A new Farm to Plate report will be released in the next couple of weeks that highlights what has been learned retrospectively in the past 10 years about the Vermont food system (see the presentation to the legislature here and recording here). Figures show that overall farmland in production in the past decade decreased by 3.2% or 40,000 acres. The decrease occurred especially in dairy by 20% or 105,000 acres. While sales appear to stagnate over time, presenters emphasized that dairy is the most significant agricultural sales sector with over $505 million. Pasture land showed the largest decline with 67,000 acres and the Sustainable Jobs Fund stated a trend of grazing being used less in the dairy industry due to continued consolidation. Positive trends include an increase of acres in vegetables by 17%; oil, seed and grain acreage by 49%; beef farm acreage by 9%, hog and pig by 25%; and sheep and goat farm acreage increase by 8%.
These past weeks we have witnessed and responded to recent actions of the federal Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets (VAAFM) that compromise VT’s on-farm slaughter law, threaten the practice and tradition of on-farm slaughter, and undermine the active democratic work done by Rural VT, VT’s on-farm slaughter community, and VT’s supportive legislative body to improve this law for over a decade.
As we feel our local democratic process being threatened, we recognize that at a national level, we are at a critical juncture in our nation’s democratic trajectory. A number of States have advanced voter suppression laws and more gerrymandered districts disproportionately affecting the agency and representation of the working class and people of color. Meanwhile, efforts to enact new legislation to protect and expand voting rights federally have faltered in the face of a lack of political will and leadership and systemic anti-democratic structures which enable minority control of government. Equal access to the right to vote and equal representation are essential components of a liberal democracy - and provide the foundation and leverage for much of what we do as an advocacy organization, and what you can do as a citizen advocate, to affect policies like on-farm slaughter, raw milk, healthcare, and more. The passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act is essential to our work, and to the just and equitable representation of our communities.
Last week was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Aside from his work on voting rights, MLK spoke to and embodied the deep need for embracing the intersectionality of the issues facing us as a society - and he received substantial pushback, at times from allies and certainly from opposition; but he persisted, whether that be integrating the critique of the Vietnam War and militarism, or picketing with striking workers in support of just working conditions. At the National Family Farm Coalition, and at Rural VT, we are asking ourselves how we can support the protection and expansion of voting rights. We need agricultural organizations, individuals, and businesses - all of our voices - to join in solidarity with the movement to achieve these fundamental rights. We may face pushback, we may hear that we’re “out of our lane” or won’t have any impact or to trust the people in power - and at times like these we can also remember what MLK wrote in his letter from the Birmingham jail about the need to pursue justice and equity regardless of the barriers before us and the excuses for delay:
“I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negroes’ great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen’s “Counciler” or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says “I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I can’t agree with your methods of direct action”; who paternalistically feels that he can set the timetable for another man’s freedom; who lives by the myth of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait until a “more convenient season.””
Curious about On-Farm Slaughter? Wondering what to expect when you attend one of our workshops?
Check out this recording of one of our educational workshops on the slaughter and the processing of poultry guided by Elizabeth Roma:
Elizabeth is a professional butcher and farmer who lives in South Royalton and co-owns Putting Down Roots Farm with her husband Russel- a diverse vegetable and animal farm. Early on in the pandemic 2020, she founded Roma’s Butchery, a whole animal Butcher Shop that offers eggs, pork, beef, lamb, and chicken products as well as lunch.
The poultry slaughter workshop demonstrated the slaughter of chickens at Putting Down Roots Farm, and participants learned about the tiers and requirements for the on-farm slaughter of poultry.
At the processing workshop, participants learned how to cut a whole bird. Farmers who slaughter their poultry on-farm can only sell them as whole birds – which can be unusual and tricky for customers.
Did you know? Elizabeth's expertise and engagement through testimony were essential for the 2021 increase in allowances for the On-Farm Slaughter of livestock.
On-Farm Slaughter is part of peoples’ food sovereignty, enabling the processing of poultry and livestock on the farms the animals were raised, supplying the increased need and demand for local food and resilient food systems.
