[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6324364,"mediaKeyId","2338418-de5b520bc26bcb0b49e16bff045cc719","parentId",2338418,"title","Connecticut River watershed farmers press for tailored water‑quality funding, manure storage and labor fixes","audioSeconds",1875,"startMs",3215000,"endMs",5090000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2338418-de5b520bc26bcb0b49e16bff045cc719&start=3215&end=5090","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2338418-de5b520bc26bcb0b49e16bff045cc719/thumbnail_3215000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6324364/Vermont/Connecticut-River-watershed-farmers-press-for-tailored-waterquality-funding-manure-storage-and-labor-fixes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324364-e489cf2e729d0a2b36ddace7e31f9098/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207351&Signature=OI-x6FjDrYCi9ZxFw-e2Ius7WNA7KxwzP7kRjzYcvzh-pNGgn0bXqiG5RieekNobVM0QBB-KWwYYKRJ~UeotU1m-Waz8QrSuIeNaBZHYbj-xjw8lo3jV3-lte6t~vjr6Kr5xAtF~1pAe55e0vCsjJnpP4pA-DRX4GpYzLNp48RPoXRsIqVygRPTXep7V3jnlLoLvufbcqefZet6ar8nXGNdZD7bTLrcbn4Ap~UoStjuvMqezQNyumExfD7rR0LdopZVm8ptDvJSXvBaTP~3Hm4RH8UKXtJpp9dzCcuWBz2GfjlUgfn06nuyEz4femsm0xci3jKANUQ-szpw66C~RpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-19T05:14:25Z","article","Leaders and members of the Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance (CRWFA) told the Senate Agriculture Committee that farmers on both sides of the Connecticut River need watershed‑specific support for water quality, infrastructure and farm viability.

Mike Snow, executive director of the CRWFA, described an entirely farmer‑run group formed in 2016 to improve water quality and farm viability across a watershed that stretches from the Canadian border to the Massachusetts line. The alliance supports information sharing, equipment rental and grant‑supported practices such as cover crops and manure storage, and emphasizes that the Connecticut River watershed faces different soil and pollution dynamics than the Champlain Valley.

Speakers from the alliance described a range of farm operations and priorities. Bill Evans (Cloudland Farm) and Paul Dotan (Dothan Farm) recounted long family farm histories and the alliance’s effort to bring eastern‑Vermont farmers together. Beth Kennett (Liberty Hill Farm) described a 100‑cow registered Holstein herd that also hosts farm stays and participates in watershed programs such as pay‑for‑phosphorus pilots. Mary White said her dairy (about 125 cows) installed a manure pit and is moving to robotic milking to address labor shortages; she said those investments were supported by grants and bank financing.

Farmers told the committee about practical on‑farm challenges: cover‑crop timing and establishment to reduce spring erosion, the complexity and cost of injection equipment for manure application on smaller farms, and the expense and paperwork of hiring seasonal labor under H‑2A and state wage rules. Several participants urged more predictable funding to help farms install manure storage, cover crops and other water‑quality practices; a pilot “farm security” or emergency fund also received support for disaster recovery.

Charlie Gray and others described on‑farm market mixes (retail farm stands and some wholesale) and noted rising labor costs and regulatory paperwork have squeezed margins. Guy Crosby described a pilot to recycle bale wrap at scale and the logistical challenges of collection and storage. Walt Gladstone and others reiterated that permitting, nutrient management requirements and program timing vary across regions and urged policies tailored to the Connecticut River watershed’s soils and cropping systems.

