2023 Climate Resilience Grant offered by the NH Conservation Districts

Nov 29

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 will be done through reducing the impact of agriculture on climate change (mitigation) through greenhouse gas emissions reduction and carbon sequestration, and through increasing the resiliency of New Hampshire Farms in a changing climate (adaptation), while meeting farm’s conservation goals and needs. Extreme weather events, frequent and prolonged droughts, and increased pest pressures are increasing challenges for NH farms.

This grant program, through the NH County Conservation Districts seeks to support farmers in meeting those challenges.

Since 2022, the NH Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant has distributed $50,000 to 12 farms across New Hampshire!

The 10 New Hampshire Conservation Districts are thrilled to announce the second grant round of the NH Conservation Districts Climate Resilience Grant.

The NH County Conservation Districts have launched this farm viability program to improve the resilience of NH farms in the face of extreme weather events and a changing climate. Direct grants to farms to invest in on-farm infrastructure, equipment, and innovative practices will support farm profitability and the long-term viability for NH’s agricultural sector.

This grant program was designed with a high level of farmer input to ensure the most pressing needs of farms will be met. The NH Conservation Districts have also worked in close partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and other conservation partners to ensure that this statewide program fills the gaps that are not being adequately met by federal funds.

Funds are available for projects that mitigate the impact of agriculture on climate change and enhance the on-farm adaptations to projected climate conditions. Preference will be given to projects that can demonstrate strong potential in mitigation and adaptation.

Interested in Applying?

Applications are open December 1, 2022! View the RFP Here: 2023 Request for Proposals (RFP)

Attend a Virtual Informational Session

An optional zoom informational session for interested applicants will be held on January 9, 2023 at 6:00PM. Registration Required: https://NHClimateGrant.eventbrite.com

View a past recording from 2022 here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHZ8Tsi_yQI

Ready to Apply

If you have reviewed the RFP and confirmed that you meet all of the eligibility requirements please complete an application: 2023 Application

Applications are due on February 1, 2023!

For further information or to discuss project proposals, please contact us at info@straffordccd.org

Additional Funding Opportunities for Climate Mitigation and Adaptation:

Educational Opportunities and Resources for Climate Mitigation and Adaptation:

Past Recipients & their projects:

Bascom Road Blueberry Farm, located in Newport, NH, a pick your own blueberry operation and vegetable farm will purchase a plastic mulch layer to keep water in the ground and prevent weeds from growing up through it, reducing herbicide use. Learn more about Bascom Road Blueberry Farm, here!

Boggy Meadow Farm, located in Walpole, NH, producing farmstead cheeses, will install a Johnson-Su compost bioreactor, to create a fungal-rich compost to improve on-farm soil health. Learn more about Boggy Meadow Farm, here!

Brookfield Farm, a certified Organic Dairy Farm in Walpole, NH, will apply potassium to select fields to increase the quality and quantity of forage, improve soil health, and improve plant resilience during extreme weather conditions and drought. Learn more about Brookfield Farm, here!

Gentile Family Homestead, located in Fitzwilliam, NH, selling pasture based beef and pork directly to the community, will install an automatic cattle watering system, conserving water during periods of drought. Learn more about Gentile Family Homestead, here!

Green Bough Farm, located in North Haverhill, NH, offering grass fed beef and pastured eggs to the community, will install an automatic cattle pasture move system to increase soil water holding capacity through mob grazing practices. Learn more about Green Bough Farm, here!

LindenWoods Farm, an equestrian facility located in Durham, NH, growing hay and selling composted manure, will update their drainage system to reduce and manage erosion. Learn more about LindenWoods Farm, here!

LocaBerry at Emery Farm, a berry farm located in Durham, NH, will implement climate smart agricultural practices for resilient day-neutral strawberry production. Learn more about LocaBerry at Emery Farm, here!

Meristem Flower Farm, a flower farm located in Strafford, NH, will update their drainage system to drain fields earlier in the spring and reduce soil erosion. Learn more about Meristem Flower Farm, here

Picadilly Farm, a diversified farm in Winchester, NH, selling organically grown vegetables, will purchase a Perfecta Field Cultivator to reduce tillage, improving farm soil health and carbon capture. Learn more about Picadilly Farm, here!

Robinson Family Farm, located in Pittsburg, NH, providing custom beef, pork, and chicken orders, will upgrade their manure pit and barnyard corral to minimize mud, control moisture, and increase farm manure use instead of fertilizers. Learn more about Robinson Family Farm, here!

Tellman Hill Farm, located in Whitefield, NH, sells meat chickens and keeps a small laying flock of chickens, ducks, and geese. The farm is currently establishing a 6 acre pick-your-own orchard which will have fruit available beginning in 2024. Products will be apples, apple cider, pears, plums, sour cherries, pumpkins, and related value-added offerings. Tellman Hill Farm will enhance their irrigation water supply and distribution, providing greater security for the health and growth of trees, and in turn, producing higher quality fruit during periods of drought. Learn more about Tellman Hill Farm, here!

Winter Street Farm, a reduced tillage four season vegetable production CSA, located in Claremont, NH, will purchase necessary infrastructure to increase their community composting program: reducing waste, fertilizer inputs, increasing soil health, and promoting carbon capture. Learn more about Winter Street Farm, here!

This grant program is made possible through the generous contributions of private
donors and the You Have Our Trust Fund.

If you would like to make a donation to support future funding of the program, please do so here!

Donations to the fund may also be made by mail, checks can be made payable to
"CCCD" and addressed to 11 Industrial Park Dr., Walpole, NH 03608. Please include
“Climate” in the memo line. Contributions of any amount are greatly appreciated and make a difference!

Alena Warren