The Rockingham and Strafford County Conservation Districts along with their Project Partners will be hosting an educational session for small farmers on soil health management and demonstrations on the use of the ash spreader and soil aerator. The first demonstration will be held on Friday September 28th at Goss Farm 251 Harbor Rd (at the corner of Rte 1A), Rye, NH at 9:00 AM. For more information or to RSVP please contact the Rockingham County Conservation District (603) 679-2790 or [email protected].
The NH State Conservation Committee, “Moose Plate” Conservation Grant Program has provided funds for the purchase of a Stoltzfus Wet Lime Spreader which will be loaned out at a reasonable cost to farmers within Strafford and Rockingham counties through their local Conservation Districts as part of the Rockingham and Strafford County Small Farm Nutrient Management Initiative. The districts also have an AerWay Soil Aerator provided through funding from the NH Association of Conservation Districts and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The primary goal of the Rockingham and Strafford County Small Farm Nutrient Management Initiative is to increase soil health. Farmers can use the spreader to add lime or wood ash from local bioenergy plants, which will increase soil pH, thus reducing the need for nitrogen fertilizer additions and providing conditions favorable to nitrogen fixing legumes. Excess nitrogen in surface waters has been identified as the leading cause of declining environmental health of Great Bay.