Stories and News

We offer an array of content to explore, including these stories from around the country sharing trusted practices found in indigenous cultures, in modern universities, in long experiences on a particular property, and in innovation by first-generation farmers.

The Latest

Fence in green pasture

Weaning Pasture Soils Off Chemical Dependence

By Lee Rinehart, NCAT Agriculture Specialist I recently received an email from a farmer in New England. They have put a lot of effort into their beef farm to bring their soil to life after decades of conventional corn and hay production with…
No Chemical Spraying sign
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Residue Testing for Chemicals in Agricultural Soil

Soil testing on suspect sites is the best method for determining if soil is safe for food production or human and other animal habitation. Soil residue tests can determine if residues are present to help farmers and gardeners assess their risk, manage exposure, and remediate contaminated sites.
aerial photo of Pennsylvania farmlandUSDA photo by Scott Bauer

Using Google Earth Pro to Create a Map for Your Agricultural Operation

Have you ever wondered how to make a digital map that can show the existing and planned infrastructure for virtually any piece of land in the world? Have you wondered how you can measure the area of a particular field or the length of a proposed fence or pipeline? Have you wondered what the elevation is at different locations? The answers to all these questions lie in getting familiar with the free tool Google Earth Pro.

Regenerative Journeys

Bamberger Ranch Preserve: A man fulfilling a personal dream

Bamberger Ranch Preserve, located in Blanco County, Texas, is a powerful story of love and conservation. J. David Bamberger sought to realize a dream of land conservation, and in 1969 went looking for the worst piece of ranch land in the Texas…
Hershey Ranch

Hershey Ranch: For the love of nature

Hershey Ranch located in Gillespie County in the Central Texas Hill Country has a fascinating history. It is composed of property from seven land grants and patents that date back to when Texas was a Colony of Spain.