Rural Vermont and the People’s Agroecology School are honored to present the second annual 2025 Short Course in People’s Agroecology: 8/8-8/12. The 2025 Short Course is held in loving memory of Bruce Kaufman of Riverside Farm, a founding member and leader of the Vermont Agroecology School.
Farmers, farmworkers, and agrarian activists come together from across Vermont, Canada, the US, Puerto Rico and beyond for a 5 day course focused on farm work brigades, farmer exchanges, and political education workshops in and around the Northeast Kingdom, with a home base at Wheelock Mtn Farm in Greensboro Bend.
The Short Course will be an opportunity to get to know incredible comrades near and far in the struggle for agroecology and food sovereignty.
This is a bilingual event; English/Spanish interpretation available. Space is limited, and RSVP is required. Due to capacity constraints, this event is limited to farmers and farmworkers, who are encouraged to join for the parts of the course that they are interested in and able. The Friday evening event in Greensboro is open to all. Questions? Email mollie@ruralvermont.org.
Please note: exact times are subject to shift slightly. Full details and schedule will be emailed after RSVP. Deadline for RSVP is Monday, 8/4.
Schedule:
Friday 8/8
8:30 am Opening mistica and introductions
11:45-12:45 pm lunch
1-4pm Community Scale Agroecology (vermiculture, compost & nutrient cycling; scaling up agroecology) at Black Dirt Farm, Stannard
5-6 pm Dinner at Wheelock Mtn Farm
7pm Panel @ Greensboro United Church - Organizing for Agroecology with Rural Vermont and the People’s Agroecology School, with Graham Unangst-Rufenacht of Robinson Hill Beef, Hannah Pearce of Hillside Farm, and Tom Gilbert of Black Dirt Farm - Public event open to all!
Saturday, 8/9 - Barre, VT
9am-4pm Dawn Land Farm Work Brigade
4-5:30pm - Russell Maroon Shoatz III Political Education discussion
6pm Farmer and Farmworker dinner, Barre
Sunday, 8/10
8:15- 11:15am Work Brigade at Riverside Farm, East Hardwick
12-1pm-lunch at Wheelock Mtn Farm, Greensboro Bend
1-2:15pm Work Brigade with Northeast Kingdom Organizing and Barton Celebrates, Barton (CANCELLED)
3pm The Domestic Resurrection Revolution - Bread and Puppet Circus, Glover
6pm Dinner at Wheelock Mtn Farm, Greensboro Bend
7pm Evening discussion: Popular Education and Mutual Aid: Tools for People’s Agroecology - Wheelock Mountain Farm, Greensboro Bend
Monday, 8/11
8 am-12pm Work brigade at Cate Hill Orchard
12pm Lunch @ Cate Hill Orchard, discussion led by Yorlis Luna - Bees, Pollinators, & Popular Peasant Feminism
2:30pm Tour & Overview of the Food Venture Center and the Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE), Harwick
5:30-6:30pm Community Meal at Atkin’s Field in Hardwick
7pm Farmer Organizing in Latin America - Freddy Congo Suarez & Yorlis Luna, Wheelock Mtn Farm, Greensboro Bend
Tuesday, 8/12 - All activities at Wheelock Mtn Farm, Greensboro Bend
12pm Lunch
2-4pm People's Workshop on Natural Medicine, Health & Wellbeing
6:30pm Closing Dinner