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2017 Listening Tour: VAAFM wants to hear from you!
Under the direction of newly-appointed Ag Secretary, Anson Tebbetts, and Deputy Secretary, Alyson Eastman, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets (VAAFM) has announced plans to host a
statewide listening tour throughout the month of February and into March. The public meetings, which will be held in Lyndonville, Brattleboro, Middlebury, and St. Albans, are designed to open the lines of communication between the Agency, the farming community, and the public.
"I am inviting all farmers, and all Vermonters interested in agriculture, to attend these meetings, to share thoughts and ideas about the future of farming in our state," said Tebbetts. "I want to learn about the issues that matter most to our farmers, and how the Agency can support them."
"We hope to hear from farmers of all types, and sizes - from maple to meat, to produce and dairy," said Eastman. "This is an opportunity for us to listen and learn from the people who are driving Vermont's agricultural economy."
All meetings will be held from 10 a.m. - noon
- Friday, Feb. 10 - Lyndon State College Theater
- Friday, Feb. 17 - Vermont Agricultural Business Education Center in Brattleboro
- Monday, Feb. 27 - Middlebury Parks & Recreation Gym
- Thursday, March 2 - St. Albans City Hall
For more information about the listening tour, click here
or call
802-828-5667
.
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Save the Date: Southern NEK Food Access Summit, March 27
Join us for this FREE event to explore food access opportunities,
Monday, March 27, 2017, 10:00 a.m. to noon, at the Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital Business Center (Room 126/127). Who should attend? Consumers, grocery and retail managers, farmers, agribusinesses, town government officials, health & human service providers, charitable food providers, meal sites, schools, Chambers of Commerce, regional and local planners, and economic development professionals. Sponsored by
NVRH and the Caledonia & Southern Essex Fit and Healthy Coalition. For more information, contact
Laural Ruggles at NVRH.
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Grant Opportunities
Gardens for Learning: VCGN is also offering a grant and technical assistance program that provides a unique opportunity for participating communities to support summer gardening, nutrition, and cooking programs for children at risk of summertime hunger.
Application deadline is Friday, February 17. Click
here for more information and the application.
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Celebrate the local bounty at the Jay Peak, Foeger Ballroom, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Sample custom-created, seasonally-inspired small plates prepared by the region's top chefs, as well as a selection of fine local desserts, wine, craft beer, and cider. The evening will also include a silent auction and live music. All proceeds will support Green Mountain Farm-to-School and its work to promote the health of Vermont's children, farms, and communities. Purchase your ticket here.
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Food System Employment Opportunities
The
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets is looking for a
Senior Ag Development Coordinator, a natural resource planner type to conduct review of impacts to ag soils as part of the Act 250 process. This is key for the protection of soils that have the physical and chemical characteristics necessary to grow food and forage in support of Vermont's agricultural industry.
Click
here for a description of the duties.
Job ID is 620774.
Perks: V
ery few night meetings,
potential for interesting public outreach projects,
great location in downtown Montpelier, and
amazing people!
The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund is looking for a Farm to Plate Network Manager, who will help support the Farm to Plate Network through Network planning, facilitation, coordination, and project management. The primary support to the Network will be at the intersection between local food development and the following areas: food access (including farm to school and farm to institution), healthcare / nutrition (including farm to hospital), and workforce development and education systems (secondary and post-secondary education). Other areas may include: farmland access, environment, and farm viability. The Network Manager will also assist the Farm to Plate Director with evaluation, helping to maintain population indicators and performance measures, and assist with overall Network evaluation. Ability to travel within Vermont as the job requires. More details on the job opportunity are available here.
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The Composting Association of Vermont seeks a part-time Director. This position has variable hours, 15-30 hours per week. Most hours accrue November through April. Competitive hourly rate; up to six months transition overlapping retiring Director. Job description, required experience, and application guidelines are available here. |
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Community of Practice: Case Study Video Puts Vermont Food Venture Center in the Spotlight
Farm to Institution New England (FINE) is a six-state network of nonprofit, public and private entities working together to transform our food system by increasing the amount of good, local food served in our region's schools, hospitals, colleges and other institutions.
FINE's
New England Food Processors' Community of Practice has completed seven comprehensive case studies highlighting some of the challenges to processing local food, as well as some of the innovative solutions that are helping bring local products to institutions and other markets in the region. The case studies are accompanied by a compelling video which prominently features the
Vermont Food Venture Center in Hardwick. See it
here.
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Eight Vermont Businesses Win Prestigious Good Food Awards in San Francisco
On January 20th the NEK's very own
Sumptuous Syrups was one of eight Vermont businesses presented with a Good Food Award at the gala Awards Ceremony, which took place at the historic Herbst Theater in San Francisco, California. Chosen from 2,059 entrants and 291 finalists, the Good Food Awards describes the 193 award recipients as rising to the top in a blind tasting and rigorous vetting to confirm they met specific standards around environmentally sound agricultural practices, good animal husbandry, sourcing transparency and responsible relationships throughout the supply chain.
"We are extremely proud to once again be recognized as a national leader in tasty, authentic, and responsibly produced food," says Anson Tebbetts, Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets. "Vermont will continue to grow our food system to support our thriving local economy, and produce the most delicious and innovative products across the country."
Congratulations to all of the eight Vermont awardees honored for their exceptional products and contribution to a local, sustainable economy:
- Big Picture Farm, Farmstead Chocolate Covered Caramels
- Fat Toad Farm, Vanilla Bean Goats' Milk Caramel Sauce
- Grafton Village Cheese, Bear Hill Cheese, a 100% sheep's milk, washed-rind, alpine-style cheese
- Green Jam Man, Honey Sage Pear Jam
- Spring Brook Farm, Reading Cheese, a raclette-style, washed-rind cow's milk cheese
- Sumptuous Syrups of Vermont, Farm to Bar Tart Cherry Rich Simple Syrup
- Vermont Amber Organic Toffee, Fennel Seed Toffee
- Vermont Creamery, Bonne Bouche, an aged, 100% goat's milk cheese with a geotrichum rind sprinkled with ash
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Thank you, Jenny Nelson
Some of you may have heard the news that our friend, neighbor, and longtime supporter of the NEK's food system
Jenny Nelson, Agriculture Policy Advisor, is retiring from Senator Bernie Sanders' office. Working from her office in St. Johnsbury, Jenny has been a constant presence throughout the NEK and an always cheerful and staunch advocate for our local food system. Please join us as we thank her and wish her well in her retirement on
Thursday, March 9, at the Kingdom Taproom in St. Johnsbury, 4 to 6 p.m. The Taproom will offer assorted finger food, as well as a cash bar with wine and Hill Farmstead beer.
Meanwhile
Erica Campbell, Farm to Plate Director, has left the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund to work for Senator Bernie Sanders. Erica was instrumental in developing the 2011 Food System for the NEK, and was a valueable resource in the plan's
2016 update. She'll be responsible for outreach and policy in the areas of agriculture, food systems, and rural development, as well as transportation.
Jake Claro will step into Erica's shoes at Farm to Plate, and the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund will hire a new program manager -- see the job announcement above.
We look forward to seeing you in March!
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NVDA is the regional planning and development organization serving Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties, and is an equal opportunity lender, provider, and employer.
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