Dairy Partners and Collaborators Donate to Vermont Foodbank

Vermont Agency of

Agriculture, Food & Markets

116 State Street

Montpelier, Vermont 05620-2901

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

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PAID

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White River Jct VT

Inside This Issue

Classiﬁeds ........ Page 11

Fairs & Field Days

Schedule ......... Page 13

Recommendations for Black

Bear Encounters. . . . Page 14

VT Breakfast on the

Farm Goes Live ...Page 15

continued on page 6

June 2020 • Vol. 84, Num ber 6

Published monthly by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture • www.Agriculture.Vermont.Gov

The View from

116 State Street ..... Page 1

Shifting Markets

During Covid-19 .... Page 3

Celebrating Dairy

Month at VAEL ..... Page 4

Water Quality

Grant Programs ..... Page 5

VT Positive Dairy

Campaign. . . . . . . . . . Page 6

VT Food System Plan

Issue Brief: Cheese ...Page 7

Growing Works of

Art Winners ........Page 8

Field by Field Yield ...Page 9

Vermont Vegetable

and Berry News .... Page 10

Dairy Partners and Collaborators

Donate to Vermont Foodbank

By Scott Waterman, VT Agency of

Agriculture, Food & Markets

hile Governor Phil Scott

slowly opened Vermont’s

economy, the state’s

dairy farmers and food producers

continue to see the negative

impacts of COVID-19 on their

businesses. While experiencing

these economic hardships, our dairy

farmers continue to work seven

days a week to feed our state and

communities. In recognizing the

value of their product and their

presence to the state, the Vermont

Agency of Agriculture, Food and

Markets coordinated an effort that

has created a new, temporary food

supply for the Vermont Foodbank.

In collaboration with the Vermont

Community Foundation, $60,000

dollars has been made available to

purchase dairy products for the

beneﬁt of Vermonters.

“Due to changes in demand, the

surplus of milk available from our

Vermont dairy farms has grown over

recent weeks and is highlighting

the uncertainty they face today. I

want to thank our partners in this

effort for recognizing the value of

our Vermont dairy products, and the

importance they hold in our econo-

my and communities,” said Vermont

Agriculture Secretary Anson

Tebbetts. “We are thrilled that we

have found a process to redistribute

agricultural product that otherwise

would have gone to waste to serve

our neighbors in the communities we

call home.”

Joining in this effort is Dairy

Farmers of America (DFA), Green

Mountain Creamery and HP Hood.

DFA family farms will be provid-

ing the milk to Green Mountain

Creamery and HP Hood. The milk

will be processed by these Vermont

dairy producers for a donation of

42,000 cups of yogurt and over

11,500 gallons of 2% milk to the

Vermont Foodbank. The donation

will serve hundreds of food bank

clients over the course of the com-

ing weeks, providing nutritious dairy

products to the Vermont communi-

ties in need while preventing valu-

able food waste. New England Dairy

Promotion also provided support

to bring these different companies

together.

“Dairy is a huge part of our rural

working landscape and economy—it

is also a critical piece of ‘who we

June 2020

The View from 116 STaTe STreeT

Agriview is Vermont’s Agricultural

Publication of Record.

It is pub lished monthly by the

Vermont Agency of

Agriculture Food & Mar kets,

116 State Street,

Montpelier, VT 05620-2901

Telephone: (802) 828-1619

www.Agriculture.Vermont.gov

nson

ebbeTTs

, Secretary

Agency of Agriculture,

Food & Markets

erry

miTh

Editor

FAiTh rAymond, Managing Editor

Advertising and subscriptions:

E-mail: agr[email protected]

The State of Vermont is an Equal Opportunity/

Afﬁrmative Action Employer and Provider.

(UPS 009-700)

Anson Tebbetts, Secretary, Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets

here is no hiding from Covid-

19. This virus has no borders

and travels at will, menacing

people and businesses in every sector

of society. The pandemic threatens

agriculture and with it our food

security, as farmers work to produce

the food on our tables. Our farmers,

producers and those making their

living off the land are working

relentlessly for all of us, and we

thank them for their leadership and

sacriﬁce.

We have witnessed creativity at

our farmers markets. The markets

are providing fresh food in a new

format. We have hit pause on the

social events, but these markets have

transformed into simple food hubs,

providing a tremendous service to

shoppers while implementing safe

practices. We thank Vermonters who

are supporting these markets by

choosing to buy local and support

neighbors. We look forward to more

markets opening this spring and

summer.

Despite recent successes in

the local food scene, many of our

farmers are nervous, and at times

terriﬁed, of the economic forecasts.

The region’s dairy farmers and

cheesemakers are bracing for the

worst as summer arrives. We hope

the predictions are wrong, but milk

pricing forecasts are formidable,

dropping overnight. This sobering

news means that more than ever we

will need to do all we can to support

our farmers. Now is the time to buy

Vermont dairy. Every bit helps. Buy

more milk, cheese, butter, yogurt.

There is plenty.

The private sector is stepping up

to help dairy farmers. Through a

generous donation by the Vermont

Community Foundation, milk

and yogurt is being processed and

donated to the Vermont Foodbank,

helping dairy farmers as well as

people who need food. This milk

may have been discarded but instead

it is ending up on the dinner table.

We thank Commonwealth Dairy,

Dairy Farmers of America-St. Albans,

Hood and the Foodbank for putting

this program together.

We thank all those who have

kept agriculture moving during

uncertain times. Parts of our nation

are facing deep disruption in meat

processing, but Vermont’s plants

are open, delivering high quality

chicken, turkey, lamb, beef, and pork

to Vermonters.

Thanks to those farmers who are

delivering food through farmstands

and CSAs, and the Vermonters

who are buying our fresh, quality

products. This is another way to

shop for local food and support

your community. You also can order

Vermont products online, which

offers a safe and easy way to support

those who face an uncertain future.

And ﬁnally, to our farmers: we

know you are hurting. The Agency

of Agriculture is doing its best to get

you the information and resources

you need to make difﬁcult decisions.

Please visit the Covid-19 page on

our website. There are federal, state

and private programs that might

help you.

It will take all of us pulling in the

same direction to get through this.

This Month’s Recipe

No Churn Blueberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:

4 c. blueberries, plus more for

serving

1/4 c. granulated sugar

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

3 c. heavy cream

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed

milk

Instructions

• In a food processor or blender,

puree blueberries then transfer

to a medium saucepan.

Working over medium heat,

add sugar, lemon juice, and

lemon zest. Bring mixture to

a boil then reduce heat. Simmer

until slightly reduced, about

15 minutes.

• Transfer to a bowl and place

in refrigerator to chill, 1 to

2 hours.

• In a large bowl using a hand

mixer, or in the bowl of a stand

mixer ﬁtted with the whisk

attachment, beat heavy cream

until stiff peaks form. Fold in

sweetened condensed milk

until fully combined, then fold

in chilled blueberry puree.

• Transfer to 9”-x-5” loaf pan and

freeze until ﬁrm, 5 hours.

• Serve with fresh blueberries

(optional)

June 2020

continued on page 10

Supporting Vermont Farms to Adapt

and Shift Markets During COVID-19

he Vermont Agency of

Agriculture, Food and Markets

has received inquiries about

the requirements for licensing, reg-

istration, and labeling for farms that

are shifting away from wholesale

sales to institutions and restaurants

and toward retail and direct to

consumer markets. Find answers to

frequently asked questions below.

Producers Selling Meat and

Dairy

Q: I am a producer who previously

sold dairy and meat to wholesale

and institutional markets, what

licenses or permits do I need to sell

directly to the consumer?

A: Meat producers interested in

selling directly to consumers will

need to purchase a retail license.

Further processing meat or poultry

products into smaller cuts for direct

to consumer sales will require an

additional license. Dairy produc-

ers that hold a valid Milk Handlers

License and are actively under inspec-

tion do not need a retail license to

sell dairy directly to consumers. The

application for a retail license to sell

dairy or meat is the same application

and can be found on the Agency’s

website,

along with the inspection

requirements for meat retail licenses,

and a library of all Agency licenses.

• For questions about meat, please

contact 802-828-2426 or Julie.

[email protected].

• For questions about dairy,

please contact 802-828-2433 or

[email protected].

Q: Do I need an additional license/

registration to deliver food to

customers’ homes?

A: Once a meat or dairy producer

has a retail license to sell direct-

to-consumer on-farm, there are

no additional license requirements

for transporting and delivering the

product directly to customers.

