is training agricultural educators to aid isolated minority farmers with direct-marketing their farm products, to help increase farm viability.

Professional Conferences Keep NCAT Staff on Cutting Edge

(11/29/04) Each year NCAT staff members attend numerous conferences scattered across the nation. Often these events are venues for NCAT representatives to speak, or to set up a booth that helps people become more familiar with our organization and its offerings. Apart from the forum that conferences provide for promoting NCAT, staff members often find value in the networking, professional development or continuing education opportunities offered by conferences. Attending national professional conferences helps NCAT's program staff stay at the cutting edge of their fields. Meanwhile, regional events allow NCAT to gather valuable case studies and to keep a finger on the pulse of different parts of the country.

NCAT staff members attend conferences, training sessions and seminars throughout the year. Recently, Program Specialist Al Kurki and Technical Supervisor Mark Keating attended the biennial Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education meeting in Burlington, Vermont. "Setting the Table: Tools and Techniques for a Sustainable Food System" focused on regional food systems, with workshops, speakers, tours, and exhibits including NCAT's booth for ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.

In November Sustainable Energy Program Manager Dale Horton and Sustainable Communities Program Manager Jeff Birkby both attended Greenbuild 2004 in Portland, Oregon. This major international event presented by the U.S. Green Building Council includes workshops, speakers, and an extensive exhibit hall. More than 8,000 people attended the three-day event.

Birkby and Program Specialist Mike Kustudia also attended the tenth gathering of the International Association of Sustainability Businesses and Organizations, held at the end of October in Vancouver, British Columbia. The group regularly brings together those in business, government, non-profit (NGO), and universities working on sustainability topics for a peer-exchange weekend retreat. NCAT representatives have participated in IASBO events for the past several years, as active participants in what has become an important regional sustainability network.

Other NCAT staff members who have recently participated in conferences include Karen van Epen and Jeff Birkby attending "Tilth: Transforming the World One Fork at a Time" in Portland Oregon, Paul Williams attending the Conservation Organization for the Restoration of Native Seeds Gathering in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Mark Keating at the 4th Annual Iowa Organic Conference. Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Program Manager Teresa Maurer even went so far as to take in the Terra Madre: World Meeting of Food Communities event in Turin, Italy during October.

NCAT Becomes Montana’s First Green Power Partner

(11/22/04) NCAT has become the first organization in Montana to join EPA’s Green Power Partnership program. The voluntary program provides assistance and recognition to organizations that demonstrate environmental leadership by choosing green power. To qualify as a Partner, organizations must provide a specified percentage of their electricity needs with green power—15 percent in NCAT’s case. The Butte headquarters building—built as a poor farm hospital in 1902—gets the largest part (11 percent) of its green energy from a 4.5-kilowatt photovoltaic system installed in 2000. An additional 7 percent comes from purchased green tags from NorthWestern Energy, for a total of about 18 percent.

NCAT joins an impressive roster of more than 500 Partners, with a collective green power commitment that exceeds 2 million megawatt-hours—roughly equal to the annual output of a 750-megawatt wind farm. A pretty impressive showing, considering the program began only 3 years ago with 21 Partners.

NCAT’s PV system is an outward sign of the work that is carried out inside its building. NCAT solar array Since 1976, the organization has been working to “help people by championing small-scale, local, and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources.” Since 2000, among its many and diverse projects, NCAT has administered several projects for NorthWestern Energy that provide financial incentives for schools, cities and counties, fire departments, and homeowners within the utility’s service territory to install solar energy systems on their own buildings. NCAT also has offices in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Davis, California.

Interested in learning more about the Green Power Partnership, or perhaps joining NCAT in the program’s ranks? Check out the program’s website at www.epa.gov/greenpower/ to learn how! You’ll also find useful information on how to purchase green power, procurement methods, and more.

Staff Members Put Sustainability into Practice

(11/15/04) NCAT staff members are passionate about sustainability. Not only do they spend their working hours "helping people by championing small-scale, local and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities and protect natural resources," but many of them devote their time outside the office to these pursuits, as well. Whether they're bicycling to work, collecting materials for recycling, or supporting community organizations, NCAT staff members are putting their beliefs into action.

For some staff members, their work at NCAT is directly informed by firsthand experience in the field. Many of NCAT's sustainable agriculture specialists raise crops or livestock on their own farms, and market vegetables, meat, milk, and other farm produce. For example, Montana program specialist Nancy Matheson is a partner in a certified organic farm that produces and sells a range of products including Corn chicken feed, milk thistle, coriander and hay. Nancy also grows Painted Mountain corn, a high-protein variety of colorful food corn developed for Northern regions. The developer of this corn is working with North Korea, introducing this hardy crop as a solution to famine there. Corn grown by Nancy in Montana helps support this effort.

Meanwhile, staff members in NCAT's Arkansas office can often be found retailing their farm produce at the Fayetteville Farmers' Market. Program Specialist Janet Bachmann, whose vegetables and flowers are a favorite fixture at the market, is able to apply her own experience in her work at NCAT. Publications she's written for NCAT, such as Market Gardening: A Start-up Guide, Farmers' Markets and Season Extension Techniques for Market Gardeners, reflect her expertise. Similarly, Program Specialist Tim Johnson is involved in organizing a grass-fed beef producer cooperative, which relates closely to his work in livestock production economics for NCAT.

Specialists in other NCAT program areas put their own expertise to work, as well. NCAT energy specialists can be found promoting solar and wind energy through the activities of the Montana Renewable Energy Association that NCAT helped found. Energy program manager Dale Horton is a licensed architect who has worked to make numerous building projects more energy efficient.

NCAT is fortunate to draw on the business and life experiences of a talented and diverse staff in carrying forward its mission statement. Committed staff members help lend vital credibility to NCAT work.

Board of Directors Sees Retirements and Elections

(11/8/04) The NCAT Board of Directors held their regular meeting in September in the Seattle area. Major agenda items included elections to fill four vacancies on the Board. Two of these vacancies were created by the impending retirements of longtime Board members Tina Hobson and H. Jack Young, effective at the end of 2004.

Hobson has served on the NCAT Board since 1989. She brought to the organization a wide experience with environmental and sustainability organizations, including her service as Director of Consumer Affairs for the Department of Energy and her work with Renew America. During her tenure on the NCAT Board she served as a member of the Executive Committee, as Secretary, and as Chair of the Board's Program Committee, responsible for oversight of the project-related activities of the organization. Hobson reflected recently on her membership on the NCAT Board: "My experience as an NCAT Board Member, specifically during the frustrating but priceless process of developing two 'Strategic Plans', was a unique learning opportunity. In fact, my years of education on the NCAT Board--both on what to do and what not to do--far exceeded what I was able to contribute. During the tenure of three Executive Directors and two Board Chairs, I had the good fortune to track the expanding influence of NCAT's mission. My greatest treasure was the fun of working with an increasingly outstanding staff, and Board friendships that have touched my heart."

H. Jack Young brought valuable Washington, D.C., connections and experience to his position on the NCAT Board. Young joined the Board in 1986, and served as a member of the Executive Committee and as President of the Board during his tenure.

"We will certainly miss Jack and Tina," said Kathy Hadley, NCAT's Executive Director. "They have contributed greatly to NCAT’s growth and well being. Both are Washington, D.C. insiders who have helped us navigate the deep waters of our nation’s capitol. They have experience with federal agencies, Congress, private businesses and foundations. Their expertise and advice have been invaluable. I am so pleased that they both have agreed to continue to work with NCAT as members of NCAT’s Honorary Advisory Board. NCAT will continue to seek advice and counsel from both Jack and Tina.”

The NCAT Board of Directors will meet in December in Davis, California, where NCAT's California office is located. This will be the final meeting for the retiring board members, and new members will attend, as well, to become formally acquainted with the Board before beginning their terms of service in January.

NCAT to Help Conduct Internet Training for Limited-Resource Farmers

(11/1/04) NCAT is working with the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (Southern SAWG) and several other organizations to offer Internet training for limited resource producer organizations, to help their farmers effectively use the Internet. This training is part of the Southern SAWG Internet-Based Services Project, conducted in partnership with USDA Risk Management Office of Outreach Programs.

In this project, up to nine organizations serving limited resource, minority and other underserved producers in the South will be eligible for one-day training sessions on Internet use to improve production and enhance markets. NCAT will help conduct the training sessions at the recipients' facilities on dates between Nov. 15, 2004 and Feb. 28, 2005. In addition, the project will offer a $1,000 stipend to the selected organizations to utilize this training to educate and provide mentoring for their members/clients on an ongoing basis (perhaps by purchasing a new computer for their members to use).

Applications for organizations wishing to participate in the program were due October 15, and the successful applicants will be announced soon. NCAT will be working with the selected organizations to schedule training dates, and to tailor the training materials specifically to the skills and needs of each organization's members. The training sessions will include the following elements, on an as-needed basis: introduction to computer and Internet basics; demonstrations on how to learn from other producers and marketers; case studies and demonstrations on using the Internet for marketing; resources for continued learning; and practice exercises.

This project offers NCAT a chance to work with other organizations and provides an opportunity for NCAT to put its considerable Internet expertise to work for limited-resource farmers, in accord with the NCAT mission statement.

Risk Management Grant Project to Help Southern Organic Farmers

(10/25/04) NCAT recently was awarded a grant from the USDA Risk Management Agency. This grant will help certified and transitioning organic farmers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee minimize and manage risks associated with obtaining and maintaining organic certification. The Independent Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA), the foremost trainer of organic inspectors in the U.S, will collaborate with NCAT in implementing this project.

While organic and conventional farmers face many similar production risks, such as flooding, drought, and pest infestations, there are some risk factors that are unique to organic producers. These include field contamination with prohibited substances through drift or the use of products that were mislabeled; record-keeping that does not meet the criteria of organic inspectors; and confusion over the interpretation of the NOP Rule. Organic producers also face unique financial risks since many banks and government agencies rely on conventional agricultural practices and markets to determine lending risks as well as the value of losses incurred during a disaster.

