Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) has recently released a collection of resources for farmers and communities about land use issues for rural enterprises. Rural enterprises are businesses, often on farms, that are suited to a rural area because they are supportive of agriculture or forestry activities and provide employment opportunities.
“Understanding land use issues and how they pertain to farm businesses can be very complex,” said Erin Buckwalter, NOFA-VT’s Market Development Director. “These documents provide an overview of many of the issues farms and communities may encounter, as well as resources for more in-depth information.”
The overview document for farmers outlines a myriad of the land use topics and resources they should be aware of when making business decisions related to their business’ land use. Additionally, two case studies of farms that have dealt with these questions are provided to share how two different farms and communities have addressed these challenges. There is also a document primarily for municipalities, which provides steps that can be taken to support and manage rural enterprises within their communities.
“At a time where many farms and communities are facing challenges around these issues, we hope this resource collection will inspire people to work together to find common solutions that promote our working landscape,” Buckwalter said.
To read and download the documents, please visit: http://nofavt.org/resources/rural-enterprises-information. You may also download each PDF file individually:
- Supporting & Managing Rural Enterprises in Your Community
- Understanding Land Use Regulations for Farm Businesses
- Bread & Butter Case Study
- Fat Toad Farm Case Study
These resources were developed in collaboration with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, the Vermont Natural Resources Council, Shelburne Farms and the Farm-Based Education Network. Funding provided by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service through grant 14-FMPPX-VT-0169.
About NOFA Vermont: The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont is member-based organization working to grow local farms, healthy food, and strong communities in Vermont. Our members are farmers, gardeners, educators and food lovers of all sorts – anyone who wants to help us create a future full of local food and local farms. Our programs include farmer and gardener technical assistance, farm to school support, organic certification, advocacy, an online apprentice and farm worker directory, an annual Winter Conference, and programs that work to ensure access to fresh, local food to all Vermonters, regardless of income.