NCAT Southeast staff members. Back row, left to right: Linda Coffey, Livestock Specialist; Luke Freeman, Horticulture Specialist; Margo Hale, Southeast Regional Office Director. Front row, left to right: Nina Prater, Sustainable Agriculture Specialist/Outreach Coordinator; Robyn Metzger, Program Assistant; Guy Ames, Horticulture Specialist. The NCAT Southeast Regional Office NCAT opened an office in Fayetteville, Arkansas,… Continue Reading
Ruminating on Small Ruminants at the Missouri Livestock Symposium
NCAT Southeast Livestock Specialist Linda Coffey traveled to Kirksville, Missouri, last week for the very popular Missouri Livestock Symposium, which draws thousands of attendees from across the U.S. Linda shares her reflections on the trip below. Friday Evening Activities and Keynote I enjoyed representing NCAT at the Missouri Livestock Symposium. As usual, a great crowd… Continue Reading
Meeting with a Mission: Helping Veterans Succeed in Agriculture
NCAT Southeast Regional Director Margo Hale and Armed to Farm Coordinator Robyn Metzger recently traveled to Kansas City for the Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC) Stakeholders Conference. Following is their report on the trip. From November 14-17, we joined hundreds of farmer-veterans, representatives from government agencies, and other support organizations at the FVC Stakeholders Conference. These… Continue Reading
Battling Borers in Organic Apple Production
NCAT Horticulture Specialist Guy Ames has operated Ames Orchard & Nursery since 1983. In this guest post, he shares his hard-earned wisdom on strategies for dealing with apple tree borers. ORGANIC APPLE PRODUCTION IN THE SOUTHEAST UNITED STATES has many challenges, and controlling trunk borers is one of the most serious. Left unchallenged, borers can… Continue Reading
Register Today for Oct. 18 Beginning Farmer Livestock Workshop
The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and the University of Arkansas are teaming up to offer a workshop for beginning livestock farmers on Thursday, October 18, 2018. The workshop will take place at The Farm at Barefoot Bend in Lonsdale, Arkansas, which is located between Little Rock and Hot Springs. NCAT Southeast Regional Director Margo Hale and… Continue Reading
Apply Now for ATTRA Farm Management Course
Are you ready to take your farm to the next level? The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) is now accepting applications from farmers who would like to participate in the “Taking Your Farm to the Next Level” training course. This six-part course will equip farmers and ranchers with the business and financial management skills… Continue Reading
Produce Growers: Register Now for Postharvest Handling Workshop
On Wednesday, October 10, NCAT agriculture specialists Luke Freeman and Andy Pressman will team up with educators from the University of Arkansas and Heifer USA to present Scaling up Your Produce Farm: Postharvest Handling for Intermediated Markets. This one-day workshop is designed to help fruit and vegetable growers enter new markets. Workshop Details This on-farm workshop will… Continue Reading
Applications Open for Armed to Urban Farm in Washington, D.C.
In partnership with the United States Botanic Garden (USBG), NCAT is bringing the week-long Armed to Farm (ATF) training to Washington, D.C., for a special event focused on urban farming. Armed to Urban Farm will give veterans an opportunity to see sustainable, profitable small-scale farming enterprises and learn about urban farming as a viable career.… Continue Reading
May 25 Webinar: Using Social Media to Grow Your Farm Business
Wondering how to get started with social media on your farm? Looking for ways to improve your social media skills? Join Lauren Manning, partner at Ozark Pasture Beef in Fayetteville, AR, and NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Luke Freeman as they present a FREE webinar on social media marketing for farms. This hour-long webinar begins at 12:00… Continue Reading
Sheep and Goat Producer Dewayne Smith Shares his Wisdom
At a Small Ruminants workshop NCAT held in 2016, Mississippi goat producer Mr. Dewayne Smith spoke to the attendees about the learning curve for farming. He said, “No matter what we’re talking about, you cannot skip a step, you cannot find a shortcut. A shortcut will cost you in the end. You have got to… Continue Reading