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The Westmoreland Garden Project (WGP) is located at the old county farm site across from the Maplewood Nursing Home on River Road in Westmoreland. This garden is overseen by a group of dedicated Antioch students and faculty who run an organization called Community Garden Connections (CGC). Community Garden Connections is a project of the Antioch University New England Department of Environmental Studies. The mission of Community Garden Connections is to increase local capacity to grow food. CGC supports the installation and cooperative maintenance of raised-bed gardens in partnership with local service agencies, community members, students, staff, and faculty, in Keene. The Westmoreland Garden Project (WGP) is an extension of CGC’s programmatic efforts to increase food access and educational opportunities in our community. WGP is a collaboration with Cheshire County Conservation District—in which CGC staff expanded their programming in 2013 to revitalize an abandoned 1+ acre garden plot on this county owned land. The primary goals of CGC's Westmoreland Garden project are to: 1) Engage community and student volunteers in planting, tending and harvesting produce weekly through "work parties" 2) Increase donations of produce to social service agencies throughout the community and the local Community Kitchen in Keene 3) Increase garden education through and around the Westmoreland Garden Space, achieved through workshops and other educational opportunities held at the garden site Just in the past two seasons alone with the help of many student and community volunteers, CGC was able to: Plant, tend, and harvest over 2,380 pounds of produce Provide 660 hours of volunteer opportunities to community members Offer 9 different workshops on site, covering topics including basic beekeeping, apple harvesting and cider making, companion planting, and more. Install long-term perennial projects, such as a shitake mushroom growing area, an apiary, perennial food crops And with the help of an NRCS grant install a high-tunnel greenhouse with drip irrigation. If you are curious about the project stop by on Tuesdays from 4-6 for the regularly scheduled volunteer days. For More Information on the Program Community Garden Connections 40 Avon Street Keene, NH 03431 communitygardens@antioch.edu For CGC updates follow here: Keene Community Garden Connections Facebook page Keene Community Garden Connections Website AUNE Students Interviewed on Craig Dallas Rice Show Written by: Sara Powell CCCD Associate Board Member

Some changes in Federal Regulations for the trucking industry have implications for our local forest resource. A while back, regulations as to hours of service (number of hours a driver can be behind the wheel) were enacted and last December electronic logging devices became mandatory. Prior to that, drives were required to keep a written log. Now their time is automatically tracked and subject to review by police or DOT. These rules apply to drivers whose route takes them more than 100 air miles from their home. The hours-of-service regulations state that a driver may not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty following ten straight hours off duty, and a 30-minute rest is mandatory after 8 hours of driving. Basically a trucker has 14 hours to do the scheduled loads and is required to stop when the time is up, even if only a few miles from home. Previously, a driver could schedule stops and naps as it suited the trip, like when waiting to load or unload. Now the clock is always running and taking a rest before the scheduled time or for more than 30 minutes doesn’t add to the 14 hours. There are several very large pine sawmills in Maine that procure logs from all of New England, using highway tractor trailers for the longer distances. The routine has been for trucks from say, Berlin, to load up with products to be delivered to Massachusetts, Connecticut, or New Hampshire. Once the products are delivered, the truck then loads up logs from a prearranged logging site to take back to a mill in Maine. Pay rates are set and based on the trucker getting the back haul with logs to make the round trip worthwhile. To make connections, often the trucks start at 3:00 – 4:00 a.m. after loading the day before, make a trip south, get unloaded, drive to a log job, get loaded, and drive home. Any delays including weather, can use up time and push the 14-hour limit, causing some to speed in order to get home on time. In some cases, drivers have had to choose whether to pick up logs or just head home empty to make it back in time. If a log job is not near major roads, drivers may not be inclined to pick up logs. If they are just a few miles from home when 14 hours comes they have to choose whether to stop for 10 straight hours and sleep in the truck, or continue home and have a violation show. Due in large part to these new regulations, haul rates for logs have increased; however, delivered prices for logs have not as the regulation changes have also resulted in higher haul rates for longer-distance lumber deliveries further south along the east coast—a cost that negatively impacts Maine lumber mills. Our location, 200 miles from the bigger Maine sawmills, puts Cheshire County in a fine-line kind of zone where limits imposed by the new regulations create tight time constraints—ones that potentially strain safe and sensible driving practices by forcing truckers to race with the clock. These regulations also affect any product hauled by trucks, which could benefit the Buy Local movement. The cost to deliver produce from California will increase and other local businesses may welcome and benefit from the changes. However, there is no sawmill in Cheshire County, with the closest pine mill in NH being about 65 miles away. That mill, Durgin and Crowell, suffered a fire in December, losing their entire planning facility. Their production has been cut back significantly as they struggle to find alternate ways to make dry pine boards for the building trade. Their loss, combined with the hours-of-service regulations have impacted the marketability of pine logs in our area at least for the short term. Written by: Peter Renzelman CCCD Associate Board Member/Forester/Logger

