Join us for a workshop designed to provide practical information on growing, harvesting, and storing grains, as well as the impact on water quality and soil health. This is the second workshop in an ongoing series related to grain production for dairy farms.
This meeting is a collaboration among three UVM Extension teams — Ag Business, Northwest Crops and Soils, and Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture Team. It is co-hosted by the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition. The day’s agenda includes:
Heather Darby and Northwest Crops and Soils team will discuss considerations on varieties of corn and soy optimal for the Northeast.
Abby Augarten and Joshua Faulkner from the Champlain Valley Crop, Soil and Pasture team will present preliminary data on nutrient balances and the water quality impacts of growing soybeans.
A farmer panel comprised of producers who have integrated grain production into their operations will share the knowledge they have gained.
Panelists include:
Mark Mordasky, owner Mordasky Farm LLC, has been farming for more than 14 years in Brandon, Vt. He successfully grows a range of commodity crops — soybeans, barley, and corn — on over 1,000 acres.
Jack Kennett, of Kennland Farms in Addison County, Vt., has been growing grains since 2010. Currently, they produce corn grain, soybeans, and dry hay on over 1,700 acres. They sell directly to local dairy producers, as well as other local markets.
Peter Briggs farms with his mother and father in Addison, Vt. They milk 170 cows on three robots. The farm raises 200 acres of corn for silage and grain, 330 acres of hay/alfalfa, 50 acres of soybeans, and 70 acres of winter wheat. The crops are grown for silage, grain, seed, and cover.
George and Jeremy Foster manage Foster Brothers Farm, a 480-cow dairy in Middlebury, Vt. They grow about 2,000 acres of crops, including hay, corn silage, soybeans, and small grains. They grow around 300 acres of soybeans, including plenish beans. The Fosters have experimented with feeding their home-grown soybeans, and also sell their soybeans to local markets.
Lorenzo Whitcomb and his brother Onan operate North Williston Cattle Company, a 240-cow dairy in Williston, Vt. They manage around 500 acres of cropland, including 100 acres of soybean. They’ve been growing and feeding soybean for the past four years, and hire a custom mobile roaster to roast their soybeans.
This is a free event and lunch will be provided. Register by March 19.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets invite you to participate in their 2024 listening sessions! The sessions are a mix of in person or virtual opportunities for producers, processors, distributors, and service-providers to give feedback on topics such as the impacts of severe weather, grants and programming, industry needs, and more. Registration is required unless noted in the schedule below. Click on a session link to register.
The UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program will host a series of presentations that explore the new and upcoming technologies available to dairy producers that work to increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve product quality, minimize adverse environmental impacts, and improve animal health and well-being.
The seven webinar sessions include:
March 18 | Navigating CowManager’s Health and Nutrition Modules with Bryce Warriner, CowManager, and Accurate Internal Temperature as the Best Early Indicator of Subclinical Health Issues with Joe Gilbert, smaXtec Inc. CEU PD 1 credit.
March 20 | Genetic Selection Strategies for 2030 and Beyond with Kevin Jorgensen, Select Sires. CEU PD 1 credit.
March 22 | Virtual Fencing, Unlocking All the Power of Managed Grazing with Monte Bottens, Bottens Family Farm. CEU CM 1 credit.
March 25 | SCIO Cup: Analyze Feed to Boost Dairy’s Bottom Line with Damian Goldring, Consumer Physics. CEU PD 1 credit.
March 27 | Moving and Organizing Data for Variable Rate Applications with Scott Magnan, Scott Magnan’s Custom Services, and Cultivating Tomorrow: Innovations in Planting Technology with Mike Contessa, Champlain Valley Agronomics. CEU PAg 1 credit.
March 29 | A Closer Look at Emerging Sprayer Technologies with Chris Creek, Precision Planting, and Optimizing Forage Inventories with Drone Imagery with Adam Durrin, Aurox. CEU PAg 1 credit.
Mon, April 1 | Precision Weed Management with Muthu Bagavathiannan, Texas A&M University. CEU IPM 1 credit.
Pre-registration for this webinar series is required in order to receive the webinar link. Click here to register or contact Susan Brouillette at susan.brouillette@uvm.edu, 802-524-6501 or 802-656-7611.
April 2-3
Marriott Albany
Albany, NY
Registration is open for the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Summit. The summit will bring together dairy farmers, processors, service providers, and industry stakeholders from across the northeast in Albany, NY.
From farm innovation to processing expansion and more, you'll leave with new ideas to put into action, peer-to-peer connections, and strategies to build a more resilient dairy sector.
Click here to register! Discounted rates are available for dairy farmers, processors, and students.
Healthy Soil, Pasture & Forage
April 3
10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
South Minden Fire Hall
1029 Hwy 163, Fort Plain, NY 13339
Join Dr. Heather Darby and Sara Ziegler from the University of Vermont Extension and Sarah Flack from Sarah Flack Consulting for a day-long workshop focused on how soil health, soil fertility, and grazing management impact forage productivity and quality and your farm’s viability. Joshua Green from Trees for Graziers will be available to provide information and resources on successfully establishing trees in and around pastures.
Please register by March 29 for this free event. Click here to print and mail in your registration or register by phone by contacting Susan Brouillette at (802) 656-7611.
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)
The State of Vermont received a $16 million grant from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) in 2015. In 2020, this grant was extended for five years with an additional $10 million in assistance to farmers and forest landowners. This program provides financial and technical assistance for the development and implementation of water quality improvement throughout Vermont. Funds are available for agricultural and forestry best management practices, for wetland restoration, and for agricultural, wetland, and forestry easements.
Priority is given to smaller farms and forest operations for practice implementation with a focus on agronomic and forestry water quality improvement practices, grazing, and feed management. Unique opportunities through RCPP include the following:
Many practices are covered at 100% payment rate, based on the NRCS Practice List.
If you meet certain practice requirements (e.g., implementing a cover crop early) you may be eligible for an additional incentive payment.
RCPP practices are not included in the $450,000 NRCS Farm Bill cap. You have a maximum of $450,000 in RCPP as well.
RCPP applications are in a separate funding pool, greatly increasing your chance of funding with less competition.
All Vermont farm and forest landowners are eligible, however strong priority for agricultural practice funding is given to small farmers (CSFO and SFO). Easement prioritization is based on water quality protection value and availability of funding.
Landowners who are interested in this RCPP program are encouraged to reach out to the RCPP planners with the VT Association of Conservation District. General programmatic questions may be directed to: Marli Rupe, Agricultural Water Quality Section Chief, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, marli.rupe@vermont.gov or 802-490-6171. Click here for more information.
Pasture and Surface Water Fencing (PSWF) Program
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.
Grassed Waterway and Filter Strip (GWFS) Program
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.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)
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.
Community Recovery and Revitalization Program (CRRP)
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.
Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)
The program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding to agricultural producers and rural small businesses for renewable energy systems or to make energy efficiency improvements. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new system loans for agricultural production and processing. Applications accepted year-round. Click here for more information. Contact Tracy Rexford with any questions regarding REAP at tracy.rexford@usda.gov.
Our mission to assist all farmers in implementing innovative agricultural practices that enhance water quality, soil health, climate smart farming, and their economic resiliency in the Champlain Valley is generously supported by the
