Dorothy Perkins
Educational Program Coordinator, Agricultural Resources

Dots main focus in the county is to increase agricultural awareness through education. She works directly with commercial growers to increase profit margins by decreasing inputs thereby helping to perserve open spaces. Best management practices including sound IPM techniques are emphasized. In addition she works with the general public   via walk in, e-mail, phone, and lectures to increase their grower knowlege, environmental impact and effect on agriculture as whole. She often works with school groups helping them identify ways to incorporate agriculture education into their curriculum. She is the program coordinator in Merrimack county for the Master Gardener program. She is a certified: Permaculture Designer, National Plant Diagnositc Network First Detector, and Herbal Information Specialist. Among her many talents, Dot identifies plants and insects through walk ins and digital pictures via the e-mail and often works with livestock owners, vets and the general public identifying weeds and their possible toxicities. She advises landowners on pasture reclaimation, soil nutrient management, establishing fruit and vegetable seedings and greenhouse problems.

Dot was born to a New England farm family in 1958 and grew up learning about vegetable farming. While raising her own family Dot and her husband gained extensive experience raising ,cows,ducks, chickens, rabbits, pigs, veal and goats,. She enrolled at the University of New Hampshire in 1996 and earned her BS in Plant Biology. While earning her degree, Dot worked at the UNH- Plant Diagnostic Lab where she learned plant pathology under the personal guidance of Dr. Cheryl Smith. In addition to her experiences at UNH, Dot is an avid gardener, herbalist, and taxonomist. Her favorite farm animals are Saanen goats. Her biggest hobby/passion is identifying native weeds and researching their uses. She is earning her Masters degree from UNH in Animal Sciences where she is focusing on using condensed tannins in plants to control gastrointestinal parasites in organic livestock.

• Graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2001 with a BS in Plant Biology

• Working directly with the Agricultural Educator as the IPM specialist; Coordinating the Master Gardener program; Diagnosing and making recommendations to commercial growers for plant pest and disease problems, all commodities; Working with individuals on pasture management and livestock issues; Identifying insects, plant diseases, and poisonous pasture plants.

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