Search Results

Acerca de Resources and Partnerships CCCD is honored to work with over 65 local, state, and national collaborators and partners to benefit the conservation of our natural and agricultural resources. In addition to collaborating with partners, CCCD staff holds organizational membership with working groups throughout our state and beyond. Local Community Partners State and Federal Partners Belknap County Carroll County Coos County Grafton County Hillsborough County Merrimack County Strafford County Sullivan County Rockingham County County Conservation Districts throughout New Hampshire: Organizational Membership: In an effort to support our community partners, the CCCD serves in varying membership capacities for several county and state organizations. Some of our organizational memberships include: Antioch Community Garden Connections - Advisory Committee Conservation District Employees Association of NH Healthy Monadnock Alliance- Active Living Work Group: Monadnock Outdoors Monadnock Conservancy - Stewardship Committee Monadnock Farm & Community Coalition - Board of Directors & Food Access Working Group National Association of Conservation Districts New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts New Hampshire Food Alliance - Land Resources Action Team New Hampshire Nutrition Incentive Network - Regional Lead Southwest Region Planning Commission - Natural Resources Advisory Committee

Encouraging stewardship for healthy soils, productive ecologically sound farms, diverse wildlife, productive sustainable forests, healthy watersheds and clean water to ensure those resources are available for future generations. Our Vision Now Accepting Grant Applications Throughout the fall and winter, CCCD announces grant rounds for our Conservation Opportunity Fund , Monadno ck Food Co-Op Farm Fund , and the NH Conservation Distric ts Climate Resilience Grant Stay updated on these opportunities by subscribing to our newsletter! Subscribe for Updates Latest Blog Post Citizen Science: The Community Movement at the Backbone of Environmental Research Citizen science is an empowered community effort that encourages individuals worldwide to participate in collecting and analyzing scientific data related to the environment. More often than not, these efforts are collaborative efforts with local to international scientists. While citizen science has only increased in popularity in recent years, it has roots dating back to the 1800s. The first is a citizen-led bird migration monitoring program, founded by a member of the Ameri Wildlife Nina Branwen Mar 6

Acerca de Farm Equipment Rentals The Cheshire County Conservation District provides low-cost farm equipment rentals each year in and around Cheshire County. This is a valuable cost-saving service to local growers that supports the CCCD's mission of improving soil quality and management through the conservation and responsible use of natural and agricultural resources. The District's current suite of farm rental equipment is listed below. Each section provides the rental rate, a link to the Equipment Rental Agreement, and a short description. To make a rental reservation contact 603-904-3011 or info@cheshireconservation.org We ask that all farmers clean rented equipment, greasing, washing and removing all debris and material. Cleaning instructions for each individual piece of equipment is available in the rental contracts. Equipment that is not returned based on this requirement, is subject to a $200 cleaning fee. Esch 5607 7' No-Till Drill $15/ac for first 10ac, $10/ac after that Minimum payment of $125 /use 7' Esch Rental Agreement 7 FT Drill, New Technology High Speed Drill 8mph, With 5.5" spacing this drill produces stands that yield. Requires no less than 60HP Tractor with Hydraulics on ground level, 80HP tractor on hillsides. Adjust coulter depth easily on main cylinders. Convenient seed depth control on the press wheel's. Stay informed with the seed level gauge. Simplify planting for unmatched precision. Esch Operations Manual Esch 12' No-Till Drill $15/acre for the first 10 acres, $10/ac after that Minimum payment of $125 /use 12' Esch Rental A greement The Esch 12' No-Till Drill features seed metering and a variable speed transmission for easy adjustment for different seeds. Easy field operation only requires two hydraulic remotes. Additional features include easy seed depth control and a seed level gauge for easy viewing of seed level during operation. Requires no less than 110 HP Tractor with hydraulics. A 3/4 ton or larger truck equipped with a double tongue hitch is required for transport. Its swing tongue hitch allows for an 8'10" travel width. Esch Operations Manual Aerway Aerator $70/day Aerway Rental Agreement Let our Aerway help you battle your soil compaction issues! The 7.5 cultivation width is versatile and used to open up compacted areas in pasture or field. A great implement to help incorporate manure into the soil before nitrogen is lost. It is equipped with a wheel kit for easy towing to fields within 35 miles. Requires a 45-75 HP tractor with hydraulics. Hitch is a straight drawbar pin. Aerway Operations Manual Soil Steamer $100/high tunnel or $100/day for any other use Soil Steamer Rental Agreement Soil steaming on farms is an emerging technology that is being utilized to manage disease, weeds, and pests in high tunnels. The CCCD now offers the rental of their Sioux Model SF-20 Soil Steamer to local fruit and vegetable growers starting in 2021. The Sioux Steam-Flo® steam generator is a perfect source of low-pressure steam for a variety of