Interested in attending a live, in-person workshop? Stay tuned! More livestock and poultry On-Farm Workshops will be happening in 2022!
On December 13, Danone North America announced that they will extend Horizon farmer contracts in the northeast for 18 months, an increase from the 12 months they initially gave the 89 northeast farmers the company is dropping as they cease sourcing milk from the region. Horizon/Danone also committed to providing a small transition payment for the affected dairy farm families, a nominal amount compared to the requests and needs of the group. These minor acquisitions are not enough and don’t come near to fulfilling the needs and demands of producers. We continue to work with affected farmers directly, support the demands of the organic producer group, engage in legislative Task Forces focused on dairy farmer support and revitalization, participate in national and international dairy policy reform, and advocate for systemic changes that support farmers through transition as we adapt to a changing climate and build more resilient food systems.
Full update from NOFA-VT here, who have been leaders on this issue.
From NOFA-VT:
NOFA Vermont is convening a cohort of experienced farmers (those who consider themselves beyond start-up phase) who are looking to use what they have learned in their early years of farming to develop a plan for long-term viability for the farm. This program will help you clarify your goals, improve the financial tools used to guide the business, and create a clear path forward for the farm.
This intensive program will consist of 4 sessions that each include a group presentation with question and answer time, breakout working sessions, check-in time with business planners, and time for group sharing, learning, and feedback. Meredith Davis (see below for her bio) will be the lead instructor with support from NOFA-VT Farm Business Advisors Bill Cavanaugh and Jen Miller.
The cohort will meet on-line from 10:00-3:00 on January 13th, January 27th, February 10th, and March 3rd.
The goals of this program are for farmers to:
Develop business and personal goals to guide business decisions for the next 3-5 years.
Review the business financials and discuss what the growth potential is for the business under different scenarios.
Consider questions that are facing the farm (e.g. purchasing equipment, expanding staffing, paying down debt, how much to save for retirement) and learn how to evaluate the options using financial analysis.
Learn from other farmers about what metrics they use to evaluate if things are on track. Decide which metrics matter most for their own farm.
Create a farm budget that reflects decisions made during the course. The program will be 4 days, running every other week in January-February. Part of the day
To apply for the cohort, please complete this short intake form.
About the Instructor:
Meredith Martin Davis is a business advisor who has been working with farms and businesses for over 25 years. She spent 10 years at High Mowing Organic Seeds, most of that time as General Manager. Prior to joining High Mowing, Meredith worked as business advisor at the Micro Business Development Program, the Women's Small Business Program, and in her own consulting practice. She served as the Executive Director of the Women Business Owners Network, and taught business classes for Champlain College, Woodbury College, and the Small Business Development Center. Meredith has a double-major in Economics and Geography from Dartmouth College. She lives in Elmore, Vermont with her 3 daughters.
If you have any questions please reach out to Bill Cavanaugh, 802-434-7154 or bill@nofavt.org
The Federation's Motion to Intervene in Miller v. Vilsack has been Denied as Black Farmers Continue to Face Economic Displacement:
Contact: Dãnia Davy, Director of Land Retention & Advocacy - daniadavy@federation.coop; 404 765 099
East Point, GA — On December 8, 2021, Judge Reed O’Connor denied the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund’s (“Federation”) Motion to Intervene in the Miller v. Vilsack lawsuit currently pending in the US District Court Northern District of Texas. The Federation is very disappointed by the Judge’s ruling. We are saddened that while the farmers challenging the constitutionality of Section 1005 of the American Rescue Plan Act are given liberal opportunity for their voices and experiences to be uplifted, the Court has chosen to silence the voices of our member-farmers who are the most severely impacted by the ongoing delayed implementation of the Emergency Debt Relief for Farmers and Ranchers of Color program which Congress passed in an effort to address the gross racial disparities in COVID-19 and farm subsidy benefits from the USDA under the previous Administration. Further, this decision prevents our member-farmers from sharing their experiences of the ongoing race-based discrimination they face in their interactions with local FSA offices as evidence in this case.
