HARDWICK – Here in the Northeast Kingdom, this winter reminded many of us what winter used to be like with abundant snow and many days of below-zero temperatures. Despite these conditions winter is a busy time of year for the Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE) and the local food system.
Since January, CAE has loaded trucks, seven days a week through the cold nights, to move over $2 million in local food from farms to people across Vermont for the producers who rely on our services. Our Just Cut staff prepared over 38,000 pounds of local produce in just two months for use in our local schools and hospitals that has been stored since the fall by our local farmers.
This is also an especially busy time of the year for CAE’s business resources staff. Farms are planning their spring plantings and the projects they hope to accomplish. Over a dozen farms are currently working with CAE’s business resources staff to update cash flow projections and prepare their finances for the year ahead. Many farms begin the process of securing the capital they need to accomplish those projects by connecting with Vermont Farm Fund.
Last year was a record year for the Vermont Farm Fund and in 2025 over $200,000 in loan requests have already been made. Monthly, the Hazen Union class A Recipe for Human Connection (facilitated by CAE’s place-based education coordinator, Reeve Basom) is preparing free community meals and Grow Your Own workshops are connecting community members to share skills and food.
Lastly, CAE has been busy getting the Food Hub ready for operations. Over the winter, CAE staff connected with many community members and other organizations at the NOFA winter Conference, Vermont Veg and Berry Growers Annual Meeting, and NEK Day at the Statehouse.
We’re hearing concerns from our community; farmers afraid of losing federal funding to complete long-planned projects, community members concerned services may go away, and partner organizations worried they may also lose funding. Despite these uncertainties CAE is moving forward, taking action, and providing resources and support. CAE has been gathering information, and multiple staff members have testified at the Statehouse articulating the importance of local food and how it supports our communities.
CAE has supported the development of the legislative bill S.60 to establish the Farm Security Special Fund to provide grants for farm losses due to severe weather events. CAE’s work is an investment in our future: this work requires a long view while accomplishing small goals everyday. We are nimble and can adapt, but that does not mean we deviate from our long term goals. While the soil rests during this long winter CAE is building resilience and looking forward towards our future.
Jon Ramsay is the executive director of the Center for an Agricultural Economy, which supports rural communities and working landscapes by building a more interconnected local food system.
Jon Ramsay
