The Short Version:
The Vermont Farm Immersion Program, Inc. is a 501c3 educational nonprofit organization registered in the state of Vermont whose mission is to inspire, guide, and educate the next generation of farmers and food business entrepreneurs, as well as empower individuals to grow food at home sustainably and with climate change in mind.
We are offering one (maybe 2) 6 day, 5 night experiential learning summer farm immersion program(s).
We’re attracting people who are:
Passionate about learning how to grow food sustainably and/or start a farm, and/or create a food business of some kind.
Are you in an agriculture program or looking for a career transition?
Have always wanted a business in agriculture?
Looking to go “back to the land” and connect more deeply with nature and growing food?
Perhaps you are a busy entrepreneur who lives in a city or suburb and is looking for a reset—valuable time spent on working farms, connecting with the land, the plants, the animals, with others, and learning about the how’s and why’s of healthy food growing, preparing, shopping and eating.
This one-of-a-kind, hands on, 6 day residential and experiential program intensively explores all aspects of growing certified organic vegetables, fruits, and medicinal herbs as well as year round, climate protected, sustainable hydroponic (grown in water) greens, farm animal care, beekeeping, operating a farm stand and maple sugar house, agritourism events, pick your own, wholesale produce accounts, CSA's, creating farm camps for kids, food & farm tours, and an introduction to a large variety of local food businesses. Amy is also a certified life, health and business coach and will help participants create a vision for what they want to do after the program.
The fee includes the full program, including field trips, 3 organic meals per day, and housing (which may be tents/outdoor structures) depending upon COVID. A slight discount will be offered if you are staying elsewhere.) Ready to apply? Go here. Please print out the form, fill it in, and send it back to us at: 216 Quarry Road, Waitsfield, VT 05673.
Here’s a list of the topics we may be covering, in no particular order:
Organic Agriculture basics
Hydroponic growing basics
Starting a food business
Organic Field Planning and Research
Soil Testing & Structure
Seed choices and soil amendments
Field Prep
Seeding and transplanting
Organic fruit
Organic flowers
Organic veggies
Heavy equipment
Cold frames, greenhouses, and season extension
Weather, crop protection from diseases, predators, etc.
Farm life cycles
Marketing
Display and merchandising
Farmer's Market and CSA's
Wholesale accounts
Events and agritourism
Pick your own
Culinary-cooking, baking and juicing
Diet choices: vegan, vegetarian, paleo, conventional (standard American Diet)
Farm to table
Possible Field Trips:
Bees and apple orchards
Cheese making (goats and cows)
Hemp production
Grapes and wine
Hops and beer making
Hard cider and apples
Chickens and eggs
Making chocolate
Medicinal & culinary herbs
Medicinal & culinary mushrooms
Horses and Livestock (on our own farm and others)
Recreation:
Swimming in the river
Hiking
Food & Ag documentaries
Yoga class
Other
The date is:
July 25-31st, 2021.
We received some generous grant money for our scholarship fund to help ag-passionate people who may need some financial assistance in paying for the program. Also, if you are an income qualifying Vermonter, you can also apply for a VSAC grant.
The all inclusive fee is $1500 (if you stay elsewhere and commute we can take off $200.)
Interested? Here’s the application.