We remain encouraged that Secretary Vilsack and the entire Administration have unwaveringly called for racial equity in agriculture to directly confront the institutionalized system of race-based discrimination and its devastating impacts on farmers and ranchers of color. Black farmers continue to speak for themselves through their Federation and stand in solidarity with all farmers of color whose farming operations have borne the disproportionate burden of the legacy of racism in agriculture.
The Federation is in active discussions with our legal counsel, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law, Public Counsel, and Winston-Strawn, to evaluate our next steps. We are also actively advocating for an explicit racial equity lens in any and all agricultural, environmental, and climate legislation so our nation can equitably support all small family farmers and build back better than ever.
On November 19th, Indian Prime Minister Modi announced that the three controversial farm laws that sparked the largest protest in history would be repealed. Farmers celebrate their historic win, at great cost, including 670 lives, and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a united front of 40+ Indian farmers unions that has been leading the strike, has called to continue the protests until their remaining demands are met, including a legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price for all crops and all farmers. Read this solidarity statement we signed on to and learn more about the additional demands being sought by Indian farmers. These farmers are enduring now what happened in the U.S. almost four decades ago. One of the main asks we can make of the Biden administration is to stop prioritizing the interests of agribusiness over small farmers, thus abetting further corporatization of the food system here and in other countries. Rural Vermont stands and is in solidarity with Indian farmers and farmers and farmworkers everywhere in the struggle for food sovereignty.
Dear Members,
We appreciate you honestly and transparently sharing your feedback and questions with respect to our statement of solidarity with Palestine and Palestinians. Some of the questions we received asked why we are focusing on international issues, and this international issue in particular. We value and invite respectful dialogue, and offer here a response to these questions and comments.
Did you know that farmers have to sell poultry they slaughtered on the farm as whole birds only (chicken, turkey, ducks)? A September workshop in collaboration with Elizabeth Roma from Putting Down Roots Farm and Roma’s Butchery taught participants how to slaughter and how to cut the birds themselves. This way they can support local farmers who do sell uninspected poultry that was slaughtered on their farms.
You missed the workshop? Sign up for our second and final On-Farm Poultry Slaughter Workshop with Elizabeth Roma on Saturday, November 6 from noon to 5 pm.
A sunny day greeted the seven attendees at our first poultry processing workshop with Elizabeth Roma on September 25, 2021. Everyone had the opportunity to slaughter and eviscerate their own birds at the slaughter demo and in the afternoon cut their birds under guidance from Liz at Roma’s Butchery. Participants at this workshop were mostly homesteaders who wanted to improve their skill and setup to be able to process their own poultry more efficiently. The workshop demonstrated a low cost setup that would be easy to adopt while allowing room for growth which was appreciated. Definitely a role model solution for small producers! The lunch menu and large patio at Roma’s Butchery was a great space to rest and digest the lessons learned from the slaughter demonstration. After the break, Rural Vermont presented on the regulatory requirements that farmers have to meet when they are selling uninspected poultry that they have slaughtered on their farms themselves as whole birds to their customers through their farm stands and CSA’s or to restaurants.
Inside the butchery the space was just right for the eight needed processing spots and we masked up to stay safe. Liz demonstrated a few different cutting techniques on the birds with a knife which everyone could then practice themselves. At the end of the day participants went home with their own freshly slaughtered, cut and vacuum sealed chicken.
Have questions about the on-farm slaughter of poultry? Check out our factsheet here or contact caroline@ruralvermont.org with your questions.
Last week, the High Meadows Fund announced a $6 million leadership gift to the VT Land Trust: “[it will help to] diversify farm ownership, accelerate the economic viability of farming, and advance natural climate solutions and ecological health on Vermont farms… $2 million of this gift will seed the creation of a new fund to expand land ownership and access among people who have been historically marginalized or oppressed based on their race or ethnicity.” The announcement was made at the Clemmons Family Farm, and has raised some important questions from BIPOC leaders, such as Amber Arnold from the Susu CommUNITY farm in Brattleboro and Mia Schultz who leads the NAACP in Rutland.
