WALPOLE, N.H. — Does your child have interest in farms or gardening? Would they like to explore these interests this summer? The Jeffrey P. Smith Farm Scholarship endeavors to connect young people with agriculture and the natural world around them. Through this scholarship, the Monadnock Localvores hope to inspire the next generation of local farmers and local food supporters, by giving regional children an opportunity, through summer camp, after school programs, or membership to NOFA NH, to experience sustainable farming practices first-hand and watch their efforts bear fruit.
The Monadnock Localvores are now accepting applications for 2022 as well as donations to the scholarship fund. Applications are due by March 31, 2022 and donations are accepted throughout the year. For more information, to request application materials, or to donate to the scholarship fund, please contact the Cheshire County Conservation District at 603-756-2988 ext.4 or info@cheshireconservation.org
Each year the Monadnock Localvores aim to provide scholarships to at least 25 youth and hope to accommodate as many children as funding can allow in 2022. More information is also available online at www.cheshireconservation.org/
If you are interested in receiving a paper copy, or a specified number of applications, please contact the CCCD by phone or email.
During his lifetime, Jeff Smith, a former member of the Monadnock Localvore Steering Committee, was an enthusiastic supporter of sustainability and local agriculture. He firmly believed in the connection of all living things and stressed the importance of working in harmony with the systems of the universe. Seeing himself as a “steward” instead of an “owner” of the land, he felt the earth was entrusted to us for safekeeping during our lifetimes, to be passed along intact to future generations. With an eager and vibrant sense of life, his every activity was geared towards improving the lives of others and the environment through giving freely of his time and efforts. To keep alive that vision, the Jeffrey P. Smith Farm Scholarship Program was initiated in August 2009. The program’s purpose is to send children to an area farm camp to discover the inherent rewards that come from cultivating with one’s hands and heart.
Food travels an average of 1,500 miles before it ends up on your dinner plate. The Localvore movement is working to change this statistic, for the benefit of our health, palate, local farms, the environment and the community. Now in its sixteenth year, The Monadnock Localvores continue to focus on encouraging the eating, growing, and buying of more local food.
The Cheshire County Conservation District promotes the conservation and responsible use of our natural and agricultural resources for the people of Cheshire County by providing technical, financial, and educational assistance. Our goal is to encourage the stewardship of healthy soils, productive ecologically sound farms, diverse wildlife, productive sustainable forests, healthy watersheds, and clean water to ensure those resources are available for future generations. Established in 1945, the Conservation District operates out of Walpole NH where we work alongside the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and other conservation partners. For more information, contact the Conservation District at 603-756-2988 ext.4.
–Cheshire County Conservation District
