Assistance
Assistance is available to any land occupier, whether a farm or a non-farm landowner who resides on or owns land within the district is eligible to receive assistance. The district can provide assistance which relates to the conservation of soil, water, and related natural resources.
Soil Testing Services
WCCD Soil Health Services- WCCD offers soil sampling to Worcester County land owners and occupiers. For a reasonable fee of $50 for the first sample, then $35 per additional soil sample, our Conservation Planner will come out to your property and take soil samples for you. They will then dry your samples and mail them to UMaine’s Soil and testing Lab located in Orono Maine. Once the lab has finished their analysis, our Conservation Planner will then walk you through the results, and can make recommendations based on your needs.
Interested in learning more or ordering a soil sample? Click here for more information.
Technical and Financial Assistance
“Looking for technical or financial assistance to conduct multiple soil tests? The Natural Resource Conservation Service – NRCS – can help! NRCS offers a range of practices to help address natural resource concerns, such as soil sampling, invasive species treatment, pollinator habitat planting, hay field re-seeding, and more. If you’re a landowner looking to become a better steward of your land, but are unsure where to start, check out NRCS’s website or contact WCCD’s conservation planner Nat Bickford . Nat can help you determine your goals for your property, evaluate what resource concerns are present, and plan appropriate conservation practices to address those concerns. All technical assistance is free of charge.”
Composting
Integrating compost into your soil is one way to improve your soil health and at the same time reduce your household waste. Composting, when done correctly, can give a boost to your soil’s ecosystem by adding organic material, nutrients, and a diversity of micro-organisms. We sell compost bins and help landowners install and know how to use them. To learn more about our compost panels and how to purchase them, click here
Workshops
We offer workshops on soil health, composting, plant-soil interactions, soil mapping, and other Our staff and affiliates can offer workshops or guest lectures upon request. Just email our conservation planner Nat Bickford at with your interest or a request or for more information. First see our workshops page here topics. Our workshops page also offers a list of workshops that have been offered by WCCD in the past and potential future topics.
“If I am not a farmer – is this for me?” Soil health is for everyone! WCCD strives to make conservation accessible to all Worcester county residents, independent of scale.
Additional Soil Health Resources to Browse:
NRCS Soil Health Resources- http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/nd/soils/health/
(North Dakota NRCS – based, but they are one of the leaders in this area)
Cornell University Soil Health Resources – http://soilhealth.cals.cornell.edu
Soil Food Web, by Dr. Elaine Ingram – http://www.soilfoodweb.com
Sustainable Agriculture Resources and Education (SARE) – http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/What-is-Soil-Health
National Soil Maps through NRCS Web Soil Survey – http://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm
Soil Health Card – http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/PA_NRCSConsumption/download?cid=nrcseprd401840&ext=pdf
Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) is the federal agency that helps farmers and other landowners improve and protect their natural resources. We work in partnership with NRCS to deliver land conservation knowledge and practices.
Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts (MACD) is a private, non-profit, non-governmental association of the 13 Massachusetts districts, operating under its own constitution and by-laws. WCCD and MACD also work together toward a common goal enabling districts to achieve greater recognition from, and access to, both the legislature and governmental agencies as we as from people in the private sector.
Together through the District Grant Program funded by Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) WCCD is in the planning stages in developing conservation and nutrient management plans for farms within impaired watersheds, with a special focus on land within the Long Island Sound watershed. We will educate professionals, landowners, students and the general public about soil health through workshops, press releases, social media, and the development of educational materials for schools. We will work with NRCS to implement good soil conservation practices on the agricultural, forestry and developed landscape.