CHESHIRE COUNTY FISH & GAME CLUB - Ferry Brook Project Wood Additions Installation On Saturday September 23, 2017, NH Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Trout Unlimited (TU) assisted the Cheshire County Fish and Game Club (Shooting Sports Education Foundation) to reintroduce instream wood in the Ferry Brook to improve Brook Trout habitat. Why in the world would we add wood into streams? Wood in streams benefit fish populations by creating deeper pools, and a diversity of habitats which sustain Brook Trout during hot summer months and long winters. Cascades and riffles are formed when the stream flows over logs - increasing oxygen content and creating gravel bars for spawning. The logs and brush provide escape cover and collects leaves and twigs. The leaves and twigs (organic matter) feeds insects and invertebrates - the food source for Brook Trout. Brook Trout are our only native stream dwelling trout species in New Hampshire. The populations and range of the Brook trout have declined significantly in recent years. This is in part due to loss of stream habitat features and has created isolated populations of wild Brook Trout in New Hampshire (NH Fish & Game). During hot dry summers first and second order streams can become fragmented and fish are forced to wait for fall rains in isolated pools. Increasing the number of pools in a stream greatly increases cool summer refuge areas to survive drought conditions as well as quality overwintering sites (NRCS 2016). So why do we need to add wood to streams? Doesn’t nature provide the right amount of fallen trees and leaves for fish habitat? Many streams in NH lack adequate amounts of instream wood (logs and twigs that are directly in the water). This is mainly due to lack of old trees along the stream edge that naturally die or are undercut from high water events and fall in the stream. NH slash laws prohibit loggers from leaving woody material within 50’ of streams and many sections of streams and culverts are cleaned out to prevent flooding and damage to roads and buildings, further reducing the opportunities for natural additions of wood to streams. Won’t adding logs and wood into the stream increase flooding? The structures collect sediments behind them and slow the water velocity. The locations of the log structures are planned to create pools and re-connect the stream with its floodplain in areas of undeveloped forestland. This allows flood waters to spread out onto the forested floodplain and reduce the amount of flood water downstream. Each site is planned by professionals from Trout Unlimited, NH Fish and Game, and NRCS. Approximately 1,020 linear feet of Ferry Brook was enhanced with ten total instream structures. Two of these structures used existing large downed trees to construct strainers, designed to trap smaller wood in the event of a large storm event. Using chainsaws, trees up to 18” in diameter and greater than 50’ from the stream were selected and felled prior to the instream workday. For each structure, the stream width was measured and the logs cut to length. Volunteers/staff hand placed the logs in locations selected by TU based on channel configuration for maximum instream habitat benefit. Cut branches were placed in and on the cut log structures to provide three dimensional structure. Work was completed during low flow conditions. NRCS and TU personnel were on site for the entire installation to ensure adherence to the submitted installation plan and biological expertise. The Cheshire County Fish and Game Club along with NH NRCS and TU will monitor the progress of the project over the next few years. Written by: Wendy Ward NRCS Soil Conservationist

The art of plowing fields has been embraced in our culture for many years. Whether one is a farmer or not, plowing has found its way in to our homes through literature, paintings, music, and even religion. My wife and I frequently sang the American folk song Gospel Plow to my kids when they were infants. As I think about the place plowing has in our fields and in our culture, I wonder if someone will one day write a song about no-till? Will generations from now look at a painting from this era and see cover crops growing in the fields. Will books like The One-Straw Revolution find their way to coffee tables alongside Norman Rockwell or Life Magazine? No-till systems are gaining increased attention as a practical way to raise vegetables and improve soil quality at the same time. Growing and managing cover crops to provide killed and living mulches is an important component of these production systems. The combination of organic mulches on the soil surface and reduction of tillage have numerous benefits to soil biology, structure, and health. No-till vegetable production is a form of conservation tillage. Conservation tillage is the generic term that describes reduced-tillage cropping systems and includes no-till. The primary goal of conservation tillage is to minimize soil disturbance, such as erosion and compaction, but it also reduces the number of passes the farmer must typically make through the field in order to prepare a seedbed, thus saving fuel. Despite all of the benefits that can be reaped from transitioning and adopting conservation tillage systems, there are still many challenges that need to be addressed over time. One of the challenges can be soil type and topography. NH farms are often dealing with rocky soils and sloped hillsides, which can make no-till planting difficult. Weather can also present challenges if water is scarce. The cover crops associated with no-till can soak up water that could instead be made available for cash crops. Additionally, no-till can delay