Q: My farm sells our own produce

at our farm stand/CSA. If I start

adding meat and dairy products

from other farms and processors to

our farm stand/CSA, will I need a

license?

A: If you don’t already sell meat

and dairy at your farm stand or in

your CSA, you will need to obtain

retail licenses in order to do so.

Aggregators and Food Hubs

Q: What about aggregators and food

hubs that haven’t previously aggre-

gated and sold meat and dairy?

A: If you do not already aggregate

meat and dairy products, for delivery

or pick-up, you will need to obtain

retail licenses in order to do so. Once

an aggregator has a retail license for

the product they’ve aggregated, there

are no additional license requirements

for delivering the product directly to

customers in their residences.

Q: Do I need a license to repackage

foods I receive from farms into

smaller containers for direct to

consumer retail?

A: Aggregators seeking to

repackage meat or dairy products for

the ﬁrst time will need to contact

VAAFM to learn about the inspection

and license requirements for

processors. You do not need a license

to repackage produce. If an aggregator

is packaging items for sale at a later

date, labeling requirements may

apply. If you have questions about

labeling pre-packed goods, contact

the Weights and Measures Section

at 802-828-2426 or Marc.Paquette@

vermont.gov.

Please keep in mind that even

though licenses aren’t always

required, an entity that repackages

food is subject to food safety

regulations under the appropriate

regulatory body, such as the Vermont

Agency of Agriculture, Food and

Markets or the Vermont Department

of Health. For questions about food

safety regulations that may apply to

your operation, contact 802-505-

1169 or Ian.W[email protected].

Best Practices

Q: What should producers,

processors, and aggregators keep in

mind across products?

A: Maintain best practices to

protect public health and slow

the spread of coronavirus. Find

resources to help protect essential

workers in the food system below.

In addition, please refer to general

workplace guidance from OSHA

CDC

, the WHO

, and the Vermont

Department of Health

. Food

Business Workplace Guidance:

• Vermont Department of Health -

COVID-19 Guidance for Food and

Lodging Businesses

• Food and Drug Administration -

Best Practices for Food Pick-Up/

Delivery Services

COVID-19 Resources for

Agriculture Businesses

• Learn more about current resourc-

es available at: agriculture.vermont.

gov/covid-19-information.

• FDA has issued temporary

ﬂexibility for federal food labeling

and other requirements to

support the food supply chain and

meet consumer demand during

COVID-19

The Bottom Line

When selling or delivering meat or

dairy for the ﬁrst time, please contact

the Vermont Agency of Agriculture,

Food and Markets to determine what

licenses you need.

• Meat Section: 802-828-2426 or

Julie[email protected].

• Dairy Section: 802-828-2433 or

[email protected].

Other helpful contacts:

• For questions about labeling and

scales, contact 802-828-2426 or

Looking for Some Stress Reduction?

Try Farm First.

arm First is a free and conﬁdential business and personal service

which automatically covers Vermont farm owners and family

members living on the farm.

Farm First is set up to assist farmers to address stress, much of which

is associated with the very real challenges on Vermont’s farms. Whether

you have a farm personnel issue or a personal or family concern, Farm

First is ready to help. Farmers call us about practical resource issues

(eldercare, childcare, housing, medical, legal or ﬁnancial concerns) and

about relationship or family issues, grief and loss, alcohol or drug addic-

tion, depression or anxiety, and management issues. Farm First also

helps farmers adapt to injuries and health problems.

To access Farm First you can go to www.investeap.org/farmﬁrst or

call 877-493-6216

The Farm First website will redirect you to the to the Invest EAP

website. Invest EAP is the parent organization for Farm First. Invest

EAP provides self-assessment tools and information on a variety of

health, mental health, legal and ﬁnancial topics. You will be asked to

create a login when accessing the site for the ﬁrst time. (Organization

Password: farm)

June 2020

Celebrating Dairy Month

With the AgNErDs at VAEL

By Rebecca Harvey, Sam

Beck, Amanda Michaud, VT

Agency of Agriculture, Food &

Markets

he Vermont

Agriculture and

Environmental

Laboratory (VAEL) plays

a critical role in milk’s

journey from farm to table:

it houses the Vermont

Dairy Laboratory. As one

of the most regulated food

products, dairy requires a

collaborative effort between

farmers, inspectors, and

scientists to ensure its safety

and quality. VAEL works

under the Food and Drug

Administration to ensure

Vermont Dairy adheres to

these regulations.

VAEL receives more than

20 varieties of dairy products

from inspectors and samplers

each week. Products include

raw and ﬁnished milk,

creams, ice cream, yogurt and

keﬁr, and soft cheeses. The

lab performs tests to check

for pasteurization, bacterial

counts, antibiotics, butter

fat content, and somatic

cells. Testing is also done

on dairy process and glycol

water samples to determine

the presence of coliform

bacteria, including E coli,

in the water source. VAEL

serves the small farmer as

well by diagnosing mammary

(udder) infections in animals

at its Mastitis lab. Farmers

submit udder quarter

samples or bulk tank samples

for analysis, which can

VAEL Microbiologist Sam Beck performing bacterial counts.

VAEL Microbiologist Kristen Needham preparing samples to test

for pasteurization.

VAEL Microbiologist Amanda Michaud performing somatic

cell counts.

provide valuable information

for treatment. In all, the

lab processes thousands of

samples each year.

Along with sample

analysis, the Dairy lab has

Laboratory Evaluation

Ofﬁcers (LEO) who visit

certiﬁed and approved

processors and producers

that make and/or sell dairy

products. There are over 60

of these facilities In Vermont

work hard to provide

the best quality dairy to

consumers, and VAEL is

proud to serve such an

important supporting role.

and LEOs ensure that

national testing standards are

met at each one.

Vermont’s dairy farmers,

processors and producers

June 2020

as needed. Vermont Farms

consistently demonstrate

a strong commitment

to water quality, and it

is important that farms

apply for programs as a

means of demonstrating

and understanding the

demand during these times

of economic recession.

Please refer to our website

(agriculture.vermont.gov/

water-quality/assistance-

programs) for the most

up to date information

about program availability.

Please do not be shy

about getting in touch

and requesting technical

or ﬁnancial assistance.

Below is a summary of the

various Water Quality grant

programs at the Agency. Visit

our website to learn more or

apply.

Please note that for all

programs, farm operations

that meet the threshold for

the Required Agricultural

Practices are eligible to apply.

FAP Program

The VAAFM Farm

Agronomic Practices (FAP)

Program invests state funds

in soil-based agronomic

practices to improve soil

quality, increase crop

production, and reduce

erosion and surface runoff

from agricultural ﬁelds.

The FAP program

can provide funding for

the following agronomic

practices: cover cropping,

conservation crop rotation

with or without a nurse

crop, conservation tillage,

no-till pasture/hay land

renovation, manure

injection, and rotational

continued on page 6

For Agricultural Events

and Resources Visit:

• The VT Agency of Agriculture Events Calendar:

http://agriculture.vermont.gov/events/month

• UVM Extension Events Calendars: http://www.uvm.

edu/extension/extension_event_calendars

• Vermont Farm to Plate Events Calendar: http://

www.vtfarmtoplate.com/events

• Northeast Organic Farming Association of VT Events

Calendar: http://nofavt.org/events

• DigIn Vermont Events Calendar: https://www.dig-

invt.com/events/

• Required Agricultural Resources (RAPs) Resources:

http://agriculture.vermont.gov/water-quality/regula-

tions/rap

• Agency of Ag’s Tile Drain Report now available here:

http://agriculture.vermont.gov/tile-drainage

• VAAFM annual report now available here: http://

agriculture.vermont.gov/about_us/budgets_reports

• Farm First: Conﬁdential help with personal or work-

related issues. More info call: 1-877-493-6216 any-

time day or night, or visit: www.farmﬁrst.org

• Vermont AgrAbility: Free service promoting success

in agriculture for people with disabilities and their

families. More info call 1-800-639-1522, email:

[email protected] or visit: www.vcil.org.

For more agricultural events visit our Funding

Opportunities & Resources for Businesses webpage at:

http://agriculture.vermont.gov/producer_partner_

resources/funding_opportunities

Water Quality Grant Programs

Budgets and Potential Program Impacts Due to COVID-19 Crisis

By Nina Gage, VT Agency of

Agriculture, Food & Markets

he COVID-19

Crisis has created

uncertainty across

businesses, non-proﬁts,

and within government

programs. The impacts of

the crisis are still somewhat

unknown and continue to

reverberate through our food

system from milk prices

to grant programs to food

available on the grocery

store shelf. One of the major

impacts we are working

through, are the potential

budget deﬁcits and the

resulting impacts on water

quality grant programs.

