Deadline for $5,000 Farmer Award Extended
“Vermont’s farming community has stepped up to serve their communities this year,” said Nick Richardson, President and CEO of the Vermont Land Trust. “The award committee wants to honor and recognize these special efforts.”
How a Chipmunk Baby Boom Leads to More Mushrooms
When I went out to look for edible mushrooms in a stand of oaks, beech, and hemlocks recently, I found uprooted, overturned, and torn-apart mushrooms everywhere. It looked like a tiny hurricane had targeted only the fungi. A closer look revealed rodent toothmarks. Small mammals like chipmunks and red squirrels feed on mushrooms; the scene of destruction might be explained by this year’s chipmunk baby boom, which was spurred by high seed production in oaks and beeches in 2019.
Statement from the Vermont Land Trust on the evolution of Bread & Butter Farm and the founding of the Vermont Agrarian Commons
“Access to affordable farmland is one of the biggest barriers for farmers seeking to start or grow a business,” said Maggie Donin, Farmland Access Program Director for the Vermont Land Trust. “Through land conservation and the creation of new ownership models, the Vermont Agrarian Commons, Bread & Butter Farm, the Vermont Land Trust, and others are helping to address that issue today and in to the future, while protecting important farmland.”
Waterbury: Land Critical to Wildlife Protected through Partnership
111 acres of forestland were protected last month in the Shutesville Hill Wildlife Corridor, which lies between the Green Mountains and Worcester Range and serves as one of the most important wildlife regions in Vermont.
Identify Summer Meadow Wildflowers in Vermont
It’s full summer now and the meadows are alive with wildflowers and the insects that love to visit them. At Mobbs Farm in Jericho recently, several native meadow plants were in flower. All of these attract native insects—butterflies, bees, wasps, flies—which pollinate the flowers and feed on nectar and pollen. We hope these photos help you identify more flowers on your next meadow walk!
Organic Farmers Conserve Fairfield Farmland and Sugarbush
Dan and Shelley Howrigan, organic dairy farmers, conserved 141 acres of farmland near Fairfield village. They’re using the fields for hay and pasture, and rejuvenating a sugarbush in the woods.
Local Family Conserves Prime Farmland in Barre Town
A gorgeous stretch of open fields with long-range views in Barre has been conserved for farming into the future, honoring the area’s farming heritage. Beloved in the community, Gordon Booth had long wanted to see it protected; his children fulfilled this vision.
Four Bike Routes in the Champlain Valley
Biking Vermont roads is a great way to experience the beauty of our state and appreciate our agricultural heritage. Staff member and biking enthusiast, Al Karnatz, has been conserving farms in the Champlain Valley for over 20 years. We asked Al to pull together some of his favorite bike routes so that you can get outside and see some amazing conserved land!
Kingdom Trails and VLT join to protect mountain biking land
In 2019, land on Darling Hill Road in the heart of the trail network went on the market. We are now raising money to cover the cost of buying and permanently conserving these properties. Read more to get involved!
Help Create a New Nature Preserve In Cambridge
Please help us establish a new 51-acre nature preserve on land located along North Cambridge Road. If successful, this new town forest will offer walking trails, improved access to Cambridge Pines Natural Area and its old trees, outdoor education, and great habitat for animals.
Let's keep in touch
| VLT Facts |
593,000+ Total acres protected |
720+ Farms using conserved land |
420,000 Acres of forestland |
|---|
| 170 Recreation spots |
60 Miles Catamount Trail |
460 Miles VAST Trail |
2,500+ Properties protected |