Calendar
Calendar - Events of Interest and Grant Deadlines
Updated 04/25/2024
Soil Health & Equipment Field Day
May 1: Next Wednesday, 10:00 am at Birch Meadow Farm in Fairlee, VT
Soil Health & Equipment Field Day, hosted by CRWFA and the White River NRCD
May 1st, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Birch Meadow Farm
145 Birch Meadow Road
Fairlee, VT 05045
Let us know you plan to come: https://forms.gle/RKktZ8gFLr9YfSf47
We'll be talking soil health: how to assess it, how to improve it, how to maintain it. We'll also show off and demonstrate equipment available to rent - equipment that can help make water quality dreams a reality. Well, useful tools to help you improve the health of your soil - and water quality downstream.
Soil Health and Grazing Specialist Willie Gibson of the WR NRCD will lead the conversation.
No-till drills (we have 3 flavors)
Soil Health kits - new this year, including tools for measuring compaction, infiltration, aggregate stability, and moisture, and for taking soil samples.
Roller crimper for that lovely rye cover crop you want to plant into (from Cedar Circle Farm)
Roller Crimper No-Till corn planter (special from the Cheshire County Conservation District)
Portable scales (from the White River NRCD)
and more..
Also...
Dr. Christine Jones to the Upper Valley 6/4
Save the date: June 4th.
Soil as a Living System with Christine Jones
9:30 am - 3:30 pm, lunch included
Farm location update soon
This is a unique opportunity to spend a day with legendary Australian soil ecologist Christine Jones and get deep into understanding how the soil really works.
Tuesday, June 4th - Conn. River Valley, VT
CRWFA is collaborating with Vermont Grass Farmers and WR NRCD to host Dr. Jones in the Connecticut River valley. She's coming a long way - tickets are for sale. Space is limited. Get your tickets here.
A long day off the farm in early June! Hard, we know. This is the only time she will be in the USA. If there's something we can do to help free you up so you can attend for the day, we'll do it.
Tickets are offered at a sliding scale for farmers with a suggested price of $30.00 and for general admission (including technical assistance providers) tickets are $60.00.
Calendar
Register for Equipment & Soil Health Field Day (5/1
April 27, Saturday
8:30 am - 3 pm, Green Mountain Horse Association, South Woodstock, VT
Equine Industry Summit: Working Together to Create a Unified Voice
Join equine industry professionals, businesses and organizations at GMHA for the Vermont Horse Council’s conference on “Working Together to Create a Unified Voice for Vermont’s Equine Industry: Horses, Vermont Agriculture & Tourism.” Read more about Equine Industry Summit
April 30, Tuesday
May 16, Thursday
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm, Littleton, NH: AHEAD Conference Room, 262 Cottage Street, 1st Floor, and Online (Zoom Link Here)
May 20, Monday
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm, In-person TBD and Online
Executive Committee Read More ». Zoom – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84660772361?pwd=eGlVUE00SFhuNnBCVmlsMHBxeGJWQT09 Meeting ID: 846 6077 2361; Passcode: 369703. https://crjc.org/events/
May 22, Wednesday
Dam Re-licensing Comments due.
More info here (Connecticut River Joint Commission) and here (Connecticut River Conservancy). CRWFA position to come shortly.
Grant Opportunities
Other Vermont Programs
Best Management Practices - technical assistance and cost share to comply with RAPs. Here for more information.
Pasture and Surface Water Fencing (PSWF) Program - technical assistance and cost share for pasture improvements and livestock exclusion from surface water. Here for more information.
Grassed Waterway and Filter Strip (SWFS) Program - technical assistance and cost share to create perennial vegetated areas (that can be harvested!), grassed waterways, filter strips and critical source areas. Here for more information.
Conservation Reserve Enhancement (CREP) - funds to reduce sediment runoff (erosion) and improve water quality, by taking land out of production for vegetated buffers. Here for more information.
Goat & Sheep Dairy Supply Chain Development Grants (opens in December?) - funds to develop or expand goat and/or sheep dairy products or markets that will positively impact multiple businesses within the goat and/or sheep dairy supply chain. Projects will increase the exposure and promotion of regionally produced goat/sheep dairy products through supply chain impacts. $15,000 - $50,000 with 25% match. Here for more information.
Dairy Food Safety & Certification Grant (opens in December?) - grants for dairy farmers, processors, and/or producer associations to take actionable steps to improve the safety of dairy products. Projects funded through this program will support increased production safety standards with the goal of accessing new markets. Here for more information.
Specialty Crop - grants to enhance competitiveness of specialty crops (vegetables, tree nuts, nursery crops, honey, hops, maple, mushrooms…). 2024 Vermont SCBGP Information Session Webinar. Register here for the event on December 12, 2023 at 3:00-4:00 PM. Submit your pre-application in WebGrants by January 14, 2023 at 11:59 PM. Here for more information.