Due to COVID -19

impacts on the state budgets

and revenue sources from

taxes to fees, we anticipate

reduced funding available

for water quality programs,

however these impacts are

still unclear as statewide

budgets are being assessed

by the Legislature. The

Agency encourages all

farms to continue to apply

for and request assistance

grazing. Applications for

rotational grazing are due

June 15 and applications

for cover crop are due

August 1. The payment

rates vary by practice

type and applications are

due for all other practices

at least 30 days prior to

implementation. There

is a maximum of $8,000

available per farm operation

for each State Fiscal Year

July 1 through June 30.

BMP Program

The Best Management

Practice (BMP) Program

assists farmers with on-farm

improvements designed

to abate non-point source

agricultural waste discharges

into the waters of the state

of Vermont.

All farms seeking

assistance should apply

to the program as early as

possible for the speciﬁc

service they are seeking -

technical, ﬁnancial, or EQIP

ﬁnancial assistance.

• Farms should apply for

EQIP-Assist when the

farmer has ranked out for

an EQIP Contract.

• Apply for Technical

Assistance as soon as a

water quality concern is

identiﬁed or a need for

permitting or variance

assistance arises.

• Apply to the Farmstead

Best Management

Practices (BMP) Program

annually by April 1st for

design services and fund-

ing of conservation prac-

tice.

All applications are

reviewed on a rolling

basis. Applications for the

Farmstead BMP Program

received after April 1st will

be rolled into the next year’s

applicant pool.

PSWF Program

The 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. Enrollment

for this program is ongoing.

June 2020

Vermont Foodbank

continued from page 1

Water Quality Grant

Programs

continued from page 5

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and

Markets have received an application for a Milk

Handlers license from the following entity: Aires-Hill

Farm, LLC of Enosburg Falls, Vermont to process,

package, buy and sell, milk, cream, cultured products,

butter, cheese, powdered and/or evaporated milk

products, and pasteurized ice cream mix within the

State of Vermont. If anyone has germane information

as to why or why not this company should or should

not be licensed those comments are to be sent to:

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets

Dairy Section Ofﬁce

116 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05620-2901

All written comments must be received by

June 30, 2020.

At that time the Agency will make a determination as

to whether a hearing will be held. If we determine that a

hearing is necessary and you wish to attend please write

to the above address attention Dairy Section.

For Immediate Release

are’ as a state,” says Dan

Smith, president and CEO

of The Vermont Community

Foundation. “To be able to

respond to a need for milk

distribution and help feed

Vermonters who are strug-

gling are exactly the type of

reasons we created the VT

COVID-19 Response Fund,

and we’re thrilled to work

with such stand-up partners.”

Beginning in early May,

product will be donated on

a weekly basis and donated

to the Vermont Foodbank

in amounts 1,152 gallons of

milk for 10 weeks and 2,000

servings of yogurt each week

for 21 weeks of, helping the

Vermont Foodbank to serve

thousands of clients. The

Vermont Foodbank, which

serves more than 153,000

individuals each year, has

seen an increase of up to

100% of percent in demand

since mid-March due to the

Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are pleased to be a

part of this initiative to get

nutritious dairy products

to Vermont families dur-

ing these difﬁcult times,”

said Kiersten Bourgeois,

Manager, Communications

and Industry Affairs for DFA.

“Dairy farmers are also being

challenged by disruptions as

a result of COVID-19 and

this initiative is a step in the

right direction to supporting

many parts of our society.”

GWFS Program

The Grassed Waterway

and Filter Strip (GWFS)

Program can provide

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.

Enrollment for this program

is ongoing.

CEAP Program

Financial assistance is

available for new or innova-

tive equipment that will

aid in the reduction of

surface runoff of agricul-

tural wastes to state waters,

improve water quality of

state waters, reduce odors

from manure application,

separate phosphorus from

manure, decrease greenhouse

gas emissions, and reduce

costs to farmers when they

apply manure. Currently,

this program is closed for

applications, but we antici-

pate opening the program

for applications this fall.

The Agency advises

farmers to plan ahead

as best as possible for

implementation of

conservation practices,

especially when seeking

ﬁnancial assistance. We

encourage all farms to

continue to apply for and

request assistance as needed.

Please refer to our website

(agriculture.vermont.gov/

water-quality/assistance-

programs) for the most up

to date information about

program availability, call 802-

828-2431 or email AGR.

WaterQuality@Vermont.gov.

Vermont Positive Dairy Campaign

Adapts to Changing World

By Scott Waterman, VT

Agency of Agriculture, Food &

Markets

ou may recall we

recently told you

about an effort to

promote and expand positive

dairy messaging throughout

the state and beyond, with

an eye on telling the story

of our dairy farmers and

their legacy of service to

us all, but also towards

growing dairy purchasing by

consumers. This campaign

has been underway this

year, with research and

interviews, all with an eye

toward an end-of-summer

launch. Due to COVID-19,

this effort has moved up in

timing and importance, and

adapted to directly address

the challenging times dairy is

experiencing now.

HMC Advertising, based

in Richmond, has turned

to develop this message in

the face of the impacts on

dairy markets

caused by

coronavirus.

The Agency is

working with

HMC and

the Vermont

Dairy

Promotion

Council to

develop a

message of

support while

also asking

consum-

ers to think

Vermont

dairy in their

everyday

behavior. We

can all support our state

economy and recovery from

COVID-19 by supporting

our Vermont dairy produc-

ers, buying Vermont dairy

products and continuing that

behavior into the future.

Look for this effort on

television, print and digital,

social media and beyond.

We will get through this

together!

June 2020

continued on page 15

of scale, it is difﬁcult for

small cheesemakers to

source cheese-quality milk

from the co-op system.

This makes it very difﬁcult

for small cheesemakers to

establish themselves unless

they are also prepared to be

dairy farmers, and difﬁcult

for established farmstead

cheesemakers to grow

because they are limited by

their herd size and often

cannot source additional

off-farm milk to produce a

larger volume of cheese.

Artisanal cheesemakers

require milk of exceptional

quality. Much of this cheese

ermont

ood

yStem

lan

SSue

rIeF

Cheese

Current Conditions

Vermont has been a

cheese making state since

the early days of the

industry. Cabot celebrated

100 years in 2019, and

another large producer,

Grafton Village Cheese,

celebrated 127 years. Over

the past three decades, the

specialty cheese sector has

developed rapidly, building

on the success of Cabot and

other well-known brands.

In 1997, 19 people founded

the Vermont Cheese Council

as a response to market

demand for specialty cheeses

and built on Vermont

farmers’ eagerness to adapt

when opportunity presents

itself.

Today, Vermont has over

60 cheesemakers, with large-

scale and smaller on-farm

artisanal producers together

making more than 225

varieties of cheese. From

value-added on-farm dairy

operations to purely cheese-

making facilities, cheese

making operations have

tripled while family farm

milk operations have steadily

consolidated or disappeared.

For the most part, the

Vermont commodity

milk industry and the far

smaller artisanal cheese

making industry do not

operate in concert with

one another, though they

could and do in some

cases. Due to dairy co-op

policies and economies

What’s at Stake?

ermont boasts more state-inspected cheese producers per capita

than any other state in the nation—close to one cheese maker

for 13,000 people, generating more than $657 million in annual

revenue. Vermont cheese makers create superior quality cheeses, winning

national and international awards in numbers disproportionate to the size

of our state. It takes ten pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese,

making cheese a more consistently proﬁtable option than ﬂuid milk for

dairy farmers. Vermont’s small dairy farms, challenging terrain, and short

growing seasons create a disadvantage for Vermont dairy farmers relative

to other national dairy producers in the commodity market but can be

used as an advantage for value-added producers. Environmental concerns

and low milk prices continue to be a struggle for many dairy farmers;

however, dairy farms and related processing are central to Vermont’s

landscape and identity (see Dairy brief, Goats brief both available on the

Agency’s website https://agriculture.vermont.gov/document/vermont-

agriculture-and-food-system-plan-2020). A viable future for Vermont

dairy needs to be premised on a strategy that compensates for these

challenges and leverages Vermont strengths.

is made with raw milk,

which requires particular

care in production and han-

dling. A marketplace effec-

tively optimized to make the

highest-quality milk available

to cheesemakers would sup-

port much higher growth in

Vermont premium cheese

production.

