Courtesy of NOFA Vermont
This curious cow gets a closer look, just as folks can do with local farms during Open Farm Week, Aug. 3-9.
Aug. 3-9—STATEWIDE—The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT) announces the first Open Farm Week, scheduled for Monday, Aug. 3 through Sunday, Aug. 9. A celebration of the “farm” in “farm to table,” the week-long event will give people a behind-the-scenes look at Vermont’s vibrant working landscape. Farmers across Vermont will throw open their barn doors and garden gates to welcome the public. Visitors may be able to milk a cow, pull a carrot from the warm earth, or taste test a variety of heirloom tomatoes.
Over 80 farms from across the state are participating in this inaugural Open Farm Week, each offering unique activities, including tours, demonstrations, product tasting, scavenger hunts, and more. A complete list of participating farms can be found at diginvt.com. At www.nofavt.org/openfarmweek, the NOFA-VT website features an interactive map and a list of participating businesses that market directly to consumers, such as farmers markets, CSAs, and farm stands.
Building on the success of last summer’s “Open CSA Farm Day,” NOFA-VT is partnering with several organizations from around the state to expand the event to include seven days of open access to farms throughout Vermont. The goal of the event is to connect people with farmers and promote direct buying through farmers markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms and farm stands. This event also coincides with the 2015 National Farmers Market Week.
“This weeklong event is really a celebration of our farmers and our agricultural landscape,” said NOFA-VT’s Erin Buckwalter. “We want to organize a fun and successful state-wide event, and have it grow every year, as a tradition for Vermonters and visitors to Vermont to be able to enjoy the ‘inside scoop’ and get to know more about our farms.”
NOFA-VT is a member-based organization working to grow local farms, healthy food, and strong communities in Vermont. Its members are farmers, gardeners, educators and food lovers of all sorts–anyone who wants to help create a future for local food and local farms. Programs include farmer and gardener technical assistance, farm-to-school support, organic certification, advocacy, an online apprentice and farm worker directory, an annual winter conference, and programs that work to ensure access to fresh, local food to all Vermonters, regardless of income.
The 2015 Open Farm Week is made possible in part by funding NOFA-VT received from aVermont Specialty Crop Block Grant and USDA Agricultural Marketing Service’s Farmers Market Promotion Program.
