Sugaring Maverick Protects Maple Stand, Forest Habitat
Arthur Berndt not only descends from mavericks, but has blazed a trail with his sugaring operation. Arthur conserved his maple stand and forest with VLT.
King Farm: Letting the Land Teach Us
By Pieter van Loon, VLT forester — Nineteen years ago, I drove up the hill to King Farm, in Woodstock, for my first day of work at VLT. I went past the sprawling white farmhouse and parked next to the main barn, its shingle siding aged to the color of dark amber maple syrup. I […]
The Old Tappers: On the Baird Farm in Chittenden
Writing and photographs by David Middleton, member of VLT Board of Trustees — High up in a southward opening valley in the rolling hills around Chittenden, Bob and Bonnie Baird own and operate the 300-acre Baird Farm. Bob is the third generation of the Baird family to run this farm; his daughter Jenna, now working […]
Learning on the Land: Connecting a New Generation to Conserved Land
Morning chores start at 7:30 at the Farms for City Kids program at Spring Brook Farm in Reading. The kids on “team 3” from East Harlem’s Central Park East 2 elementary school clump in the corner of a barn while herd manager Sarah Lewis shows them how to unclip a cow from her stall. At […]
Farmland Access Program Pioneers Share Their Stories of Growth
Our Farmland Access Program connects farmers with land where they can start or expand a business. Through the sale of conservation easements that limit development and protect environmental features, the program lowers the cost of farms and finds ways to help farmers afford them. We ensure easements are upheld, but otherwise farms tell their own stories upon the land—stories that inevitably change both the farm and the farmer. Farmers from three farms share their stories: Elmer Farm in Middlebury, Northeast Vine Supply in Pawlet, and Kingsbury Market Garden in Warren.
