WALPOLE, N.H. – The Cheshire County Conservation District (CCCD) is proud to announce its 2026 awardees. Annually, CCCD gives out two awards, Cooperator of the Year and Educator of the Year, to community members or businesses that make significant contributions to the community and the natural world. This year, CCCD is proud to unveil the new Community Partner of the Year Award. This award recognizes a partner the CCCD feels deserves recognition for their efforts not only in partner projects, but also in the overall service they bring to the Cheshire County community.
CCCD recognizes its 2026 awardees not only for their hard work, but for their commitment to creating a more resilient community and a more sustainable world. The 2026 awardees are Oliver and Elise Levick, of Monadnock Berries, Cooperator of the Year; Carl Majewski of UNH Cooperative Extension, Educator of the Year; and Marti Fiske and Amy Kraemer, of the Keene Public Library, Community Partner of the Year.
The Cooperator of the Year Award recognizes the hard work and dedication of producers who have worked with the National Resources Conservation Service and/or CCCD to provide delicious, vital, farm-fresh food we all love in New England. Time and time again, these producers put care and passion into their land not only to support production, but to create healthy soils, clean water, and thriving wildlife. Oliver and Elise Levick are the proud owners of Monadnock Berries in Troy, N.H., and also the 2026 Cooperator of the Year awardees. The farm has been in the family since 1996, and as the second generation to work this land, Oliver and Elise embody a longstanding relationship with and respect for the land.
Monadnock Berries is a beacon of successful community building, creating beautiful spaces for outdoor recreation, feeding our local communities, and doing so with care for the land and long-term conservation in mind. Oliver says, “You can say you own the land, but you really are just a caretaker. The land will be here long after we’re gone, and making certain improvements helps the land to function.”
The Educator of the Year Award has long recognized educators in the community, including teachers and less conventional educators. This year, Carl Majewski with UNH Extension is the Educator of the Year. Carl’s longtime role as a field specialist allows him to work directly with New Hampshire producers to teach soil management practices that keep our soils healthy and productive.
For Carl, his work is more than a job. It’s about building relationships with farmers and their farms. Many of those relationships have existed for more than 25 years, and as a result, he has been part of how they change. From new ideas to new generations, Carl has been able to help educate, but also to learn from those evolving relationships. Carl says, “One of the things I like about the job is that not only can you keep learning, but you are expected to keep learning.” Education is about connection and community. Carl embodies this day after day in his work and as an individual. He encourages everyone to utilize the extension office, attend workshops, and be open to learning. To sum it up, Carl says, “It’s not just me. I am proud of the work I do, but I wouldn’t be able to do it on my own. It’s my extension colleagues, the conservation districts, and the farms that I work with. They all help me do a better job.”
The Community Partner of the Year Award is the CCCD’s newest award to recognize those who not only partner on projects, but also provide overall service to the Cheshire County community. The Keene Public Library is a staple of the Keene community. Its mission statement, “Keene Public Library is your place for community and learning,” truly captures its commitment to being a free, accessible place for the community to connect, build, use, and learn. The Keene Public Library not only creates and distributes needed resources, but also partners with many different organizations to provide a wraparound approach to best serve the community.
The Keene Public Library is not only a vital community partner to CCCD and other organizations, it is also a vital community partner to the people of Cheshire County. Amy shares that sentiment by stating, “The library makes people more independent. It’s like teaching a person to fish; if you teach them to access resources once, they now know to come back to access more resources. They read a book about magic, and the next thing you know, they grow up to be a magician.”