Vermont Young Farmers Coalition
After two years of farm internships in the San Francisco area,Taylor and Jake Mendell decided to move back east to Vermont.
“We thought we knew enough to start our own farm on Jake’s family land in Starksboro,” Taylor laughs. They launched Footprint Farm in 2013, a small-scale diversified organic vegetable farm with a year-round CSA. The couple worked tirelessly, and everything was going smoothly—except their social lives.
Farming can be isolating, especially in the height of the season—essentially late March through October for veggie growers, and nonstop for those with livestock. Every waking moment is consumed by watering, weeding and worrying. Nurturing seeds from greenhouse to garden, tending animals and preparing for weekly CSA pickups or farmers’ market. And of course, the nagging anxiety about equipment and finances. Like many professions, the only folks who can truly empathize with the challenges and the joys are peers in the same business.
So when Taylor and Jake heard about a gathering of young farmers at Family Cow Farmstand in Hinesburg, they headed straight over. “That was the inaugural bonfire to celebrate the newly formed chapter of the Vermont Young Farmers Coalition in the spring of 2013,” Taylor recalls. “I finally felt I had found my people.”
The Vermont Young Farmers Coalition (VYFC) serves young and beginning farmers in all areas of Vermont agriculture. The organization is led by a team of farm owners, workers and service providers linked with many of the statewide programs that assist beginning farmers. “Our primary focus is to connect beginning farmers to these resources,” explains Taylor, who serves as president of the VYFC. “We also represent beginning farmers’ interests at the State House and in local political arenas.”
Megan Browning, who works at Burnt Rock Farm in Huntington and coordinates NOFA-VT’s winter conference, adds, “Vermont is so rich with resources for farmers, thanks to established organizations like NOFA-VT, Rural Vermont, Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association, UVM and the Intervale. Their active contributions through educational workshops and business planning is a blessing compared to many other states. What young farmers really need is social engagement. A chance to bring farmers together to build community and share resources and moral support through social gatherings.”
Vermont Young Farmers Coalition holds three annual events. There’s a young farmers meet-up at the NOFA-VT winter conference. In early May, bonfires at three farms around the state kick off the busy growing season. And in October, the group hosts a barn dance. These gatherings give folks a chance to kick back, share experiences and connect with their farming peers.
The VYFC functions under the auspices of the National Young Farmers Coalition, co-founded by Lindsey Lusher Shute in the Hudson Valley in 2013. Forty-one chapters currently exist in 29 states. To be clear, the term “young farmer” refers to anyone with less than 10 years’ farming experience. According to the national organization’s website, “We use the term ‘young’ to grab attention of policymakers. When young people band together to fight for policies that support them, Washington responds.”
Affordable farmland. Sustainable ag practices. Fair labor standards. Farmer-to-farmer training. Independent family farms. The goal is to remove barriers and provide support to ensure that farming remains a viable career option for people of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels.
The demographics of farming are changing as older farmers begin to age out. The face of young farmers now includes more females, people of color, indigenous and first-generation farmers. The NYFC sponsored a 2017 survey of 3,500 young farmers under the age of 40 from across the U.S. to ascertain their most pressing concerns. The top four issues are land access, student debt, labor and staffing costs, and affordable health care.
Not surprisingly, young farmers tend to be on the move as their careers shift and lives evolve. Taylor Mendell did not want to see the Vermont chapter fade away so she decided to attend the first National Young Farmers Coalition Convergence held in San Diego in November 2015. “That event was the most inspiring thing I’ve ever done,” Taylor recalls.
The convergence draws chapter leaders from across the country, with the goal of sharpening their advocacy skills and strengthening local and national networks.
“We were all operating independently with no cohesion. So we spent two and a half days educating each other on what was happening in our own areas.” Reinvigorated, Taylor went home ready to breathe new energy into the Vermont chapter. The current leadership team includes Taylor as president, Megan Browning as vice-president, Julian Post of Champlain Valley Hops as treasurer, and Alisha Utter as secretary. Alisha Utter and her partner, Kyle Bowley, started Arbor Farmstead in Grand Isle in 2016. The farmstead grows diversified fruit, herbs, cut flowers and produces Sweetbranch fruit syrups and Kyle’s handcrafted woodenware. “I’ve always been interested in local food systems, so after college and a few years in California, I participated in the University of Vermont’s six-month Farmer Training Program. Farming allows me to express my values tied to land stewardship and community while pursuing my passions of agroecology and good food.”
Alisha first learned about the VYFC in 2015 through another young farmer, Andrew Bahrenburg, who now serves as a legislative assistant to Senator Leahy. “I was new to Vermont and not well connected to agricultural resources or networks, especially those geared toward beginning farmers. I still remember my first meeting with the VYFC: We met at the Hinesburg Public House where we shared a couple beers, discussed potential events for the year ahead and chatted about all things life and farming. In a population with only 2% of Americans documenting employment in agriculture, it was such a relief to be able to sit around a table and talk about the trials and tribulations of farming with other beginning farmers.”
Taylor agrees. “There’s a ton of resources to help new farmers get up and running, but then they hit year three and start to falter. My goal is to have VYFC be there to support and sustain that group when they hit the wall and potentially lose steam. We can connect them to resources that will pull them through and keep them engaged.”
The VYFC’s leadership team recently participated in advocacy training along with other key Vermont agencies, and the coalition maintains relationships with political representatives. “Engaging in dialogue with Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts, Governor Phil Scott, or Tom Berry at Senator Leahy’s office allows us to tell the story of Vermont’s young farmers and voice our priorities,” says Alisha Utter. “And it provides an opportunity to stay in touch with what’s happening in Montpelier and Washington, DC. The National Coalition does a great job helping facilitate these conversations, especially with advocacy on the broader topics, such as the Farm Bill.”
Interested farmers of all levels can get involved in the VYFC through the mighty trio of Facebook, Instagram and an email listserv. Contact vtyoungfarmers@gmail.com and ask to add your name to the listserv. Or search for VYFC in Google Groups. The listserv is a friendly open forum for beginning farmers to get advice or assistance, find job openings and connect with each other.
“We don’t have formal memberships, just opportunities to be involved and network,” Megan Browning explains. “However, we recommend people join the National Young Farmers Coalition to become part of that collective voice.” A $35 NYFC membership includes discounts on seeds and supplies, tools and equipment, clothing and gear. With so many farmers aging out and farm land disappearing, people should care about supporting young or new farmers and making a path to help them succeed. The profession is daunting, but the Vermont Young Farmers Coalition reminds these stewards of the land that they’re not alone.
Footprint Farm | @footprintfarm
Family Cow Farmstand | @familycowfarmstand
Vermont Young Farmers Coalition
Burnt Rock Farm | @burntrockfarm
NOFA-VT
Rural Vermont | @ruralvermont
Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association
UVM
Intervale | @intervaleconservationnursery
Champlain Valley Hops | @champlain.valley.hops
Arbor Farmstead | @arborfarmstead
Hinesburg Public House
