Sarah Costa | Support HB246

We own and operate a small diversified dairy farm in Cheshire County, owning over 300 acres and renting another 200 acres for crop land. We have an onsite state and federally inspected milk plant where we gently pasteurize and bottle in returnable glass bottles all the milk our herd makes, along with raising grass fed beef, pastured pork and eggs and maple syrup. We direct market our products to our local community through our on-site farm store and wholesale to Food Co-ops, natural food and grocery stores and locally owned small general stores. We were excited to be one of the first recipients of the Climate Resiliency grant back in 2022 which we used to reclaim and fence approximately 10 more acres of previous grown-up pasture on our land. All of our dairy and beef cattle are rotationally grazed from late April until November. We have experienced several drought seasons over the years but also the rain events have been getting more extreme. Having this additional pasture will ensure that we can keep true to our farming practices that our customers seek out for our products. We will be able to adapt to the ever changing climate by having more rotations in our grazing season, while providing a safe barrier for our cattle. This will help give longer rest periods to the land/pasture that we have been already using which will in turn allow for better pasture regrowth, root development and soil enhancement, making the land and our farm more resistant to climate change events, while allowing us growing room for our herd to expand, thus growing our small farm business. The Climate Resilience grant has made a big impact on our farm's mission of providing our local community with grass fed milk and beef. We greatly appreciate programs like these that can give farmers the support that they need to help build their businesses, while maintaining their practices and values. Grants such as this are essential for New Hampshire to keep their small farms thriving in an ever-changing climate, while maintaining the beauty and rural character of open lands in the state, Regards, Sarah Costa Manning Hill Farm Winchester, NH