Farmers – Please join us for a conversation about the challenges around finding farm labor in December!
Finding and retaining quality farm labor is a challenge many of you face. In conversations and surveys it’s clear that lack of skilled labor is affecting production, sales, and profits for Upper Valley farms.
We heard you, and are now working with funds from NE SARE to address this thorny issue in partnership with you.
Newport, NH, Sullivan County UNH Extension Office, 24 Main Street
Tuesday December 6, 9-11 am
White River Junction, VT, Yankee Farm Credit Conference Room, 52 Farmvu Drive
Thursday December 8, 9-11 am
Please join your fellow farmers (Pooh Sprague, Suzanne Long, Danielle Allen, Norah Lake), Vital Communities, Extension staff, and others at a Farm Labor Problem Solving Session in early December. At the Session the group will:
- Enjoy coffee and baked goods
- Share what works for finding and retaining good staff
- Discuss key challenges farms have experienced
- Suggest possible locally-based solutions
- Give input into a potential online local farm job listing platform
Vital Communities will facilitate the discussion, compile best practices from it for your use in the 2017 season, and take action on suggestions made by the group. We need farmers to share their successes and their challenges and come willing to work together to move this conversation forward. Your ideas, resources, tools, and solutions will make a blueprint for a local answer to this difficult problem.
This can’t be fixed with duct tape and baling twine, so we hope to see you in December for a great conversation. Email me with any questions and please spread the word.
Valley Food & Farm Coordinator
