Posts By: Branch Hill Farm

Branch Hill Farm

Contact: Jared Kane, Executive Director

307 Applebee Rd, Milton Mills, NH 03852

603-473-2535

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Submission Date:  December 4, 2019

Branch Hill Farm Hires Jared Kane as New Executive Director

Branch Hill Farm/the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust is pleased to announce that Jared Kane of Milton Mills, NH has been hired as the new Executive Director. He started the job on November 4^th.

“We are thrilled to have Jared Kane as our new Executive Director,” said Cynthia Wyatt, who is soon to retire as Branch Hill Farm (BHF) Managing Trustee, but will stay on as Chair of the BHF Board of Directors. “For the last two years, Jared has generously donated his time and expertise to teach our apple tree grafting workshops, which have been extremely popular.  Last summer, when Jared presented his idea to plant a Heritage Orchard at Branch Hill Farm, I was very excited. The orchard would be a new direction for BHF while meshing superbly with our mission and educational outreach programs.  Jared has all the values and qualifications to be an excellent Executive Director for Branch Hill Farm.”

Kane is a New Hampshire native, with a BA in History from the University of New Hampshire. Although his work experience is primarily in the tech field, he dedicates much of his free time to preserving and identifying antique apple varieties on ancient trees in our region. Since moving to Milton Mills in 2013, Kane has been building up a cider specific apple orchard and currently grows over eighty varieties.  His natural hard cider has won international awards. 

 Kane also developed passions for conservation and outdoor recreation from a young age. He enjoys regular hunting and hiking trips in the Maine North Woods and has been fly fishing around the world. He lives in Milton Mills with his wife Ashley and baby daughter Kenna.

Kane is enthusiastic about his new position. “I’m beyond excited to have joined the team at Branch Hill Farm and to support the many great projects and efforts already in place. I look forward to learning from and collaborating with our partners to ensure the continued success of the Carl Siemon legacy in conservation, education, and community.” 

He added, “The Heritage Orchard at Branch Hill Farm will be my keystone project.   Not only will the orchard be a repository for long forgotten heritage apple varieties, local homestead apples in the Moose Mountains region, and new experimental wild stock, but we hope to lead by example in showing that holistic and sustainable practices can be utilized in an orchard setting.”

Kane concluded with an expression of appreciation for Cynthia Wyatt’s leadership at Branch Hill Farm. “For more than 25 years, Cynthia has been both an inspiration and constant in the community when it comes to conservation, stewardship, and sustainability.  Her dedication to creating greenways, conserving important natural resource areas, and the education of future generations in our region through both BHF and Moose Mountains Regional Greenways is unmatched.  It is my hope that over the coming years we continue to advance all of the great things Cynthia has accomplished.  It is a real privilege to partner with her as we move forward.”

Branch Hill Farm/the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust works to protect open space and working forests and to educate the public about sound forestry, conservation and agricultural practices. For more information about the BHF mission, upcoming events and the Regional Heritage Orchard project, see www.branchillfarm.org.

The Carl Siemon Charitable Family Trust and Branch Hill Farm are excited to announce the establishment of a Regional Heritage Orchard to be started in the Spring of 2020.  The orchard will be designed to be a repository for heritage apple varieties, local homestead apples in the Moose Mountains region, as well as locally-discovered experimental wild stock.

As biological diversity shrinks over time due to mass commercial farming, this orchard will be an oasis of apples of all colors, shapes, and sizes that once abounded throughout the New England landscape.  The orchard will also be a learning center for annual BHF classes on grafting, holistic orcharding, and pruning.  The new heritage orchard will adhere to a strict Holistic approach and utilize a combination of historical and experimental techniques to manage the orchard without the use of chemical sprays.

Do you have an old or interesting apple or pear tree on your property?  If so, it may qualify for grafting into the orchard!  An Heirloom apple tree can live up to 200 years in the right conditions, so you may have living history right in your yard.  To learn more or share your tree, please contact Jared Kane at 603-502-1875 or Jared_Kane@branchhillfarm.org.

