Join the Vermont Pay for Performance Program

Submitted by tim on Mon, 01/01/2024 - 05:47

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets The Vermont Pay for Performance Program (VPFP) provides performance-based payments to Vermont farmers for reducing phosphorus losses from their agricultural fields. Applications are open January 2nd through January 31st.

To be eligible for the program, farms must manage crop, hay and/or pastureland, ensure their farm business is registered with the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), have an up-to-date Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) that meets the Required Agricultural Practices for their farm size, and have updated maps for their fields.

$4.9 million is available for farms across 4 years.

There are two types of payments available:

First time enrollees, regardless of their phosphorus reductions, are eligible for a data entry payment of $15 per acre they enroll in the program (up to $4,000) to compensate them for the time to work with a technical assistance provider to enter their management data into the required system, FarmPREP.

Farms that use FarmPREP to show they have achieved more than a 40% reduction in phosphorus loss will be eligible to receive $100 per pound of phosphorus reductions above that threshold per year, up to an annual cap of $50,000. Additionally, farms that show they have a low average annual phosphorus loss of 1 lbs. P/acre or 0.5 lbs. P/acre are also eligible to receive a stewardship payment of $3 or $8/enrolled acre, respectively.

For more information, please visit the VPFP Webpage or email [email protected].

Learn More About the Vermont Pay for Performance Program

Demystifying The National Organic Standards Board

Join an interactive networking session hosted by the National Organic Coalition for organic and transitioning farmers on demystifying the National Organics Standards Board (NOSB).

Panelists will explain the role of the NOSB, the decision-making process they use, and how to provide input to the NOSB in a meaningful way.

This free online session will be hosted via Zoom on January 30th at 1pm. Please register in advance.

S ession: January 30th

Request for Proposals: Storm Water Master Planning

The State of Vermont is requesting formal written proposals and qualifications from consultants to supply Storm Water Master Planning services to the State's Clean Water Initiative Program.

The estimated project budget is $150,000. All proposals must be submitted via email to [email protected] by January 22nd at 4pm.

Details, eligibility requirements, and schedules can be found in the Storm Water Master Planning Request for Proposals.

Proposal deadline: January 22nd

Reminder: Working Lands
Impact Grants

A reminder that pre-applications for the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative Impact Grants are open through January 19th.

There are two grants available, the ARPA Primary Producer Impact Grant and the Supply Chain Impact Grant. Both grants can cover market development, research and development, infrastructure, and workforce training and development. Grants range from $50,000-$250,000.

Applicants will be notified in February if their pre-application was accepted for the final applicant round at the end of March.

Pre-application deadline: January 19th

Attend The Farmer's Watershed Alliance Annual Meeting

Join local Franklin & Grand Isle farmers, legislators, businesses, organizations, and friends for free dinner, updates, and connections with the Farmer's Watershed Alliance (FWA).

The goal of this meeting is to bring stakeholders together to build stronger connections to support the environmental and economic goals of the FWA and their partners.

The meeting is in person on January 23rd at 5:30pm in St. Albans.

Annual Meeting: January 23rd

Upcoming Dates and Deadlines

1/12 - WLEI Small Farm Diversification and Transition Grant opens
1/14 - Specialty Crop Block Grant Program deadline
1/15 - Trade Show Assistance Grants deadline
1/18 - On-Farm Milk Storage & Handling Grant deadline
1/19 - Meat and Produce Agriculture Development Grants open
1/19 - WLEI Supply Chain Impact Grants deadline
1/19 - VHCB Water Quality Grants deadline
1/22 - WLEI Building Executive Business Skills Program deadline
2/17 and 2/18 - 2024 NOFA-VT Winter Conference

View the VAAFM Grants Calendar