Bottlenecks and Gaps:

• There are structural

limitations in the dairy

co-op system and farmer

agreements that restrict

cheese-quality milk sold

directly or distributed

directly to cheesemakers.

• There is a lack of incen-

tives for producing milk

that is pathogenically and

compositionally produced

speciﬁcally for best-quality

cheesemaking.

• There is confusion

amongst consumers

regarding dairy and value-

added product labels

such as “raw,” “grass-fed,”

“organic,” “farmstead,”

“artisanal,” and “natural.”

• Most small cheese produc-

ers have limited marketing

budgets and are unable

Editor’s note: This brief is part of the Vermont Agriculture & Food System Plan submitted to the legislature in January.

Lead Author: Tom Bivins (former Executive Director of the Vermont Cheese Council)

Contributors: Vermont Cheese Council members and staff, Galen Jones, Crowley Cheese and Kate Turcotte, Orb Weaver Creamery

has been declining, consumption of cheese has

been increasing.

2000 20182009

100

Annual pounds per capita

150

Fluid Milk

Cheese

146 lb

-25%

change

197 lb

32 lb

40 lb

+25%

change

Membership of the Vermont Cheese Council

growth since its founding, including 12 new

members in 2014-2019 alone.

20192017201620152014

June 2020

Submitted by Lisa Halvorsen,

UVM Extension

rowing Works of Art

is an arts and writing

contest for students

in grades 1-8. This contest is

hosted in partnership with

UVM Extension and the

Vermont Department of

Forests, Parks, & Recreation.

This month, we are

sharing the drawings and

essays for grades K-2.

The 2020 contest theme

was “Trees are superheroes:

share your tree story of why

we need trees!”

Thank you to the

Vermont Urban and

Community Forestry

Program for the images.

Growing Works of Art Contest Winners

This is my rainbow tree! It is special because it’s

awesome and colorful. If I could, it would be cotton

candy ﬂavored. It’s the best tree that I can think of!

Trees are important because they are a part of nature

and give us air to breathe.

Levi is a kindergartener who participates in the Upper

Valley Haven Afterschool Program in White River

Junction.

I really like nature because when I go to bed, I can hear all different kinds of birds in the

trees. When I play outside, there is a big tree I like to climb with my brother. We shake

snow onto my little sister! We also like going into the woods and sledding. There is a

jump between two trees. It is really fun! When we go camping at the beach, my brother

and I go into the woods to get wood for the campﬁre. At my cousin’s house, you can

bring a snowboard up into the woods and snowboard down by the trees just before you

hit a jump over the river.

Hale is in 2nd grade and attends Fletcher Elementary School in Cambridge.

Trees are very

pretty. They

give us oxygen.

If we didn’t

have trees, we

wouldn’t have

life. I have

pine trees at

my house. We

have a fort in

one tree with a

little doorway.

That tree is very

special to me.

Thea is in 1st

grade at the

Rochester School

in Rochester.

June 2020

Field by Field Yield and Why it Matters

By Jennifer Alexander –

Poultney Mettowee NRCD

rom a nutrient

management planning

perspective, it is

important to know ﬁeld-

by-ﬁeld yields so that each

ﬁeld can be fertilized for the

realistic potential of that soil

type. We know inherently

that a loamy sand will yield

more than a heavy clay, but

what is the yield difference

between a ﬁne gravel sandy

loam, and a loamy sand, or

a ﬁeld that is a combination

of soil types? The USGS Soil

Fact Sheets for Vermont can

give some guidance for yield

potential, but at best, it is

only a starting point.

Measuring Forage

Dry Matter

Measuring yields on

hay, haylage, baleage, green

forage etc. is challenging due

to different harvest moisture

levels. Calculating the

dry matter yield provides

consistency between the

different forage crops

and a basis for nutrient

recommendations.

If you are baling, for each

ﬁeld note the bale count on

the baler before you start

and when you are done. If

you do not have a counter,

or it doesn’t work, then

you will need to manually

count bales per ﬁeld. Next

you will need to weigh a

few bales to determine the

average bale weight.

If you are chopping

forage, the ﬁrst step is

weighing each truck or

forage wagon to determine

the empty weight, tare, then

weigh each truck or forage

wagon with a full or with

the “typical” load, or gross

weight. Next subtract the

tare from gross weight to

ﬁnd out the load weight.

Depending on your location,

you can weigh vehicles at

most commercial gravel

pits or with portable truck

scales. Several Conservation

Districts and UVM

Extension ofﬁces have scales

you can borrow, or staff

from these groups can come

to your farm and weigh the

equipment with you.

Next you need to

measure the moisture

content. The best time for

measuring moisture is at

harvest. Companies such

as AgraTronix, make in-row

moisture testers that give

moisture readings within

three minutes of sampling.

Other types, such as the

Koster Moisture Tester, allow

you to dry down a known

weight of hay, measuring the

weight difference between

dry and wet samples. There

are also bale probes that

work after the hay is baled.

Several readings should be

taken either from around

the ﬁeld or from a variety

of bales, then averaged to

get the average harvest

moisture. Subtract the

average moisture from 1.00

to arrive at the dry matter

content. (see Example)

Formula for Calculating

Dry Matter Yield

Per Acre

Number of bales x

Average Bale Weight lbs x

Average Dry Matter (DM)

[see example] divided by

2000 to determine the DM

yield for the ﬁeld in tons.

Then divide by the ﬁeld

acres to get the tons of DM

yield per acre.

For each harvest, add

together the tons of DM

yield per acre and divide by

number of harvests done to

get the per acre DM yield

for the season.

Connection to Nutrient

Applications

Having an accurate yield

increases the accuracy of the

crop nutrient removal rate

which is an important piece

in a nutrient management

plan. According to the

Typical Crop Nutrient

Removal chart in the UVM

Nutrient Recommendation

for Field Crops in Vermont,

cool-season grasses remove

approximately forty pounds

of nitrogen, ﬁfteen pounds of

phosphate, (P2O5) and ﬁfty

pounds potassium (K2O)

per ton of yield. If nutrients

are applied based on an

estimated 4 tons per acre dry

matter yield, when in fact

you are only harvesting two

tons per acre, you are over

applying nutrients which

cost you money and leads

to excessive nutrients in the

soil over time.

This increases the risk of

runoff. High or excessive

phosphorus in the soil can

unintentionally harm nearby

streams and lakes leading

to harmful algal blooms.

Likewise, if you fertilized

for two tons per acre dry

matter yield and you are

harvesting four tons per acre,

you will eventually deplete

the soil and forage yield will

decrease.

Do not expect this to

be precise. Not every load

or bale will be the same

and inevitably there will be

the half loads that will be

accounted for as best they

can. It is best to keep track

every year so that you will

be able to calculate a good

ﬁeld average after several

years. Finally, include notes

about the growing season

and any weather events that

might have affected yield.

If you need assistance

measuring your yield and

dry matter content, or a set

of scales, contact your local

Conservation District or

Extension Ofﬁce.

Example for dry bales expressed in percent:

Moisture Reading 1: 14% converts to .14

Moisture Reading 2: 15% converts to .15

Moisture Reading 3: 12% converts to .12

Moisture Reading 4: 12% converts to .12

Moisture Reading 5: 13% converts to .13

Total of the Readings: .66 /5 =

.132 (13.2%) average moisture

1.00 - .132 = 0.868 dry matter average (86.8% DM)

PMNRCD oers several services to farmers:

• Assistance understanding available Ag programs and

funding sources

• Conﬁdential on-farm assessments of regulatory

compliance

• Assistance identifying potential water quality issues

on the farm

• Conservation equipment rentals (no-till drill and

aerator)

• Portable truck scales for weighing loads

• Comprehensive support for nutrient management

planning

• Grant writing assistance

Contact:

Jennifer Alexander, 802-558-6470; [email protected]

Stefano Pinna, 802-373-5766; [email protected]

Portable truck scales used to weigh farm equipment

June 2020

Compiled by Vern Grubinger,

University of Vermont

Extension

(802) 257-7967 ext. 303, or

[email protected]

http://www.uvm.edu/

vtvegandberry/

VERMONT VEGETABLE AND BERRY NEWS

Reports From

The Field

(Starksboro) We have

started taking online orders

and making home deliveries.

Our H2a workers were four

weeks late. People seem very

inclined to buy local. Both

wholesale and retail sales

are way ahead of last year. I

thought we might have a lot

of US workers applying for

work, but it’s not the case.

Put in a new hand washing

sink after research revealed

that soap and water is better

than hand sanitizer. Covid-19

protocols by the dozen. All-

in-all a very eventful spring

so far.

