Vermont’s three farmer watershed organizations invite their members, legislators, and the general public to attend their joint annual meeting this Wednesday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m. on Zoom.
The Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition (CVFC), the Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance (CRWFA), and the Franklin and Grand Isle Farmer’s Watershed Alliance (FWA) will present a fast-paced evening filled with updates, resources for farmers, and the launch of new educational programming for farmers and a social media outreach event for spring 2021.
Officials from all three watershed organizations will speak about the work they and their members have done over the past year to implement innovative agricultural practices that protect and improve water quality and soil health throughout the state.
Featured guest speakers include Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, Food & Markets Anson Tebbetts; Marli Rupe, Agriculture Water Quality Section Chief for the Department of Environmental Conservation; and Vicky Drew, USDA-NRCS Vermont State Conservationist.
CVFC Executive Director John Roberts will provide an overview of financial resources for farmers and conservation.
Jennifer Byrne, White River NRCD District Manager; Heather Darby, UVM Extension St. Albans & Borderview Research Farm; and Kirsten Workman, UVM Extension Middlebury, will discuss the Soil Health Network and payment for ecosystem services research, as well as UVM Extension initiatives and research.
Amy Richardson of CRWFA and Richardson Family Farm in Hartland, along with Sarah Audet, CVFC Communications Consultant, will be on hand to launch #Farm24VT, a 24-hour social media celebration of farming, dairy, and food in Vermont later this spring.
The annual meeting is free and open to the public. To review the agenda and register, visit cvfc-vt.com/events.