Changing climate and other factors make Vermont staples like milk and maple syrup harder to produce, so a raft of new crops and farm businesses are popping up.
There was a time when Vermont’s landscape was dotted with weathered red barns full of dairy cows, and every country store was chockablock with local maple syrup and candies. The barns are there still, as are their fading illustrations of cows, and the sugar maples still draw leaf peepers in the fall. But because of industry shifts and climate change, many of the cows are gone and the state’s biggest agricultural products are imperiled.
Dairy once accounted for 70 percent of the state’s agricultural economy. But the number of dairy farms in Vermont decreased from more than 4,000 in 1969 to fewer than 600 in 2021, as the state’s small-scale operations lost out to sprawling ventures in California. Higher temperatures also contributed to that shift, causing cows to eat less and produce less milk.One of the dairy farms that went bankrupt, in 2017, was the 600-acre Nordic Farms on Route 7 in Charlotte.
Vermont’s changing agricultural makeup owes part of its new vigor to an old land-use law. Act 250 took effect in 1970 when the state faced major development pressure and has been instrumental in keeping Vermont looking like Vermont. Its strict review process for new uses of farmland makes it harder for commercial development and prioritizes other viable agricultural businesses.A warmer climate has meant a longer growing season in Vermont, making it more amenable to grains like wheat.
and dump the rest to keep milk prices from tanking. Meanwhile, feed, hauling prices, even how much it cost to dispose of manure — all costs had skyrocketed in part because of drought- and climate-change-related extreme weather. The prevailing wisdom was that the only way to be profitable was to scale up to 1,000 cows. The Jones family didn’t have the land to accommodate that many.
much easier to turn into usable compost. The Joneses use less diesel because they are no longer spreading 2 million gallons of liquid manure across their farm. Vermont’s climate is better for growing the The state’s agricultural researchers are looking for ways farmers can “hedge their bets,” diversifying crops with high-value items that can also expand the growing season. One of Vermont’s promising newcomers is saffron.
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