(Burlington) We are

ﬁnishing up our winter

tunnel greens and ﬂipping

tunnels to tomatoes,

cucumbers, and peppers

for the summer. We had

an amazing crop of winter

greens this year with

the milder winter, and I

am hoping our summer

production is similarly

excellent. We are testing a

new (to me) product instead

of stakes for basket weaving:

a metal rod of about 9-gauge

stiff rod/wire that hangs

from the tunnel frame that

serves as the attachment

Shifting Markets

continued from page 3

point for tomato basket-

weaving twine. If it works

to contain our determinate

tunnel tomatoes, it will save

a ton of setup and removal

twine compared to wooden

stakes.

Our spring farm work

is manageable so far, but

our summer CSA looms a

month off, with all of the

modiﬁcations that entails

from our typical distribution.

We have made the decision

to pre-bag our summer

shares through late June,

then hopefully taper off on

bagging through July. Our

business model rests on

a lot of vegetable choice,

distribution ﬂexibility, and

human interaction and

contact. So far, our winter

CSA members have been

great, but we are about to

ﬁnd out just how tolerant

our people are to not have

all the great things we

usually offer on the farm.

(Shrewsbury) Our spring

CSA is over three times its

normal size, and summer

CSA signups now almost

twice the size they normally

are. We have been fortunate

to be able to source some

storage vegetables from

larger organic farms to

round out the greens that

we’re harvesting now, and

our farm is selling a lot

of greens to other farm

stands. We had not done

this volume of sourcing and

selling vegetables to/from

other farms before, it has

been rewarding to work with

other farms in that way. We

used to do one year-round

market and one additional

summer market...having

taken 6 weeks off from

market, we are looking at

the possibility of dropping

farmer’s markets entirely.

Last weekend was the

ﬁrst time where our work

settled down enough for

our family to enjoy a real

Saturday and Sunday off

with no farmer’s market to

run, what a treat! The past

six weeks have been very

challenging to make such big

changes so quickly, but we’re

trying to make the most of

this wide-open opportunity

to make big changes to our

farm’s marketing structure.

This year our big goal is

to develop our marketing

channels in a way to get

to spend a little more time

with our family.

In the ﬁeld, one of the

themes of this year is

trying to realize production

efﬁciencies by paying more

attention to detail in bed

preparation. We were lucky

to get some greens seeded

outdoors in early April’s

warm spell. Our normal

crop plan is mostly thrown

out the window as we adapt

to different markets and

increase production to meet

the increased demand...it

will be an interesting year

and we are looking forward

to doing our best!

(Elmore) Ramps are up,

snow is gone, but more

predicted for this week.

Almost eighty degrees

Sunday on our hill; everyone

was happy about this except

for us who must dig all

we can before the leaves

open. Unsure of all our fruit

markets. Local stores even

veggie stands have not been

calling us back to reorder.

We supply some

breweries that have not told

us yet if they will be wanting

our fruit. So, we are focusing

on our ﬁeld health and

planting out groves of things

we always wanted here and

hoping it will all turn out

for the good. Feeling proud

to be an essential part of the

world. Feeding people really

stands out during a time like

this. We are all doing such

important work!

Tech Tips From

UVM Extension Ag

Enginneering

Drain Guide: A new

guide to drains is available

on the blog at http://

go.uvm.edu/drains. It covers

everything from directly

plumbed drains, to ﬂoor or

spot drains, to trench drains.

We even have a construction

drawing for a trench drain!

Spring Cleaning in the

Cooler: It’s not a bad time

of year to take a look at your

coolers and consider a deep

cleaning while also ticking

through some preventive

maintenance. We have a

guide on the blog at http://

go.uvm.edu/coolerchecklist.

Bins Guide Updated:

We have updated our every

growing gui de to Bins,

Buckets, Baskets & Totes

at http://go.uvm.edu/bins.

One highlight is ﬁsh baskets

available in different colors!

Ag Engineering Podcast -

fresh, crisp episodes are

released each week as

Andy talks with growers to

help share tools, tips, and

techniques to improve the

sustainability on your farm.

Recent topics have included

setting up an online store,

rural markets, paper pot

transplanter, and a single row

walk-behind vacuum seeder.

Full episode list, show notes,

and subscription links at

http://agengpodcast.com.

Marc.Paquette@vermont.

gov.

• For general questions

about food safety

regulations, contact 802-

505-1169 or Ian.Wilson@

vermont.gov.

• If you are preparing

or selling value-added

food products for the

ﬁrst time, contact the

Vermont Department of

Health Food and Lodging

Program at 802-863-7221

or FoodLodging@vermont.

gov.

Additional Resources

Type bit.ly/3aClZFz

into your browser to view

the digital version of this

FAQ article on the VAAFM

website. From there, you

can click the resources listed

below to learn more.

1. Agency Application for

Retail License.

2. Agency Retail Inspection

Regulations.

3. Agency Licensing &

Registration Library.

4. OSHA Guidance on

Preparing Workplaces for

COVID-19.

5. CDC Interim Guidance

for Businesses and

Employers to Plan and

Respond to Coronavirus

Disease 2019 (COVID-

19).

6. WHO Getting Your

Workplace Ready for

COVID-19.

7. Vermont Department of

Health COVID-19 Health

& Safety Tips for Essential

Businesses.

8. Vermont Department

of Health COVID-19

Guidance for Food and

Lodging Businesses.

9. FDA Best Practices

for Retail Food Stores,

Restaurants, and Food

Pick-Up/Delivery Services

During the COVID-19

Pandemic.

10. FDA Provides Flexibility

to the Food Industry to

Support Food Supply

Chain and Meet

Consumer Demand

During COVID-19.

June 2020

CLASSIFIEDS

Bees & Honey

Queens and nucs: Ready to

go—5 frame nucs (you take

box) for $170; regular 5

frame (bring your own box)

$160! We are also selling

3# packages for $140. A

$40 nonrefundable deposit

is required on all nuc sales.

Our northern survivor queen

prices are the same $32

unmarked; $34 marked. See

our web site for order of

eleven or more for pricing.

These are our own hybrid

queens from our northern

survivor stock bred for the

most favorable traits from

various breeds. Please be

advised we do not ship

priority mail outside of New

England. All other orders

must be express! See our

site for covid-19 pick up

stipulations. www.vtbees.com

802-948-2057

Cattle

4-year-old black Angus proven

bull for sale. Good bloodlines.

Excellent temperament.

2500$ delivered price. Call

802-558-8196 or 802-265-

3078 for more info

12 – 2-month-old Holstein

heifer calves. $200 each or

make an offer on all. We milk

200 cows and have too many.

802-375-5795

350+ cow and 200+ young

stock barn/farm facility

available for rent. Complete

dairy farm with modern

double 10 BouMatic parlor.

No livestock included. All

buildings have slatted ﬂoor,

no alley scraping needed.

Headlocks in all livestock

barns, mattresses. curtains, 2

bulk milk tanks. 700 acres of

feed for purchase. Rent, buy

or will consider raising young

stock for other farmers. Let’s

discuss the possibilities. 802-

533-2984

Purebred Polled Hereford

yearling heifers. Lull Brook

Farm call: Alden Dana 802-

436-2068 or email adana77@

comcast.net.

2 Registered Guernsey cows:

Certiﬁed A2A2, milking

75-80lbs both sired by

Welcome JT $1200 each.

1 registered Guernseybred

heifer due late August A2A2

certiﬁed sired by Latimer;

dam is EX90 $1500. 802-

222-4047

Yearling beef steers and heifers

$500 to $600 each. Beef

going up and with good

pasture possible to double

money by fall, also beef cow

calf combination $1000. 802-

728-3760

22 Jersey cows 2 bred heifers. 4

fresh Jan, 2 Feb, 3 due Mar,

4 Apr, 1 May, 2 Jun. Can be

reg. Feed grain hay pasture.

802-775-3846

3 breeding age bulls- one

Hereford, 2 Angus for

breeding or beef. Asking

$850 each or will consider

trading for Hereford heifers.

802-586-2857

Angus Bulls for sale — good

genetics, calving ease bulls.

Please call 802-533-9804.

Greensboro, VT 05841

Equipment

Hay elevator - 15 ft, by

Snowco, GE motor S-line;

11(eleven) Utility GAtes

by Tractor Supply ( 50”

high - 4at 8 ft, 5 at 4 ft, 1

-6 ft, 1- 10 ft). One 16 gal

heated tub, a 4.5 gal Fortex

bucket, and various stock

tanks. Call 802-694-1602

or emailbonnehagenfarm@

gmail.com.

