Dairy and Livestock Programs
Information, Services and Support for Vermont's Organic Dairy & Livestock Community
If you are considering transitioning your existing dairy herd to organic or buying an organic herd, or starting to produce organic meat or fiber, NOFA Vermont's Organic Dairy and Livestock Program would like to help you.
To start, you can read some of the information listed below, or go to the page on how to transition or buy an organic herd. You can also request a visit from one of the livestock advisors. This visit will help answer any questions you may have and ensure you are taking the right steps. We will also provide you with additional resources to help you transition. The visit costs $50, which is a subsidized price made possible by funding from supporting organizations and individuals listed at the bottom of this page. We also encourage you to take a close look at the costs of starting an organic operation. We can provide a confidential financial analysis cash flow analysis for you at no charge. Some of the other resources available through the program are listed below:
- Organic dairy transition guidelines for VOF certified farms
- Listing of organic seeds for sale in and near Vermont
To request the most recent directory of organic forages for sale in Vermont, please call the office at 434-4122.
- Preparing For the VOF Organic Inspector by Cheryl Bruce
- Filling out your VOF animal inventory form by Cheryl Bruce
- The cost of transition: do you know if you have enough money to make it to your first organic milk check?
- New loan program available for Vermont Farmers Transitioning to Organic
- The economics of transition: NOFA Vermont offers Cash Flow Analysis to farmers considering transitioning to organic
- Plan for Success with NOFA Vermont's Farm business planning program
Funding sources for the NOFA Vermont Dairy and Livestock Technical Assistance Program include:
- The Vermont Agency of Agriculture
- The University of Vermont
- The USDA Risk Management Agency
- The John Merck Fund
- The Freeman Foundation
- The USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE)
- Vermont Farm Viability Enhancement Program
Contact us:
NOFA VT, PO Box 697
Richmond, Vermont 05477
Phone: 802-434-4122