Ready to cultivate success in your dairy farming journey? Join our new, vibrant community of young dairy farmers!
Whether you’re planting the first seeds of your career or growing your operation, our group provides the support, resources, and camaraderie you need to thrive. Connect with peers, access expert advice, and stay ahead with the latest innovations in sustainable farming practices.
We’re gathering young dairy farmers from throughout the state to create the Young Dairy Farmer Group. Together, these farmers will work to address some of the biggest challenges facing their farms and the dairy industry
As a member of our group, you will have the opportunity to:
Learn about financial resources available to you.
Develop farm communication plans to inform the public of the great work dairy farms do in the areas of conservation and environmental stewardship.
Find assistance for new projects, including grant and loan research, business plan development, and grant proposal writing.
Receive training on new technologies and practices.
Attend farm and industry tours to learn from peers.
Do you want to be a part of this exciting new initiative for young dairy farmers? Reach out today to:
Shawn Goodfellow
Program Manager for Young Farmers
Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition
shawn@cvfc-vt.com
802-349-8938 call or text
The Young Dairy Farmer Group
is a collaborative project of Vermont’s three farmer watershed groups:
the Franklin Grand Isle Farmer’s Watershed Alliance, the Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance, and the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition.
We're stoked to welcome Shawn Goodfellow as the newest member of the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition team! He will serve as your Young Farmer Program Manager.
Having grown up on a cow calf beef farm in Quebec, Shawn's roots in farming run deep. He developed a passion for agriculture and machinery that has shaped his journey ever since. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from McGill University in Montreal, and went on to work for agricultural equipment dealerships in Quebec, Illinois, Colorado, and Vermont. These roles not only honed his technical expertise but also provided invaluable insights into the varied needs and practices of farmers across different landscapes.
Shawn moved to Vermont in 2006. He purchased a small farm where he grows and sells dry hay. Now, as the Young Farmer Program Manager, Shawn is thrilled to embark on a new chapter dedicated to nurturing the next generation of agricultural leaders. He is committed to empowering young dairy farmers, equipping them with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to thrive in this dynamic industry.
Thank you to these farmers, individuals, and businesses for joining the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition!
UVM Extension’s recent Out Croppings Blog shares the latest information on best practices for planting with neonicotinoid insecticides. If you are planting corn treated with a neonicotinoid insecticide, make sure you are using best practices to minimize any movement of the seed treatment to off-target sites. Neonicotinoids can be extremely toxic to insects and even the dust created during planting can negatively impact beneficial insect populations like natural insect enemies and pollinators.
So, what can you do to mitigate potential neonicotinoid harm?
Contact your local beekeepers with the time you plan on planting your NTS with enough time for beekeepers to relocate any nearby hives.
Learn about risk management and target NTS pests like seedcorn maggot and wireworm with the factsheets below and watch the Managing Neonicotinoids in Row Crops webinar series. Click here for the full article and additional resources.
UVM Extension, Northwest Crops and Soil Program has shared the following resources:
Click here to view additional articles and resources by UVM Extension, Northwest Crops and Soil Program to stay up-to-date. Information is also available on their blog.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets is updating the guidelines for the Medium Farm Operations (MFO) General Permit. The public can provide feedback on these updates until June 23rd.
By law, the MFO guidelines must be revised every five years, with the last update in 2018. These updated rules will be in effect from 2024 to 2029. Click here to review the proposed changes which focus on making the guidelines more clear and removing unnecessary repetitions found in the Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs) and other Vermont statutes.
Once the public comment period closes on June 23, VAAFM will review all comments before finalizing the updated MFO guidelines.
Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 27 states. In New England the $10,000 award is presented with New England Forestry Foundation. This award honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality and wildlife habitat on working land.
Given in honor of renowned conservationist Aldo Leopold, the award recognizes landowners who inspire others with their dedication to environmental improvement. In his influential 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, Leopold called for what he called “a land ethic,” an ethical relationship between people and the land they own and manage.
Nominations may be submitted on behalf of a landowner in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Landowners may also nominate themselves. CLICK HERE for the nomination application.
The application deadline date is June 28, 2024. Applications should be emailed to award@sandcountyfoundation.org. Applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of agricultural and forestry conservation leaders from New England.
July 17-18
Auburn, NY
The Expo offers two full days of tours, demonstrations, education sessions and networking, all delivering the latest and greatest in manure management solutions and technologies in the heart of the Finger Lakes region.
Day one includes offsite tours that showcase the innovative manure practices of the northeast, on-site demonstrations dedicated to agitation and safety, and plenty of industry networking.
Day two features educational sessions by industry experts, followed by solid and liquid manure application demonstrations, including a dragline application in corn and grassland injection.
There is one month left to apply for the Goat and Sheep Dairy Development Grant offered by The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC). This funding aims to strengthen and support the growth of the Northeast goat and sheep dairy sector through projects that address business viability, market development, or innovative approaches to production.
This program will fund two types of projects:
Individual Business Projects for farmers or processors:$15,000 – $50,000 with a 25% cash and/or in-kind match commitment
Sector Enhancement Projects that engage multiple dairy businesses: $25,000 – $75,000 with a 25% cash and/or in-kind match commitment
Click here for more information and learn how to apply. The application deadline is June 6, 2024 at 2:00 pm. For grant related questions, please reach out to Kathryn Donovan at kathryn.donovan@vermont.gov or (802) 585-4571.
Farm Agronomic Practices
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Market's Farm Agronomic Practices (FAP) program helps farmers manage their farm fields to improve soil quality, increase crop production, and reduce erosion and surface runoff. The FAP rotational grazing program pays farmers $30 per acre to implement rotational grazing practices according to program guidelines. Visit the FAP webpage to learn more. Reach out to Connor Steckel at Connor.Steckel@vermont.gov or 802-522-0065 for additional assistance. Click here for more information and to apply by June 15th.
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
