VERMONT AGENCY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND MARKETS
116 State Street
Montpelier, VT (802) 828-2416
webmaster@agri.state.vt.us
The recent "Buy Local (It's Just That Simple)" campaign of the Agency urges people to watch for the Vermont seal of quality labels at farm stands, farmers' markets, groceries, restaurants, and farm stands. The white labels with green lettering and a red clover are placed on an array of products, including milk, cheese, vegetables, maple syrup and apples. The Agency protects the Vermont name, with its reputation for high quality, and insures that the labels are strictly used for Vermont products.
Divisions:
• Administration -- oversees agency and protects the interests of consumers and the agricultural community.
• Ag Development -- provides a leadership role in developing local, regional, national and international markets for Vermont products.
• Consumer Protection -- responsible for weights and measures for eggs, apples, potatoes, maple syrup, strawberries and animal health.
• Ag Resource Management and Environmental Stewardship -- regulates pesticides, feed, seed and fertilizers, and administers water quality programs as related to farms. It also provides technical assistance and cost sharing to farmers.
The Agency has an informative newsletter, Agriview, which can be found online or purchased through the Agency. Agriview covers all the news of an agricultural nature in Vermont. It includes news about farming, food producing, food marketing and reflects the diverse nature of agriculture in the state. There are 3,500 readers and 22 issues a year at a cost of $12. Agriview just celebrated its 70th year as Vermont's agriculture publication of record. To subscribe call (802) 828-2416 or go online to Agriview Vermont.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture has a very informative website that covers its activities along with many of the organizations listed in the Resources. Check it out.
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS
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1. THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE
Early History of College of Agriculture and Extension Service: It all began in 1862 when Vermont Senator Justin Morrill authored the Morrill Land Grant Act which established colleges of agriculture throughout the U.S. In 1865, the Vermont legislature passed a bill creating the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College. The Hatch Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1887, providing funds annually for each state to support an agricultural research experiment station under the direction of the land grant college. Many northeastern states also have horticultural field research laboratories dairy farm operations and other agricultural activities such as vegetable and fruit research, under the College of Agriculture.
2. THE CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
The Center is part of University of the Vermont Extension Service and the State Agricultural College.
The Center was established in 1994 to work with farmers, farm organizations, academic departments, public agencies, and private organizations to address the challenges facing Vermont's farmers. The Center's mission is to bring people together to foster an understanding of agricultural issues that encourage farming in Vermont.
The Center's vision is that farming in Vermont needs to be profitable, environmentally sustainable, and provide consumers with affordable, high-quality products. The Center works under the direction of the University of Vermont Extension Service and derives many of it activities from grants, contracts, gifts and USDA funding.
For the past 11 years, the Center has worked on a number of programs. In the mid-90s they picked up the grazing torch from Dr. Bill Murphy by starting the Vermont Pasture Network in collaboration with the Vermont Grass Farmers' Association and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The Center then launched the Small Ruminant Dairy Project to support the emerging dairy, sheep, and goat industry in the state.
With the help of the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, the Center established LandLink Vermont to help farmers find land and to provide education on farm transfer issues. For several years the Center coordinated the Extension's role in the Farm Viability Enhancement Program, helping dozens of farms develop and implement business plans. The farm business viability projects included feasibility studies on slaughterhouses, and alternative fuel/biodiesel research projects for small farms. The program has worked with 98 farms representing over 35,100 acres of productive farmland since 2004.
The Center for Sustainable Agriculture
63 Carrigan Drive
Agricultural Engineering Building
The University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405 (802) 656-5459
The Center puts out a very informative quarterly newsletter called, Cultivating Connections. Their website is: www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture.
Lynn Wollenberg, the new director of the Center is lobbying for a statewide celebration on food. With or without official sanction, she said, September 22 is a fitting time to observe Local Food Day. The goal is to broaden awareness of local bounty to ask Vermonters to try tow new locally grown foods. Wollenberg's motivation comes from the fact that Vermont leads the nation in per-capita direct sales of produce from farmers to consumers.
3. SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION (SARE)
Since 1988, the SARE program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program, part of USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve agricultural systems.
