Lamoille Economic Development Corp. is committed to market and support farms and value-added agriculture products visibily and effectively. Two major initiatives have launched since July 2011, including an on-line farmers' market and underwriting UVM's tractor safety program in Lamoille County.  A third initiative, agri-tourism, will get underway in spring 2012.

Marketing & Supporting Family Farms & Businesses

Yourfarmstand.com is an on-line farmers' market which saves the farmer valuable time, cuts down on the distance food travels to the consumer, and brings healthy fresh food within reach of busy buyers.  Unlike a traditional CSA, customers buy only what they want when they want it, and pay as they go. Farmers, even those who sell to larger distributors such as Black River Produce, can find new customers for their "brands" through Yourfarmstand.com  And for budding entrepreneurs, it's a good way to learn and experiment with marketing and promotion strategies.

Farmers list their products for sale on the site, and customers buy only the products they need. All payment is tranacted securely through PayPal. On market day (Thursday), vendors drop off their goods into baskets marked for each customer.  Customers then stop at the delivery spot (generously provided by Rock Art Brewery in Morrisville or The Kitchen and Bath Shop in Stowe) to pick up their basket of baked goods, meats, eggs, dairy, veggies, handmade soaps and other items.

The Yourfarmstand.com project provides a handy network on which to build other projects that support the County's agricultural infrastructure.

Agricultural Promotion and Tourism

One has only to step into the Stowe Visitor Center to hear that a "visit to a farm" is one of the most popular requests. And the success of bicycle tours to farms, breweries, fiber producers (llama and wool farms) and locavore restaurants in other Vermont areas can be replicated in Lamoille.

That's why Lamoille Economic Development Corp. is developing a farm tour map (on-line and hard copy) of area farms open to visits. Stowe Resort willl be a partner in this effort, ushering their visiting families on the tour of some of the best farms in Vermont. As bicycle paths develop further, they create another venue for tour visits, which can be a popular and lucrative activity for traditional farms.

Protecting a Farm's Most Important Asset 

Farming is a dangerous profession; in fact farmers are eight times more likely to die on the job than the average worker. Tractor roll overs are the leading cause of farmer deaths. Seven out of 10 farms go out of business within one year of a fatal overturn. The LEDC is taking the lead to prevent these family and business tragedies in our county by underwriting the UVM-Ext. Service Roll Bar Protection program (ROPS) here. It's a "no brainer" if we want to prevent the estimated $910,000 per farm cost to society when such an accident occurs.

In December 2011, the LEDC board pledged $140,000 over 4 years to provide rebates on roll bar/seat belt retrofits to Lamoille County farmers. It appears that LEDC the only such organization in the country to make such a commitment, and inspires all of us to reach out to owners of at least 180 possible tractors here. This is a big program seeking important results. For information, contact Matt Myers at 802.888.4972 or www.ROPSR4U.com The rebate is substantial and no one need be denied a safe tractor ride.