2 Gehl forage boxes 970 and

980 on heavy running gear,

2 manure spreaders: NI

3932 and Kuhn tandem,

Uebler 810 feed cart.I can be

reached at 802-230-8525

International 843 4-row narrow

combine cornhead; 3250

Reel Auggie Mixer on gas

1995 Ford 450; Used Agway

water bowls. Call for prices

802-770-0959

Free old tires, good for farm use

only. Call 603-256-8422.

3 pt hitch wood splitter,

Farming wench, Empyre Pro

Outdoor Wood Furnace, two

550 gal fuel tanks and two

275 gal fuel tanks. 802-746-

8979

1949 Farmall H good paint &

tires, runs well 802-592-3356

Sled used for gathering sap.

Made by Ben Thresher in

Barnet. 802-592-3356

John Deere 4420 4wd combine,

2800 hours, two heads in

good shape. $15,000. Call

802-442-5353.

1 new 12-4-28 tire. Also,

Farmall H good condition –

paint & tires. 802-592-3356

Reel Auggie 3250 mixer with

scales on F-450 truck; IH

843 4 row narrow corn head;

IH 7ft window head off 881

Harvester. Rutland, 802-770-

0959

375 gal full tank $100. CMT

bale wrapper $250. 2 bottom

plow $75. 802-426-3339

3000 gallon Mueller bulk

tank with 2-5 horsepower

compressor. 802-487-4467

Mueller 500 gallon bulk tank

with compressor in good

condition $800 OBO. Pequea

model 250 3-pt hitch tractor

saw with 30” blade – like

new- $1000 OBO. 3 pt hitch

– 4 ft hydraulic log splitter

$1800 OBO 802-893-2262

1250 Girton bulk tank (sap

only), 8ft back blade, 3 ton

brock grain bin. 16 ft hay

elevator, 20 ft hay elevator.

802-624-0143/802-895-4683

Red cedar posts. 7ft $5.00.

Sharp $5.50. 8ft $6.00.

Haylage 35/ton. 802-265-

4566

Hesston 8550 S 16 ft. Discbine

with merger. Cummins

motor like new always been

in shed stored. 4280 engine

hours 3282 cutter hours

$41,000. IH 1486 tractor

160 hp. Deluxe cab AC low

hours $13,000. IH 1086

tractor 140 hp. New engine

54081000pto runs excellent

$6500. IH 2350 loader ﬁts

both tractors $2500. Pair

20.8-38 dials for $1,000.

802-537-2435

2955 John Deere Tractor 4WD,

platform with 740 loader,

bucket, forks, bale grabber

and rock bucket. 4450 John

Deere Tractor 4WD, cab,

925 Mower conditioner with

impellers. 802-236-4716

Used farm equipment, harrows,

rakes, Tedder, all over

20 years old $20 each. 1

Kaufman trailer 2001 $150.

Call 802-457-2613.

MicroDairy Design Pasteurizer

for Sale 35 gallon max

capacity and 5 gallon

minimum, includes chart

recorder, air space heater

and thermometers. Can be

used to make cheese, ice

cream base, yogurt and keﬁr.

Can also be used as a small

bulk tank with additional

equipment. Price $8,500

Cobbhillfrozenyogurt@gmail.

com Jeannine 802-436-2948.

BouMatic Double 10 milking

parlor 802-895-4683 or 802-

624-0143

John Deere 5510 tractor FWD,

new tires. 3,453 hrs. Includes

two extra rear tires with

rim wheel weights $19,000.

Kuhn 8110 manure spreader.

This twin auger side slinger

is barely used and well

maintained. $11,500 Kubota

5400 DT-N Dual Traction

narrow orchard tractor, AWD

1,800+ hours $9,000 All

equipment in great shape!

802-485-8428

2015 Houle manure spreader

5350 gallons. 2005 nh fp230

chopper. 4 steel wagons 20

feet. 2016 gehl skid steer 165

1 round baie wagon all steel

20 feet tandem krone rake

and tedder everthing is in

excellent shape andre morin

have sell cows for health

reasons phone 802- 895-

2945/ 802-323-8110 call

after 7pm.

Grain equipment for sale - 2

gravity box wagons in good

condition, one with auger,

$1500 each, Beidler Family

Farm, Randolph Center, 802-

431-8530.

Loftness snow blower 7

foot. Double auger. Three

point mounting. Hydraulic

operated shoot. Great

condition. Ready to use. Cat

2 or Cat 3 hitch. 100 hp or

more to run. $3,000. New

these are $8,500. Looking to

move it. It’s a terriﬁc deal.

Shaftsbury, VT. 781-307-

6801.

Reel Auggie Mixer on F-450

with scales; IH 843 Combine

cornhead; IH 8817 Windrow

head; Gehl 350 Spreader;

Case 580 backhoe; 850

Dozer for parts. Call 802-

770-0959

IH 1486 tractor new tires good

AC $11,9000. IH 1086

tractor rice & cane tires runs

good $7800. JD 3 point

hitch 6ft ﬁnish mower $200.

Full set of 10 weights and

weight bar for IH magnum

1st generation tractors $700.

Pair of 20.8-38 duals with

snap on rims $800. IH 2350

loader $200. 802-537-2435

8’x17’ tandem trailer, all new

wood. Great for moving

round bales, $850. 802-586-

2857

John Deere 336 bailer very

good condition always under

cover $2995; Kuhn GRS24

tedder $955; Kuhn GA

3200GT Gyrorake very good

condition $1695; trail behind

bale basket $895; H&S

175 manure spreader with

hydraulic gate, new bed liner

and not rusted out $2750;

Behlan Country 8 ft diameter

heavy duty stock tank $195;

For Sale:

BeeS and QueenS

McFarline Apiaries

Untreated bee breeding

VT 5 frame Nucs and deep singles

$200-$300, Available May-June

MCF Queens $30: June to end of July

tmcfarline2@yahoo.com

www.mcfarlineapiaries.com

802-537-3294

Call or email now for details

June 2020

round bale feeder $175;

5-5gal glass carboys good for

making hard cider$25 ea.

Call 802-234-5653 email

[email protected]

Master-Bilt 34.5 cubic ft. two

section ice cream hardening

and holding cabinet. $4,500.

Call 802-436-2948 or e-mail

Cobbhillfrozenyogurt@gmail.

com

Gehl haylage head Model

HA1110 very good running

shape $1100.00 Fits most all

Gehls 802-333-4840.

Krone EC400 13’ disc mower,

540 pto. New, never used.

Stored under cover. $13,500.

Craftsbury Common. 802-

586-2516 or [email protected]

2015 Houle manure spreader

5350 gallons 2005 NH

FP230 chopper 4 steel

wagons 20 feet 2016 Gehl

skid steer 165 1 round

baie wagon all steel 20 feet

tandem krone rake and

tedder—everything is in

excellent shape. Have to

sell cows for health reasons.

Phone 802-895-2945.

Case International 8340 mower

conditioner, stored inside, in

good condition. Running, was

used last year during ﬁrst cut.

$2500 OBO. 802-518-2155.

General

High tunnel greenhouse assem-

bly & maintenance: ledge-

wood, harnois, rimol and

more. Complete assembly,

end wall construction, poly

installation, renovation, and

repairs. Experienced and

professional. Plan ahead!

Get in touch now to get on

the 2020 schedule. Contact

Mike Feiner at feinervt@

gmail.com, www.vineripe.net,

(802) 498-8031.

250 5-gallon pails with handles.

$1.75 each. 802-999-4644

Hay, Feed & Forage

Quality Canadian hay for sale,

big/small squares wrapped,

or unwrapped, round bales

wrapped or unwrapped,

1st, 2nd, 3rd cuts available.

Switch grass and straw

available, call Richard at 802-

323-3275

Square baled hay – top

quality, vof certiﬁed organic,

generous sized. 1st cut

$4.50/bale, 2nd cut $5.50/

bale at the barn in Barnet.

802-592-3088.

2019 1st cut Timothy and

clover hay $5 per bale plus

delivery fee. 603-256-8422.

1000 tons corn sileage,

processed in Colchester.

50 @ ton 802-272-3478

or 802-223-1370 or email

[email protected].

Excellent quality ﬁrst cut

wrapped round bales; bale-

age. Shelburne VT Call Andy

802-598-6060. Analysis

available upon request.