Initially, NCAT and IOIA staff will interact with organic producers, extension personnel, organic inspectors, and certification agencies to further identify and prioritize organic production and certification risk factors. They will use this information to develop record-keeping tools and management guidelines to help producers keep accurate certification records and protect their fields from becoming contaminated. Checksheets for potential organic producers will help them objectively weigh the benefits against the costs and risks of becoming NOP certified. In addition, information for loan officers and disaster assistance agencies will help them evaluate the costs and market value of organic products by listing typical inputs and management practices used by organic producers along with their cost. It will also provide guidelines for calculating the value of organic products.

Throughout 2005, project personnel will attend conferences and workshops in the five-state region, meeting with producers and coordinating workshops. These workshops will engage participants in practical exercises designed to help them understand organic management risks. More importantly, interactions among training participants will identify innovative methods for addressing risk factors. These innovative solutions will be documented and made available to producers through various agencies and organizations in the five state region, including NCAT's ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.

For more information about this project, contact NCAT Agriculture Specialist Barbara Bellows at 1-800-346-9140.

NCAT Offers Workshops in Spanish about Organic Farming

(10/18/04) This fall, NCAT staff in California will offer several training workshops for farm workers and limited-resource farmers who are interested in becoming organic farmers. The first four workshops will be in Spanish. They will be held in the San Joaquin Valley on October 24 and 31 in Arvin, and on November 6 and 13 in Shafter. Future events are planned for Spanish speakers and for Southeast Asian farmers.

The trainings will emphasize personal finances and record-keeping, giving participants an idea of what’s needed for bank loans and for organic certification. Growers need to have good records in order to obtain funds for farm operation or purchase, and to access various government programs. Good record-keeping can also help identify profit and loss centers on the farm.

According to an NCAT survey of Latino growers in the Salinas and Hollister areas of California, record-keeping represents a weak link in farmers’ efforts to secure loans. The survey—conducted under the auspices of the USDA Risk Management Agency—indicated that poor record-keeping prevents farmers from understanding the real costs of their farm operations.

These NCAT workshops show participants how improved record-keeping can help them meet their goals. The trainings will also familiarize participants with organic agriculture and with the types of records that are necessary for organic certification. The staff of California FarmLink will discuss Individual Development Accounts, a new program in which money saved by low-income farmers is matched 3:1 by outside funding.

The groups will learn about bio-intensive integrated pest management and other skills that are needed on organic farms. Knowledge of organic agriculture will expose trainees to a new and rapidly growing market for farm products.

The San Joaquin Valley Spanish-language workshops—funded by the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service’s Outreach and Assistance to Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers program—are a collaboration between NCAT, the Farmworkers’ Institute for Education and Leadership Development (FIELDS), and California FarmLink. California FarmLink is a nonprofit organization that links aspiring and retiring farmers, and facilitates inter-generational farm transitions. Sacramento Valley workshops in 2005 will be carried out in collaboration with the California Human Development Corporation and California FarmLink. For information about any of these trainings, contact Rex Dufour, 530-792-7338.

Power Play! Solar Demonstration Projects Greening Big Sky Country

(10/11/04) Several solar demonstration projects administered by NCAT are in full swing again this year, allowing building owners across Montana to generate their own “green” electricity from the sun. This year’s projects include:

Residential Solar Electric Demonstration Project
Fire Station Solar Electric Demonstration Project
Sun4Communities
Solar Meals for Seniors Demonstration Project

This is the fifth year for the residential demonstration, which provides eligible homeowners with financial rebates to offset the cost of installing a photovoltaic (PV, or solar electric) system on their homes. It is the second year for the fire station project, which provides PV systems with crucial backup power to operate equipment such as computers and overhead doors during a utility power outage.

Sun4Communities is a new project for 2004, expanding on the previous Sun4Schools project by adding courthouses, city halls, and public libraries to the list of eligible buildings. Also new for 2004 is the Solar Meals for Seniors Demonstration Project, which provides both PV systems and building energy audits to facilities that prepare meals for seniors.

With the exception of the residential project, all systems are installed at no cost to participants. The projects are funded by NorthWestern Energy's Universal Systems Benefits (USB) charge paid by the company's electric customers. All systems are net-metered—any excess electricity produced by the systems is fed back into the utility grid and turning the building’s electrical meter backwards.

Installation of the systems is currently underway. With this year’s systems installed, the projects collectively encompass 37 schools and public buildings, 12 fire stations, 10 senior meals facilities, and 62 homes.

In addition to saving building owners money by generating their own electricity, the PV systems have an environmental advantage because they generate much less pollution than fossil fuel-based energy systems. The leaves may be turning color this autumn, but Montana keeps getting greener and greener.

NCAT Staff Attend Maine Event

(10/04/04) Two NCAT staff members recently attended the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) annual Common Ground Country Fair. The fair, held in Unity, Maine, took place September 24-26. The MOFGA event has celebrated sustainable living since 1977, and strives to educate fairgoers about ways to integrate sustainable practices into their daily lives. This nationally-recognized fair attracts over 50,000 attendees each year.

Debbie Rask and Nana Mejia staffed a booth that offered fairgoers information about NCAT’s ATTRA project, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. The fair gave the NCAT staffers a great opportunity to interact with representatives from agricultural organizations, commercial farmers, gardeners, educators, and others interested in sustainable agriculture. Mejia also gave two presentations about ATTRA, and spoke to a member of the local media.

“Everyone was very receptive and interested in the ATTRA program,” Rask said. She and Mejia worked almost non-stop during the three-day event, providing contact information, literature, and answers to technical questions to hundreds of fairgoers. Rask said nearly 200 beginning farmers and commercial growers requested ATTRA information packets. The two did find time for short breaks to take advantage of the fair’s offerings, however; Mejia attended a presentation on poultry disease, and Rask visited the large livestock demonstration, where she saw draft horses and oxen in action.

The event featured a wide variety of educational opportunities, such as talks and demonstrations on solar power, permaculture, biodiesel, drip irrigation, sheep dogs, folk arts, social and political action. The fair also included a farmers’ market. Although they were unable to see many of the fair’s offerings, Mejia and Rask were enthusiastic about the number of people they spoke to regarding ATTRA. Rask described the experience as “definitely a worthwhile trip.”

MOFGA, the country’s largest and oldest state organic organization, was formed in 1971. Its headquarters in Unity is home to an educational center where staff and volunteers offer a variety of workshops and programs on organic certification, farm apprenticeship, technical assistance, a Farmer to Farmer Conference, and other outreach efforts.

NCAT Presents Workshop on Organic Agriculture for Ag Professionals

(9/27/04) What’s the connection between organic farmers and conservation? What happens to soils under organic management? How do farmers make the change to organic agriculture? These questions will be explored October 7 and 8 in a workshop presented by NCAT at Double T Acres, California’s first certified organic dairy, located in the San Joaquin Valley. Topics are geared to agriculture professionals who work with certified organic and transitional farmers.

“Organic agriculture is a rapidly growing part of today’s farm sector,” said workshop organizer Rex Dufour, NCAT Agriculture Specialist. “It’s important for ag professionals to understand its benefits and costs. For example, many conservation practices supported by the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the new Conservation Security Program (CSP) fit very well with organic practices on farms and ranches.” The workshop is intended for farmers, USDA agency staff (Natural Resources Conservation Service, Risk Management Agency, Farm Service Agency, Rural Development), and people from Resource Conservation Districts, Cooperative Extension, county ag commission offices, and farmer organizations.

Brian Leahy, executive director of the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, will provide an overview of organic agriculture, production, and markets. Leahy was formerly the executive director of California Certified Organic Farmers. Dr. Kate Scow, University of California-Davis professor of Land, Air, and Water Resources, has been invited to speak about soil health in cropping systems. Local farmers Tony Azevedo, Cynthia Lashbrook, Tom Willey, and Doug Morris will talk about the challenges they face in transitioning to and maintaining a certified organic system. Other workshop topics include the USDA’s National Organic Standards, and how organic agriculture can complement resource conservation programs and help maintain water quality.

The workshop will take place October 7 & 8, 2004 — Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. — at Tony and Carol Azevedo’s Double T Acres, 22368 West 2nd Ave., Stevinson, CA. Cost is $30, including the first day lunch and reception. For questions or to reserve your space, please call Rex Dufour at (530) 792-7338. Funding for this training is provided by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), Western Region, Professional Development Program.

NCAT Announces Release of Building Better Rural Places Update

(9/20/04) The newest edition of Building Better Rural Places, the comprehensive guide to federal programs and resources supporting innovations in agriculture and forestry in the US, will be available from NCAT after September 22. Now in its fourth printing, the guide has been completely updated to include programs from the 2002 Farm Bill.

Building Better Rural Places is an invaluable tool for farmers, landowners, community leaders, conservationists, and many others. The guide lists over 75 programs covering a diverse range of needs and interests, including programs that help build sustainable communities; offer assistance for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural concerns; focus on food systems, nutrition, and health; relate to forestry, fisheries, wildlife, and the environment; and help small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Building Better Rural Places is not simply a list of programs, however. The guide is designed to answer essential questions, such as each program’s purpose and types of assistance available. Program descriptions include details on restrictions and eligibility requirements, application and financial information, and contact information. In many cases, program descriptions include examples of specific projects that have used funding or other forms of assistance from that program. In addition, the guide offers tips for identifying the right federal program to fit a project’s needs. Readers will also find strategies for designing an effective project and completing successful program applications.

NCAT has played a key role in producing Building Better Rural Places since its conception. The current guide is a product of collaboration between NCAT, The Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, and several US Department of Agriculture agencies, including the US Forest Service, the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), and the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE).

To request a free copy of the newly updated guide, call or email NCAT. The entire guide will also be available for downloading from the ATTRA – National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service Web site.

Coming Attractions—NCAT Developing Arkansas Renewable Energy Website

(9/13/04) Renewable energy is a hot topic in today’s energy arena. Arkansas is among a number of forward-thinking states that are pursuing renewable energy sources—such as biomass and solar—to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, strengthen local economies, and protect the environment. In fact, some 28 renewable energy facilities are online in Arkansas, which collectively represent 1,676,258 kilowatts of installed capacity.

And soon, Arkansas residents will have a new website that centralizes state-specific information on renewable energy, thanks to a new project being developed by NCAT.

