Belknap County Conservation District

07/17/2026

The 2026 NH Farm & Food Guide is here! This 28-page magazine showcases the vibrant, resilient organic farms and food producers of the Granite State, brimming with useful information about certified organic and transitioning to organic farms in every county, tasty recipes, helpful maps, an interactive coloring page, and more! We hope you love it as much as we do!

Interested in receiving some free copies of the guide for your farm store, library, farmers’ market, local business, or organization? Fill out the interest form on our website!

07/17/2026

Cyanobacteria Toxins in Humans and Animals: Explained

Learn more about cyanobacteria toxins and their impacts on human and animal health during this informative presentation by Erik Swenson, MD, Professor of Medicine at Dartmouth College. The presentation will take place on Thursday, July 30 at 6:00 PM at the Moultonborough Library.

This presentation is sponsored by the Moultonborough Conservation Commission and Cyanobacteria Committee.

This is a great opportunity to better understand cyanobacteria its risks and how they can affect our communities, pets, and waterways.

07/09/2026

A fond memory of swimming as a kid in the freshwater lakes of central NH is diving for muscles, just for fun. Little did I know then, as filter feeders, they are an important part of keeping the water clean and clear. Because they filter out potential pollutants and contaminated nutrients, it is not recommended you eat them according to NH Lakes. https://nhlakes.org/wp-content/uploads/2-Lake-Ecology-Native-Species-Freshwater-Mussels-NH-LAKES.pdf
The following is the descriptor for the attached video (see the link below). "Freshwater mussels are naturally occurring wastewater treatment powerhouses! As suspension feeders, freshwater mussels capture particulates from the water column, from bacteria and phytoplankton to fine organic detritus. This filtration by mussels transfers nutrients and energy from the water column to benthic communities to promote an abundant and diverse invertebrate community, which in turn supports fish and various wildlife. Mussels filter our waterways day and night, benefiting invertebrate and fish communities -- and humans.
In this video, two small aquariums were filled with water, fine mud, and algae. One aquarium held adult Fat Mucket mussels, while the other had no mussels (only a SCUBA mask). Over 4 ½ hours, the mussels filtered the water until it was cleared." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_CaNfFtHhg

07/05/2026

We are bursting at the seams with blooms and we would LOVE to turn MORE Flowers into Food with your help!! Once again, 50% of all sales will go to End 68 Hours of Hunger, Alton. Thanks to your support, we have started a little fund to donate to Alton’s End 68 program and we would love to add to it with the bounty of our harvest. 💕Here are the details:
- $40 gets you an overstuffed wrap of in-season DIY blooms (unarranged) This is at or below wholesale cost to you!
- Pick-up choice of Monday 3pm or Tuesday 8am at our Alton “home farm” (address will be shared by email after online order has been placed)
- 50% of all sales will go directly to End 68 Alton
- Any tips will be donated to End 68 Alton and are not required
- You get to have fun designing while turning flowers into food for families in need. Get a couple friends to place an order and have a fun little flower party!

https://square.link/u/XeQ2ivtu

07/05/2026

07/05/2026

We are SO happy to announce the digital release of the 2026 Merrimack County Local Food Guide! Click here to view the guide:https://merrimackccd.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026-Merrimack-County-LFG.pdf

This year it includes BEAUTIFUL cover art by local artist Tessa Rey. Our guide would not be possible without the hard work of local farmers. So next time you see one, please let them know how thankful we are for everything that they do!

And don't forget to check out the newest local food guide! Contact us for a print version, which should be available in a couple of weeks.

Thank you to our wonderful advertisers Spring Ledge Farm Concord Food Co-op Osborne's Farm & Garden Centers Apple Hill Farm Carter Hill Orchard Sweet Beet NH Kearsarge Food Hub Windswept Maples Farm Canterbury Community Farmers Market Association Contoocook Creamery

06/28/2026

While procrastinating before I suit up to do yardwork, I saw this post on FaceBook and it reminded me that Dot Perkins, formally of UNH, would say these exact same things when teaching Master Gardeners. "The prettier your garden looks in winter, the more wildlife you killed. A "clean" fall garden (everything cut back, raked, mulched, edged): zero food for birds (no seed heads), zero shelter for overwintering insects (no stems, no leaf litter), zero habitat for toads, salamanders, and ground-nesting bees. A "messy" winter garden (seed heads standing, leaves in beds, stems intact): goldfinches on coneflowers, chickadees on black-eyed Susans, chrysalises attached to dead stems, firefly larvae in leaf litter, mason bee larvae inside hollow stems. The "messy" garden is working. The "clean" garden is a graveyard with good landscaping. The most ecologically productive gardens would never make the cover of a magazine. That's not a flaw. That's the point. Let it be messy. Let it be alive. " I say "Thanks Dot ! You've inspired me to put my teacup down, get outside, and remember gardening is for the birds and not "the Man"."

06/23/2026

Happy National Pollinator Week an informative message from Minnesota. Many of the plants that grow there will also grow in NH.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

06/22/2026

Please don't drive your vehicles on to hayfields. See a local farmer's post below.