Rural Vermont is launching its year-end appeal! As we close in on the end of 2020, we want to share with you some bright spots from our corner of the world. You can read our 2020 Snapshot here. We also invite you to read our appeal for your support here and make your year-end gift here. Thank you!
Thank you to the supporters of our Coalition and an equitable and just cannabis marketplace for standing by us in our advocacy! Though we were not successful in stopping S.54, our concerns have been acknowledged by many policymakers, as well as the Governor in his signing statement. We are ready to continue organizing and advocating over the coming months to achieve greater equity and justice in the tax and regulate structure and process being implemented in VT. We know we have your support, and hope that the support promised by our State leaders and policymakers for our concerns and proposals greet us at the Statehouse come January.
Learn more about Act 164, next steps and updates from the coalition, and ways to get involved in shaping the future of VT’s tax and regulate system HERE.
If we are to achieve justice, equity, healing, and transformation our mandate is to prioritize the needs of, and direct agency to, those most marginalized and disproportionately discriminated against as we collectively dismantle white supremacy and pursue equity for all. It is also to recognize that the struggle for black lives is a struggle of mutual liberation - that we are all bound by these systems of oppression.
Read Rural Vermont’s Affirmation of Solidarity with the Movement for Black Lives HERE.
“…Rural Vermont stands with Migrant Justice and the Vermont farmworker community in denouncing the arrest, detention, and deportation of Durvi and others and in holding ICE responsible for their death. We affirm the right to migration, the rights of all migrants, and that no human being is “illegal”. We recognize that in a place which promises to be the “land of the free and the home of the brave”, that we truly live in what Langston Hughes called “the land that never has been yet - And yet must be - the land where every man is free”…”
Read our Statement of Solidarity with Migrant Farm Workers HERE.
The Agency of Ag has relaunched a revised online VCAAP application and extended the deadline to November 15. (View the revised Ag/Working Lands and Dairy applications). Learn more about these changes in their 10.19.20 press release.
For additional assistance and information, check out these two-minute application tips videos, including one on the top-five changes to VCAAP.
View older changes to the VCAAP programs HERE.
This week, Governor Phil Scott allowed S. 54 to pass into law without his signature, despite acknowledging that there is still work to do to make this policy equitable. Thank you to all who supported us in engaging with this taboo and politically divisive issue and for supporting economic equity, agricultural access, repairing past harms done, and ending the criminalization of a plant explicitly founded in racism.
We look forward to continuing our advocacy for justice and equality in the emerging cannabis market and to doing so in conjunction with the over 100 farms, organizations, and businesses who have recently expressed their desire to do the same by signing on in support of our work and all other advocates who care to join. We hope that we can count on the Governor's Office and Legislature to support all of us in this work.
Join us for our first in-person, socially distanced workshop offering!
When: Sunday, October 25, 2020
Slaughter Workshop - 9:30 am - 12:30 pm
Processing Workshop - 1 - 3 pm
Where: Wild Roots Farm - 195 Harvey Rd Bristol, VT 05443
What: 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 on the slaughter of two goats and the processing of a pig 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 improvements to the On-Farm Slaughter law.
Rural Vermont has teamed up with a coalition of racial justice and grower organizations to oppose S.54, the Vermont Cannabis Tax and Regulate Bill. We call on Vermont’s legislature to reject S.54 and commit to working with our organizations, communities of color, and small farms and businesses across Vermont to develop legislation creating a tax and regulate system in our state which sets a new standard for equity, reparations, inclusivity and representation.
Rural Vermont’s Policy Director, Graham Unangst-Rufenacht, says:
“It is critical that we not allow this global medical and economic crisis to serve as justification for supporting a fundamentally inadequate and inequitable bill which will further amplify existing racial, economic, and social inequities in Vermont. We have the opportunity now to reject S.54 and to commit to engaging with a diversity of stakeholders to create a legal cannabis market in Vermont which is founded in racial justice, and agricultural and economic equity and opportunity. We are being asked to support S.54 based on the potential revenue this new market could bring to Vermont. We must in turn ask: ‘who will have access to, and agency and privileges within, this market? Who will share in and benefit from the revenues? Who were the stakeholders in determining this?’"
Read the full story and press release here, and take action today!
Update - Read the Coalition’s 9/16/20 press release here and view the press conference here.
Vermont reached an agreement with the USDA to allow for state-inspected meat to be sold out of state. This means that state-inspected slaughter facilities will be able to process animals from USDA inspected facilities. Rural Vermont believes that slaughterhouses alone will not be able to mitigate the pressing demand for slaughter opportunities in the state and proposes to expand the allowances for the right to slaughter livestock on farms. Please express your support for this:
This time of ongoing pandemic is laying bare the inequities in our society, rendering Rural Vermont's work to cultivate equity, access, and opportunity within the farm and food sectors that much more critical and urgent. If you can, please make a donation to our summer appeal today. Thanks to a generous donor, all donations are now being matched dollar for dollar!