The ArkansasRenewableEnergy.org website will serve a wide audience, including state and local agencies, development groups, schools, consumers, utilities, and more. The website will help users to learn more about solar, biomass, and other renewable energy technologies, how those technologies can be used in Arkansas, and how to get started with a renewable energy project. It will feature the latest news on renewable energy, information on planning and designing renewable energy systems, case studies of Arkansas projects, hands-on classroom activities, a wealth of links to other useful sites, and more. Users also can access the latest on funding opportunities and state and federal legislation affecting renewable energy, find renewable energy dealers in their area, and learn more about niche markets for renewable energy. And, users who don’t have time to regularly review the website can benefit from a monthly electronic newsletter that will summarize additions to the website.

The Arkansas Energy Office, one of the project’s funders, is strongly involved in energy education. To complement AEO’s efforts, the new ArkansasRenewableEnergy.org website will serve as an educational tool for K-12 students and teachers. A special section of the website will provide a variety of useful materials to help shape more energy-conscious behavior among our younger citizens, to teach about less damaging energy options, and to encourage greater use of renewable resources.

NCAT expects to launch the new website in early October. It can be accessed at ArkanasRenewableEnergy.org. The Little Rock Million Solar Roofs Partnership also is providing funding for the project.

NCAT also developed and maintains MontanaGreenPower.org, a website that highlights Montana-specific information on renewable energy.

NCAT Project to Support Solar on Montana Homes

(9/06/04) NCAT has received funding for a new project, the Montana Solar Initiative for New Homes. The project is funded by a grant under the Million Solar Roofs Initiative Small Grant Program for State and Local Partnerships, administered by the U.S. Department of Energy. The project is designed to increase the number of new homes built in Montana that either include solar electric systems or are "solar-ready" for systems to be installed in the future.

In particular, this project promotes solar energy systems to builders, realtors and designers in Montana through a marketing effort designed for professional trade conferences and home shows throughout the state. This promotion focuses on the opportunity for new homes to include solar electric systems, or be designed and built to facilitate the installation of a system at a later date. Planning for solar at the time of construction simplifies the installation process considerably, helping homeowners avoid the challenge and cost of retrofit installations, and fostering more widespread adoption of solar electric technology.

Through this project NCAT will also provide technical design assistance to builders and designers interested in incorporating solar into new homes. The project will include production of two informative publications on installing solar electric systems, specifically designed to meet the information needs of either home buyers or designers and builders. Additionally, a special section of the Montana Green Power website administered by NCAT will be devoted to marketing and technical assistance issues related to solar in new homes. Furthermore, this project will complement incentive programs for solar electric installation funded by Universal Systems Benefits funds from NorthWestern Energy, as an added encouragement for new home builders and buyers to include solar electric systems.

NCAT has received three previous Million Solar Roofs program grants that helped the organization lay a foundation for solar electric system acceptance and application in the state. This new project will allow NCAT to focus specifically on capturing the opportunities offered by new construction. The project is structured on a one-year timeline, and has a budget of $45,000.

Energy Matters Campaign Builds Support for Renewable Energy in Northwest

(8/30/04) The Northwest Energy Coalition has launched a new campaign called Energy Matters that is building public support for a major shift away from fossil-fuel plants and hydroelectric power toward development of clean, renewable resources in the Northwest. The Northwest Energy Coalition is an alliance of more than 100 members that include environmental, consumer, civic, and human service organizations; progressive utilities; and energy efficiency and renewable energy businesses from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. NCAT has been an active member of the Coalition for many years, and has served on the Coalition board.

The Energy Matters campaign calls on citizens put a clear mandate before regional leaders, and demand a future in which fossil-fuel plants are obsolete and salmon again thrive in Northwest rivers--where new, high-tech energy projects create family-wage jobs that don't sacrifice the environment. According to the Energy Matters website, the campaign carries the public call for clean energy and salmon recovery to state and regional forums where energy policy is shaped. It distributes information that helps people understand the issues, explains what's at stake in major public negotiations now underway at the Bonneville Power Administration, and empowers individuals to make a difference.

The campaign's website offers a Citizens Energy Plan that provides a blueprint for reaching the desired energy future, as well as providing updates on the campaign and an Activist toolbox with materials related to the campaign, such as brochures and presentations, and background information on renewable energy supplies in the region. In addition, campaign updates are posted at the site. Individual citizen involvement, as well as organizational involvement, is stressed by the campaign.

The Energy Matters campaign is being launched in states throughout the Northwest during 2004. The launch in NCAT's home state of Montana took place in June 2004.

NCAT has long been a champion of renewable energy technologies. The organization was one of the founders of the Montana Renewable Energy Association, and has numerous projects that demonstrate and promote wind, solar, and other renewable energies. NCAT also designed and administers the Montana Green Power Web site, which offers a guide to renewable energy happenings in the state and region.

NCAT to Co-Sponsor Organic Livestock Training Satellite Broadcast

(8/16/04) Over the course of the past year, NCAT has been involved in several different organic training programs, as organizer, presenter, co-sponsor or all three. With a growing national interest in organic crop and livestock production, NCAT's work to train agriculture educators, organic inspectors, and producers themselves is especially timely and relevant. In October NCAT will continue its involvement in training by co-sponsoring a national organic livestock training that will be offered by satellite broadcast.

The program is offered by Washington State University, in cooperation with NCAT and other organizations including Western SARE, Oregon State University, and Oregon Tilth. The broadcast will examine the basics of organic livestock production and the opportunities it presents. The broadcast is intended to help agricultural professionals (Extension, consultants, suppliers, veterinarians, producers, etc.) become familiar with this growing sector of agriculture and to better answer questions and find resources on the topic. In a two-and-a-half-hour program scheduled for October 29, experts on a panel will share their knowledge and experience relating to organic livestock production practices, issues, and resources, and answer questions submitted by viewers. NCAT agriculture specialist and veterinarian Ann Wells has been invited to serve as one of the five panelists for the broadcast, and she and agriculture specialist Nancy Matheson are assisting with conference planning.

Registered sites across the country will be able to receive the broadcast, and it will also be archived online for later viewing. Details and registration information for the broadcast are online at a Washington State University website.

NCAT also co-sponsored an organic training session for Montana agricultural trainers in December 2003, an organic inspector training session in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in April 2004, and an organic training workshop for agricultural professionals in Winters, California, in May 2004. Another California session is planned for October 8-9 in Fresno. In addition, NCAT will be conducting training sessions for alternative agricultural marketing in the Four Corners region during the next year, and NCAT staff members provide presentations on different aspects of organic and sustainable agricultural production on an ongoing basis.

New Solar Lighting System Illuminates NCAT Flag

(8/9/04) The American flag at NCAT's historic headquarters office in Butte, Montana, will now be able to fly through the night, thanks to a new lighting system powered by the sun.

Flags that fly around the clock are to be illuminated during hours of darkness, and John McBride, the head of NCAT's for-profit division New Horizon Technologies, suggested that the most appropriate means of lighting NCAT's flag was with renewable energy. NCAT and New Horizon Technologies shared the material costs for the project, and the system was installed by NCAT staff.

The solar lighting is a 120-watt system that is capable of providing 10 hours of light. Solar energy collected during the day is stored in a battery to be used at night. The system is self contained, with the battery bank and controller being housed in an enclosure on the flagpole. The system is automatic, turning the lights on around sunset and off at sunrise. Instead of using a common photo eye to sense light levels and control the light coming on, this controller uses the amount of current flowing from the panels to estimate sunrise and sunset.

The system is already operational, but it and the 24-hour flag will be formally dedicated in a special ceremony to be held by a local Boy Scout troop on August 25.

The new flag lighting isn't NCAT's only solar feature. NCAT's headquarters building already boasts a 4-kW utility-intertie PV system mounted on the roof, which supplies a percentage of the building's operating energy on a daily basis, and routes any excess power produced back into the power grid. The rooftop system was part of an earlier demonstration project.

New Goat Production Resources Offered by NCAT

(8/2/04) NCAT has recently made some noteworthy changes and expansions to the information we offer on raising and marketing goats. With interest in goats for dairy potential, meat production, and brush and weed control all on the rise, NCAT's publications and projects are a welcome addition to available information. goat

For more than two years, NCAT staff members have been working on a project that is designed to enhance agricultural educators' awareness of sheep and goat production, and particularly sustainable production. This project, funded by the Southern Region SARE Professional Development Program, involved the development of a Small Ruminant Sustainability Checksheet, development of a listserve for sheep and goat producers and educators, and train-the-trainer workshops on sheep and goat production in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky and North Carolina, as well as assembly of additional resources that could comprise a manual for sheep and goat production.

NCAT recruited producers to help develop and field test the Small Ruminant Sustainability Checksheet. Like other checksheet projects completed by NCAT in the past for beef and dairy farms, the new checklist for sustainable sheep and goat production is designed to stimulate critical thinking, identifying both areas of potential improvement and of strength for the particular producer. In 44 pages the checksheet leads the producer through a quick start farm evaluation, discussion of whole-farm planning concepts, and details of forage, livestock and production management. In addition to a guided assessment of small ruminant production factors, the checksheet contains an extensive list of resources in print and online that can help to further inform producers.

Goats In addition to offering the new checksheet online and in print, NCAT is also releasing two related publications by the ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service project. The ATTRA publication "Goats: Sustainable Production Overview" has been updated, with the new version released this week. Meanwhile, a brand new publication, "Dairy Goats: Sustainable Production," will also debut this month.

Survey Looks at Southwest Farmers' Marketing Needs

(7/26/04) In July the Southwest Marketing Network, a project led by NCAT, released the results of a survey of agricultural producer needs for alternative marketing assistance in the Four Corners states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Focusing on small-scale, alternative, and minority farmers and ranchers, this survey revealed the priority needs, obstacles to obtaining assistance, and most pressing issues relating to marketing in the region.

The survey of 87 "service providers"--extension and other government agents, non-governmental organizations, producers groups, farmers market organizers, and tribal groups--gathered input on over 40 alternative marketing topics. The service providers participating in the survey identified their own needs as well as those of their producer clients.

The survey found that alternative marketing has been increasing over the past five years in the Four Corners area, but also identified some pressing needs in the region to support further success with alternative marketing, including finding markets, determining pricing, product diversification, and community supported agriculture. The report also identifies several topics where producers appear to need more assistance than is available, including such areas as financing, product distribution, marketing culturally traditional foods, selling dairy products, and providing customer service. Barriers to obtaining needed assistance range from taking time from farm and ranch operations to lack of awareness of training sessions. The most readily used means of obtaining assistance seems to be conferences, workshops, and field days, according to survey participants.

