Bench Terracing: Converting Marginal Wooded Slopes into High-Performance Market Gardens

Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: drainage systems, terraces
• Education and Training: on-farm/ranch research
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns
• Soil Management: soil analysis

1. Project Focus With the Northeast experiencing a drastic increase in extreme precipitation events, market gardens on 8-15% sloped Paxton sandy loams face severe erosion risks. This project evaluates "Terrace Core" bench terracing as a strategy to convert these marginal, stony glacial till soils into high-performance agricultural land. We test if engineering on-site biomass into the slope can stabilize hydrology better than standard methods.
2. Objectives The objectives are to: 1) Demonstrate the feasibility of converting rocky, wooded slopes into stabilized planting shelves using a novel "Terrace Core" deep-fill design; and 2) Quantify the hydrological resilience of this method by comparing real-time soil moisture retention across Biomass Core terraces, Standard Fill terraces, and the Undisturbed Raw Slope. 3) Track financial data throughout the project to determine if this is an economically feasible technique for large scale development.
3. Plan of Work We will construct five standardized 32-foot planting benches at Grover Brook Farm (Tolland, CT). A key innovation involves burying on-site woody debris to create a "hydrological battery." To validate performance, we will deploy a LoRaWAN wireless sensor network to log continuous infiltration and erosion data, moving beyond anecdotal observation to data-driven precision agriculture.
4. Outreach Strategy Outreach prioritizes Universal Design to ensure broad accessibility. The strategy centers on producing a digitally accessible "Construction Field Manual" (PDF) and a captioned 6-part YouTube construction diary, providing farmers with a replicable, engineered template for ecologically intensifying the region's abundant hilly terrain including key equipment, tools, materials, and cost information.

Primary Objective: Construction & Methodology Validation

Demonstrate the feasibility of converting marginal, wooded glacial till slopes into stabilized bench terraces using a replicable "Civil Engineering" methodology. Unlike previous "earthen berm" studies, this project will codify a construction protocol that utilizes on-site stone for structural armoring and standardized cut/fill ratios to prevent slope failure during extreme precipitation events.

• Metric: Successful construction of five (5) 32-foot-wide by 50-foot-long planting benches without structural failure or significant erosion during the 2026 growing season.

Secondary Objective: Hydrological & Micro-Climate Quantification

Quantify the specific environmental benefits of the "Biomass Core" innovation using a comparative experimental design. We will isolate variables by monitoring three distinct zones: (1) Biomass Core Terraces, (2) Standard Fill Terraces, and (3) Undisturbed Raw Slope. The following metrics will be recorded in each of the three zones:

• Moisture Dynamics: Continuous logging of Volumetric Water Content (VWC) via LoRaWAN sensors to generate comparative moisture retention curves. Using a mixture of SenseCAP S2105 and TEROS 12 sensors.
• Infiltration Rate: Conduct single-ring infiltration tests (ASTM D3385 method adapted) to measure surface permeability in "sponge" vs. "mineral" soils.
• Soil Temperature: Continuous logging of root-zone temperature to determine if the biomass core provides thermal buffering against mid-summer heat stress. Again, using a mixture of SenseCAP S2105 and TEROS 12 sensors.

Tertiary Objective: Economic & Labor Analysis

Establish a baseline "Cost of Conversion" for New England farmers. To avoid skewing data with previously cleared areas, we will conduct a focused Time-Motion Study on the excavation of two new, undisturbed blocks (Blocks 6 & 7).

• Metric: By strictly tracking machine rentals, machine hours, fuel, and operator time on virgin ground, we will generate a clean "Cost Per Linear Foot" index. This distinguishes the "Construction Phase" costs from general farm prep, creating a reliable economic model for peer replication.