The UVM Farmer Training Program
We have a long standing partnership with the University of Vermont and their Farmer Training Program, a hands-on 6-month program for aspiring farmers and food systems advocates designed to launch students into careers and work that create and support sustainable and just food systems. As one of the program host farms and instructors in their coursework, students enjoy a month and half rotation working alongside us at Bread & Butter Farm and a series of formal classroom presentations on regenerative land and business management. We engage students in our daily management of pastures, animals, vegetables and educational programs, and through these experiences guide them in charting new philosophical and paradigmatic understanding of what farming truly is.
We cover production methods within the context of agroecological principles, and show that soil health equals human gut health. We explore business planning and financial management, and cultivate an appreciation for whole farm currencies from money to water to photosynthesis. We demonstrate successful team dynamics on a working farm, and prove that our greatest work is collaborative community building from the soil to the clouds and everything held between.