vegetable plantings in our climate. By not exposing soil to the sun means that the soil warms more slowly and it takes longer to get to the temperatures the plants need to thrive. Finally, having access to appropriately-scaled equipment for managing conservation tillage systems may be a barrier, especially for smaller-scale farms. With support from a NH Specialty Crop Block Grant, the Cheshire County Conservation District (CCCD) is working with local partners to assist farmers interested in transitioning to no-till/reduced-till management systems through education and equipment resources. This 3-year project is focused on working with conventional and organic farmers on various scales of production. One highlight of the project is the addition of a BCS two-wheel, or walk-behind, tractor and implements for managing cover crops and transitioning to no-till on less than a few acres. The BCS and implements will be made available to growers through CCCD’s equipment Rental Program. Perhaps this project will spark some creativity in someone writing a song about no-till agriculture or painting a picture of a tractor with a no-till seeder attached. To some, this may not be as idyllic as the plow, but it creates a story around soil health. Maybe this story will be shared in a new coffee table book that you see while sitting in my living room but the Gospel Plow still plays in the background and we sing “Hold on to the plow, hold on”. Written by: Andy Pressman NCAT Northeast Regional Director CCCD Board Chair

“One swallow does not make a summer, but one skein of geese, cleaving the murk of March thaw, is the Spring.” ~ Aldo Leopold SPRING IS COMING Here at Distant Hill Gardens & Nature Trail, in the hills of southwestern New Hampshire, over three feet of snow fell in the month of March. Although the calendar tells me that the season of renewal is upon us, gazing out a window at the head-high snow banks lining our driveway makes me think that spring will never arrive. But there is hope, for the early sounds of spring are in the air - literally! As they typically do in early March, a large flock of red-winged blackbirds returned to Distant Hill. And they made their presence known in no uncertain terms. Singing from the tops of trees, the simultaneous clamor of hundreds of these avian songsters couldn’t be ignored. The cacophony of songs and calls of these early spring migrants was, at times, almost deafening. But after a long silent winter, I find the rich musical ‘conk-a-ree’ of the male red-winged blackbird to be an uplifting sound, no matter the decibel level. Another sound of the season heard recently here at Distant Hill, a sound not heard since fall, was the ‘honk’ of Canada geese. The ponds were still mostly frozen when they arrived, but the few patches of open water here and there were irresistible to these migrating waterfowl. Heard in spring, their honking is yet another promising sign that warmer weather will prevail. Heard in fall however, their somewhat harsh refrain is a bit foreboding! SPRING HAS ARRIVED! But the sounds that I most eagerly await each spring, the sounds that prove to me that winter is truly over, come not from the sky above but from two species of native frogs: the wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) and the spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer). Both of these harbingers of spring freeze solid during the cold winter months, but as our wetlands and vernal pools begin to thaw, so will these cold-hardy amphibians. Even before all the snow and ice has melted, a loud chorus of newly awakened spring voices will be heard. Often heard but seldom seen, spring peepers are the most vocal of these two frog species. In small numbers the ‘peep’ of the diminutive, inch-long ‘Pinkletink’ (its common name on Martha’s Vineyard) is soothing and melodious. But in a large army (the term for a group of frogs), the collective sound can be unbelievably loud. The wood frog, although twice the size of its smaller cousin, has a call that is a much more restrained. And, unlike spring peepers who will breed in any wetland including permanent water bodies such as ponds or lakes, the wood frog breeds exclusively in seasonal vernal pools. They spend most of the year in wooded uplands, migrating to these ephemeral pools during the first rains of spring to breed. The males call to the females with a distinctive ‘quack-quack’, described by some as “ducks in the woods.” Any day now, when we get a big soaking evening rain with temperatures above 40 degrees, the amphibian migration to vernal pools and ponds will begin. The sound of wood frogs and peepers will be the confirmation that we all have been waiting for: confirmation that spring has finally, truly, and definitely arrived! Written by: Michael Nerrie Distant Hill Gardens & Nature Trail If you'd like to take a CLOSER LOOK at vernal pools, join us on April 24th at the Horatio Colony Preserve in Keene from 1-3pm for a Vernal Pool Hike. More information on our Closer Look Series webpage. *** Would you like to experience the sights and sounds of spring for yourself? You can by visiting Distant Hill Nature Trail. Just ten miles north of Keene, NH, this mile-long, wheelchair-friendly trail gives easy access to five vernal pools, a quaking cranberry bog, and a forest seep. These wetlands are not just home to the vocal spring peepers and wood frogs, but they are breeding sites for many other interesting aquatic animals, including spotted and Jefferson salamanders and the very cool fairy shrimp. You can explore Distant Hill Nature Trail for free any day of the week, dawn to dusk. For more info and directions visit: www.distanthill.org