weed and disease management, container sterilization, and pollinator site preparation. These industrial steam generators produce from 370-3,450 lbs. (168-1,564 kg) per hour of saturated steam in minutes. Soil Steamer transport includes a trailer and requires a 2 and 5/16 ball hitch for towing. Once set up on site you will need access to a course of water and electricity. Soil Steamer Guidance Document VIDEO: Soil Steamer at Picadilly Farm VIDEO: Soil Steamer Virtual Workshop (3/17/21) VIDEO: In-Depth Look at Soil Steaming with Andre Cantelmo Wood Ash/Lime/Biochar Spreader (2025) $125/use and $4/ton of material spread Spreader Rental Agreement Meeting soil pH needs can be challenging. The availability of the Stoltzfus Spreader will give farmers more flexibility. Stockpile Woodash, Lime or Biochar in the off season and rent the spreader as needed. It allows versatility in meeting your soil nutrient needs. The Stoltzfus has a 5 ton capacity and is equipped with a PTO driven bed chain and rear spinners. Requires 65+ HP Tractor. VIDEO: Spreader Setup and Operation Tips Spreader Operations Manual Wood Ash/Lime Spreader (2014) $125/use and $4/ton of material spread Spreader Rental Agreement Meeting soil pH needs can be challenging. The availability of the Stoltzfus Woodash /Lime Spreader will give farmers more flexibility. Stockpile Woodash or Lime in the off season and rent the spreader as needed. It allows versatility in meeting your soil nutrient needs. The Stoltzfus has a 5 ton capacity and is equipped with a PTO driven bed chain and rear spinners. Requires 65+ HP Tractor. VIDEO: Spreader Setup and Operation Tips Spreader Operations Manual Woodlot Management Trailer $25/day or $100/week Woodlot Management Trailer Rental Agreement The Woodlot Management Trailer comes with an Iron Baltic logging arch, a cant hook and a peavy. These tools are great to use to help facilitate easy logging practices on your property. The logging arch allows for moving logs cleanly, in tight spaces, and with limited damage to the surrounding ecosystem. Logging Arch: 20" maximum log diameter, 2-inch ball hitch, 1102 lb maximum load The trailer requires a 2 inch ball for transportation. VIDEO: Logging Arch in Action BCS Walk-Behind Tractor $100/day $50/day for individual implement rental BCS Tractor Rental Agreement ***Only those who have attended a BCS Tractor Training are eligible to rent. The model 749 BCS Tractor utilizes three forward & three reverse working speeds, as well as individual wheel brakes, for increased maneuverability. Available soil health implements for this BCS Tractor include: 26” flail mower and 30” roller-crimper for mowing over or rolling down cover crops, a 30” power harrow for seedbed prep and tillage/weed control, a 30” drop seeder for seeding lawns, cover crops or full-width dense seeding operations, a disk harrow for seeding, leveling soil or light weed control, a rotary spreader for spreading wood ash, lime, and other soil amendments, and a rotary plow for breaking new ground and building raised beds. Rentals are provided with the use of the CCCD utility trailer. BCS Operations Guide No-Till Vegetable Transplanter Free for first use. $12/acre each additional use. Transplanter Rental Agreement This tow behind waterwheel transplanter is available for vegetable producers interested in trying no-till. The no-till waterwheel transplanter is a trailer hitch mounted transplanter that uses a spiked wheel filled with water to create a hole for placing plants. Riders on the transplanter tuck plants into the hole. This planter uses hydraulically controlled coulters that allow no-till planting into bare soil or terminated cover crops. The transplanter requires a 30 hp tractor and a hydraulic remote. It’s manufactured by Shirk Manufacturing in Pennsylvania. Roller Crimper Free to Use Roller Crimper Rental Agreement This is a great implement to knock down cover crop stands for later No-Till cropping. The knock down acts as an excellent organic mulch feeding the soil and decreasing the need for herbicides. The Cover Crop Roller mounts to the front, or back, of the tractor with a Three Point Hitch, leaving room for the seeder at the back. This means you can knock down weed suppressing mats of cover crops and plant through it all in the same pass! The Roller Crimper weighs 1400lbs empty and 2000lbs filled with water. It will take 70 gallons to fill it. The roller crimper fits a standard Category I or II three point hitch and can be towed with a 45 HP tractor. Subsoiler Free to Use Subsoiler Rental Agreement Versatile single shank sub-soiler allows for mobility in tight spots. A great implement to break up soil compaction due to site work prior to High Tunnel construction. This Sub-Soiler has a sixteen inch working depth to break up the hard layer preventing good root development and water absorption. 20-35 HP Tractor required. Weight: 138 lbs. Onion Topper $40/use including the first pallet, roughly 1000lb. $10/pallet for each additional pallet When you rent the Onion Topper, the equipment will be used at Picadilly Farm - 264 S. Parish Rd. Winchester, NH. Onion Topper Rental Agreement Penetrometer Free to Use The Penetrometer is a great tool to use when determining whether you have a soil compaction problem. Easy to read - you will know in a matter of seconds if there is a problem and to what degree. Available for your use free of charge. Looking for more equipment? Feedback from farmers helps inform our equipment acquisitions! If you have ideas on more equipment that the Conservation District should make available, we'd love to hear from you! Call us at 603-904-3011 or email info@cheshireconservation.org You can also check out the Small and Beginner Farmers of NH Equipment list

