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History
NOFA was founded in Putney, Vermont in 1971...
by a group of farmers who believed that farming could be done differently, and it is now one of the oldest organic farming associations in the United States. In 1979, NOFA split into NOFA-VT and NOFA-NH. Shortly after, more NOFAs cropped up around the northeast, ready to further the organic movement together.
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NOFA, along with dozens other organic farming groups, grew out of the unrest among 1960s counterculture.
People were fighting for racial equality, peace, and economic justice, and the back to the land movement led people to rural areas to try a new way of living. This was the beginning of an environmental movement that included growing food organically and being self-sufficient.
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In 1985, Vermont Organic Farmers, LLC (VOF) was created as the USDA accredited organic certification program owned by NOFA-VT.
VOF was created by farmers, and thus from its creation has ensured that farmers' voices are a part of the certification process.
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Throughout the 1990s, NOFA-VT was deeply involved in the design of the National Organic Program (NOP) and worked tirelessly to craft a program that worked for both Vermont scale farms and much bigger farms across the country.
In 2000 when the NOP was finalized, VOF began certifying farms and processors to the USDA NOP standards and has grown to certify over 800 farms and processors. VOF stands out from its peers by its commitment to ensuring that farmers participate in the organization's decision making by voting on how the NOP standards should be interpreted.
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We continue to believe that farmers know what will work for farmers best.
Farmers' voices are still at the core of our organization, and we continue to have a majority farmer board. We center programs and policies that lay the path to a healed food system with ecology and justice at its heart.
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All our programs strive to meet these goals, whether it involves working with schools to bring local foods into the cafeteria or providing strategic planning services to farmers to ensure their businesses stay viable.
Today, we are proud to have nearly 1,100 members. Whether you are a Vermonter who gardens, farms, eats local food, or enjoys our rural communities, NOFA Vermont welcomes you!
Our Mission
The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont promotes organic practices to build an economically viable, ecologically sound, and socially just Vermont agricultural system that benefits all living things.
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