Securing Farmland for the Future: Intervale Center Partnership Helps Sweet Pickins Grow
A land access success story
By Gina Simmons, Intervale Center Farm Business Specialist
September marked a land access success for one of Gina’s clients, Sweet Pickens Farm. Sweet Pickins Farm in Putney, VT, owned and operated by Jason and Amber Hubner. For over 12 years, Sweet Pickins has been a community staple in southern Vermont, known widely for their pasture-raised poultry and eggs, as well as operating a USDA-inspected poultry processing facility.
After years of looking, when an unexpected opportunity arose this spring to purchase a 28-acre parcel neighboring their farm, Gina and the Hubners shifted their ongoing business planning work to dial in on scenario-based cash flow planning. The analysis (based on extensive QuickBooks reconciliation TA) illuminated that a full mortgage would overextend the family’s resources, which then naturally led to conversations and a deepening partnership with the Vermont Land Trust. The on-going collaboration created a sustainable path forward: VLT purchased a conservation easement on the land, making the remaining mortgage balance both workable and clearly advantageous for the farm.
The deal officially closed on September 25, and Gina is the first to admit it was her most technical project to date- combining her accounting education, previous poultry farming experience, and the new opportunity to work in tandem with VLT colleagues, Don Campbell and Maggie Donin. Ultimately, the outcome not only helps secure Sweet Pickins’ long-term viability- but also highlights the power of financial modeling and conservation partnerships in strengthening Vermont agriculture.