Farm Viability Indicators Task Force

Natalie Bekkouche

natalieREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@salvationfarms.org


Salvation Farms
salvationfarms.org
PO Box 1174
49 Portland Street
Morrisville VT, 05661

Erica Campbell

erica_campbellREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@sanders.senate.gov

Policy & Outreach Staff - Agriculture, food, rural dev. & transportation
Office of Senator Bernie Sanders
1 Church St, 3rd Floor
Burlington Vermont, 05401

Office on Senator Bernie Sanders--agriculture, nutrition, rural development & transportation policy

Mark Cannella

mark.cannellaREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@uvm.edu
(802) 223-2389

Director: Farm Viability and Farm Business Management Specialist
University of Vermont Extension (Berlin)
uvm.edu/extension
327 US Route 302
Berlin VT, 05641

Mark is an Associate Professor with UVM Extension and the director of Agricultural Business Programs.

Thomas Case

thomasREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@salvationfarms.org
(802) 338-9096

Thomas Case is the Vermont Commodity Program Director for Salvation Farms. He has also been a full time Organic Vegetable farmer and owner of Arethusa Farm in Burlington's Intervale and The Intervale Food Hub's Packing house supervisor in his previous work.

Ela Chapin

elaREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vhcb.org
(802) 828-2117

Viability Program Director
Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program
vhcb.org/viability.html
VT Housing & Conservation Board
58 East State Street
Montpelier VT, 05602

Ela Chapin is Director of the Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board that provides business planning and technical assistance to farm, food and forest products businesses. Since 2006, Ela has managed and advanced the quality of program services and provided professional development opportunities to strengthen the network of agricultural service providers in Vermont and beyond. She has a MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning from Tufts University.

Jake Claro

JakeREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vsjf.org
(802) 828-5669

Farm to Plate Program Director
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
vsjf.org
3 Pitkin Court
Suite 301E
Montpelier VT, 05602

Sarah Danly

sarahREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vsjf.org
(802) 828-3745

Farm to Plate Network Manager
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
vsjf.org
3 Pitkin Court
Suite 301E
Montpelier VT, 05602

Megan Fuerst

mfuerstREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vhcb.org
(440) 667-7627

Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program Assistant
Vermont Housing and Conservation Board
vhcb.org/viability
58 E. State Street
Montpelier Vermont, 05602

After interning for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, I was hired as Program Assistant to the Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program. Over the next four months, my primary responsibility will be covering for Liz Gleason while she is on maternity leave. This includes facilitating relationships between farm clients and service providers from our partner organizations, going on farm site visits, participating in Farm-to-Plate and other relevant meetings, and helping organize the National Farm Viability Conference with Ela.

Sam Fuller

samREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@nofavt.org
(802) 434-4122

Technical Assistance Program Administrator
NOFA Vermont
nofavt.org
14 Pleasant Street
Richmond VT, 05477

Sam Fuller manages NOFA-VT’s Technical Assistance Program, which provides an array of services to commercial farmers ranging from in-depth whole farm business planning and technical production assistance to educational offerings and industry development. His work focuses primarily on sustainable livestock production, meat processing and value chain integration. Prior to joining NOFA-VT in 2008, he managed a number of different agricultural enterprises including a pasture-based livestock operation, a diversified crop farm and a multi-farm producer co-op. Sam graduated from Colorado College with a degree in Anthropology. His focus was on food systems, agricultural economics and migrant labor. His thesis work was on "Localizing Culture - How a New Agricultural Model Could Save the Family Farm".

Corey Hennessey

coreyREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vtfarmconnex.com
802-232-2640

Business Manager
Farm Connex
85 Industrial Park Road
Hardwick Vermont, 05836

As a native “Northforker” from the East End of Long Island (NY) with an academic background in Food Systems and Anthropology, I have spent the majority of my career working from a variety of vantages within my local foodscape. From humble beginnings in a restaurant kitchen during my teenage years, I transitioned into production and distribution while working through college before finally settling into greenhouse and agricultural production at my most recent (former) posts. At present, I am engaged in a joint development project in conjunction with Farm Connex Distributors and The Center for an Agricultural Economy in Hardwick, VT. I am also interested in pursuing agricultural policy & outreach initiatives, and hope to be able to interact, learn and engage in a similar capacity within my newly adopted state! No stranger to hard work, I hope for the continued opportunity to synthesize my experience & education with an insatiable love of food, and personal dedication to those who produce it.

Daniel Keeney

danielckeeneyREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@gmail.com
802-751-9011


Dunc's Mill
duncsmill.com
622 Keyser Hill Road
St. Johnsbury Vermont, 05819


Center for an Agricultural Economy
hardwickagriculture.org
140 Junction Road
Hardwick VT, 05843

Katie Michels

katieREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vhcb.org


Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB)
vhcb.org
58 East State Street
Montpelier VT, 05602

Jen Miller

jenREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@nofavt.org
802-434-4122


NOFA Vermont
nofavt.org
14 Pleasant Street
Richmond VT, 05477

Jen manages NOFA-VT's Farmer Services Program which provides business planning services, technical assistance, one-on-one farmer mentorships, and educational opportunities for Vermont's organic and sustainable farmers.

