SUSTAINABLE HORTICULTURE: THE GROWTH CONTINUES

The majority of Vermont’s agricultural income may be derived from dairy, but there’s plenty of diversity in Vermont agriculture. For example, in 2002 we had 6,571 farms according to the USDA Census of Agriculture, and of these, 207 produced berries, 413 grew vegetables, 98 raised greenhouse vegetables, and 418 sold nursery and floriculture crops. The New England Agricultural Statistics Service estimated the value of products sold from these farms in 2003 to be $38.6 million. Much of the production from these farms is consumed by Vermonters, through direct and local-markets, which are expanding steadily.

Across the region, horticultural farmers are becoming more entrepreneurial. They are growing new products, using new techniques, and many are getting more involved in value-added production and alternative markets such as organic and farm-branded products. The continuation of these changes is likely given the relatively low and unstable prices of wholesale commodity markets, as well as the growing interest among consumers in fresh, local food that contributes to healthy lifestyles and strong communities. To be successful with new markets, new practices, and new consumer interests requires new knowledge on the part of farmers. To help them prosper in this changing environment, Extension has a key role to play by compiling and disseminating cutting-edge information about emerging trends and innovative practices developed by smart farmers that promote sustainable production, marketing, and management. A wide range of information is available to growers on the UVM Extension Vegetable and Berry web site.

To this end, the Center produces and distributes a variety of products that provide practical information on sustainable horticulture, to Vermonters and others. These products include four educational videos on the following topics: mechanical weed control tools, diversified horticultural marketing, ecological sweet corn production, and innovative cover cropping techniques. All of these videos feature experienced, successful vegetable and berry farmers from several northeastern states. These farmers explain their reasoning behind specific practices, then they demonstrate them for the camera. A proposal has been submitted for funding the production of a new video in 2006 focused on sustainable tillage practices, including use of spaders, strip-tillage, ridge tillage, and zone-tillage.

The Center also distributes a book by Vern Grubinger titled, ‘Sustainable Vegetable Production from Start-Up to Market.’ This 200-page text, published by the Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES) is used in college classrooms, and many beginning farmers have found it useful. The Center also distributes a series of fact sheets on topics like direct marketing of farm produce; starting a CSA; biological pest controls; and farm leases.

The Center also provides limited financial support and advice to UVM Extension’s Youth Horticulture project located at the Brattleboro Extension office.