Comments on: Locally Grown: Vermont's Farming Future http://shumlinforgovernor.com/locally-grown-vermonts-farming-future/ Leadership for a strong Vermont Thu, 07 Apr 2011 01:09:22 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Larry Kupferman http://shumlinforgovernor.com/locally-grown-vermonts-farming-future/comment-page-1/#comment-326 Larry Kupferman Wed, 22 Sep 2010 20:22:19 +0000 http://dev1.shumlinforgovernor.com/?p=1383#comment-326 I heard Peter today at the VT Affordable Housing Coalition meeting in Randolph and was impressed with his vision of conserving land for future farming opportunities in light of climate change. I hope he is able to speak about this vision and very realistic assessment of conservation and the economic development opportunity such investments will make in our future. Makes a lot of sense to me, and think this will resonate with other voters. It merges the competing interests of land conservation and economic development very nicely whilealso recognizing the realities ofclimate change. Larry I heard Peter today at the VT Affordable Housing Coalition meeting in Randolph and was impressed with his vision of conserving land for future farming opportunities in light of climate change.

I hope he is able to speak about this vision and very realistic assessment of conservation and the economic development opportunity such investments will make in our future.

Makes a lot of sense to me, and think this will resonate with other voters. It merges the competing interests of land conservation and economic development very nicely whilealso recognizing the realities ofclimate change.

Larry

]]> By: Matt Conger http://shumlinforgovernor.com/locally-grown-vermonts-farming-future/comment-page-1/#comment-270 Matt Conger Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:33:25 +0000 http://dev1.shumlinforgovernor.com/?p=1383#comment-270 I have to agree with previous post. Conventional dairy farming practice seems to be 'unsustainable', environmentally and economically. Vermont just can't compete with other regional production efficiencies. Assistance with transition to organic production is a first step, but the real transition, I believe, is away from bovine dairy, with it's high demand upon resources. Many of our farmers need to 'downsize' their structural and land needs and create more compact operations suitable to Vermont's topography and transportation infrastructure. I have to agree with previous post. Conventional dairy farming practice seems to be ‘unsustainable’, environmentally and economically. Vermont just can’t compete with other regional production efficiencies. Assistance with transition to organic production is a first step, but the real transition, I believe, is away from bovine dairy, with it’s high demand upon resources. Many of our farmers need to ‘downsize’ their structural and land needs and create more compact operations suitable to Vermont’s topography and transportation infrastructure.

]]> By: James Maroney http://shumlinforgovernor.com/locally-grown-vermonts-farming-future/comment-page-1/#comment-148 James Maroney Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:18:32 +0000 http://dev1.shumlinforgovernor.com/?p=1383#comment-148 Many fine words here but "over-order premium" is not among them. The dairy farmers' chief problem is not low prices but over production, which is why their price is so low. Anyone who suggests that farmers are not getting "the price they deserve for their milk" must explain how that can be accomplished when the national milk supply is consistently 9B lbs in surplus over demand. Paying them an "over order premium" implies that they would receive a premium for the same level of production? Would doing so not drive production still further up? And the money to pay such a premium comes from where or whom exactly? This is a fact: there is no business model that anyone can describe that makes conventional dairy farming profitable in Vermont that does not continue to consolidate our small and medium-sized farms into huge CAFOs or that does not pollute the lake. How about a discussion of the importance to Vermont farming of organic certification. Many fine words here but “over-order premium” is not among them. The dairy farmers’ chief problem is not low prices but over production, which is why their price is so low. Anyone who suggests that farmers are not getting “the price they deserve for their milk” must explain how that can be accomplished when the national milk supply is consistently 9B lbs in surplus over demand. Paying them an “over order premium” implies that they would receive a premium for the same level of production? Would doing so not drive production still further up? And the money to pay such a premium comes from where or whom exactly? This is a fact: there is no business model that anyone can describe that makes conventional dairy farming profitable in Vermont that does not continue to consolidate our small and medium-sized farms into huge CAFOs or that does not pollute the lake. How about a discussion of the importance to Vermont farming of organic certification.

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