Manchaug Pond Foundation Land Conservation

Hobby Farming with Our Water Resources in Mind: STORMWATER

Posted March 13, 2024 We all live in a watershed (the area of land that drains into a certain waterbody like Manchaug Pond), so our daily activities at home, around the lake, at the campsite, and at the barn are something we need to think about when it comes to the lake and clean water. You may be surprised to learn that just like our lawns and landscapes, hobby farms can be a potential source of water pollution. Heavy rain storms can cause fertilizers, animal manures, and sediment to be carried into the lake, streams and wetlands.  Fertilizers cause excessive aquatic plant growth and algae blooms while animal manures not only act as organic fertilizers but also carry bacteria and sediment. So, what can you do? Learn more… check out this first in a series of newsletters geared to small farms and animal owners… Click the icon for a PDF of Fact Sheet 2.1: How Can Hobby Farms Be Sources of Stormwater Pollution? and visit our Hobby Farm website page and our Hobby Farm Facebook group for more information   ________________________________ This project has been financed with Federal Funds from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the Massachusetts Department of …

Hobby Farming With Our Water Resources in Mind!

Posted March 6, 2024 We love our animals, gardens and pastures in the Manchaug Pond watershed – especially horses, donkeys, beef cattle, sheep, and chickens!  A 2020 watershed survey found close to 30 small hobby farms dot the landscape in this corner of Sutton, Douglas and Oxford. With water quality in mind, the Manchaug Pond Foundation is offering two new outreach programs to small farmers as part of a s.319 Nonpoint Source Pollution grant received from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. ~ The first is a series of 24 newsletters and 12 podcasts – Hobby Farming with Water Quality in Mind.   Our series is “for owners of ‘Hobby Farms’ – small scale farms operated primarily as a residential lifestyle – to provide their owners with the tools to develop and operate an environmental-friendly farm and promote responsible stewardship of both land and the environment.” Each Wednesday for the next 24+ weeks, we will release a newsletter on a topic of interest to backyard gardeners and animal owners which offers best management practices, options and solutions to farm and raise animals with our lake, streams and wetlands in mind.  Topics will go the gamut from planning your farm to understanding …

Hobby Farming with Our Water Resources in Mind: MAKE A PLAN!

Posted: Friday, May 12, 2023 Did you know?  Agricultural activities that cause non-point source pollution most generally occur in the absence of a conservation plan according to EPA.  How do you use your property?  You can conduct your farming activities in ways that protect water resources! Remember… we all live in a watershed (the area of land that drains into a certain waterbody like Manchaug Pond), so our daily activities at home, around the lake, at the campsite, and at the barn are something we need to think about when it comes to the lake and clean water. Do you understand your site and how to work with it? Is your farm, garden, or barn/coup area “stormwater friendly”? Do you know the Best Management Practices (BMPs) that can help? Learn more… check out this second in a series of newsletters geared to small farms, gardeners and animal owners… Click the icon for a PDF of Fact Sheet 2.2: How Can Hobby Farmers Protect Water Resources? and visit our Hobby Farm website page and our Hobby Farm Facebook group for all fact sheets and watch for our next in the series on Friday.  If you live in the Manchaug Pond watershed, …

Manchaug Pond Foundation Spring Cleanup 2022

Hello Spring: An April Update!

Posted April 13, 2022 Hello everyone!  Manchaug Pond’s waterlevel is up, the spring peepers are singing in the coves and wetlands, and the boats are already making waves! We’re ready for the warm summer season! Through the winter months, the Manchaug Pond Foundation Board of Directors has met regularly with our organization advocating and taking action in a number of local, regional, and state arenas to raise awareness, and secure support and fiscal resources to benefit the health of Manchaug Pond and it watershed.  As headwaters/ a major contributor to the Mumford River, as a recreation and tourism destination, and as a valuable water resource of the Commonwealth, Manchaug Pond is significant. In serving, I’ll be providing regular updates as to our efforts and accomplishments together and opportunities for you to make a difference! _______ Tonight, April 13th at 6PM, the Town of Sutton will hold an information-seeking meeting to discuss the river’s flow through the village of Manchaug: the dams, the ponds, and the flows which impact the village community.  The goal is to pursue a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant to identify existing issues and then create a plan and prioritize solutions and improvements which could include dam …