Citizen science is an empowered community effort that encourages individuals worldwide to participate in collecting and analyzing scientific data related to the environment. More often than not, these efforts are collaborative efforts with local to international scientists. While citizen science has only increased in popularity in recent years, it has roots dating back to the 1800s. The first is a citizen-led bird migration monitoring program, founded by a member of the American Ornithologists’ Union, Wells Cooke. His initiative laid the groundwork for the North American Phenology Program.  Image Credit: Wikipedia. Photo of Wells Cooke As funding for environmental, sustainability, and conservation research becomes more and more limited, public involvement in citizen science is more crucial than ever before. Imperative research is able to be continued by government agencies and other organizations because of citizen science. The gathered data on biodiversity and environmental changes helps inform work on restoration and planned conservation practices, and ensures that it is able to progress.  Creating strong community-driven networks of volunteers and local scientists who are engaging, collaborating, and learning from different avenues of citizen science fosters a deeper understanding of local areas and international environmental science initiatives and issues. With the changing climate and the decrease in funding, engaging in citizen science is more important than ever in sustaining the stewardship of the natural world You may be wondering about different ways individuals can be engaged in citizen science. With the ever-evolving state of technology, the different formats of citizen science have become more diverse and accessible. Many programs rely on mobile apps, digital maps, and sensors that train volunteers in collecting accurate data. The digital platform also encourages more public engagement and transparency from scientists and the broader world. Examples include Cornell’s Merlin   and eBird , apps for individuals to track local birds based on sound and sight; iNaturalist   for biodiversity tracking; and Zooniverse  for tracking varied data from analyzing space data to tracking animal sightings. The number of digital platforms that exist only continues to increase. Whether you live on the seaside or in the mountains, anyone can find their niche.  Many programs also consist of community events and field work, such as the Audubon Society’s Great Christmas Bird Count , the North American Butterfly Count , and annual bioblitzes or conservation challenges that engage the community to collect as much data as possible in their region.  Image Credit: Wendy Ward & CCCD. Photo of Women in the Woods Birding Event A prime example of both a digital platform and community event is the use of the iNaturalist   app as a part of the the City Nature Challenge . As mentioned above, iNaturalist is used to collect biodiversity data by using the app to identify different species in your area. As stated by iNaturalist  “every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. We share your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility  to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe” . iNaturalist is available year-round! That being said, one weekend of the year, you can use iNaturalist to not only engage in local biodiversity but also participate in a shared enthusiasm for conservation on a global level! The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is an international competition that takes place April 24th-27th, 2026. On a state, national, and international scale, the challenge encourages every region to collect as much biodiversity data as possible. For a particular region, a local organization or government body often serves as the CNC facilitator. Typically, they hold local bioblitz events over that weekend and workshops on iNaturalist to encourage local members of the community to participate.  This year, the Monadnock Region is an official regional participant. This year, the Cheshire County Conservation District is partnering with the Harris Center for Conservation Education to promote the first-ever Monadnock Region City Nature Challenge! Over a period of four days, Monadnock Region residents are invited to use iNaturalist to observe as many different species as possible.  You can join iNaturalist enthusiasts Steven Lamonde and Nate Marchessault for the Monadnock Region’s first annual participation in the City Nature Challenge — a fun celebration of biodiversity that also contributes valuable observations to the iNaturalist database. We’ll celebrate this international BioBlitz event by hosting a biodiversity walk around the Harris Center grounds in search of amphibian eggs, spring wildflowers, birds, mosses, and any other signs of life Learn more and register here!  For more information on getting started using iNaturalist, check out this guide from the Harris Center, here .  Image Credit: Harris Center. Monadnock Region iNaturalist Page As technology evolves, our environment changes, and the reality of scientific research adapts, citizen science is not only a great way to engage in your local community and environment, but it also serves as a necessary investment in the shared future of every living species! Regardless of how you get involved, you are sharing in a diverse avenue of research to help sustain our planet for generations to come!

