US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service 2011 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program USDA/AMS Agreement Number: 12-25-B-1242 2011 New Hampshire State Plan Final Report December 19, 2014 Revised March 6, 2015 Submitted by the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food In cooperation with selected Project Partners Contact: Gail McWilliam Jellie, Director Division of Agricultural Development New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food PO Box 2042 Concord, New Hampshire 03302-2042 Tel. (603) 271-3788 Email:
[email protected] 1 New Hampshire State Final Report 2011 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program The New Hampshire Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food received funding under the 2011 Special Crop Block Grant Program in October 2011. Ten projects were approved for funding. All projects have been completed and individual project reports follow. Project 1 Project Title: Soil Health Management Plan Development and In-Field Education, Implementation, and Documentation Applicant: Merrimack County Conservation District Final Report Project Summary The Soil Health Management Plan Development and In-Field Education, Implementation, and Documentation project aimed to advance integrated and adaptive soil health management for improved productivity, energy efficiency, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and water quality in NH by providing more standardized guidance for soil health management decisions for NH vegetable farms. This was accomplished by the following: 1. Developing standards and a template for a Soil Health Management Plan (SHMP) which would complement Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMP), Graving Plans and other conservation Activity Plans (CAP). 2. Providing technical assistance, including key equipment, to cooperators to facilitate implementation of EQIP practices that are in line with addressing identified soil health constraints, and/ or maintaining soil health on fields newly put into production.