Vermont Farm Bureau Strengthens Agricultural Collaboration

Feb 13, 2025
By Farms.com

State Agriculture Groups Unite for Stronger Advocacy

In October 2024, the Vermont Farm Bureau hosted the Bridging the Divide conference, bringing together 16 agriculture-related organizations. The goal was to identify common priorities and strengthen advocacy for Vermont’s farmers, foresters, and horticulturalists.

Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Anson Tebbetts opened the event, emphasizing the importance of unity among agriculture organizations. Participants shared their perspectives on Vermont’s agricultural strengths and challenges, laying the groundwork for future collaboration.

One of the main areas of agreement was the need for a modernized farm bill, which all groups recognized as crucial to the industry’s success. Additionally, they committed to working together on legislative issues, particularly as agricultural voices remain a minority in Vermont’s government.

To ensure continued progress, the participating organizations agreed to meet annually to review goals and refine their shared advocacy efforts.

Strategic Action Fund

This event was supported by a Strategic Action Fund grant from the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF). This fund provides up to $5,000 in grants to state Farm Bureaus with fewer than 25,000 members, helping them address priority issues and strengthen advocacy efforts.

Several state Farm Bureaus, including Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas, contributed to the fund, reinforcing national support for local agriculture advocacy.

By fostering collaboration and continued engagement, Vermont’s agricultural organizations are working towards a stronger, more unified voice in shaping policies that impact the farming community.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.