Farm & Forest Climate Initiative on Potash Hill

July 19, 2023

This summer, the Farm & Forest Climate Initiative has continued its effort to maintain the garden and greenhouse at Potash Hill with climate resilience and the power of storing carbon in the soil and plants in mind. Those efforts include regular use of an electric mower and weed wackers, pollinator-friendly plants in front of the greenhouse, rebuilding stone walls, and growing a variety of herbs in the upper garden bed. The herbs are growing well, thanks in part to a thick layer of mulch that a team of Emerson College students and Marlboro College graduates deposited last fall. Also, they’ve had plenty of water. In drought years, getting water from the fire pond to the garden beds has been a challenge. Not this year! Another challenge in years past was the loss of produce to groundhogs. But the installation of an electric fence, powered in part by solar panels, seems to be keeping the herbs safe and the groundhogs occupied elsewhere. This year’s crop is abundant, and Chef Max Barksdale, who supplied the seedlings, has started using the herbs in the Potash Hill dining hall.

The Farm & Forest Climate Initiative is an educational and research program focused on local forests and agroecosystems and their capacity to ameliorate climate change. Healthy ecosystems sequester and store carbon in soils and their associated organisms while supporting biodiversity, climate resilience, and equitable well-being for all human communities both locally and globally. Alongside these natural climate solutions, the program emphasizes actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Its initial climate projects, led by Jennifer Ramstetter and Todd Smith, also include supporting forest conservation efforts and providing educational programming. The Farm & Forest Climate Initiative is a program of the Marlboro Foundation.