In the Fall of 2017, with the help of CCCD intern Cain Landry, we conducted a series of interviews with farmers in the Northeast who are actively practicing no-till farming. These interviews were then turned into case studies to highlight the work of the farmers and show the public how farmers in the area are approaching no-till farming in unique ways. We wanted to show the amazing benefits of no-till farming from increased crop production and quality, to improved soil and environmental health, to fuel and time savings. We also wanted to highlight the challenges these farmers have faced in relation to no-till production and document the learning curve of transitioning frequently tilled fields into permanent beds. The featured farmers of these case studies are: Julie Rawson of Many Hands Organic Farm in Barre, MA, an experienced farmer and executive of NOFA who farms from a unique perspective of soil ecology and is always experimenting and developing her methods Dan Pratt of Astarte Farm in Hadley, MA, where pollinator/predator habitats are emphasized and no-till methods make use occultation strips and biochar Adrien Lavoie of Lavoie Farm in Hollis, NH who has converted nearly 100 acres of his farm to no-till using zone-tillage techniques Ricky Baruc of Seeds of Solidarity in Orange, MA, a long-time progressive farmer and master of the cardboard method, which has led to extremely rich soil crawling with dense worm populations Jen Salinetti of Woven Roots Farm in Tyringham, MA who has honed season extension skills and utilizes mindful ecological practices. The case studies are written for all to enjoy and learn. They provide stories, tips, and diverse approaches to no-till farming. Whether you are a curious citizen or a farmer interested in transitioning to no-till farming, these case studies give a dynamic perspective on what it’s like to no-till farm in the Northeast. Visit our No-Till Farming page on our website for more information and to read our case studies! www.cheshireconservation.org/no-till-farming

Whenever I get a plant catalog in the mail, I feel like a kid in a candy store – so many plants all with unique beauty and benefits - I want them all (Just look at the Plants offered by the CCCD!) As I gaze out of my window at my snow-covered gardens, it seems the possibilities are endless and I can get carried away. Do I have room to tuck a new shrub between the Pagoda Dogwood and the Blueberry? Can I possibly force a few more monardas into my overcrowded perennial beds? There must be room for some native columbine and trilliums in my woodland garden. Can I create an edible garden with shadbush and hazelnut? A butterfly garden with asters? An herb and medicinal garden with lavender? Maybe a rain garden with elderberries and ferns at the end of the driveway to capture and filter runnoff. I try to incorporate conservation values into my gardens by selecting plants that are native to the northeast to maximize befits to wildlife and the environment and are adapted to the site conditions to minimize water consumption, inputs and labor. I need to consider the soil, sun, moisture and space requirements of an individual plant before I order anything. Unfortunately (or fortunately), my choices are limited by the size and site conditions of my tiny yard. I have sandy soils that are high and dry with a persistent westerly wind. My full sun gardens are full (pun intended) so that just leaves my shade gardens with room for additions. I need to search for plants that are drought resistant with low light and fertility requirements – this narrows my possibilities considerably. Add to these criteria a preference for species that are native to the northeast (preferable with a wildlife value) and I have what I would call a “manageable list”. Now that I know my site conditions, I can eliminate plants not suited to my site before I get my heart set on them by reviewing the plant requirements. I have learned the hard way that additions of compost and soil amendments can improve site conditions to some extent, but a plant that requires a rich deep humus and moist conditions will not survive long in excessively drained sand without continuous inputs of water and amendments – not a good conservation choice for me. Next, I ask – is it invasive? I prefer to plant native plants and there are many native options and cultivars that can satisfy the aesthetic requirements of yard and garden plantings. If I cannot find a native plant that suits my needs, I make sure it is not on an invasive or noxious weed list. Invasive plants readily escape from gardens and manicured landscapes in a variety of ways and wreak havoc on the natural landscape. Why take the risk in planting these when there are so many native and non-invasive alternatives out there? I can take this process a step further by looking for plants that satisfy other criteria. Is it beneficial to wildlife (provides nectar, pollen, fruit, nuts or nesting and cover) or is it just taking up space? I like to support local agriculture and businesses - how and where the stock was collected? I can plant a species native to NH but it could have been dug from the wild in Wisconsin and shipped here (can you find three concerns here?). So before I get out my checkbook and place my order I ask myself – What are my site conditions? What are the characteristics I want or benefits the plant provides? What are the native options? What is their origin and can I find them locally? I can’t always say yes to everything on this list whenever I buy a new plant for my cramped gardens. However, by going through this process I feel better about the choices I make. Written by: Wendy Ward, NRCS Soil Conservation Technician

