Produce Safety Improvement Grantee Spotlight: Sweetland Farm
April 3, 2019
By Dominique Giroux, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets
Sweetland Farm is a diversified family farm nestled in Norwich, Vermont. In a pursuit to expand and improve their operation, Norah Lake, owner and farmer, applied for a Vermont Produce Safety Improvement Grant (VPSIG) and was awarded $10,000 in grant funds in January of 2018 to upgrade their wash/pack facility. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) launched the grant program in 2017 to support produce farms that need to make upgrades for improved food safety and increased competitiveness in the wholesale and retail marketplace.
VAAFM Produce Program’s Multimedia Specialist Trevor Audet and Education and Outreach Coordinator Dominique Giroux visited Sweetland Farm and met with Norah to get a tour of their finished project.
VAAFM: Tell us about your farm and what you grow here.
Sweetland Farm plans to continue fine-tuning their layout in the wash/pack facility to find what works best for them in terms of workflow, efficiency, and food safety.
The Vermont Produce Program at VAAFM is working to secure funds for additional rounds of the Vermont Produce Safety Improvement Grant Program. To receive direct funding announcements, enroll your farm in the Vermont Produce Portal at agriculture.vermont.gov/produceprogram.
If you would like to share your story with the Vermont Produce Program, please email AGR.FSMA@vermont.gov or call (802) 585-6225.