2003 REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN
2003 Annual Report
We
are pleased to present the 2003 Vermont Sustainable Agriculture Council report
and recommendations. The Council was established in by the
The
Council is co-chaired by Secretary Steve Kerr of
6/03
2003 REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN
The Vermont Sustainable
Agriculture Council identified eight priorities for enhancing the
sustainability of agriculture in
1) Economic development
and other public policies should recognize not just the value of 'farm gate'
production but also the indirect value of agriculture to food processing,
specialty foods, tourism, and maintenance of wildlife habitat.
A primary source of
agricultural economic information for
Recommendation 1:
Include agriculturally
based enterprises as an integral part of economic development planning and
analysis in
2) Support is needed for
alternative enterprise production and market research and development in order
to compare the viability of a diversity of alternative crops and animals and
identify the most promising candidates for
No single crop or animal
enterprise can be the ‘salvation’ of
The Center for Sustainable
Agriculture supports several areas of agricultural diversification through its
Small Ruminant Dairy Project, and the Pasture Outreach Program. NOFA-VT has
taken the lead in providing technical support to the organic dairies. Extension
and VAAF&M personnel respond to requests for information on a wide variety
of agricultural niches, from emus to herbs, and agency expertise is often
developed in the ‘squeaky wheel’ fashion, as constituent interest in a
particular product grows.
Funding for a more
coordinated exploration of new crops and animal enterprises in
Recommendation 2:
Coordinate an effort to
examine the relevant data and initiate research, demonstrations, and market
studies of a wide range of alternative crops and animals to determine which
have the greatest potential to play a part in
3) Use-value appraisal and
other tax policies that recognize the value of maintaining 'open land' are
essential to the long-term viability of farming and forestry in the face of
development pressure and high property taxes.
Taxes are a serious financial
burden for many
Support
for the agricultural tax policies proposed by a committee convened by the
Conservation Law Foundation of Vermont needs to be strengthened by providing
appropriate information and education to the public and to the legislature.
Recommendation 3:
Reduce use
value appraisals for farm buildings from 30% of the fair market value to 0%;
create sales tax exemption for agricultural inputs, including products used for
agricultural operations as well as agricultural products produced on the farm;
exempt from the property transfer tax land that will be actively operated or
leased, as part of a farm enterprise.
4) We need to plan for the
future, protecting our
As downward price pressures
continue to challenge the profitability of farms selling into commodity
markets, there will continue to be farm expansions in an effort to create
greater economy of scale. However, there is a wide range of opinion about the
desirability of “large” farms. Even though
Conflicting desires and
differing perceptions of risk should be recognized as normal and equally valid
positions. The current policy and process for decision making should be
examined to see if it could be improved so as to assure the best balance
between community desires and the right of agricultural enterprises to ‘grow’
in order to compete. This is not an easy issue to resolve but good
communication and objective exploration of viable alternatives is a key to
dealing with it.
Recommendation 4:
Assist farmers in
conducting economic analyses of potential alternatives to expansion, such as
diversification, value-added production, management intensive grazing, and agri-tourism, which could reduce the risks associated with
commodity marketing and help avoid conflict with neighbors over expansion.
Council
members expressed a diversity of opinion on the issue of farm size and scale.
The Council agreed to acknowledge that the State of
5) Local consumption of
Vermont-grown food should be increased by enhancing consumer awareness of the
benefits of buying locally and by providing incentives for public agencies to
purchase locally.
This issue has widespread
support among agencies, organizations and the public. With the ongoing
consolidation of food distribution and retailing, the need to strengthen local
and regional markets for producers is more critical than ever.
Several successful ‘buy
local’ public relations effort already exist, such as the ‘Be A Local Hero’ campaign in western
A number of public events
promote local agriculture and therefore food production, but indirectly in most
cases. The Vermont Agricultural Fairs Association brochure lists statewide
events, and there are many small town fairs and commodity-oriented festivals
across
Some effort is underway to
connect institutions, specifically schools, to local food. The FEED program
(Food Education Every Day) developed by NOFA, Shelburne Farms and Food Works,
with collaboration from the VT Department of Education and several local
schools. FEED links use of local farm products to child nutrition improvement
and curriculum enrichment.
Recommendation 5:
Promote farmer and consumer
connections. Implement a coordinated ‘buy local’ campaign with a common
statewide theme and supporting messages that influence consumer purchases.
Identify obstacles and incentives for public agencies and institutions with
regard to buying local food. Collect baseline data on both institutional and
consumer food buying.
6) A positive future for
A variety of activities
currently provide young people in grades K-12 with positive information and
experiences about agriculture. These include: Ag in the Classroom, the Farm
Bureau’s sponsorship of educational ‘dairy barns’ for in-school use, NOFA’s farm mentor program that encourages farmers to get
involved in education, and the effort of FoodWorks,
Shelburne Farms and others to develop standards-based curriculum materials
about agriculture and food.
There are approximately 400
FFA members statewide and hundreds more 4-H members working on agricultural
projects around the state. There are 17 high school technical centers around
the state that provide about 1,000 young people with hands-on agricultural
experiences. Some high schools have active programs that use land on their
sites, including
Several institutions of
higher education in
The sustainable agriculture
internship program at UVM had a positive impact on about 70 college students
during its four years of activity. However, obtaining external funds proved
difficult so the program has been put on hold. Agricultural internships through
individual departments are still available to students. NOFA-Vermont has an
ongoing apprenticeship program that places several dozen young men and women
(typically in their 20's) from around the country onto
Professional development
opportunities for educators about agricultural topics are essential to the
ability of teachers to encourage promote student understanding of farming and
food production. The state’s educational requirements need to support that goal
if teachers are to ‘buy in’ to it.
