Past Events
Frost Seeding - it’s not too late!
CRWFA Winter Conversation
February 26, 2024 from 7pm - 8pm
We had a very good open Zoom call last week about Frost Seeding. Special Thank You to Rod Porter (King’s AgriSeed) and Tom Beaudry (Elm Island Farm) for starting the conversation. It is (probably? This weather…) not too late to frost-seed this month.
4 follow up items (including $$$$ for your seed):
1. Tom Beaudry is a distributor for Kings AgriSeed and expects to place another seed order soon. Not too late to seed! Contact him at Tom Beaudry tombemf@gmail.com or 603 504-5991. Kings has a variety of good species for frost-seeding.
2. There is money for frost seeding… in Vermont… $30 per acre through the Farm Agronomic Program. That’s a good deal for the 2-10 pounds of seed you might use per acre. Click that link or call Sonia Howlett at 802-522-6455
3. A couple of frost-seeding resources:
An article from the Kings AgriSeed website: https://kingsagriseeds.com/blog/frost-seeding/
Vermont No-till Pasture & Hayland Renovation Guide: https://bit.ly/3wyw7Qq
4. If you joined the call, take a moment to fill out this 3 question survey Surveys like this help us assess how useful our programs are, and are help us get and maintain funding. If the link above doesn’t work for you, paste this into your web-browser: https://forms.gle/yQY7SUbMocAeFDim9
Want something new to try? Clovers are the usual suspects for frost seeding, but there are other to try. And new clover varieties. I was just reading about Frosty Berseem, a cold tolerant Berseem that establishes fast, has good nutritional value, fixes a lot of nitrogen, and yields well (multiple cuts over a season). It grows well with alfalfa and might be a good option to improve an alfalfa field that’s pooping out. So they say. Try it out.
As Tom said, beginning of sugaring season is a good time to frost seed. Let’s get to it. Then tell the rest of us how it goes.
CSP/CSP-Assist Info Session
On April 6, 2023, the CRWFA co-hosted an info session on the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and the new state funded CSP Assist program.
Key Takeaways:
Apply to CSP with USDA-NRCS by April 21. This round is focused on "climate-smart" activities, listed here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2023-01/CSAF%20Mitigation%20Activities_2023.pdf
Find your local service center here: https://www.farmers.gov/working-with-us/service-center-locator
Apply to CSP Assist with VAAFM by May 8th: https://agriculture.vermont.gov/CSP-Assist Remember, existing CSP contract holders may also apply to increase their yearly payment.
Consider signing up for a Farm Team with the Conservation Districts to get assistance with coordinating the many available grant opportunities on your farm.
#Farm24VT
The Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance and the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition invite you to #Farm24VT, a 24-hour social media celebration of agriculture, food, and dairy in Vermont! Farmers, agribusinesses, and others in the agriculture sector will share photos, videos, and stories, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how local foods get to tables throughout the region.
Our event kicks off on May 12, 2021 at 5:00 a.m. and lasts for a full 24 hours.
If you work in Vermont agriculture or love to eat Vermont foods, visit #Farm24VT on the web and take the pledge to participate today!
#Farm24VT is funded in part by a grant from Vermont Breakfast on the Farm
Joint Annual Meeting January 27th, 2021
Our first ever Joint Annual Meeting will take place on zoom, in coordination with the Champlain Valley Farmers Coalition and the Franklin/Grand Isle Farmers Watershed Alliance.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://uvmextension.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMlf--tqD8sEtHUUrZovDUBSqF4xEf8m07m
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Monthly Membership Meetings
Our next Membership meeting will take place on zoom.
We will be hosting this meeting virtually using Zoom. For the link, please email CRWFA.info@gmail.com.
Covid-19 Mandatory Worker Training
All Vermont workers are required to complete a mandatory health and safety training. Follow the link in the URL below for the training and the most up to date information on worker safety.