SARE's mission is to sustain farms, and the organization believes that profit sustains farms, and that practical knowledge shared by successful farmers can lead to profit.
There are 4 SARE regions in the U.S. with one of these in the Northeast. The SARE program funds travel cost and time for farmer educators, who travel from Maine to West Virginia working directly with farmers. The Northeast SARE region covers topics as diverse as value-added products, agritourism, sustainable production, grazing, farm management and farm labor.
David Holm is the program manager in the SARE program at University of Vermont in Burlington. He oversee the day to day operations, reviews grants, sends reports to the national SARE office and works with the administrative council. He emphasizes that SARE is not a program focusing on organics. The key is to keep farms profitable - whether they are organic or other sustainable ventures.
In addition to the farmer ed programs, organizations within the Northeast can apply to bring speakers with expertise in sustainable agriculture to meetings, conferences and workshops. To learn more about the Sustainable Farmers Education program or the Speakers Fund, go to www.uvm.edy/~nesare and follow the links.
Northeast SARE
University of Vermont
Hills Bldg. 105 Carrigan Dr.
Burlington, VT 05405
(802) 656-0471 Go to SARE on the web for more information
* Vern Grubinger has taken on the new role of regional coordinator for Northeast SARE. He works half time for SARE and half time as the vegetable and berry specialist for the University of Vermont Extension at the Brattleboro office.
4. GET ON THE WAgN - THE WOMEN'S AGRICULTURAL NETWORK
WAgN is part of University of Vermont Extension Service. There are similar programs in other New England and northeastern states. WAgN was established in 1995 with the goal of increasing the number of women owning and operating profitable farms and ag-related businesses. The program offers educational and technical assistance in the following areas: Starting a Business, Strengthening Skills and Expanding Networks.
Stats on Women in Ag
Farms and farming have seen great changes in the past 100 years. One such trend is the growth of women-led farms. While in general women represent the second operator of a farm (when a husband and wife own the farm), women are gaining as primary farm operators. According to the National Statistical Services (NASS), women who manage farms are typically operators of ranches or livestock farms, especially goat or horse farms. These farms are generally smaller in size and sales. Nearly 80 percent of women operators own their farms, as compared to 50 percent of men. On average, 9 percent of farms are now run by women. While U.S. farms have decreased in the past two decades, farms operated by women have increased.
Women who live on farms frequently outlive their husbands and consequently inherit the farmland. Many lease the land as a source of retirement, but some elect to run the farm themselves. Current estimates indicate that women control over 40 percent of all leased land in the U.S.
The 2007 Census will count women as principal operators on farms. Some interpreters of the 2002 statistics see a trend developing in the country. Across the U.S. from 1997 to 2002, the number of women as principal operators increased 13.4 percent with the northeast at 11.75 percent. Women-operated farms represent about 14.5 of all farms in the northeast. Maine is the only northeastern state among the top ten in the U.S. for the greatest increase in women-operated farms with a gain of 35 percent. Pennsylvania had the highest total number of women-operated farms with 6,079.
* The USDA estimates that nearly 30 percent of small farms may be defined as "residential" or "lifestyle" farms where the operators report a non-farm occupation as their primary source of income. Research suggests that when "retirement" farms are added to this small farm figure, the percentage approaches 45 percent.
Vermont WAgN - This program is geared to women interested in starting or expanding a farm or ag-related business. According to Beth Holtsman, the outreach education coordinator, there isn't a "typical" participant. They are quite varied in farm businesses ranging from crop and livestock operations - to vegetables, fruit, maple syrup products, poultry, beef, lamb, goats, cheeses, flowers, perennials and horses.
Since 1995, there have been nearly 160 WAgN graduates. A sampling of demographics range widely. Several young women, all under the age of thirty have been working at the Intervale Community Farm, a CSA vegetable operation in Burlington's Intervale. There is also a young man in the program interested in organic dairying, and a couple in their 50s who is shifting careers. They are trying to set up an agritourism business combining a bed and breakfast operation with horses.
WAgN does not operate in a vacuum. They work with the agriculture schools as well as with the ag business sectors. WAgN works in collaboration with the University of Vermont's Extension Service, UVM's Center for Stainable Agriculture, the USDA, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Beginner Farmers of New Hampshire and other groups.