Fundamental changes are needed to ensure that healthcare financing and delivery systems serve the people of Vermont, realize their right to health, and advance equity. We join the call in asking the legislature to fulfill its obligations under Act 48 to finance universal, publicly financed health care, review the state audit of the current All-Payer model that is currently driving up healthcare costs for Vermont residents, and hold public hearings to enable the public to speak directly to the Task Force. Read the full letter, including background and more details on our requests.
Rural Vermont celebrated the Open Farm Week this past Sunday at the opening event of the White River Land Collaborative and the Alliance for Vermont Communities in Tunbridge by making block prints of “Power to the Farmers.” The day was filled with events around the farm, including Abenaki basket weaving, hikes around the forest, farm tours, storytelling and music jam sessions. The hot day was glazed with refreshments from First Branch Coffee and locally made arepas and empanadas from Moon and Stars farm. Other participating organizations include the South Royalton Community Garden, the Royalton Community Radio, Vital Communities, and the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems.
Legislative Director, Caroline Gordon, and RV Board Member, Chris Wood, tabling at the event.
The Land Collaborative, a small group of community members from the area, formed in 2020 to support young farmer Shona Sanford-Long in acquiring land for her livestock operation, Flying Dog Farm, in an affordable way. Together they were able to enter an agreement with the Vermont Land Trust (VLT) to purchase a 204 acres farm (thereof 140 acres forest) right across the 1879 Howe covered bridge. Shona is the anchor tenant of the project and brings cattle, sheep, and pigs with her as an offspring from her family farm, Luna Bleu Farm. The land was originally farmed by the Howe family in the early 1900s and was for sale for about $700,000 - too expensive to be bought by farmers alone.
Did you know? Shona Sanford-Long (Flying Dog Farm) and her mother Suzanne Long from Luna Bleu Farm both played key roles in Rural Vermont's successful advocacy for the 2021 improvements to on-farm slaughter (allowance increase, sunset removal) and raw milk (improved market access for CSA’s and farm stands) through their respective testimonials during the virtual session! Power to the Farmers!
The vision for the Farm includes for it to function as a community hub that will be home to multiple agricultural enterprises, including a project led by Emily Boles (local Abenaki advisor) to integrate native species and agroforestry in the current pine forest. Bank stabilization is another focus, as the property is along the first branch of the White River. Rudi Rudell is involved as the watershed scientist who knows about the conditions and existing bank stabilization plantings done. A long-term goal is solar generation and to involve the community in turning the barn into a community space for skills and resource sharing, music, shows, and other events. The Land Collaborative aims to enable small-scale farming in the region in the future through land access projects as well.
How can you support this project?
In the agreement with VLT, the White River Land Collaborative aims to purchase the farm within 5 years. For more information or to donate to the capital campaign, please contact whiteriverlandcollaborative@gmail.com or donate now via:
check to:
WRLC c/o Fran Miller
PO Box 357
South Royalton, VT 05068
online through WRLC’s givebutter account:
https://givebutter.com/NGusgA
The Alliance for Vermont Communities (AVC) is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization and all contributions are tax-deductible in the United States. AVC’s EIN/Tax ID is 81-3430622.
This week the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) held their annual summer hearings and opportunity for public comment on the 2022 proposed rate increases requested by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) and MVP Health Plan (MVP).
For 2022 small group, BCBSVT requested an average annual decrease of 7.8% over 2021 rates, while MVP is requested an average annual increase of 5.0% over 2021 rates. For individual and family plans, BCBSVT requested an average annual increase of 7.9% over 2021 rates, while MVP is requested an average annual increase of 17.0% over 2021 rates.
Read Rural Vermont’s 2021 comments to the GMCB regarding the rate hike hearings.
*Read the condemning audit of Vermont's spending on and the resulting performance of OneCare Vermont that was currently released by the Office of the State Auditor.