A 36-page report on the survey, Agricultural Marketing in the U.S. Southwest: Information and Training Needs of Small-Scale Producers and Service Organizations, was published by NCAT and project partners Southwest Marketing Network and the Wallace Center, with funding support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The complete report is available online in PDF at the Southwest Marketing Network website, and print copies are available from NCAT in limited numbers. To obtain a print copy, contact NCAT's ATTRA project at 800-346-9140 and request publication IP 251.

NCAT Helps Nonprofits Learn Information Technologies

(7/19/04) NCAT is exploring new ways to help America’s community-based nonprofits better serve low-income people and communities through more effective use of information technologies.

As part of that effort NCAT Program Specialist David Zodrow led a 90-minute discussion and helped to organize two other presentations on information technologies at the 2004 Nonprofit Management Conference in Jackson, Mississippi. About 130 community-based nonprofits attended the conference June 23-24, which was sponsored by the Mississippi Center for Nonprofits. With a membership of nearly 600 community-based nonprofits, the Center is one of the largest associations such organizations in the U.S.

“In my work for NCAT the past several years I’ve been able to visit with hundreds of community-based nonprofits from California to Vermont and down through the South,” Zodrow said. “Most of them are yet deep in the Digital Divide. Typically, a staff member with a laundry list of other duties is appointed as their ‘accidental techie’. Their staffs often work with outdated software and machines that are not networked or linked to a server or router. Only a handful of them have done comprehensive technology assessments and many do not even list technology as a line item in their budgets. Although all of them have said they simply couldn’t function without the help of information technologies, most of them complain they are just too overwhelmed or lack the expertise to effectively adapt these technologies.”

Fortunately, a partial solution to the problem has arrived among a growing community of “technology intermediaries” that serve the needs of our nonprofits, Zodrow said. “Technology intermediaries are individuals, organizations and companies that provide a gamut of free and discounted IT products and services to nonprofits,” he explained. “These intermediaries may work locally and in-person, but most work via the Internet to provide a host of services that include helping nonprofits to conduct technology assessments, create websites to conduct online fundraising and attract volunteers, acquire software and hardware, obtain regular technology assistance through networks of technology circuit riders, and a whole lot more.”

A resource directory that Zodrow compiled with the assistance of other technology groups for the conference, Empowering Your Nonprofit with Information Technologies, profiles many of the leading nonprofit technology intermediaries in the U.S. It is available by contacting NCAT either by phone or e-mail.

NCAT Director Attends International Renewable Energy Conference

(7/12/04) NCAT's Executive Director Kathy Hadley traveled to Bonn, Germany, in early June to attend Renewables 2004, an international conference that charted the way towards an expansion of renewable energies worldwide. More than 3600 participants met in Bonn, among them official governmental delegations including 121 energy, environmental and development ministers, representatives of the United Nations and other international and non-governmental organizations, civil society and the private sector. Hadley attended as a non-governmental organization representative.

The conference responded to the call of the Johannesburg summit for the global development of renewable energy by addressing these central issues: How can the proportion of renewable energies used in industrialised and developing countries be substantially increased, and how can their advantages and potential be better used?

At a recent meeting, Hadley shared some of her impressions of the meeting with NCAT's Montana staff members. She commented on being impressed with the deep concern of many nations in taking action to reduce climate change. Even poverty-stricken nations recognized the imperative challenge of taking action to address energy use that leads to climate change.

The conference presented numerous examples from different countries that had found ways to satisfy their energy needs in affordable, sustainable ways. In Africa, the appropriate technology of a low-cost closed stove is greatly improving biomass-powered heating and cooking efficiency, which contributes to improved health as well as reduced emissions and prevention of deforestation. Meanwhile China is exploring distributed generation options that will allow the country to provide energy to communities with lower investments and higher transmission efficiency. In Nepal, biogas generators are being used to turn barnyard animal waste into electricity. This helps deal with a waste product, as well as generating clean power and usable fertilizer for fields. Another example came from Bangladesh, where one home per neighborhood is being designated as a "solar home." These homes are equipped with photovoltaic systems that generate clean electricity, which the owner is then able to sell to neighbors as needed.

With attendees from 154 countries, the Conference was very successful, and resulted in three different official outcomes: 1) a Political Declaration, 2) an International Program of Action, and 3) Guidelines for Good Policies. Three partner projects of the Heinrich Böll Foundation contributed to the International Program of Action, and details are available online.

NCAT Internship Program Offers Students Opportunities

(7/6/04) For many years NCAT has hosted interns at its offices, giving students a chance to gain experience in a professional work environment. This year is no exception, with 9 students interning at NCAT for the summer. The interns include currently enrolled and recently graduated students in a wide range of ages, who are either gaining experience in their technical fields or building general business skills. Most students are paid and generally earn credit from the schools that they attend.

Often interns have such a positive experience at NCAT that they opt to continue their internship for another school term, or decide to return to NCAT for another summer. Several interns have gone on to become NCAT employees.

NCAT accepts interns from schools across the country, but makes a special effort to recruit interns from communities where NCAT offices are located. In addition, NCAT has a special relationship with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, which focuses on matching minority students with internships. NCAT also enhances opportunities through the John T. Brown Minority Internship Fund, which offers living cost assistance for minority students who come from a distance to work at NCAT.

This summer, NCAT has had two student interns from Montana Tech of The University of Montana working in its Butte, Montana, office. Linda Downey completed a school-year internship in the computer services department. Matt St. Germain is working primarily in the field on NCAT irrigation efficiency projects.

NCAT's Fayetteville, Arkansas, office has seven interns this summer, five of whom are returning or continuing. Returning interns are Lisa Pollard, Jenay Clark, Paularie Crane, Margo Hale, and Kevin Everett. Lisa and Jenay are undergraduate students who have been working at NCAT for the past two years. Margo is a recent graduate in Animal Sciences from UA who has been working on a goat and sheep project for NCAT. Paularie is is a graduate of the UAPB working on a graduate degree in Agriculture and Extension Education. Kevin is a student in Agriculture Business at UAPB who will graduate next spring.

Two new interns, Jason Scott and Majid Qureshi, have joined NCAT for the summer. Jason is an Agriculture Business student at UAPB. He is working with Paularie and Kevin on agriculture projects and NCAT’s image library. Majid, our most recent intern, is a computer sciences major at UA and is working with NCAT’s computer services team.

Students interested in joining NCAT for the summer or for the school year should contact Therese McClafferty to learn if an internship is currently available.

Morris Represents NCAT at National Agriculture and Energy Conference

(6/28/04) From June 24-25, 2004, Program Specialist Mike Morris represented NCAT at "Agriculture as a Producer and Consumer of Energy," a major national conference sponsored by Farm Foundation and USDA’s Office of Energy Policy and New Uses. Morris, who is project leader for several NCAT projects related to irrigation efficiency in Montana, submitted a paper that was accepted for presentation during the conference, held in Arlington, Virginia.

The conference addressed agriculture’s need for and ability to produce energy, and was billed as the first major comprehensive examination of agriculture’s energy role in a decade. Participating energy industry executives, commodity leaders, agribusiness managers, economists and government leaders were charged with developing a roadmap to guide policymakers in the development of future private and public agricultural energy policies. As policymakers search for ways to expanded domestic energy sources through the development of alternative fuels and energy-saving technologies, agriculture has come to the forefront as an area of potential and consideration.

The conference was opened by Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, who was followed during the next two days by a slate of distinguished speakers in plenary sessions and on topical panels.

Mike Morris' paper, "Irrigation as if People Mattered: Energy Conservation Lessons from Montana," was presented as part of a session on Conservation and Efficiency. The paper draws from NCAT's experience over more than ten years working on energy and water conservation projects with farmers and ranchers who pump water for irrigation, pointing out some of the lessons the organization has learned. Morris wrote, "One general conclusion is that irrigation efficiency, sometimes treated as a primarily technical problem, has inescapable human and social dimensions. A second conclusion is that irrigation decisions are driven mainly by the desire to maximize crop yields and a host of practical constraints. Irrigators welcome energy conservation but almost always view it as a secondary consideration."

NCAT is honored to have a representative participating in this important national conference, reinforcing the timely nature of NCAT's agricultural energy activities.

NCAT Notes Passing of Honored Board Member Tony Maggiore

(6/21/04) This week NCAT board and staff members mourn the recent passing of long-time NCAT board member Anthony "Tony" Maggiore. Maggiore was an active member of the planning committee that ultimately was responsible for creating a new national nonprofit organization in 1976 called the National Center for Appropriate Technology. He continued as a board member of the organization for the next 27 years, serving as Chairman and on many committees and special projects during the course of his tenure. Maggiore was recognized by his board colleagues as the spiritual leader within the board who maintained a vision of NCAT's mission, goals and responsibilities to always seek ways to serve the nation’s poorest citizens. His vision helped to develop NCAT's original mission, and he played a part in hiring the organization's initial staff. Board and staff colleagues at NCAT will remember Maggiore's unflagging interest in, involvement with, and support of NCAT throughout his lengthy involvement with the organization. Mr. Maggiore passed away on Thursday, June 17, 2004.

The NCAT Board of Directors passed a resolution in honor of Maggiore at its spring quarter meeting, held in Washington, D.C. The resolution states that "board and staff recognize Tony for his tireless efforts and lifelong personal commitments to fight for justice for poor people." The resolution continues, "the NCAT Board and staff recognize and celebrate the more than 27 year long, tireless and fearless journey that Tony has made with NCAT to use appropriate technologies to help solve problems faced by poor families and communities throughout our nation."

In his professional life Maggiore served as Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He was the Principal Investigator for the Milwaukee Homicide Project. In addition to serving on several boards and being actively involved in numerous organizations, Mr. Maggiore served a consultant, with his main focus on representing the interests of low-income people. His obituary appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on June 20.

"NCAT has lost one of its founding fathers," said Kathy Hadley, NCAT's Executive Director. "Tony was tireless in his support of our organization and in his efforts to bring sustainable technologies to the folks who need them the most. His service to the NCAT board and to the NCAT mission was extraordinary. We will miss him in countless ways."

