January 30, 2026
In response to recent years of flooding, drought, and ongoing economic uncertainty, NOFA-VT and the Bennington County Conservation District are coming together to support farmers in southern Vermont through a new Southwest Farmer Resilience Project. This project is designed to strengthen resilience not only on individual farms, but across the wider farming community in Bennington and Rutland counties.
From early March through early May, a cohort of farmers will gather for four on-farm evening workshops, creating space to learn practical resilience strategies, build relationships, and grow a network of peer support rooted in shared experience.
Why a Resilience Cohort?
Farmers across Vermont and the Northeast are navigating increasingly complex challenges—from climate-driven floods and droughts to rising input costs, labor pressures, and market volatility. While these challenges are widespread, their impacts are felt locally, shaped by regional landscapes, infrastructure, and relationships.
This cohort was created to support farmers in the shires by offering a place-based, relational space to build resilience together—sharing strategies, strengthening coordination, and learning from one another’s lived experience. By gathering on farms and grounding conversations in real conditions, the cohort emphasizes that resilience is not only about individual farm practices, but also about community connections and regional collaboration.
The goal is to create a foundation for ongoing, farmer-informed resilience efforts that can grow and adapt alongside the needs of the farming community in the Shires.
What to Expect
The cohort will meet for four evening gatherings, each hosted on a working farm and focused on a different aspect of resilience. Every session will include:
- A farm tour to ground learning in real-world conditions
- Practical tools and planning strategies
- Dedicated time to apply ideas to your own farm and the regional food system
- Shared meals and plenty of time to connect with peers
All farms are welcome to participate, children are welcome at meetings, and meals and beverages will be provided. Recognizing the demands of early spring, we hope participants can attend all sessions, but understand if that isn’t possible.
Participating farms will receive a $75 stipend per meeting, up to $300 per farm.
Cohort Sessions
- Early March (March 2, 3, or 4) – Farm Financial Resilience Planning
The Goat Project, Bennington - March 25 – Community Resilience Planning
Clear Brook Farm, Shaftsbury - April 15 – Farm Climate Resilience Planning
Squier Family Farm, Tinmouth - April 28 – Regional Organizing for Resilience
Earth Sky Time Community Farm, Manchester
Each workshop highlights a host farm whose work brings the session’s theme to life.
Join the Cohort
If you’re a farmer in Bennington or Southern Rutland County interested in strengthening resilience on your farm and contributing to a stronger regional farming community, we’d love to have you join us. We'd love to have the cohort fully formed by February 25, and approval to the cohort will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
To learn more or participate, email [email protected].
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