Committee members thanked the alliance for the testimony and encouraged continued engagement; participants offered the group as a resource for technical feedback and local implementation suggestions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Agriculture - 2025-02-18 - 10:30 AM","oneSentenceSummary","Representatives of the Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance described region‑specific water‑quality work, the need for targeted funding, and practical farm challenges including manure infrastructure, cover crops, labor costs and recycling of bale wrap.","taxTitle","Agriculture, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",35161,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6324368,"Forest Futures roadmap aims to strengthen Northeast Kingdom forest economy, recreation and wood markets",635,1078000,1713000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2338418-de5b520bc26bcb0b49e16bff045cc719&start=1078&end=1713","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2338418-de5b520bc26bcb0b49e16bff045cc719/thumbnail_1078000.jpg","/articles/6324368/Vermont/Forest-Futures-roadmap-aims-to-strengthen-Northeast-Kingdom-forest-economy-recreation-and-wood-markets","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324368-0a165a9cc461473a4cd1bef359acdf0f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207351&Signature=YeemLoLy0-eprMLuDy5IDI5U9Pl578InIsDo4NspOc6gg6DyGDnokQYJdVAqo96da1lb90Swhd6q6YPQthjJ~D~gP5LA0Oy8plaNVq81fORh096cFKupJevrNrpIkNG6zkxAg0cxTz2rQ~UtE2BOt~dpwgAx0AJq0pG3DXkVEs~lvLXdCe7RCc5HQNsKKoTGTOBtWlnuf433g5Xs9ncxM8Ag5AAbVvfFqwSVYeWgPX74NfOPQ9hpxT~Rcym8QtxSgl1tRQT~eEEkcK4rlG6DDq~JFgh2-4~KCA8rALrwaaZVWqXtCLzvLV9Z27N4F0~PTi8OMxOehDQgdZkE5mUNIg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Abby Long, executive director of the Kingdom Trail Association, and Molly Willard, wood energy and forest products specialist at the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, briefed the Senate Agriculture Committee on the Forest Futures strategic roadmap, a 10‑year plan required by H.183 that seeks to sustain and modernize Vermont’s forest economy.

Long said the Northeast Kingdom’s working forests — a mix of public and private holdings including West Mountain management areas, Willoughby and Groton state forests and commercial tracts — underpin local jobs, tourism and outdoor recreation. “Trails and forests operate in a complementary manner,” she told senators, citing Kingdom Trails and local sawmills that generate community activity.

Willard summarized five pillars in the roadmap: support for forest management and land use, business environment and conditions, research/innovation/technology, industry reputation and market profile, and the forest economy’s role in community development. She highlighted examples relevant to the NEK: firms using cellulose for insulation manufacturing, Ethan Allen’s combined heat‑and‑power use of wood chips, and the Ryegate power plant supporting logging and trucking jobs.

Speakers said the roadmap emphasizes community engagement, private landowner support (including current UVA programs), value‑added markets for wood products and a thermal‑energy goal from Vermont’s 2022 Comprehensive Energy Plan, which seeks to meet a portion of the state’s thermal demand with wood by 2030. Long and Willard urged legislators to support policies and investments that maintain the working‑forest landscape and help rural towns derive economic and cultural value from forest products and outdoor recreation.

The committee accepted the briefing as information; no committee votes were recorded during the presentation.","Presenters from the Kingdom Trail Association and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation outlined a 10‑year Forest Futures strategic roadmap to support working forests, forest products, innovation, markets and community benefits in the Northeast Kingdom.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6324372,"NEK potato grower urges Farm Emergency Fund after consecutive summer floods",72,564000,636000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2338418-de5b520bc26bcb0b49e16bff045cc719&start=564&end=636","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2338418-de5b520bc26bcb0b49e16bff045cc719/thumbnail_564000.jpg","/articles/6324372/Vermont/NEK-potato-grower-urges-Farm-Emergency-Fund-after-consecutive-summer-floods","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324372-0b582f451f917dd525eca777a445b413/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207351&Signature=hvV6LwO4NBHH8V4SUJohNApCDQU5qJRwlzTTBjfasrcMEKw2VzrJNuKQrE-JvXFrAg0CTp5JgFWTorRg9T1-fn01gqDToV~zY7Y8AQh~KapMhtgtqszWU0QOOcer64sHOaneuLVa8m~Gb~vHgBSlG-gOS0C3QiaKjUwQnKsrIYkhZ9nd3wLl87HvlDzpkHrlTH55izx1DfhW68RqV6IFe2vnGOoz2I0nYak~sp~oKtj5SJLxX-WPILerniOkGlAroDmIUN3YLQNaCXOefDfki0Fqo6jtBrGUBDDShdIBM4HjTA2uSYBZj-Ssb0yqQov-14ntVzLNPd2gciKg6A8m0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Matt Linehan, owner of Sparrow Arc Farm and the Northeast Kingdom Potato Company in Guildhall, told the Senate Agriculture Committee that consecutive summer floods in 2023 and 2024 cost his operation a substantial share of the potato crop and have prompted support for a proposed Vermont Farm Emergency Fund.

Linehan said Sparrow Arc Farm normally grows about 55 acres of potatoes but lost roughly 20 percent of its crop in 2023 and about 36 percent in 2024 to flooding along the Connecticut River. “Two years in a row makes a trend for me,” he told the committee, and the farm has shifted higher‑risk acreage out of the floodplain.

