W elcome to the Resource Guide for Vermont’s New and Aspiring Farmers! The guide is an effort among members of the Vermont New Farmer Network, a collaboration of agricultural organizations to better serve new and aspiring farmers.

Farming continues to play an essential role in Vermont’s rural economic development, food security, and the maintenance of open space for tourism, wildlife habitat and recreation. To assure a bright future for agriculture in the state, it is critical that efforts are made to encourage new entrants to farming and to help them succeed. A career in farming is attractive to many young people as well as to people seeking a change of professions. Anecdotal evidence suggests there is an ample pool of people willing and eager to enter into farming if they can overcome the initial challenges, which include: access to financial capital, access to land, access to markets and access to technical assistance. The goal of Vermont New Farmer Network (VNFN) is to strengthen collaboration and communication among people and organizations that serve new farmers.

Who Are New Farmers?

New farmers are a diverse group. They include recruits (people with an aptitude or interest in farming who have not considered it as a career option); explorers (those actively researching farming as a career option); aspiring farmers (committed to becoming farmers but haven’t started commercially); start‑up farmers (in their first few years of commercial production); re‑strategizing farmers (in their first few years and now reassessing their operation); and establishing farmers (stabilizing their production and marketing). Programs and services need to understand these differences and be clear about which type(s) of new farmers they are targeting.

How to Use this Guide

The guide is divided into two sections. The first section addresses four commonly identified challenges that new and aspiring farmers may face—access to capital, access to production knowledge, access to land, and access to markets. In this section, we include considerations for each topic, as well as resources available within the state and region to address that topic.

The second section of the guide gives descriptions of Vermont New Farmer Network member organizations. Each description includes an overview of services, specifically how each organization serves new and aspiring farmers, and contact information.

If you have any questions and/or feedback about the guide, please contact the Center for Sustainable Agriculture at (802) 656-5459.