Organic Pioneer: Tom Willey

In this episode, Martin Guerena, a sustainable agriculture specialist with NCAT's ATTRA sustainable agriculture program, has a conversation with Tom Willey, one of the pioneers of organic agriculture in the Central Valley of California.

Martin works out of the NCAT Western Regional Office in Davis, California.

Tom – "farmer emeritus" at T and D Willey Farms, the operation he co-founded in Madera, California – discusses his entry into agriculture and the organic movement, the importance of finding mentors, what the past can teach us going forward, and some of the challenges he sees in the future of organic agriculture.

For more information on this topic, you can contact Martin Guerena directly at [email protected].

ATTRA Resources:
Organic Farming
A Conversation with Amigo Bob

Other Resources
T and D Willey Farms
Ecological Farming Association

Please call ATTRA with any and all of your sustainable agriculture questions at 1-800-346-9140 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Our two dozen specialists can help you with a vast array of topics, everything from farm planning to pest management, from produce to livestock, and soils to aquaculture.

You 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 / Facebook

Western Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Rocky Mountain West Regional Office: Facebook

Gulf States Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Southeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook

Northeast Regional Office: Website / Facebook

COMING SOON!

The National Center for Appropriate Technology, in cooperation with USDA Rural Development, Montana State University, and Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE), is pleased to announce the 1st Annual Soil Health Innovations Conference. This national conference will be held at Montana State University on March 30 and 31, 2020.

The 2020 Soil Health Innovations Conference will bring together producers, industry professionals, educators, and students who are at the cutting edge of soil health across the country: On-farm practices, soil biology, carbon markets, and public policy. Join us for a far-reaching exploration of agriculture's sustainable future.

For more information and to register go to