An innovative initiative is underway in Vermont: The Grow America Farm Corps initiative addresses Vermont’s farm labor shortages by fostering dynamic collaboration among local farmers, new Americans, and supporting partners.
Farmers with employment opportunities can sign up to match with new Americans seeking agricultural training and mentorship. Grow America Farm Corps partners assist in placing and transitioning participants who gain housing through on-farm living spaces, professional skills development, and community. Participants can also access job placement assistance in agricultural manufacturing.
The initiative is spearheaded by the nonprofit organization Operation Recovery together with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets; U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants; the dairy farm families of Agri-Mark; Cabot Creamery Cooperative; and Liberty Hill Farm, according to a news release Jan. 3. Operation Recovery is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting, sustaining, and enabling those connected to service, diplomacy, and humanitarian development.
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Between January 2012 and October 2023, nearly half of Vermont’s dairy farms closed their doors, according to a recent University of Vermont Extension report. State and national agricultural trends including an aging farmer population, increasing non-farmland pressure, and production capacity challenges face Vermont’s current and future farming generations.
Through this unique new collaboration, partner organizations, agencies, and community leaders aim to combine on-ground wisdom with online resources to enhance job accessibility and prioritize housing support within the state.
“I am proud of the work being done by Grow America Farm Corps and their partners including the Vermont Agency of Agriculture and Cabot to help our newest Vermonters to begin work on farms,” said Patrick Leahy, a retired U.S. senator from Vermont noted for his leadership in agricultural and immigration matters. “Agricultural workers are much needed, so this approach can sustain existing farms while giving new Americans an opportunity to join our rural communities through working in farming, one of Vermont’s most important industries.”
More than 40 new American families fleeing hardship abroad are participating in Grow America Farm Corps, launched in late 2023. Interest among the state’s farmers and new Americans is growing as the initiative expands.
To host a family, register to view available Grow America Farm Corps employment opportunities, donate, or learn more about the initiative, visit: GrowAmericaFarmCorps.org.
