When I read the old bi-annual reports of the Board of
Agriculture that existed up until the early 1900s, (it was
replaced by the Vermont Department of Agriculture), I am
reminded of the old saying “that sometimes the past is just
a prelude to the future.” There is a wonderful section in the
1872 report that states that “the future of Vermont agriculture
is in growing and developing high value products that do
not compete with the West but that serve the many people
in nearby markets....that Vermont could never compete on a
commodity basis with the West.”
After reading such a statement, all I can say is deja
vu! Vermont has gained a well deserved reputation for
specialty cheeses, apples, grass fed beef, maple syrup, even
cranberries, and many other specialty food products; even
its fluid milk production is the primary supplier to the New
England market. Consumers, more than at any time in the
recent past, today want to know where their food comes
from, and Vermonters are among those who demand quality.
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