Compaction Mitigation with No-Till Practices

Learn about the role of minimum tillage and cover crops in compaction mitigation of farm soil.

Tuesday December 14, 2021 ~ 6:00-7:00pm ~ Online

Join NOFA/MASS online to learn from Freedom Food Farm’s manager Chuck Currie and Maggie Payne, from NRCS. Chuck will give us an overview of his farm where he uses holistic and biodynamic farming principles to raise livestock and to grow grain and vegetables for their CSA and farmers market. Maggie and Chuck will discuss various practices and their effects on compaction.

Throughout the event we will:

Learn about Freedom Food Farm’s various tillage reduction strategies
Discuss the effects of soil compaction and mitigation techniques
Learn about soil health indicators you can measure with simple and low cost tools on your own farm
About the Speakers

Chuck Currie (he/him) manages the Freedom Food Farm’s grain & compost production as well as the livestock. He has farmed for over 15 years and has taught many workshops on organic, regenerative farming in New England.

After completing a B.S. in Plant, Soil, and Insect Science from UMass in 2005, he worked at Red Fire Farm in Granby, MA for three years before starting his own farm in Vermont. After four years farming in Vermont, Chuck moved back to Southeastern Massachusetts with the goal of providing equal access to good food in more urban communities, and to be closer to family and friends. He started Freedom Food Farm in 2012 on leased land in Johnston, RI and moved to the farm in Raynham, MA in 2014.

Maggie Payne (she/her) is the State Soil Scientist for Massachusetts USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). After graduating from URI with an M.S. in Environmental Science, she has worked as a soil scientist and soil conservationist for NRCS in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for 15 years. Maggie’s work has involved mapping and study of coastal soils and habitats, terrestrial soil carbon sequestration, wetland restoration, and on-farm soil health practices.