Farming & Climate Change
The goals of the Farming & Climate Change program are to identify and develop innovative and effective solutions for adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate-related challenges, and to offer education and technical assistance to farmers, service providers and policymakers as they seek sustainable and realistic solutions to the many climate-related challenges we face.
Food Systems
We aim to become collaborative leaders in applied food systems research, leveraging our expertise at effectively implementing relevant, science-based research, grant-writing, and cross-disciplinary relationship building to inform systemic needs and identify opportunities for undertaking new research and informing future policy direction. By approaching food systems wholistically, our goals are to support sustainable agricultural technologies and practices, mitigate the impact of climate change, conserve natural resources, and ensure resilient food systems and food security for all Vermonters.
Grazing & Livestock
We strive to understand what is and what isn’t working in grass-based and livestock-oriented farming systems now, and to explore, understand, and share promising practices for a resilient future. For over 30 years, our skilled technical assistance providers have been a trusted source for Vermont’s agricultural communities. Our teams have clear short- and long-term priorities for fulfilling our mission: working directly with Vermont farmers to provide knowledge and outreach, practice environmental stewardship, and build community.
Agroforestry
Agroforestry systems are regenerative practices that integrate tree cultivation with crops or livestock in a single land management unit. This approach aims to optimize the benefits derived from both agriculture and forestry practices by strategically combining trees, crops, and animals, creating regenerative and productive farming systems. Our agroforestry program investigates the intersections of agriculture and forestry. We are looking at practices and techniques from around the world and in our own backyard, learning from farmers who are successfully utilizing agroforestry practices, and developing best practices for implementation in Vermont.