Science Fair Sustainable Energy Award Presented

(6/14/04) Each year NCAT sponsors a special award for the Montana State Science Fair. Both middle school and high school entries in the science fair are eligible for NCAT's Sustainable Energy Award. At the science fair held in Missoula in May 2004, NCAT energy engineer Ray Schott selected Absarokee eighth-grader Shawna McClurg's project on windmills to receive the NCAT award.

Science Fair winner For her project, McClurg designed an experiment using the electrical output of a small dc motor to choose blades for a windmill. The motor was connected to a hub that was able to accept a variable number of flat blades. In her experiment, she recorded the motor’s output voltage when the device was subjected to the airflow from a household fan. The fan pushed air through a shroud to force more air across the test machine. She recorded the motor’s electrical output when the hub was configured with one, two, four, and six blades.

She also varied the length of the blades, from 4 to 8 to 12 centimeters long. Her experimental procedure involved recording the electrical output for one 4-cm blade, then added 4-cm-blade numbers 2, 4, and 6 in sequence. She repeated the experiment using the 8-cm and then 12-cm blades, and then repeated the total procedure three more times. Averaging the data from the four test sequences, she determined that the configuration of six 8-cm blades produced the highest average electrical output. She further concluded that the blade configuration was specific to the wind speed produced by the household fan and changing the speed of the air would change the number of blades on the wind machine.

The Sustainable Energy Award provides McClurg with a Certificate of Merit and a $100 U.S. Savings Bond. This is the third year that NCAT has sponsored the state science fair award to recognize student projects that relate to clean and renewable energy.

Sustainable Agriculture Website Redesign Launched

(6/7/04) NCAT's popular ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website is sporting a new design this month. The colorful new design is not only a change in appearance, but also marks the introduction of a number of features that will make the site easier to navigate and use.

First, a powerful new search engine has been installed on the site to help farmers, ranchers and agricultural educators quickly and accurately find the information they seek. Typing keywords in a search box that appears on each page of the website will provide relevant results from topic area pages and from ATTRA's wide range of publications.

The new site design also includes improved accessibility features, ranging from a "crumb trail--to help visitors orient themselves on the site--to "Text Only" links for each page. The pages will also provide improved access for screen readers, such as those used by visually impaired persons. In addition, pages across the site have been improved to meet current web standards, which will help them load faster--something that should be especially appreciated by individuals with dial-up connections.

With the new design site visitors will have more opportunities to sign up for electronic delivery of both the bimonthly ATTRAnews newsletter and the Weekly Harvest e-newsletter. ATTRAnews offers original feature content and updates on ATTRA news and publications, while Weekly Harvest highlights the news, funding opportunity, and coming events sections of the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website. With the new site design, visitors will also be able to access the site's "Ask a Sustainable Ag Expert" feature from any page, so they can conveniently submit their questions to NCAT's qualified staff members.

In a little more than a year since the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website debuted, the site has become a favorite among many users. More than 700,000 PDF publications have been downloaded from the site, and the site receives more than 60,000 unique visits per month. Subscribers to the Weekly Harvest have more than doubled since the e-newsletter's introduction in 2003. The redesign and new features on the site should make it even easier for visitors to find online sustainable agriculture information.

New Project Will Bring Solar Power to Senior Meal Facilities

(6/1/04) NCAT is working with NorthWestern Energy in a new project that will install free solar electric systems on as many as ten Montana facilities that house senior citizen meal programs. Similar ongoing projects by NCAT and NorthWestern Energy have already installed solar electric systems on houses, fire stations and middle and high schools throughout NorthWestern Energy's service territory in Montana. This new demonstration project, like those successful and popular models, is also funded through the Universal Systems Benefit (USB) charges paid by NorthWestern Energy customers as part of their monthly utility bill.

Under the "Solar Meals for Seniors" project, each qualifying senior meal facility will receive a one to two kilowatt solar electric system, installed free of charge. These solar electric systems are reliable, require very little maintenance and generate "green" electricity, which is less harmful to the environment than fossil fuels. The systems will produce energy that can be used directly to reduce the meal facilities' electric bills. Beyond a building's own needs, any excess electricity produced by an individual system will be fed into the utility grid through a net-metering agreement.

In addition to having the solar electric systems installed, facilities participating in the project will each receive a free energy audit to identify further energy cost savings opportunities. Spending less money on energy will help these senior meal programs dedicate more of their budgets to providing food.

Applications for participation in the "Solar Meals for Seniors" project are being accepted by NCAT from now until June 18, 2004. To qualify for consideration under the program, senior meal facilities must receive their electricity from NorthWestern Energy, and their buildings must meet basic site requirements including a roof that is adaptable for the installation of solar panels and an unobstructed southern exposure from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

NCAT staff members are available to assist meal program representatives in completing applications. To obtain an application packet, call toll-free (866) 723-8677 or visit the Montana Green Power website for an online version.

Irrigation Efficiency Program Takes Off with Start of Summer

(5/24/04) As summer arrives, NCAT is gearing up for another season of irrigation audits and efficiency improvements under the Efficiency Plus Irrigation Program. This program of NorthWestern Energy offers irrigation system audits to NorthWestern Energy customers in Montana, and also funds selected energy-saving projects that irrigation customers propose.

With steep energy price increases in each of the past two summers, the cost of pumping water for irrigation has greatly increased, stretching already cash-strapped farming operations to the limit. This makes the Efficiency Plus Irrigation Program especially timely--and popular!

Last year NCAT performed over 60 audits around Montana--logging many thousands of miles, getting soaked by countless streams of irrigation spray, dodging dangerous cowpies, and swatting uncountable numbers of mosquitoes. In addition to the audits, the program also funded 31 energy-saving project proposals from NorthWestern Energy customers and put on 15 irrigation efficiency workshops. These activities resulted in a total savings of 1,300,000 kWh and 3400 kilowatt-Months--worth $85,000 per year at current electric rates.

This year NCAT has already received 30 audit requests through the program, and expects that the total number of audits this season will meet or exceed last year. NCAT's irrigation team members are Mike Morris, Ray Schott, John Walden, Vicki Lynne, and Jerry Johnson. They will be aided this summer by irrigation intern Matt St. Germaine, an electrical engineering student from Montana Tech of the University of Montana.

During an audit, NCAT team members measure flow rates, pressure, and the electrical consumption of a system, calculate the system's pumping plant efficiency, and make recommendations for cost-effective energy saving projects. NCAT plays a vital role in a project that is helping Montana's irrigators save energy and money.

Irrigator's Pocket Guide To Go National

(5/17/04) A Montana publication released by NCAT less than a year ago will be adapted to apply to a national audience, in cooperation with the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and particularly its Montana office. The Montana Irrigator's Pocket Guide is a "take-to-the-field reference to help irrigators save energy, water, and money." A revised edition of this publication was released by NCAT in July 2003, with separate Equipment Maintenance and Water Management sections that both focus on energy conservation for irrigators.

Recognizing that the information in the pocket guide was valuable to irrigators beyond Montana, NCAT began looking for avenues to adapt the publication and distribute it to a wider audience. The Montana office of the NRCS arranged an agreement whereby NRCS would participate in adapting the material in the guide to a national audience, pay for revision labor, and purchase a quantity of the publications for national distribution, while NCAT takes charge of production work and printing for the new, national publication.

Selected NRCS personnel are currently reviewing the existing Montana version of the guide, and will provide their recommendations on how best to adapt the material to a national audience during a teleconference scheduled for June. NCAT staff members will then determine the best way to incorporate these recommendations into the publication, and begin the production process for the national guide. The NRCS experts will stay involved in the process by reviewing drafts of the guide.

NCAT anticipates having the national guide available for distribution before the start of the spring irrigation season in 2005. NRCS will be distributing the publication, as will NCAT's ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service project.

Rising energy costs for irrigators, coupled with water shortages in many irrigation regions, make NCAT's publication plans particularly timely. Using this new guide, irrigators will be able to make sure they are applying the right amount of water at just the right time, as efficiently as possible.

NCAT Organizes Organic Workshop for Agriculture Professionals

(5/10/04) During the first week in May, NCAT staff members from the organization's Davis, California, office carried out a two-day workshop for agriculture professionals, focusing on organic agriculture. The event, developed by NCAT, was intended to increase the capacity of area agricultural professionals to provide appropriate technical assistance and services to farmers and ranchers who are certified organic, or are interested in transitioning to organic. The workshop was held in Winters, California, at the Center for Land-Based Learning.

According to the Manager of NCAT's California office Rex Dufour, "Organics is a rapidly growing segment of agriculture and, in order to serve their clients, it's important for agriculture professionals to better understand organics, its benefits, costs, and information sources." The workshop began with an overview of organic agriculture addressing production, economics and marketing. In addition, area farmers talked about the challenges they face in transitioning to, and maintaining a certified organic system. Details of the National Organic Program and its organic inspection and certification process were presented by NCAT Program Specialist Ann Baier, who is qualified as an Organic Farm, Livestock and Processing Inspector. Other topics discussed during the event included how organic agriculture can complement resources conservation programs and help maintain water quality. Time for informal networking and discussion was also provided. The second day of the workshop included a presentation on informational resources for organics, followed by a participatory farm planning problem solving exercise. The event concluded with a tour of the McNamara Farm.

Funding for this training was provided by: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE): Western Region, Professional Development Program. This workshop is the first in a series of four trainings to be held in each of the NRCS areas of California. NCAT was also a co-sponsor of a similar organic training held in Montana in December, 2003. These trainings, along with a training for organic inspectors that NCAT hosted in April in Fayetteville, Arkansas, represent some of the important work that NCAT is doing in support of farmers endeavoring to serve a growing worldwide organic agriculture market.

Alternative Marketing Project Wins Grant Funding

(5/3/04) An NCAT project designed to help field agents in the Four Corners region more effectively provide alternative marketing assistance has received funding from Western SARE. The Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program offers several types of grants each year, and NCAT applied for and has recently received a Professional Development Program grant. These grants are designed to help Cooperative Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other agricultural professionals increase their ability to respond to the needs of farmers, ranchers and the public regarding sustainable agriculture concepts and systems.

