Berkshire Conservation District Healthy Soils

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshire Conservation District announced the receipt of grant funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), Division of Conservation Services, Healthy Soils Program to increase the use of no-till seeding methods along with soil testing by farmers throughout western Massachusetts. 
 
The District purchased an Esch 12' no-till seeder which they have been renting to area farmers since 2019.
 
With this funding, the District is now able to waive the per-acre fee as well as the cost of soil testing. Applicants agree to a multi-year agreement involving annual soil testing and no-till planting. This approach prioritizes soil health and protects soil and water resources from the impacts of climate change by helping to reduce soil erosion, conserve water, improve soil health and decrease carbon release.
 
The Berkshire Conservation District is collaborating with the Hampton/Hampshire Conservation District, which recently purchased a 5'6" no-till drill, to offer two sizes of no-till drills to farmers in western Massachusetts making the program more accessible to farmers of large and small acreage.
 
"Farmers are excited to have access to new pieces of equipment that can seed fields faster and more efficiently. The Berkshire Conservation District has the ability to listen closely to what is needed and respond directly, building relationships with the agricultural community that will contribute to more resilient farming practices," said Ambrose Clausen, the District's Healthy Soils/No-Till Program Coordinator.
 
Other District programs focus on increasing and improving habitats for pollinators, including helping Berkshire towns pass Pollinator-Friendly Community resolutions, financial incentives for farmers to add pollinator habitat on their farms and our fall Native Plant Sale. More information on all programs can be found at berkshireconservation.org/programs.
 
The Berkshire Conservation District is a state-mandated agency whose mission is to support local agriculture and environmental sustainability in Berkshire County through education in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
 
For more information and to be part of this exciting program, contact the District's No-Till Coordinator at bcdnotill@gmail.com.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

PHS Air and Water Quality Within Accepted Levels

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— Air and water quality testing at Pittsfield High School came back within acceptable levels, and the administration is open to additional testing. 

Last week, the School Committee accepted test results on the facility that has sat on East Street for nearly 100 years.  The report was done in collaboration with Atlas Technical Consultants and the Pittsfield Water Department. 

Readings were "acceptable" in all tested locations, and there are recommendations for monitoring humidity, replacing equipment, and additional air monitoring when needed.  Some retesting needed to be done, and a couple of sink faucets were removed in the process. 

"If you want every room sampled, we can do it," Mayor Peter Marchetti said in response to Ciara Batory's concerns about air sampling in only a handful of rooms. 

"This is the report that came back, and this report does not show that children are in danger."

Limited indoor air quality readings were done in rooms 102, 103, 104, and 116 on June 31.  Air quality testing was also done two years ago. 

Humidity levels were slightly above American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers guidelines in rooms 103 and 104; monitoring and dehumidification are recommended. 

The report says that mold spores captured in rooms 103 and 104 likely originated from an indoor source.  Custodial deep cleaning was done right before samples were taken, and a retest showed levels within an acceptable range. 

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