Description
In 2019, Farm to Plate and the VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets collaborated with subject matter experts to produce the Vermont Agriculture & Food System Plan 2020 -- a set of 23 product, market and issue briefs -- which was delivered to the Legislature in January 2020.
In 2020, Farm to Plate continued this effort by developing an additional 31 briefs and undertaking a stakeholder engagement process to further refine and prioritize strategies and recommendations to develop a shared vision for the Vermont Agriculture & Food System Strategic Plan 2021-2030 (aka Farm to Plate Strategic Plan 2.0). A list of 34 Priority Strategies will form the basis for restructuring the Farm to Plate Network in the first half of 2021. The final synthesized report, with a vision statement, 15 goals, 87 objectives and 34 priority strategies will be delivered to the Legislature in early February 2021 to officially commence Farm to Plate’s next 10-year cycle.
Resources in this Collection
2020 VAAFM Report (Part 1 of Briefs)
Vermont Agriculture and Food System Plan 2020
Section 1 of Act 83 (S.160), an act relating to agricultural development, calls for the development of this report with recommendations to stabilize and revitalize Vermont’s agricultural industry.
Product Briefs
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Apples
Apples in Vermont are behind only dairy and maple in total annual crop value. Since the 1990s, Vermont’s share of…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Cheese
Vermont boasts more state-inspected cheese producers per capita than any other state in the nation — close to one cheese…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Dairy
For generations, Vermont has been defined by dairy, an industry that has an economic impact of $2.2 billion annually and…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Food Grade Grains
Consumers are concerned about where their food comes from, yet may not realize that the majority of local grain-based products…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Goats
Vermont has driven growth in the artisanal cheese industry over the last 40 years. Today there are a dozen Vermont…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Grass-Fed Beef
The market for beef labelled “grass-fed” has been growing quickly across the nation, from $17 million in 2012 sales to…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Hemp
Hemp is a versatile annual crop and, according to UVM research, is well adapted to Vermont’s climate. In 2018, federal…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Lightly Processed Vegetables
Vermont institutions, hunger relief organizations, restaurants, and food retailers are limited in the amount of fresh, whole Vermont produce they…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Maple
The Vermont maple sector is experiencing rapid growth in production and product innovation while holding a leadership role in maple…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Produce
Significant challenges are on the horizon for more than 1,000 produce farms that add diversity and innovation to Vermont’s agricultural…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Meat: Slaughter, Processing, and Products
It is critical to support Vermont’s slaughter and processing industries in order for Vermont’s 3,600 livestock and 256 poultry producers…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Specialty Foods
Vermont specialty foods are an important subset of the state’s overall value-added product market. Food manufacturing is the second-largest manufacturing…
Vermont Food System Product Brief: Bread
Vermont is well-known for its bakeries, from artisanal bakeries to nationally distributed brands. Finding locally grown grains that are suitable…
Vermont Food System Product Brief: Sheep
Sheep and their products – meat, milk, and fiber — were Vermont’s first agricultural commodity and still have a significant…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Swine
Sales of heritage, local, pastured, organic, and/or managed outdoor pork in Vermont grew 396% between 2002 and 2017 to $1.86…
Vermont Food System Plan Product Brief: Eggs
Farm-fresh eggs have long been a popular choice for consumers looking to support local farms, and an inexpensive source of…
Market Briefs
Vermont Food System Plan Market Brief: College and Hospital Procurement
Colleges and universities, hospitals, and other health care facilities have a significant role to play in supporting Vermont’s farm and…
Vermont Food System Plan Market Brief: Direct Markets
Over a quarter of Vermont farms (1,833) sell directly to consumers through farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and other…
Vermont Food System Plan Market Brief: Grocers
Retail food stores, from village markets to food cooperatives (co-ops) to national chain supermarkets, are the primary sales outlet for…
Vermont Food System Plan Market Brief: School Food Procurement
Teaching Vermont students the value of Vermont food for both their own health and their community is an investment in…
Vermont Food System Plan Market Brief: Major Metropolitan Markets
Vermont currently has 6,800 farms and 1.2 million acres in agricultural production, with a farm-gate value of roughly $781 million…
Issue Briefs
Vermont Food System Plan Issue Brief: Access to Capital
Properly capitalized farms and food businesses are critical for a healthy food system. Food system businesses need different kinds of…
Food System Financing Inventory
A listing of capital providers who help to finance farm and food businesses, including debt, equity, and royalty financing, as well as various grant programs.
Vermont Food System Plan Issue Brief: Agritourism
Agritourism is a promising sub-sector of Vermont’s agricultural economy, encompassing direct-to-consumer sales of local food (e.g., farm stands, pick-your-own), agricultural…
Vermont Food System Plan Issue Brief: Business and Technical Assistance
Water quality regulations, market changes, low farm gate prices, and increased competition are all challenging the profitability and future viability…
Vermont Food System Plan Issue Brief: Climate Change
Vermont will face considerable disruption to the local food system and farm profitability and viability because of climate change.1 In…
Vermont Food System Plan Issue Brief: Consumer Demand
Consumer demand for local, organic, and specialty foods have surged over the last ten years, helping Vermont’s agricultural vitality. As…
Vermont Food System Plan Issue Brief: Food Access and Farm Viability
All Vermont residents should have access to nutritious local foods they can afford, and Vermont farms should all be profitable.…
Vermont Food System Plan Issue Brief: Succession
At a time when Vermont farms are facing downturns in prices and markets — and most are challenged to be…
Vermont Food System Plan Issue Brief: Supporting Future Farmers
Vermont is facing a dramatic shift in the agricultural sector due to economic and demographic changes. The key to the…
Vermont Food System Plan Issue Brief: Water Quality
Our challenge is to find a path forward in Vermont agriculture that allows for food production while protecting water quality.…
Vermont Food System Plan Issue Brief: Agricultural and Food Literacy
Agricultural literacy and food literacy are important because increased knowledge of agriculture and food can help Vermonters make informed choices,…
Vermont Food System Plan Issue Brief: Agriculture and Food Policy
Public policy is generally described as a system of laws, regulatory measures, courses of action, and funding priorities concerning a…
