Rural Vitality

The primary objectives of this Rural Vitality Project are to:

• Enhance the economic health of working lands (farms and forests).
• Preserve, enhance and celebrate our rural character and cultural heritage.
• Increase area residents' appreciation of farming, forestry and stewardship.
• Enhance and protect our landscape and rural aesthetics.
• Steward the ecological health of our land and water resources.
• Promote the greater Unity region as a healthy agrarian community.
• Create and maintain a participatory network of active citizens who collectively guide the Initiative.

We envision a future where…

• More local needs are served locally.
• More local people earn all or part of their living from the land.
• Local people feel a stronger and deeper connection with the countryside.
• Land and water resources are healthier, more diverse, and more attractive.
• We enjoy and foster a wide range of activities (cultural, recreational, and aesthetic) that bring people and land together.

• Farm & Forest Vitality: Projects that increase local farming and forestry, help farmers and woodlot-owners adopt more sustainable practices, and channel more wood and farm products to local use.
• Stewardship & Preservation: Projects that help protect and preserve local land, water, scenery, and wildlife habitat. (This would include both projects that result in more preserved land and projects that help landowners to be better stewards.)
• Public Awareness: Projects that raise the awareness of area residents, potential product markets and policy makers about actions we can take to promote our rural land, livelihoods and culture.
• Community Building: Other projects that help bring people together to celebrate our rural community and deepen our roots in it.

Project Biodiesel

In the 2003 growing season, UBR contracted with 2 farmers to grow a total of 40 acres of soybeans for a Biodiesel test project. All of the beans grew well and yielded at the national average despite a very late planting date due to spring rains. The beans from 15 of these acres were crushed and pressed into crude soy oil and high protein meal. This oil was processed further into "biodiesel" for use in diesel tractor, automobile and boat engines or home heating furnaces. The other 25 acres worth were roasted and fed to a herd of certified organic cows. The 2003 pilot project provided a starting point for calculating soybean production in our area for both cattle feed, human consumption, and fuel processing, should a local farmer be interested in soybean production.