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Climate Resilience

Guidelines for Agricultural Land Uses

Climate Resilience - Municipal

Municipal Officials & Professionals

Climate Resilience - Backyard

Backyard & Neighborhoods

Climate Resilience - Land

Land Managers or Stewards

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Youth, Parents & Teachers

Agricultural uses in our watershed include croplands, hayfields, and pasture lands. In the five MVP focus communities, 3,680 acres are agricultural lands. These are actively and highly managed landscapes and so may have a high potential for regenerating healthy soils. The guidelines below come from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a part of the US Department of Agriculture.

prime farmland
A review of the scientific literature regarding carbon sequestration in turf shows that under best management practices, residential lawns, golf courses, and academic campuses have an impressive potential to sequester more carbon, improve soil structure, and store more water (Kumar et al, 2016, Selhorst & Lal, 2012, Qian and Follett, 2009). However, over-fertilization, short mowing, and removal of clippings and other yard ‘wastes’ is well-known to diminish soil health and contribute to surface water pollution.

Here are Guidelines for Croplands that can help to ensure these agricultural lands contribute to soil health and long-term community climate goals.

Guideline 1:

Reduce Tillage

Guideline 2:

Plant Cover Crops

Guideline 3:

Increase Application of Organic Matter

Guideline 4:

Experiment with Remineralization

Here are Guidelines for Hayfields that can help to ensure these agricultural lands contribute to soil health and long-term community climate goals.

Guideline 1:

Manage Against Soil Compaction

Guideline 2:

Implement Higher Cuttings

Guideline 3:

Use Rotational Grazing of Hayfields

Guideline 4:

Add Organic Matter

Here are Guidelines for Pasture Lands that can help to ensure these agricultural lands contribute to soil health and long-term community climate goals.

Guideline 1:

Reduce Paddock Size

Guideline 2:

Increase Livestock Rotation

Guideline 3:

Increase Application of Organic Matter

Guideline 4:

Experiment with Remineralization

For more details on all of the Agricultural Land Use Guidelines, please see pages 25 and 26 of our Nashua River Watershed-wide Healthy Soils Report prepared by Regenerative Design Group. The Report also includes information on supporting farmer-led soil health improvements.