An ancient apple tree in Milton Mills, that still gives an abundance of fruit each year.

This is just one example of a tree that will be grafted and included in the orchard.

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
Box 191, Union, NH 03887
603-473-2020
info@mmrg.info

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 11/4/2019

‘New Hampshire’s Forest Health and Red Pine Scale’

On Tuesday evening, December 3, Moose Mountains Regional Greenways and Branch Hill Farm/Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust (BHF/CSFCT) will offer an educational workshop on forest health starting at 6:30 pm at the Greater Wakefield Resource Center in Union, NH. The presentation will concentrate on the current issue of red pine scale infestations and be of particular interest to all who own woodlots or acreage with stands of red pines and to citizens who love NH forests.

The presenter will be Kyle Lombard, forest health specialist with the NH Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of Forests and Lands. He has 25 years of experience working with forest pest issues across New Hampshire. Says Lombard, “Join us for information on the current forest health issues in New Hampshire with a focus on the red pine scale now present in the Milton Mills, NH area. Learn what to look for, what can be done for infestations and what is the future of red pine in New Hampshire.” Following about an hour presentation, there will be time for discussion and Lombard will answer questions. Pre-registration is not required.

The motivation for this workshop was the discovery of red pine scale in the red pine plantations owned by Branch Hill Farm. Red pine scale is an invasive insect; its infestations produce yellowing or discoloration of pine needles leading to death of weakened red pine trees. At the recommendation of consulting forester Charlie Moreno, Branch Hill Farm will undertake a salvage operation timber cut, which will be noticeable along parts of Applebee Road.

Branch Hill Farm/the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust works to protect open space and working forests and to educate the public about sound forestry, conservation and agricultural practices; see www.branchillfarm.org. MMRG, a non-profit land trust, works to conserve and connect important water resources, farm and forest lands, wildlife habitats, and recreational land and offers many educational opportunities to inform all ages about the benefits of our region’s natural resources. For more information and a calendar of upcoming events, visit www.mmrg.info.

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
Box 191, Union, NH  03887
603-473-2020
info@mmrg.info

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 9/25/2019

Forester Charlie Moreno Led  ‘A Walk Through Time in a Local Forest’

Forester Charlie Moreno knows that a forest is more than the trees. In this case, the forest he was showcasing was Branch Hill Farm’s Salmon Falls Woodlands in Milton Mills and he wanted to share a long-range historical perspective of how the forest, wildlife and land have changed over millennia. This natural history tour, which attracted a multi-generational group of twenty-four, was offered by local conservation partner organizations Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG) and Branch Hill Farm/Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust (BHF/CSFCT).

Moreno had placed markings along the Salmon Falls Woodlands trail to graphically illustrate the time frame of evolutionary processes at work on the land. The group was carried aboard the Branch Hill Farm hay wagon out to a peninsula between the Branch and Salmon Falls Rivers, where evidence of former ice age geology was apparent in the form of a large glacial erratic at the edge of the Branch River. Moreno encouraged participants to use their imaginations: “Think of glacier ice a mile thick above us. As it retreated, it dropped off this huge rock, a rock that was probably scraped off a ridgetop many miles away!” 

Moreno explained that as the glaciers retreated, they left behind an abundant supply of rocks, many of which are used in the field stone walls emblematic of the NH landscape. Earth’s climate gradually warmed and cooled and some animal populations thrived while others became extinct.  Eventually, humans arrived, established travel routes and seasonal encampments, used controlled fires to manage vegetation, and planted crops on river terraces. 

Another feature Moreno pointed out was a flat steplike feature in the landscape, about 20 feet

above the river’s edge. Such natural terraces along waterways were used by Native Americans for planting maize or squash or as campsites during their migratory travels between ocean and inland. Moreno commented,” It would be great to do an archaeological study in this area. I wouldn’t be surprised to find traces of Native American campsites or forest trails.”

