Food and Markets 2020 was a year of turbulence, uncertainty and change, with many important societal issues highlighted by the coronavirus pandemic. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets has been deeply involved in many of these issues read more about what they have been doing.
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Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) Tuesday visited the Huntington Community Forest to coincide with the release of a special report, "Community Forests: A Path to Prosperity and Connection(link is external)” by the Trust for Public Land. The property, immediately adjacent to the Brewster-Pierce Memorial School, is one of many forests in Vermont and…
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For more than three decades, Gustave “Gus” Seelig has quietly had a hand in more than a billion dollars’ worth of socially responsible Vermont development projects, including the conservation of affordable housing complexes, the preservation of historic buildings and the biggest land conservation project of the last century.
Today, in the wake…
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Charlotte’s Nordic Farm is set to realize the future of Vermont agriculture as a multifaceted working landscape. Nordic Farm is focusing on finding new ways for sustainable agriculture to continue on its lands — proven to be vital for both local communities and the natural environment.
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Will Raap, the founder of Gardener’s Supply and the Intervale Center, in collaboration with partners, plans to purchase and turn Nordic Farms into a Grain-Based Ag Hub, that showcases Vermont grains, botanicals and beverages on a working farm that produces these goods
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Vermont Business Magazine - The USDA is now accepting applications for three different grants that support the development, coordination and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets and enterprises and value-added agricultural products. Over $93.5 million dollars is available in total.
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Vermont Business Magazine - Vermont State Auditor Doug Hoffer today released a first-ever comprehensive accounting of Vermont state government’s total annual spending in support of Vermont’s dairy industry. From State fiscal year 2010 to 2019
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Vermont Business Magazine #Farm24VT, a a social media celebration of agriculture, food, and dairy in Vermont, is set for May 12 at 5:00 a.m. and will run for a full twenty-four hours.
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Community members jumped right in at a special Selectboard meeting last night to measure the loss to the Town and entire Vermont Conservation community of Selectboard member, Marty Illick and her husband, Terry Dinnan - both lifelong active and ardent conservationists.
Marty was a 20 year Board member of the Charlotte Land Trust.
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Governor Scott named the inaugural members to the Governor's Commission on the Future of Vermont's Agriculture. The Commission’s charge will focus on ensuring the viability and adaptability of Vermont’s agriculture and food system, by delivering recommendations to the Governor for more cross-sector collaboration, increasing production and…
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Vermont Agency of Agriculture reports on the COVID-19 Impacts on Vermont Farms and Food Businesses and the resilience, hope, and inspiration witnessed across Vermont's farming and food community in a newly released summary of a project undertaken with University of Vermont and UVM Extension to capture farm and food business stories. "The COVID-19…
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Charlotte has just gained another conserved farm – Head Over Fields Farm. In March, John and Carol Snow sold 71.7 acres of excellent farmland to Katie Rose Leonard and Bryan Seward; at the same time they sold a conservation easement on that land to the Vermont Land Trust. The property is a major component of the Mt Philo scenic viewshed.
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The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program(link is external), a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, has grant funds available for on-farm capital improvement projects that have a positive impact on water quality.
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The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund through its Farm to Plate Initiative, and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) have released the Vermont Agriculture and Food System Strategic Plan 2021-2030
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Looking for something to do this month? The Vermont Land Trust is offering a number of free virtual events and activities including:
- Over and Under the Snow: Virtual Story Ski and Tour of Northeast Kingdom Winter Recreation Spots
- Bark, Buds & Branches: Learn to Identify Trees in Winter
- What Animal Is This? Virtual Wildlife Tracking…
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The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) announces the full launch of the Vermont-based Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) funded by the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS).
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The Charlotte Land Trust is working with the University of Vermont's Center for Rural Studies to conduct a Charlotte Farm Study in order to understand the current state of farming in town and to look through a conservation lens to identify challenges and opportunities in the future.
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The succession of farm ownership is different from that of another business because “the economics are pretty unique,” said Don Devost, a partner at Marble Trail Financial in Middlebury. Farms often hold a valuable asset in their land, and sometimes a retiring farmer can make more money developing that land than selling the farm, said Devost, whose…
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Amid the uncertainly of the pandemic some local farms have doubled or tripled direct sales to Vermonters, with business at farm stands and Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSAs) soaring in the state.
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The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, awarded a total of $956,000 to 30 farms in Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Franklin, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, and Windham Counties to support capital investments that improve water quality. Some of these awards will also support…
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The Land and Water Conservation Fund now has full and dedicated funding. That means that $900 million will be committed each year to protecting important land, water and recreation areas that benefit all Americans.
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Senator Patrick Leahy on Thursday announced a significant funding increase for the Vermont-Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center from the national program’s funding level which has allowed the allocation for Vermont to increase from $450,000 in 2019, to more than $6.1 million in 2020.
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Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) today announced the Vermont COVID-19 Agriculture Assistance Program for dairy producers and processors who have experienced income loss, additional expenses and market disruption as a result of the pandemic.
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The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has just released this newsletter as a part of a series focused on land trusts and bird conservation. In this edition, we introduce you to free bird resources to help instill joy during this time of uncertainty, outline steps land trusts can take to help curb bird declines, and provide an update on exciting eBird…
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ACORN, Addison County Relocalization Network has just launched an interactive map of farm and virtual farmers market in the Champlain Valley.
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The Charlotte Land Trust will host a public talk by Sue Morse on March 29, at the Charlotte Senior Center. Morse is a highly regarded expert on natural history and wildlife tracking.
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Dylan Preston, will purchase farmland at the intersection of Guinea and One Mile road thanks to a Vermont Land Trust conservation easement and the help of another local farmer. The purchase will include funding by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, the Charlotte Conservation Board, and the Charlotte Land Trust (Burlington Free Press).
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Patricia Bidinger conserved 75 acres of fertile farmland earlier this year working with the Vermont Land Trust, and support from donors including the Charlotte Conservation Fund, allowing the Bean family to purchase the land for their dairy business (Vermont Land Trust).
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This was a great project that not only conserved a parcel of very good farmland in Town; it made it affordable for a young farmer to be able to purchase his first farm.
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