The Vermont Farm Show Foundation has been formed to build knowledge and community among farmers and the public while celebrating Vermont’s diverse agricultural sector.

We are engaged in activities that provide education and access to resources, leading to a stronger agricultural sector in Vermont, including but not limited to fostering youth education opportunities, creating in-person engagement opportunities, and developing an online resource repository.

In all of our efforts, we will:
  1. gather people together in a celebration of Vermont agriculture,
  2. educate everyone, including youth, farmers, future farmers, and the non-farming public; to support a vibrant and diverse agricultural sector in Vermont,
  3. engage all people through sharing access to resources and providing visibility to the variety of products produced by Vermont’s farmers,
  4. enhance Vermont’s agricultural activities by highlighting services and resources, and creating connections and access to information, and
  5. ensure a diverse agricultural future for Vermont through embracing all types and scales of agriculture, and educating people about opportunities to support Vermont farmers and farming.

The Vermont Farm Show Foundation is initially focus on these key initiatives:
  • Create a connector program for youth seeking agriculture and food system-based internships and mentor relationships.
  • Present educational workshops and experiences at events held by other organizations connected to Vermont agriculture and food production, such as the Vermont Farm Bureau and county agricultural fairs in Vermont; educational offerings will also be available virtually.
  • Build a resource repository and newsletter for existing and aspiring agricultural enterprises to quickly access a variety of services needed for successful business development and operations.
  • Hold an annual, multi-day educational gathering.  The event will support youth engagement, education, and empowerment to help ensure a strong agricultural future in Vermont. The event will invite all farmers to share and learn in community to strengthen individual and industry operations in support of Vermont’s diverse agricultural enterprises. This event will draw in the public, offering opportunities for individuals and families to spend time learning about Vermont's diverse agricultural sector. Hands-on, experiential education in addition to access to industry experts will be a large part of this event’s offerings.

All of the above activities focus on education for youth, families, farmers, aspiring farmers and the public.

We view education as the strongest tool for ensuring a viable and diverse agricultural future for Vermont. Leveraging collaborative partnerships is a key strategy to the Vermont Farm Show Foundation's program development and implementation success.