Mariah Noth

mariahREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vhcb.org
(802) 735-7893


Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program
vhcb.org/viability.html
VT Housing & Conservation Board
58 East State Street
Montpelier VT, 05602

Vermont Farm and Forest Viability Program Outreach & Communications Coordinator

Kelly Nottermann

kellyREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vsjf.org
(802) 828-1121


Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
vsjf.org
3 Pitkin Court
Suite 301E
Montpelier VT, 05602

Benneth Phelps

bennethREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@dirtpartners.com
978.290.2220

Director of Farmer Services
Dirt Capital Partners
dirtpartners.com
PO Box 457
Hudson New York, 12534

Benneth joined Dirt Capital Partners in 2016 as the Director of Farmer Services to further develop and refine the company’s approach to investing in land in partnership with farmers, and the company’s organizational culture and infrastructure. Previously, Benneth was Loan and Business Assistance Manager at The Carrot Project, where she spent five years evaluating loan applications and working with farm and food enterprises to plan for business growth. Prior to this she farmed vegetables and small fruit for ten years, in the Connecticut River Valley of Western Massachusetts, working on organic farms with 4-80 acres in production. Benneth has served as a member of the Fund Advisory Committee of PVGrows, currently serves on the Loan Review Committee of The Carrot Project and as a Board Member of the Vermont Grass Farmers Association. She holds an MRP in community and regional planning from the University of Massachusetts, and a BA from Smith College where she studied American Studies and Economics.

Lydia Pitkin

lydiaREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vsjf.org
802-828-5670

Office Manager & Program Coordinator
Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
vsjf.org
3 Pitkin Court
Suite 301E
Montpelier VT, 05602


Vermont Farm Show
vtfarmshow.com
105 Pearl Street
Essex Junction Vermont, 05452

Jaime Silverstein

jaimeREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@nofavt.org


NOFA Vermont
nofavt.org
14 Pleasant Street
Richmond VT, 05477

Sam Smith

samREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@intervale.org
(802) 660-0440 x110

Farm Business Specialist
Intervale Center
intervale.org
180 Intervale Road
Burlington VT, 05401

Sam brings a passion for farming and food systems to his work at the Intervale. He grew up in Southern Vermont, went to UVM, and recently received a MBA in Sustainability from Antioch New England. He has worked as both a livestock and vegetable farmer, and been involved in the Vermont agricultural community for over 15 years.

Kristina Sweet

kristina.sweetREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@vermont.gov
(802) 522-7811

Produce Program Manager
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
vermontagriculture.com
116 State Street
Montpelier VT, 05620

Kristina Sweet is the Produce Program Manager at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, where she works with local, regional, and national stakeholders on the development of state produce safety programs and implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule. Her favorite apple is the Macoun.

Rene Thibault

rthibaultREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@newenglanddairy.com
802-673-7057

PR & Communications Specialist
New England Dairy Promotion Board
mustbethemilk.com
The Woolen Mill
20 West Canal St., Suite C13
Winooski Vermont, 05404

Kate Turcotte

kate.turcotteREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@gmail.com

Graham Unangst-Rufenacht

grahamREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@ruralvermont.org
802-223-7222


Rural Vermont
ruralvermont.org
46 East State St
Montpelier VT, 05602

JJ Vandette

jvandetteREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@veic.org
802.540.7915


Efficiency Vermont
efficiencyvermont.com
128 Lakeside Avenue
Suite 401
Burlington VT, 05401

I conduct planning activities related to the agricultural energy efficiency program at Efficiency Vermont.

Jim Verzino

jimREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@strollingoftheheifers.com
(802) 242-1249

Entrepreneur in Residence
Windham Grows
windhamgrows.org
157 Main St.
Brattleboro Vermont, 05301

I help farm and food entrepreneurs start and scale their businesses as Entrepreneur in Residence at Windham Grows.

Adam and Brittany Wilcox

brittanytobinvtREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@gmail.com
(802) 768-8770

Co owner
Silver Spring Meats
40 Wilcox Road
Manchester Center Vermont, 05255

Adam is a fifth generation Vermont dairy farmer. He and his wife, Brittany, along with their children, Cooper and Delia, live and work in Manchester. Adam also sells pork and veal to local restaurants, including the Equinox, the Perfect Wife, Bistro Henry's, and more!

Andy Wood

awoodREMOVETHISBEFORESENDING@veda.org
802-498-8865


Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation (VACC)
veda.org/financing-options/vermont-agricultural-financing
58 East State Street
Montpelier VT, 05602