-Available Resources-
The Vermont Agency of
Agriculture, Food & Markets (Agency) has a variety of resources available
to assist the farming community. These
resources include both financial assistance and regulatory programs.
Financial Assistance
Best Management Practice
(BMP) Program
The BMP program provides cost share payments for installation of conservation practices to address water resource concerns. Commonly funded production area practices include waste storage facilities, silage leachate systems, milkhouse waste systems, and barnyard runoff collection. Production area practices are eligible for up to 80% cost share. Field practices, such as animal trails and walkways, are eligible for 50% cost share. If coupled with federal cost share, Agency cost share is limited to 35%. The yearly maximum payment for a single practice is $50,000 and $75,000 for two or more practices.
For more information on the BMP program, contact:
Jeff Cook
at 828-3474 or jeff.cook@state.vt.us
Alternative Manure
Management (AMM) Program
The AMM program provides funding to farmers interested in implementing new technologies dedicated to enhancing water quality and improving waste management. Projects funded through this program have included solid separation, nutrient removal, and waste treatment systems. Maximum cost share is limited to $100,000 through the AMM program. Like the BMP program, total Agency payment is limited to 35% if the project is coupled with federal cost share.
For more information on the AMM program, contact:
Rob Achilles at 828-6501 or rob.achilles@state.vt.us
Conservation Reserve
Enhancement Program (CREP)
The CREP program, a partnership with the USDA, encourages the installation of conservation buffers along waterways by providing land owners with a yearly rental payment and by covering the cost of planting the buffer. Additionally, CREP covers the cost of installing fencing and livestock watering systems where animals on pasture are excluded from waterways. Contracts are either 15 or 30 years in length and payment is dependent upon past land use and whether the buffer is comprised of either trees and/or grasses. Minimum buffer widths are 25 feet for grass and 35 feet for tree buffers. Buffers cannot be harvested under this program.
For more information on the CREP program, contact:
Ben Gabos at 524-6505 x122 or ben.gabos@state.vt.us
Statewide
Laura DiPietro at 828-1289 or laura.dipietro@state.vt.us
Nutrient Management
Plan Incentive Grants (NMPIG) Program
The NMPIG Program provides for the development of a nutrient management plan (NMP) and three additional years of updating the plan. The initial payment to develop the NMP is $7 per acre plus the cost of soil and waste testing. Up to $5,000 is available for plan updates for the following three years (not to exceed $13,000 total). Plans must meet the state requirements for nutrient management, as explained in detail in the General Permit for Medium Farm Operations, before receiving payment.
For more information on the NMPIG program, contact:
Abbi Pajak at 828-1397 or abbi.pajak@state.vt.us
Farm Agronomic
Practices (FAP) Program
The FAP program provides financial assistance for the implementation of soil-based practices that improve soil quality, increase crop production, and reduce erosion. Eligible practices include cover cropping, strip cropping, conservation crop rotation, and cross-slope tillage. These practices are often needed when implementing a nutrient management plan (NMP) and payments for each range from $10 to $25 per acre. $2 per acre is also available for NMP updates where a farm is no longer eligible for the NMPIG program.
For information on the FAP program, contact:
Matt Kittredge at 828-6908 or matt.kittredge@state.vt.us
Land Treatment
Planning
Land treatment planning, simply put, is the foundation of a nutrient management plan (NMP). It is a general resource inventory including mapping, a waste production calculation, soil loss estimates, a waste storage assessment, and conservation recommendations, from which a NMP is developed. This program is provided at no cost to farmers and is made available through a partnership between the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Conservation Districts, and the Agency.
For more information, a list of planners, and their contact information, visit:
Your county USDA NRCS/Conservation District office or www.vermontagriculture.com/LTP.htm
The VABP program offers a 5-year maximum rental contract for the installation of conservation grassed buffers on cropland. Unlike the CREP program, VABP consists of planting harvestable grassed buffers. Areas in crop fields that are prone to erosion caused by flood events, which can be classified as flood chutes, are also eligible under this program to be planted into grass and harvested
For more information on the CREP program, contact:
Ben Gabos at 524-6505 x122 or ben.gabos@state.vt.us
Statewide
Laura DiPietro at 828-1289 or laura.dipietro@state.vt.us
Technical Assistance
Agricultural
Engineering
Agricultural engineers are available to provide the technical know-how to help address water quality concerns. They are able to provide one-on-one consultation to discuss potential regulatory concerns, can suggest site-specific conservation practices to remedy the problem, and can help you seek financial assistance through the BMP or AMM programs.
For more information on Agricultural Engineering, contact:
Rob Achilles at 828-6501 or rob.achilles@state.vt.us
Stephanie Zehler at 828-0384 or stephanie.zehler@state.vt.us
Pesticide and
Groundwater Monitoring Program
The Pesticide and Groundwater Monitoring Program provides for testing and monitoring for contamination of drinking water. This service is available to the agricultural community and to those residences near or adjacent to an agricultural operation. This program also provides for investigation of pesticide and nutrient sources in groundwater and suggestions for the remediation of the contamination.
For more information on the Pesticide and Groundwater Monitoring Program, contact:
Jeff Comstock at 828-3473 or jeff.comstock@state.vt.us
Regulatory Programs
Accepted Agricultural
Practices (AAPs)
The AAPs are the base level of management required for all
farms in
For more information on the AAPs, contact:
Wendy Anderson at 828-3475 or wendy.houston-anderson@state.vt.us
Medium Farm
Operations (MFO) Program
All dairies with 200-699 mature animals, whether milking or dry, qualify as a MFO. Other common MFOs include beef operations (300-999 cattle or cow/calf pairs), youngstock and heifer operations (300-999 youngstock or heifers), horse operations (150-499 horses), turkey operations (16,500-54,999 turkeys), and egg facilities (25,000-81,999 laying hens without a liquid manure handling system).
The MFO program provides a common-sense, Vermont-based,
cost-effective alternative to a potentially burdensome federal permitting
program by allowing medium sized farms to seek coverage under a single
For more information on the MFO Program, contact:
Matt Kittredge at 828-6908 or matt.kittredge@state.vt.us
Chittenden, Caledonia, Grand Isle,
Abbi Pajak at 828-1397 or abbi.pajak@state.vt.us
Addison,
Dave Weber at 828-0459 or david.weber@state.vt.us
Large Farm Operations
(LFO) Program
The LFO Program is an individual permitting process for farms with more than 700 mature dairy cows (whether milking or dry), 1,000 beef cattle or cow/calf pairs, 1,000 youngstock or heifers, 500 horses, 55,000 turkeys, or 82,000 laying hens (without a liquid manure handing system).
Like the MFO program, the goal of this program is to provide large farms with a Vermont-based alternative to federal permitting while assisting those farms with maintaining economic viability. A LFO permit prohibits the discharge of wastes from a farm's production area to waters of the state and requires the farm to land apply manure, compost, and other wastes according to a nutrient management plan.
Unlike the MFO Program, LFO permits are individual to each farm and also regulate odor, noise, traffic, insects, flies, and other pests.
For more information on the LFO Program, contact:
Katie Gehr at 828-3476 or katie.gehr@state.vt.us