Root For Soil, Grow With Us!

While no one has ever said that farming was easy, this year has been especially challenging. Unusually high (and low) temperatures, extreme weather events, and not enough sunshine. In a year like this one, plants become more susceptible to damage by pests and disease, and harvests are unpredictable.

Soil health and the need for a resilient system of food production have always been in the forefront of our minds. As we experience the cycles brought on by climate change—excessive heat and drought followed by heavy rains—our mission becomes ever more important and urgent.

While we continue to explore practices that go beyond organic (like no-till) to build and protect soil health, we also strive to increase consumer awareness, empathy, and conscientious decision-making. And that’s where you come in!

With many thanks to you, our community, here are just a few of our accomplishments from the year:

• Engaged with over 2,500 people of all ages through our educational programming: workshops, summer camp, school field trips, Little Farmers, Cooking for Middle Schoolers, and more!
• Continued our no-till berry trials and began transitioning a section of our cut flower garden to native and pollinator perennials.
• Partnered with regional and national organizations (American Farmland Trust, Willing Hands, Rural Vermont, Vermont Fish and Wildlife, and others) to promote natural resource conservation conservation, hunger relief, and a resilient local food system.

Generous donations from our community in 2023 also helped provide: financial support for ongoing research here at the farm, scholarships for our summer camp and other education programs, and matching funds for discounted CSAs for limited income Vermonters through NOFA-VT’s Farm Share program.

Thank you for being here. For engaging with the farm, learning, and helping us advocate for regenerative and organic farming.

This giving season, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution of any amount to help us continue our work in 2024* and beyond!

Yours In Community,
Eric Tadlock, Executive Director

*Looking forward to 2024:

• Our new Teen Ag program, working to build our next generation of farmers

• Renovations to our Sunny Fields House for expanded education programming

• Expanding our pollinator and native perennial production for our community eager to play their part in regenerative agriculture!

• The Thetford bridge project wrapping up!