Scope of Work Released to Revision the Vermont Farm Show
November 20, 2023- The Vermont Farm Show Board recently released a Scope of Work to revision the Vermont Farm Show that represents the shifting and emerging needs of farming in Vermont, is financially sustainable to manage, and both celebrates and supports all of the people who grow and produce food in Vermont.
The Vermont Farm Show Board was created in 1979 as a nonprofit organization to conduct an annual agricultural industry event to promote Vermont agriculture, organize and conduct industry association meetings, and exhibit farm equipment, supplies, and products.
The Vermont Farm Show was last held in 2020, just before the pandemic began and was not able to continue financially, operationally, or programmatically beyond the pandemic. The current nonprofit organizational and financial structure does not serve the current or potential purpose nor does it provide an advantage (and could be a disadvantage) to how the Farm Show is sustained over time. The way the Farm Show is currently structured provides minimal investment or incentive for organizing an event that meets the changing landscape of agriculture in Vermont.
In 2022, the Vermont Farm Show Board began to navigate planning for how to address shifts in Farm Show governance structure, funding, overall management, and how to plan for event programming. With a Vermont Community Foundation capacity building grant, the Vermont Farm Show Board hired Rae Carter of EmpowR Transformation (former Farm to Plate Network communications director) to facilitate a revisioning process through an equity lens.
The revisioning process engaged a diverse representation of agricultural leaders to inform how, when, and where future farm shows can be offered. The result of this first stage of inquiry is preparation of a Scope of Work to address shifts in Farm Show governance structure, funding, overall management, and how to plan for event programming.
The Scope of Work suggests collaborative statewide leadership engagement to determine how a statewide agricultural gathering can become a shared effort among the organizations and institutions who serve farmers. The Scope of Work presents an invitation for dialogue among statewide agricultural leaders for the Farm Show to adopt a new organizational and event structure, determine a new fiscal model and funding sources, and shift from a one-person farm show manager to a shared management model.
Recommendations in the Scope of Work include planning for future Farm Show programming to be determined and driven by an inclusive community engagement process from a full range of Vermont agriculture audiences including farmers and food businesses, agricultural education/nonprofit/government institutions, farm vendors and service providers, agricultural students of all ages, and people who love and support agriculture.
The revisioning process presents an opportunity for resource and power sharing, inclusive community engagement, and to meet the expanding needs of a more diverse agricultural landscape. Revisioning the Vermont Farm Show with the recommendations in this Scope of Work aligns with Farm to Plate Vermont Agriculture and Food System Plan intentions for Vermont agriculture to be more economically viable, environmentally resilient, and socially just.
TheVermont Farm Show Scope of Work can be accessed here and is intended to be read and shared across the state with all types and scales of agricultural leadership to generate momentum towards the recommendations presented.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Vermont Farm Show Manager Request For Proposals Now Open for Responses Agricultural association seeks Manager for 2024 Vermont Farm Show
January 25, 2023 | Burlington, VT - The Vermont Farm Show, Inc., invites interested parties to respond to its request for proposals for a Farm Show Manager. After a hiatus triggered by COVID-19, the Board of Trustees is eager to hold a show that welcomes all commodity and specialty crop industries and producer associations. The Farm Show Manager is responsible for the overall planning, production, and closeout of The Farm Show. A successful Show presents vendors, exhibits, and meetings relevant to dairy, maple, berry, vegetable, honey, hops, hemp, Christmas tree, and other meat, fiber, forestry, and crop producers. The Request for Proposals closes March 1, 2023, at 5:00 PM. The Farm Show Manager can be either an individual, a group of individuals under a sole proprietor, or a company. The Manager is responsible for developing a Show that meets the expectations of the Vermont Farm Show Board of Trustees. To apply, follow the instructions in the Request for Proposals (RFP) at vtfarmshow.com. Applicants are encouraged to indicate their intent to respond by February 3, 2023, at 5:00 PM. Responses are due by March 1, 2023, at 5:00 PM. Members of the Vermont Farm Show Board of Trustees will review submissions and invite those submitting top-ranking responses for interviews. A question period will be open from February 6 – 28 for applicants who have indicated their intent to respond. Questions can be submitted to [email protected] during this time period.
The Vermont Farm Show, Inc., is a not-for-profit 501(c)(5) agricultural organization incorporated in the state of Vermont. Since its inception, the organization has conducted the Vermont Farm Show, which provides agricultural organizations and agriculturalists of all kinds the opportunity to gather, conduct meetings, visit vendors, and promote the agricultural interests of the state.
### Contact: Julie Smith Secretary | Vermont Farm Show (802) 656-4496 |[email protected]
Cancelled for 2023
To be able to better serve the Vermont agricultural community, the Vermont Farm Show Board voted to cancel the 2023 show and to take a year to reassess its goals. This decision was not an easy one, especially after having to cancel last year's show due to the pandemic- we are hopeful that we will be back better than ever in 2024! Please feel free to reach out if you're interested in the future of the show. For Immediate Release: Vermont Farm Show Board Cancels the 2023 Event Committee will work to ensure future shows meet the needs and expectations of 21stCentury agriculture
July 5, 2022 | Essex Junction, VT– Due to circumstances related to and created by the coronavirus pandemic, the Board of Trustees of the Vermont Farm Show, Inc., is cancelling the 2023 show and assessing how to ensure the event successfully serves the state’s agricultural interests in the years to come.
