By Nina Gage, VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets 
Any farm that has 50 acres or more of annual crops, houses 50 or more mature dairy cows, or 75 cattle, heifers, veal calves, cow/calf pairs, or youngstock, or 40 horses, or a combination of animals with a total live weight that equals more than 90,000 pounds meets the threshold of a Certified Small Farm Operation(CSFO). For complete CSFO criteria visit: www.agriculture.vermont.gov/csfo
Annual certifications for 2020 are required by January 31, 2020. There are currently more than 300 CSFOs enabling staff to contact farm operators and ensure operators have understanding of the regulations that apply to them, as well as ensure access to all the financial and technical resources available. Certifications are required on an annual basis by January 31 of each year.
If you have not yet submitted a CSFO Certification Form or are unsure if you are required to certify, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Agency’s small farm coordinators with any questions.
The goal of this program is to support farmers to ensure their clear understanding of the Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs) while providing assistance to assess, plan and implement any necessary conservation and management practices that might be necessary to meet water quality goals.
Small Farms that meet the criteria of a Certified Small Farm Operation (CSFO) will need to annually certify their operation which includes developing a USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service 590 Nutrient Management Plan, receiving four water quality educational credits every five years, and receiving a farm inspection to assess compliance with the RAPs at least once every seven years.
Curious what an inspection will be like? Please go to http://agriculture.vermont.gov/SFO-Video to watch a video about a small farm inspection. If you are still unsure if you are required to certify, don’t hesitate to call The Agency at (802) 828-2431. All CSFOs need to complete their one-page Annual Certification Form by January 31, 2020 which can be completed online at www.agriculture.vermont.gov/csfo, or by calling the Agency at (802) 828-2431 to request the mailing of a paper form.