With Love and Resilience

Rural Vermont stands in solidarity with you and your families and communities as we navigate this crisis, which may be ongoing for many months. This includes farmers, farm workers, eaters, and those among us who are most vulnerable. Our hearts go out to the many who are struggling right now, yet we are warmed by the rapid and widespread efforts of those who are able to come together to provide mutual aid and community care during this time.
 
The Rural Vermont office is closed, our events are cancelled (3/25 Small Farm Action Day) or postponed (3/29 On-Farm Slaughter Workshop, new date 5/3), and staff is working remotely to pivot our efforts to determine how to best support our community during this time. The legislature is adjourned this week, and it seems unlikely it will reconvene in a regular way in the near future. We will be in touch soon with more information to share from that arena.
 
We are in communication with local agricultural groups about how to best collaborate on mutual aid efforts and advocate for the needs of our agricultural community in emergency relief legislation at the state and federal levels. We are working with national groups to determine how to push back on potential “disaster capitalism” proposals, and advocate strongly for true support for our agricultural communities and most vulnerable community members in any federal stimulus efforts. We are reevaluating. We are reorganizing. We are dedicated to our collective wellbeing and the work and communities we have been devoted to for the past 35 years.
 
We have compiled a number of resources you might find useful here. If you are a farmer in need, please contact Mollie and we will do our best to support you or connect you with people and resources who can.
 
We hope you are taking good care of yourselves, and taking heart in the immense wave of solidarity and mutual support that is emerging. If you are a Rural Vermont Working Member, you can fulfill your hours by spending time supporting your community through the pandemic. Contact Shelby to learn more.
 
Thank you for being an integral part of our community.
 
Mollie, Coco, Shelby, Caroline, Graham, and Ben