DATES/LOCATIONS:
Meadows Bee Farm in Windham 08/29/21
Strafford Village Farm in Strafford 10/17/21
AJ’s Happy Chick Farm in Albany 12/05/21
PT 1. Slaughter Workshop, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
PT 2. Processing Workshop, 1 - 3 pm
On-Farm Slaughter is part of peoples’ food sovereignty, which currently proves to be essential for our food system’s resilience. This humane way of slaughter on farms is a decentralized opportunity for farmers to increase direct-to-consumer relationships and sales in response to the increased bottlenecks at slaughterhouses.
This is an educational workshop series on the slaughter and the processing of sheep guided by Mary Lake. Mary Lake is a professional itinerant slaughterer, butcher and sheep shearer who lives in Tunbridge. Mary learned the craft of slaughter through several years of full-time work with the Royal Butcher in Randolph, which is a USDA inspected slaughter facility. Her expertise and engagement through testimony was essential for the 2019 and 2021 improvements to the On-Farm Slaughter law. At the slaughter workshop, Rural Vermont will present the requirements of the updated law and give room for questions and discussion throughout the event.
Ticket Price: $40 per workshop or $70 for both workshops. RV, VGFA, VSGA members get $10 off registration fees - apply discount code MEMBER10 at checkout.
Registration: Registration and advanced ticket purchase is required and a minimum attendance of 7 people per workshop is needed for this event to take place. Please bring our own drinks and lunch for this event - snacks will be provided.
On 5/26, representatives from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets answered live and pre-submitted questions from farmers about the regulations around raw milk and on-farm slaughter.
Watch the recording below! (On-farm slaughter info begins at 00:28 in the video and raw milk info begins at 28:30.)
This year in March, the Payment for Ecosystem Services and Soil Health Working Group picked up their work after their break in 2020. Rural Vermont had used the year off to partner with the White River NRCD and the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law School to conduct legal research to create an overview of the working groups process to date under consideration of their legislative charges. The CAFS report was shared
with old and new working group members; as well as
to inform the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs; and
To inform farmers in a subsequent series of farmer discussions on PES led by the conservation districts with critical support from UVM. Rural Vermont provided stipends to compensate farmers for their participation in this format.
At the first working group meeting of 2021, Rural Vermont shared key findings of the CAFS report via public comment.
The findings suggested to not focus on the development of a new program without also generating an inventory of practices and their related financial incentives by existing federal and state programs to enhance soil health and crop resilience, increase carbon storage and stormwater storage capacity, and reduce agricultural runoff into waters as pursuant to its authorizing legislation.
As a fundamental step Rural Vermont also echoed the CAFS report calling on the working group to include the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers and stakeholders in the process to ensure the proposal incorporates equity and combats systemic racial inequities in our food system. In further collaborations with CAFS and partners, including Conservation Law Foundation, Stephen Leslie (Cedar Mountain Farm), and working group member Cat Buxton (VT Healthy Soils Coalition), Rural Vermont submitted a proposal:
to strategically and equitably survey and include farmer voices in the decision making process; to use some of the unexpected $250K in funding made available through H.315(2021) to facilitate this participatory process; and
to compensate stakeholders for their participation, including farmers and working group members that currently don’t receive compensation.
Excitingly both recommendations are actively being worked on by the working group. The working group approached their work this year from begin on differently and formed three task groups (Economic, Soil Health, Program Development) instead of focusing on webinars. Originally the program development task group began to inventory existing programs and sparked an interest and support for the participatory piece as well. Now both subjects will be part of the limited number of summer projects while the working group itself will reconvene in September. Progress of the other two task groups is about finding the scale on which to measure and act (farm vs. field); a definition and unit price for soil health or other Ecosystem Services - these and more conversations still face a lot of open questions. The good news is that the legislature did extend the working groups timeline for 2022, with legislative recommendations to adapt pre-existing programs and/or to establish new ones due in Jan 2023.
Did you know? About the Vermont Soil Health Policy Network that Rural Vermont co-initiated in fall 2020 to facilitate crosspollination among soil health initiatives? Check out this presentation to the PES & Soil Health working group, presented by Jennifer Byrne (Conservation District Manager of the White River NRCD) for the VT Soil Health Policy Network steering committee. Contact Caroline@ruralvermont.org if you want to get involved.