He described emergency assistance he received in 2024 through a state‑administered program (BGAP): $50,000 against an estimated $180,000 loss. “$50,000 is not nothing. It was well appreciated, but…we still lost a hundred and thirty thousand,” he said. Linehan said Sparrow Arc is not exiting farming but that recurring extreme weather makes planning and pre‑positioned assistance important.

Linehan told senators the farm sells across New England and into the Hudson Valley, with institutional customers including the Vermont Food Bank and regional distributors. He described marketing strategies emphasizing “Vermont grown” branding and direct retail distribution through co‑ops and independent markets.

Committee members and Linehan discussed the proposed Farm Emergency Fund; Linehan said he supports a more robust, planned approach to catastrophic events than the current ad hoc help. The committee did not take formal action during the testimony; Linehan said the bill will be discussed further in committee hearings that week.","A Northeast Kingdom potato farmer told the Senate Agriculture Committee he lost significant acreage in back‑to‑back summer floods and supports a proposed Vermont Farm Emergency Fund to help farms recover from extreme weather.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6324378,"Vermont producers push small-ruminant growth but warn of processing and market bottlenecks",286,104000,390000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2338418-de5b520bc26bcb0b49e16bff045cc719&start=104&end=390","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2338418-de5b520bc26bcb0b49e16bff045cc719/thumbnail_104000.jpg","/articles/6324378/Vermont/Vermont-producers-push-small-ruminant-growth-but-warn-of-processing-and-market-bottlenecks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324378-22efcab3a22cdac3c1ef76b8c5ff7480/orig.mp4?Expires=1771207351&Signature=PDy2K~BsEqH-TQ8e3Pmvbw~7e9PaQ1S71Tk9jmVMqy8ElL~AMkWhZT92Diph6cO4hVYS2Jml-jPHk60iTqryNZkKT8Tyc-~dbofO~XPUlUZjzI1F-746qFZ-UPhuq4W3Q6H7~NVjBWIkq2Eeu1cNk5K7L~SeftNAD5OYGOqRaQR1o51-6IURqLJZvTTD4LoBWst8dnOTmY8jNVgFE0G6FBNvHPQCq2skxKzmi8Ffh6AVZuHYA16uoNgWVu4T0D2Bcj0SLkGouTiNjgGeKXfU-KStQs5WhKeRQLtTh5UfeBF6TNBAKhik5vt8Itz99IornutxJQ-UlQDgN2JkzQ27yA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mark Rogers, owner of MKVT Farm in Glover and president of the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association, told the Senate Committee on Agriculture that small ruminant dairies and meat operations are expanding in the Northeast Kingdom but face processing and market constraints.

Rogers said the state’s shrinking bovine dairy sector creates openings for goats and sheep to “backfill some of the small farms and homesteads vacated by dairy cattle,” noting demand for sheep milk and goat milk and milk products. “Small ruminants will help us meet Vermont goals for food production,” he said, adding that grazing by sheep and goats provides environmental benefits including carbon sequestration.

The Vermont producer warned the committee that processing capacity is a critical bottleneck. He said his local processor in Glover will not process lambs and that a regional processor announced it would not take lambs in October and November. Rogers said current costs run about $175 to process a lamb, while the total value of some animals is under $500, making margins thin. He also said hides and wool require out‑of‑state processing and that wool currently has “little value.”

Rogers described his background as a retired dairy farmer, a contract auditor for a certification group called A Greener World, and a certified animal welfare officer; he said those roles inform his emphasis on animal welfare, farm economics and environmental practices. He told senators some farms have successfully built markets for artisan and specialty milks and cited a long‑running sheep‑milk dairy in the southern part of the state as an example.

Committee members and Rogers discussed whether former bovine dairymen can transition to goat or sheep dairying; Rogers said many skills are transferable but cautioned that “not everybody is cut out to be a sheep or goat farmer.” He urged the legislature and industry partners to work on processing capacity, market development for wool and hides, and other steps to increase value capture for producers.

The presentation was given during the Northeast Kingdom (NEK) Day testimony before the Senate Agriculture Committee; no formal votes or actions were taken during this segment.","Representatives of the Vermont Sheep and Goat Association told the Senate Agriculture Committee that goat and sheep dairies and meat producers are growing in Vermont but face limited slaughter, hide and wool processing capacity and tight margins.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Connecticut River watershed farmers press for tailored water‑quality funding, manure storage and labor fixes

Forest Futures roadmap aims to strengthen Northeast Kingdom forest economy, recreation and wood markets

NEK potato grower urges Farm Emergency Fund after consecutive summer floods

Vermont producers push small-ruminant growth but warn of processing and market bottlenecks