Northeastern Vermont Development Association

University of Vermont Extension, Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, Northeast Kingdom Collaborative, Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets, Vermont Association of Planning & Development Agencies

The Regional Food Systems Plan for Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, a region of Vermont that includes Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties, aims to reconnect and deepen relationships within the food system to be more ecologically sustainable (supportive of local farmers, food producers, and economies) and respectful of social society. The Regional Plan’s primary goal is to drive the development of new and more diverse agricultural activity and to develop a comprehensive strategy to stimulate the innovative food system sector of the three counties by providing strategic guidance to the area’s key businesses and non-profits, integrating agriculturally-focused approaches with existing land use and community development priorities, identifying economic growth opportunities for the major constituent groups in the agricultural sector in the region, providing coordination of existing and future technical assistance providers to maximize benefit to working lands enterprises, energizing and supporting regional public health and social equity initiatives, and providing an informed basis for coordination with ongoing regional planning efforts.