We are making progress in the field.

Our mission is to foster a resilient energy and food system for New Hampshire by providing technical education and practical agricultural examples.  An educational non-profit organization established in 2006, GreenStart sees food and fuel security as the end-product of a vibrant, sustainable agriculture system in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire has 40% of its land area in agricultural soils, yet farms only 10% and imports 95% of its food and fuel.  New Hampshire has no significant petroleum resources.  To feed and fuel itself from sustainable natural resources, New Hampshire must improve its soils while also improving production.

To achieve this end, GreenStart facilitates projects that
1)        increase soil carbon “banking”
2)        decrease energy inputs
3)        increase both food and fuel outputs (positive energy and carbon balance)
4)        promote “tight” cycling of nutrients
5)        provide opensource access to appropriate knowledge, seeds and equipment

Practice-Based We firmly believe that when it comes to agricultural practices, functioning local examples are critical to adoption of new technology. We are rooted in building active on-farm projects and promoting on-farm research. Nimble We partner with institutions, yet are nimble enough to adapt quickly and stay focused on results in the field. Collaborative We work with academic institutions, regulatory agencies, NGOs, landowners and farmers to fill practical “gaps” in knowledge or equipment.  GreenStart has partnered with UNH Cooperative Extension, USDA/NRCS, NHACD, County Conservation Districts, Cornell Soil Health lab, and individual farms across the state and region. Research Oriented We promote the concept of “Popular Agronomy”, providing tools for producers to work towards continuous improvement through on-site research.