Farm Tour Register by October 1st!

Clough Dairy Farm Rick and Kelly Clough have been farming since 1988 and have conserved 194-acres of their farm through the Vermont Land Trust.  In 2016, they continued their commitment by selling increased restrictions along 3.3 miles of Wells River frontage creating an 84-acre protected river corridor, which is the largest legally protected river corridor in Vermont.  In 2013, the Clough’s also worked with USDA NRCS to install a new manure pit, barnyard and laneway.  These efforts have helped their farm stay viable and kept them in compliance with water quality regulations. To register – Call Kerry at 802-424-3149 or email kerry.obrien@vt.nacdnet.net

Swale installed at Fenton Chester Arena in Lyndon, filtering runoff from the parking lot before its piped to a stream

Green Stormwater Infrastructure Local Installations Underway

Stormwater Master Plans in Caledonia County have identified many project opportunities where stormwater can be better managed to reduce erosion and improve water quality.  Installing Green Stormwater Infastructure (GSI)works to direct stormwater from roads, parking lots and other surfaces to green spaces so water can infiltrate and filter pollutants.  This reduces the amount of dirty stormwater that enters catch basins and gets piped to rivers.  These GSI practices are funded by the State of Vermont’s Clean Water Initiative and Ecosystem Restoration Program.  Several projects are getting installed this summer in Burke, Lyndon and St. Johnsbury – with more to come next year!

Hydroseeder Share Program Still Up and Running

The towns of Danville, Ryegate, Groton and Walden have joined our Hydroseeder Share Program. The program involves four towns sharing a grant-funded hydroseeder to help treat ditches and roadsides – speeding up maintenance and ensuring good cover on bare ground to prevent sediment runoff to streams and rivers.  The program is funded by the State of Vermont’s Clean Water Initiative and was coordinated by a partnership with the Lamoille, Essex and Caledonia County Conservation Districts.  With hydroseeders costing between $26,000 and $33,000, this program only costs towns $500 to join and $200/year after the first year.