BURLINGTON, Vt. — One outstanding dairy farm in Vermont will be recognized this year for its overall excellence in dairying, including its quality milk production, sound management practices, land stewardship and strong commitment to the dairy industry.
The Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year award has been presented annually since 1961 by University of Vermont (UVM) Extension and the Vermont Dairy Industry Association in cooperation with the New England Green Pastures Program. The winner, which will be announced in early summer, is selected by a judging committee of past award recipients from nominations by agricultural organizations, dairy co-ops, agribusinesses, farmers and the general public.
April 30 is the deadline to submit a nomination for this year’s award. Farms that were nominated previously, but did not win, may be nominated again.
To submit a nomination or learn about the program and previous winners, including the McGarry Dairy in West Berkshire, the 2021 recipient, go to http://go.uvm.edu/vdfya. For questions or to request a nomination form by mail, contact Peggy Manahan at peggy.manahan@uvm.edu or (800) 639-2130.
The winning farm will be honored at an awards banquet at Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts, in September, and at the 2023 Vermont Farm Show in Essex Junction. It also will be featured on “Across the Fence,” UVM Extension’s daily farm, home and community show airing on WCAX-TV.
In addition to the McGarry Dairy, other recent recipients were Sunderland Farm, a sixth-generation dairy farm in Bridport (2020) and Wonder Why Farm, a certified organic dairy operation in Cabot (2019).
–UVM Extension