Vermont

$280,900 AWARD TOTAL

CNE10-070
Facilitating collaborative farm-to-restaurant sales in Chittenden County, Vermont
Sona Desai, Intervale Center, Burlington VT
The demand for local food invites collaborative marketing, distribution, and storage solutions that serve a range of constituents. The project manager will develop a farm-to-restaurant brokerage for local products that can be replicated elsewhere and provide technical assistance for quality, packaging, grading, and billing that is geared toward launching a collective brand. The goal is to broker $50,000 of produce from ten farms and to be self-sufficient by 2012; outreach will be via project documents that support replication, including a case study of the first year of operation.
$9,783

CNE10-074
Greater Falls food hub
Denise Mason, Southeastern Vermont Community Action, Westminster VT
Farmers need support when adding value to raw products, and food entrepreneurs, who want to use fresh local products, often don't have access to commercial kitchens, packagers, or storage. The project manager will research and assess new distribution models, plan for partnerships and access to value-added infrastructure, and also develop programs that deliver local foods to low-income families. Outreach will be through local and statewide networks, agricultural agencies, universities, and trade groups, meetings, and conferences.
$15,000

FNE10-676
The farmer-built Savonius rotor: A low-tech approach to renewable
power for farms
Erik Andrus, Boundbrook Farm and Good Companion Bakery, Vergennes VT
Alternative energy efforts tend to focus on complex, capital-intensive, large-scale projects, not microgeneration that can be used on farms. The farmer will test a low-cost, farmer-built wind turbine array that can be mounted on a modified silo; he will gather investment, output and other performance data to see how this approach compares with other wind and solar options available to farmers. Outreach will be through print, the web, a field day, conferences focusing on farm management and farm energy, and via a construction manual will be offered free at events and for a nominal cost by mail.
$10,365

FNE10-687
Comparing fingerling potato cropping methods on no-till raised beds
Justin Hart, Whip Poor Will Farm, Jamaica VT
No till limits soil compaction, helps retain moisture, and reduces fuel and labor inputs; it also supports higher yield and organic matter. The farmer will compare time, cost, energy, and soil fertility in plots of fingerling potatoes planted directly into Dutch white clover, Dutch white clover and rye, and Dutch white clover mulched with oat straw, all in raised beds. Yield, labor, energy, and soil fertility will be tracked, and outreach will be through grower newsletters, an annual field day, a fact sheet, and an on-farm demonstration.
$8,524

ONE10-114
The effects of top-dressing organic nitrogen on wheat protein
Heather Darby, University of Vermont Extension, Saint Albans VT
Consumers are asking for bread baked with local organic wheat, but much of the grain grown in the state is lower in protein than most commercial mills consider suitable for flour; since organic farmers rely on green and animal manures for N in winter wheat, it is more difficult for them to manage N release rates. The project manager will test whether top-dressing organic N at different rates and at different times during the growing season will result in wheat suitable for organic baked goods. Outreach will be through mass and farm media, eXtension, and a range of web resources for farmers, consultants, advisors, and agency staff.
$11,540

ONE10-123
Compost for management of plant pathogens and weed seeds
Deb Neher, University of Vermont, Burlington VT
Weed seeds and pathogens are management and economic issues for growers, and the project manager will explore whether composting can be used as a control strategy. Known quantities of crabgrass seed and early blight inoculum will be inserted into different compost recipes to assess pathogen viability and seed germination; the project will also include trials of different compost recipes to assess their suppression qualities in the field. Outreach will be through a summary fact sheet, industry newsletters and magazines, and the web.
$15,000

ONE10-126
Evaluating the on-farm environmental and economic impacts of the use of aerators with liquid and semi-solid manure under various management conditions
Marli Rupe, Poultney Mettowee Natural Resources Conservation District, Poultney VT
Field aeration, where vertical slots are made in the soil before manure broadcasting, reduces nutrient runoff and protects water quality, but it unclear how the practice affects forage yield, quality, or overall sustainability. The project manager will partner with farmers to evaluate aeration of perennial hay land and evaluate its cost effectiveness and potential best practices, and then support adoption through education and work with more farmers and extension staff. Outreach will be through workshops, presentations at local and regional events, a newsletter, web material, and print materials such as brochures, summaries, and a display.
$14,907

LNE10-299
Novel approaches to improve energy efficiency in northern New England greenhouses
Bruce Parker, University of Vermont, Burlington VT
Hoop houses extend the growing season and are inexpensive to erect, but use a lot of energy for heating and cooling; as dairy farmers in the region diversify and turn to high-value greenhouse crops, they need to improve energy conservation to protect profits. The project manager will combine research into both bubble and thermal blanket insulation with education through energy audits, workshops, grower surveys, and support for conservation, in consultation with a greenhouse engineer and energy consultants reaching more than 1650 growers. As a result, 80 growers will implement changes in their conservation tactics affecting 160,000 square feet of greenhouse space, resulting in cost savings of $500 per grower; three growers will adopt either a bubble or thermal blanket insulation system that will reduce fuel costs by $1000.
$195,781