SVTFarm in Wells, VT applied for a 3%-interest Business Builder loan to use as short-term bridge financing for her grant-funded winter livestock housing and summer compost coverall barn. Owner Laura Burch identified the project as key to her farm's long-term viability by facilitating more efficient use of feed resources, conservation of nutrient resources, and improvements to animal comfort, soil health, and water quality.
Read MoreBlackbird Organics is a certified organic farm that grows a wide diversity of vegetable crops. Owners Kagen Dewey and Elise Magnant sell their produce through local farmers’ markets, grocery co-ops, and a small CSA. Blackbird Organics began in 2018 and scaled their production on leased land until just last year, when they worked together with the Vermont Land Trust to purchase their own property in Plainfield, VT. The business is now poised to make significant investments in infrastructure, efficient systems, and long-term strategies for growth. Blackbird Organics received a $30,000 Business Builder loan to help finance some of those key equipment and infrastructure investments to expand production on the new farm.
Read MoreSweet Rowen Farmstead is a small, grass-based dairy farm in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, with a mission to maintain a working landscape that provides families with fresh food, supports the local economy, and upholds the ecological integrity of the environment. The milk from their herd of pasture-raised, heritage breed, Lineback cows is processed at their own on-farm creamery into bottled milk, yogurt, and cheese. Owner Paul Lisai is breaking ground on a new barn this summer and received a $30,000 Business Builder loan to support the construction, along with grant funds secured from the Agency of Agriculture and Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. The new barn will hold all the farm’s young stock and allow Sweet Rowen to house all their animals on the farm through winter.
Read MoreNorthwind Farm is an organic dairy in Cabot, VT. Owner Geordie Lynd has been in business since 2010 and currently milks a herd of 65 cows. Northwind Farm received a $30,000 Business Builder loan to support several infrastructure improvement projects this year, including an updated manure management system and renovated pastures with planned laneways. Geordie was also awarded grant funding through the VAAFM Pasture and Surface Water Fencing Program to help fund the pasture improvements. Combining grant dollars with a low-interest VFF loan can be a cost-effective way for small farms to finance larger capital projects.
Read More1000 Stone Farm is a family owned and operated 4-season certified organic homestead farm in Brookfield, VT. In addition to providing sustainably-grown vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, and fruit, owner Kyle Doda is expanding a new cider-making enterprise. 1000 Stone received their first Farm Fund loan in 2019 to support the construction of two high tunnels and a farmstand. Their latest Business Builder loan will fund equipment to improve the efficiency of their cider production and processing. We can’t wait to try the new product!
Read MoreHillside Homestead is a small conventional dairy farm in Albany, VT. The farm is primarily a registered Holstein herd that sells milk conventionally but owners Renee & Chet Baker also operate a small farmstand that offers their own raw milk, local cheese products, maple syrup and some seasonal veggies. A returning VFF borrower, Hillside Homestead received a new Business Builder loan to help finance infrastructure improvements like a barn painting project and construction of a sawdust shed.
Read MoreSweetland Farm is a highly diversified farm, producing mixed fruits and vegetables, poultry, pigs and feed hay. Owner Norah Lake started Sweetland in 2012 when she purchased her property from the Vermont Land Trust and has been actively growing her business ever since. She has a year round farm store and primarily sells direct to local customers. Norah is undertaking an ambitious project to install a state-of-the-art wood chip gasification boiler to heat 5 greenhouses in the winter and extend the growing season. Together with grant funding, Norah used a VFF Business Builder loan to help finance the up-front payments required for the construction.
Read MoreAt Thornhill Farm in Greensboro, owner Todd Hardie has been growing organic grain on his farm for seven years, serving local bakeries, retailers, and distilleries. Thornhill Farm received a $30,000 Business Builder loan from VFF for the purchase of a 48" New American stone mill. A stone mill keeps the milled grain and its oils and ingredients cool, resulting in a higher quality grain - and better-tasting bread and whiskey.
Read MoreZ Botanicals Apothecary & Herbal Sanctuary is an herb farm and apothecary that sells fresh herbs and value-added herbal medicinals. They also make a wide variety of herbal health and beauty products. Z Botanicals received a Business Builder loan to help owner Lyndsay Rose transition the farm to a new property with an on-site storefront in Hartland, VT.
Read MoreReturning VFF borrower Honey Field Farm received a $22,000 Business Builder loan to invest in new equipment for field tillage and cover cropping, giving them greater flexibility to respond to weather and real-time conditions on the ground. Farm owners Eli Hersh and Valerie Woodhouse first came to the Farm Fund in 2020 after purchasing their new 25-acre organic vegetable farm from Liz and Jake Guest, now the owners of Killdeer Farm.
