By Scott Durgin, MD and Anna Herby, DHSc, RD
Vermont has a truly visionary program that provides grants to farmers who would like to transition from one type of farming to another—kudos to Rep. Heather Surprenant and others who sponsored the enabling legislation. If a dairy farm is encountering challenges, the farmer might choose to stay on the land and switch to growing profitable crops. According to a recent analysis, nearly one thousand farms in Vermont have transitioned from dairy to other products since 2002.
For farmers interested in Vermont’s Transition Grants, the application deadline was March 4, 2024, but it’s important for this program to continue. Lawmakers in Montpelier should make sure there’s funds for another round of transition grants in the fall.
In other parts of the country, farm transitions are underway and other state governments should follow Vermont’s lead and provide funding and assistance. In Iowa, former dairy farmer Denise O’Brien sold the cows when milk prices were low and transitioned to growing crops including strawberries, raspberries, asparagus, and apple trees. In Wisconsin, Greg Zwald embraced the life of a dairy farmer, but things changed and he now runs a pick-your-own-berries enterprise and rents out a renovated barn for events.
But these transitions aren’t easy and governments should provide support and assistance. As a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Sen. Peter Welch should keep this in mind as he and his colleagues craft the Farm Bill.
Why is it important for governments to support farmers who would like to phase out livestock and instead grow crops? In Vermont, farmers grow many kinds of fruit and nut trees including walnuts, hazelnuts, peaches, and apples. These trees provide healthful food and oxygen for us to breathe. Trees can store carbon dioxide in their fibers, reducing the harm of this planet-warming gas. If your farm is in a low-lying area near a river, planting trees like hazelnuts can help control flooding.
By contrast, large-scale livestock operations produce methane and other planet-warming gases. The World Health Organization says, “Reducing livestock herds would also reduce emissions of methane, which is the second largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide.”
But if we shift from dairies to berries and other crops, where will we get our calcium? In Vermont, farmers grow many plant-based sources of calcium including beans, figs, kale, sweet potatoes, hazelnuts, and walnuts. As a Vermont physician specializing in lifestyle medicine, and a registered dietitian, we would recommend these foods as well as plant sources of protein such as beans and mushrooms. A plant-based diet that includes plenty of berries, beans, veggies, and whole grains can benefit you in many ways including lowering blood pressure, preventing diabetes, and improving heart health.
With recent discussions of aging and memory, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, President Biden, and other elder statesmen should take note of studies revealing the brain-boosting properties of certain foods. High-fiber foods like beans can improve information processing, attention, and memory in older people, according to a study in the American Journal of Medicine.
A recent study with older adults found that consuming strawberries daily can improve cognitive function by increasing processing speed by 5.2%, according to Neuroscience News. Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries also boost brain health, and it could be partly because all berries contain flavonoids. According to Scientific American, flavonoids may improve memory, learning, and general cognitive function.
The acreage devoted to berries in Vermont has increased according to new data just released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Strawberries are grown on 125 farms in Vermont, and blueberries are grown on 294 farms. When strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries in Vermont begin to ripen this summer, elder statesmen, and everyone else, should head to your nearest pick-your-own-berries farm.
Scott Durgin, MD, in a physician in Dorset, Vermont, specializing in lifestyle medicine. He can be reached at swdurgin@gmail.com, 802-952-8884, 1380 Dorset West Rd. Anna Herby, DHSc, RD, holds a doctorate in health sciences with a focus on nutrition. She is also a registered dietitian in Spring Branch, Texas, aherby@pcrm.org, 540-494-2293.