The Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame has announced its 2022 inductees. They will be honored at a lunch today at the Champlain Valley Fair.
About the Inductees
Emerging Leader Taylor Mendell of Starksboro. Since moving back to Vermont about 10 years ago, Taylor and her husband Jake, have worked Footprint Farm to provide high quality pork and organic veggies to the surrounding communities. They have over 100 subscribers to their coordinated CSA, as well as a presence at the Shelburne Farmers Market and in local restaurants. Taylor stands out when it comes to community involvement and young farmer advocacy. She is always willing to share her knowledge or offer assistance to farmers, service providers and consumers. Taylor is on the Board of Vermont’s National Young Farmer Coalition chapter and documents her experiences on her personal website.
Ag Innovator Eric Paris of Lyndon. Eric and his family have deep dairy roots in the Lyndon area. Which started as a conventional dairy farm in 1988, Eric transitioned the farm to organic and continued to diversity the family business. In 2005 Eric started a commercial composting operation which has grown to greatly benefit the community by accepting food waste as part of Act 148. Using an aerated static pile composting system, Eric was able to double intake, now accepting 400 tons of annual food waste! Aside from selling compost, the farm also sells grass-fed organic dairy and beef, owns and operates the Lyndonville Friegthouse and founded the Lyndon Farmers Market in 2011. Eric was a selectman for the town of Lyndon from 2003-2006, currently a representative to the county FSA/USDA and serves as Vice President of the Lyndon Historical Society.
Lifetime Achievement recipient Jackie Folsom of Cabot. Jackie has spent nearly the last 40 years truly dedicated to Vermont agriculture. Her vast involvement includes all types of farm chores, ag promotion, advocacy, education and role modeling. Her long career holds the trust of many Vermonters as she worked tirelessly with farmers and legislatures in policy development and reform. Most know Jackie for her more recent roles as the manager for the Vermont Farm Show and passionate involvement in Washington County’s Farm Bureau. Jackie has spent her most recent years lobbying for the Vermont Farm Bureau where she will be greatly missed in her planned retirement this year.
Lifetime Achievement recipient Paul Percy of Stowe. Over the last 40 years, Paul has been the longest tenured director of Agri-mark. In those 37 years (1980-2011, 2015-2021) Paul has been part of every major decision the cooperative has been faced with. His insight and knowledge is second to none! He has helped shape and groom the next generation of coop leaders as he is more than willing to share every bit of information one might need to be successful. In his devotion to his farming community he also served as an officer and member of the New England Dairy Promotion Board and remains the Town of Stowe’s Lister. To sum up Paul, he is quoted, “I like working with the cattle. I like working with the crops. I like the challenges. I like being involved in the co-op and meeting people. I think I can have an impact. I enjoy it. I guess that’s what’s important, isn’t it?” It goes without saying, yes, that is what’s important!
Lifetime Achievement recipient Bobby Starr of Troy. Bobby began service in the VT House in 1985 and was then elected to the VT Senate in 2005, chairing the Agricultural committee in both. Bobby has also chaired the Senate Education committee and currently serves on the Senate Appropriations committee. His leadership in issues addressing water quality, land use, dairy policy and education have been paramount for Vermont farmers, especially dairy farmers. Working closely with U.S. Senator Leahy, Bobby was instrumental in development of the Regional Dairy Compact which afforded Vermont farmers six years of milk price stability. His ongoing efforts behind the scenes provided significant influence at the federal level on many issues of milk pricing policy. In 1998 Bobby began his support of the development of the 2+2 UVM/VTC scholarship program for students studying dairy management. 2+2 has developed into a permanently funded program supporting Vermont students entering careers in dairy management and dairy related businesses and services. Bobby is well loved by the farming community for his efforts and reachability. He is always willing to lend his ears to an issue even if the call is coming from outside Orleans County.
Categories: Agriculture
Congratulations to all. Farms and Farmers are SO important in Vermont. This coming from one who grew up on a farm, and now seeing my family farm being worked again.
Yes Congratulations to all…..
Please support local farmers. When TSHTF we will need them more than ever. Every administrative policy becomes a war on the farm. Examples are higher loan interest rates to purchase new equipment. Or shutting down petroleum-based fertilizer factories that use carbon-based oil to make synthetic plant nutrients that allow us to feed our population. This is the called the Habor-Bosch process that prevents starvation throughout the world. Insisting on diesel additives to run trucks and farm equipment. Without this DEF additive vehicles CAN NOT function. There is now a serve shortage of this additive. The climate change initiative has gotten permission to seed the clouds to prevent sunlight from reaching the planet surface to prevent warming, but this also has unintended circumstances like lower crop yields. The administration is also building giant Midwest sequestering CO2 factories that take the CO2 out of the air, compress it into liquid form and bury it. Farmers require CO2 for food crops to grow. It is part of the photosynthesis process that allows plant life and trees to grow and produce another lifesaving substance called oxygen that we need to breath. Are you starting to get the picture? This administration policy is anti-life. And what I present here is fact and damn well not taught to our elementary school students so there can be no opposition to these green policies in the future. All dissenting facts are scrubbed from the internet search engines on purpose to prevent opposing views. The internet purveyors have made the “search” engine, a suppression engine. If you control what is presented, you control outcomes no matter how detrimental they are to human existence. Population is a scourge upon the world according to Bill Gates and other elites. And they’re determined to do something about it. Support your local farmers so that can’t happen.