Recommendation 6:
Increase investment in
innovative efforts to educate youth about agriculture with an emphasis on
‘experiential’ learning that encourages young people to work on or visit farms
as part of their formal education. Include a rigorous natural resources and
agriculture standard in the
7) Build on the successful
conservation of farmland with programs that focus on ensuring the success of
future agricultural enterprises on this land.
The Vermont Land Trust (VLT),
the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB), the Vermont Department of
Agriculture, Food and Markets (VDAF&M) and many smaller, local land trusts
have been very successful at securing conservation easements on farm land
throughout
Land Link
Many outreach programs,
including Land Link, provide referral and training to new and aspiring farmers,
but until recently these efforts have not been coordinated. In March 2002 a
statewide Beginning Farmer forum identified priority actions for promoting the
success of new farmers in
Priorities identified were:
coordination of new farmer programs, creation of a new farmer resource packet, low
interest loans and grants for new farmers, ongoing business training for new
farmers, hands-on new farmer practical skills courses, and an examination of
land conservation policy as it relates to new farmers. Follow-up meetings
established the ‘Vermont New Farmer Network’ to strengthen collaboration and
communication around service to new farmers. Member organizations crafted a
proposal to expand existing programs, including: a part-time New Farmer
Coordinator housed at the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture; support for
NOFA-Vermont’s revolving loan fund with specific attention to new farmers; new
farmer scholarships for the ‘NxLevel’ business
planning course; operating funds for the ‘Growing Places’ pre-business planning
program; new farmer technical workshops coordinated with the Intervale
Foundation; enhancement of NOFA-Vermont’s farm apprenticeship program; and a
study of land conservation policy as it relates to New Farmers.
Recommendation 7:
Promote and support the
8) A public relations effort is needed that
increases public awareness of the positive aspects of agriculture and the value
of farming to
There is a wide variety of
outreach about the positive aspects of agriculture in
Too often, media coverage
seems to focus on negative rather than positive aspects of agriculture. Crises,
conflict, and weather woes tend to make better headlines than day-to-day
success based on good management. Yet,
Recommendation 8:
Develop a public relations
plan that includes compelling 'talking points' that reinforce positive messages
about agriculture. Economic and social data that speaks to the value of
agriculture needs to be collected and condensed into a useful,
consumer-friendly format.
Summary of
Recommended Actions
The Vermont Sustainable
Agriculture Council recommended eight priorities for enhancing the sustainability
of agriculture in
1) Include agriculturally
based enterprises as an integral part of economic development planning and
analysis in
2) Initiate research,
demonstrations, and market studies of a wide range of alternative crops and
animals to determine which have the greatest potential to play a part in
3) Reduce use value appraisals for farm buildings from 30%
of the fair market value to 0%; create sales tax exemption for agricultural
inputs, including products used for agricultural operations as well as
agricultural products produced on the farm; exempt from the property transfer
tax land that will be actively operated or leased, as part of a farm enterprise.
4) Assist farmers in
conducting economic analyses of alternatives to expansion, such as
diversification, value-added production, management intensive grazing, and agri-tourism, which would reduce the risks associated with
commodity marketing and help avoid conflict with neighbors over expansion.
5) Promote farmer and consumer
connections. Implement a coordinated ‘locally grown’ campaign with a common
statewide theme and supporting messages that influence consumer purchases.
Identify obstacles and incentives for public agencies and institutions with
regard to buying local food. Collect baseline data on both institutional and
consumer food buying.
6) Increase investment in
innovative efforts to educate youth about agriculture with an emphasis on ‘experiential’
learning that encourages young people to work on or visit farms as part of
their formal education. Include a rigorous natural resources and agriculture
standard in the Vermont Framework of Learning Standards, as recently proposed
by a working group.
7) Promote and
support the Vermont New Farm Network in providing coordinated services and
financial resources necessary to implement the priority actions that will
promote success of new farmers in
8) Develop a public relations plan that includes
compelling 'talking points' that reinforce positive messages about agriculture.
Economic and social data that speaks to the value of agriculture needs to be
collected and condensed into a useful, consumer-friendly format.
The council's legislative mandate is to
encourage the development and use of economically and ecologically sound sustainable
agriculture practices. Some Council positions are dictated by law and others
have historically been appointed by the Vermont Commissioner of the Vermont
Department of Agriculture with the concurrence of the Dean of the Division of
Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension at the
Leon Berthiaume,
General Manager,
John
Megan Camp, Vice President,
Shelburne Farms
Larry Forcier,
(Co-chair) Director,
Vern Grubinger, Director,
Peter Leonard, on behalf o the
president of
Steve Kerr, (Chair) Secretary,
Fred Magdoff,
Northeast Director, USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education
David Marvin, Maple Producer,
John
Jenny Nelson, Dairy Farmer, Home
Acres Farm
Will Rapp, President, Gardener's Supply Company
Caleb Scott, Beef Farmer, Crow
Hill Farm
Representative Harvey Smith,
Dairy Farmer, Harvey Farm
Enid Wonnacott,
Director, Northeast Organic Farming Association of