Thank you to these farms, individuals, and businesses for renewing their membership in the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition over the past month!

Mark your calendars! 

 

We’d love to see you at the 2023 No-Till & Cover Crop Conference. 

 

 

 

This event is dedicated to No-Till and Cover Crop systems for field crop growers. Visit with sponsoring ag businesses, farmers, organizations, consultants, agencies and Extension. Guest speakers and topics include:

Registration is $75 per person and $50 per student and can be done online before Friday, February 24. Click here to register today! If you cannot register online, please call the UVM Non-Credit Registration Office at 802-656-8407.

 

You can also view the No-Till & Cover Crop Conference webpage for additional details and information.

 

You’ll be able to:

These are informal sessions where you can get technical support from UVM Extension and work in a quiet space to get your updates done. NMP update sessions are free, but the goCrop account must be renewed every year online for $249. Coupon codes may be available; please contact UVM Extension for more information.

 

Available sessions dates and times are:

 

 

For further questions, email or call Abigail Augarten at (802) 388-4969 or abigail.augarten@uvm.edu.

 

 

Please join the University of Vermont Ext. for the 11th annual Vermont Organic Dairy Producers Conference on March 9, 2023! Presentation highlights include improving pasture management using satellite imagery, managing high feed costs in 2023, parasite management and the pasture ecosystem, dairy health issues during the grazing season, research updates, and organic dairy farm management decisions. Click here to view the full agenda.

 

Registration is $25 per person and includes lunch. Certified Crop Adviser CEU credits and VAAFM Water Quality Education credits will be available. Click here to register online today!

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) is looking for grant reviewers. As a grant reviewer, you'll help score grants and have an impact on what gets funded across the region. Please fill out the Grant Reviewer Interest Form and contact Kathryn Donovan with any questions: kathryn.donovan@vermont.gov or 802-585-4571. 

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces the availability of funds through the Existing Dairy Processor Expansion Grant program to address the significant need for investment in processing infrastructure in the Northeast. This grant will only fund existing dairy processing facilities located in the Northeast region with a focus on expanding utilization of regionally sourced milk, dairy components, and/or dairy mix, and diversifying the supply chain.

 

Projects funded through this grant will focus primarily on acquiring specialized equipment needed to increase processing capacity through volume expansion and existing product line expansion. Additional activities related to training, marketing, or supply chain logistics that directly support increased production capacity may be included.

 

Grants are available to applicants in all Northeast states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

 

Multiple tiers of grant funding ranges will be available to processors at a variety of sizes. Processors may apply in one of three grant tiers based on their scale. The Tier 3 Request for Applications will be available in March 2023. To learn more and to apply, click here.

 

The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has developed the Vermont Diesel Emissions Reduction Financial Assistance Program, which provides technical assistance and incentive funding for projects that reduce emissions from diesel-powered vehicles, engines, and nonroad equipment. It was announced that $30,078 is currently available and the DEC is issuing a second Request for Proposals to award remaining funding available from the proposal request issued in October 2022. The DEC has posted a Request for Proposals and is now accepting applications for this financial assistance opportunity. The application deadline is Friday, March 10, 2023. Please contact Jean Nicolai at 802-585-4888 or at jean.nicolai@vermont.gov with any questions. To learn more and to apply, click here.

 

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces the availability of funds through the Dairy Processing Research & Development Innovation Grant program. This grant will provide funds for dairy processors, dairy producer associations, and educational institutions to conduct research and development projects that support innovation for Northeast dairy processors across a variety of scales. Projects funded through this program will support dairy processors in gaining knowledge that will allow them to make informed, long-term business investments with positive environmental and/or economic impacts.

 

This grant is open to processors in all 11 NE states they serve: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The application period is January 26 - March 23. To learn more and to apply, click here.

 

Applications are now open for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). The program provides loans and grants for producers and small businesses in rural areas with a population of less than 50,000. Agricultural producers and small businesses in eligible rural areas may be eligible for guaranteed loan financing and grant funding for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. To get started on your application, contact Ken Yearman, USDA VT Energy Programs Coordinator, at (802) 828-6070 or Kenneth.Yearman@vt.usda.gov. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2023. Click here to learn more about this program.

 

Utilizes state funding to help Vermont farms implement soil-based agronomic practices that improve soil quality, increase crop production, and reduce erosion and agricultural waste discharges. Eligible fall practices include manure injection and no-till renovation: apply >30 days before implementation. Click here for more information. 

 

Provides pasture management technical assistance and financial assistance to Vermont farmers to improve water quality and on-farm livestock exclusion from surface waters statewide. Applications accepted year-round. Click here for more information.

 

Provides technical and financial assistance to Vermont farmers for in-field agronomic best practices to address critical source areas, erosion, and surface runoff. The Program’s goal is to reduce soil erosion and improve soil and water quality on cropland that contributes a disproportionately high level of nutrients in runoff. Such areas of cropland are considered “Critical Source Areas” (CSAs), representing a small proportion of the landscape yet a high proportion of nonpoint source pollution loads. Applications accepted year-round. Click here for more information.

 

A voluntary program designed to reduce sediment runoff and improve water quality by removing land from agricultural production and establishing vegetative buffers. State and federal funds are used to compensate landowners for the loss of productive agricultural land through upfront incentive payments and annual rental payments based on the total acreage dedicated to vegetated filter strips, forested buffers, or grassed waterways. Applications accepted year-round. Click here for more information.

 

The CRRP will provide funding for projects that make capital improvements or capital expansions that were delayed due to the negative economic impacts of COVID-19. Eligible uses for these funds include the development of affordable housing, improvements to or new construction of childcare facilities, projects for nonprofits and small businesses in impacted industries*, and municipal water supply and wastewater projects. These recovery funds are intended to retain and expand existing businesses and nonprofit organizations with a preference for projects located in regions and communities with declining or stagnant grand list values. The application is now open and will remain open until all funds are allocated. Click here for more information.