Dairy Vision Vermont - a farmer led initiative to assist
and support forward thinking dairy farms – has announced this
year’s leadership team. These directors will join the rest of the board to
guide the organization into its third year of working with farms and
management teams. The focus will continue to be development of long range
business plans for farmers in commodity milk production, which is a vital
component of Vermont agriculture.
The following directors have been re-elected to serve another three year term
(through 2018):
Mark Magnan, Magnan Dairy Farm, Fairfield
Ransom Conant, Riverside Farm, Richmond
Leon Graves, Dairy Marketing Services, Syracuse NY
Ethan McLaughlin, Gravel and Shea PC, Burlington
Jo Bradley, Vermont Economic Development Authority, Montpelier
In addition, we are excited to add Thomas Gallagher of Peoples Trust in St.
Albans as a new board member. Tom was elected to the expired term of Craig
Newton of Phoenix Feed and Nutrition.
At a recent Board meeting, the following were elected to the Executive
Committee:
Chair: Mark Magnan
Vice Chair: Leon Graves
Sec/Treas: Tom Bellevance (AgVentures)
At Large: Jane Clifford (Clifford Farms)
At Large: Kiersten Bourgeois (Vermont Agency of Commerce)
Dairy Vision Vermont is a not-for-profit organization that helps dairy farms
build and improve their business. Participating farms can expect a new
approach to reach success, including tailored assistance with a dedicated
team of professionals focused on their business. Team members will offer
expertise in Human Resources, nutrition and animal health analysis, dairy
financial management and organization building. Participation in the program
is partially supported by the agricultural community and offers an
opportunity to access funding for expert review and consultation. The
schedule of visits by the team is determined by the farm.
Chelsea Sprague’s farm in Brookfield signed up for the program last year
and says, “Working with the Dairy Vision team was a great experience for
us. As a result, we have formed an Advisory Board that helps us review the
past performance of our farm and plan for the future. Dairy Vision helped us
to be more organized and focused. The consultants were very knowledgeable and
helpful in their fields, were professional, and eager to help our farm
progress in our desired path.”
Funding for this project came from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food
and Markets and the Working Lands Enterprise Board, as well as other private
donors.