UVM Blogs

“The 8th annual NOFA-VT Direct Marketing conference this month offered a wide variety of workshops that provided expertise, experiences, and opportunities to stretch your mind with new ideas and directions for […]

Whole Farm Planning for Beginning Women Farmers
Are you a woman farmer who wants to build farm management skills and develop a farm plan rooted in your values and goals? Do you know someone who fits this […]

Registration is now open for farm business classes co-sponsored by the Women’s Agricultural Network and UVM New Farmer Project .  No matter what stage your farm business is in, the New Farmer Project offers classes to help you reach your full potential. Vermont New Farmer Project courses are specifically designed to meet the needs of aspiring and…[Read more]

Vermont’s new Journey Farmer Program is a two-year program designed to support beginning farmers who are in the first few years of running their own enterprise. Offered by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), the program provides resources and opportunities for aspiring new farmers to increase their knowledge base and…[Read more]

For it’s upcoming fall 2011 award cycle, the  Vermont Farm Women’s Fund  will make three kinds of awards, including a special category to assist flood-impacted farmers. The application deadline is Nov. 8, 2011. Vermont farm women may apply for  Business Development  funds, Leadership Development  funds or Flood Recovery awards. Farm Business…[Read more]

This just in from our colleague Deb Heleba , from UVM Extension: “Thought I’d pass along a press release from Vermont.gov about its Comeback Campaign  effort to help draw folks back to Vermont this fall and winter following Irene. “As part of the campaign, they have the ‘Foliage Force’ which is requesting photos and video of  “favorite…[Read more]

If you have ever thought about raising goats, growing vegetables or making cheese for a living, Growing Places , one of several farm business courses available through UVM Extension, can help turn your  dream into reality. The course, which will be offered onsite in Springfield and Middlebury in October, and again as an online course in January…[Read more]

Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) has allocated up to $10 million in special low-interest financing for Vermont businesses and farms who suffered direct physical damage as a result of Hurricane Irene. !–more– Eligibility & Loan Purposes Borrowers eligible to participate include all types of businesses and farms that sustained direct…[Read more]

The following information post is Vermont Agency of Agriculture and contains information on steps farmers should take in reporting flood-related damage and loss.  Many Vermont farmers are experiencing devastating effects from the flooding and washed out roads in the wake of Hurricane Irene. The heavy rains accompanied by high winds are leaving…[Read more]

The application deadline for the next round of Vermont Farm Women’s Fund awards is tonight (Jan. 24) at midnight. For more information and to access the online application form, go to: http://www.uvm.edu/~vfwf/?Page=applications.html. The  Vermont Farm Women’s Fund is now accepting proposals for its next round of grants to help women farmers…[Read more]

USDA has launched a website to link retiring farmers with expiring CRP contracts to beginning farmers interested in bringing the land into production. Through the Transition Incentives Program (TIP Net), producers with land for sale or lease are introduced to qualified farmers who want to buy or rent land for their operations. You can access TIP [...]

NPR’s weekend edition interviewed two livestock farmers in its Weekend Edition story ” Women Farmers Grow Strong .” The farmers were from Arkansas and Nebraska, but the themes they brought to the conversation are the same as in the Northeast: women farmers’ flexibility and entrepreneurship; their devotion to humanely raising animals, producing…[Read more]

Be ahead of the curve this year, and learn what you need to know about filing taxes for your farm business before March rolls around! Join Dennis Kauppila, UVM Extension Agriculture & Farm Business Management Specialist, to delve into the federal tax code as it applies to farm businesses. Wondering about depreciation, deductions, and Schedule F [...]

Be ahead of the curve this year, and learn what you need to know about filing taxes for your farm business before March rolls around!  Join Dennis Kauppila, UVM Extension Agriculture & Farm Business Management Specialist, to delve into the federal tax code as it applies to farm businesses.   Wondering about depreciation, deductions, and Schedule [...]

Now that we’re heading into the winter months, many farmers are taking stock of their farm’s 2010 performance, and thinking about ways they can improve their production, marketing and/or business management in the coming year. Those improvements often involve obtaining education or technical assistance. And those things can cost money. That’s…[Read more]

WAgN Director Mary Peabody will be one of three instructors co-teaching a practical course to help both new and experienced farmers with the tools to develop agricultural business. The course will combine in-person learning with some distance education approaches to enhance learning and networking opportunities. “Building a Sustainable Business”…[Read more]

Building on a very successful history, this conference is for those interested in how Vermont communities can take action to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy for municipal government, businesses, and residents. The day will include concurrent workshop presentations, regional break-out meetings, and general sessions. The goal for the…[Read more]

We have had such a good time visiting with the couple hundred women that are tackling the tough issues of interest to women farmers! Over 225 people came together at the Lake Morey Resort this week for the 2010 Women in Sustainable Agriculture Conference. Nearly 150 of them went out on farm and food business tours [...]

Berlin–Scholarships are currently available through the Vermont Farm Women’s Fund (VFWF) Scholarship Initiative for Vermont farm women interested in participating in any agricultural and business management course, workshop, or educational conference offered through May 31, 2011. VFWF, which is administered by the Women’s Agricultural Network…[Read more]