Programs Focus on Farmer Well-Being
01/20/22 • 39 min
In this episode of Voices from the Field, Margo Hale, NCAT’s Southeast Regional Director and Director of NCAT’s Armed to Farm Program, visits with NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist and farmer veteran Mike Lewis. Mike and his family operate a diversified farm in Southeast Kentucky.
Mike talks about the farm’s enterprises and how USDA programs have helped him meet his farm goals.
Mike also discusses two programs — AgrAbility and the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) — that address the physical and mental needs of many farmers.
Related ATTRA Resources:
- NCAT Armed to Farm website
- NCAT Armed to Farm Facebook
- Veteran Resources
- Equipment Resources
- Financing Your Farm: Guidance for Beginning Farmers
- Federal Conservation Resources for Sustainable Farming and Ranching
- Veterans Discuss USDA Programs
- From the Air Force to Alpacas
- High Tunnels and the NRCS
- Meet NCAT: Veteran Farmer Mike Lewis Brings Diverse Experience to Our Team
Other Resources:
- AgrAbility
- Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network
- Farmers Resource Network
- Farmer Veteran Coalition
- USDA Veteran Initiatives
- USDA Service Center Locator
- USDA Farm Service Agency
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Step-by-Step: How to Get Assistance from NRCS
- USDA Rural Development
Contact Margo Hale and Mike Lewis via email at [email protected] and [email protected].
Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.
Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.
You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, and podcasts.
In this episode of Voices from the Field, Margo Hale, NCAT’s Southeast Regional Director and Director of NCAT’s Armed to Farm Program, visits with NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist and farmer veteran Mike Lewis. Mike and his family operate a diversified farm in Southeast Kentucky.
Mike talks about the farm’s enterprises and how USDA programs have helped him meet his farm goals.
Mike also discusses two programs — AgrAbility and the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) — that address the physical and mental needs of many farmers.
Related ATTRA Resources:
- NCAT Armed to Farm website
- NCAT Armed to Farm Facebook
- Veteran Resources
- Equipment Resources
- Financing Your Farm: Guidance for Beginning Farmers
- Federal Conservation Resources for Sustainable Farming and Ranching
- Veterans Discuss USDA Programs
- From the Air Force to Alpacas
- High Tunnels and the NRCS
- Meet NCAT: Veteran Farmer Mike Lewis Brings Diverse Experience to Our Team
Other Resources:
- AgrAbility
- Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network
- Farmers Resource Network
- Farmer Veteran Coalition
- USDA Veteran Initiatives
- USDA Service Center Locator
- USDA Farm Service Agency
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Step-by-Step: How to Get Assistance from NRCS
- USDA Rural Development
Contact Margo Hale and Mike Lewis via email at [email protected] and [email protected].
Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.
Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.
You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, and podcasts.
Previous Episode
Silvopasture 101
In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Katherine Favor sits down with silvopasture specialist Delie Wilkens to talk about the basics of silvopasture, an agroforestry practice integrating trees, forage, and the grazing of livestock.
Delie currently serves as the program analyst for the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, a nonprofit organization that works to advance the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities. She has been working in forestry, agroforestry, and sustainable agriculture for many years, and has researched silvopasture adoption and best practices in the Southeast.
Less than one percent of farms in the U.S. use silvopasture, Delie says, although she sees it gaining popularity in the future.
Katherine and Delie discuss the benefits, applications, and social considerations surrounding silvopasture adoption in the U.S. Delie also shares advice for designing, implementing, and managing silvopasture systems as well as things to keep in mind before beginning a silvopasture enterprise.
Related ATTRA Resources:
Other Resources:
- U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
- California Department of Food and Agriculture Healthy Soils Program
- NRCS Conservation Programs
Contact Katherine Favor via email at [email protected].
Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.
Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.
You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website.
You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page.
Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website.
Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages!
Southwest Regional Office: Website / Facebook
Western Regional Office: Website / Facebook
Rocky Mountain West Regional Office: Facebook
Next Episode
What Your Stockdog Can Teach You About Livestock
In this episode of Voices from the Field, Indiana shepherd and dog trainer Denice Rackley talks with Linda Poole, a regenerative grazing specialist with NCAT, about using herding dogs to handle livestock. A shepherd for more than 25 years, Denice handles a sizeable flock with only the help of her border collies. In this interview, Denice shares a wealth of information useful to listeners wondering whether a stockdog might be right for their farm or ranch.
Related ATTRA Resources:
- Livestock Guardian Dogs
- Predator Control for Sustainable & Organic Livestock Production
- Small (Ruminant) Talk: Pastures, Parasites, and Predators
Contact Linda Poole via email at [email protected].
Please complete a brief survey to let us know your thoughts about the content of this podcast.
Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 800-346-9140 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.
You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find our other extensive, and free, sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at NCAT/ATTRA's website.
You also can stay in touch with NCAT at its Facebook page.
Keep up with NCAT/ATTRA's SIFT farm at its website.
Also check out NCAT's Regional Offices' websites and Facebook Pages!
Southwest Regional Office: Website / Facebook
Western Regional Office: Website / Facebook
Rocky Mountain West Regional Office: Facebook
Gulf States Regional Office: Website / Facebook
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