In part one of this series, we discussed the history of the conservation districts and zoomed in to specifically discuss the history of the Cheshire County Conservation District in connection with that history. As noted previously, this year is a big year for New Hampshire Conservation Districts; the vast majority are celebrating 80 years since their establishment in 1946! With such a robust history, districts across the country have developed their own unique identity within a well-developed national infrastructure. The infrastructure of conservation districts is deeply embedded and dependent on community engagement and work. Yet districts and their histories have become an accidental secret not meant to be kept across the country. Understanding the history, governance process, and infrastructure of districts as a whole is crucial to understanding how important community involvement is.  Please note this is part two of a two-part series. To best understand the full scope of information, check out part one of this series. Conservation District Infrastructure As previously discussed in part one of this blog series, the infrastructure of all conservation districts was determined by the Standard State Soil Conservation Districts Act in the 1930’s. The first conservation district was founded on August 4th, 1937, within the Brown Creek watershed in Anson County, North Carolina. This was where Hugh Hammond Bennett, the leader of the soil conservationist movement, was born in 1881. In 1945, all 48 states had created their own districts. However, while the Act laid out the basics for systems and infrastructure, each state determined differing processes based on district division, titling, and voting. Many people think conservation districts are non-profit organizations, apart of NRCS, or a part of the county government, while they are actually a local, non-regulatory unit of government. They are considered a legal subdivision of the state government that operates with a great deal of autonomy. They are guided by a board of supervisors local to the county or watershed they represent and are typically grant-funded, similar to a nonprofit. Districts are then staffed by the Board of supervisors dependent on the conservation needs. Staffing and grants are pursued by a board appointed District Manager.  Image Credit: NRCS USDA. The first soil conservation district unveiling in Brown Creek watershed of North Carolina. In every state, districts were divided up most commonly by county, but in some cases, a conservation district will cover an entire watershed. Depending on the state, its unique conservation needs, and the sentiment of the District Board, a conservation district may be called several different names, such as Land Conservation Departments, Natural Resource Conservation Districts, Natural Resources Districts, Resource Conservation Districts, Soil Conservation Districts, Soil & Water Conservation Districts, and Conservation Districts (NACD, nacdnet.org ). The process for voting in board members, the number of board members, and the layout of the board are different depending on the state. For example, the supervisory boards in the ten New Hampshire Conservation Districts, including CCCD, consist of land occupiers within the district. They are appointed by the State Conservation Committee as a part of the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets, and Food. The candidates for the Board of Supervisors are nominated by the district itself based on the candidates' interest, commitment, and engagement in the county's conservation needs (New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food, agriculture.nh.gov ). Other states, like Vermont or Massachusetts, require positions on the board to be voted in by residents within the district boundary. Some states deem eligible voters as those who own land at specified acreage, while others require voters to be land occupiers (i.e., not limited to those who own land). The supervisory board roles consist of multiple Board Supervisors, a Board Chair, a Vice-chair, and, depending on the district, a Treasurer and/or Secretary. Members of the Supervisory Board are subject to term limits. At the Cheshire County Conservation District, we also have Associate Board Members who attend board meetings, inform decision making, and are appointed by the Board of Supervisors. Associate Board Members are eligible to become Board Supervisors when a seat becomes available within the Supervisory Board and are nominated to the State Conservation Committee for confirmation (CCCD, cheshireconservation.org ). Board meetings are a great way for the community to be involved, as they are open to the public. Cheshire County Conservation District board meetings are on the 4th Thursday of every month from 9:00 am to 11:30 am at Hannah Grimes in Keene, New Hampshire.  