South Burlington group reaches major milestone in securing farmland, advancing a vision for land stewardship
The Agrihood Collective (TAC), led by farmers, food business owners, and agroecologists, has acquired over 360 acres of conserved farmland in South Burlington with support from the Vermont Land Trust. TAC will use the land to establish a community hub for food and farming in the greater Burlington area.
TAC’s mission is to provide communities with quality nutrition, land-based education, and healthy ecosystems by ensuring the permanent regenerative stewardship of land and viable farm livelihoods.
Corie Pierce of Bread and Butter Farm and one of the founding members of the Collective said, “TAC aims to address some of the challenges that farmers, ecosystems, and the communities in which they are embedded face. Through community philanthropy, partnerships, and collaborations with like-minded organizations, TAC is making progress towards creatively solving these challenges.”
In an area facing intense development pressure, TAC has reached a major milestone in securing this land which includes 227 acres of farmland, 46 acres of wetlands, and 13 miles of streams. This land will be permanently stewarded using regenerative farming practices (that restore soil and ecosystems) and will serve as a home for land-based education.
“Farmers across Vermont are facing intense headwinds right now,” said Britt Haselton, conservation program director for VLT. “Access to affordable land and farm labor housing, climate impacts, and economic volatility are common concerns that keep many of them up at night. This is what makes The Agrihood Collective so exciting. They are tackling these issues through shared ownership, regenerative farming, and community engagement — and creating a model for others to explore.”
History
The creation of TAC and its eventual purchase of the land began in 2018 when 360 acres of land went up for sale for would-be development. In response, the founders of TAC came together and developed a vision of regenerative farming, education, ecological protection, agroecological research, and public access on miles of trails. They began to raise funds to purchase the land, eventually forming a nonprofit to support their vision.
VLT and Dirt Capital Partners, a sustainable agriculture financial entity, stepped up to support their land conservation effort. Across multiple transactions over several years, VLT and Dirt Capital Partners purchased, then conserved the land with significant financial support from the City of South Burlington’s Open Space/Conservation Fund, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, an agency of USDA.
A successful fundraising campaign
TAC completed a fundraising campaign and acquired the conserved land from VLT earlier this year. The transfer of the land to TAC would not have been possible without dozens of generous and dedicated community partners and donors.
What’s next for The Agrihood Collective
Now that the land has been secured, TAC is honing its nonprofit corporate structure and bylaws, which will position it for the next phase of investment. In addition to purchasing the conserved farmland, TAC also purchased 13 adjacent acres for affordable housing and shared infrastructure thanks to a generous donation from Austin and Lane Meyer.
The next phase of work will include planning for the 13-acre parcel along with additional fundraising to support the new nonprofit.
