NACD represents conservation districts in Kansas City

Last week, NACD President Brent Van Dyke, First Vice President Tim Palmer (pictured), and Director of Communications Whitney Forman-Cook traveled to Kansas City, Missouri, for the National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s annual Trade Talk.

It was a whirlwind of activity, with Van Dyke and Palmer giving interview after interview on NACD’s mission and our top priorities for 2018 and the next farm bill. NACD would like to thank all the farm broadcasters that stopped by our booth to talk conservation and agriculture policy. You help to tell and amplify the extraordinary stories of our nation’s conservation districts, and for that, we are so grateful!

30 days left for early bird prices!

You and yours have just one month to reserve your seat at NACD’s 2018 Annual Meeting at our special early bird rates! Click here to head over to NACD’s website to register for the meeting. If you do so online, you’ll receive a $15 discount on your registration!

The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Conference Center is expected to fill up quickly... We've received word that the whole hotel will likely be booked during the dates of our meeting, so don’t delay making your hotel reservation online! NACD's room block currently has rooms available for $199 a night. For more hotel and parking information, click here to be redirected to NACD's website.

NACD is now accepting applications for the 2018 District Share Fair!

2018 will be the sixth year running for NACD’s annual meeting share fair – a special time and place for conservation districts to showcase their work and accomplishments!

In the past, districts have highlighted the following topics during share fair: district board elections, conservation education programs, community-based district work, urban conservation programs, successful field days, new ways to bring generate funding for districts, grant ideas and successes, communicating with decision makers, website and media outreach, and MORE!

Space in the share fair is limited and only open to NACD 2018 conference attendees who complete this share fair application and submit it to NACD’s Stewardship and Education Coordinator Diana Blackwood by December 8, 2017. The share fair will be held following the general session on Monday, January 29, 2018, and there is no cost to participate.

One month left to submit your state’s and territory’s posters, photos to NACD

December 1 is the last day your state or territory can submit its top posters to NACD’s national contest. It’s also the last day that photos may be submitted for the national photo contest. Click here for entry rules and release forms.

Are you hosting award ceremonies for your state poster and photo contests? Stop by NACD’s Marketplace to order award ribbons. These ribbons, available in sets of 10, feature the “Conservation C” logo and include 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons, as well as honorable mention ribbons and champion ribbons.

Hillsborough County Conservation District, New Hampshire

The Hillsborough County Conservation District (HCCD) serves the most populous county in New Hampshire and several refugee resettlements. Recently, HCCD launched a new initiative to provide technical assistance to these new Americans, who want to grow their own food, but aren’t familiar with farming in colder climates or urban settings.

Urban agriculture technical assistants (TA) have contracted to serve the refugee, immigrant, and underserved farmers in urbanized Manchester, Concord, Nashua, and Bedford. Much of their work has been completed across several sites.

The first is the Common Earth Farm. The operation employs refugee and immigrant farmers who grow unique, ethnic crops that would otherwise be unavailable at the farm’s produce stand and the Manchester Farmers Market. The district has provided assistance to the Common Earth Farm through soil health practice implementation, pest management strategies, and the re-establishment of a greenhouse.

The second is Grow Nashua. Through community collaboration with over 20 organizations, Grow Nashua provides urban farming spaces and education to families that may not have the land and/or financial means to have farm space of their own. Grow Nashua acts as a resource and partner in providing space, fostering neighborhood activities, and hosting nutrition education through collaboration with the city, local schools, and local hospitals. Pictured above are Grow Nashua refugee families celebrating a successful growing year in the Learning Garden at their Harvest Party.

HCCD has been able to offer assistance to Grow Nashua in various capacities from garden planning, on-the-ground training, and volunteer planting days, to offering guidance on managing soil health, intensive planting, algae issues, and more.

To read this story on NACD’s blog, click here!