Help Vermont farms and local food

Conserving our best farmland

Many of the farms that dot Vermont’s landscape are family farms. They are loved, cared for, and central to the identity of the communities they are part of. It’s critical to conserve farmland, especially given rising land prices and development pressures. This is the land that feeds us and sustains our rural communities. Let’s help Vermont farms!

What we do

We work directly with farmers to conserve farmland and prevent development and subdivision, making sure that the land will always be available for farming. This year, we conserved small organic farms, orchards, and dairies, on our way to reaching a milestone 1,000th farm parcel! But even with this success, we’ve protected only 20% of Vermont’s best farm soil. There’s so much more to do.

Save Vermont's farmland

Helping new farmers buy their first farm

Vermont is a leader in local food thanks to the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of its farmers. Yet, new farmers trying to build a business are usually priced out of the market. Affordable farmland can help Vermont farms grow.

What we do

We’ve helped over 100 farmers buy their first farm. One of our earliest success stories was working with Bill Suhr (pictured far right), who was just 27 at the time, to buy an orchard in Shoreham, now known as Champlain Orchards. Twenty-five years later, Bill employs over 30 people full-time and ships products far and wide. More recent successes with affordable farmland are Old Road Farm and Wild Earth Farm. There are so many farmers who’ve contacted us looking for help. Let’s lend them a hand.

Help new farmers get a start

Building healthier soils

Good dirt nurtures vegetables and livestock because it’s full of minerals and beneficial bacteria. Each handful harbors billions of small organisms that interact with larger animals and our atmosphere to break down nutrients and enable plants to thrive. Healthy soil boosts crops, filters water, and stores water during droughts and floods.

What we are doing

We’ve joined with the University of Vermont and Bio-Logical Capital to study the impact, costs, and benefits of soil-friendly farm practices. We’re working with 20 farmers across Vermont on this five-year study and will share what is learned so we can help  Vermont farms thrive.

Support healthy farm soil