National Center for Appropriate Technology

Annual Report 2011

Helping people by championing small-scale, local, and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources.

2

Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan joined NCAT staff and members of the Farmer-Veteran Coalition (FVC) for retreats that featured hands-on workshops and farm visits focused on helping veterans fi nd meaningful and profi table careers in the sustainable agriculture arena. Workshops were held in Arkansas, California, Iowa, and Pennsylvania, with NCAT staff assisting in the planning and hands-on training.

Returning Veterans Become FarmersReturning Veterans Become Farmers

Our goal for the series of work-shops was to help veterans learn about diff erent types of

farming operations, especially small, diversifi ed farms that are viable in both rural and more urban areas. We also want to help develop support groups for veterans that can assist them with agri-culture challenges as well as the chal-lenges of returning to civilian life.

Many partners around the country helped to make these retreats possi-ble. Th e farms off ered a wide range of operations: an organic apple orchard, a vineyard, a grass-fi nished beef oper-ation, goat and sheep farms, and organic poultry operations. In addi-tion to demonstrations from our staff on such techniques as building pastured poultry housing and trimming goat hooves, the veterans had an opportunity to learn about growing and marketing crops in each of the regions.

Th ese retreats, part of our overall sustainable-agriculture work, were made possible by funding through the FVC, the USDA Risk Management Agency, and local friends and supporters of NCAT and FVC who want to give our servicemen and service-women every chance to succeed.

Other NCAT Sustainable Agriculture

Projects:

The ATTRA Project—trusted research,

publications, and individual assistance

for sustainable-agriculture producers

across the nation.

Bringing New Farmers to the Table—

helping new farmers in North Carolina

develop the tools —and fi nd the land

they need—to be successful.

Clockwise from above: Veteran Candra Tyler

learns about raising pastured poultry.

FVC Director Michael O'Gorman talks with

a workshop attendee about greenhouse

production.

Victor Aguilar learns to milk a goat at the

Arkansas workshop.

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Team members worked on state, county, and city govern-ment facilities as well as privately owned buildings. Dave Houser, NCAT’s Energy Services Business Development

Director, said the federal stimulus funds available for government buildings, public schools and rural hospitals were used to leverage existing funds to achieve even more energy effi ciencies and cost savings than originally planned. For projects using these stimulus funds, we have helped reduce electricity usage by more than 13.2 million kilowatt hours per year, and reduced natural gas usage by nearly 20,000 dekatherms per year.

The 80 projects we have completed for the state, according to Ken Phillips, the Senior Energy Engineer for the Montana State Building Energy Program, have helped save more than $1,100,000 per year in energy costs.

Staff assessed energy usage and savings opportunities across a wide range of facility types, including university buildings, hos-pital campuses, the state crime lab, parking lots, fairgrounds, dairies, and a nonprofi t ranch serving troubled youth that has 10 separate buildings.

Th ey provide detailed information on how building owners can reduce energy usage and energy costs. Th e staff members provide an economic analysis of energy savings and project costs, giv-ing the owner a breakdown of costs for equipment replacement and estimates of energy savings both in kilowatts and in dollars. NCAT staff members also help customers develop rebate forms and customized incentive requests and submit them to the util-ity company.

“Much of our work focuses on savings through upgrading light-ing, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment and controls,” said Houser. “Most building and facility owners are surprised at how much energy they can save by simply upgrading

Returning Veterans Become Farmers

Left: Stacie Barry, Operations Director of NCAT’s

Business Energy Services (right), talks about changing

light bulbs in order to cut costs and usage with a

small business owner.

Below: Dave Houser (left), Director of NCAT’s

Business Energy Services, and Doug Porter (far right),

NCAT Energy Specialist, conduct an energy audit

and talk with facilities management staff for the

City of Billings, MT.

to more effi cient lightbulbs and installing occupancy sensors. For a typical facility, an owner can cut their energy usage by as much as 15% with these simple steps.”

According to Phillips, NCAT’s audits can turn up serious prob-lems with equipment and supply lines as well.

“NCAT engineer Vicki Lynne had just completed an energy study at one of our state hospitals, and the numbers for natural gas usage just didn’t make sense,” Phillips said. “So we conducted a leak-detection survey, which identifi ed 11 leaks in the system. Repairing those leaks not only diverted a disaster that could have taken lives, it saved the state signifi cant money in natural gas usage.”

NCAT’s Energy Services team had a productive year, saving energy and money for hundreds of customers. As government agencies rushed to take advantage of federal funds for energy-effi ciency and conservation upgrades and private businesses sought to reduce energy consumption and take advantage of utility rebates and incentives, team members worked on more than 1,000 diff erent projects in Montana.

