Vermont

For a smaller, norther state, Vermont still manages to operate around 6,800 farms on 1.2 million acres of farmland. As for livestock, the state produces roughly 250,000 cattle and 5,000 hogs per year and has allocated 112,348 acres of farmland for permanent pasture and rangeland.

Cropland makes up just under 480,000 acres, with the primary crops being hay, haylage, alfalfa, and corn. Interestingly, the state is also a large producer of maple syrup, producing 1.75 million gallons annually.

The agricultural landscape in Vermont has held pretty steady over the last 15 years, with only a minor loss of about 184 farms. As the livestock market becomes more competitive and the price of meat continues to rise, profit margins for farmers shrink, putting more farms at risk of closure. The simplest way to combat this is to create a competitive market for direct business to consumer sales, cutting out the inflated, corporate-led livestock industries. Farm to table is how we, the people, win.