Dear Friends:
It is a bit of a dreary day in the Northern Lake. As I sit and watch the rain fall outside, I am nostalgic for cold winter days with clear blue skies and sparkly snow.
2016 is shaping up to be a busy year.Last year we worked to kick off the most comprehensive water quality law that Vermont has ever passed, now known as Act 64 - Vermont's Clean Water Act.
We have been keeping up with the implementation of Act 64 and are paying close attention to the new rules that will be affecting farmers in our region. Click here to be directed to the AAFM webpage about the new Required Agricultural Practices.
Our time has also been used to further our relationships and engage in broader statewide and regional conversations about water quality and the changing weather we are experiencing. We are working closely with the
Vermont Farm to Plate Network on the Soils and Water Cross Cutting Team, and have played an active role in the systems thinking work being led by
ECHO around creating a Clean Water Culture.
We are gearing up for our upcoming events and work plan for 2016, starting with our Winter Farmer's Meeting on February 9th. This year we will also be implementing a backyard farmer education and outreach program, a rain garden project in St. Albans City, and a regional partnership initiative, aptly named the Watershed Navigators, that will bring key stakeholders in our region together to be trained on a self directed climate resilience initiative.
None of this would be possible without the tremendous support that we have received from our grassroots fundraising, organizing, and all of the people that reach into their pockets every year and give generously to us. We are also forever grateful to the funders of our projects.
With love and gratitude,
Denise Smith
Executive Director
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