Tag Archive for: Kara Kroeger

YMCA Roberts Ranch: Providing a sustainable natural Hill Country Area for the education and enjoyment of all

Roberts Ranch was donated to the YMCA by Bob Roberts of Comfort, TX in the 1990’s. Since then it has served as a place where families and children can gather to explore the outdoors in a beautiful Hill Country setting. The pristine habitat, native plants, and wildlife make the ranch the perfect laboratory for learning about and exploring nature. The property has served hundreds of children through outdoor education program sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife and hosts conservation and stewardship workshops, hiking, tours, and environmental education field trips for youth and adults.

The Roberts Ranch has always been a working cattle ranch as well. In 2019, cattle were removed from the ranch in order to let the land rest and to undertake various restoration projects that include brush clearing, cross-fence repair, and riparian restoration. Cattle will be reintroduced in 2022.

Click here to read the full story.

Grotegut: Water for Future Generations

Dr. Chris Grotegut is a veterinarian, farmer, and stockman in Hereford, located in Deaf Smith County in the Texas Panhandle. Hereford has a rich agricultural heritage and economy built on the waters of Ogallala Aquifer. But this aquifer has been in perilous decline over the past hundred years as more and more land has been plowed for row cropping and turned into feedlots for thirsty cattle. Aquifer decline is a serious threat to the longevity of many producers in the Texas Panhandle. Chris is taking steps on his land to replenish the aquifer, and he freely shares his lessons learned along the way. 

Chris is the cutting edge producer/owner of an 11,000 acre farm named Tierra de Esperanza that produces organic crops and livestock. In recent years he has transitioned the family operation toward more efficient uses of water, labor, and equipment by returning much of his cropland back to native grass pastures. He plants winter crops over dormant grasses in years with favorable moisture, minimizes irrigation, and takes measures to protect his playas, which are the clay basins in his fields and pastures that infiltrate water very slowly to refill the aquifer below.

Click here to read the full story.

,

LISTEN: Understanding the Soil Microbiome with Nicole Masters

In this episode of Voices from the Field, Kara Kroeger, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT’s ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, talks with Nicole Masters, a New Zealand agroecologist and director of Integrity Soils.

Listen to the episode, here:

,

LISTEN: A Talk with Fred Provenza, Part 2

This episode of Voices from the Field is the second of two featuring a conversation between Kara Kroeger, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT’s ATTRA sustainable-agriculture program, and Fred Provenza. Fred is a well-known author and expert on animal health, human health, plant health, and how they are related – as well as their role in the care of ecosystems.

Listen to the episode, here.

,

LISTEN: A Talk with Fred Provenza, Part 1

This episode of Voices from the Field is the first of two featuring a conversation between Kara Kroeger, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT’s ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, and Fred Provenza. Fred is a well-known author and expert on animal health, human health, plant health, and how they are related – as well as their role in the care of ecosystems.

Listen to the episode, here.

,

LISTEN: The PLFA Soil Test

In this episode of Voices from the Field, Kara Kroeger, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT’s ATTRA sustainable-agriculture program, talks with soil specialist Lance Gunderson about the PLFA soil test.

The conversation is the second of two that Kara and Lance have had on ATTRA: Voices from the Field concerning soil tests – last week’s podcast featured Lance’s take on the Haney test. You can find the link to that podcast in the notes below.

Listen to the episode here.

,

LISTEN: The Haney Soil Test

In this episode of Voices from the Field, Kara Kroeger, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT’s ATTRA sustainable-agriculture program, talks with soil specialist Lance Gunderson about the Haney soil test.

They discuss the history of the Haney test, how it’s scored, its effectiveness on both cropland and pasture and range land; the management practices it can suggest, and more.

Listen to the episode here.