Starting a small orchard/ berry hobby farm from scratch when you are already 60 years old makes one an optimist. Doing it organically simply adds to the challenge. None-the-less, that was my plan to stay busy during retirement and what eventually brought me to the Cheshire County Conservation District and the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Walpole. Now, through their guidance and 4 growing seasons, we are starting to enjoy the “fruit” of our labor. Prior to visiting Walpole, I read Michael Phillips, The Holistic Orchard: Tree Fruits and Berries the Biological Way, a brilliant approach to combining soil health with organic foliar sprays to maximize a tree’s natural ability to defend against numerous pests without hard pesticides. While this gave me the plan for above ground, it also showed me my real problem was going to be my soil. While building our barn, a 1/3acre of forest was cleared where I would plant my 15 fruit trees. Unfortunately, what I ended up with was a planting zone of rock and clay –so hard, it was almost impossible to dig by hand. All of the pre-existing topsoil was gone and the entire area looked like a rocky, stripped, hillside. That’s when I went to visit Amanda Littleton, District Manager of the CCCD. She completely understood my concerns and suggested I meet with Steve Pytlik, the Cheshire County NRCS District Manager, to discuss several programs she thought would help me improve our soil quality. She also told me about the opportunity to purchase varieties of apple trees during the Spring Plant Sale sponsored by the Conservation District. She was spot on with both suggestions! Meeting at my orchard, Steve and I discussed how, by combining our 10-acre homestead in Westmoreland with our 40-acres of pasture and forestland in Sullivan, my wife and I could benefit both properties via the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP). Through EQIP, farmers and foresters receive financial and technical help with conservation practices on agricultural and forest land. While the grant assists with many of the costs of improving the soil and water conservation aspects of both properties, the real benefit to us was the technical assistance that suddenly was brought to bear on the dirt equivalent of concrete that was now our orchard. As I had already planted the trees and enhanced the planting holes with compost plus a variety of organic soil amendments, NRCS staff focused their attention on the remaining orchard “floor”, collecting soil samples and performing compaction tests. The results were not pretty but a plan was implemented which we still follow today, including pH management, use of daikon radish to reduce soil compaction, the addition of compost, enhancing the mycorrhizal zone and basically making the orchard floor into a pollinator habitat that not only feeds my apiary, it also attracts beneficial insects that help pollinate our organic strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, veggies, apple, peach, plum, pear and cherry trees and helps keep pests in check. Every year I see improvement in the flora and fauna in the orchard–this year having to be careful not to disturb the beneficials as I harvested our first crop of peaches plus the first couple of dozen apples produced by the apple trees we purchased through the plant sale. While I may have done the work, the technical assistance and guidance of the CCCD, NRCS and Michael Phillips is what got us here. We now have an orchard environment that not only is producing more fruit than we can eat, it has increased our honey harvest, improved our veggie garden and is beautiful to see. All due to a short drive out to Walpole…

Two Cheshire County farms are among about a dozen around the state who have volunteered to serve as guinea pigs in the development of specialized cover crop seed blends. Windyhurst Dairy Farm in Westmoreland and Pete’s Stand in Walpole are trying out blends of cover crops that will serve specific needs of different types of farms and crops. Cover crops are planted during parts of the year when a main crop is not growing. As their name implies, they keep the soil covered, but they also provide a number of other benefits, including: Preventing erosion by rain and wind Feeding the living organisms in the soil that help make nutrients available to the next crop Harvesting and storing nutrients from the soil and air Increasing the amount of rainfall that’s absorbed into the farm’s soil, reducing runoff to nearby streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds The most widely used cover crop is winter rye, a cereal grain that grows vigorously in the fall and early spring. While it’s a great general purpose cover crop, its benefits can be enhanced by mixing it with other crops, such as: Crimson clover, to harvest nitrogen from the air and make it available to crops Daikon radish, to create channels deep in the soil to allow water to penetrate Brassicas such as turnips and rape to hold onto soil nutrients over the winter Oats, winter wheat, and barley to hold the soil in place through rains, wind, and snow melt. Windyhurst and Pete’s Stand have set aside parts of their production fields to test specialized blends of cover crops that are intended to target the specific needs of dairies that grow silage corn, and for vegetable producers who harvest some of their crops a little earlier in the season. The New Hampshire Soil Health Working Group, with representatives of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA, UNH Cooperative Extension, the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts, Granite State Graziers, and agricultural professionals, will monitor the plots and get feedback from these operations about how these blends worked for them. That feedback will help the group develop better cover crop blends, which in turn will New Hampshire farmers build better soils. Thanks to Pete’s Stand and Windyhurst for cooperating with this effort! ​ Caption: Teresa Janiszyn’s hand spans nearly 8 inches of a daikon radish that was pulled from a test plot at Pete’s Stand where a special cover crop blend is being tested. These enormous roots -- which grew in less than two months -- leave pathways into the soil where water can infiltrate so it doesn’t run off into streams and rivers. ​ Caption: Less than a month after being planted, this cover crop mix is helping to hold soil in place during the heavy rainstorms at the end of October. This field is at the Cheshire County Farm where Windyhurst Dairy is testing a new blend of cover crops.

