The Intervale Center’s
Agricultural Development Services
Supporting Sustainable Farms
and Successful Local Food Systems
The mission of the Intervale Center’s Agricultural Development Services is to develop sustainable farms and to support closed-loop local food systems. Our efforts focus both in the Chittenden County food shed and other areas.
There are four programs that make up the Intervale Center’s Agricultural Development Services:
- The Intervale Farms Program creates opportunities for new farmers by leasing land and facilities to small organic enterprises and provides technical support and networking among other more experienced farmers.
- Success on Farms works one on one with farmers throughout Vermont to help strengthen their businesses through increased revenues, more effective marketing, consideration of processing value-added products at the farm, and other strategies.
- Intervale Consulting Services shares what we have learned in our 20 years of developing sustainable agriculture and strong local food systems. Founded in August 2005, Intervale Consulting provides customized technical assistance and resources to individuals and organizations that want to develop innovative and effective community food and recycling (waste) systems.
- The Food Hub, as envisioned, may facilitate the development of a multi-farm CSA, a shared season-extending storage facility and distribution hub, and/or local brokerage service to consolidate products and coordinate marketing. The goal is to asist farmers with securing new, stable markets while increasing the availability of locally grown food to consumers, grocers, restaurants, and workplace cafeterias.