Up to $60,000 Available Through the Local Food Market Development Grant Program
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture is pleased to announce the availability of up to 60k of funding for Local Food Market Development Grants to assist eligible Vermont farmers, businesses, and value-chain facilitators to grow new and existing markets. To qualify for funding consideration, applicants must be a Vermont producer, agricultural producer group, value-chain facilitator, or non-profit that will directly support Vermont producers’ access to institutional and other in-state wholesale market expansion. Grants will be distributed, through a competitive application review process, for projects that are addressing market access in Vermont institutions, defined as colleges and universities, early childcare and pre-k-12 schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and correctional facilities, and wholesale market access, including restaurants, grocery stores, independent retail, and food co-ops.
Read More ThinkVermont Seeks Farm and Food Social Media Ambassadors
ThinkVermont is a state-sponsored campaign designed to spread the word that Vermont is a great place to live, work, and start a business. You can help by becoming a ThinkVermont Ambassador representing the farm and food sector. By sharing a few social media posts per month about the many resources and assets unique to Vermont, you can help expand awareness about our amazing little state.
Read More Expansion of Localvore is growth model for job creation in Vermont
$400,000 investment by Flexible Capital Fund accelerates market expansion for Localvore’s digital marketing platform
Read More Vermont Organizations Receive USDA Grant for Land Transitions
The Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, Vermont Land Trust and the Intervale Center received a three-year, $546,000 grant from the USDA’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program to help Vermont’s next generation of agricultural entrepreneurs access land and grow viable businesses.
Read More FINE Releases Six-Part Blog Series Demonstrating the Impact of Farm to Institution Through Metrics
Measuring Up, a six-part blog series by Farm to Institution New England designed to provide an introduction to the importance of data in understanding the farm to institution landscape in New England, is now available in full on FINE's website. There are 4,628 K-12 schools, 210 colleges and universities, and 256 hospitals that provide dining services in New England. In total, they feed an estimated 3.8 million people per day. This includes students, patients, visitors, faculty, and staff. As such, institutions have the opportunity and the power to significantly impact the food system by supporting local producers and feeding their constituents fresh, healthy foods. Learn more in FINE's Measuring Up series!
Read More Important Farmland Conserved in Dummerston
Mike Barrett of Stoneholm Farm worked with the Vermont Land Trust to conserve a 61-acre farm field located along Interstate 91. Mike uses this field to grow corn, alfalfa, and grass for his 660-head dairy herd in Putney.
Read More Community Kitchen Academy Celebrates Graduation in Barre
Culinary Students Ready for Employment
Read More Sweetland Farm in Norwich Grows their Business
Norah Lake and Chris Polashenski of Sweetland Farm are expanding their business to serve more customers in the Upper Valley. To make this happen, the couple bought an adjacent 32-acre parcel from Jessica and Edward Polashenski, Chris’s parents, who conserved it with the Vermont Land Trust.
Read More VT Community Loan Fund Lends Over $483,000 to Working Lands Businesses in 2nd/3rd Qtrs 2017
The Vermont Community Loan Fund loaned $483,368 to food, farms and forestry businesses in the second and third quarters of 2017.
Read More Pink Boot Farm Buys Their Own Land
The Vermont Land Trust helped Hadley and Mike Stock of Pink Boot Farm to buy 80 acres in Pawlet. Mike and Hadley have been raising pigs for years on a nearby farm that they’d been renting in West Pawlet. This year they were able to buy their own farm in Pawlet, previously owned by sisters Beth Moser-Duquette and Chris Moser, at a price they could afford, thanks to the help of Beth, Chris, and the land trust.
Read More Local First Vermont Releases Buy Local Book and App, Partners with VSECU
Several of this Year's Participants Tied into Rooted in Vermont Movement
Read More Vermont Foodbank launches new program to purchase Vermont grown produce
In 2018, the Vermont Foodbank is piloting Vermonters Feeding Vermonters to increase the amount and quality of fresh, healthy food that we distribute. This is a program to purchase high quality fruits and vegetables directly from Vermont growers to distribute to Vermonters facing hunger.
Read More
