Spring 1997

Greetings from 590 Main
Signs of Spring:  steam coming from the sugar house, tiny seeds germinating, pussy willows, green shoots of daffodils poking through the snow, geese heading north, and mud!! I hope you’ve seen at least one of these by now. For the Women’s Ag Network team, late winter is always really busy which makes  February and March fly but, like everyone else, we’re thrilled to see the early signs of Spring.

One great thing that happens for us in the spring is our birthday. This May we’ll be starting our 3rd year. Year 3 is our program evaluation year--the year that we chose to ask some hard questions, think about what we have done, what we could do better, and what the future should look like. Of course, our evaluation can’t happen without you. Throughout this next year we will be asking for feedback in a variety of ways--we’ll send surveys, we may call you, we may ask to visit your business. In advance, we want to say a sincere “Thank-you” for helping us with this endeavor. The result will be worth the effort!

Comings and Growings
The Women’s Ag Network is growing and changing!! We are pleased to welcome Nancy Bruce to the team as of March 24. Nancy is based out of 590 Main and she will be working on some new opportunities to supplement our current programs.  Some possible new offerings include regional discussion groups; mentoring/apprenticeship opportunities; and a more organized workshop    program. Nancy has a background in education and most recently worked with the Vermont Farm Youth Corps.

A second terrific addition to our team is Martha Izzi.  Beginning April 7, Martha will be researching how and when the Women’s Ag Network can be made available outside Vermont. Martha is a resident of Shrewsbury, a former employee of the US Department of Labor, a sheep enthusiast, and a graduate student at the School for International Training in Brattleboro.

To improve our accessibility, we have added a new toll-free telephone number, 1-800-435-5634. Please note that this number is valid only within Vermont and should only be used if you are calling from outside the local calling area for Burlington.

Safety Reminder!!
Attention gardeners, landscapers, and homeowners--if you’re planning on doing any outside work that involves digging, pounding or slicing (especially in an urban area) please call this toll-free hotline: 1-888-DIG-SAFE (1-888-344-7233).  This is a free service to the caller. Dig Safe will notify companies that have buried telephone cable, gas lines, electric service, etc. so those companies can mark the position of  these buried cables. At least it could save you a lot of money--at most it could save a serious injury.

VFVC Wants to Hear From You
The Vermont Food Venture Center (VFVC) located in Fairfax, is open for business and waiting for you! This unique and affordable facility takes much of the hassle and cost out of starting a specialty food business.

The VFVC is geared to helping entrepreneurs expand their own specialty food business. As a fully licensed USDA facility, the Center is a one-stop resource that can help with product development, production and distribution.

The USDA permit allows people to process meat and poultry products. This expands the possible products to items beyond traditional jellies, salsa, mustards, sauces, and dressings.

The Center houses a fully-equipped commercial kitchen and bakery as well as a packaging room. For more information regarding the Center, contact the VFVC Director, Brian Norder at 802-849-2000.

Previews of Coming Attractions...

Orientations
Burlington Area (call for exact location, time, etc):
Thu Apr 10   Middlebury
Tue Apr 15 Burlington
Wed May 21 Burlington

Lyndon Area
Tue May 13 White River
Tue Jun 10 Lyndon

Rutland Area
Wed Apr 23  Rutland

Getting Serious
Burlington
Wednesdays, May 14, 21, 28, Jun 4
Mondays, Jun 2, 9, 16, 23

Lyndon
Tuesdays, Apr 8, 15, 22, 29

Rutland
Wednesdays, Apr 30, May 7, 14, 21

Growing Places
Cycle 5 is scheduled for October 18, 25, November 1, 8 in Morrisville. Growing Places is designed for individuals considering a farm or ag-related business, especially for those who don’t have a lot of experience in agriculture. Registration materials will be available from the WAgN Program Office. Call 802-656-3276 for information.

Start Up
Interviews for Fall ’97 Cycles in 3 locations will be starting in June. If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge, there’s never been a better time. For more info, call the WSBP office nearest you.
Burlington: 802-658-0337, ext. 372
Rutland: 802-747-9941
Lyndon: 802-626-6206

Other Related and Interesting Events...

April 19-20 - Alternatives in Animal Health, Lake Morey Inn, Fairlee, VT. Sponsored by NOFA-VT. If you’re considering raising livestock organically, this is an excellent opportunity to learn about alternative health care systems. Call 802-434-4122 for info.

