Workshop for the New England Dairy Industry

Submitted by tim on Mon, 03/10/2025 - 03:07

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

New England dairy producers and industry allies are invited to attend Drawing the Line in the New England Milkshed: Regional Zoning for Dairy Industry Preparedness Workshop on March 27th.

While bird flu (H5N1) outbreaks are affecting dairy herds in the Midwest and western states, a team of researchers at UVM is focused on the impacts of foreign animal disease outbreaks on regional dairy production in the "New England milkshed.” The milkshed is defined by all sources of milk processed or manufactured into dairy products within New England.

Dr. Julie Smith, veterinarian and research professor in the UVM Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, is leading a “regionalization” project that will collaborate with dairy farmers, dairy cooperatives, veterinarians, and federal and state regulatory officials. The goal of the project is to define the boundaries for the milkshed that could reduce the risks of disease spread from livestock and dairy product movements.

Participants of this one-day, interactive workshop will determine the feasibility and workability of establishing a regional protection zone as a foreign animal disease response strategy. At the end of the day, participants will weigh in on their willingness to see a regionalization plan move forward and develop recommendations for action.

Visit the Secure Food Supply New England website for more information about the regionalization project.

Learn more & register

Farm to School and Early Childhood Vision Grant Webinar

Are you interested in learning more about the Farm to School and Early Childhood Vision Grant? Join the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets for an optional applicant webinar on Wednesday, March 12th from 11:00am to 12:00pm.

During the webinar, program staff will provide an overview of the program and application requirements, and attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions.

The Farm to School and Early Childhood Vision Grant application is due April 10th.

Sign up for the webinar

Enroll in the Viability Program for Specialized Business Support

The Vermont Farm and Forest Viability Program is a group of experienced business advisors who offer business planning and technical assistance to food, farm, and forest businesses. They can support businesses that are recovering from flooding by offering assistance around short-term business planning, including financial analysis and identifying resources to assist with short-term business management and financial decisions. They can also help with long-term planning around business resilience, succession and more.

Learn more

Listening Sessions About the Future of Dairy in Vermont

This spring there will be a series of opportunities for those involved in Vermont's dairy industry to express their thoughts, concerns, ideas, and hopes about the future of Vermont dairy. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) is hosting a series of listening sessions across the state to hear directly from dairy stakeholders, farmers, and processors. VAAFM leadership looks forward to engaging in conversations with the dairy community across the state that can lead to new, actionable ideas.

The next meetings will be on March 17th and 18th in Addison, Rutland, and Bennington counties.

Learn More

Pesticide Certification Event

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets and UVM Extension Pesticide Safety Education Program are hosting the Initial Pesticide Certification Meeting on April 8th at various in-person sites statewide. This meeting will provide new applicators with a review of the Northeast CORE Manual followed by the Vermont Pesticide Applicator CORE Exam.

This review is for anyone in Vermont who uses, supervises, recommends, or sells pesticides and/or trains workers on Worker Protection Standards. You must study the CORE manual before the review to pass the exam. This program will not provide recertification credits.

Learn more

Upcoming Dates and Deadlines

March
3/12 - Farm to School and Early Childhood Vision Grant webinar

April
4/10 - Dairy Co-packing Grant deadline
4/10 - Farm to School and Early Childhood Vision Grant deadline

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