Read MoreLiz and Jake Guest have been farming in the Upper Valley for nearly 40 years. After selling their large vegetable operation and farmstand several years ago, Liz and Jake now manage Killdeer Farm, a smaller organic mixed-vegetable farm on the Connecticut River where they focus on just a few main crops.
Killdeer Farm requested an $8,500 Business Builder loan for the installation of a new walk-in cooler and expansion of the bed of their pickup truck. Jake estimated that these improvements would yield efficiencies in their picking, packing, and delivery systems that would save the farm several thousand dollars each season. As they look toward their eventual retirement, an important goal for Liz and Jake is to maintain their land as a working organic farm now and into the future.
Read MoreStine Orchard is an apple orchard and farm market on 32 acres in Monkton. Aaron and Kathleen Stine, co-owners of Bevo Catering in Colchester, purchased the business in early 2022. Aaron approached the VFF this spring for a $30,000 Business Builder loan to expand the kitchen and storage space in the market building. This will support their growing event offerings like the popular food and live music nights they introduced in their first season.
Read MoreMoses Kauffman is a farmer and woodworker based in Brownington. He has an active furniture-making and builder/contractor business and in the last several years has begun raising pigs on farm. Moses will use his Business Builder loan to buy additional sows and grain to build up his breeding stock. He also has plans in the coming year to start work on the construction of a sow barn.
Read MoreBirdhous is a returning Farm Fund borrower who used their first Business Builder loan to outfit a bus into a certified food production space. With strong customer demand for their pierogi product, they approach the Farm Fund for a second loan to expand production into a new leased space with new equipment, including a reach-in refrigerator and freezer. The original bus will also receive some upgrades for a new life as a mobile food truck.
Read MoreFort Waite Farm is a 5th generation Vermont dairy farm in Corinth. When severe drought conditions caused their spring-fed well to run dry, farm owners Mary and Elijah White were forced to haul water from a neighbor's pond. In urgent need of capital, they reached out to the Farm Fund for help. In less than two weeks they had the funds in hand for a combination Emergency and Business Builder loan to drill a new water source for the farm.
Read MoreLaughing Child Farm is an organic sweet potato farm in Pawlet, VT. Owned and operated by Brooke and Timothy Hughes-Muse, Laughing Child sells three different varieties of sweet potatoes directly from their farm stand and to stores throughout Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York.
Brooke and Timothy are returning Farm Fund borrowers, receiving their first Farm Fund loan in 2018 to upgrade their packing house and sweet potato washing equipment. With demand for their product steadily growing, their latest Business Builder loan will help finance the purchase of a new delivery truck.
Read MoreHillside Homestead is a 50-cow dairy farm located in Albany, VT owned and operated by Renee and Chet Baker. With experience milking cows since 2013, the Bakers purchased a farm of their own in late 2019. Hillside Homestead is primarily a registered Holstein herd that sells milk conventionally but also operates a small farmstand that offers their own raw milk, local cheese products, maple syrup and some seasonal veggies. The Bakers will use their Business Builder loan to improve their grazing system by adding more paddocks and acres of pasture to allow them to utilize the full extent of their land more efficiently.
Read MoreNEK Grains is a new and upcoming business created by Shawn and Sara Gingue at the Gingue Family Farms in Waterford, VT. The business encompasses the growing, harvesting, processing and storage of wheat, barley, oats and soybeans for use in malting, baking, brewing and feed production in the region as well as custom seeding work and the sale of wheat berries and flour. NEK Grains will use their VFF Business Builder Loan to create a larger on-farm store to offer more retail products and to also house their 40" New American Stone Mill. They currently outsource all of their milling so by purchasing a mill they will be able to fill more orders, more efficiently.
Read MorePitchfork Pickle makes vinegar brined and fermented vegetable pickles, krauts, kimchi and hot sauce using locally sourced Vermont produce. Owner Julia Irish worked at Pitchfork Farm and started The Pickle with Pitchfork Farm owners Eric Seitz and Rob Rock in 2019. Their goal was to use as much farm produce as possible to make seasonal, local pickles and ferments. Pitchfork Pickle will use their VFF Business Builder Loan to build out a walk-in cooler to provide cold storage for their prepared products as well as local produce waiting to be pickled.
Read MoreJanine Ndagijimana from Janine Farm in Colchester grows more than 8 acres of African eggplant, as well as other specialty vegetables like amaranth, beans, corn, pumpkin leaves, and other greens. She sells to customers all over the country, as well as the VT Food Bank. Janine's VFF Business Builder loan will help her to purchase a cooler to store vegetables and keep them fresh.
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