Read our appeal letter to learn more!
Updated 7/2/2020. For questions or to share a resource, please contact mollie@ruralvermont.org.
To support businesses in their response and recovery, the Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program is providing quick-response coaching to farm, food, and forest products businesses through its network of expert business advisors – free of cost.
In partnership with Farm First and the Vermont Agricultural Mediation Program, this initiative will also expand stress management, mental health, and mediation services to working lands businesses statewide.
The Peace and Justice Center has compiled a number of resources and community contacts across the state who are organizing local mutual aid efforts. Find an opportunity near you, or start one up!
NOFA-VT is offering payment to experienced milkers to help step in when farmers get sick. This relief is available to ALL dairy farmers and farm workers. Email bill@nofavt.org to learn more.
Support NOFA’s COVID-19 relief work by donating to the Farmer Emergency Fund.
Considerations for Fruit and Vegetable Producers Relating to COVID-19 from UVM Extension
Resources for Community Health Workers on COVID-19. A compilation of a number of valuable local resources from clinical herbalist Larken Bunce.
Farm Commons has developed a podcast series about COVID-19’s impacts on farm businesses, primarily discussing legal considerations for farmers through this pandemic.
VOF has reviewed the List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 and has highlighted products allowed for use in organic production
The Agency of Agriculture is updating the most recent information and guidance from the Vermont Department of Health. This can be found on the COVID-19 Information for Agriculture and Food Businesses page.
Growing Farmers has compiled a resource sheet, You, COVID19, and Your Farm Business to assist with online sales and communications for farmers.
The Intervale Food Hub is an excellent example of how growers can join forces to implement an online ordering platform, offering a home delivery option on orders of $25 or more.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets is available to answer questions or receive suggestions regarding the COVID-19 response. You can contact the Secretary of Ag, Food and Markets Anson Tebbetts at agr.covidresponse@vermont.gov.
The Coronavirus Prevention and Management Dairy Farmer Handbook provides specific guidelines for dairy farmers to employ in their management practices.
Oregon State University’s Center for Small Farms and Community Food Systems aims to provide credible information regarding COVID-19. The document is a guide for how farmers can adjust operations in uncertain times, and which online platforms are being used to manage online sales.
AmericanHort in partnership with KCoe Isom is offering an updated webinar and support program to AmericanHort members and green industry participants to assist in navigating the application requirements of the SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
UVM Extension’s EFNEP has launched a Facebook page to bring information, education, and resources to communities across Vermont.
The USDA has been updating their website with rural development COVID-19 response details.
The NFFC has laid out the COVID-19 Stimulus Package for the Food System here.
On page 15 of the Bethel FAQ Sheet there is a list of resources available for farms and small businesses.
UVM Extension has business coaching available for farmers and forest or maple businesses that may be under pressure and is available to offer approximately 10 hours aiding you.
Growing Farmers has compiled an ebook all about the CARES Act for farmers.
NOFA-VT has created an updated resource list for farmers which includes resources on online platforms and ordering, distribution methods and best practices, responsive farm planning, managing labor, dairy, funding opportunities, and mental health.
NOFA-VT has a useful FAQ Sheet on paid sick leave for Vermont farmers and farm workers related to COVID-19.
The Vermont Specialty Food Association (VSFA) has created a Coronavirus Resource Guide.
Here is a list of various mental health resources to help through the crisis at hand:
Anxiety is normal: one-pager from UVM Medical Center
Farm Aid hotline: 1-800-FARM-AID (1-800-327-6243)
Available Monday-Friday 9-5 EST
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-237-TALK (8255)
Crisis Text Line: Text “CONNECT” TO 741741
Farm Aid has published an extensive, frequently updated list of links for state and national farmer resources, a guide for navigating COVID-19 assistance and a guide for navigating disaster assistance.
The Farmer Legal Action Group (FLAG) has released the Farmers’ Guide to COVID-19 Relief resource.
Fenn Farmstand & Gardens created a blog site to inspire and support home gardeners.
Vermont Legal Aid and Legal Services Vermont makes new resources available on their website.
Community members can also get information about the COVID-19 economic impact payments / stimulus checks in eight languages:
And here is their information about Unemployment Benefits in seven languages:
COVID Support VT is a FEMA grant funded program created to provide emotional and wellness support, free of charge, to any Vermonter who may need it during the pandemic.
Printed materials available, some in multiple languages, that can be downloaded here and printed to distribute, or anyone can use this order form to have us send the materials directly.
Funding
USDA has reopened sign-up for CFAP 2 for at least 60 days beginning on April 5, 2021. Learn more HERE.
The 2020 Eric Rozendaal Memorial Award - is accepting farmer applications until June 30, and will focus on farmers who exemplify Eric’s values of giving back and entrepreneurism, specifically related to response and recovery around the pandemic, as well as issues of racial injustice in Vermont.
New England Grassroots Environment Fund is offering rapid turnaround grants of up to $1K for COVID-19 community relief work.
The Agency of Agriculture has compiled a list of Grants, Loans, and Relief Payments.
More links can be found on Farm Via Blog.
The Emergency Economic Injury Grant (EIDL) does not need to be repaid, even if the grantee is subsequently denied an EIDL, and may be used to provide paid sick leave to employees, maintaining payroll, meet increased production costs due to supply chain disruptions, or pay business obligations, including debts, rent and mortgage payments.
Food Access and Distribution
The Vermont Foodbank is coordinating efforts to ensure all are fed during the COVID-19 pandemic. If your distribution channels are impacted as a fruit and vegetable grower (e.g. due to restaurants closing), consider the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters program.
Farm to Institution New England created a spreadsheet to match up gaps and surplus in the New England institutional food system.
Regional food hub and local distribution mechanisms may be able to connect you with market opportunities. Reference the following organizations to find one in your area!
Center for an Agricultural Economy, Farm Connex & Emergency Farm Fund. Contact: Jon Ramsay, 802-472-5362, jon@hardwickagriculture.org
Food Connects – Windham County & beyond. Contact: Alex McCullough, 802-451-0555, alex@foodconnects.org
Green Mountain Farm Direct – Northern region. Contact: Amrita Parry, aparry@gmfts.org
Intervale Center Food Hub, Chittenden Co. region. Contact: Keith Drinkwine, 802-660-0440 x115, keith@intervale.org
Vermont Farmer Food Center, Rutland Region. Contact: 802-342-4219, admin@vermontfarmersfoodcenter.org
The Vermont Cheese Council has developed an Online Sales Directory to help provide a way for VT cheesemakers to sell their cheese.
NOFA-VT has launched a Distribution Matchmaking Tool that allows farmers seeking distribution points, farmstand outlets, or marketing collaborations to connect with farmers that are looking for additional products or partnerships or who have the infrastructure resources to help other farms in need.
Farm to Institution New England has also organized a spreadsheet to help farmers connect with other farmers and potential markets.
Here is updated information for outdoor farmers markets.
Here is additional information from the Agency of Agriculture.
Young Farmers created a guide for direct sales software platforms.
NOFA-VT created a list of free/subsidized EBT equipment options available to direct market farms in Vermont.
To donate food, contact an organization close to your operation:
Community Harvest of Central Vermont, serving the capitol region broadly. Contact: Allison Levin, 802-229-4281, CommunityHarvestVT@gmail.com
Healthy Roots Collaborative, Serving Vermont’s NW region. Contact: Peter Jenkins, 802-524-2194, healthyrootsgleans@gmail.com
HOPE, serving Addison County region. Contact: Lily Bradburn, 802-388-3608, lbradburn@hope-vt.org
Intervale Center, serving greater Burlington. Contact: Hannah Baxter, 603-545-8171, hannah@intervale.org
Salvation Farms, serving the Lamoille Valley and SW NEK region. Contact: Emma Korowotny, 203-725-8991, emma@salvationfarms.org
Willing Hands, serving the Upper Valley region. Contact: Jim McCracken, 802-698-0265, jim@willinghands.org
The following are distributors and a few additional resources that can support you, your business, and in moving your food to open markets
Farmers to You – online farmers market. Contact: 802-225-6383, info@farmerstoyou.com
Black River Produce – wholesale distributor. Contact: 800-228-5481
Upper Valley Produce – wholesale distributor. Contact: 802-295-7400
Farm First - free and confidential support for all farmers and their families. Contact: 877-493-6216, allenm@investeap.org
Rural Vermont is plaintiff in a federal lawsuit that the Center For Food Safety filed today, July 28, against the Trump Administration’s Department of Agriculture (USDA) GMO labeling rules that implement a federal law that preempted the Vermont GMO labeling law in 2016. Read the press release here. (Read the filed complaint here.) Spearheaded by George Kimbrell (CFS counsel in the case), Rural Vermont is tremendously proud to take our two decades long advocacy to the end game and together we’ll do everything we can to have the persistence of the food movement uphold what is the peoples demand: the consumer's right-to-know if their food was produced with Genetically engineered (GE) organisms. Transparent and clear GE labeling is a right enjoyed by many across the globe, and it's time we have that too. We give a shout out to the significant shepherding on this issue of the two former Rural Vermont Executive Directors: Amy Shollenberger (founder of Action Circles) and Andrea Stander (Rural Vermont Policy Consultant) – your passion got us here, let’s celebrate that today.
For more information please contact Rural Vermont’s Legislative Director, Caroline Gordon @ caroline@ruralvermont.org.
Raw milk has long been a foundational issue for Rural Vermont. We are strong believers in the benefits of raw, grass-based dairy. We have seen firsthand how raw dairy contributes to the economic well-being of community-scale farms, however we also recognize that the current regulations make economic viability difficult for raw milk producers. Our goal is to further improve raw milk statute through pursuit of legislative changes in the 2021 legislative biennium, as well as advocate for the Agency of Agriculture to support the raw dairy community by instating logical, scale-appropriate regulations that make sense while prioritizing animal health and human safety.
Rural Vermont is pursuing a grassroots campaign to identify priority changes to improve the raw milk law. Are you a raw dairy producer? We want to hear from you! Take the survey today (deadline 8/1/20).
Please review the complete survey before you begin filling it out to ensure you have the information you need. Click here to view the survey.
Rural Vermont stands in solidarity with you and your families and communities as we navigate this crisis, which may be ongoing for many months. This includes farmers, farm workers, eaters, and those among us who are most vulnerable. Our hearts go out to the many who are struggling right now, yet we are warmed by the rapid and widespread efforts of those who are able to come together to provide mutual aid and community care during this time.
The Rural Vermont office is closed, our events are cancelled (3/25 Small Farm Action Day) or postponed (3/29 On-Farm Slaughter Workshop, new date 5/3), and staff is working remotely to pivot our efforts to determine how to best support our community during this time. The legislature is adjourned this week, and it seems unlikely it will reconvene in a regular way in the near future. We will be in touch soon with more information to share from that arena.
We are in communication with local agricultural groups about how to best collaborate on mutual aid efforts and advocate for the needs of our agricultural community in emergency relief legislation at the state and federal levels. We are working with national groups to determine how to push back on potential “disaster capitalism” proposals, and advocate strongly for true support for our agricultural communities and most vulnerable community members in any federal stimulus efforts. We are reevaluating. We are reorganizing. We are dedicated to our collective wellbeing and the work and communities we have been devoted to for the past 35 years.
We have compiled a number of resources you might find useful here. If you are a farmer in need, please contact Mollie and we will do our best to support you or connect you with people and resources who can.
We hope you are taking good care of yourselves, and taking heart in the immense wave of solidarity and mutual support that is emerging. If you are a Rural Vermont Working Member, you can fulfill your hours by spending time supporting your community through the pandemic. Contact Shelby to learn more.
Thank you for being an integral part of our community.
Mollie, Coco, Shelby, Caroline, Graham, and Ben
This bill has a number of problematic aspects with respect to the agricultural community and equity for small businesses, as well as criminal and racial justice reform. S.54 was never seen before an agriculture committee, and evidences a significant degree of questionable agricultural literacy, including the recent addition of the following clause: "a cannabis establishment shall not be regulated as “farming” under the RAPs… or other State law” (which poses a number of unanswered questions related to Current Use, Agricultural Easements, and any barriers for existing farm operations which may want to join this marketplace). S.54 has now passed the House Floor (see how your representatives voted here) and it will head to Conference Committee before going to the desk of the Governor. We do not know what potential changes to expect in Conference Committee - and do not know who will constitute the Committee - but we are not hopeful of a positive outcome given the significant problems in this bill. Please see Rural Vermont's comments here, and check out the VT Growers' Association website (which links to a petition from VT Hemp Farmers opposing the bill) for more information. We are working on sending out more information soon - and encourage you to inform farmers, your representatives, and other community members about the ways in which this bill, and its process, do not include our agricultural communities' voices or interests, and does not embody equity and justice more broadly.
Join us for 2020 Small Farm Action Days! Events will take place on 3/25, and 4/29.
Learn about the legislative process
Get briefed on Rural Vermont’s core issues & pending bills
Meet with your legislators
Observe Committee meetings & House/Senate floor sessions
Network with activists & farmers
Events are free and open to everyone who shares our vision of Vermonters living in deep connection to one another and to the land that nourishes us all. This will be a great opportunity to ask questions, connect with your legislators about the issues that are impacting you and your farm, and get more involved in Rural Vermont's advocacy efforts.
Rural Vermont has a limited amount of farmer stipends available to make it easier for farmers to participate. Stipends can be used to cover childcare, relief labor, and transportation. If you'd like to apply for a stipend, please let us know how receiving a farmer stipend would make it easier for you to attend and the stipend amount requested.
Another significant influence in the 2020 session is the impact of vigorous and passionate activism, primarily by young Vermonters, urging the legislature and the Governor to take immediate and meaningful action to address the climate change crisis. Rural Vermont supports the demands of the VT Youth Climate Congress.
Rural Vermont is working to build on our successes from the 2019 session and continue to support a broad range of policy efforts that extend well beyond those at the Statehouse to address the needs and challenges faced throughout the agricultural community. All of our work requires grassroots support to be effective so please stay alert to our “calls to action.” Once again we will be hosting monthly Small Farm Action Days - learn more about the events here.
LEGISLATION TO WATCH
The 2020 session kicked off with the introduction of over 30 new bills related to Rural Vermont's policy priorities, some of which you can browse below. A comprehensive list of all the bills we are following is available on the Rural Vermont website and will be updated regularly. It's unclear which of these bills will gain traction in the legislature at this time, but we will keep you informed with additional updates as the session progresses. Please contact caroline@ruralvermont.org for more information or to get involved.
ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZING- Bills for which Rural Vermont is advocating for and organizing our constituency around
Pesticides
H.759 & S.266 – “An act relating to the use of neonicotinoid-treated article seed”
The Pesticide Coalition succeeded in 2019 with Act 35 in making neonicotinoid pesticides “restricted use” pesticides thereby limiting their use to trained and licensed applicators. However, agricultural seeds treated with neonicotinoids were exempted from the Act 35 registration requirement. These bills propose to prohibit the sale, offer for sale, distribution, or use of neonicotinoid-treated article seeds in the State beginning July 1, 2023 and require authorization to use neonicotinoid-treated article seed from the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets upon a showing of a “need”. Rural Vermont is advocating with the Pesticide Coalition for passage of this bill as the next step to reduce the use of pesticides in Vermont.
Food Residuals
S. 265 & H. 830 – “An act relating to the use of food residuals for farming”
Beginning on July 1, 2020, the Vermont Universal Recycling Law (URL) will require every household to separate and recycle all of their food residuals. Rural Vermont advocates with the Don’t Waste Food Coalition for these identical bills that will allow for local and decentralized systems that close the nutrient loop and return food scraps to farms where they serve as a chicken forage, a composting compound, and finally, a soil enhancer. Learn more about these bills and support our efforts during the “No Food Waste Day” on January 29th at the State House.
Hemp
S. 194 – "An act relating to standards for the sale of hemp seeds"
After cultivators complaints about the quality of hemp seeds, especially occurrences of almost 50% male seed, this bill establishes standards for the sale of hemp seed in the State that also entail certification or germination standards set by rule.
For a more comprehensive overview of the bills Rural Vermont is organizing around and following, please go here.
Rural Vermont joins the National Family Farm Coalition and many other groups in opposing the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), also known as "NAFTA 2.0." The new agreement does not fix the fundamental shortcomings of the previous North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), while further locking in trade rules that have devastated family farms and expanded corporate control over agriculture and our food system in all three countries. The bill could be voted on in Congress as early as next week. Read the letter from environmental and agricultural groups that Rural Vermont endorsed here. Contact Vermont's delegation to voice your opposition.
Visit https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials for contact information for your federal, state and local elected officials. You can also be directly connected to US representatives by calling 202-225-3121 and US senators by calling 202-224-3121.
To read our call for support, please click here.
This is a series of educational workshops on the slaughter and processing of two lambs guided by Mary Lake. Mary Lake is a professional itinerant slaughterer, butcher and sheep shearer who lives in Tunbridge. Join the full day and experience the whole process from slaughter to butchering during these two sequential workshops.
*Please note: The workshop is hosted in two separate locations. Join for just one workshop or both morning and afternoon workshops.
On-Farm Slaughter Workshop at Howvale Farm in Tunbridge
35 Howe Lane 6 | Tunbridge, VT 05077 | from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Meat Cutting Workshop at Arnold Block in Bethel
245 Main Street | Bethel, Vermont 05032 | from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
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 new improvements to the On-Farm Slaughter law. At the workshop, Rural Vermont will present the requirements of the updated law and give room for questions and discussion.
Ticket Price: $40 per workshop or $70 for both workshops. RV, VGFA, VSGA members get $10 off registration fees. Enter MEMBERS in the discount code during 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. Your ticket purchase will be your RSVP.