T  he New Hampshire Association of Conservation Districts (NHACD) is happy to welcome aboard Bill Fosher as our new agronomist. This position is a part of our Soil Health Partnership as well as a component of the Long Island Sound Watershed Regional Conservation Partnership Program (LISW-RCPP), funded by a grant from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The overall mission is to carry out on-farm technical assistance and conservation planning activities to improve soil health and protect water quality in Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River watershed. As agronomist, Bill will help NHACD and the four New Hampshire conservation districts located in that watershed-- - Cheshire, Sullivan, Grafton and Coos-- - to fulfill our role in the project, which is to ensure that technical assistance is provided to EQIP-eligible landowners and farmers who desire it. The focus will be on farm practices that will improve water quality while improving soil health and farm resilience to extreme weather events.
The job will involve participation with other key partners such as, but not limited to: the UNH Cooperative Extension, the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food, the NH Dept. of Environmental Services, the CT River Watershed Council, the CT River Farmers Alliance, and some of our corresponding partners across the river in Vermont.
“For nearly three decades across three states, I have been farming in the Connecticut River watershed. I know its soils and its agricultural history. I know and have lived the challenges and opportunities that its farmers face every day, every month, and every season. I see our farms as a crucial resource, and the soils as the foundation of those farms,” said Bill.
Using proven soil health building methods, Bill has seen farmed-out, eroding fields returned to productive and vital farmland. We look forward to working with Bill in this new capacity and beginning this important work with the LISW-RCPP. |
