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   

For more information about the listening tour, click here  or call  802-828-5667 .

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  pay grade is 25, which is $25.33/hour, and  SOV benefit package.  Application deadline is February 5.  If you know of anyone, please direct them to Stephanie Smith , and encourage them to apply. 

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.  

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.

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

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!