Agriculture

Vermont is home to almost 7,000 farms and over 1,000,000 acres of farmland, with almost $800 million in sales annually of vegetables, nursery and greenhouse crops, maple syrup, livestock, poultry, tree fruit, berries, and more. Fifteen percent of Vermont farms have a “young operator,” age 35 or younger. Vermont farms are managing 250,000 total acres, generating over $240 million a year in economic activity. Notably, Vermont produces 50% of the maple crop in the US, increasing production as technology advances.

Vermont’s dairy industry generates over $1.3 billion in annual sales and brings $2.2 billion a year in economic activity to Vermont. Our dairy farms produce about two–thirds of all milk in New England, with much of this being processed in- state into cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, and powder. Over 80% of open farmland in Vermont is devoted to dairy production and crops grown for dairy feed. From yogurt makers and farmers to ice cream scoopers and dairy equipment purveyors, some 7,000 jobs, or 2.5% of the state’s workforce, are supported by the dairy industry.  

The University of Vermont (UVM) is the nation’s smallest land grant institution with a medical school. UVM Extension focuses on analysis, design, evaluation, and adoption of infrastructure, technology, and equipment to meet the needs of the agriculture sector in a rapidly changing and highly competitive industry. In 2020, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets provided funding for research and development into areas such as specialty composts to control