2019 1st cut 4x4 wrapped

round bales for sale $40/bale,

2019 2nd cut 4x4 wrapped

round bales for sale $45/bale,

South Pomfret, call Tom at

802-457-5834.

2nd & 3rd cut haylage and corn

silage for sale. Call Peter

Gebbie 802-533-2984, leave

a message.

Organic haylage 12% protein

$45 per ton, 15% protein

$55 per ton 802-537-2435.

4x4 round balage mixed grains

cut late June $30 802-325-

3707.

Addison CounTy

Large squares available in

Addison, Vt. Hay is stored

under cover. Looks like a

long winter ahead of us. Call

now and make sure you have

enough. Contact S.L. Moore

at 802-463-3875.

1st cut 4x5 round bales never

wet. Good horse & cow hay.

802-948-2627 or 802-558-

0166

Certiﬁed organic, small square

bales always stacked and

stored under cover, 35-40lbs/

bale. $4/bale, discounts

available for large quantities.

Call 802-989-0781 for

inquiries

Hay for Sale in Addison, VT.

Large square bales and

small squares. $50-60 for

Large, $3.50-4.50 for Small.

Delivery Available. Call Jack

802-989-8968

Hay for sale. $3.25 bale. 802-

377-5455

73 1st cut 5ft diameter round

bales. $30-$35Orwell 802-

948-2211

Straw for sale - $7/bale for

50 or more. $8/bale for less

than 50, $6/bale for all in

the barn, approx. 350. from

our winter rye harvest in

August. certiﬁed organic.

Thornhill Farm, Greensboro

Bend, 05842, todd@

thornhillfarmvermont.com,

802-441-3176

benningTon CounTy

Corn Silage 1000 ton plus.

Haylage 500 ton plus. Round

bales 4x4. Square bales small.

802-394-2976

CAledoniA CounTy

Square baled hay- Top quality,

VOF certiﬁed organic,

generous sized. 1st cut

$4.50/bale, 2nd cut $5.50/

bale at the barn in Barnet.

802-592-3088.

ChiTTenden CounTy

Round bales for horses. Clean

ﬁrst cut timothy mixed grass,

quality net wrapped 4’ X 5’

bales. Never wet. $45. each.

802- 879-0391 Westford.

15 large 5x5 round bales mixed

grass w/some timothy and

CLASSIFIEDS

Planning to grow hemp this

season? Time to register.

hether you’re growing, processing, or storing

hemp, you will need to complete a hemp

registration application this season with the

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets.

You can register your entire operation on a single

registration form including growing, processing, storage

and dying. The registration requires you to provide GPS

coordinates for the vehicle access points to your site.

For growers, an aerial view map showing the location of

indoor or outdoor cultivation areas is also required.

For personal use, registration is $25, and for commer-

cial growers and processors, the license fee depends on

the category and scale of production.

See Frequently Asked Questions which includes an

easy-to-use license fee calculator.

https://agriculture.vermont.gov/public-health-agri-

cultural-resource-management-division/hemp-program/

hemp-program-registration

Have questions? You may call 802-828-1732 or email

us agr[email protected]

June 2020

clover 800+lbs $50 each.

Call 899-4126.

FrAnklin CounTy

Good Quality Hay 1c & 2c

from western US & Canada.

Alfalfa orchard & orchard

sweet grass 18 to 20% plus

protein large bales & organic

by trailer loads. Large or

small square bales of straw

whole or processed at farm

we load on direct delivery by

trailer load. Mountain View

Dairy Farm 802-849-6266

lAmoille CounTy

Organic baled straw. $5.50/bale.

Certiﬁed Organic. Valley

Dream Farm, Cambridge,

VT. 802-644-6598. email:

[email protected].

orAnge CounTy

2019 ﬁrst cut square hay bales

for sale. $4.00 per bale.

Delivery available. Bonnie

Kennedy, Chelsea, VT. 802-

685-2292.

Approximately 375 tons of

high quality grass and clover

ﬁrst and second cut, cut

extremely early in 2018.

First ﬁnished May 22, second

ﬁnished July 2nd. Tests high

in energy and protein. 45%

harvested “hay in a day” $50

per ton. Chris 802-522-9485

orleAns CounTy

Pure alfalfa for sale and also

1st, 2nd and 3rd cut big/

small squares, round bales,

wrapped or unwrapped,

straw and switch grass. Call

Richard at 802-323-3275.

Organic Certiﬁed Silage for

Sale: We will deliver from

our farm or you can come

and pick up. Call for prices

and delivery charge. 1-802-

744-2444 or 802-274-4934

or 802-744-6553.

2nd & 3rd cut haylage and corn

silage for sale. Call Peter

Gebbie 802-533-2984, leave

a message.

ruTlAnd CounTy

First cut 4x5 round bales. 802-

265-4566

Good quality 1st and 2nd

round bales available,

wrapped and dried please

call 802-446-2435.

4 x 4 wrapped bales for sale.

Please call either 802-247-

6076 or 802-236-0144.

WAshingTon CounTy

200 – 4x4 round wrapped bales

1st $45. 802-229-9871

WindhAm CounTy

2017 4x4 wrapped baleage

1st & 2nd cutting certiﬁed

organic good quality. $40 per

bale 802-254-6982.

1st cut 4x5 round bales. Don

Pettis 802-265-4566.

2018 4X4 wrapped baleage.

June cut. Certiﬁed organic,

never wet. $40.00 per bale,

quantity discount. 802-254-

6982.

1st cut hay. Good horse hay.

$4.50 bale 802-254-5069.

Windsor CounTy

HAY FOR SALE-400 Square

Bales, Reading, Windsor

County VT. $3.50 per bale at

the barn. Call 802-484-7240.

4x5 dry round bales $45.00

delivery available. 802-457-

1376

Rolling Meadows Farm: square

bales in the ﬁeld or barn

$4.00. Delivery can be

arranged at $5.50. Very nice

hay from fertilized ﬁelds in

the South Woodstock and

Reading area. Call 802-484-

5540 or goodfarmvt@gmail.

com. Ask for David.

1st. cut dry round bales for sale.

Never been rained on, stored

under cover. $50. @ 1st. cut

haylage bales for sale. $ 45.

@ Rte. 5, Weathersﬁeld Bow

802-546-4340.

Dry Round Horse Hay, $50/

Bale. 200 Bales left. Call 802-

356-5030.

Wanted

Kuhn FC350GMower or will

sell mine for parts 802-728-

3760

Employment

Vegetable Farm, excellent

soils, location & irrigation.

Transition to new owner. Go

to: www.Lewiscreekfarm.

com/ManagetoOwn.htm

Farm & Farmland

For Lease: 10 acres of organic

meadow in Brandon,

currently in alfalfa. Producing

roughly 12-15 tons per year

in dry hay. Three year lease

available, price negotiable but

approximately $600/yr 802-

247-8459

Horse Training Farm: 17 plus

acres with X-C obstacles,

galloping track, stadium

jumps, full size ring, covered

small arena, trails. 3 stall

stable with paddocks, tack/

feed room, hay storage.

4 pastures have board

fencing. Open concept cape

farmhouse has 3 bedrooms,

ofﬁce, sun room, deck, ﬁber

optic internet, solar, 2 car

detached garage. Workshop,

equipment storage, chicken

house, gardens, orchard,

stream, woods, views.

Convenient to Dartmouth

College and DH Medical

Center. Comes “turn key, as

is”. $675,000. 802-785-4410

Opportunity for Barn Lease

in Williston Summer 2020.

Well-maintained farm

residence with equine barn,

stalls, and pasture for up to 4

animals. Call Robin at 802-

434-2788 for details.

Editor’s note: Some events have already

been cancelled for 2020. We will

update this listing each month. We

encourage you to visit your favorite

fair’s website for the most up to date

information.