For more information, contact: WAgN
University of Vermont Extension, 617 Comstock Rd. Suite 5
Berlin, VT 05602-9194 (802) 223-2389
Other WAgN info: Maine - (202) 622-7847 x4
Pennsylvania - (814) 865-7031 or (610) 269-4977
5. VERMONT GRASS FARMERS' ASSOCIATION (VGFA)
VGFA is a group of farmers involved in grass-based farming methods. Members are provided technical information, pasture walks, a quarterly newsletter, a pasture calendar, a grazing conference, and discussion groups. It is funded by member dues and by the Vermont Pasture Network, a cooperative agreement between the Natural Resources Conservation service, the University of Vermont Center for Sustainable Agriculture and UVM Extension.
For information, call: (802) 656-3834
6. THE CENTER FOR RURAL STUDIES (CRS) - UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
This is a UVM-affiliated, fee-for-service research organization that addresses the social and economic problems of rural people and communities. They have used data from the U.S. Census on Agriculture as it pertains to Vermont agriculture. CRS has worked on a Vermont/Honduran partnership through the Partners of the Americas in the area of sustainable agriculture. CRS has worked on farmland preservation with the land trusts and conservation movement in Vermont as well as many other projects including grassland rotations on dairy farms.
Call (802) 656-3021 for more information or go online to the Center For Rural Studies at the University of Vermont.
Address: 207 Morrill Hall, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405.
7. THE VERMONT FOOD SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP AND POLICY INSTITUTE
This new institute was formed in June of 2008 and is made up of farmers, academics, nonprofit leaders, food distributors and retailers and government representatives. Even though the Institute would be housed at UVM it would reach beyond the campus as a coordinating body devoted to finding solutions for a sustainable Vermont food system.
The system would provide healthy, safe, nutritious and dependable food to the people of Vermont. It would protect the state's natural resources, generate fair and predictable economic returns to producers, processors and retailers, and promote economic development of rural communities.
According to Rachel Johnson, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Science (CALS), the Institute's major role will be catalytic, leveraging the University's expertise within CALS as well as the Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and other departments. Grant writing and resources will be available to the Institute.
One of the concerns was voiced by David Zuckerman, farmer and chairman of the Vermont House of Representatives. He said that the Institute will need to focus on a few concrete goals within a realistic time frame.
Roger Allbee, Vermont's Secretary of Agriculture, sees in the Institute an opportunity for unbiased work on critical policy issues like on-farm slaughter, raw milk and food safety that cannot be done by the Agency of Agriculture because of its regulatory role.
Will Rapp, founder of Gardener's Supply and the Intervale Center and one of the movers and shakers behind the idea for the Institute, said that food and farming need to change in the post-petroleum world and the Institute can help move this along. Rapp said we need to build more opportunities for farmers, land and markets, and not just do policy stuff. People need to be trained to grow food. One participant put it simply when he told me that what we really need is 100 new farmers a year along with markets.
NATIONAL AND STATE FARM ORGANIZATIONS
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1. THE VERMONT STATE GRANGE
* See description of the Grange in Part 1. pg.
2. THE VERMONT FARM BUREAU
The Vermont Farm Bureau is the largest grassroots general farming organization in Vermont. There are over 5100 members in 14 counties. t began in Vermont in 1915 and a couple years earlier in New York State. The Farm Bureau has spread across the country and is now the largest agricultural advocacy organization in the U.S. with 5 million members.
Membership provides discounts on tires, batteries, baler twine, chains, veterinary supplies and other farm products along with low cost long-distance telephone service, computer hardware, and insurance. For many years, the bureau has for many years taken conservative positions on political farm issues, but recently has been more liberal in its activities. Perhaps it has begun to rid itself of the "old school" way of thinking and include sustainable/organic agriculture in the mix of solutions. For more information go on the web to the Vermont Farm Bureau. They have an informative online newsletter called Fences.