Image Credit: CCCD. 2025 CCCD Board & Staff Group Photo State and National Conservation District Associations   You might be wondering who or what helped the districts create such a robust infrastructure and set of processes. In the 1940’s, it became apparent that there needed to be a state-led association that informed regional policy for district formation, addressed regional problems that existed among district boundaries, and provided a collective voice. This is the reason that districts within individual states share the same processes for board coordination and voting processes. The New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts (NHACD) began in 1946 as a result of the formation of all ten New Hampshire Conservation Districts. The mission of NHACD is “to provide statewide coordination, representation, and leadership for Conservation Districts to conserve, protect, and promote responsible use of New Hampshire’s natural resources” (Quote from NHACD). Work at NHACD focuses on a wide range of activities, which include but are not limited to providing technical assistance and educational resources, supporting conservation initiatives, and engaging local communities and stakeholders (NHACD, nhacd.net ).    While state associations and the districts remained independent of one another, the shared mission was and has always been “to coordinate assistance from all available sources—public and private, local, state, and federal—to develop locally-driven solutions to natural resources concerns” (Quote from NACD). This meant that the districts not only needed support in development, but also a shared resource in federal advocacy. As a result, on July 25th, 1946, 18 representatives from 17 of the 48 states gathered at the Morrison Hotel in Chicago, Illinois. That meeting established the National Association of Soil Conservation District Governing Officials. This association exists as a non-profit (501c3). The first Executive Director was Ellen Cobb, an SCS (NRCS) employee in South Carolina. The first annual meeting (preceding the initial gathering) was held in February of 1947 in Chicago. At this meeting, representatives from 42 of the 48 states were in attendance. In 1970, it was decided at the Annual Meeting in San Diego to change the name of the association to the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD). To this day, NACD represents 3,000 districts within all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and seven U.S territories. Together, there has been continued development of locally led conservation through grassroots advocacy, education, capacity development, training, and outreach NACD, nacdnet.org ).  Image Credit: NACD. Organization Meeting, National Association of Soil Conservation Governing Officials in Chicago on July 25th, 1946. Local Working Groups and Community Voice  While infrastructure exists within districts and outside of districts within associations, the most consistent and perhaps most crucial function of it all is the community it serves. For that reason, when the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), now known as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), was first established in 1935, along with it, Local Working Groups (LWG) were formed. As districts formed in 1945 and onwards, LWGs were typically chaired by the local conservation districts. Local Working Groups exist as a way for the community to share their voice on the prioritization of natural resource concerns by NRCS. LWGs have no enforcement authority, but they are crucial as the results from these groups are highly considered in the administration of programming. While once again, it is dependent on the state, Local Working Groups are typically held once a year and are administered by NRCS, the local conservation district, and other LWG members such as county representatives, individuals from agricultural and environmental nonprofits/agencies/organizations, and other state or local officials. The process and responsibility for a Local Working Group is based on the Locally Led Conservation Model as seen in the figure below (NRCS USDA, nrcs.usda.gov ). Image Credit: NRCS USDA. Locally Led Conservation Model. The Local Working Group meeting is open to the public, and serve as a open discussion among members. It is highly encouraged that community members attend these meetings to address the local working group and make their voices heard on resource concerns within their community. There will be a Local Working Group for Cheshire and Sullivan County on Monday, March 16th from 5:30pm-6:30pm. Keep an eye on the CCCD events page . If you want your voice to be heard, this is a great way to be involved in local conservation.  Image Credit: CCCD. 2024 Local Working Group Meeting Much like the environment itself, the history, development, and modern workings of conservation districts and local conservation initiatives are robust, complicated, and ever-evolving. At the core of it all is community and the required engagement to best support our agricultural and natural resources as the mechanism for our shared livelihood. At the Cheshire County Conservation District, we thank every one of you for your continued support and engagement that keeps local conservation alive and well.  We encourage you to attend an upcoming   event , subscribe to our   newsletter ,  and familiarize yourself with the many   programs  and   services   that we offer to build upon our 80 year legacy!