It’s the end of September and temperatures in the Monadnock Region have been hotter over the past few days than what we experienced for most of this past summer. Honeybees continue to forage, stopping off at the spigot for a quick drink on their way back to the hive. The winter squash is still in the field, basking in the sun. Tomatoes are ripening on the vines and there is now a bumper crop of Alpine strawberries. It’s hard to imagine that winter is just around the corner. While it is tempting to take advantage of these “extreme weather conditions” (to be politically sensitive) for more of a bountiful harvest, I quietly admit that it is time for planting cover crops, mulching, transitioning the high tunnel for the winter harvest, and preparing the field for planting garlic. At the core of the changing seasons is soil health, encompassed by conservation practices that not only support current soil conditions, but more importantly, those that are regenerative for the future. And whether you are using a broadfork on a garden bed or a no-till seeder in the field, all of us can embrace techniques that build soil health. I have always been fascinated by the design aspect of biological systems, with a passion for small-scale intensive farming and gardening. I am intrigued by the historical perspectives that focus on intensive plant spacing’s, crop successions, and season extension, all of which depend upon building rich soils. There are amazing accounts of how small-scale intensive agriculture was utilized in numerous parts of the world for centuries, taking root in France in the 1600’s, and then eventually finding its way across the Atlantic to New England. The role of policy and socioeconomics cannot be overlooked in discussing soil health, especially during the 1970’s where U.S. food production policy focused on a “get big or get out” model that was being promoted by the USDA’s Secretary of Agriculture, Earl Butz. Countering this paradigm, was the culture of Small is Beautiful, sparked by the economist E.F. Schumacher. Schumacher’s work focused on systems and technologies that were environmentally, culturally, and economically appropriate to individual communities. While both Butz and Schumacher strived to make systems more efficient and profitable, their strategies have had vast differences impacting soil health. Today, we know that no matter what scale food is produced on or how it is grown (i.e. conventionally or organically), there are key principals to improving soil health. They include: Minimizing Soil Disturbance Keeping a Living Root in the Soil Diversification of Crops Keeping Cover on the Ground Soil health is the focus of the upcoming NH Association of Conservation Districts (NHACD) Annual Meeting and Working Lands Conference, Nov. 2-3, in Keene. The Cheshire County Conservation District is pleased to host the event(s) and to welcome Dr. David Montgomery to deliver the keynote address. Dr. Montgomery is a MacArthur Fellow, professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington, and author of several books that focus on soil health. He will share with us his research on the history and future of soil. I look forward to seeing you at the NHACD Annual Meeting & Working Lands Conference and for all of us to continue learning and working together to build healthy soils here in NH. “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.” E.F. Schumacher

​Pollinator populations worldwide are in decline, and they need our help. Whether you have 100 acres of land or just a small garden plot, there are a number of things you can do to encourage diversity and abundance of these vitally important creatures in the landscape: Develop a Wildflower-Rich Garden Provide a diverse assortment of nectar and pollen-rich flowers. Incorporate caterpillar host plants, such as milkweed, for butterfly and moth larva. Include a variety of flowering shrubs, trees, perennials, and annuals that bloom from spring to fall. Use flowers of different sizes, shapes, and colors to attract the largest number of pollinator species. Plant in clumps, rather than single plants. Pollinators will be able to visit more blooms. Look for a sunny site when choosing a location for your planting. Minimize your lawn area. And mow what lawn you do have less often and higher, allowing some of the shorter wildflowers such as white clover to bloom. ‘Ditch the Doubles’ Hybridized double flowers are much harder for pollinators to use. Use more native plants. They often attract more pollinators than non-native plants. Provide Pollinator Nesting Sites Leave patches of bare soil in you yard. The majority of native bees are ground nesters. Include grasses and overgrown areas for nesting and cover sites for pollinators and beneficial insects. Don’t clean up all plants in the fall. Some insects will use them to overwinter. Build or buy some bee nesting boxes. Many native bees will thank you. Just say NO to Pesticides and Herbicides Most insecticides are highly toxic to pollinators. Try a nonchemical solution to insect problems by promoting and/or purchasing beneficial insects such as ladybugs. Avoid using herbicides. Many weeds, such as the non-native dandelion, are an important spring nectar and pollen source for pollinators. All wildlife, not just pollinators, benefit from the absence of insecticides and herbicides in their habitats. The CCCD Takes Action for Pollinators A number of groups nationwide have begun work on slowing, and hopefully reversing, the precipitous decline of pollinator populations. The CCCD is at the forefront of the local effort. It began its ‘Pollinator Habitat Initiative’ in 2013 as a way to help landowners manage their property for native pollinators, and to increase awareness of the importance of pollinators and pollinator conservation. The Conservation District received two major grants to install, maintain, and monitor more than 20 pollinator habitat sites around the county. It is still early, but the data the CCCD has collected so far from its pollinator sites regarding pollinator numbers and species diversity is encouraging. National Pollinator Week 2017, an initiative of The Pollinator Partnership, runs from Monday, June 19th – Sunday June 25th. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of National Pollinator Week and here in Cheshire County we are celebrating with a County-wide Pollinator Tour! Join us on Saturday, June 24th as we tour some of Cheshire County’s best pollinator habitat projects and discuss the importance of establishing, supporting, and protecting pollinator habitats. Stops on the Tour include: Stonewall Farm, the Cheshire County Farm, Alyson’s Orchard, and Distant Hill Gardens. Each stops will offer an educational workshop free to the public. Join us at one or all of our stops, starting at 10am and ending at 4pm, to learn about the value pollinators play in the health and vitality of our local ecosystems and economy. Written by: Michael Nerrie - CCCD Associate Board Member