Vermont Farm Bureau
2083 East Main Street
Richmond, VT 05477
(802) 434-5646
Email: info@vtfb.org
EDUCATIONAL/POLITICAL NON-PROFIT ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS
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RURAL VERMONT
Rural Vermont is a statewide nonprofit advocacy group founded by farmers in 1985. The farmers were fighting for fairer taxation. Since then it has grown to meet the challenges facing small farms such as the introduction of biotechnology, the corporatization of our food supply and local issues like more availability of raw milk to consumers. Rural Vermont and its farm policy network of Vermonters actively engage in the political process. It provides information and resources to farmers and the public about issues impacting rural communities, and advocates at the local, state and national level to strengthen family farms and promote local food independence.
In the past twenty years, Rural Vermont:
• organized the first of its kind meeting between farmers and the Vermont Governor (1986)
• opposed free trade policies and worked to educate the public about the effects of global "free trade' on family farmers (since the 1990s)
• worked to pass the Northeast Dairy Compact (1997)
• helped to stop the expansion of Vermont's only corporate egg farm (1998 and 2002)
• sponsored a dairy conference in 2003. "Finding Solutions, Creating Change," to address the dairy crisis, with a panel of farmers and other experts; 70 dairy farmers attended
• led the GE Free Vermont campaign to successfully enact the first-in-the nation Farmers Right to Know/GMO Seed Labeling and Registration Act (2004)
• led an the effort to enact legislation to put all liability for genetically engineered seed onto the manufacturers, not the farmers. This effort began in 2005 and is ongoing.
• led the effort to develop a farmer-friendly state program to meet water quality regulations with the Agricultural Water Quality Act (2005)
• currently leading an effort to stop the Premises Registration program and National Animal Identification System.
• leading the effort for raw-milk certification for Vermont dairy farmers
Rural Vermont, 15 Barre Street, Suite 2
Montpelier, VT 05602
(802) 223-7222
* Rural Vermont was very helpful in providing me with information for this book.
OTHER NON-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
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1. VITAL COMMUNITIES
Vital Communities is a regional non-profit that works to engage citizens in community life and foster the long-term balance of cultural, economic, environmental and social well being in the region. Valley Food & Farm, a program of Vital Communities, is focused on fostering relationships that make local agriculture a vibrant part of daily life in the upper Connecticut River Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire. Since 1999, Valley Food & Farm has promoted fresh foods and farm products, held tasting events and forums, and supported the region's farmers' markets.
A "locally grown online guide" listing fresh foods and farm products, is distributed throughout the Upper Connecticut Valley in Vermont and New Hampshire. You'll find cheeses, Christmas trees, fruits and beverages, meats of all kinds, milk and milk products, plants and flowers, poultry and eggs, and, of course, vegetables. You'll also find a comprehensive list of area farmers' markets, farm destinations, retailers and restaurants that specialize in locally grown foods.
Valley Food & Farms has a free email Ag Bulletin called Tidbits that goes out monthly. It describes events and workshops, a marketplace report, news from Vital Communities, employment opportunities, food and farm festivals and, news and opinion.
Vital Communities
104 Railroad Row
White River Junction, VT 05001
(802) 291-9100 x 103
2. THE NEW ENGLAND SMALL FARM INSTITUTE (NESFI)
NESFI is a non-profit organization founded in 1978 by a local citizen's group to encourage more sustainable regional agriculture. The mission is to promote small farm development by providing information and training for aspiring, beginning and transitioning farmers.
NESFI maintains an extensive resource collection, produces publications, develops and offers innovative farmer-guided programs, and advocates for policies that encourage sustainable small-scale agriculture.
The latest NESFI initiative is to provide professional training to farmers who would in turn educate and train college graduates in the art of farming. For more on this initiative, go to the NESFI website.
NESFI is located in Lampson Brook Farmstead, a 416 acre property in western Massachusetts. P.O. Box 937, Belchertown, MA 01007.
(413) 323-4531 Email: info@smallfarm.org
3. THE CENTER FOR WHOLE COMMUNITIES
Peter Forbes is the co-founder of the Center for Whole Communities in Waitsfield, Vermont. The Center brings farmers, indigenous people, biologists, environmentalists, educators, and others together for educational workshops and leadership retreats. Peter believes there is a strong connection between the health of the land and communities.
