What We Do
In 1986, Will Raap, founder of Gardeners Supply Co., spearheaded an Intervale clean-up effort to restore this special area to its agricultural roots and feed Burlington. Thanks to nearly 20 years of extraordinary work by the Intervale Center (initially named the Intervale Foundation) and those who farm here, the Intervale area has been transformed into a nationally recognized center for sustainable agriculture.
In the 1980s, the Intervale was dangerous, polluted and an unwelcome place for visitors. Today, visitors find in the Intervale a unique community model and resource built around healthy, locally grown food, systems for recycling organic waste, and a financially viable and environmentally sound agricultural economy. We manage 350 acres of farmland, trails, wildlife corridors, a native plant nursery and compost production along the Winooski River, and we share what we do and what we learn with others around the state and the world.
With support from grants and individual donors and revenues from our enterprises, we deliver on the following goals: to grow viable farms, preserve productive agricultural land, increase access to local, organic food, compost and other soil amendments, and protect water quality through organic waste management and stream bank restoration.
You can learn more about the Intervale Center through our blog, The Intervale Explorer.