Energy Services Team Racks Up SavingsEnergy Services Team Racks Up Savings

NCAT's National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) program handled more than 86,000 requests for assistance this year.

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FoodCorps GrowsFoodCorps GrowsFood matters. In the last 30 years, the percentage of overweight or obese children has tripled. One in three current sixth graders is on track to develop Type 2 diabetes. One in four high schoolers is too overweight to qualify for military service. In Montana, entire communities are at risk with their children. In 1950, 70 percent of the food Montanans ate was grown and processed within the state. By 2000, that number had declined to 10 percent. Meanwhile, raw Montana-grown agricul-tural commodities ship to distant markets, providing little economic return for the state’s rural producers and communities.

Launched in 2006, Montana FoodCorps has been creat-ing and expanding farm to cafeteria programs across the state to address these challenges. Th e program works to

improve nutrition education for children, combat childhood obe-sity, develop school gardening projects and change what’s being served on school lunch trays. So successful is the program that it served as a model for the national FoodCorps program, which started last summer in 10 states with 50 members.

Th is year, 13 Montana FoodCorps VISTA members built the capacity of schools and communities to serve local, healthy foods. In addition to educating kids about how and why to eat food grown closer to home, member projects included starting or expanding school gardens that supply food for the cafeteria; building season-extending hoop houses and greenhouses; assist-ing schools and local producers so that more local food can be purchased and served in the cafeteria, and creating a network of schools, farmers, ranchers, and other community stakeholders to increase farm-to-school eff orts. School gardens, farm fi eld trips, and cooking classes directly enhance learning, in class and out.

Economic benefi ts follow educational benefi ts, making local food a winning investment for all involved. Supplying food to schools helps keep farmers on the land and small businesses, especially grocery stores, in town.

NCAT also serves as the host site in Iowa for the national Food-Corps program. We are working with school districts in Des Moines to build farm-to-cafeteria programs and in Decorah to coordinate farm-to-school projects in that rural area. Members are

helping to train staff on safe han-dling of locally grown fresh pro-duce, working to improve the pro-cess of obtaining local foods, coor-dinating eff orts to create or expand school gardens

and providing nutrition, food and agriculture education in the classrooms.

Our experience shows that when given the opportunity to eat food grown by someone they know or that they themselves have helped grow, kids choose to eat healthier foods on a regular basis. Th ey also tend to encourage their families to eat health-ier. Members across Montana and Iowa report many successes in helping kids re-think their eating habits. Writes one mem-ber: “Twenty second graders burst into rowdy applause as I entered the classroom. I felt like a rock star, but instead of an electric guitar, I wielded garden-fresh carrots, radishes, potatoes, parsnips and turnips.”

Making Change:

First graders studied the basics ofplant physiology while baking bread using whole Montana grains.

Sixth graders jog to the University of Montana Western campus garden, where they refuel on carrots and kale while an education major uses the garden rows to teach fractions and ecology.

Far right: Montana FoodCorps member

Leah Grunzke demonstrates fi nished

planting boxes for elementary school

students in the Dillon, MT, area.

Right: Elementary school students line

up to receive seeds for planting.

5

been broken by the storm. The couple then donated the turbine and tower to a local nonprofit for educa-tional use.

As one Montana member wrote, “Whether it’s help-ing a woman spend her fi rst winter without her partner or assisting an elderly man with programming his ther-mostat, Energy Corps is more than just service; it’s about helping communities weather hard times together, and that can make all the diff erence in the world.”

This year saw the rollout of our national Energy Corps AmeriCorps program, based on the successes of the pilot project we had conducted in Montana. The project was created to address unmet community energy needs and promote sustainable energy consumption through education and outreach. It also is designed to foster sustainable community development and train people for the green-energy career fi eld.

Energy Corps Goes NationalEnergy Corps Goes National

Clockwise from top:

Montana Energy Corps members

participate in a residential energy

effi ciency fair and meet Offi ce of

Community Service commissioner

Bob Harris.

Arkansas Energy Corps AmeriCorps

members take the AmeriCorps oath

of service after completing orientation

and training.

Montana Energy Corps members

Carrie Johnson, Tom Wagenknecht, and

Andrew Valainis help build hoophouses

at NCAT's headquarters in Butte.