He and his partner, Helen Wybrow, lead workshops that have inspired traditional land trusts to save the last working fishing pier in a coastal town. The groups the Center brought together included First Nation People of Canada who were grappling issues such as land, the extraction of minerals and development issues. They help these groups to communicate and work together to find new solutions to saving the land and to build trust between the "have's and the have nots." The Center is involved in many farm and food issues including the Mad River Valley localvore group.
To find out more about The Center for Whole Communities, visit
Knoll Farm
700 Bragg Hill Road
Fayston, VT 05673
(802) 496-5690
4. POST OIL SOLUTIONS
The city of Brattleboro in Windham County in southeastern Vermont hosts an informative website: postoilsolutions.org. Its goal is to advance cooperative, sustainable communities in an age of global climate change. Any town could use this educational model as a way to address food and energy issues in their community or larger area.
This is a great website that has links to local food initiatives including garden workshops on seed starting, canning, root cellaring, and cold frames. There are links to food security issues and gleaning projects. Other links include: farmers' markets, CSA's, community gardens, renewable energy and peak oil.
* Vital Communities, mentioned above, covers a much wider area than does the postoilsolutions website.
5. TRANSITION VERMONT
This is the newest organization that brings people and communities together on issues of sustainable farming and post oil and other energy solutions. Go on the web to learn about what's happening in your community. Transition Vermont is similar in nature to Post Oil Solutions - mentioned above.
VERMONT UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES - SUSTAINABLE FARMING
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Sterling College -- Craftsbury Center
Vermont Technical College -- Randolph
University of Vermont -- Burlington
Green Mountain College -- Poultney
OTHER SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES - NATIONAL, GLOBAL & LOCAL
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1. THE SUSTAINABLE FOOD LABORATORY
This laboratory is a multi-continent project to create mainstream, sustainable food systems. This project brings together multi-national food groups, NGO's, local governments and scientists to solve world-wide food problems. For more information on the Food Lab, check out: www.glifood.org
2. BALLE - Business Alliance for Local Living Economies
BALLE is committed to using the power of small business to strengthen local economies and create sustainable communities.
BALLE is an alliance of 30 networks with 5,000 business members including builders, retailers, local banks, independent newspapers and magazines, waste management companies, restaurants, farmers, and other entrepreneurs.
BALLE encourages companies to do business with their neighbors instead of relying on national and international sources for everything from agriculture and local energy systems to local investment, land trusts, and local currencies. An example in Vermont would be the Vermont Fresh Network, which brings together food producers and restaurant chefs. In Vermont, members of the BALLE network employ 8 percent of the state's workforce.
3. THE NATIONAL FOOD ROUTES ALLIANCE
This is a group of grassroots organizations committed to educating people about the benefits of buying local and promoting sustainable agriculture at both the national and local levels. Food Routes has a booklet entitled, Where Does Your Food Come From? Recipes for Communicating Effectively about American Agriculture. This communications tool kit is free; an order form is available at Food routes. Food Routes is committed to local food economies through the "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" slogan.
Food Routes website: www.foodroutes.org
PO Box 443
Millheim, PA 16854
(814) 349-6000
4. HEIFER INTERNATIONAL
Heifer International is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization. The way it works is that individuals donate a gift animal (heifer) or tree seedlings that help a family become self-sufficient. Heifer International ensures that plants and animals stay healthy and productive. In 1944, Heifer International began working exclusively in the areas of livestock and agriculture to develop programs that alleviate hunger and poverty.
Check Out: www.catalog.heifer.org 1 (800) 422-0755
4. THE VERMONT EARTH INSTITUTE (VEI)
VEI engages and supports Vermonters to reduce consumption and adopt environmentally sustainable practices in their homes, workplaces and communities. It provides discussion groups and educational programs which bring people together to increase their awareness and facilitate change in caring for the environment.
VEI is very focused on farm and food issues in the Green Mountain state. They have a booklet and discussion course called Menu For The Future. The booklet came from the Northwest Earth Institute in Portland, Oregon.
Vermont Earth Institute
P.O. Box 404
Burlington, VT 05402
802-881-2039
Go online for more information.
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