Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
An On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR) is a free, non-regulatory site visit to review safe produce handling on your farm. It serves as a direct educational opportunity for growers and producers to prepare for a Produce Safety Inspection or simply improve produce safety practices on their farm.
During an OFRR you can expect staff from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Market's Produce Program and UVM Extension to review your farm's pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest conditions and practices. Staff then provide individualized feedback and identify priorities for improving produce safety.
Visit the OFFR webpage to learn more about how a produce safety review can help your farm. For more information reach out to Kiera Ebeling at [email protected] or 802-461-6152.
Get Paid for Rotational Grazing on your farm
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Market's Farm Agronomic Practices (FAP) program helps farmers manage their farm fields to improve soil quality, increase crop production, and reduce erosion and surface runoff. The FAP rotational grazing program pays farmers $30 per acre to implement rotational grazing practices according to program guidelines.
Visit the FAP webpage to learn more. Reach out to Connor Steckel at [email protected] or 802-522-0065 for additional assistance.
Apply by June 15th
The deadline has been extended for farmers to sign-up for a free, confidential Wellbeing Check with a Farm First wellness coach. Participants are eligible to receive $200 in gift cards if they sign-up by May 30th.
Sign-up by contacting Farm First's Wellness Coach, Angela Shea LICSW, LADC, at [email protected] or 802-277-5056.
While the gift card incentives may be a limited time offer, Farm First provides on-going mental health support for farmers.
Sign-up by May 30th
Are you interested in raising a highly sustainable protein on your farm, homestead, or backyard? Meat rabbits require less land, less water, and less energy to grow than most other livestock.
Join Rural Vermont and G.I.V.E. A. Care Homestead in Bakersfield on Saturday, June 1st from 10:00-1:00 to learn about raising and processing meat rabbits. The workshop will be led by homestead owner, Erica Martel.
This is an interactive workshop that will take you from set-up, breeding, and care, to humane harvesting and packaging.
Learn more & register
Call for 2025 Northeast SARE Large Grant Preproposals
Three Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) programs are calling for preproposals for the 2025 grant round. $5.9 million in funding is available across the Research and Education, Research for Novel Approaches, and Professional Development grant programs.
Q&A Sessions will take place in June and July to help applicants determine which program is right for their project. Register for the Q&A sessions.
Preproposals are due August 6, 2024 by 5 p.m. EST.
Learn more
Upcoming Dates and Deadlines
June
6/1 - Harvest New England Day at the Big E application deadline
6/5 - Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Grant application deadline
6/6 - Goat & Sheep Dairy Development Grant deadline
6/7 - Custom Meat Facility Capacity Survey deadline
6/14 - FAP Rotational Grazing Application Deadline
6/23 - Medium Farm Operation General Permit Public Comment Period deadline
6/25 - Dairy Product Trade Show Assistance Grant deadline
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Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
116 State St. Montpelier, VT 05620
https://agriculture.vermont.gov