Guy Ames: Living and Farming with Head and Heart

In this episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Ag Specialists Nina Prater and Lee Rinehart are joined by recently retired Ag Specialist Guy Ames to celebrate his life and work. Guy is deeply knowledgeable about his area of expertise, fruit trees, and is also a font of wisdom about how to live the good life. This conversation includes how Guy found his way to farming in the Ozarks, the many failures that guided him toward success, and like most conversations with Guy, contains many wonderful, circuitous meanderings. He also shares about what it was like in the early days of ATTRA in the distant pre-internet past. We will all miss Guy here at NCAT and are so grateful he joined us in this episode to keep the "cultural cycle," as Wendell Berry puts it, turning. 

ATTRA Resources:

Soils and Sites for Organic Orchards and Vineyards

Tree Fruits: Organic Production Overview

Battling Borers in Organic Apple Production

Blueberries: Organic Production

Fruit Trees, Bushes, and Vines for Natural Growing in the Ozarks

Heirloom Apples

Other Resources:

It All Turns on Affection

The Good Life

Divine Right's Trip

Ames Orchard and Nursery

The Wheel

Braiding Sweetgrass

Contact Nina Prater and Lee Rinehart at [email protected] and [email protected]
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You can get in touch with NCAT/ATTRA specialists and find access to our trusted, practical sustainable-agriculture publications, webinars, videos, and other resources at ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.