NCAT has been working in the Four Corners area for several years, leading a Southwest Marketing Network project that is helping farmers in the region overcome some of the marketing challenges they face. These include very small size operations, large geographic separations, and unusual crops. Also many of the area producers are traditionally underserved minorities, especially Hispanic and American Indian. Through work with the Southwest Marketing Network, NCAT has been able to identify some of the alternative marketing expertise in the area, and recognize area service providers' need and desire for further training in this field. This new project is designed to provide opportunities to develop working relationships and greatly increase understanding among specialists, field agents, and producers of specific needs for alternative marketing assistance, and the best sources of such marketing assistance.

Specifically, the project seeks to increase the familiarity among agents and specialists of the special needs of small scale, alternative, and minority producers; build agents' capacity to field their inquiries; and build relationships among agents, specialists, and producers-marketers. In order to do this, the project will host two annual working meetings, and maintain electronic communication amongst diverse project participants. The project will also develop a “Guide to Providing Alternative Marketing Assistance to Small-Scale and Minority Producers,” which will function as part of a web-based training module for service providers and producers.

NCAT will be working with a number of regional colleagues from the Southwest Marketing Network in carrying this new project forward in 2005 and 2006.

Solar Electric Demonstration Projects Accept Applications

(4/26/04) During April, NCAT accepted applications for three solar electric demonstration projects funded by NorthWestern Energy's Universal Systems Benefits (USB) charge paid by the company's electric customers in Montana. Two of the programs are continuations of popular and successful demonstration projects that NCAT has administered in the past, the Residential Solar Electric Demonstration Project and the Fire Station Solar Electric Demonstration Project. One program is new in 2004: Sun4Communities, which expands on the previous Sun4Schools project by adding courthouses, city halls, and public libraries to the list of buildings eligible for solar panels. NCAT administers all three demonstration projects.

For the Fire Station Solar Electric Demonstration, NCAT will install grid-connected photovoltaic systems, at no cost, on the rooftops of participating buildings. Each system will be capable of generating two kilowatts of electricity and will provide a portion of the building's electricity needs, thus saving money for the community. Any excess electricity produced by the system will be fed into the utility grid through a net metering agreement. Six fire stations will be selected to participate in the program in 2004. The first six qualifying fire stations to apply will receive systems. Fire stations must be NorthWestern Energy electric customers and have unobstructed southern exposure from 9 am until 3 pm.

The Residential Solar Electric Demonstration Project is in its fifth year and, to date, 59 solar electric generation systems have been installed on Montana homes. This program offers an incentive of $4.00 per peak watt of manufacturer's capacity rating for the photovoltaic array's direct current, up to a maximum rebate of $8,000, for NorthWestern Energy customers who install qualifying solar electric systems. Applications for this program were due April 23.

The Sun4Communities project enables secondary schools and city and county government buildings in up to ten Montana communities served by NorthWestern Energy to qualify for free solar energy systems, installed by NCAT. Applications for this new program were also due to NCAT by April 23, and response to the new program was good.

NCAT's announcement that it would accept applications for all three programs received noteworthy media attention in Montana. One newspaper even published an editorial encouraging readers and local communities to apply.

New Publication Caps Organic IPM Outreach Project

(4/19/04) NCAT's California office has just announced completion of a new publication about organic integrated pest management, with text in Spanish. The publication represents the second portion of a project that trained Latino growers in California about organic pest management. The first stage of the project included four training sessions for Latino farmers, conducted in Spanish. Instructional material for the training sessions was developed and presented by NCAT staff members Martin Guerena and Ann Baier. The training sessions were completed between June and October 2003.

The Biointensive and Organically Acceptable Pest Management Literacy Training project was funded in part through a grant from the Organic Farming Research Foundation. NCAT collaborated with the Agricultural Land-Based Training Association, a non-profit community organization based in Salinas, California that works to train Hispanic farmworkers to be independent farmers, in carrying out the project.

The new organic integrated pest management publication has four sections addressing Identification and Management of: 1) Beneficial and Pest Insects & Mites, 2) Weeds, 3) Diseases, and 4) Vertebrate Pests. The 24-page document contains 232 color pictures, which help make it especially valuable as an identification tool for farmers. The pages of the guide can be laminated to promote field use.

The document was originally formatted as a PowerPoint presentation, which could be used in training sessions. Now PDF versions for print and screen use have been developed. Some of the different formats of the publication will be made available to the public through the ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website later this spring.

ATTRA is releasing Spanish language versions of several of its popular publications this spring. The integrated pest management document is the first ATTRA publication to be developed in Spanish, and to make use of a graphic-intensive format that will make it particularly easy for underserved minority audiences to use.

E-Newsletters Help NCAT Reach Diverse Audiences

(4/12/04) Since NCAT's beginning in 1976 the organization has been offering useful and hard-to-find information to the public. For many years printed publications served as the primary means of conveying information. Booklets and brochures are still a useful outreach tool for NCAT, but in the 1990s websites began to assume an increasingly important role in making large quantities of current information readily available around the clock. Over the past few years, NCAT has developed a growing range of e-newsletters that help us keep in contact with users of our websites.

The electronic newsletters offer several advantages for their recipients and for NCAT. First, e-newsletters consume fewer natural resources than printing and distributing paper copies. In addition, the electronic versions are easy to archive, so users can obtain back issues online, or keep their own e-mail files. Some of NCAT's e-newsletters are specifically designed to support our websites, alerting their subscribers to timely content that has recently been added. Another benefit of e-newsletters is their flexibility--they can take the form of short, efficient text messages, fully formatted attractive HTML documents, or printable PDF files. NCAT uses different types of newsletters for our wide variety of projects.

For several years ATTRANews has been available to readers in either print or electronic form. This bi-monthly publication of the ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is distributed to nearly a thousand subscribers electronically. It contains unique features on sustainable agriculture, as well as updates on NCAT's own project work. Meanwhile, NCAT's Weekly Harvest newsletter keeps more than a thousand subscribers abreast of news, funding opportunities, events and publications featured on the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website over the past week.

A similar function is served by the monthly Smart Communities Network News, which keeps more than 5500 subscribers up to date on the highlights of the Smart Communities Network website that NCAT operates on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy. NCAT's Montana Green Power Update e-newsletter goes out monthly to more than 600 subscribers, showcasing features from the Montana Green Power website that NCAT developed and maintains. Just recently, NCAT began offering its quarterly publication LIHEAP Networker to 2,190 subscribers via e-mail.

As subscriber numbers for all of these e-newsletters continue to grow, NCAT is working to improve our production and distribution technology--adapting our work to more effectively serve our clients.

NCAT Introduces Sustainable Agriculture Internship Database

(4/5/04) Since 1989 NCAT's ATTRA project has compiled a directory of on-the-job learning opportunities in sustainable and organic agriculture. This week that directory makes its debut as an easy-to search online database, accessible through the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website.

The listings of farms and the internship and apprenticeship work experiences that they have to offer has been extremely popular--so popular, in fact, that the lengthy listings had become unwieldy to search and update. The new database format will allow continuous updating to keep listings current, overcoming problems with printed documents that become instantly outdated. Farmers will be able to submit new information to update their farm descriptions and internship offerings using an online form.

The database will also assist potential interns in finding an appropriate situation, since it is searchable by farm name, state, region, and keywords related to the type of opportunity available, such as "livestock," "fruit," or "biodynamic." The database contains descriptions of the farms offering positions, as well as details on the internships themselves, such as the type of work to be done, hours of work expected per week, stipend or other compensation, housing arrangements, and specific educational opportunities.

The Sustainable Farming Internships and Apprenticeships database will play an important role in connecting experienced farmers in need of extra help with willing workers eager to learn more about organic and sustainable agricultural production techniques.

NCAT to Host Photovoltaic Installer Certification Exam

(4/5/04) On April 17, 2004, NCAT's Butte, Montana, headquarters will host a photovoltaic installer certification exam sponsored by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP). The organization's voluntary certification program was developed beginning in 2001, to provide a set of national standards by which PV installers with skills and experience can distinguish themselves. To be eligible for certification, a practitioner must meet six requirements, including having prior experience or education in the field, signing a code of ethics and passing a written examination.

NCAT is pleased to have the opportunity to work with NABCEP to offer the PV installer examination in Montana. NCAT's Montana headquarters is one of 22 locations nationally where the exam will be offered on April 17.

ATTRA Project Releases First Publication in Spanish

(3/29/04) NCAT's ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service project has released a Spanish-language adaptation of its publication on strawberry production. The document is the first in a series of popular ATTRA publications that are being adapted and translated into Spanish, as a means of better serving NCAT's Spanish-speaking clientele.

The ATTRA publication "Strawberries: Organic and IPM Options" provides an overview of organic strawberry production methods. It also covers integrated pest management and weed control techniques that can reduce pesticide use in conventional strawberry production. The text includes discussions of weeds, pests, diseases, greenhouse production, plasticulture, fertility, economics, and marketing, and lists of further resources, both electronic and print. The Spanish version, "Fresas Organicas Y Opciones Para el Manejo Integrado de Plagas," is available in print, or online as a PDF file at the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website. The English version of the publication continues to be available in both hard copy and electronic formats, as well.

NCAT offers a variety of resources for Spanish speakers involved in sustainable agriculture. The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website includes a section of topical information in Spanish on horticultural and field crops, livestock and marketing, with links to online resources around the world.

In addition, the ATTRA project maintains a Spanish-language help line that farmers, ranchers and others involved in agricultural businesses can call to request information on sustainable agriculture topics. The telephone line is staffed by Spanish-speaking sustainable agriculture experts from 8 am to 5 pm Pacific Time, at 800-411-3222.

During the next several weeks, NCAT will be releasing Spanish-language versions of ATTRA publications on a range of sustainable agriculture topics. Publications currently scheduled for translation address production of specific crops such as lettuce, as well as management of particular pests such as cucumber beetle, and livestock in the form of poultry production. In addition, broader publications on sustainable soil management and organic certification for farms will also be offered in Spanish.

2004 Sees Public Appearances by NCAT Staff

(3/22/04) During the first few months of 2004, numerous NCAT staff members are appearing in diverse venues, as presenters, trainers and exhibitors. Conferences and other events offer NCAT an important opportunity to reach audiences directly, providing an especially clear picture of our organization and its work in sustainable agriculture, energy and communities. NCAT staff members are speaking throughout the year, at locations across the country, at events of all types, and on a wide range of topics.

