Present: Dawn Hancy, Phil, Mojo, Jim, Rebecca, Anastasia, Pamela, Chris, Deb
Committees:
Dawn will compile & distribute contact info for each committee
Publicity / Membership outreach (if they wish to be combined)
Livestock and equipment
Education:
Lending library – members get books through the mail.
Programs
Displays at events
General items of interest:
* Dawn will set up display board for NCFN, booth at Northeast Animal Power Field Days, Sept. 26-28 at Tunbridge Fairgrounds.
* Next year’s Tunbridge World’s Fair will be the Year of the Vegetable. People are encouraged to submit recipes for using vegetables to encourage fair-goers to grow and cook more vegetables. Send recipes to Dawn at agricolasfarm@gmail.com or PO Box 88, Vershire, VT 05079, or Stephanie at stephrock@hughes.net.
* Rural Vt is helping NCFN hire an intern to create software to coordinate work bees / chore sharing.
* Link to newsletters with calendar of events of interest to us: on Nofa VT, First Branch Sustainability Network, Vital communities, Rural Vermont, VT Peak Oil, Center for Sustainable Agriculture, etc.
* Money from Network funds are available for us to go to workshops and then to teach/share with the rest of the group. We can also go and staff a booth for at least 2-4 hours, depending on event as reps from NCFN in exchange for admission.
* List serv and blog could be added to our website w/announcements, also via email
* Need for farming blog from us in VT.
* Blog will have its own URL and a link to our website.
* We discussed slaughtering animals and the best place to go. There’s a good custom butcher on Jenkins Brook Rd. He doesn’t smoke animals though. VT Smoke and Cure is expensive.
Grain bin update:
* Most likely grain will be organic layer crumbles.
* Possibly will be located at someone’s homestead at the modern old schoolhouse in Vershire. Electricity, driveway, and traffic is a concern for the owner. The issue is to dig a trench to get the electrical line through.
* Maybe put an advertisement in Ag review to ask someone to host the grain bin.
* Jim will check on two Washington farms for possible grain bin locations.
* We want to put bin up this fall.
* Eventually we would like local grain to fill the bin too.
Equipment:
* Scalder worked with boiling hot water, not with anything less hot. It wasn’t keeping the water hot. We should buy another one.
* Need new cones.
* Maybe to buy a big plucker – but it’s expensive. Looks like a washing machine.
* Maybe switch the technical assistance money to buy some new equipment.
* Venture kits funded for cheese making, food preservation, etc.
Livestock Committee:
* Discussed a one year timeframe to give back the livestock to the Network after receiving an animal. Some felt this was not enough time, especially with longer gestation periods for larger animals. The Livestock Committee will work with applicants to create an appropriate plan.
* Qualifications; someone from Livestock Committee makes sure you have at least a run-in shed/shelter for animal, fence, access to summer/winter water, pasture, basic financial qualifications and management skills. Application and contract exist and Dawn will email by request, maybe post on website? Dawn will find out NCFN will pay for it up front or if the member pays for it and then gets reimbursed by NCFN.
* We can have booklet/package made up for new animal owner with basic information and name of vets etc. Deb Baker has similar documents from Hooved Animal Sanctuary that can be referenced.
* There isn’t money available for fencing or infrastructure for farms. There is a revolving loan fund of $5,000 for agriculture projects and ag related small business.
* Jim is trying to sell lamb and cattle if anyone is interested.
We printed out the budget and discussed it and the ways we can use it productively and projects we can start. The committees will work on this separately and report to the larger group at ongoing monthly meetings on the 3rd Thursday of each month. Meetings will be held at 7:00 p.m. and will alternate between Washington and Orange Counties, e.g. LACE, Chelsea Public Library or members’ farms, especially in warmer weather/growing season.
Rebecca White, Secretary and Dawn Hancy, Coordinator
Washington/Orange Co. Chapter