Volume 7 • Number 1 • Spring 2009

It is fitting that the theme of the Annual Report issue of In Common should be Natural Resource Based Economic Development. Of the seven critical issues that anchor Extension research and programming—each of which we will spotlight in an issue of this newsletter—economic development is most critical at this difficult time in our history. Focusing on development sustains our natural resources and returns us to our roots.

Valuing the Forest for the Trees

Want to enjoy a simple, quiet walk in the woods?

Finding the woods shouldn’t be difficult, in that 62 percent of Massachusetts is forested. And quiet? That depends. If we each stake out an individual share of the state’s forest tranquility tomorrow afternoon, we will each have less than half an acre to explore.

Massachusetts, it seems, is both the eighth most densely forested and the third most densely populated state in the nation. And simple? The impact of the Massachusetts forest land on the state’s economy, environmental integrity, biodiversity, public health and overall quality-of-life is much more complex than may seem apparent during that stroll through the woods.

Green Where It Counts

Join Ted Wales on a quick stroll across the yard at the Hartney Greymont Tree and Lawn Specialist facility in Needham, and you quickly get a sense of the elements key to the firm’s 70-year record of success.

There is waste from last season's projects being composted for use next spring; there are pumps to dispense bio-diesel for the company's fleet of trucks and tractors; and there are the employees who walk around like they own the place.

In fact, they do own the place…and they have been committed to the most innovative principles of sustainable and environmentally sound landscaping and lawn care since long before “green” hit the scene.

Seed from the Past, Success for the Future

At their fourth-generation orchard in Deerfield, Tom, Becky and Ben Clark are helping to preserve far more than apples.

Clarkdale Fruit Farms hasn’t changed much in 94 years. That’s the way Tom Clark likes it. His customers, who travel miles for heirloom fruit and small-batch ciders, like it too.

“Some of our apple varieties have been here since my grandfather planted them,” says Tom, pulling the best specimens from a crate for a customer. “Folks come with their children and buy the same types of apples they got here when they were kids themselves.”

Learning to Show Cows that Wow

If you insist on predicting the demise of Massachusetts dairies, you might not want to mention it at the UMass Amherst 4-H Dairy Cattle Camp at Northampton’s Three County Fair Ground.

As the next generation prepares for the county fair dairy shows—or, for the best, the Big E, the Eastern States Exposition—you can’t help but share in an unassailable enthusiasm for cows, cow care, and all things bovine.

This year, 87 young folks got a head start on the road to the Big E by attending the camp, which targets the next generation of dairy competitors (and their parents) with tips on judging pedigree, sire selection, showmanship, and even dressing for success in the ring.

Cranberry Bonanza

2008 was a bumper year for Massachusetts cranberries, as the state produced about 1.9 million barrels of cranberries—the biggest crop since 1999, and a 25 percent increase over the previous year. The UMass Amherst Cranberry Station in East Wareham continues to work directly with many of the 400 growers in the state to save water, protect the landscape, and produce the biggest, healthiest cranberries in the world.

Donor List and Financial Review

Please take a few moments to review, or to download, our Fiscal Year 2008 Financial Review and join us in extending an enthusiastic thank you to our generous Donors.

Fiscal Year 2008 Financial Review

Thank you to Our Generous Donors!