In more modern times, arriving settlers found abundant resources, cleared the land and started families. 1950s aerial photos show that the Branch Hill Farm peninsula was clear cut at that time although it is now completely re-grown as a pine forest.  As the group walked back along the woods road, they stopped near the Salmon Falls River at the Applebee cemetery and cellar hole, which date to the 1800’s. Cynthia Wyatt, Managing Trustee of BHF/CSFCT, credited logger Larry Hersom with clearing the historic sites so they are now visible from the trail. 

Workshop participant Joann Coskie thought the hike setting was beautiful and reflected afterwards, “The first few inches of history only took us back a few centuries.  A hay wagon ride was necessary to journey back to the ice age!”

MMRG, a non-profit land trust, works to conserve and connect important water resources, farm and forest lands, wildlife habitats, and recreational land in Brookfield, Farmington, Middleton, Milton, New Durham, Wakefield, and Wolfeboro. Throughout the year, MMRG offers many educational opportunities to inform all ages about the benefits of our region’s natural resources. For more information and a calendar of upcoming events, visit www.mmrg.info.  Branch Hill Farm/the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust works to protect open space and working forests and to educate the public about sound forestry, conservation and agricultural practices; see www.branchillfarm.org.

Cemetery

Studying Appebee cemetery

Mile thick ice left boulders

 Charlie outlines plan of walk

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
Box 191, Union, NH  03887
603-473-2020
info@mmrg.info

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 9/30/2019

Families Had Fun Under a New Moon with Moose Mountains Regional Greenways

What can you do outside in the dark? A lot, it turns out, as discovered by a dozen parents and children who joined Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG) for a Family New Moon Walk on a warm September evening at Branch Hill Farm in Milton Mills. The outing was part of MMRG’s ‘MOOSE-ies for Families’ program of six nature-related activities per year, designed for families to have fun outdoors together and to encourage a new generation of conservationists.

As twilight fell, families walked along a woods road through the Branch Hill Farm forest. One child picked up a pine cone, which became an opportunity to identify and learn about pine trees. When the forest transitioned from softwoods to deciduous, trip co-leader Tom Gardner pointed out the differences between leafy trees and trees with needles. Other senses came into sharper focus as twilight deepened. When co-leader Kari Lygren pointed out the soft moss under their feet, one little girl opted for the full sensory experience and lay down in it. Further along, where the path opened up to a field, everyone spontaneously grew quiet and listened.

The destination was a secluded meadow enclosed by woods, perfect for stargazing while lying on blankets or for frolicking around on the grass. Kids had a great time chasing and capturing crickets while adults enjoyed seeing the stars gradually appear in the darkening sky and learning to identify various constellations. Everyone was interested in trying the red flashlights (red cellophane taped over the light bulb end), which made it easier for eyes to adapt to the dark.

Earlier, Gardner had discussed how our eyesight is based on rods and cones and why red and white light has different effects. He gave examples of animals with different types of sight: nocturnal animals, such as owls, bats and raccoons, that come out and hunt only at night; crepuscular animals such as deer, active at dawn and dusk; and the many diurnal animals that humans are familiar with because we’re all out and about during daylight hours. By the time families made the walk back from the field to their cars, night had fallen and children noticed they could see better when the lights stayed off or only red lights were used.

Reflecting on the evening, Lygren reported, “We threw out most of the structured activities we had planned, because kids were having so much fun playing in the field and being outside in the dark. That’s the point after all, for us to enjoy and value what nature has to offer us!”

‘MOOSE-ies for Families’ stands for Members Only Outdoor and Social Events for Families, a membership benefit for MMRG member families. Upcoming MOOSE-ies events include a Bonfire Evening of stories, music and games on Friday, October 25 and a Saturday morning walk to gather greens and make natural decorations on December first. Families can join MMRG for $25 per household per year at www.mmrg.info/become-a-member/ or call (603) 473-2020 to inquire about available scholarships. MMRG would like to thank MRP Manufacturing, LLC in Pittsfield, NH for sponsoring the 2019 ‘MOOSE-ies for Families’ series, and the Dorr Foundation, which supported the program with a grant.

