“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.”
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
News: VLT, VYCC, and ShiftMeals, a program that provides healthy food to people affected by the COVID-19 economic crisis, are working together on a 1-acre garden at Bluffside Farm in Newport to increase food production and food access in the NEK.
A construction company has been selected to build the long-awaited trail connector at Newport’s Bluffside Farm, a VLT project. Construction will begin this summer on a gravel, multi-use path and a wooden boardwalk across Scott’s Cove.