Livestock at the North Williston Cattle Company

North Williston Cattle Company: Dairy farmers Lorenzo and Onan Whitcomb own and operate two dairy farms located on the Winooski River in the towns of Williston and Essex Junction. The North Williston Cattle Company is a medium farm operation (MFO) milking around 250 Holstein cows. In addition, they crop over 500 acres of corn and alfalfa. The Whitcomb brothers maintain alfalfa and grass filter strips on their frequently flooded cropland on their own initiative with no incentives from USDA or the State Agency of Agriculture. The filter strips act as a living buffer that prevents nitrogen and phosphorous (from fertilizer) from entering the river. Furthermore, they have worked with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to expand a waste storage facility and collect leachate from their bunk silos. The highlight of their operation was the methane digester lab that is used to remove nutrients from their manure and to reduce the amount of waste to be spread on their crop land.

Nordic Farms: Dairy Farmer Clark Hinsdale Jr. owns and operates over 1200 acres in the Champlain Valley in the towns of Shelburne and Charlotte. Hinsdale’s MFO milks over 200 Holstein cows using robotic milkers, a first in the New England states. Each cow wears a necklace that tells the robot the last time it was milked, the location of its teats, health, etc. The robot milks the cows, discards tainted milk, cleans itself, and reports any abnormalities that it encounters. His calf operation is complete with a “milkshake machine” that senses the identity of each calf and mixes the milkshake to that calf's specifications. As far as conservation practices, Hinsdale has worked with NRCS to explore building remote waste storage areas and to site waste stacking areas. The Nordic Farm also houses a methane digester that produces electricity for the farm and the power grid.

Berlin Town Forest: Tom Willard and the Berlin Select Board accepted the Forest Steward of the Year award for their careful and commendable management of the Berlin Town Forest. Their goal is to preserve public access, maintain watershed integrity, and protect the water supply of the undeveloped natural area. The forest is accessible to the public for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, hunting, mountain biking, and limited fourwheeling. The Conservation Commission received a historic preservation grant to restore an old stone culvert and a Ben & Jerry's grant to clear a homestead area of significant historical importance. They are using WHIP funding for apple tree release practices, early successional habitat renewal, and removal of non-native invasive species such as buckthorn and honey suckle. In addition, they are in the process of developing a Forest Stewardship Plan for a 400-acre parcel of ridge top land that had been clear-cut by the previous owner. The Stewardship Plan will be reviewed and approved by the Vermont Land Trust.

Warren Town Forest: Tara Hamilton and Linda Lloyd accepted the Forest Steward of the Year award for conservation activities developed and initiated for the Warren Town Forest. The Conservation Committee has been successful in a number of public outreach efforts that include: 1) Conducting surveys at town meetings to see how members of the community would like to see their town forests used and managed; 2) Holding three public forums to obtain more local feedback on management and other town perspectives; 3) Providing an opportunity for third and fourth grade students to interview local "elders" about their perception of and love for the local woods, and; 4) Hosting a "Warren Forest Discovery Day" in September to give local families an introduction to their town forests and the opportunity to take part in numerous forest related activities. They received a National Forest Foundation Grant to increase local town awareness of the Town Forest in addition to a Municipal Planning Grant to conduct a natural resources inventory and wildlife habitat assessment. Currently the Town has a draft forest statement and they are working toward developing Town Forest Stewardship Plans for the two largest parcels. They are also coordinating with the Mad River Path Association to connect trails through the Town Forest property.