Vermont Dairy Festival

June 4 - June 7

(CANCELED for 2020)

www.vermontdairyfestival.com

Connecticut Valley (Bradford) Fair

July 16-19

(CANCELED for 2020)

www.bradfordfair.org

Lamoille County Field Days

July 24-26

www.lamoilleﬁelddays.com

Franklin County Field Days

August 6-9

www.franklincountyﬁelddays.org

2020 Fairs, Field Days & Festivals Schedule

Addison County Fair & Field Days

August 11-15

(CANCELED FOR 2020)

www.addisoncountyﬁelddays.com

Vermont State Fair

August 18-22

www.vermontstatefair.net

Orleans County Fair

August 19-23

www.orleanscountyfair.net

Deereld Valley Farmer’s Day

Exhibition

August 6-9

www.dvfair.com

Caledonia County Fair

August 26-30

www.caledoniacountyfair.com

Bondville Fair

August 28-30

www.bondvillefair.org

Champlain Valley Fair

August 28 - Sept 6

www.champlainvalleyfair.org

Guilford Fair

September 6-7

www.guilfordfairvermont.com

Tunbridge World’s Fair

September 17-20

www.tunbridgeworldsfair.com

Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival

October 3 - 4

www.vtsheepandwoolfest.com

Vermont Farm Show

January 26 - 28, 2021

www.vtfarmshow.com

Vermont Flower Show

March 5 - 7, 2021

www.greenworksvermont.org

June 2020

VT Dept. of Fish & Wildlife

Recommendations for

Human-Black Bear Encounters

By Vermont Department of

Fish & Wildlife

lack bears are

large, strong wild

animals that should

be treated with respect.

Seeing a black bear can be

an exciting and, for some

people, a nerve-wracking

event. Bears should always

be appreciated from a

distance to ensure the safety

of humans and bears. These

recommendations are meant

to be general and cover the

basic types of human-bear

interactions that can occur.

Encounters vary greatly, and

all situations are different.

Generally speaking, when

you encounter a black bear

you should:

• Remain calm.

• Ensure the bear has an

escape route.

• Back away when possible.

• If attacked in a building

or tent, immediately ﬁght

back.

• DON’T run from a bear.

• DON’T climb trees to

escape a bear.

• DON’T feed bears.

Please note: Bear spray

(pepper spray speciﬁcally

made as a bear deterrent)

can be an effective tool if you

encounter an aggressive bear.

For bear spray to be effective,

you must be trained and

practiced in its safe use.

I. If you encounter a bear

while in a natural setting:

A. The bear is unaware of

your presence or aware

but uninterested:

Your Action:

• Quietly back away from

the bear and leave the

area.

• DO NOT approach the

bear.

B. The bear is aware of your

presence:

1. The bear is curious:

Bear Behavior:

• The bear continues to

look in your direction,

smells the air, or slowly

approaches.

Your Action:

• Talk in a calm voice

while slowly backing

away from the bear.

• DO NOT approach the

bear.

2. The bear is

defensive:

Bear Behavior:

• The bear makes

vocalizations which can

include hufﬁng and jaw

popping.

• The bear retreats up a

tree.

• The bear swats at the

ground or tree.

• The bear lowers

its head with ears

ﬂattened, and sways

back and forth.

Your Action:

• Begin repeating “Hey

bear” in a calm voice.

• Back away and leave the

area.

3. The bear continues to

be defensive or becomes

aggressive:

Bear Behavior:

• The bear approaches

you.

• The bear begins to

follow you.

• The bear charges.

Your Action:

• Make yourself look

bigger by putting your

arms above your head.

Continue to repeat

“Hey bear” in a calm

voice. Back away and

leave the area.

• If it continues to follow

you, stand your ground,

make yourself look

bigger, shout at the

bear, threaten the bear

with whatever is at

hand (bang a stick on

the ground, clap your

hands), and prepare to

use bear pepper spray if

it is available. Back away

and leave the area.

• If charged, stand your

ground, talk to the bear

in a calm voice and use

bear pepper spray when

available. If the bear

makes contact with

you, ﬁght back using

anything you have (e.g.

stick, binoculars, etc.)!

II. You encounter a bear in

your backyard:

Encountering a bear in

a backyard is a common

occurrence in some areas

because bears are often

attracted to bird feeders,

trash, pet food, etc.

Your Action:

• Make loud noises (for

example shouting or

banging pots and pans) to

deter the bear from the

area.

• Do not approach the bear.

• After the bear leaves, be

sure to keep trash in a

secure container or locked

out building, bring in

bird feeders and pet food

and remove any other

potential attractants.

III. You surprise a bear

(e.g., in a garbage can,

around a corner, in your

home, etc.):

Your Action:

• Back away slowly while

repeating “Hey bear” in a

calm voice. Leave the area.

• Give the bear a clear

escape route and do not

corner it. If in your house

or an outbuilding, do not

lock the bear in a room.

Instead, leave doors open

as you exit the house.

• Do not approach the bear

or try to make contact

with the bear.

IV. Your dog is attacked

by a bear:

Your Action:

• DO NOT attempt to

separate the bear and your

dog.

• Make loud noises such as

shouting and clapping.

• If available, spray the

bear with a hose while

remaining at a safe

distance.

• Once the bear retreats,

retrieve your dog, slowly

back away, and leave the

area.

June 2020

Cheese

continued from page 7

to participate in group

marketing or group media

buys.

• There are structural

limitations in storage and

distribution of cheese-

quality milk and in post-

production aging facilities.

Cheesemakers search for

storage facilities to age

their cheeses, pushing

them to produce more

fresh or pasteurized chees-

es and fewer aged, high-

value raw milk cheeses.

• Farmers, cheesemakers,

and new farmers/employ-

ees in the industry lack

educational and safety

resources.

Opportunities:

• Cheesemakers are open

to developing and using

shared infrastructure for

aggregation, storage, and

distribution.

• Focused investments in

dairy agricultural and

cheese-making educa-

tion in Vermont’s voca-

tional education pro-

grams and potentially,

prison-based training

programs, could provide

a trained workforce.

• Strong quality standards

and the reputation of

Vermont cheeses make

it a well-positioned

industry for increased

marketing support and

initiatives.

• Cheesemakers are open

to group marketing

and see marketing the

Vermont cheese brand

as a smart investment

for their products.

• There is a new

opportunity to build

a strong raw milk

research component

into the Regional Dairy

Innovation Center.

for same) focused on

quality that would assist

producers with limited

marketing budgets.

Recommendations

• Align the dairy cooperative system with in-state

cheese making in order to embrace more types of

milk storage, including cheese-quality milk and raw

milk for cheese production.

• Vermont’s congressional delegation and the

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets

should support overhauling the milk classiﬁcation

system to better embrace Vermont’s current needs

and future growth trends.

• Clarify and codify cheese labeling nomenclature.

• New business models for support and logistics

businesses should be developed, such as haulers,

cooperatives, and lab staff speciﬁcally for cheese

and soft dairy production. Utilize grant programs to

assist these businesses with equipment purchases,

business planning, and workforce development.

• Increasing annual investments in the Vermont

Cheese Council’s marketing initiatives to $150,000

would provide immediate returns for smaller

cheesemakers.

• Develop a comprehensive dairy products marketing

program (including a cost estimate for same)

focused on quality that would assist producers with

limited marketing budgets.

By Scott Waterman, VT

Agency of Agriculture, Food &

Markets

n an era of online

computer meetings

and social distancing,

the Vermont Breakfast on

the Farm events for 2020

have been replaced with a

virtual online tour to protect

the health and safety of

Vermonters.

COVID-19 may have

prevented the traditional

events from taking place, but

the BOTF committee felt

that holding a virtual tour to

support its dairy education

mission would also allow for

a public show of support for

our Vermont dairy farmers.

The virtual tour was

hosted by Newmont Farm

in Bradford, VT. The

Gladstone family provided

Payment

Available for

Beef Producers

Reporting

Monthly Sales

he Vermont Agency

of Agriculture, Food

& Markets is looking

for beef producers to

submit their monthly sales.

Producers will be eligible for

payment per submission.

All data will remain anon-

ymous and will be aggregated

into a monthly report on

Vermont beef sales submitted

to the USDA’s Agricultural

Marketing Service’s (AMS)

Market News Reports, which

is incorporated into regional

and national beef reports. It

will be also be published on

the Agency’s website.

More information about

VT Breakfast on the Farm

Goes Live on the Web

an educational tour through

their dairy farm live on the

web. The goal of all of these

Breakfast on the Farm efforts

is to introduce the public

to the life on the dairy farm

and the business of farming,

giving them an opportunity

to learn where their food

comes from before it arrives

on grocery store shelves.

“Breakfast on the Farm

is one way we can help

ensure future generations of

Vermonters maintain a con-

nection to the land and an

appreciation of agriculture

in our state,” said Anson

Tebbetts, Vermont Secretary

of Agriculture.

If you wish to view the

2020 virtual tour you can

ﬁnd it at www.vermont-

breakfastonthefarm.com

the program and report sub-

missions can be found at:

https://agriculture.vermont.

gov/businessdevelopment/

Breakfast on the Farm 2018

local-food-data-tracking

For more information,

contact: kathryn.donovan@

vermont.gov

June 2020

Photo courtesy of Vermont Farm to Plate