12/20/11 Update

Dear Folks,

I am thrilled to introduce myself to you as the new Director of Rural Vermont. I am grateful to have been chosen by the Board of Directors to join the staff. I am a long-time central Vermont community organizer and political activist, and look forward to contributing my skills and background to help build on the past successes of Rural Vermont’s farmer-driven grassroots campaigns.

Although I won’t officially begin my work with Rural Vermont until January 2, 2012, you can reach me now at andrea@ruralvermont.org. You can also check out my complete bio on the Rural Vermont website here.

For the next couple weeks, I will be working with the Rural Vermont staff and board to get up to speed on all our current issues and campaigns and look forward to the opportunity to meet many of you in the near future. Please check out the calendar of up-coming events at the bottom of this message.

I am honored to have this opportunity to work with an organization that I have admired ever since I first arrived in Vermont fifteen years ago. I’m particularly excited to join Rural Vermont at a time when the need to support and sustain Vermont’s growing community of family farmers and food producers has never been more important to the future of the state.

An unfortunate example of the urgency of Rural Vermont’s work is the announcement over the weekend by the Vermont Department of Health that ground beef sold at Hannaford’s supermarkets is the subject of a national recall and a Vermonter is among the consumers who became sick as a result of eating meat infected with salmonella. It is interesting to know that, according to the Vermont Department of Public Health, there has never been a single case of food-borne illness associated with on-farm slaughtered meat in the state. Rural Vermont is actively working to make sure our state’s family farms can continue to be a vital part of a successful, sustainable and healthier local economy that is based on Vermonters feeding Vermonters with wholesome, locally-raised and produced food.

Thank you for your support of Rural Vermont and please contact me with your ideas and concerns. I promise that, within a few weeks, I’ll be able to hold up my end of the conversation and even answer questions!

Best wishes for a peaceful holiday season.

Andrea Stander

Director, Rural Vermont

Congratulations to all the lucky “Art for Agrarians” winners! The 2011 auction was the most successful yet, bringing in over $2500 to support Rural Vermont’s work to build living soils, thriving farms, and healthy communities. Rural Vermont extends a heartfelt thank you to all of the talented artists who contributed to this year’s auction – Marie Cowan, Sharon Miller Blake, Bonnie Acker, Denise Hartman, Jamie Townsend, Jaclyn Davidson, Randall Henson, Colette Paul, Laurie Brooks, Byron Dobell, and Peter Miller. “Art for Agrarians” wouldn’t have been possible without this group’s generosity and commitment to Rural Vermont.

We are already looking forward to, and planning for, next year’s auction! If you’re an artist who would like to contribute your interpretation of Rural Vermont’s “Vision for Food with Dignity” to the 2012 benefit auction, please be in touch with Shelby at shelby@ruralvermont.org or (802) 223-7222. Thanks.

*** GROWING LOCAL FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
January 19, 6pm-7:45pm
Kellog Hubbard Library, MONTPELIER
Rural Vermont will be facilitating a discussion with Transition Town Montpelier about how communities can grow local food sovereignty. In preparation for Town Meeting Day articles, discussion will highlight Montpelier’s Food Sovereignty Resolution and other methods to raise awareness about the campaign.

Free and open to the public, potluck to follow.

Robb Kidd, Organizer for Rural Vermont, will discuss the Local Food Sovereignty Campaign with members of the Capital City Grange.

If you are interested in having Rural Vermont facilitate a food sovereignty discussion in your community, please contact robb@ruralvermont.org.

Over the past few years, Rural Vermont has worked very hard with farmers all across the state to expand the legal allowances of raw milk sales in Vermont. Since the 2009 passage of Act 62, the Raw Milk Bill, farmers’ rights to sell raw milk are protected in statute. Despite this, the law is not perfect and we need your help demonstrating this. No matter what size your miking operation, we want to hear from you. Your information will help us convince legislators that raw milk provides important economic opportunities for Vermont farmers and further changes are needed in the raw milk law for these opportunities to be fully realized.

How Can You help ?

Rural Vermont is asking all raw milk producers across the state to participate in a raw milk production survey in order to compile a comprehensive report on the economic benefits of raw milk. The legislature has requested that we present this data to the House and Senate Agriculture Committees to reflect the economic impact of raw milk sales in Vermont. Whether you have been selling raw milk for a number of years or just started milking, your participation in this survey is very important as it helps legitimize the economic importance of raw milk in Vermont!

If you are a raw milk producer, please take the survey.

**Please note this survey includes data from Dec 1, 2010 to Dec 1, 2011. We are hoping to get this information to the legislature in early January.**

Your support and participation is greatly appreciated. Of course, your personal information will remain anonymous in Rural Vermont’s report.

If you know someone who is a raw milk producer, please forward them this email or have them contact Rural Vermont for a copy of the survey so that we can demonstrate an accurate reflection of raw milk sales to the legislature. Once again, thank you for your input, it is invaluable in helping us create positive change in Vermont agriculture.