Developing a Carbon Farming Cohort with Alpaca Farmers in Southeastern New England

We are so thankful to Fibershed for giving us a grant to begin developing a carbon farming cohort in Southeastern New England. Our goal for this project is to strengthen the fiber farming community and encourage expansion in regeneratively-managed fiber animal grazing land in Southeastern New England by following Fibershed’s Climate Beneficial work.
The Southeastern New England Fibershed team began discussing the idea of creating a 7-farm Carbon Farming Cohort in our region inspired by Fibershed’s ongoing regenerative farming work. That vision took a step closer to reality when we were contacted by our key partner, Chris Riley of Golden Touch Alpaca Farm and the New England Alpaca Fiber Pool (NEAFP), who was interested in connecting with other local alpaca farmers to discuss Carbon Farming potential in their grazing and animal management systems.

 

Image: Kave Rock Farm

Our Fibershed SENE team will now support and facilitate the growers’ progress through the steps outlined in Fibershed’s Climate Beneficial Transition Verification document, with additional cohort support from a pasture management specialist, Dr. Christine Worthington and soil sampling with our gracious friends at the Woods Hole Research Center. The project will culminate with a SEMAP Twilight Meeting to share the Cohort’s results with other alpaca and wool growers, and potentially other non-fiber livestock farmers. The project will also set the stage for producer applications to the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) Agricultural Environmental Enhancement Program (AEEP) grants to secure funds for implementation of chosen practices. Throughout the project, we will be highlighting the producers who have so graciously joined on to be part of the project.

We also envision that the Cohort’s activities will create Carbon Farming resources that are unique to alpaca farmers and can be a model for alpaca growers elsewhere in our Fibershed and nationally. Finally, we are hopeful that the Carbon Farming plans created through this project will represent approaches that are appropriate for Northeast/New England climate and vegetation more generally. These elements would make the plans relevant for sheep farmers and potentially other non-fiber livestock farmers in our region as well.

Participating alpaca farms include:

Quissett Hill Farm
Plain View Farm
Kave Rock Farm
NEAFP
Sippican River Farm
Island Alpaca Co. of Martha’s Vineyard
Moonlight Rose Alpacas

READ INTERVIEWS with our cohort here:

Alpaca Carbon Farming Cohort Spotlight: KaveRock Alpaca Farm

Alpaca Carbon Farming Cohort Spotlight: Plain View Alpaca Farm

Alpaca Carbon Farming Cohort Spotlight: Moonlight Rose Alpaca Farm

Regenerative Farming With Massachusetts-Based Sippican River Alpaca Farm

Plain View Alpaca Farm Weighs In On Carbon Farming & Summer Progress