The Vermont Pasture Network is administered by the Pasture Program at the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture.  A largely grant-funded program, the Pasture Program works with other partners in the network to develop research projects, deliver outreach and education, and provide technical support for individual farmers.

• Vermont Agricultural Resilience in a Changing Climate
• Bedded Pack Manure Management
• Reclaiming Marginal Pasture Land by Teaching Livestock to Become Weed Managers
• Biodiversity and Cattle Well Being
• Using Tillage Radish and Keyline Plowing to Address Pasture Compaction and Carbon Sequestration
• Leadership Participation within the Farm to Plate Network

Past Projects

• Vermont Swine Industry Development
• Energy Savings Through Holistic Planned Grazing and Management
• Improving Horse Pasture: Renovating High Traffic Areas
• Holistic Planned Grazing: A Northeast Professional Development Training Group in partnership with Troy Bishopp the Grass Whisperer.  (see the Trampling Paradigms in Vermont and Darts R Us posts on the Pasture Blog for a sense of the project)
• Vermont Community Biomass Project
• Assessing Factors of Success on Grass-Based Farms, Jennifer Colby

Each year, 350 farmers and agricultural resource providers from six Northeast states gather at this two-day winter conference devoted to profitability and sustainability for the region's livestock production.

Read on:

The event takes places at the family-friendly Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT just off Interstate-91.

The event is one of Vermont's largest perennial gatherings of the people who raise animals on pasture, and the service providers that support them.  Day One features deep-dive sessions devoted to especially important topics (in recent years ranging from agroforestry and silvopasture to direct marketing, slaughter and butchery, and soil science).  Day Two is when keynote speakers present, and we offer a full complement of workshops to address the learning needs of both beginning and experienced farmers.  Naturally, we serve grass-based Vermont-grown dairy and meat throughout the event!

Our 2019 conference featured Charlotte Smith of 3CowMarketing.com on Friday and speakers David R. Montgomery and Anne Biklè.   See the 2019 full online schedule here to get a sense of the breadth and depth of what  a typical conference entails!

What have some of these attendees liked best about past conferences?

"The...workshop was very informative and (I) took a lot of information home with me. Met a lot of people and the networking was key!"

"This conference is committed to quality information about grass farming. I appreciate the focus and enthusiasm."

"Innovative ideas, spirit of presenters."

"Being with other farmers, hearing their experiences."

"The organizers have done a great job finding interesting speakers from across the country."

"Rather than another gathering of the usual suspects, I feel renewed hearing new speakers with new perspectives."

"Seemed like there was something for everyone at every session."

"Lunch was excellent and the ice cream was delicious."

Send us a note if you'd like more information about any aspect of the conference.  Or visit our online form to add yourself to the list receive information about the next conference.

The Vermont Pasture Network YouTube Channel:

Key Elements of a Grazing Plan