From 'Shovel and Rototiller' to Conservation Champ

In this episode, Madelynn Nelson, an AmeriCorps member serving with Energy Corps as a sustainable-agriculture farm-energy educator at NCAT's headquarters in Butte, Montana, talks with West Virginia farmer and beekeeper Eric Grandon.Eric, an alumnus of the Armed to Farm training for veterans offered by NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, runs Sugar Bottom Farm in Clay County, West Virginia. After farming for just five years, Eric and Sugar Bottom Farm won the Conservation Farm of the Year for 2018 in West Virginia's Elk Conservation District.Eric and Madelynn talk about farm energy conservation and using solar power on the farm as well as water and other kinds of conservation. He also discusses the work and learning curve that came along with the decision to pursue sustainable energy.Related ATTRA ResourcesCrop Insurance Options for Specialty, Diversified, and Organic FarmersEnergy-Efficient Lighting for the FarmFederal Conservation Resources for Sustainable Farming and RanchingRenewable Energy Opportunities on the FarmSolar-Powered Livestock Watering SystemsFarm Energy AlternativesOther ResourcesSugar Bottom Farm FacebookSugar Bottom Farm websiteYou 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 / FacebookWestern Regional Office: Website / FacebookRocky Mountain West Regional Office: FacebookGulf States Regional Office: Website / FacebookSoutheast Regional Office: Website / FacebookNortheast Regional Office: Website / Facebook