October 25, 2013
By: Rene' McCracken, NTCC Director of Agriculture
Normally a headline about getting a new "weed eater" would not be worth mentioning, however the new "weed eaters" at 草榴社区 are not the mechanical kind.鈥燬ince coming to NTCC as the director of agriculture in 2012, I had a vision of utilizing more sustainable techniques to manage the natural resources on the farm.鈥燭hanks to a recent donation of some Boer goats, we were able to put into practice one of the techniques that we have been teaching in our new sustainable agriculture certificate and degree program courses.
One of the pond dams on the college farm is difficult for us to maintain due to its proximity to a fence and a tendency to flood.鈥犫燦ow, simply by utilizing some portable fencing, the goats are doing the weeding for us without the held of mechanical equipment.鈥犫燭hey leave fertilizer in their wake and are utilizing the weeds as their payment.鈥 This saves鈥爁uel that would have been used, equipment, labor and even provides something nice to look at!
As soon as the goats are done, we will move in the pastured chickens to let them "spread the fertilizer" and control smaller weeds and insects.鈥犫燭hese are just examples of the types of techniques that will be taught at the upcoming鈥燣iving From the Ground Up鈥爏ustainable agriculture seminar on Friday, Nov. 1 at our NTCC Age Complex.鈥犫燭he event?s keynote speaker and sustainable guru, Daniel Salatin from Polyface Farms, will share his family's personal experiences and methods of success in sustainable farming.鈥犫燨ther topics and activities include: farmer?s market and equipment vendors, a goat soap-making demonstration, transforming your farm into a business, and introduction to various farm-friendly organizations and agencies that all are aimed in helping you to become more sustainable.
Don?t miss this opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of how to incorporate these management practices on your farm or ranch.鈥 If you would like more information contact Rene? at 903-434-8267 or鈥rmccracken@ntcc.edu.鈥 If you would like to register for the event, contact Lisa York at NTCC Continuing Education by calling 903-434-8134 or email at鈥lyork@ntcc.edu.
Normally a headline about getting a new "weed eater" would not be worth mentioning, however the new "weed eaters" at 草榴社区 are not the mechanical kind.鈥燬ince coming to NTCC as the director of agriculture in 2012, I had a vision of utilizing more sustainable techniques to manage the natural resources on the farm.鈥燭hanks to a recent donation of some Boer goats, we were able to put into practice one of the techniques that we have been teaching in our new sustainable agriculture certificate and degree program courses.
One of the pond dams on the college farm is difficult for us to maintain due to its proximity to a fence and a tendency to flood.鈥犫燦ow, simply by utilizing some portable fencing, the goats are doing the weeding for us without the held of mechanical equipment.鈥犫燭hey leave fertilizer in their wake and are utilizing the weeds as their payment.鈥 This saves鈥爁uel that would have been used, equipment, labor and even provides something nice to look at!
As soon as the goats are done, we will move in the pastured chickens to let them "spread the fertilizer" and control smaller weeds and insects.鈥犫燭hese are just examples of the types of techniques that will be taught at the upcoming鈥燣iving From the Ground Up鈥爏ustainable agriculture seminar on Friday, Nov. 1 at our NTCC Age Complex.鈥犫燭he event?s keynote speaker and sustainable guru, Daniel Salatin from Polyface Farms, will share his family's personal experiences and methods of success in sustainable farming.鈥犫燨ther topics and activities include: farmer?s market and equipment vendors, a goat soap-making demonstration, transforming your farm into a business, and introduction to various farm-friendly organizations and agencies that all are aimed in helping you to become more sustainable.
Don?t miss this opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of how to incorporate these management practices on your farm or ranch.鈥 If you would like more information contact Rene? at 903-434-8267 or鈥rmccracken@ntcc.edu.鈥 If you would like to register for the event, contact Lisa York at NTCC Continuing Education by calling 903-434-8134 or email at鈥lyork@ntcc.edu.
