Interview with Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Ross

The Chittenden County Democrats Show on CCTV Channel 17, hosted by Bob Hooper and Rep. Mike Yantachka, featured Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Ross in May.  Secretary Ross discussed changes in the grading of Maple Syrup, the proposed efforts to reduce the effects of agricultural practices on Lake Champlain, the growing locavore movement, and the federal Farm Bill and its implications for Vermont dairy farmers.   Watch the interview here.

New Way to Buy Local: FarmstandCoop.com

There's a new farmstand in town.  A virtual farmstand.  It's online and you can get there from here: http://www.farmstandcoop.com/. 

It's a way for anyone in Charlotte who grows or produces extra veggies, dairy products, etc., to market their produce.  The website was developed by Joe Messingschlager and a number of farmers in Charlotte and in Addison County.  According to the website, 

"Farmstand co-op.com believes that everyone in Charlotte should have access to fresh local food, whether they garden or not. By increasing local food consumption, we can help build community resilience and sustainable capacity.

"We are working with a range of local growers to ensure that there will always be fresh food for sale through Farmstandco-op.com and we particularly encourage very small family farmers or gardeners who have only small amounts of highly-seasonal produce to use this site. Summer 2010 is our pilot season."

"Farmstand Co-op aims to:

• Enable Charlotters to enjoy fresh locally grown produce at their convenience at fair prices

• Encourage small-scale producers to grow what they’re good at

• Support Charlotte farmers and gardeners

• Reduce food miles and carbon footprint

• Help build community resilience and capacity"

Check it out and see for yourself.

Agriculture

Agriculture is a significant part of Vermont's economy, culture and tradition, and dairy farming, which comprises 85% of Vermont agriculture, is probably the most iconic form.  As such it is a large component of tourism, another driver of Vermont's economy.  I am not a farmer, so I have a lot to learn about this aspect of Vermont; however, I know that dairy farmers in Vermont are in crisis. 

I attended the Dairy Farming Town Meeting organized by Senator Bernie Sanders on February 13th.  Farmers from around the northeast, including Maine, New Hampshire and New York, as well as from Vermont, attended the meeting.  It is no secret that the price farmers get for milk is well below the cost of producing that milk.  What I learned at the meeting is that This unsustainable situation has led to the the loss of more than one Vermont dairy farm per month on average during the last 2 years.

The price farmers get for milk is driven primarily by milk processors with the federal government regulating minimum wholesale prices.  This system puts small farmers at a disadvantage, and the challenge is to leverage their influence through cooperative agreements.  After talking to several local farmers, I learned that another way to increase the value of milk production is by processing some of the milk locally.

The state of Vermont can support family farming by facilitating regional partnerships spanning state borders to counter the leverage enjoyed by major milk processors, and by providing low cost loans for local value-add production facilities. 

Apart from dairy farming, the "locavore" movement has created opportunities to supply locally grown high-quality produce to consumers, thereby reducing the carbon-footprint of food consumption.  State government departments with food purchase requirements, e.g. prisons, schools, cafeterias, should be encouraged, if not required, to obtain a reasonable percentage of that food from local producers. 

I am open to comments about my ideas as well as suggestions for improvements or additions to the ideas stated above.