MMRG, a non-profit land trust, works to conserve and connect important water resources, farm and forest lands, wildlife habitats, and recreational land in Brookfield, Farmington, Middleton, Milton, New Durham, Wakefield, and Wolfeboro.  MMRG also offers educational opportunities to inform all ages about the benefits of our region’s natural resources; see www.mmrg.info. Branch Hill Farm/Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust works to protect open space and working forests and to educate the public about sound forestry, conservation and agricultural practices; see www.branchhillfarm.org.

Two year old toddler in grass by Amy Gardner

New moon walk group entering the field at twilight by Amy Gardner

Little girl in grass at twilight by Amy Gardner

Kids running in field at twilight by Amy Gardner

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
Box 191, Union, NH  03887
603-473-2020
info@mmrg.info

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 9/21/2019

‘Walking Through Time in a Local Forest’ with Forester Charlie Moreno

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG) and Branch Hill Farm/Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust (BHF/CSFCT) will offer a free forestry workshop on Saturday, October 19 from 9:30 to noon at Branch Hill Farm’s Salmon Falls Woodlands in Milton Mills. The natural history tour, titled ‘Walking Through Time in a Local Forest,’ will be led by consulting forester Charlie Moreno, who has offered many previous popular workshops for these partner conservation organizations.

For this workshop, Moreno will lead participants on a walk along the trails through the Salmon Falls Woodlands and will invite you to take a simultaneous stroll through time. His goal is to share a long-range perspective of New England forests, offering a narrative of how the forest, wildlife and land have changed over millennia.

Along the way, Moreno will point out possible signs of early Native American use of this land as well as indicators of nineteenth century agricultural use. The main trail across the parcel was once the main road from Milton to Milton Mills, with historic landmarks, the Applebee cellar hole and cemetery. Rubbings of the old grave stones will be available.  The journey will also include stops showcasing characteristics of today’s sustainably-managed forest and a stop on the peninsula between the Branch and Salmon Falls rivers, where Moreno will discuss how glaciers shaped the land and how ice age geology still influences the forests of today.

As a consulting forester, Charlie Moreno manages over 30,000 acres of forests for private landowners, conservation organizations, and communities in southern New Hampshire and Maine, including the BHF Salmon Falls Woodlands site of this workshop. He expects this natural history workshop to be of interest to woodlot owners, natural history buffs, conservationists, and outdoor enthusiasts.

The workshop is free and the public is invited but pre-registration is required. For more information, directions, and to register, contact MMRG’s Education Coordinator Kari Lygren at (603) 978-7125 or email info@mmrg.info. Participants are asked to leave pets at home.

MMRG, a non-profit land trust, works to conserve and connect important water resources, farm and forest lands, wildlife habitats, and recreational land in Brookfield, Farmington, Middleton, Milton, New Durham, Wakefield, and Wolfeboro. Throughout the year, MMRG offers many educational opportunities to inform all ages about the benefits of our region’s natural resources. For more information and a calendar of upcoming events, visit www.mmrg.info.  Branch Hill Farm/the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust works to protect open space and working forests and to educate the public about sound forestry, conservation and agricultural practices; see www.branchillfarm.org.

Charlie Moreno talking to workshop group (Photo by Kate Wilcox)

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
Box 191, Union, NH  03887
603-473-2020
info@mmrg.info

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: 9/2/2019

Family New Moon Walk with Moose Mountains Regional Greenways on September 21

On Saturday, September 21, Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG) and Branch Hill Farm will offer a New Moon Walk for families.  The activity is part of MMRG’s ongoing nature series for kids and their families called “MOOSE-ies for Families”, intended to engage children with the natural world and encourage a new generation of conservationists. MMRG staff and volunteers will lead the New Moon Walk from 5 to 7 pm at Branch Hill Farm in Milton Mills.

