Inside, you'll find:

• News and Updates
• Upcoming Events
• Research Spotlight: Making Hemp History
• Weather Data
• Outcroppings Blog
• Photos

News and Updates

Read the most updated information about grants and programs that can help support your farm. This webpage provides an overview, and the link below takes you to more details that can help you navigate applying for funding.

It’s time to start preparing your 2026 Nutrient Management Plan (NMP)! UVM Extension will be offering 2026 NMP classes this January and February. This course runs for six weeks. Specific dates and locations to be announced soon. 


Before you can take this course, you must complete these basic NMP course requirements, including: 


• A current manure analysis
• A current soil analysis (no older than 3 years) for all fields on the farm
• A completed Land Treatment Plan (field maps, RUSLE2 values, etc.)
  

If you want to take an NMP course in January 2026, now is the time to begin completing these requirements to ensure that you will be prepared. If you are interested in updating your NMP, taking the 2026 class, or need assistance completing the course requirements, please reach out to UVM Extension Program Manager Susan Brouillette by calling (802) 656-7611 or (802) 524-6501 or emailing Susan.Brouillette@uvm.edu. 

Upcoming Events

Research Spotlight

Making Hemp History at Borderview Research Farm



Below are some highlights from a new article on our groundbreaking hemp fiber research. Read the full article on our website.

With the help of our local collaborators, Battenkill Fibers and Muriel’s of Vermont, we produced the first all-local hemp fiber clothing in the modern history of the Northeast.

Using hemp grown at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Vermont; Corriedale wool from the Finger Lakes region; fiber processing knowledge and expertise from Battenkill Fibers in Greenwich, New York; and the fashion design and knitting capabilities of Muriel’s of Vermont in North Hero, we produced three wool-hemp sweater vests. More than a year in the making, this achievement stands as proof of what’s possible for sustainable, locally produced fibers. 

The cream sweater vests are slightly cropped with a boxy fit and feature a V-neck design. The garments are soft to the touch with slight roughness that can be expected from wool and natural fibers. If you look closely, you can see the tan hemp fibers within the vests. These designs are wearable, durable, and offer warmth without too much weight. They are the kind of garment that would last for years to come.

Conclusions

The consensus among our NWCS staff and the Muriel’s of Vermont team is that the 70:30 wool:hemp blend produced a softer product. Cyrus Brooks, knitwear designer at Muriel’s, also noted that their Japanese knitting machines had a hard time working with the 60:40 wool:hemp blend, citing that “the blend isn’t very forgiving,” Cyrus said. “It’s strong until it breaks. It doesn’t really stretch.” Some yarn, like the 60:40 blend, is less consistent in size throughout and has many clumps, or “slubs” as they are called. Slubs trigger stoppages in the knitting machines, which can make it difficult to process yarn with inconsistencies.

In terms of winter-retted or field-retted fiber, we succeeded in integrating both into our regional infrastructure and have determined that both are suitable for textile use in our climate. In this round of research, we yielded a finer product with field-retted fiber, but we are interested in building upon our winter-retting inquiry with more experimentation. 

Weather Data

This map from the U.S. Drought Monitor is a great resource for assessing drought conditions. As of September 30, 2025, 23.83% of Vermont was classified as experiencing extreme drought. If you need support with drought management strategies, please reach out to your local UVM Extension agronomist. Please find our latest information on drought strategies here.

Heather Darby, (802) 782-6054 or Heather.Darby@uvm.edu

Shawn Lucas, (802) 656-7546 or Shawn.Lucas@uvm.edu

This is the 2025 season outlook of Growing Degree Days (GDDs) in Alburgh, Vermont, the location of our program's research farm. As of October 11, this area has accumulated 2,397 GDDs in line with the 15-year average. As we approach the end of the growing season, the cumulative GDDs will plateau.

This graph was created by the Climate Smart Farming Growing Degree Day Calculator. 

© Cornell University, 2016. Credits: Tool Developed by Art DeGaetano, Rick Moore, Brian Belcher & Ben Eck.

Outcroppings Blog

Photos

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Vermont Extension, Burlington, Vermont. University of Vermont Extension, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status.