More than 55 people from all walks of life and back-grounds volunteered to serve for a year in Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, or Pennsylvania. Th ese Energy Corps

members attended trainings and workshops throughout the year to develop job skills and learn about energy-effi ciency and weath-erization techniques, community organizing, and public speaking.

Th anks to their eff orts, hands-on energy assistance was provided to more than 4,300 households across the four states. Types of assistance included weatherization and conservation activities, energy assessments and consultations, and alternative-energy demonstrations.

Energy Corps members also reached more than 13,990 individu-als through outreach and energy education. Members conducted workshops focusing on home energy savings and school projects such as recycling drives, and they arranged tours of green build-ings to highlight residential energy effi ciencies.

Most important, our members reached out to help make people’s lives better. Our Arkansas members traveled to Joplin, MO, to assist with cleanup and organizing after the area was devastated by a tornado last summer. When a severe storm swept through parts of Iowa, our members helped a farm-ing couple find equipment and volunteers to remove a wind t u r b i ne a nd tower that had

6

NCAT Audited FinancialsNCAT Audited FinancialsProgram/Project Income $6,396,179

Fundraising Income 90,814

In-Kind Contributions 254,757

Interest Income 7,104

Total Income $6,748,854

Program Expense $5,876,966

General and Administrative Expense 649,302

Fundraising Expense 9,295

Total Expenses $6,535,563

Change in Net Assets Before Extraodinary Gain $213,291

Extraordinary Gain* $92,256

Change in Net Assets at Sept. 30, 2011 $305,547.00

EXPENSES

*In FY 2011, NCAT’s headquarters were damaged by lightning. NCAT

retired the damaged assets, net of $8,904, and recognized insurance

proceeds of $101,160. The eff ect of this lightning strike is presented as

an extraordinary item on the statement of activities.

BALANCE SHEET

ASSETS

Cash and Cash Equivalents $949,970

Accounts Receivable 1,303,692

Other Current Assets 405,707

Total Current Assets $2,659,369

Property and Equipment $986,986

Accumulated Depreciation (698,654)

Total Property and Equipment $288,332

Other Assets $31,823

Total Assets $2,979,524

LIABILITIES

Accounts Payable $201,175

Accrued Expenses 582,261

Deferred Revenue 304,520

Other Liabilities 8,000

Total Liabilities $1,095,956

NET ASSETS – Unrestricted $1,883,568

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS $2,979,524

General, Admin and Fundraising 10.08%

Direct Program 89.92%

An independent audit of the fi nancial statements for NCAT and its subsidiary was performed by Anderson ZurMuehlen and Company, Butte, MT.

7

Donors and FundersDonors and Funders

Montana State Hospital Lanelle Montgomery Leslie Moyer Richard Myers National Environmental Education Foundation - DC Mariette Hiu Newcomb Art Noonan Northeastern Resources Development Council - PA Northwest Arkansas Community College Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides - OR Northwest Energy Effi ciency Alliance - OR NorthWestern Energy - MT Occidental College - CA

Katherine Adam Alliance for Sustainable Energy - CO Amcref Community Capital, LLC - LA Anaconda-Deer Lodge County – MT Ann Baier Leslie Bebensee Allan Benjamin Janna Berger Allen Bjergo Bonneville Power Administration - OR Sandra Booth Gene Brady Marcia Brown Christina Burkhouse John Casazza Randy Chapman City of Bozeman - MT City of Miles City - MT John Colgan Commission on Economic Opportunity - PA Community Partners - CA Corporation for National and Community Service - DC Jan and Greg Cranston Jim Crawford Emily Cronk Jerry Dewitt Charles Eberdt Joel Elder Sarah Elichko Energy Bar Foundation - DC Energy Foundation - CA Equity Net - AR Jeff Falen and Elanor ObrienFanwood Foundation/West - MT Jena Ferrarese Fluid Market Strategies - OR Dale Fluke and John FlukeFoodCorps, Inc. - NY Moses Freeman Maricela Gallegos Gulf Regional Planning Commission - MS Kathleen Hadley Margo Hale Reed Hamilton Ann Hansen

Steven and Michele Heller Karen Henningsen Amy Hicks High Stakes Foundation - MT Cayce Hill Holly Hill Historic Lewes Farmers Market Claudia Holzinger Home Depot Foundation - GA Christina Horn Dale Horton Scott Howard Human Resource Development Council, District XII, Butte, MT Jackie Hutchinson Iowa Dept. of Economic Development Iowa Offi ce of Energy Independence Iowa Pork Producers Association Iowa State University -ISU Extension -Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Sarah James Stephanie Jennings Tracy Johnston Kampe Family Foundation - CO Lana Kelley Elizabeth Kelly Pamela Kinnaird Henry Knawls Jason Kolpin Margaret Krome Barbara Lamborne Hannah Lewis Carl Little Luke Mahoney Thad Mann Teresa Maurer Frank Mazzarino Andrew Dennis McBride Brian McCormick Laura McKinney Montana Agriculture Development Council Montana Dept. of Agriculture Montana Dept. of Environmental Quality Montana Dept. of Health and Human Services Montana Governor’s Offi ce of Community Service

Listed are corporations, foundations, government agencies, individuals, and organizations that provided $100 or more during Fiscal 2011 to support our programs and services.

