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The Vermont Farm Viability Program is providing grants of up to $20,000 to assist agricultural infrastructure businesses in Vermont with the implementation of food safety investments.

A very rainy 2013 has impacted communities and ecosystems throughout Vermont. May and June were the wettest two-month combo on record. Here are a few resources to learn more about how all of this water has impacted Vermont's food system.

Bob Foster reflects on the development of the Vital Capital Index, a tool to help dairy farmers identify opportunities for improving agricultural stewardship and to communicate their stewardship to their stakeholders and supply chain.

School, hospitals, colleges, government agencies, and corporations are demanding food grown and produced in New England. Farmers interested in selling to hospitals, schools, and other organizations are following the food supply chain by connecting first with local or nearby food hubs to better assess supply and demand.

Conservation investments by the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board include $4.2 million of state and federal funding that will conserve 2,100 acres of farmland on 19 farms in Franklin, Chittenden, Addison, Washington, Lamoille, Rutland, Grand Isle and Essex Counties.

Cabot and UVM are currently seeking applications from businesses interested in teaming up with a UVM marketing class to write marketing plans, with potential to receive funding for implementation of this plan during the second semester. In general, established companies with fewer than 20 employees, who are willing to interact frequently with the Burlington-based class, will be the best fit.

Let dairy farms, livestock farms, greenhouse operations, maple producers, and other agricultural operations know that they are eligible for energy efficiency consultation, rebates, and free installation of CFLs and engine block heater timers.

The National Weather Service indicates some areas of Vermont may experience flooding in the next 24-48 hours. With this information in mind, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) urges farmers and pet-owners to prepare now for flooding and potential power outages associated with the upcoming heavy rains. Please monitor local weather reports for more information about how the weather will impact your area.

Vermont's F2P Meat Processing Task Force is featured as a case study in a recent report published by USDA-ERS on establishing the long term viability of local meat and poultry processing.

Governor Peter Shumlin, Agriculture, Food & Markets Secretary Chuck Ross, Commerce & Community Development Secretary Lawrence Miller, Forests, Parks & Recreation Commissioner Michael Snyder and the Working Lands Enterprise Board announced the final grant recipients from the Service Provider and Capital and Infrastructure areas of the Working Lands Enterprise Fund, awarding more than $750,000 to 16 grantees representing sectors across agriculture, forestry and forest products.