We are stronger and more vibrant when we live and work in solidarity with one another
Every Vermont farmer should have equal right to prosper
Farming can heal the land
Farmers are health care providers
All Vermonters should have access to locally produced, nutrient dense food
Healthy soil makes healthy humans
It's giving season and we’re celebrating an amazingly successful year! One of our most celebrated wins this past legislative season was the passage of Act 93 - the uninspected poultry parts bill…here are what rural Vermonters have to say about the impact of Rural Vermont’s work in 2024:
“Thanks to advocacy of Rural VT and others the Poultry Parts bill passed in 2024 and had an immediate impact on our small farm. We have been able to keep our production numbers the same while increasing the price per pound that we fetch for our chicken and we hope it will make our farm viable for years to come!”
-Em Virzi, Union Brook Farm
“I feel blessed to be a poultry farmer in Vermont with an organization like Rural Vermont to support important legislative challenges that we face. Rural Vermont led the charge on the passing of the H.603 Poultry Parts Bill and it was great to see farmers rally around the cause and get the bill through the house and senate committees. I am looking forward to being involved in additional impactful legislation in the future!"
-Jack Vorster, Greenman Farm
Want to learn more about 2024’s wins and how to support this good work?
Read more here…
2025 marks 40 years since Rural Vermont’s founding by farmers and allies in 1985. It is also a new legislative biennium in Vermont, with many newly elected legislators joining the General Assembly. This Course of Action forecasts some of our priorities in upcoming policy, organizing and education work for the next year. This is a living document, and given the recent elections, we will adjust our strategies & tactics accordingly as we learn more about the new administration and government federally, the makeup of VT’s legislative committees, and their priorities.
Check out Rural Vermont’s 2025 Course of Action!
Learn more about Rural Vermont, our Board of Directors HERE, or become a Rural Vermont MEMBER.
Seeking People Affected by VT’s Home and Farm Based Food Production and Processing Laws!
Rural Vermont has been hearing for a number of years from people in our membership about the need to update VT’s Home and Farm Based Food Production and Processing Laws, sometimes also referred to as “cottage food” laws. These laws relate to home baking regulations and income thresholds, home kitchens and processing that is non-baking such as canning, and more. Beginning in 2024, the Vermont Department of Health now requires producers who work from a home kitchen to add a new disclaimer to their labels stating: “Made in a home kitchen not inspected by the Vermont Department of Health.” If you are affected by these laws, or other laws related to small scale processing, if you have questions, concerns or ideas - please fill out this form.
We’re hoping to bring together a number of producers to determine collectively the appropriate path / s towards creating scale appropriate regulations for VT’s small businesses. For additional questions or info, reach out to Graham (graham@ruralvermont.org) and Caroline (caroline@ruralvermont.org).
It’s that time of year! On Thursday, October 24th, we look forward to gathering with the Rural Vermont community at the beautiful Bread & Butter Farm. We’ll spend a cozy evening making art, sharing a hot meal, meeting and electing our Board of Directors, hearing and offering updates, and much more! As always, this event is FREE for Rural Vermont members! Not a member? Join in advance or pay $35 at the door.
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“The continuous and often brilliant efforts that Rural Vermont provides to our agricultural community, by not only exploring the impacts of current research, policies and politics on that community, but also speaking out to those that create those policies so they might be better informed about what they are doing. This is a key role for the Vermont community at large if we are to keep our working landscape and its farmers successful.”