NCAT staff members gave presentations at the

Mother Earth News fair in Seven Springs, PA, in

September 2011. The event attracted more than

12,000 attendees.

8

Donors and Funders Donors and Funders continuedcontinued

- State Offi ces: California, Montana, Oregon, Washington

- Rural Business Cooperative Services

- Risk Management Agency

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - National Offi ce

University of Arkansas

University of Georgia

University of Maryland Cooperative Extension

University of Northern Iowa

University of Wyoming

Utah State University

Richard Watson

Carol Werner

Conrad "Duke" Williams

Sean Wisner

James Wulf

Malcolm Young

Theresa Zeman

Oregon Tilth

Organic Valley Coop - WI

George Ortiz

Dorene Pasekoff

Hallie Payne

Cameron Pedersen

Louise Perez

PPL Montana, LLC

Margaret Redmon

Valerie Reese

Joseph Riedel

Rocky Mountain Development Council - MT

Roger Rosenbaum

William Russell

Jeff Schahczenski

Schlenker & McKittrick Associates - MT

Mark Schonbeck

Julia Schreiber

Marilyn Schuster Peter Seely Susan Sellew Sean Shelton Andy Smith Christina Smith Southern Risk Management Education Center - AR Terrell Spencer Matthew Stefanak Joshua Sultz Cathlene Svejkovsky Laurie Sykes Tides Center - CA Tri-State Generation & Transmission - COU.S. Dept. of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service - Agricultural Marketing Service - Natural Resources Conservation Service - National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)

PartnersPartnersListed are government agencies, groups, organizations and educational institutions with which we partnered during the fi scal year to provide programming.

Alabama A&MAlcorn State University - MSAlliant Energy - IAAlternative Energy Resources Organization - MTAmerican Council for an Energy-Effi cient Economy - DCAmerican Livestock Breeds Conservancy - NCArkansas Agriculture DepartmentArkansas Association of Resource Conservation and Development CouncilsArkansas Energy Offi ceArkansas Farmers Market AssociationArkansas Interfaith Power and LightArkansas Public Policy Beginning Farmer Center - IABlackfeet Community College - MTBlackfeet Tribe - MTBucks County Opportunity Council - PAButte Public Housing Authority - MT

Butte-Silver Bow County - MTCalifornia Climate and Agriculture NetworkCalifornia Certifi ed Organic FarmersCalifornia FarmLinkCalifornia Institute for Rural Studies Camelina Company - OHCarolina Farm Stewardship Association Center for Agroforestry at the University of MissouriCenter for Energy and Environmental Education - IA Center for Environmental Farming Systems - NCCenter for Land-Based Learning - CACenter for Rural Aff airs - NEChippewa Cree Tribe - MTCitizens for a Better Flathead - MTCity of Fayetteville - ARCity of Missoula - MTCity of San Antonio - TXCity of Woodbine - IA

NCAT staff member Leif Kindberg (second from right)

traveled to Guatemala, where he helped staff and volun-

teers of the organization Utz Samaj build a chicken tractor.

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Partners Partners continuedcontinued

Sustainable Food Center - TX Tennessee State UniversityTexas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association University of Arkansas - Applied Sustainability CenterUniversity of California, BerkeleyUniversity of California Cooperative Extension, Yolo CountyUniversity of California, Small Farm ProgramUniversity of FloridaUniversity of Iowa -National Biodiesel Education ProgramUniversity of KentuckyUniversity of Missouri Cooperative ExtensionUniversity of Montana - WesternUniversity of TennesseeUniversity of Texas Pan American - TXVirginia State UniversityVirginia Tech UniversityWalton Arts Center - ARWestern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE) - UTWomen, Food and Agricultural Network - IAWomen’s Opportunity and Resource Development, Inc. (WORD) - MTYoderville Biodiesel Collective - IA