Lorrie Drake, Chair of MMRG’s Educational Outreach Committee and one of the outing leaders, was enthusiastic about the variety of fun things that can be done when the moon is hidden and the sky is dark. “Activities will include stargazing and learning about constellations, listening for night sounds and using our other heightened senses, and learning about animals that can see in the dark. We’ll provide red cellophane to cover flashlights for night vision, and diagrams of easily identified constellations. I’m sure we’ll have a great time!”

Children of all ages are welcome with their families. Families are asked to bring their own snack, a blanket for stargazing, bug repellant, and flashlights or headlamps. The outing is free for MMRG member households (see below) but pre-registration is required. For more information, directions, and to pre-register, call MMRG Education Coordinator Kari Lygren at (603) 978-7125 or email info@mmrg.info.

‘MOOSE-ies for Families’ stands for Members Only Outdoor and Social Events for Families. The program of six ‘MOOSE-ies for Families’ activities per year is a membership benefit for MMRG member families. Upcoming MOOSE-ies events include a Bonfire Evening of stories, music and games on Friday, October 25 and a Saturday morning walk to gather greens and make holiday decorations on December first. Families can join MMRG for $25 per household per year at www.mmrg.info/become-a-member/ or call (603) 473-2020 to inquire about available scholarships. MMRG would like to thank MRP Manufacturing, LLC in Pittsfield, NH for sponsoring the 2019 ‘MOOSE-ies for Families’ series, and the Dorr Foundation, which supported the program with a grant.

MMRG, a non-profit land trust, works to conserve and connect important water resources, farm and forest lands, wildlife habitats, and recreational land in Brookfield, Farmington, Middleton, Milton, New Durham, Wakefield, and Wolfeboro. Throughout the year, MMRG offers many educational opportunities to inform all ages about the benefits of our region’s natural resources. For more information and a calendar of events, visit www.mmrg.info. Branch Hill Farm/Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust works to protect open space and working forests and to educate the public about sound forestry, conservation and agricultural practices; see www.branchhillfarm.org.

Walking in the woods with MOOSE-ies for Families (Photo by Kari Lygren)

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
Box 191, Union, NH  03887
(603)-817-8260
info@mmrg.info

Submitted: August 19, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival: A Day of Fun and Learning

Attendees, volunteers, and presenters were all smiles by the end of the 17^th annual Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival at Branch Hill Farm in Milton Mills, held on a beautiful Saturday in August. This annual festival is presented by Moose Mountains Regional Greenways (MMRG) and Branch Hill Farm (BHF) as a day for families to connect with nature, helping ensure that the next generation appreciates and strives to conserve the region’s natural resources.

An informal poll of what kids had learned that day elicited a common animal theme.  Recounted one smart young girl, “I learned that skunks can spray six times and then they have to wait ten days.” Fascinating facts like this were presented during the ‘Wildlife Workshop’ offered by Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, where Center staff showed a rescued owl, skunk, and opossum and discussed their habits. Other children were captivated by what they learned from Athena’s Bees, which displayed a hive made from a white pine column, simulating a tree. Reported one child, “Bees huddle up in their nest during the winter like penguins and eat their honey.” A Horseshoe crab shell provided by naturalist Jon Batson, a snake to hold from the Funny Farm, as well as the chickens, goats and a miniature horse brought by 4H for kids to pet were also popular.

