This year, 20 farm businesses were awarded $807,626 to invest in on-farm capital improvements that enhance water quality. Additionally, 18 farm and forest businesses were awarded $136,119 to complete projects that support business development and viability.

The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program’s Water Quality Grants are funded by the State of Vermont through Vermont’s Capital Construction and State Bonding Act. Since 2017, the program has awarded more than $5.2 million in Water Quality Grants. In 2024, awards were made to 20 farms in Windham, Orange, Franklin, Washington, Chittenden, Orleans, Addison, Caledonia, & Windsor counties. Grants were awarded to both organic and conventional farms, and include cow dairies, cattle farms, and creameries.

These projects will improve manure management and soil health, reduce runoff, minimize feed imports into Vermont, and ultimately support the long-term success of farm enterprises. These goals are exemplified by the 2023 award made to Spring Valley Treasure (SVT) Farm, owned and operated by Laura Burch and Chris Brayman in Wells, VT. VHCB funds supported a covered livestock shelter and compost site, their first on-farm water quality upgrade since starting the businesses in 2020.

“Our business success plan to harden our resiliency, lead towards holistic solutions, and produce excellent beef, lamb, and wool is supported by this project as our historic homestead barn structures aren’t suitable for livestock due to decay, historical value, and out-dated function,” said Burch. “The project has modernized a farm otherwise unable to survive extreme weather without damaging soil health and water purity. This project was a perfect fit for our farm’s priority to preserve the quality of water.”

The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program’s Implementation Grants help recent program clients implement aspects of their business plan and improve long-term viability. The program provides farm, food, and forest businesses with business coaching, transition planning, and technical assistance through a network of service provider organizations, including the Center for an Agricultural Economy, the Intervale Center, Land for Good, the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA-VT), and UVM Extension Services. This year, $136,119.00 were awarded to 18 businesses in Windsor, Chittenden, Caledonia, Bennington, Grand Isle, Addison, Franklin, Rutland, Orange, Lamoille, Windham, and Washington counties. Grantees represent a variety of working lands businesses in Vermont including livestock, dairy, and diversified produce farms, food processors, and forest products businesses.

In 2023, one of the many impressive Implementation Grant projects was completed by David Keck, owner of Stella14 Wines. Keck started leasing the Boyden Valley Winery & vineyard in June of 2020 to start up his business. The first few years of operation were a complicated maze of regulations, poor growing conditions, and infrastructure updates, but today Stella14 is thriving and producing foot-trod, Vermont-grown wine. In 2023, Stella14 received an implementation grant of $9,621.59 to fund a forklift, de-stemmer, bottling line, and labeler to build out the winery.

“The program has really helped me understand the nuts and bolts of the business and consider factors I hadn’t prior.” Said Keck.

2024 Water Quality Grant Awards –$807,626.00 to 20 farms

McKnight Farm, East Montpelier, VT: $50,000 for a manure storage structure

Grass Cattle Company LLC, Charlotte, VT: $50,000 for a bedded pack facility

Sunday Bell Farm, Danville, VT: $50,000 for a covered dairy cattle barnyard, feed bunk & manure storage

Clair-A-Den Farm, East Hardwick, VT: $50,000 for an NRCS manure storage & bedded pack

Mailles Dairy LLC, Shelburne, VT: $6,400 for a no-till grain drill

Ethan Illingworth Farm, Westminster, VT: $50,000 for manure management improvements & roof runoff structure

Lindstrom Farm, West Danville, VT: $50,000 for an NRCS waste storage facility

Allendale Farm LLC, Vergennes, VT: $50,000 for NRCS manure management improvements, perimeter fencing & access road

Alan & Karen Bathalon, North Troy, VT: $50,000 for a waste storage facility

Choquette Dairy LLC, Enosburg Falls, VT: $12,000 for a manure injector toolbar

von Trapp Farmstead, Waitsfield, VT: $50,000 for a bedded pack system expansion

Robeth Holsteins LLC, Rochester, VT: $50,000 for a covered barnyard expansion

Seize the Day Farm, Tunbridge, VT: $17,226 for a hoop barn

Miller Farm Inc., Vernon, VT: $50,000 for a concrete manure pit & pump

Bobolink Farm LLC, East Montpelier, VT: $43,000 for a covered winter barnyard

Critter Meadows Farm, Williamstown, VT: $43,000 for a barn roof gutter cleaner

Manning Dairy LLC, St. Albans, VT: $25,000 for a manure injection drag line system

Hillside Homestead, Craftsbury, VT: $43,000 for a covered barnyard and bedded back system

Breezy Acres Farm, Richford, VT: $43,000 for a bedded pack system

Cornerstone Dairy LLC, Irasburg, VT: $25,000 for a manure injection hose

2024 Implementation Grant Awards—$136,119.00 to 18 farm, food, and forest businesses

Grateful Morning Dairy, Shaftsbury, VT: $8,000 for creamery installation

Happy Bird Poultry Farm, Isle La Motte, VT: $8,000 for a summer broiler barn

Hauskaa, Burke, VT: $6,500 for packaging redesign & shelving

La Montañuela, New Haven, VT: $8,000 for vineyard installation

Mayo’s Maple Farm, Richford, VT: $8,000 for an automatic pan washer

Milkweed Farm, Westminster, VT: $7,986 for farm store infrastructure

New Tradition Farm, Huntington, VT: $5,173 for soil improvement equipment

Patrick & Melanie Harrison, Addison, VT: $8,000 for a milking parlor upgrade

The Sole Connection Farm, Arlington, VT: $8,000 for in-house fruiting block production

Waterman Orchards, Johnson, VT: $8,000 for outfitting a new retail and processing facility

Ascutney Harvest, Windsor, VT: $8,000 for a farmstand

Blackbird Organics, Plainfield, VT: $7,940 for produce wash and pack facility

blue house mushroom, Ferrisburgh, VT: $7,762 for a mushroom grow room

Stitchdown Farm, Bethel, VT: $6,000 for a flower dehydrator

Sunday Bell Farm, Danville, VT: $6,758 for a milking parlor

Lazy Dog Farm, Orwell, VT: $8,000 for an animal lean-to

Wild Earth Farm, Randolph, VT: $8,000 for a sheep-handling system

Papa John’s Sugar Shack, Mount Holly, VT: $8,000 for Okemo state forest expansion