April 25-27 - Vermont Maple Festival, St. Albans. Lots of family activities, demonstrations and a specialty food show.
July 3-6 - Apitherapy Knowledge Review Course. Presented by the American Apitherapy Society. This course will be held at Draper’s Super Bee Apiaries, Inc. in Millarton, PA. Call 1-800-233-4273 for info.

July 10-13 - Herbs ’97 Boston- Sponsored by the International Herb Association. Keynote speaker will be Linda Ligon of The Herb Companion. For more information, contact the International Herb Association at 847-949-HERB.

July 18-19 - N.E. Agricultural Expo- Champlain Valley Fairgrounds, Essex Jct., VT. Demonstrations, exhibits and a chance to visit with many ag-service providers.

October 4-5 - Sheep & Wool Festival, Killington, VT. Workshops, displays, exhibits, and demonstrations all having to do with the sheep and fiber industry.

November 8-9 - N.E. Community Supported Agriculture Conference. Still in the early planning stages but mark your calendar if you’re interested in the CSA concept.  

Land-Owner Looking for Farmer(s)
Castleton landowner, Megan Price, invites proposals from earnest, responsible Network participants interested in working 1 to 50 acres of    a former apple orchard. Hilly, but with southern exposure. Adjoining 30 acres of hardwood, 20 acres of conifers also available. Water on property. No power. Your proposal should be environmentally sound and compatible with developing wildlife habitat. One acre for a fenced garden? Five acres for livestock? Send proposal, qualifications, references and day-time phone number to:  WAgN (ATTN: Land Proposal), 590 Main, UVM, Burlington, VT 05405.

Growing Places Cycle 4 Concludes!!
Congratulations to all of the recent Growing Places grads. What a great group!! Congratulations to all...

Julie Bushey  Kathy Kinter
Nancy Davis  Jessica Mathon
Carol Doherty  H. Marie McGrath
John Doherty     Robin McKnight
Sherry Eborn-Fovel  Mary McNeil
Lyn-Laéh Ehrenberg Sabrina Milbury
Paula Eissman Carol Peters
Judy Frazer Nina Scheer
Diane Heffernan Lorraine Vissering
Susan Hommel Cindy Watrous
Patty Kelley  Callie Willis
Andréa Kerin  Virginia Winn

Attention Herb Growers!!
The Herb Directory deadline has been extended to April 30. If you haven’t received a form and would like to be included in the directory please contact the WAgN Office.

Homestead Market in Wolcott Village
To be held weekly, Thursdays 2 - 6 pm, May to October on Rt 15, across from Buck’s Furniture. Seeking vendors.  For more information, call Lorraine at 802-888-3572.

Direct Marketing Opportunities!!
There is an effort underway to establish a new Farmer’s Market in Bristol. If you’re interested in being a vendor (agricultural products only) or if you’d like to volunteer some time and energy, call Diane Heffernan at 802-453-2587.
Another opportunity further down the road is a year- round Public Market being planned for Burlington  (hopefully on the waterfront). This would feature a large variety of  locally grown and/or produced items on a regular basis. Options are being considered for both  retail and  wholesale sites. Planning is in the very early stages so this is the time to get involved and be heard. For more information on how to get involved, contact the WAgN Program Office.

Co-op Survey Results
In the last newsletter, we enclosed a survey designed to assess the potential interest among producers for small and medium scale co-operatives in Vermont.  We also handed out surveys at the Barre Farm Show during several of the commodity group meetings.  At this point, we have received and tallied 94 responses.

Highlights of the survey include the following.  Of the 94 respondents, 94% were farmers or owners of an ag-related business;  34% of the total had been involved in a co-op in the past, 66% had not.  In answer to the question, how useful do you think the services of a co-op would be to your agricultural sector, 37% said "very useful," 55% didn't know.  When asked what the likelihood of an existing firm meeting their marketing/processing/distribution needs, 57% said "low," 33% said "moderate," and only 4.2% said "high."  In answer to the question would you consider investing in a co-op structure if the benefits to your business and community were clear, 68% said yes and 29% said no.

The major topics on which respondents wanted more information were "responsibilities of co-op members," "marketing agreements," "feasibility studies for establishing co-ops" and "how to form a co-op."  We are encouraged by the responses that there is a substantial interest in co-ops among Vermont producers.  We plan to work along with other agencies such as the Center for Sustainable Ag, the Department of Ag, the Vermont Community Loan Fund, and regional economic development groups to set up a network and resources for supporting co-op development.  




WAgN
Women's Agricultural Network
590 Main St., UVM
Burlington, VT  05405
(802) 656-3276
or wagn@zoo.uvm.edu

 University of Vermont Extension and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, notional orgin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status.