Agricultural Advisory Committee

This committee was originally established back in 1983 to address the concerns voiced by the local farming community regarding the newly proposed Brattleboro Town Plan. Assisted by the Windham Regional Commission, the Agricultural Advisory Committee was assigned the task of preparing an amendment to the Town Plan to include an agricultural section including goals, policies, and recommendations for the local agricultural industry. 

The Agricultural Advisory Committee is charged with advising the Selectboard on all issues related to the use, development, and preservation of farms and farmland and the pursuit of a resilient local food system within Brattleboro.

The Agricultural Advisory Committee meets as needed, depending on the status of various projects and programs.
 

Staff

Stephen Dotson -  802-251-8110,  [email protected]
 

Recent Projects

Leadership in the Brattleboro Food Sovereignty Working Group during COVID-19: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many long- lingering social and economic problems were magnified and made even more evident, but perhaps none more so than the vulnerabilities to the food and farm system. In the Brattleboro area, a variety of creative responses to these challenges emerged during and after the national lockdown and subsequent recovery period. One of the most notable responses was the “Brattleboro Food Sovereignty Working Group” (BFSWG). The BFSWG facilitated and strengthened connections between organizations and individuals that were built on deeper trust, vulnerability, and collaboration. It also undertook a collaborative survey project to seek feedback from community members who participated in three community food programs and learn about their experience engaging with the charitable food system during the pandemic. Members from Agricultural Advisory Committee participated in this working group, along with the Sustainability Coordinator, and contributed to the BFSWG’s efforts to support the resiliency of the food and farm system during pandemic, through creative collaborative community response.

Updated Mapping of Brattleboro's Agricultural Lands: In partnership with the Windham Regional Commission, the Town of Brattleboro updated its data on how and where agricultural lands are utilized, and created a new online map. The infographic below shows some of the highlights resulting from this analysis.

Creation of the 2024 Brattleboro Food/Farm System Assessment: Together with the Brattleboro Food Sovereignty Working Group, the Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC) created an initial scope of work for a food/farm system assessment of the greater Brattleboro area. It was determined that an assessment needed to take stock of the current needs, obstacles, strengths, and opportunities of the system and gather preliminary information to inform future planning and action. The AAC took this draft scope-of-work, and with the support of the Planning Services Department, developed a full proposal. In October 2022, the committee finalized the proposal and the Selectboard gave approval for the Town of Brattleboro to hire consultants to assist in completing this report for the Town. Carissa Brewton and Emma Bliss, both Brattleboro residents and active leaders in regional food/farm networks, showed interest in pursuing this project, in part as an element of their coursework at Vermont Law and Graduate School (VLGS), where they were pursuing masters degrees in Food and Agricultural Law and Policy. In December 2022, the project proposal was approved by both the Town of Brattleboro and VLGS. Subsequently, funding from the Town of Brattleboro’s Planning Services Department and the Vermont Foodbank was obtained. The official assessment commenced in January 2023 and proceeded through February 2024. You can find the final report at this link.