CT River Watershed Livestock Soil Health Management Planning Cohort Program Application

Overview:

Soil health is key to long-term farm viability and climate resilience. Implemented correctly, soil health management practices can help to reduce inputs, increase productivity, and support ecosystem services.

The New England Climate and Agriculture team at American Farmland Trust, in partnership with the University of Vermont, is offering a peer cohort based soil health planning program for livestock producers in select counties in the Connecticut River Watershed (see eligible counties on map below and listed in question 2).

Participants will:

Receive $2500 in financial assistance upon plan completion
Receive an on-farm visit and soil testing from a soil health technical service provider
Learn how to collect soil health samples and complete a field soil health assessment and/or pasture condition scorecard
Complete a soil health plan for one or two of your fields with professional assitance
Learn new tools for creating a focused mission for your farm's soil health and climate resilience
Receive input from peers about your soil health plan
Build community with other farmers
Learn from regional experts about diagnosing soil health constraints, the science and practice of building soil health, and planning approaches for soil health and climate adaptation

Cohort timelines:

MA and CT will run from September 2024-September 2025
NH will run from April 2025-April 2026
VT starting winter 2024-2025, with precise timeline coming soon

For the MA, CT and NH cohorts, participants will meet approximately once per month in the growing season and about twice as often in the winter. Participants should expect to spend 10- 15 hours per month on project activities in the winter and no more than 5 hours per month during the growing season.

Most sessions will take place virtually on Zoom; however, there will be some opportunities to gather in person for a field trip and each participant will receive a farm visit from a soil health specialist to conduct soil sampling and assessment.

Space in this program is limited. Applicants will be ranked based on interest, farm operation criteria, best fit for the cohort, and answers to narrative questions. Farmers who have been historically underserved by USDA programs will be prioritized in the application process. Applicants should be actively producing livestock products for sale. Individuals producing only for their own household consumption are not eligible.

This application should take 20-30 minutes to complete.

Applications for MA and CT farmers due by August 5th; application will remain open for NH and VT producers until the fall.

Questions? Call Caro at 413-206-7169.

Question Title

* 1. Contact Information

Name *

Farm Name *

Address

Address 2

City/Town *

State *

ZIP/Postal Code

Email Address *

Phone Number

Question Title

* 2. My farm is located in this county:
Note: this project is limited to these counties in CT, MA, NH and VT.

CT: Litchfield

CT: Fairfield

CT: Hartford

CT New Haven

CT: Tolland

CT Middlesex

CT: Windham

CT: New London

MA: Berkshire

MA: Franklin

MA: Hampshire

MA: Hampden

MA: Worcester

NH: Coos

NH: Grafton

NH: Sullivan

NH: Cheshire

VT: Essex

VT: Caledonia

VT: Orange

VT: Windsor

VT: Windham

VT: Bennington

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* 3. Acres in cultivation:

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* 4. My farm is:

Urban

Peri-urban

Suburban

Rural

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 5. My farm is:

Certified Organic

Organic, not certified

Conventional

Other - Please explain

Question Title

* 6. What is your gross farm income?

$1,000 to $9,999

$10,000 to $99,999

$100,000 to $249,999

$250,000 to $499,999

$500,000 to $999,999

$1,000,000 or more

Prefer not to answer

Question Title

* 7. Primary livestock raised (select all that apply):

Dairy (cows, goats, and/or other milking animals)

Beef cattle

Hogs

Sheep/lamb

Poultry (broilers)

Poultry (egg layers)

Meat goats

Bees/honey

Alpacas/other camelids

Emus

Waterfowl

Other (please specify):

Question Title

* 8. Crops produced (select all that apply):

Vegetables, fewer than 10 types produced

Vegetables, greater than 10 types produced

Hay (or other forage crop)

Corn, Silage

Corn, Grain

Grain (for human consumption)

Vining Fruit

Small Fruit / Berries (excluding cranberries)

Cranberries

Tree Products (Orchard Fruit, Christmas Trees, Tree Forage)

Cut flowers

Nursery, starts and/or bedding plants

Other (please specify):

Question Title

* 9. My livestock operation is:

Grazing/ pastured / free range

Confinement

Both

Other (please specify)

CT River Watershed Livestock Soil Health Management Planning Cohort Program Application

Overview:

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Question Title

* 1. Contact Information

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* 2. My farm is located in this county: Note: this project is limited to these counties in CT, MA, NH and VT.

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* 3. Acres in cultivation:

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* 4. My farm is:

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* 5. My farm is:

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* 6. What is your gross farm income?

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* 7. Primary livestock raised (select all that apply):

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* 8. Crops produced (select all that apply):

Question Title

* 9. My livestock operation is:

* 2. My farm is located in this county:
Note: this project is limited to these counties in CT, MA, NH and VT.