Dairy Industry

The survey — focused on farms not covered by a grassroots farmworker labor and housing rights program — shows a vast majority of Spanish-speaking immigrant dairy farmworkers in Vermont make below minimum wage, work six to seven days a week and are hurt on the job.

Vermont filmmaker Rocket's latest video series, 'Small Vermont Businesses in Small Vermont Towns,' features a profile on Irasburg's Nelson Farms.

Members of Migrant Justice held a press conference in West Pawlet last month to denounce the alleged assaults of a farmworker and his nephew. The farm owner has since been issued a citation for two counts of misdemeanor simple assault.

Migrant Justice representatives flew to the Netherlands this week to attend the shareholders meeting for Ahold Delhaize, the parent company of Hannaford. They continue to ask that Hannaford join the labor and housing rights program Milk With Dignity.

Last week, the Agency of Agriculture offered thousands of tire sidewalls to farmers for free in an effort to cut down on mosquito breeding habitat and limit the spread of disease like West Nile virus. Since then, nearly all the cut-up tires have been claimed.

Investigadoras de la Universidad de Virginia dicen que la línea telefónica de quejas dirigida por el programa de derechos de los trabajadores agrícolas, Leche Con Dignidad, mejora las condiciones tanto para los trabajadores como para los propietarios de granjas. Pero, el programa actualmente solo cubre un quinto de la industria láctea de Vermont.

University of Virginia researchers say the complaint line run by the grassroots workers’ rights program Milk With Dignity improves conditions for both farmworkers and farm owners. But the program currently only covers one-fifth of Vermont’s dairy industry.

Starting Thursday, July 6, organic dairy farmers in Vermont can apply for some of the $6.9 million in relief funds approved by state lawmakers as part of this year's budget bill.

"Being a product of the farming community has defined how I view the world, giving me perspective and values that I wouldn't have gained otherwise."

Even without any participants in the Vermont Dairy Festival Scholarship Pageant, Franklin County residents say they look forward to the festival every year.