Chinese officials witness the power of partnerships in Southeastern Massachusetts

Click the photos below to download the full-size image.

Members of the Chinese delegation and representatives of southeastern Mass. conservation partner organizations gathered for a group photo.

District Conservationist Len Reno (left) and Pilgrim RC&D Coordinator Irene Winkler (center) discuss cranberry farm planning with members of the delegation.

Bill McCaffrey (center) explains his mixed-use farm operation to the delegation. His wife Mary is at left.

Dick Ward shows the pop-up irrigation system used on his cranberry bog to members of the delegation.

Dick Ward demonstrates  equipment he customized for use on his cranberry bog.

WEST WAREHAM, Mass. (September 28, 2007) -- A delegation of 22 Chinese land resource officials from the China Center for Town Reform and Development visited southeastern Massachusetts recently to learn how this rapidly growing region of the Bay State is dealing with land use issues. And federal, state and local partner agencies and organizations were eager to share their story.

The tour was hosted by the Pilgrim Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Pilgrim RC&D program staff and the Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District (SRPEDD).

“We planned a day that would provide the delegation the chance to witness the power of partnerships,” said Irene Winkler, Pilgrim RC&D Coordinator. “The delegation was interested in hearing how organizations in this area deal with the competing needs of farming and industrial, commercial, real estate and population growth. Although the organizations that participated in the tour provide different services to agriculture and the community, we all work together to achieve common goals.”

After a presentation on land use issues, given with the help of an interpreter, at the SRPEDD office in Taunton, the group visited Spring Rain Farm, a 112 acre mixed-use family farm in Taunton. Owners Bill and Mary McCaffrey explained how they raise strawberries, cranberries, hay, chickens and beef, and manage a woodlot in a suburban area.

The delegation also learned about the McCaffrey's pest, nutrient and water management practices, installed with the planning assistance of District Conservationist Len Reno and his staff.

Ward Bogs, a cranberry operation in nearby Carver, was the next stop on the tour. Owners Judy and Dick Ward spoke to the group about how they have improved their irrigation and production efficiency with the help of NRCS.

They also demonstrated equipment Dick developed for use on the bog, adding that cranberry growers must often adapt equipment for their needs when specialized equipment is not commercially available.

The tour concluded at Ward Bogs with a speaking program that provided federal, state, regional and local perspectives on agricultural viability, retention of rural character, environmental quality and sustainable economic development. Speakers included Christine Clarke, Massachusetts State Conservationist; Scott Soares, Acting Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources; Sarah Kelley, Executive Director of the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership; and several local Carver town officials including the Planning Director, Agricultural Commission Chair and Conservation Agent.

In her remarks, NRCS State Conservationist Christine S. Clarke explained to the group that NRCS works in partnership with state and local agencies to leverage resources to address common concerns. "For example, the Farm and Ranchlands Protection Program is a federal program that complements the state's Agricultural Preservation Restriction program," said Clarke. "By combining federal and state funding, we can better protect the future of agriculture in southeastern Massachusetts and stem some of the pressures of farming on the urban fringe."

“Industrial development, commercial development and real estate development are all encroaching on China's farmland,” said Winkler. “The China Center for Town Reform and Development is working to coordinate development so that it can take place without destabilizing the agricultural base of the countryside.” Winkler added that Pilgrim RC&D and SRPEDD have worked together on issues relating to farm business viability, farmland protection, and retention of rural character for more than a decade.

Southeastern Massachusetts, which includes Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket and Plymouth counties, is home to 1,800 farms and more than 110,000 acres of farmland, or 30 percent of Massachusetts farms and 21 percent of the state’s farmland. The region’s farms employ 3,000 workers and produce more than $90 million in agricultural products. Plymouth County ranks second nationally for cranberry production and Bristol County ranks 13th in the value of farm products sold directly to consumers.

< Back to News...