The mission of the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association (VVBGA) is to promote the economic, environmental and social sustainability of vegetable and berry farming in Vermont through education, promotion and communication among growers.
Formed in 1976 as a non-profit growers organization, the membership consists of large and small scale growers (from organic to conventional, wholesale to retail, and everything in-between), industry representatives (seed companies, compost makers, agricultural chemical representatives), University of Vermont extension and research specialists, and Vermont Agency of Agriculture personnel. Membership is open to any individual, business, or organization that is that is interested in the commercial production of vegetables and/or berries.
Memberships run on the calendar year and are renewable annually. Funds collected from membership dues are used to pay for the Association's operating costs, educational programs, research grants, promotion efforts, and to support a food safety accreditation program for VVBGA member farms (in development).
Annual Dues
Annual dues are set by the Board of Directors.
Membership dues for calendar year 2020 are $60 per farm, increasing to $70 after January 31, 2020. You can pay for membership, register for annual meeting(s), sign up for CAPS accreditation, and/or make an optional donation to the vegetable and berry research and extension fund by clicking http://2020vvbga.eventbrite.com/ (For new arrivals, and the very forgetful, membership fee is waived after Oct. 1 each year for the final 3 months of the year. During that period, simply email vvbga@uvm.edu to join.)
Commercial memberships start at $80/year and include an ad in the January 25, 2021 VVBGA Annual Meeting booklet if submitted prior to December 31 2020. Annual Meeting sponsorship commitments for 2021 are due by November, 2020. For more information and the form for commercial memberships and sponsorhips, click here.
VVBGA Membership Benefits
- Access to the VVBGA listserv, to buy/sell plants and equipment and share farming information.
- Access to the Community Accreditation for Produce Safety (CAPS) program.
- Free access to the VVBGA's nutrient management platform on farmOS, email rebecca.maden@uvm.edu
- Email subscription to Vermont Vegetable and Berry News.
- Discounts on the registration fee for events like on-farm workshops and the VVBGA Annual Meeting
- Camaraderie, enhanced communication and fellowship among commercial growers.
Activities of the Association have included:
- An Annual Meeting provides information from growers, specialists, and invited guests.
- On-farm 'twilight' meetings and in-depth winter conferences are organized in cooperation with UVM Extension. See: www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/meetlist.html.
- Sponsorship of University research and extension programs on: Tarnished Plant Bug biological control studies,high tunnel soil testing, nitrogen release from cover crops, on-farm water usage, and more.
- Marketing efforts for our farms have included Vermont Public Radio ads and a Vermont Public Television cooking show.
- Our legislative network helps represent grower interests at meetings that affect our industry.
- We offer an annual scholarship to an outstanding student in the UVM Department of Plant and Soil Science, nominated by their faculty.