Tour Information

Sunday, August 13
National Conservation District Employees Association Tour
Visit natural, historic and fun sites along Lake Champlain starting with Bread and Butter Farm, where a young farm family is making a living and caring for this conserved farm through a variety of community-oriented enterprises. The tour will wrap up at Magic Hat Brewery, one of Vermont’s famous local brew houses.

Tuesday, August 15
Tours Overview
Vermont has taken an “All In” approach to nurturing the agricultural and forest economies, improving soil health, and addressing water quality concerns. Partnerships have developed among farmers, foresters and landowners, state, federal and local government agencies, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, watershed groups and socially responsible businesses. Together they are making significant co-investments and coordinating efforts to support the entrepreneurs who make their living from the land, while helping protect Vermont’s natural resources and working landscape for future generations. These collaborations include the Vermont Agricultural Water Quality Partnership, Farm to Plate, the Working Lands Enterprise Fund, and the Vermont Environmental Business Partnership. The three tours offered will highlight various aspects of these collaborative efforts.

Tour #1: Agricultural Water Quality Tour
Visit the Conant’s Riverside Farm, the Charlotte Grassed Waterway Monitoring Project, and Shelburne Farms to learn about a wide range of innovative conservation practices supported by NRCS and others to enhance soil health, protect water quality and improve natural habitats. Participants will also visit edge-of-field monitoring sites where research is being conducted to measure the effectiveness of specific conservation practices.
~ Led by USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Tour #2: Green Stormwater Infrastructure Tour
Burlington and surrounding communities are the most populated and developed parts of Vermont. Learn how communities, businesses, and landowners are working together to mitigate the negative impacts of stormwater runoff in developed areas.
~ Led by Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District

Tour #3: Farm to Plate Tour
Learn how the Farm to Plate Network, the network of over 300+ farm and food organizations collectively implementing Vermont’s food system plan, is helping create agricultural jobs, improving access to healthy local food for all Vermonters, and protecting Vermont’s working landscape. The network is coordinating efforts to protect and expand affordable and environmentally sustainable farmland, improve the viability of farms and food businesses, increase local food availability and affordability in all market channels, increase consumer engagement and demand for local food, and meet food system employment needs in positive work environments.
~ Led by Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund