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In this Alert
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Message from the Director
Greetings, First let me say how extremely grateful we are for the responses we received from people all over the state seeking ways to help farmers recover from the flooding. We have scheduled the first of Rural Vermont’s Rapid Farm Response Brigades for Wednesday, September 14th at 9:30 am at Arethusa Farm in the Intervale in Burlington. As most have heard, the farms that call the Intervale home were completely flooded and severely damaged. Come help Arethusa Farm, and potentially other farms at the Intervale, pick up the pieces and move on. The need is for a small crew to assist with cleaning up and closing down the farm for the season. If you’d like to join the Intervale Farm Brigade, you MUST sign up in advance by emailing robb@ruralvermont.org with your name and phone number. It’s very important, and therefore worth repeating, that volunteers must be registered in advance – please do not just show up! Confirmed volunteers will receive more details (what to bring, where to meet, etc.) next week. Throughout the coming weeks, we will continue connecting farmers with local volunteers, and would like to reiterate our call to all farmers; if you need volunteers, please contact us as we have a solid network of people around Vermont ready to help where needed. As farmers begin the recovery process, one of their biggest needs will be direct financial assistance, and the VT Community Foundation Farm Disaster Relief Fund has been established to do just that. Rural Vermont, NOFA, and the Agency of Ag have partnered with the VT Community Foundation to quickly and effectively set up a grant process that will give farms access to these much needed funds. Your contribution will be wholly appreciated. Make your donation by clicking here, and scroll down to the “VT Farm Disaster Relief.” Finally, please take a moment to read about Rural Vermont events in your area, and consider attending the workshop on Food Sovereignty at the Growing Local Fest this Saturday in Montpelier. In light of the catastrophic impact of Tropical Storm Irene, the need for us to unite at the local level and provide ongoing support to our communities becomes ever more pressing. Once again, we hope this email finds you well and that you are continuing to recover from the flooding. Please be in touch if there is anything Rural Vermont can do to help. Best, Jared |
| Call for Art!Rural Vermont will host its annual “Art for Agrarians” art auction fundraiser this fall, and we are now welcoming art donations that reflect Rural Vermont’s Vision for Food with Dignity! The deadline for submission is Friday, September 30th. Any media is acceptable, but we do ask that it is in final form (matted, framed or otherwise “hang-ready”). If you are an artist who would like to support Rural Vermont’s vision to build living soils, thriving farms, and healthy communities, please consider donating! For more info or to make arrangements, please contact our office at (802) 223-7222 or email jake@ruralvermont.org. |
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Rural Vermont Events
Local Food Sovereignty Workshop at the Growing Local Fest * Saturday, September 10th / 2pm-7pm Vermont College of Fine Arts Green, MONTPELIER Admission: $10 Person; $20 Family; $5 Students/Senior Rural Vermont Organizer Robb Kidd will be holding a workshop on how to support vibrant local food systems through the “Local Food Sovereignty” campaign. Join us for a day of food, fun and music. More information here.
Rural Vermont is hosting the final workshop of a series aimed to help current and aspiring raw milk farmers learn about the regulations governing the sale of raw milk, and provide an opportunity for folks to see them in practice on a successful raw milk micro dairy, while learning about animal care and microdairy management. * Saturday, September 17th / 11 am – 3 pm New Village Farm, SHELBURNE $10 for Rural Vermont members, and $20 for all others (no one turned away for lack of funds). For more information click here. Pre-registration is highly recommended. Sign up by calling Rural Vermont at (802) 223-7222 or email Shelby. **Re-scheduled** Back-to-Back Raw Milk Webinars on Sept. 21 Two webinars hosted by UVM Extension New Farmer Project and the VT Pasture Program, moderated by Jenn Colby of the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture’s Pasture Program. Rural Vermont’s comprehensive seller’s guide is available for download prior to the webinars. * 11:30 am – 12:15 pm — 2011 Updates on Marketing and Selling Raw Milk in Vermont, presented by Rural Vermont director Jared Carter * 12:30 – 1:15 pm — Best Management Practices for Raw Milk Handling, presented by Agency of Ag Dairy & Energy Chief Dan Scruton Newcomers to online learning are welcome. All you need to participate is internet access and a computer that you can hear sound through. To participate, please click here at about 11:15 am EST on September 21, 2011 and click on “Webinars” on the left-hand menu. For more information, contact newfarmer@uvm.edu or call 802-223-2389×203. If you require accommodations to participate in this program, please let Jessie Schmidt know by Sept. 14 at 802-223-2389 or 1-866-860-1382 (toll-free in VT) or jessica.a.schmidt@uvm.edu. Creating Nutritious Food AND Feed, From the Soil Up Recommended donation of $10 to support Rural Vermont and Vermont Grass Farmers Association (no one turned away for lack of funds) After having taken the Nutrient Dense Farming Crop Production Course offered through the Real Food Campaign, Rural Vermont Board Member Lisa McCrory applied what she had learned to her farm and has documented the results from pasture and vegetable plots, and maintained records of applications and all expenses in order to share that information with other farmers seeking to improve marginal lands on a budget. Supported by the VT Farm Women’s Fund and USDA Risk Management. For more info, Jenn Colby, (802) 656-0858, jcolby@uvm.edu BEYOND MILK: RAW DAIRY PROCESSING ! * Cheddar & Manchego with Lea Calderon-Guthe Fall schedule coming soon! All classes require advance registration and space is limited. $20-$40 sliding scale. All proceeds benefit Rural Vermont. |
| The 4th Annual Tour de FarmsSunday, September 18th, 2011Shoreham Green, Addison County, VT
RAIN OR SHINE day-of reg: $50 adults/$20 kids 12 & under kids in trailers and bikeseats free! To register online or print registration materials, click here.
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Activist and Volunteer Needs
Tour de Farms poster-hangers and event support on Sept 18.- Have fun with friends in many ways. This highly successful event reaches out to lots of people and gets more exciting every year. Help with hanging posters in advance or with registration, parking or assisting the farmers along the routes. Tunbridge Fair Table Support-Sept 15, 16, 17- Join us at the exciting Tunbridge World’s Fair! Tablers needed to engage fair goers with Rural Vermont campaigns! Your help is greatly appreciated. Farm Relief- Rural Vermont is coordinating with different farms about getting volunteers to join our Rapid Response Brigades to assist in the recovery process. **Want to help but not interested in the above activities? Contact us and we’ll see how we can plug you in! ** |