VLT Statewide Farm Project Guidelines VLT seeks to conserve high quality farms throughout Vermont. These guidelines describe the characteristics that farms should possess for consideration under this program. In the process of conserving the highest quality farms, VLT also seeks to strengthen the profitability, entrepreneurship, affordability and community linkage of agriculture in Vermont. Farms not meeting the benchmarks of these guidelines may, however, be candidates under either VLT’s Local Farm Project Guidelines or Community Project Guidelines. I. Farm Project Categories and Minimum Criteria – Projects shall fulfill all of the following minimum criteria in one of the two categories below: 1. Operating Farms – Projects that include farmland with facilities and are evaluated as operating units. a. Agricultural resource--soil quality, size, configuration, accessibility, topography, and water source sufficient to support a quality farm operation.
b. Farm viability -- The farm is likely to continue in active agricultural use for the foreseeable future.
c. Farm facilities are reasonably sufficient to support the current or planned operation. While the presence of such facilities is mandatory for this category, VLT recognizes that structures are not permanent and their durability may be a function of good management.
d. Sound resource management practices (those activities which maximize the long term productivity of the soil, water, and related plant and animal resources) are appropriate to the type of operation.
2. Bare Farmland – Projects that focus on the conservation of outstanding farmland soils on properties lacking adequate facilities or buildings. a. The farmland meets the standards outlined above that describe resource quality and sound resource practices.
b. The combination of the farmland’s location and the qualities described above indicate a high likelihood that the land will remain in active, long-term agricultural use.
II. Project Enhancements -- The following factors, not listed in priority order, may increase VLT’s interest in undertaking a project: 1. Multiple resource values: In addition to solid agricultural values, the farm includes other significant resources – historic structures or sites, archeological values, habitat attributes (rare or endangered species, Vermont Non-Game and Natural Heritage Program sites, important surface waters, significant game species habitat, etc.), meaningful public recreational access, or other comparable public values.
2. Conservation of the farm will build or expand a farm block. Farm blocks are areas of concentrated agricultural soils where operating farms are somewhat interdependent and rely on common support services.
3. The farm is in an agricultural community. Indicators of such an agricultural community may include the number of working farms, the number and proximity of other conserved farms and the availability of agricultural support services
4. The farm exemplifies innovative management, especially where the operator makes a contribution to the larger Vermont agricultural economy. Completed projects of this type include exemplary rotational grazing operations, an organic milk bottling operation, a dairy sheep center, organic beef, farm incubator, dairy goat products, and a large sheep farm.
5. The farm contributes to diversification of the larger Vermont farm economy.
6. The farm is owner-operated and has a plan for transfer to a new owner-operator, or conservation of the farm will create a strong likelihood that such a transfer will occur within a reasonable time.
7. Conservation of the land will facilitate the start-up of an abandoned or non-operating farm or transfer to new ownership.
8. Local planning or other municipal programs such as tax stabilization or local land conservation funds exist to support the continuation of farming.
9. The project is leveraged by bargain-sales, land gifts, community or private contributions and easement donations.. III. Additional Considerations -- The following principles should guide the implementation of VLT’s farm program: 1. VLT’s farm conservation effort – the distribution of staff and financial resources – should roughly match the distribution of agricultural soils around the state.
2. VLT will adjust its farm resource expectations based on regional differences, but viability will remain a bottom line. Farm conservation success in all regions of Vermont is important – to maintain cultural connections, access to food, and public support for farming and farm land conservation.
3. Staff should evaluate financial viability in a general way. VLT should invest resources in financially troubled operations only after deliberation and should generally elevate its resource expectations for such operations.
4. Conservation of Operating Farms will, all things being equal, have priority over Bare Farmland projects. VLT will take an especially focused look at the long-term ownership of bare farmland parcels, and will consider the possible use of methods such as purchase options to connect bare parcels with conserved operating farm units and to help make these parcels affordable for farmer ownership.
5. In each farm transaction, staff should consider whether a farm, when conserved, will be particularly attractive for future purchase as a rural estate. These types of buyers typically will pay above agricultural value for such farms, possibly contradicting VLT’s goal to keep the property in active agricultural use. With these types of farms VLT staff should explore mechanisms to maintain long-term farm affordability. Rev. July 2001
These links provide other information about VLT's farmland conservation program: The following links provide information for you, if you are interested in conserving land that is not a working farm: |
