By Diane Hines
Houlton Rotarian
The Houlton Rotary’s noon luncheon meeting on June 8, 2015 celebrated the initiation of a new member and a program about the Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District. Nathan Bodenstab is the newest member of Houlton’s Rotary Club. He is the son-in-law of Rotarian Paul Callnan. Bodenstab has been attending meetings for quite a while as Paul’s guest and has now been welcomed as a member.
Contributed photo
NEW MEMBER — Nathan Bodenstab, center, is the newest member of the Houlton Rotary Club. Bodenstab joined the group at its June 8 meeting. With him is his father-in-law Paul Callnan, Houlton Rotarian and Rotary President Amy Hocking.
Angela Wotton spoke to the group about her work at SASWCD. She began her talk with some history of how the organization was founded. Timothy Egan wrote the book “Worst Hard Times” in 1935 about the soil loss in Oklahoma. Hugh Bennet visited Oklahoma and witnessed the dust storms. He wanted to develop a federal department but realized that the agency could not depend on the viewpoint from DC so it was determined that each state could establish their own departments.
Maine has 16 districts, 3 are in the County. The Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District was organized in 1942. Angie is the District Manager and has a Board of Directors comprised of various types of farmers. While working with a small budget SASWCD partners well with other entities such as the University Extension, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Maine Forest Service and Maine Organic Farmers and Growers. The groups pool their resources and knowledge.
Soil health, soil erosion and soil rebuilding are areas of focus for SASWCD. Currently there is the effort to replicate the natural diversity of plants in our soils by interplanting with nitrogen fixing legumes in the rows of potato plants or during a crop rotation year. Wotton’s work includes conservation education, a winter agriculture school, field days, and other workshops such as the Gravel Roads workshop with DEP this spring and logging workshops. Angie is also busy writing grants to support the district’s work. The district has ongoing student education, an Envirothon, and class room projects such as worm boxes and composting.
Wotton answered questions from the Rotarians about the financial support of the organization, soil banks, watershed projects, and pesticide usage. For more information Wotton can be reached at her office on the North Road at 207-532-2204 or by email at angela.
wotton@me.nacdnet.net.
Contributed photo
GUEST SPEAKER — Angela Wotton, right, of the Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District was the featured speaker June 8 at the Houlton Rotary Club. With Wotton is Rotary President Amy Hocking.
