The Strafford County Conservation District will be holding their spring soil health workshop and equipment demonstration on April 26th at the Rochester Fair Grounds at 9:00 am.
Attend the workshop to learn about soil tests, easy ways to improve your soil productivity, and long term soil health. We will be showing in action the Stoltzfus 4 Ton Wet Lime/Wood Ash Spreader, AerWay Soil Aerator and Great Plains No-Till Drill and discussing our our low cost rental program.
The workshop is FREE! Please RSVP
603-749-3037 or info@straffordccd.org
STRAFFORD COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT TO PROMOTE SOIL HEALTH WITH SPREADER LENDING PROGRAM
- SCCD’s new ash spreader
The Strafford County Conservation District (SCCD) has purchased a spreader to help promote soil health by landowners in the County. This spreader is available through a lending program at SCCD at a small cost. Nitrogen run-off is one of the primary concerns in the Great Bay Watershed and many towns are faced with finding low cost ways to reduce the nitrogen in their waterways. The SCCD has received a grant from the State Conservation Committee, through funds received from purchases of the Moose license plates in New Hampshire. This grant will be used to help residents voluntarily improve their soil to reduce run-off by the purchase of a four ton spreader. This spreader will be loaned out at a low cost and will be used to reduce the primary barrier to implement the recommended nutrient management recommendations.
The Conservation Districts and its partners will also host four educational On-The-Farm demonstrations and trainings on spreading’s best management practices and soil health. The goal of the program, titled “The Great Bay Small Farm Nutrient Management Initiative is to increase soil health, which will reduce synthetic nitrogen requirements on the Great Bay Watershed. The pH level is an important factor in maintaining soil health and the primary way to improve soil pH is through surface application of lime or wood ash. Soils in Rockingham and Strafford Counties tend to be more acidic than is optimal for legumes; especially alfalfa, red clover, crimson clover and hairy vetch. By properly adjusting pH levels, legumes can be successfully organically no-tilled into grasses, providing the benefit of both reduced tillage and reduced fertilizer run-off. Legumes transfer up to 20% of the nitrogen they fix to the surrounding grass, and have the capacity to fix 50 to 300 pounds of nitrogen per acre, so the potential contribution can be significant. Grass benefits doubly from the legume: it gains fixed nitrogen from nitrogen transfer, as well as from reduced competition for the limited nitrogen a ready in the soil. Greater soil health also provides greater productivity of existing agricultural land, with fewer inputs. This, in turn, leads to more viable farms.
If you are interested in attending workshops, or renting the spreader, please contact the SCCD office by email at info@straffordccd.org or by phone at 603.749.3037.
Mission Statement:
The District promotes the conservation & sustainable use of our natural resources along with the application of Best Management Practices (BMPs) by coordinating availabletechnical, financial, and educational resources to meet the needs of Strafford County residents, citizen groups, and local government.