For generations, the cycle of growing corn to feed cattle has been pretty much the same: every spring farmers spread the winter’s accumulation of manure on the corn fields, plow them under, and smooth them out with harrows before planting the season’s corn. Plowing and harrowing acres and acres for corn every spring is an expensive proposition. And more and more we’re realizing that it’s really hard on our soil and our environment. Corn can be planted without tilling the soil first. No-till corn offers lots of benefits to the environment and farmers. For example, no-till corn: Improves soil health by leaving a covering of mulch, making it more resilient to drought and less prone to erosion during heavy storms. Reduces soil surface compaction, which helps keep nutrients from getting washed into nearby streams and rivers and keeps them where the corn crop can use them. Cuts down on the amount of fuel that farmers need to burn to get their corn crops started, not to mention labor and wear and tear on equipment. Allows farmers to plant directly into a green, living cover crop, keeping living plant roots in the soil -- key for a healthy soil ecosystem. But it takes a specially-outfitted corn planter that most farmers in New Hampshire don’t have. With funding from a Conservation Innovation Grant from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts purchased three no-till corn planters this spring that will give farmers a chance to try no-till corn. With a single trip across the field, these planters: Roll down the cover crop, breaking the stems and stopping their growth so it doesn’t compete with the corn crop for water and nutrients Open a furrow that’s just the right depth for planting corn Apply a small amount of fertilizer to help the seedling get started Set the corn seed at the proper depth and spacing Close the furrow over the seeds and gently firm the soil to ensure good seed-to-soil contact Using the planters from the NHACD, farmers can try no-till corn planting without making a huge investment in retrofitting their current planters or replacing them. We have one of the test fields right here in Cheshire County, and we’ll be watching it to see how it does compared with traditionally-planted corn alongside it. So far it looks great! For more information on no-till corn planters, contact Bill Fosher with the NHACD at billfosher@gmail.com. Written by: Bill Fosher - CCCD Board Supervisor

As landowners, whether it’s a small yard or acres of woodland, we can all make a difference for wildlife. Some people grow plants in pots on their apartment balcony for bees and hummingbirds. Others manage a small garden with veggies that get pollinated by local pollinators or shared with some sneaky critters like rabbits or chipmunks. Some folks manage a yard full of native plants visited by a host of insects and other animals. And finally a few, like my partner and I, manage larger acreage to benefit all sorts of wildlife. Property size is not that important: if you diversify it, manage it, and care about it, a nice diversity of wildlife should thrive. If the land is connected to other protected land, all the better. Our current land size is about 235 acres. Our goal is to manage the area as a diverse landscape that provides food, water, and shelter for as many desirable native animals as possible. Long-term, it will be placed in permanent protection. With help from Moosewood Ecological, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Cheshire County Conservation District CCCD), foresters and Cheshire County Extension Service, we surveyed the property and developed conservation, stewardship and forestry plans to maximize our goals. With funding and technical assistance from both CCCD and NRCS, we started work on the property in 2015 when we began enhancing an existing old meadow to attract more pollinators. Our next step was to clear about 15 acres of “unhealthy, poorly managed forest” to provide important habitat for a variety of species of conservation concern that could use the property. The goal is to create three different zones. One area will become a pollinator meadow, another area would be left to regenerate back into a healthier, diverse forest and remaining acres will become early successional habitat- low growing shrubs and plants. This section would be divided into 3 parcels, each mowed at a different time to allow a diversity of age structure. For early successional habitat to be successful, you need to mow every 5-10 years to keep trees from coming back. You know NH forests, leave them and they instantly become woods! In addition, we found about 20 old apple trees located under a dense stand of pines so we “released” them from the overstory trees so they could thrive in better sunlight. And it worked! All apple trees blossomed the following spring. In the area, we have found signs of black bear, bobcat and moose, and have observed woodcocks, ruffed grouse, and bobolinks, all species of interest to NH Fish and Game. Each spring we watch the woodcocks do their aerial mating display over the meadow, and remote cameras in the surrounding woods capture images of wildlife we rarely see. Thanks to support from CCCD and NRCS, we continued to enhance the existing meadow with invasive plant management and installation of native pollinator seeds. We also did extensive invasive species management throughout the cut area. We were not able to put seed down in the new pollinator site last year as planned since the seed supply ran out unexpectedly. Instead, this spring we planted a cover crop of daikon radishes to help loosen soil compaction and provide some much needed aeration, as well as winter peas and crimson clover to add nitrogen to the soil. All are annual plants and are really good for pollinators. The bees have been buzzing the radish flowers like crazy! This fall, the site will be seeded (we bought seed early this year) with a wide variety of pollinator plants, such as wild bee balm, golden Alexanders, butterfly weed, purple coneflower, blue vervain, coreopsis, little bluestem, and New England aster. The hard part is waiting a couple of years for the pollinator patch to really show its colors! More updates to come in future blogs! You can also stay up to date on our programs and events by liking the CCCD on Facebook! www.facebook.com/CheshireCCD Written by: Amy Bodwell - CCCD Board Vice Chair

