Project Overview
VHCB’s Vermont Farm & Forest
Viability Program, the Intervale Center, and the Vermont Land Trust partnered
to deliver a coordinated, proactive approach to accelerate access to land and
growth of viable businesses for Vermont’s next generation of farmers. With
funding from BFRDP, we supported 205 farmers to improve their business, access
land, or transfer their farm to new ownership.
We provided individualized one-on-one technical assistance to farmers, on business
planning, land assessment, land access/land transfer, and accessing financing.
We tailored our services to meet farmers where they were at, accelerating their
early stage growth into viable commercial enterprises, and providing retiring
farmers with transfer planning and assistance identifying buyers. This
project helped to increase business management and land access skills among new
and beginning farmers, and resulted in 62 new & beginning farmers accessing
land, 47 utilizing affordable financing tools, and 40 successful farm transfers
from exiting farmers to new ownership. An additional 11 beginning farmers were
in the process of accessing land at the time of reporting, and are expected to
successfully complete ownership transfer in 2021.
An important aspect of this project has been the development of new affordable
financing tools at the Vermont Land Trust, including the new $15 million
Farmland Futures Fund, which will help 200 farms transition to new ownership and
enhance their economic and environmental sustainability in the next ten years.
Number of Participants: 205
Promotional Materials
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Reports & Evaluations
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Individual Stories / Examples of Success