Children had many opportunities to get physically active, engage with nature and make things. One little girl caught six fish while fishing in the Branch Hill Farm pond. Volunteer instructors from NH Fish & game were on hand to lend poles and bait and fishing advice. Down at the Salmon Falls River (one of the hayride destinations), kids used dip nets to look for water creatures. Dozens of families tried out the self-guided treasure hunt called ‘Kids Discover the Forest’ and the green gym in the woods called ‘Nature’s Playground’. Children  jumped at the chance to use a crosscut saw to cut a ‘Tree Cookie’ (slice of pine log) and decorate it, they inserted  hollow day lily stems into a recycled milk carton to make a home for wild pollinators at the ‘Build a Bee House’ activity, and learned to make cork boats with Acton Wakefeld Watersheds Alliance. Both toddlers and older kids played at gardening, digging and carrying dirt in wheelbarrows alongside Sheehan Gardens Permaculture Garden, where everyone delighted in samples of Mexican sour gherkins, a small round cucumber.

In addition to being MMRG’s biggest yearly outreach event, the WWW Festival also serves as the organization’s leading annual fundraiser, with proceeds supporting its land conservation and outreach missions. MMRG is grateful to festival underwriters, BHF/Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust, Siemon Company, and D. F. Richard Energy, and to major festival sponsors, the Hays Dombrower Family, Peter & Susan Goodwin, Norman Vetter Inc. Poured Foundations, Bruce & Jennifer Rich, S&S Plumbing & Heating, LLC, Carl & Beth Ann Siemon, Henry and Junko Siemon, the Wyatt Family, and Philip Zaeder & Sylvia Thayer, as well as to many more sponsors, co-sponsors and supporters.

Moose Mountains Regional Greenway is a non-profit land trust serving Brookfield, Farmington, Middleton, Milton, New Durham, Wakefield, and Wolfeboro (see www.mmrg.info). Branch Hill Farm/Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust is a private operating foundation (see www.branchhillfarm.org).

Branch Hill Farm is the venue for the Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival each year; photo by Kate Wilcox

Fishing in the Branch Hill Farm pond is a favorite activity at MMRG’s annual Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival; photo by Kate Wilcox

Kids love playing in the dirt at the Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival; photo by Kate Wilcox

Mother and child build a bee house out of hollow day lily stems. Mount the house horizontally for native pollinators to live in; photo by Kate Wilcox

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways
Box 191, Union, NH  03887
(603) 473-2020
info@mmrg.info

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date submitted:  August 1, 2019

Family-friendly Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival on Saturday, August 10                                                                                                          

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways and Branch Hill Farm will present the 17^th Annual Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival on Saturday, August 10 from 10 am to 3 pm at Branch Hill Farm, 307 Applebee Road in Milton Mills, NH. This family-friendly celebration of the great outdoors provides children and adults an opportunity to enjoy, understand and appreciate the natural world.

An abundance of activities are available for grandparents, parents and other family members to enjoy time outside with kids, with an emphasis on having fun, exploring and getting a close look at nature. Families get to watch rescued wild animals and learn about their habits, try fishing in the pond, or take a hayride to the Salmon Falls River. Kids can venture on a discovery walk to find natural treasures in the woods, try out a logger’s crosscut saw, meet Sunsquatch and Smokey Bear, build a bee house for native pollinators, or swing on a rope swing in the woods.

There’s lots to learn for adults too, with demonstrations and information on permaculture gardening, apple tree grafting and cider-making, beekeeping and collecting honey, low impact horse logging, food composting, solar power, landscaping for pollinators and wildlife, controlling invasive species, and more topics in forestry, agriculture, and sustainability. Live fiddle and guitar music is also a big attraction.

The festival takes place rain or shine. Admission is $5/person or $10/family and free to ages 12 and under; all events included; food concessions available. Rest rooms and most events are wheelchair accessible. No pets, please. A program of the day’s activities is at www.mmrg.info/festival.

Larry Hersom meets hayride (Photo by Jenn McKown)

Kids digging (Photo by Bonnie Dodge)

Families in haywagon (Photo by Jenn McKown)

Moose Mountains Regional Greenways

Box 191, Union, NH  03887

(603) 473-2020

info@mmrg.info

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date submitted:  July 23, 2019

Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival: A Day of Family Fun and Learning

The 17^th Annual Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival will take place on Saturday, August 11 from 10 am to 3 pm at Branch Hill Farm, 307 Applebee Road, Milton Mills, NH. This day-long celebration of the great outdoors regularly attracts more than 600 participants, who make the most of this chance for families to have fun, explore and learn about the natural world together.

