Camille Green, AmeriCorps volunteer, works the SIFT compost pile at NCAT.
A mix of old vegetables and grass matter makes for good compost.
Camille Green, AmeriCorps volunteer, turns over the SIFT compost pile at NCAT.
Camille Green, AmeriCorps volunteer, spearheads the SIFT hoop house project at the NCAT headquarters in Butte, Montana.
Carl Little, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Communities Program Manager, talks about composting at the inaugural SIFT class..
Rex DuFour, NCAT Agriculture Program Specialist, answers questions about soil quality at the inaugural SIFT class.
Carl Little, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Communities Program Manager, and SIFT class particpants tour the newly created, outdoor compost pile at the NCAT headquarters.
Rex DuFour, NCAT Agriculture Program Specialist, talks about making compost tea during the inaugural SIFT class.
Camille Green, left, and Montana Energy Corps member Andrew Valainis fix a loose bracing on a SIFT hoop house at the NCAT headquarters in Butte, Montana.
Camille Green, center, and volunteers Herminio Sho, Jr. and Emily Jack-Scott stretch polyvinyl over the braces of a SIFT hoop house at the NCAT headquarters in Butte, Montana.
AmeriCorps volunteer Kaleena Miller finds an unusual way to stretch the polyvinyl on one of the SIFT hoop houses at the NCAT headquarters in Butte, Montana.
What is SIFT?
Today, more than 50 million Americans live in "food-insecure" households, including more than 17 million children. Much of this food insecurity is the result of families living in areas where they don't have easy access to healthy, nutritious food. In these communities, known as "food deserts," families often turn to convenience stores and fast food restaurants for their meals. However, this isn't a great solution, since diets high in processed sugars and fats can lead to obesity, diabetes, and other diseases, not to mention nutritional imbalance.
Welcome
We hope this website will keep you up-to-date on the progress of our new Small-Scale Intensive Farm Training (SIFT) project. Through this innovative program, we're working to create food security, economic revitalization, and environmental protection through small-scale intensive farm training. More »
The Latest from Camille's Blog
Random prototypes #1
Why buy it if you can build it for less? You’ll care about the product more, reuse materials, save money, and develop practical skills. Here are some things I've built.
More >>Posted on: February, 9th 2012
The Right Tool for the Task: ATTRA Pub Shows You How
Do you know the difference between a stirrup hoe and a chopping hoe? Or what conditions call for either one?
Selecting the right tools, whether it’s for a garden or a small-scale farming operation, is an important part of producing an abundant and profitable harvest. Fortunately, the ATTRA publication Equipment and Tools for Small-Scale Intensive Crop Production can help you make the right choice.
More »Posted on: May, 7th 2012
Spring Planting and Spreading the Word in Schools
April was a busy month in the SIFT project. In addition to getting ready for Butte’s notoriously short growing season, we spent even more time with young people to introduce them to the principles of sustainable agriculture. Earth Day, of course, was a natural.
More »Posted on: May, 7th 2012
Get Ready for Spring Planting
Spring is upon us, and that means it’s time to start planning for your vegetable garden. Here in Butte, Montana, where our SIFT farm is located, most outdoor planting generally isn’t done until the end of May, and we still sometimes get snow and frosts in June and July.
Even if it’s still too early to plant, there are plenty of things you can be doing now to get ready for the planting season. Here are a few.
More »Posted on: May, 7th 2012