For example, Cathy Svejkovsky has been invited to speak at a Million Solar Roofs program Peer-to-Peer workshop being held in Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 24-25. In a session entitled "Solar Curriculum for Schools," she will give a presentation focused on curriculum development. Her presentation will be based on the experiences and lessons learned with the solar curriculum unit that was developed as part of NCAT's Sun4Schools project, "The Power of Solar Energy."

In addition, Energy Specialist John Walden is helping the Montana Renewable Energy Association put on a series of training seminars across Montana on renewable energy. Over three weekends the seminars offer continuing education for electricians, familiarizing them with photovoltaic application through lectures, equipment displays and tours of sites where solar electric systems are installed. NCAT publications are also used in the training.

NCAT was a co-sponsor of the Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, February 26-28, providing a number of ATTRA project publications on organic agriculture to be used as training materials during the Organic University. NCAT staff member Ann Wells was also a presenter during the event, and George Kuepper staffed a display at the trade show.

NCAT has also had a presence at several other important conferences during the first few months of this year. At the First Annual National Hispanic Farmers and Ranchers Association conference held February 22 -25, in San Antonio, Texas, Martin Guerena staffed a display on NCAT's ATTRA project. Al Kurki and Lance Gegner also had NCAT displays at the National Farmers Union convention and the Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society Annual Meeting, respectively. Numerous additional appearances for NCAT staff and displays are already scheduled for the remainder of 2004.

NCAT Participates in "Building Bridges" Meeting

(3/15/04) In mid-February AERO, Montana's Alternative Energy Resources Organization, convened a meeting designed to open a dialogue between conservation and agriculture groups. NCAT Executive Director Kathy Hadley and Program Specialist Nancy Matheson participated in the event. "Building Bridges with Conservation" gathered 30 leaders of sustainable agriculture and conservation organizations and land managers, ranchers and farmers to explore common goals and ways to work together more closely to support conservation and agriculture. Organizers designed this meeting with the hope that it would be the beginning of a longer conversation supporting work together on common issues relating to conservation and agriculture.

At the meeting, participants shared hopes and struggles, and compiled a list of potential areas of cooperation related to policy, university and agency support, and local work on issues like water, weeds, wildlife and open lands protection. Some of the goals set forth for the meeting were for participants to get to know each other better, acknowledge the effect of conflicts in issue areas, yet find synergy between programs and tools used by conservation and sustainable agriculture groups. The goals also included a focus on the future, with an opportunity to explore and share visions and identify steps for continuing cooperation.

The results of the meeting are currently being compiled, to provide a basis for taking the next steps. The meeting outcomes include a list of thirteen directions and questions for the future that participants developed, addressing everything from community infrastructure to institutional support, and from coexistence with predators to education and social concerns.

Meeting participants also identified twenty-four needs that they perceive should be addressed. These needs range from education and research to land use planning and zoning policies, and cover topics from local and specific programs to different societal paradigms. The meeting participants also brainstormed some ideas that can be readily implemented to help carry the aims of the meeting forward in Montana.

Support for AERO's outreach efforts to their sustainable agriculture and conservation colleagues is provided by the Wallace Foundation and the Western Sustainable Ag Working Group. NCAT is pleased to have been invited to be part of this ongoing regional dialogue, which complements NCAT's national sustainable agriculture work.

NCAT to Co-sponsor Organic Inspector Training

(3/8/04) NCAT is working with the Independent Organic Inspectors Association (IOIA) to offer inspector training in Fayetteville, Arkansas on April 1-7, 2004. Both Basic Organic Farm Inspector Training and Organic Livestock Inspector Training will be offered in consecutive sessions.

IOIA coordinates inspector trainings for both beginning and experienced inspectors in the U.S., Canada, Central and South America and elsewhere in the world. Trained inspectors may function as independent contractors or they may be employees of particular certification agencies or government programs. In the United States, organic inspectors play an important role in the implementation of the National Organic Program. Qualified inspectors visit farms and review organic plans to help certifying agencies determine whether producers meet the standards of the National Organic Program. Producers who qualify under the program and achieve certification are permitted to apply the program's "USDA Organic" label on their organic products, in accordance with program regulations.

In addition to co-sponsoring the April inspector training, NCAT staff members are participating in the event in various capacities. Program specialist Ann Wells, DVM, will be a guest speaker during the training on livestock health issues. Five NCAT staff members are also enrolled in the training course. The training these agriculture program specialists receive will assist them in helping the clients of NCAT projects to understand, plan for, and participate in the organic certification process. As interest in organic agriculture grows, NCAT and its ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service project are receiving increasing requests for assistance with questions on organic certification and organic production. Having more staff members trained in this field reflects NCAT's commitment to serving clients by providing current and practical information.

The Organic Farm Inspector training co-sponsored by NCAT is scheduled for April 1-4, followed by the Organic Livestock Inspector training on April 5-7. Acceptance of applications to participate in the training sessions has been completed.

SARE Grant to Fund Livestock Training Conferences

(3/1/04) NCAT has recently received a Professional Development Program grant from the Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program, in support of two training conferences on using livestock to manage natural resources.

SARE Professional Development Program grants fund projects that provide training on sustainable agriculture for agricultural professionals and educators who serve farmers and other interested people in USDA’s southern region.

In this project, NCAT plans to organize training conferences in two locations within the southern region to meet the following objectives: 1) enhance the skills of educators and farmer-trainers who work with clients and peers on using livestock to manage natural resources, 2) provide producers with help they need to utilize and sustain their natural resources, 3) provide producers the opportunity of teaching educators what they learned as they applied SARE funded tools to their own farms, and 4) help 1890 universities disseminate research results to more educators and farmers in the Southern region. NCAT will be working with Heifer International Ranch and Learning Center in Perryville, Arkansas and the Middle Tennessee Experiment Station and Profitability Center in Spring Hill, Tennessee, who have already committed as training sites and project partners.

NCAT has received several SARE grants in the past, specific to beef, dairy, and small ruminant sustainability, and has conducted numerous training sessions for agricultural professionals on these and related topics. The current project will build on the training activities and materials developed through previous projects. Target areas for skill-building of trainees are a) transitioning to organic livestock production, b) fine tuning grazing management, and c) assessment and management of natural resources on farms where livestock are produced on a major amount of the farm acreage.

Potential participants in the training include: PDP Coordinators, CES agents and specialists, USDA-NRCS field personnel, 1890 university staff, Heifer International field coordinators, and farmer-leaders. These target audiences may also identify other participants. The $85,000 project grant includes scholarship funds for more than 100 participants in the training sessions, to spread the impact of the training as widely as possible, particularly among underserved audiences.

NCAT Aids New Horizon Technologies in Launch of Energy TechNet Website

(2/23/04) Drawing from NCAT’s successful history of website development and maintenance, New Horizon Technologies, Inc.—NCAT's for-profit subsidiary—recently launched a new website created with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Inventions & Innovation (I&I) Program. Though New Horizon Technologies was charged by I&I with the task of developing the new site, it was truly a collaborative effort, with NCAT contributing its significant website-development experience and expertise to the process. Several NCAT staff members worked on the project from the beginning, helping provide project coordination, research, and site-development assistance.

Energy TechNet: Inventions & Innovation’s Toolbox for Energy Technology Developers serves as a comprehensive source of information and resources for individuals and small-business owners engaged in the development and commercialization of energy technologies, particularly those involving renewable energy and energy efficiency. It is designed to help innovators transform their ideas into commercial reality by offering information and instruction in such areas as idea development, market assessment, intellectual property protection, and fund raising. The site features regularly updated news, events, and funding sources and provides access to the most comprehensive collection of national, regional, and state resources for technology developers currently available today. Given the target audience, Energy TechNet was a natural fit to be developed by the New Horizon Technologies/NCAT team.

NCAT and New Horizon Technologies have enjoyed a long history with the I&I Program, with New Horizon Technologies now in its 12th year of providing detailed market assessments and other services to most of the I&I Program’s grantees. The Energy TechNet website offered an ideal opportunity to combine New Horizon Technologies' experience in energy innovations with NCAT's experience in developing and administering comprehensive news and information websites on behalf of federal and state agencies.

Southwest Marketing Network Plans Second Annual Conference

(2/17/04) The Southwest Marketing Network, a project in which NCAT is helping expand markets for southwest small-scale, alternative, and minority producers, has set March 14-16 as the date for its second annual conference. The conference will be held in Flagstaff, Arizona, and is co-hosted by the Center for Sustainable Environments, Northern Arizona University.

Farmers, ranchers and other community members interested in increasing regional marketing opportunities are invited to attend the event to build skills and gain expertise. The conference provides a valuable opportunity for participants to share, learn, and engage with others to improve local marketing, especially in isolated areas of the region that encompasses Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. The three-day conference features keynote speakers, theme sessions, workshops, local food, a resource room of displays, and a meeting of the new Arizona Direct Marketing Association.

This year's conference has five themes that will be explored in concurrent sessions: 1) Farm to Cafeteria, Restaurants, and Institutions, 2) Marketing I: Ecolabels, Promotion, Meat and Wool, 3) Resources, Skill Building, and Leadership Development, 4) Southwest Food and Agricultural Policy, and 5) Marketing II: Boosting Production and Direct Marketing. NCAT representatives will be the leaders for several of these themes during the conference. A variety of speakers will present general and detailed information, as well as case studies, on these themes.

Registration materials for the conference are available online as a PDF file. A limited number of scholarships are offered to cover lodging, registration and travel costs. Scholarship requests must be received by February 23. If you have question about the conference, registration or a scholarship, please call or e-mail Le Adams at 505-473-1004.

The Southwest Marketing Network is a three-year initiative supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Food and Society Initiative, with additional funding from the USDA Risk Management Agency and NCAT. In addition to NCAT, which coordinates the project, its website, a resource database and training, other project partners are Farm to Table, the Wallace Center, and the Western Rural Development Center. A Steering Committee representing regional farm and tribal groups, university extension and national agricultural groups has also been involved in guiding the network as it develops. The group's first annual conference was held last March in Durango, Colorado.

LIHEAP Clearinghouse Launches E-Newsletter

(2/9/04) NCAT’s LIHEAP Clearinghouse project is now making its quarterly newsletter, the LIHEAP Networker, available by email. Its February 2004 issue has been emailed to 2,190 Clearinghouse users, including state and tribal LIHEAP grantees and subgrantees, community action agencies, utilities and utility regulatory agencies and nonprofits concerned with low-income energy issues.

