Apple Season Has Arrived in Vermont – Get Picking!
September is here. Kids are back in school, the days are cooler, and Vermont’s apple orchards are brimming with fresh, juicy apples, just waiting to be picked. Now is the time to make plans to visit your local orchard with friends and family!
Read More VHCB’s Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program Announces Grant Opportunities for Farmers
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, has grant funds available for on-farm capital improvement projects. Eligible farmers can apply for Water Quality Grants or Dairy Improvement Grants, both of which allow up to $40,000 in funding.
Read More UVM, Partners Receive NEH Grant to Update Popular Image of Vermont Farmer
Matching grant program will use comic books, digital storytelling to spur dialog, deepen understanding of state’s changing agricultural community
Read More Yankee Farm Credit Reports Second Quarter Results for 2017
Yankee Farm Credit quarterly net earnings of $2.9 million were up slightly from the prior year, and loan quality remained stable
Read More Agency of Agriculture Announces New Technical Assistance Funding to Support Water Quality Planning and Projects on Farms
Grassed Buffers and Stream Fencing for Livestock Focus of New Outreach and Implementation Programs The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) is pleased to announce a second round of Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Ag Clean Water Initiative Program (Ag-CWIP). This grant program is made possible and supported, in part, by the Clean Water Fund – a fund created by Act 64 of 2015, Vermont’s Clean Water Act. This second round of Ag-CWIP RFPs will fund organizations assisting farmers throughout the state to support planning and installation of vegetative buffers adjacent to streams, grassed waterways to prevent gully erosion in crop fields, and grazing systems to exclude livestock from surface waters. Please visit: Agriculture.Vermont.gov/WQ-RFP for the complete RFP documents.
Read More Vermont Cheeses Wins Best of Show at American Cheese Society Conference in Denver
The 2017 ACS competition saw 13 Vermont cheesemakers awarded 40 ribbons, including Best of Show for Tarentaise Reserve from Spring Brook Farm/ Farms for City Kids in Reading, VT and a third-place Best of Show finish for Harbison created by The Cellars at Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, VT.
Read More UVM Works Regionally to Help Vermont’s Farmers & Landowners
“Every situation is different and can require different expertise and advice than every other one, but partners in the Collaborative have the right accumulated experience and knowledge. We can help bankers understand a farm business plan. We can help lawyers understand the agricultural provisions of a farm lease arrangement. We can help real estate agents to understand the specific information that a prospective buyer or tenant needs to determine whether a land is suitable for their goals. We can help everyone navigate USDA resources and requirements. Farm link programs are the hub.”
Read More Vermont Gleaning Collective Seeks Volunteers
Despite clouds and rain this spring, crops across Vermont are growing and farmers are seeking gleaners! Gleaning is the act of collecting crops that farmers do not pick or that remain unsold after harvest.
Read More Farmers Urged to Track Crop Losses
The recent storms in Vermont were not kind to many of our farmers. The Agency of Agriculture is urging farmers to document any losses from the flash floods. It’s helpful to take pictures and keep detailed records. This information could be valuable for farmers, state and federal officials as they calculate the economic impact of the wet weather this spring and summer.
Read More UVM students measure water and fuel costs of un-sold Vermont crops
A team of UVM undergraduates recently partnered with Salvation Farms, a Morrisville nonprofit, to calculate some of the environmental costs of crop loss in Vermont. Their report, An Analysis of the Environmental Impact of Food Loss on Farms in Vermont, found that 140 million gallons of water and upwards of $20,500 worth of fuel (8,000 gallons) is used per year to grow crops that never make it to people.
Read More Composting Association of Vermont Appoints New Director
The Composting Association of Vermont (CAV) is pleased to announce Natasha Duarte, of Hinesburg, Vermont as its new Director. Duarte will lead the 15 year-old organization, advancing the production and use of compost through educational programs and policy initiatives that benefit Vermont’s environment and economy.
Read More VHCB’s Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program Awards $407,834 for Improvements on Dairy Farms
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, awarded a total of $407,834 in Dairy Improvement Grants to 11 dairy farmers, in Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, Essex, Grand Isle, and Orleans counties, for on-farm infrastructure projects. These funds are matched by over $1.2 million of additional investments in order to complete their projects.
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