About this item
With practical examples of alternative building, renewable energy, holistic forestry, no-till gardening, hospitality management, community outreach, and more The Community-Scale Permaculture Farm describes not only the history of the D Acres project, but its evolving principles and practices that are rooted in the land, its inhabitants, and the joy inherent in collective empowerment. For almost twenty years, D Acres of New Hampshire has challenged and expanded the common definition of a farm. As an educational center that researches, applies, and teaches skills of sustainable living and small-scale organic farming, D Acres serves more than just a single function to its community. By turns it is a hostel for travelers to northern New England, a training center for everything from metal- and woodworking to cob building and seasonal cooking, a gathering place for music, poetry, joke-telling, and potluck meals, and much more.
About the Author
Josh Trought is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Colorado in Boulder. While at the University he participated in School Year Abroad in Spain studying Spanish & European Economics. The program provided not only an opportunity to perfect basic Spanish but also an opportunity to travel Europe and North Africa. In addition, he worked at Campus Recycling Center in Boulder, which provided an in-depth experience that illuminated the realities of large scale recycling. Josh worked at a Health Clinic for Marginalized Peoples in Boulder, where he served as a nurse's aid to translate and record vital signs for predominantly Spanish speaking patients. He was an Intern for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder acting as a research assistant in a project that measured high atmospheric levels of Methyl Bromide and other greenhouse related gases. During the summer of 1992, he served as an intern at the National Park Tapanti in Costa Rica analyzing species diversity and assisting in day to day duties of park rangers.
After receiving his B.S. in environmental studies, Josh spent several years interning and volunteering in various environmental and agriculture projects. These included participating in the Solar Energy International summer intern training programs in Colorado, building a straw bale house in the Pacific Northwest, building a timber home with locally forested materials in Wyoming, post-hurricane reconstruction of homes on St John, USVI, and farming on several organic farms and experiencing sustainable communities in the US and South America. As a self-directed learner, Josh has acquired knowledge and skill in environmentally sensitive construction and agriculture.
Involved in many community service activities, Josh received the Dorchester Citizen of the Year award in 2003. Josh currently serves on the Dorchester Conservation Commission and as the Dorchester representative and Treasurer of the Pemi Valley Solid Waste Council. In 2006, Josh was recognized as a leader in his community by the Union Leader in their "40 under 40" award program.
Josh's avocation is woodworking and he is a member of several NH Artists' Groups including Artistic Roots, an Artists Cooperative in Campton, NH, and is the president of the Cardigan Mountain Art Association located in the Mascoma Valley. He is a juried member of the League of NH Crafters in woodworking.
Over the last ten years, he has developed and implemented the vision of D Acres of New Hampshire, committed to educating others in environmental stewardship of land and forests within a framework of community shared decision-making. Josh's commitment to social justice and sustainable living has led to his ongoing efforts to share his knowledge and skill in underserved areas such as South America. He spent the winters of 2001 and 2002 volunteering with an NGO, "La Caravana Arcoiris Por La Paz,&qu
