Attra - Sustainable Agriculture

In this episode, Andrew Coggins, director of the National Center for Appropriate Technology's Rocky Mountain West office, has a conversation with farm manager John Wallace about the unusual growing season so far at NCAT's SIFT Farm.Both Andrew and John work out of Butte, Montana.SIFT -- or Small-Scale Intensive Farm Training program -- aims to help communities increase their food security by producing their own healthy food. SIFT, with NCAT, has a working, sustainably managed, demonstration farm on five acres at our Butte office.This farm is the center of a program that teaches farmers and future farmers, urban food producers, community leaders, and citizens how to produce high-value, nutrient-rich food on small parcels of land. And in Butte's case, in a challenging climate.This year, the Butte farm site has endured a heavy spring snow and subsequent high winds, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic. John talks about how the farm has reacted, both in production and in its community associations.