The newsletter typically focuses on national LIHEAP funding news and state office program news such as new funding sources and innovative pilot projects. It also details new publications on low-income energy issues and has a low income energy calendar.

The Clearinghouse will continue to mail hard copies of the newsletter to state and tribal LIHEAP grantees or anyone else who requests them. The current issue and back issues from January 2001 to the present can also be downloaded from the Clearinghouse website. Clearinghouse users can find late-breaking low income energy news on the Clearinghouse home page.

Article titles from the February issue include:
* Winter Energy Prices, Increased Demand, Push LIHEAP Programs to the Max
* LIHEAP Funding Status
* National Groups Strategize to Increase Awareness of Low-Income Energy Funding Needs
* States Supplement LIHEAP from Varied Sources; Most Cite Higher Natural Gas Prices
* Renewables and the Low Income: Programs in FL, HI, PA Show Savings
* Energy Price Volatility, Poverty Data Posted on NCLC Website

NCAT Continues to Support Wind Power

(2/9/04) NCAT continues to be involved in a number of activities that support the development of renewable wind power generation facilities in Montana. For example, NCAT is a member of the Montana Wind Energy Working Group hosted by the Montana Secretary of State's Office. The group includes utilities, wind power developers, landowners, state agencies and organizations. The Montana Wind Working Group hosted a series of workshops around the state in early February to help Montanans learn about programs that can help them to develop wind power and other renewable energy. Free workshops were held in Billings, Glendive, Havre, and Great Falls. While these workshops focused on intermediate to large-scale wind development, NCAT is also actively promoting small-scale wind development through ongoing anemometer loan and individual wind generator installation incentive projects.

ATTRA Project Awarded Annual Funding

(2/2/04) Funding for NCAT's ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service project was included in the omnibus spending bill passed by Congress in late January. The measure included $2.5 million in funding designated for ATTRA in 2004. ATTRA is funded through a cooperative agreement between NCAT and the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service.

For over sixteen years, the ATTRA project has been providing information on various aspects of sustainable agriculture to farmers, ranchers, market gardeners, and agricultural educators and professionals throughout the United States. Through the ATTRA project, NCAT's Sustainable Agriculture program staff produce publications and other educational material, provide presentations and trainings, and offer personal responses to queries from the field. These activities are all designed to foster the implementation of sustainable agriculture.

The ATTRA project now offers more than 150 publications and maintains toll-free phone lines that accept sustainable agriculture questions from both English and Spanish speakers. In 2003 ATTRA responded to information requests from all over the United States with 30,000 publications, personalized research reports, or information referrals. Information provided by ATTRA helped producers identify potential new crops and practices, explore options for adding value to their products, manage pests and diseases, and promote soil health, animal health and water quality.

In addition to a further year of funding, January 2004 marks another important milestone for the ATTRA project, as well. The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website has now been in operation for a full year. This website not only offers free electronic access to ATTRA publications, but also offers links to additional resources, and regularly updated sustainable agriculture news, funding opportunities and an events calendar. Site visitors may also submit questions to NCAT's sustainable agriculture staff online, or can sign up to receive the bimonthly ATTRAnews publication or the Weekly Harvest electronic newsletter. The Weekly Harvest, which highlights recent news from the website, was launched mid-year and now has over one thousand regular subscribers. In the year since its launch, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website has become a respected news and information source for the sustainable agriculture community online.

Fire Stations Get Solar Power through NCAT Project

(1/26/04) NCAT has several projects that showcase the use of renewable energy in Montana by installing demonstration solar electric systems. Many of these projects are funded by the Universal Systems Benefits (USB) charges paid each month by NorthWestern Energy customers. In NCAT's latest demonstration project, which is nearing completion, NorthWestern Energy's USB funding supported installation of solar electric systems on six volunteer fire department stations in the state.

PV Cell on a Firehouse The reliable solar electric systems help provide electricity for emergency services even during a utility grid outage, demonstrating the dependability of renewable energy generation. Under the NCAT project, most of the fire stations had 16 photovoltaic panels mounted on their roofs. Each of the modules has a peak direct current rating of 130 Watts; therefore, the peak wattage of the system is 2080 Watts. The direct current electricity produced by the panels is either stored in deep cycle batteries or is converted to utility-grade alternating current electricity that is consumed within the fire stations as needed. If any excess electricity is produced, beyond the individual station's needs, it is pushed out through the station’s utility meter into NorthWestern Energy’s electric grid. This "net metering" causes the station's meter to run backward.

PV Cell By contrast, if the utility grid is down, each station’s battery storage system and inverter make it possible for the system to continue providing power to selected electrical circuits in the building. Heating system pumps, lighting and garage door openers will continue to receive power from the battery storage system. This system consists of 48 12-volt, deep-cycle batteries, with a total reserve capacity of 52,761 watt-hours. When the utility comes back on-line, the system's inverter will automatically switch back from the battery bank to the utility’s electrical grid.

Through NCAT's demonstration project solar electric systems were installed on fire stations in Great Falls, Bozeman, Augusta, Elk Park, Lost Creek and the West Helena Valley. Volunteer fire departments have been enthusiastic recipients of these dependable renewable power systems.

NCAT Certifies First Energy Star Habitat for Humanity Homes in Northwest

(1/20/04) NCAT Energy Specialist Jim Maunder knows something about rules. When he's not at work at NCAT, he can often be found refereeing high school football or basketball games or umpiring Little League baseball. This past year he's had the opportunity to apply rules in his work, as well. Maunder is one of NCAT's certified Home Energy Raters, who make sure that homes meet energy efficiency requirements.

Home Energy Raters are trained to analyze home plans to predict energy performance when different designs and materials are combined. They can also visit building sites to verify that energy efficient construction techniques are being followed. The Home Energy Raters are certified to approve homes that meet specific energy performance standards as Energy Star Homes, as defined by the federal Energy Star program. NCAT offers Home Energy Rating services upon request in Montana.

NCAT also has an ongoing project, funded by EPA Region 8, to increase the number of Energy Star homes being built in Montana. The organization is working with builders to encourage them to construct homes that qualify for Energy Star.

The first Energy Star homes that NCAT has approved in Montana were constructed by the Helena, Montana, affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. During 2003 the group built two homes for low-income individuals using energy-efficient construction techniques. Testing showed the homes to have extremely low natural air change rates of .17 and .16 respectively, which--combined with their insulated envelopes--helped qualify them as Energy Star homes. These homes are among the first Habitat for Humanity homes in the Pacific Northwest to receive an Energy Star rating.

In addition, the Missoula, Montana, affiliate of Habitat for Humanity built two homes in 2003 to the standards of the new Northwest Builder Option Package (NW BOP) for Energy Star. Their homes were also tested and and certified to have natural air change rates of just 0.089 and 0.085. The NW BOP, a simple set of requirements builders can follow to meet Energy Star standards, was developed especially for the cold climates of the Pacific Northwest. NCAT itself is certified as a BOP provider, qualified to train inspectors to make sure that homes built to BOP standards meet Energy Star requirements.

NCAT Offers BSE Information Online

(1/12/04) The first case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), or "mad cow disease," in the United States was confirmed on December 25, 2003. Naturally, cattle producers are quite concerned with how this case will affect both their operations and their markets. Reports indicate that many people are seeking more information on "mad cow disease" via the Internet, and NCAT is pleased to help meet this demand by supplying timely coverage of the issue.

NCAT has added a special page to its National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website. The page is accessed via a new button in the upper right-hand corner of the home page. This Special Coverage: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) page contains links to USDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control, and other sites with information about BSE. In addition, the BSE page links to selected articles from the news media, to offer a broader view of the situation and its impact, and to help track the issue as developments arise. The page is being updated frequently by NCAT staff members, to reflect the latest events regarding BSE, and in particular its impact on the field of sustainable agriculture in the United States.

The page also provides access to free publications from NCAT's ATTRA program about pasture-based beef production. Market observers have noted that concern over "mad cow disease" spurring increased interest in beef considered to be at low risk of BSE due to the way it is produced. For example, organic, "grass-fed," or "pasture-raised" beef is thought by many to present less risk of BSE because the animals are less likely to have consumed animal protein than industrially raised beef. However, since the terms "grass-fed" and "pasture-raised" lack precise legal definitions, they offer only limited assurance regarding animals' histories or diets. By contrast, "certified organic" does carry a legal definition regarding production practices and feed.

Rising interest in sustainably produced beef has already been noted by producers and retailers across the country. Through the ATTRA project, NCAT's sustainable agriculture experts are available to help answer farmers' and ranchers' questions about sustainable beef production and marketing.

NCAT Revises Mission Statement and Adopts New Strategic Plan

(1/5/04) The National Center for Appropriate Technology enters 2004, which will mark the organization's 28th year, with a mission of "Helping people by championing small-scale, local, and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources." The revamped mission statement clearly expresses NCAT's wide-ranging and ambitious aims and efforts.

The NCAT Board of Directors approved the updated mission statement at its most recent meeting, and also adopted a new five-year strategic plan for the organization. The strategic plan has been under development throughout the past year, in a process that involved staff and board members in assessing the organization's current status and setting goals for its future.

NCAT's strategic plan for 2004-2008 includes seven goals, and identifies numerous priority strategies to be implemented in attaining those goals. The goals are:
1) Empower economically disadvantaged people and communities to enhance their quality of life and their environment by using resources sustainably.
2) Research, demonstrate and transfer sustainable technologies and practices.
3) Collaborate with other organizations to better reach shared goals.
4) Cultivate diversity in all NCAT activities.
5) Strengthen NCAT as a results-oriented organization focused on excellence.
6) Strengthen the Board’s capacity to support NCAT’s strategic directions.
7) Increase NCAT’s financial soundness and sustainability.

The priority strategies address areas in which NCAT will develop new initiatives or place more focus on existing efforts, such as renewable energy and healthy foods for low-income consumers, organic agriculture, and farm energy. Some priority strategies pertain to the functioning of the organization itself, dealing with staff training and recruitment, branding and outreach.

In other business at its meeting, the board elected a new member, Margaret Krome, and appointed members to a new Honorary Advisory Council, as well as raising the living wage offered by NCAT.

2003 News Archive

Back to main NCAT News page

NCAT News Archive for 2004

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.