Rural Vermont noticed that the enabling statute of the PES & Soil Health WG did not include a participatory element and began to raise awareness on the issue via public comment early on as the group reconvened winter 2021. The program development task force soon agreed - a participatory piece could help to inform the PES & Soil Health Working Group process. Together with our partners from the White River NRCD, the Center for Agriculture and Food Systems, Conservation Law Foundation, farmer Stephen Leslie and working group member Cat Buxton, RV presented a recommendation in May on how such a participatory process could look like.
The proposal includes using available funds from H.315 (2021) to facilitate a participatory decision-making process with farmers. The 6-Point Plan also includes values and guiding principles for developing a participatory process. A background section underlines the importance to acknowledge that farmers are not monolithic and that ongoing farmer involvement is needed to ensure decision making is farmer-led. Read the proposal here.
Last week, Jennifer Byrne (White River NRCD) and Caroline Gordon (Rural Vermont’s Legislative Director) took the opportunity to support Alissa White (soil scientist, UVM) with doing soil tests on four farms for the VT State of Soil Health Project in the Woodstock/Heartland area. It was the first time Caroline met Alissa, Stephen Leslie (Cedar Mountain Farm, Cobb Hill Creamery) and Paul Doton in person after meeting virtually for over a year now. How refreshing to being able to talk soil health policy on the ground! Check out the video of Alissa doing a Bulk Density Test (*no worms were harmed😉 ). UVM is doing state of the art research to assess the state of soil health in Vermont - important information that also policy decisions will be based upon.
On April 10 and April 24 2021, the North American Region of La Via Campesina (LVC) hosted a Training-The-Training Course on Carbon Markets and False Solutions to the Climate Crisis in partnership with the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN). Rural Vermont staff member Mollie Wills is a member of the Climate Justice Collective of LVC North America, and was responsible for co-organizing and co-facilitating the course.
We had 15 participants, all from member organizations of La Via Campesina, for two 3 hour training sessions. The participants came from Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico, United States, Kenya, Canada, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom.
The course was delivered by Tamra Gilbertson and Thomas Joseph of IEN, who began with a discussion about the true root issues of the climate crisis: Patriarchy, Colonialism, Capitalism and Development. We learned about the history of Carbon Markets through various international treaties and summits since the 1992 Rio Declaration. We discussed how the language being used around carbon markets is often difficult to understand and heavily greenwashed, both of which are tactics corporations and industry have used to propel these policies forward. We dove into the science behind the fast carbon cycle versus the slow carbon cycle, and how the popular idea that one can offset the other is false; they are not interchangeable. We discussed how “net zero” does not actually mean zero, and does not encourage top polluters to reduce emissions, a necessary step in our collective survival of the climate crisis.
Thomas Joseph used his personal and people’s history to share some of the deep, lasting harm and destruction that false solutions like Climate Smart Agriculture continue to have on Indigenous peoples around the world, as their access to traditional lands and foodways is severely threatened by burgeoning carbon markets.
We built relationships and heard from one another about what we are experiencing related to carbon markets in our communities. With the help of multiple translators, this connection brought nods of understanding and a strengthening of new friendships amidst our shared struggle.
We will continue working with IEN and LVC to further develop these trainings, and will bring them to Vermont as well as distributing this information broadly.
For more information, check out the Carbon Pricing Booklets Volume One and Volume Two, available in English and Spanish, and the recently released Hoodwinked in the Hothouse publication by IEN, LVC, and others. If you’d like to learn more, contact mollie@ruralvermont.org
Throughout the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has created a crushing bottleneck in VT slaughterhouses as more and more people have begun to seek out and produce local meat. With many slaughterhouses fully booked for at least the next year, Rural Vermont is seeking out strategies to alleviate pressure on meat processors and to allow farmers to continue providing fresh, local meat to their communities. In Rural Vermont’s recent on-farm slaughter survey, participants were asked what they thought the best strategies were to achieve this goal.
Read the results HERE!