With the end of 2025, we would like to commemorate 80 years of hard work, dedication, and pride at the Cheshire County Conservation District. The conservation work in our region wouldn’t be possible without 80 years of longstanding support from our partners and community members. As 2026 begins, other Conservation Districts across New Hampshire celebrate their 80th year. We would like to take the opportunity to share a brief history of our founding to where we are now, as well as the history of Conservation Districts as a whole. This blog will be a two-part series. Early History in the 20th Century  The foundation of conservation districts was a result of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act in response to the devastation of the Dust Bowl throughout the 1930s and other natural disasters resulting from the effects of intense drought, clear-cutting, and biodiversity loss. He made the recommendation for every state to sign the Standard State Soil Conservation Districts Act, a step-by-step guide to create conservation districts in the country. The purpose of conservation districts was to serve as a governing entity over watershed districts that focused on local expertise to acquire federal technical assistance. Each district would be governed by a locally elected board of stakeholders (farmers, conservationists, landowners, etc.). This allowed those working directly with the land to maintain a voice in the conservation conversation. Hugh Hammond Bennett, the leader of the soil conservationist movement, said, “ One of the best, and certainly the most promising, of the devices yet invented by man for dealing democratically and effectively with maladjustment in land use, as well as for carrying forward positive programs of desirable conservation, and for maintaining the work, is the soil conservation district.”  (NACD 2025) Image Credit: ncpedia. Hugh Hammond Bennett By 1945, 48 states had passed acts enabling conservation districts. This included the Cheshire County Conservation District (CCCD), the first district to be created within the state of New Hampshire. Eighty years later, CCCD is still standing strong and continuing its mission of promoting the conservation and responsible use of our natural and agricultural resources for the people of Cheshire County by providing technical, financial, and educational assistance. From the beginning, the Cheshire Conservation District has held a partnership with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS was developed in 1935 as a permanent federal agency to “help people, help the land”. Until 1994, NRCS was known as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS). Between 1945 and 1962, SCS worked closely with the Cheshire County Conservation District, as its service area was within the same watershed, until expanding to more rural communities in 1962. In the beginning, much of the work completed outside of the board was performed by volunteers, so the scope of projects was limited. However, the Conservation District served as a direct voice of the local stakeholders, which allowed the SCS to work off of recommendations from the Conservation District to best support conservation through technical assistance and federal funding (Squire 2025).  Between 1945-1950 (Keene, NH, where the Best Western currently sits on Rt. 101). Charles T. Richardson of Marlborough, Cheshire County Conservation District supervisor, left, stands with Edward LaBounty of Keene, CCCD District Cooperator, right. Promoting the conservation and responsible use of our natural and agricultural resources has been a core mission of the district since 1945, and it does not come without its own learning opportunities and transitions. As science progressed, new agricultural techniques were developed that followed conservation agriculture as new needs arose. Farms prior to the mid-20th century were mainly subsistence farms in Cheshire County. These farms were small and used the resources necessary to grow enough crops for their families to survive. To do so, they greatly reshaped the landscape, clearing plots of land for pasture and crop cultivation. This was a major shift from Native American agricultural practices in the area that focused on rotating crops and producing within the confines of the natural landscape, conserving natural resources and the natural landscape. This led to an increase in drought and flooding. As a result, the conservation needs shifted. Following the Dust Bowl, Farmers began seeking resources to sustain their farms, as the 20th century saw greater crop production for the masses, more use of natural resources, and a greater need to sustain and conserve working lands. The Cheshire County farm families worked long hours on these farms to ensure a successful harvest, but with little attention to the degradation of agricultural resources. As agriculture has changed with the times, the Conservation District has always been the voice of the community, while also standing steadfast in educating on the ever-evolving world of conservation and its benefits. Cheshire County Crop fields from 1931-1942 There is not much written history of what exactly the Cheshire County Conservation District was doing in the mid-20th century. However, all Conservation Districts were built on the foundation of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act, which gave principles to which the Conservation Districts served farmers and natural resources. Within that text, the priorities were listed as conducting surveys and research on soil erosion, carrying out preventive measures, cooperating or entering into agreements with government agencies to support farmers/ranchers, and acquiring or servicing land with high conservation needs. We can imagine that early on, a great deal of the work CCCD performed was research-based, and alongside farmers, as more preventative conservation techniques were developed in the region.  