In a recent meeting, the Board unanimously agreed that the Vermont Farm Show should return in 2024, after a period of critique, evaluation and review to ensure the event evolves with current needs and wants of the Vermont agriculture community in the 21stcentury. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) will coordinate a focus group with agricultural sector stakeholders to help meet this goal.
Since 1930, the purpose of the Vermont Farm Show has been to promote Vermont agriculture through meetings of agricultural associations, farming industry displays, exhibits, and demonstrations of innovative methods to grow food in ways that benefit the farmer, the environment, our communities and society. Today, more than 90 years later, those objectives may be attained in vastly different ways than when the Show first brought people together.
“Agriculture in Vermont is changing rapidly, and the Vermont Farm Show needs to change, too, to better meet the needs of the agricultural community with the resources available,” reflected Glenn Rogers, who served several years as a floor manager of the Vermont Farm Show and as past secretary and current treasurer on the Board of Trustees.
After holding the 2020 Show in January of that year, just prior to the beginning of the pandemic, the 2021 and 2022 shows were both cancelled due to ongoing health and safety concerns with COVID-19. “We want to recognize both Board President Dave Martin and Glenn Rogers for their work to hold those shows during the pandemic despite having to cancel. We are grateful for their long service and commitment to the Vermont Farm Show,” said Vermont Farm Show Vice-President Kyla Bedard.
The Trustees of the Vermont Farm Show are looking for new Board members to help manage future Farm Shows and contribute to the mission to reimagine the Show. “The Board is committed to using this time to create the best experience for all Vermonters and our agriculture community. We also want to use this opportunity to grow our Board and invite anyone interested in envisioning the 2024 Farm Show to join us,” said Bedard. Per Board bylaws, Dave Martin has stepped down as President after a 3- year term.
“The Board also will use this time as an opportunity to find someone who is passionate about Vermont agriculture in the 21stcentury to lead us through this time of transition,” said Rogers. The Trustees are open to finding ways for the Vermont Farm Show to connect with new audiences, such as consumers, food-enthusiasts and all types of Vermont farmers.
Bedard offered, “We hope that with the support of a coalition of partners the Vermont Farm Show will return in 2024, re-envisioned and revitalized to better serve our Vermont agricultural community and provide connections and education for consumers.” Please contact Kyla Bedard if you’re interested in joining the Vermont Farm Show Executive Board or Board of Trustees.
### Media Contact: Kyla Bedard, Vice President- Vermont Farm Show [email protected], (802)234-1060 www.vtfarmshow.com
2021 Farm Show Message from Anson Tebbetts
Vermont Farm Show 2020 to Highlight Agriculture’s Best Products and Farms ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. -- The annual Vermont Farm Show returns to the Champlain Valley Exposition on Jan. 28-30, 2020. The annual statewide gathering celebrates Vermont’s agriculture, farms, products and organizations, and features a three-day trade show with exhibits of new equipment, farm supplies, food producers and agriculture education opportunities.
The event is free and open to the public, according to Jackie Folsom, manager of the Vermont Farm Show. “This is a great time to meet with vendors, preview products and machinery and network with Vermont’s farming community. Plus it is a great place for families to learn about agriculture and job-seekers to make connections,” she added.
The Vermont Farm Show’s hours are:
Tuesday, Jan. 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Consumer Night, Jan. 29 from 4 to 7 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 30 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Association meetings play a big part of the Vermont Farm Show. This year’s participating associations include the VT/NH Christmas Tree, Vermont Beekeepers, the Future Farmers of America, and the VT Beef Producers.
Handspun fibers, jellies, silage, pies, and many other agricultural products will be judged and on display as part of the annual product competitions. For a full list of product competitions and entry rules, visit http://www.vtfarmshow.com/2020-product-contests.html.There will also be some great animals on display, including, a Morgan horse, sheep, and birds.
This year, Consumer Night will be held Wednesday, Jan. 29 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Vermont Farm Show. Food enthusiasts will enjoy the Buy Local Market, which will showcase foods and products from Vermont farms.
The “Capital Cook-off,” an Iron Chef-type competition featuring the Vermont House of Representatives, Senate, and Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, is back again this year. Teams will have 90 minutes to create a dish using Vermont products bought at the adjacent Buy Local Market. Visitors to the event will have time to taste and purchase Vermont products from the exhibitors while waiting for the Cook-off winners to be announced.
The Vermont Farm Show is again partnering with the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf. "Over the years that we have asked for food donations, visitors to the Farm Show have provided several tons of food and lots of cash to assist the folks in Chittenden County," Folsom noted. "It's a great partnership and one of the highlights of the show."
For more information, including a list of scheduled 2020 exhibitors and association meetings, visit www.vtfarmshow.com.
