Author: Terence Bradshaw

I am passing this request from UVM Extension on to the greater fruit growing community. It is rare that I use this list to promote a specific farm, and this should not be read as preferential treatment. What happened at Champlain could have happened on any of our farms, and this is a chance to…

By now it’s likely that everyone in the Vermont orchard community has heard news of a COVID outbreak among the harvest crew at Champlain Orchards in Shoreham. I write this with respect for the Champlain Orchard community, and humility regarding the potential for an outbreak when we are doing the best we can. A farm…

Passing on from Naomi Wolcott-MacCausland at UVM Extension. -TB UVM Extension wants to make sure H2A workers are as healthy as possible during this busy time of year and into the future. The fall flu season combined with COVID is potentially a huge threat to the success and viability of farms and we want to…

Dear VVBGA Listserv Members, The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets has updated the Pick-Your-Own Restart Plan. The Pick-Your-Own (PYO) Restart Plan is intended to support Vermont farms that offer pick-your-own opportunities to safely invite to customers to their farms during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The updated PYO Restart Plan reflects recent changes to…

You may have heard about ACCD’s new Buy Local Vermont program. The program is intended to bring needed foot traffic and increase sales for local restaurants, retail stores, entertainment and performing arts venues, lodging and tourism-related businesses. On September 8, 2020, the program will begin incentivizing purchases by giving Vermont residents $30 savings offers to…

Heat accumulation is up overall this year, and we are about ten days ahead of ‘normal’ in South Burlington. As harvest approaches, it’s important to keep and eye on three important parameters of juice chemistry: soluble solids (sugar), pH, and titratable acidity. These values should be checked at least weekly against your target levels for…

I’ve been getting a lot of questions regarding COVID safety regulations and the imminent opening of PYO orchards. I’ve checked with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, and they have confirmed these items. They have also suggested that they are reviewing regulations and will be sending out any updates (watch for them through…

Forwarding from the VT Agency of Ag, this could be a great opportunity to recoup some COVID-related expenses for your farm business. -TB Vermont COVID-19 Agriculture Assistance Program (VCAAP) Agriculture and Working Lands Assistance Application $8.5 Million in CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funding will soon be available to a wide variety of agricultural, food, and…