Register for a Vermont Farm Bureau Winter Workshop!

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets The Vermont Farm Bureau is hosting a Winter Workshop Series featuring three great topics. These workshops are free in-person opportunities in February, March, and April. The full schedule is below!

February 2nd
Join the Vermont Farm Bureau for an informational session on grant writing and grant availability in Vermont with presentations by Maria Noth of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board and Clare Salerno from the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative. The session is from 1-3pm at the UVM Extension Building in Berlin.

March 2nd
Join Farm First for a workshop on tips and techniques for managing stress and navigating stressful interactions. You will leave with resources and tools you can use to manage on-farm stress. This workshop is also 1-3pm at the UVM Extension Building in Berlin.

April 6th
Visit Silloway Maple for a farm tour, resource share, and Q & A led by Lisa Chase from UVM Extension and several expert guests. This visit is from 1-3pm at Silloway Maple in Randolph.

You can register for the workshops by clicking below. Please email Sydney Decker, [email protected], with any questions.

Specialty Crop Block Grants Now Open The Vermont Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP) is now accepting applications! The SCBGP awards grants for projects to benefit multiple producers of specialty crops including fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture & nursery crops, floriculture, herbs & spices, medicinal plants, hops, honey, maple syrup, and mushrooms. Please consider attending a free webinar on February 2nd to learn more about eligibility and the application process. Registration is required. Deadline to apply: February 28th Vermont Farm Show Seeks a Manager and Event Coordinator After a hiatus triggered by COVID-19, the Vermont Farm Show is eager to hold a show welcoming all commodity, specialty crop, and producer industries and associations. The Farm Show seeks a Manager and Event Coordinator to be responsible for the overall planning, production, and closeout of the show. This can be an individual, a group under a sole proprietor, or a company. Please see the Request for Proposals to apply. Responses are due by March 1st at 5pm. Questions? Contact Julie Smith. Deadline to apply: March 1st Reminder: Surface Water Withdrawal Reporting Program A reminder that beginning January 15th, Act 135 says any Vermont Farm which withdrew 10,000 gallons or more of surface water within a 24-hour period, or 150,000 gallons over any 30-day period in 2022, shall file a report with VAAFM by January 31st. The goal of Act 135 is to better understand the current demand for surface waters in Vermont and take any necessary steps to ensure resilience and future availability of surface waters in the face of a changing climate. VAAFM has prepared forms for farm surface water users to report withdrawals from July 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022. Reporting forms are available online and can be submitted to [email protected]. Reporting deadline: January 31st Grants Available to Support the Forest-Based Economy The Northern Border Regional Commission Forest Economy Program's goal is to assist the forest industry's evolution to include new technologies and viable business models across Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. $7,000,000 is available for grants to support the forest-based economy. Governments, educational institutions, tribal nations, and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply. There will be information sessions each day from February 1-3. Registration is required. For more information, contact Marina Bowie, Forest Economy Program Manager, at [email protected] or 603-369-3001. Letters of interest due: March 10th