Jocelyn Smith, a native of Milton Mills, has been attending the festival for many years with her son Cameron. She enjoys visiting all the different Festival events and couldn’t choose just one favorite. But eight-year-old Cameron was decisive about his favorite activity: ‘fishing!’ He has hung on to his Festival fishing ‘license’ and wants to try again this year to catch a fish.

Cameron also likes the ‘lumberjack event’, where he gets to use a crosscut saw to cut a piece of pine log. Some kids choose to paint their pine log tree cookies in the Tree Cookie/Craft Corner but Cameron prefers his as ‘natural wood’ and he uses it at home as a cup holder. He likes the treasure hunt called Kids Discover the Forest as well as Natures Playground where he gets to play on swings or tree stumps in the woods. When asked what he has learned at the Festival, he responded, “People shouldn’t take straws at restaurants” after finding out at the Zero Waste Initiative last year that plastic straws are not recyclable.

MMRG Educational Outreach Coordinator Kari Lygren encourages people to check out the new Festival educational offerings this year. “Come learn about composting made easier at Mr. Fox Composting.  Get an introduction to raised beds for Permaculture Gardening from Sheehan Gardens. At Here Comes the Sun from Revision Energy, discover the potential of solar panels and meet Sunsquatch, who’s on a mission to spread solar power to schools.”

Lygren is also excited about the return of All About Apples, at which Branch Hill Farm and Jug Hill Cider Orchard will announce the start of a Regional Heritage Orchard in the ‘hayride’ field across from the barn. Orchardist Jared Kane explains, “This holistic preservation orchard will preserve important biological diversity and provide a site for educational workshops and sustainable orcharding practices. We plan to add over 100 traditional varieties of apples and pears as well as newly-discovered wild varieties selected for their eating, cooking, or cider attributes.  Do you have an old apple or pear tree on your property? It could qualify for being cloned and included in our Orchard.  Please come to All About Apples to learn more!”

Homemade salads, hot grilled food, ice cream, and blueberry smoothies will be on sale along with T-shirts and raffle baskets of local fresh produce and other items. The festival takes place rain or shine. No pets please. Rest rooms and most events are wheelchair accessible. The cost is $5/person or $10/family; free for ages 12 and under; all events included in the admission price. Proceeds and business sponsorships support MMRG’s land conservation and educational outreach mission.

MMRG is grateful to its festival underwriters, Branch Hill Farm/Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust, the Siemon Company, and D. F. Richard Energy and to its early major sponsors, the Hays Dombrower Family, Peter and Susan Goodwin, Norman Vetter Inc. Poured Foundations, Bruce and Jennifer Rich, Carl and Beth Ann Siemon, the Wyatt Family, and Philip Zaeder and Sylvia Thayer. Thanks are due to many more businesses, organizations, and individual sponsors, co-sponsors and supporters and to numerous dedicated volunteers. More volunteers as well as business sponsors are needed! For more information, call 603-978-7125, email info@mmrg.info or visit www.mmrg.info/festival to see a Festival program of events.

Cameron Smith and his father take a turn with the crosscut saw to cut a ‘tree cookie’ from a pine log at the 2018 Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival. Photo by Jocelyn Smith.

Nature’s Playground at the Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival fetures a swing, hammock, a log to walk on, stumps to hop, and more outdoor play opportunities. Photo by David O’Connor

Poles and bait are available at the Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival for kids to try fishing in the Branch Hill Farm pond. Photo by David O’Connor. 

Poles and bait are available at the Woods, Water & Wildlife Festival for kids to try fishing in the Branch Hill Farm pond. Photo by David O’Connor.