Jan 27th in Charlotte, Jan 29th in Lincoln, and Feb 1st in Shrewsbury

Rural Vermont’s first round of 2012 dairy processing classes will kick off at the end of January, starting in Chittenden County and then heading south to Addison County, before ending up in Rutland County. If your new year’s resolutions included feeding your family better, cooking from scratch more, eating closer to home, or investing in your community, then Rural Vermont’s Beyond Milk: Raw Dairy Processing Classes are for you!

On Friday, January 27th, Windy Corners Farm in Charlotte hosts and leads a butter, chevre, and yogurt class with raw cows’ milk. On Sunday, January 29th, Metta Earth Institute in Lincoln hosts and leads a feta, soft cheese, yogurt, and kefir class with raw cows’ milk. On Wednesday, February 1st, Red Wing Farm in Shrewsbury hosts a cheddar, gouda, and manchego class, taught by former cheesemaid Lea Calderon-Guthe, with raw cows’ milk. Additional classes around the state will continue through the winter and into the spring.

At each of the classes, folks can also expect a tour of the host farm and the opportunity to purchase raw cows’ milk and immediately put their new skills to use! All classes are from 1-4 pm. The fee for each is $20-40 sliding scale, and all proceeds will benefit Rural Vermont. Pre-registration is required and space is limited, so be in touch today to reserve your spot! For more information, to sign up, or to be added to Rural Vermont’s mailing list, call (802) 223-7222 or email shelby@ruralvermont.org.

Windy Corners Farm is a small-scale agricultural farm where the arts and crafts of homesteading are being practiced. The farm is located in Charlotte, nestled between Mt. Philo and Lake Champlain, and the property includes a straw bale house. The farm’s 14 acres of land is home to pigs, chickens, goats, cows, and bees – and a few people! There are vegetable, fruit, and flower gardens throughout the farm, and various farm products – including raw milk! – available for purchase. For more info, visit www.windycorners.info.

Metta Earth Institute, Inc. is a non-profit, educational retreat center that focuses on contemplative ecology. Based on 158 acres, Metta Earth has fields and pastures, forest ecosystems, an apple orchard, organic garden, a traditional timber frame barn, greenhouse, and a large main house providing meals, accommodations, and teaching spaces. Two cows and a steer, Icelandic sheep, and about 50 laying hens graze the pastures rotationally. For more info about Metta Earth Institute, Inc., visit www.mettaearth.org.

Red Wing Farm is home to John Pollard and his herd of happy, healthy Jersey cows. They are grass-fed and organically managed. New raw milk customers are always welcome!

Lea Calderon-Guthe is a Middlebury College student with a sincere interest in the art and science of cheesemaking. She has trained with, and worked under, Cindy West of the renowned Hillsborough Cheese Company in Orange County, North Carolina. She loves sharing her passion for cheesemaking with Vermonters!

Montpelier – The Rural Vermont Board of Directors has chosen Andrea Stander to serve as the organization’s new Director. Andrea is a long-time central Vermont community organizer and political activist.  Rural Vermont is honored to have Andrea’s skills and background to continue building on the past successes of our farmer-driven grassroots campaigns.

Andrea will officially begin her work with Rural Vermont on January 2, 2012 but may be contacted through Rural Vermont at andrea@ruralvermont.org.

Prior to being named Director for Rural Vermont, Andrea served for a year as the Executive Director of the Vermont League of Conservation Voters, after having helped organize their highly successful Get Out The Green Vote initiative during the 2010 election cycle. From 2007 to 2010, Andrea helped lead the development team at the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, as well as coordinating member communications such as the VPIRG newsletter and Annual Reports. During that time, VPIRG’s annual operating budget topped $1 million.

In 2006, Andrea was the Central Vermont Regional Field Coordinator for Bernie Sanders’ successful campaign for the US Senate, organizing staff, interns and volunteers for all aspects of the grassroots campaign in Lamoille, Washington and Orange Counties.

Andrea began her community organizing work with the Northern Plains Resource Council (NPRC) in Montana in 1992, where she spent 4 years working with farmers and ranchers who were being affected by the environmental and social impacts from large scale mining operations. Like Rural Vermont, NPRC was founded and is still directed by farmers and ranchers, and is one of the most effective advocacy organizations in the intermountain west. In her last year in Montana she served as the Campaign Manager for a statewide citizens’ ballot initiative to protect Montana’s clean water resources that was supported by an unprecedented coalition of environmental, agricultural, wildlife protection and sporting organizations.

A Vermont resident since 1997, Andrea has also worked with the Northern Forest Alliance as Media Coordinator and with the Vermont Arts Council as Communications Director.  In addition to her professional work, Andrea is a dedicated local food consumer and an active participant in many community organizations, including currently serving on the boards of Food Works and the Girls and Boyz First Mentoring Program.  Andrea’s diverse experience in community organizing, advocacy, communications and fundraising is an extremely valuable asset for Rural Vermont.

December 16th at 6 pm in West Townshend

As part of its food sovereignty campaign, Rural Vermont continues its new series highlighting the traditional foods and connections that make each Vermont community unique. On Friday December 16th at 6 pm in West Townshend, join neighbors and friends for an old-fashioned family-style meal that celebrates the area’s agricultural roots, and then stay for a conversation about what makes this foodshed special, and what changes could make it even better! The event is free. Please RSVP to shelby@ruralvermont.org or (802) 223-7222 for exact location.

Consider the potluck supper to be a delicious depiction of the greater West Townshend community’s food culture and food system. Bring food with a story! This might be something that is homegrown/raised, or it might be a traditional dish from the area’s collective past. Wild game? Organ meats? Homemade bread & butter? Fermented veggies? The possibilities are endless!

After appreciating and enjoying the bountiful homegrown supper, the group will embark on a discussion that will examine the greater W. Townshend community’s food system, identify how and where opportunity for improvement exists, and begin the process to address these shortcomings. Folks should expect to walk away with full bellies, a sense of accomplishment, and some clear direction for moving this community towards food sovereignty.

Rural Vermont’s food sovereignty campaign seeks to declare the right of communities to produce, process, sell and purchase local foods. Vermonters have employed a food system based on community and intimate connections between farmers and their neighbors for generations. The advent of modern industry has forced many of these community-based food systems underground, and in many places has even destroyed them. Rural Vermont’s food sovereignty campaign seeks to recognize, revitalize, celebrate, and support these community-based food systems.

Contact Person: Shelby Girard, (802) 223-7222, shelby@ruralvermont.org