Through the increase of development and urbanization, farmers in Cheshire County in the late mid to late twentieth century began shifting careers, leaving massive amounts of land in Cheshire County barren. As a result, there was an increase in private buyouts and landholdings by wealthier families and individuals. For example, Louis Cabot, who was one of the wealthiest men in New Hampshire, owned over 100,000 acres of land. None of these properties were conserved or protected, putting them at risk of development. Conservationists in the area, including The Forest Society, SCS, and The Cheshire County Conservation District, played a conscious role in starting the process to place these lands within conservation easements in the 1970s. Through education and conservation efforts, private landowners began donating land for easements (Cheshire County Historical Society).  21st Century Program History Highlights In the early 21st century, the Cheshire County Conservation District took on new leadership with Amanda Littleton being hired as District Manager. New programs, workshops, and grant programs started to shape, and the district's engagement with the general community grew. With it grew partnerships with other organizations and new programs that expanded on the educational capacity of CCCD. Continuing with its purpose, the CCCD board has continued to support the district in its programming as a dedicated group of locally elected community members. Based on their recommendations and service, the district more intensively started focusing on expanding programming under soil, water, wildlife, and farm viability.  Image Credit: CCCD. Maplewood Garden Volunteer Event 2013 The Farm Equipment Rental program has been a consistent and valuable service to farmers and land stewards in the region and beyond. The program allows for expensive, efficient, and necessary equipment to be rented by local growers so they can save money in equipment acquisition, while also improving soil quality and management. Alongside the Equipment Rental Program, CCCD has hosted an annual Equipment Field Day, where members of the community and conservation stakeholders can learn about the equipment, its benefits, and how to use it.  Equipment Field Day 2017 The Source to Sea River Cleanup at Ashuelot Park in Keene, NH, is another longstanding program that CCCD has been able to facilitate through the Connecticut River Conservancy. Every year, groups of volunteers meet at the park entrance with trash bags and gloves, ready and willing to clean up trash outside and within the Ashuelot River. Thousands of pounds of trash have been removed, continuing the mission of water quality management.  Image Credit: CCCD. Source to Sea 2013 Since the early 2000s, CCCD has been able to acquire funding to facilitate several grant programs that help farmers, land stewards, organizations, and community members access funding for projects outside of the federal scope to help conserve natural resources, while also increasing farm efficiency and viability.  The Monadnock Co-op Farm Fund started in 2017. The Farm Fund's mission is to support local farmers in increasing sustainable food production for wholesale markets to contribute to a thriving local farm economy. Since it started, the fund has provided over $225,066 in grants to 28 local farms!  Image Credit: CCCD. Monadnock Farm Fund 2017 The Conservation Opportunity Fund was initiated in 2020. The purpose of this grant is to provide funding for owners or stewards of small tracts of land who are interested in improving the wildlife habitat on their property. This fund has helped community members and organizations install pollinator habitats, gardens, rain gardens,  and early successional shrubland habitats. The District has also been working to build rain gardens across Cheshire County as early as 2005.  Image Credit: CCCD. Rain Garden Installation 2005 CCCD continues it’s long history of partnerships by working alongside the 10 other New Hampshire Conservation Districts to create the Climate Grant. The mission of the NH Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant is to support and empower local farmers to build climate resilience throughout the Granite State. This grant started in 2022 and, since then, has distributed $1,052,000 to 135 on-farm projects across New Hampshire! Image Credit: CCCD. Dog Days Farm 2025  Throughout the last eight decades, the Cheshire County Conservation District has evolved with the needs of our land stewards and our lands. We will continue to grow with the Monadnock Region in our mission. We love our home, and we are committed to conserving its agricultural and natural resources to sustain our planet and our community for generations to come. We encourage you to attend an upcoming event , subscribe to our newsletter, and familiarize yourself with the many programs and services that we offer to build upon our 80 year legacy! We are excited to continue this important work, and thank you for your continued support which enables us to conserve this special region which we call home! Benée Hershon (District Manager), Ellinore Todd Long (Administrative Coo