Community Alliance with Family Farmers - CACommunity Food Security Coalition - ORCooper Ranch - MTDairy Management Inc. - ILDesign 3 Engineering - MTDes Moines School District - IAEcological Farming Association - CAEnergy Coordinating Agency - PAeOrganic eXtensionFarm Aid - MAFarm-To-Table - NMFarmer-Veteran Coalition - CAFayetteville Chamber of Commerce - AR Fayetteville Community Gardening Coalition – ARFayetteville Public Schools - ARFloyd Boulevard Local Food Market - IAFort Belknap Indian Community Council - MTGrinnell College - IAGrowth Through Energy and Community Health Strategies - PAHawkeye Area Community Action Program - IAHealthy Urban Food and Farming Coalition - IAHolistic Management International - NMhomeWORD - MTHousing Corp. of Northeastern PennsylvaniaIowa City Bike LibraryIowa Energy Center Iowa Environmental CouncilIowa Farmer’s Union Iowa Network for Community Agriculture Iowa Renewable Energy AssociationIowa Western Community CollegeKentucky State UniversityKerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture - OKKUAF Public Radio - ARLake County Community Development Corporation - MTLao Family Community of Stockton - CALASPAU Academic and Professional Programs for the Americas - MALewis and Clark County - MTLuther College - IALutheran Services - IAMidwest Renewable Energy Association - WIMission Verde Center - TX Montana Farmers UnionMontana Fish, Wildlife and ParksMontana Grain Growers AssociationMontana Organic Producers CooperativeMontana State University - Northern

Montana Tech of University of MontanaMother Earth News/Ogden Publications - KSNational Agroforestry Center - NENational Farm to School Network - ILNational Sustainable Agriculture Coalition - DCNatural Resources Conservation Service - Western National Education Development Center - ORNiche Meat Processors Assistance Network - IANorth Carolina State UniversityNuestras Raices - MAOpportunity Link - MTOregon State UniversityOrganic Farming and Research Foundation - CAPacifi c Coast Farmers Market Association - CAPartners for Better Housing - ARPort of Butte - MTResource Conservation and Development of IowaRural Advancement Foundation InternationalT.G. Smith Elementary School - ARSouthern Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control - GASouthern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group - ARSouthern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education - GASouthface Energy Institute - GASpectrum Resources - IASustainable Agronomic Education Association - TX

Arkansas Energy Corps members teamed up with Home Depot employees to perform volunteer service in honor of

Martin Luther King, Jr., as part of the national holiday.

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Board of DirectorsBoard of DirectorsMargaret Krome

Madison, WI

Dr. Andrew Dennis McBride

Milford, CT

Art Noonan

Helena, MT

Louise Perez

Sacramento, CA

Matthew Stefanak

Pulaski, PA

Carol Werner

Washington, DC

Conrad S.P. "Duke" Williams, III

Houma, LA

Offi cersGene BradyChairmanWilkes-Barre, PA

Randall Chapman Vice-ChairmanAustin, TX

Brian Castelli TreasurerWashington, DC

Jeannie JertsonSecretaryPhoenix, AZ

George OrtizChairman EmeritusSanta Rosa, CA

MembersDr. Allen BjergoCorvallis, MT

John ColganSpringfi eld, IL

Jerry DeWittHolly Springs, NC

Charles EberdtBellingham, WA

Maricela GallegosGalt, CA

Mary HarrisAlexandria, VA

Jacqueline HutchinsonSt. Louis, MO

NCAT's Iowa offi ce in Des Moines serves as the Midwest Regional Lead Agency for the Farm to School Network, an important educational and nutritional program.

NCAT Executive Director Kathleen Hadley

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Hhelping people by championing small-scale,

local, and sustainable solutions to reduce

poverty, promote healthy communities,

and protect natural resources.

More than 45,000 pounds of electronics were collected for recycling at our 2011 E-Waste Recycling Event in Butte, MT.

NCAT agriculture specialists delivered more than 40,500 technical letters, publications, CDs, and other materials to clients of our ATTRA program.

P.O. Box 3657 ~ Fayetteville, AR 72702 206 6th Avenue, Ste. 1101 ~ Des Moines, IA 50309NCAT Regional Offices:

P.O. Box 2218 ~ Davis, CA 95617 79 Hillside Rd. ~ Shavertown, PA 18708 118 Broadway, Ste. 524 ~ San Antonio, TX 78205

www.ncat.org

NCAT Headquarters: 3040 Continental Drive; P.O. Box 3838, Butte, MT 59702

(406) 494-4572 800-ASK-NCAT

National Center

for Appropriate

Technology