D Acres of New Hampshire

D Acres of NH is a nonprofit organic farm and homestead. The mission of the organization is to function as an educational center that researches, applies, and teaches skills of sustainable living and small-scale organic farming. The idea is to work cooperatively to achieve many of the roles a farm can play in the community. The project serves as a community center and producer of agricultural products. Instead of the common farm dilemma of seeking work offsite to supplement income, we are looking for creative ways to generate on-farm income. D Acres of NH serves as a model of the modern small farm in New England. The economic and social possibilities of the farm as a center for healthy food, face-to-face communication, education, and goods and services are endless. The vision of this farm is to provide stewardship for the rural landscape while also serving the community. We share with the public through food events, hands-on workshops, themed fairs, tours, localization invigoration, and educational outreach to local schools.

D Acres activities include no-till gardening, sustainable forestry with oxen, waste food collection as a feed source for D Acres pigs, wood-fired cooking, alternative building (tree houses, cordwood, cob, stone masonry, recycled timber frames, and recycled glass). Additional activities include woodwork, blacksmithing, print making, jewelry making, fiber arts, use of alternative energies (photovoltaic, solar hot water, waste veggie oil, and wood), a hostel, and a trail system through our 180 acre woodlot.

There are many facets to development aimed at creating rural ecological society. The idealistic vision is to provide the positive aspects of traditional and current technologies as a means of producing a simple yet comfortable standard of living. This must involve conservation and adaptation to reduce our fossil fuel consumption. Another facet of this project is the use of the consensus process enabling individuals to cooperatively pursue this ideal. Economics is important as well: D Acres endeavors to exhibit methods for on-farm revenue generation especially through cottage crafts made from onsite renewable resources.