In the garage where we’d taken the clothes line and lashed the wire handles of the bushel basket to the red wagon, it seemed a good idea. Actually, the line went from one handle of the basket under the bed of the wagon to the other wire handle. Buddy and I pulled the rope as tight as our 7th grade fingers allowed and made a couple of passes back and forth until we’d used up all the rope. Our knots didn’t really lash the basket into place – it slid around a bit, but being on wheels was such a big improvement that this detail didn’t seem too important. No longer would those wire handles bite through our hands! Tugging on a pair of cotton work gloves, I pulled the wagon out of the garage, across the driveway and started up the hill into the orchard. Today was the third day of our little enterprise and the gloves were a symbol of our education in the business of picking cider apples. Initially, it had appeared to us a veritable gold mine. Fill up a basket with free apples, have my mom drive them to the cider mill and collect a dollar. The first afternoon we’d been doing great until I’d gotten stung. I’d picked up a drop, an apple that had dropped from the tree instead of been picked from a branch, and curled in a depression on the underside of it had been a yellow jacket. The sting was the beginning of a long and painful acquaintance with those apple loving nuisances. I went back to the house and my mother applied ice which eventually reduced the searing pain to a dull throbbing. We had a drink of water and after rummaging in the closet to find two pairs of gloves we went back out to finish gathering apples. Of course, the gloves were too big for our hands so it was harder to grip the apples and there was a fumbling as we cautiously peeked at the apple before we picked it up. Eventually, I developed a technique of nudging the apple with my sneaker, waiting before I picked it up to see if anything flew out. Speaking of techniques, did I mention shaking? For a boy, shaking down apples was the height of the afternoon. You’d climb up to a big branch of the tree, then inch out nine or ten feet above the ground until you could feel the limb begin to tremble beneath you at which point you would rock back and forth sending a cascade of apples to the ground. Getting down was always tougher than up. You had to feel around with your feet until you could find a branch to lower yourself onto. On the ground, we would paw around in the grass and weeds gathering the apples. Searching for the apples, I began to recognize subtle differences in their coloration. There was a sheen of freshness on those we had just shaken down while the ones that had lain on the ground for a while had a cloudier hue and the rotten one were pasty and discolored. So after the initial set back of the bee sting we had returned and filled the basket and discovered the real work was in the transportation. We were less than a hundred yards from my house and planned to store the apples in the garage until we’d gathered a load for my mother to drive to the cider mill. The full loaded basket was just impossible for us to move. It was too heavy for either of us to carry alone so we each took a side and tugged and slid it back to the house. As we stumbled alone, the wire handles of the basket were iron trap jaws that squeezed and gnawed at our hands until, with a pained grimace, we’d drop our side of the basket and apples would spill out. Pretty quick we realized we needed to coordinate our breaks and keep the basket level. The second day we took two baskets. The plan was to only fill each three quarters full and make two trips. I was surprised to find that not every tree had a basket of apples scattered around it. Some trees had only tiny apples, some had barely any. Maybe one in five had enough to interest us, so we were a good distance up the hill when the baskets were ready. To my surprise hefting the nearly full baskets back to the garage was just as painful as the full ones, and we had two of them! So the wagon was the panacea. We’d roll along in style. Perhaps axles hanging up on the tufts of grass, golden rod, and spirea as we pulled further out into the orchard might have suggested problems ahead, but it was a lovely warm afternoon and we were fresh out from a day of sitting in school. This afternoon would be great! We came upon a tree full of big Golden Delicious apples and in a trice had filled the basket and lined the bed of the wagon with extras. If we could get an extra load in today, we’d have five baskets to go to the cider mill tomorrow. Eagerly, I started pulling the wagon down the hill. If the little four inch tires had trouble going over the ground before, under fifty pounds of apples they plowed furrows through the field. We pulled, tugged, pushed and panted until one wheel slid into a dip, the load pitched forward and spilled across the grass. Grimly, we righted the wagon, picked up the apples and struggled the rest of the way to the garage. We did make a second trip that day but it was with a basket and we only filled it half way. My mom’s station wagon was big. With the back seats folded flat, we managed to cram the five bushels of apples in the back plus have a little room for one of my younger brothers to ride with them. Buddy and I got the front seats. A fifteen minute drive out of town along the river plain brought us to the little village where the cider mill was built into a hillside. We drove around the building and up a little hillock to the delivery entrance where a ten foot long conveyor with wheeled grocery style casters waited to receive apple crates. The proprietor, a genial man, open the wide shed doors, stepped out to appraise our apples and said they looked pretty good. He picked up some wooden apple crates, placed them on the rolling conveyor and dumped our baskets into them. Against the back of the building were stacks of apple crates, tucked three to a cube, three cubes high and three deep; probably enough to a hundred bushels or more. Clearly our little load was a small apple in his pie. The mill owner was a husky, balding man in his late forties who moved a bushel of apples like I moved a bag of groceries. He invited us in to look at the cider mill. Its layout was actually very simple. The apples were dumped into a bin that emptied onto a conveyor lifting them up to a chute above the grinder which pulverized them into a glistening mash. At this point my memory gets a little fuzzy. I remember the mash getting wrapped in cheesecloth and multiple layers being placed beneath the press. I think each layer was covered with a gird of wood that would squeeze the apple pulp below it. What I don’t remember was what kept the pulp from squirting across the room. I do have an image of the hydraulic press inching down and the whole mass oozing juice into an enormous vat in the room below. When the pressing was finished and they took the pile apart, the pulp was fibrous and quite dry. I think it went to feed pigs and of course those pesky yellow jackets. The final product, the cider, was delicious; golden brown, sweet with lots of pulp. I had to keep reminding myself that those wormy, brown apples we’d tossed in were only drops in the ocean. After a few days in the refrigerator it developed a zippy tang that complimented afternoon cookies very nicely. If this sweet snack didn’t feel like quite enough reward for our labor, the dollar a crate filled the hole. Written by: John Treat - CCCD Board Supervisor & Treasurer