Small-scale Poultry Production in Vermont:
Opportunities and Restrictions
The regulations behind poultry processing in the state and an overview of H.52; the 2015 legislative season's poultry processing bill.
Written by Holly Lalime
Written on April 13th, 2015
Opportunities and Restrictions
The regulations behind poultry processing in the state and an overview of H.52; the 2015 legislative season's poultry processing bill.
Written by Holly Lalime
Written on April 13th, 2015
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/2/3/24231648/1446751.jpg?250)
Foodies in Vermont love nothing more than to attain their whole menu from local sources. This includes meat, a main protein source for many people. As you're walking down the isle of Hannaford's, it's difficult, to impossible to find Vermont raised and slaughtered poultry. The reason for this is that small-scale bird producers in the state can't afford large-scale, federal, inspection legislation.
Currently, there are three brackets of poultry slaughter and process licenses. These three types of processing licenses account for: uninspected poultry products, exempt & partially inspected poultry, and state or federally-inspected poultry products. Poultry processors are inspected by the Vermont Meat Inspection Program, a program within the Vermont Agency of Agriculture (the state’s branch of the USDA). The VT Meat Inspection section followed the nationwide Wholesome Meat Act of 1967, when it was established within Vermont legislation the same year. The main criteria included in this legislation was that the Vermont meat inspection must be equal to or exceed federal meat processing standards. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets is allowed by the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) to inspect processing facilities of businesses who are only selling their product within Vermont (VT Agency of Agriculture, 2014).
Currently, there are three brackets of poultry slaughter and process licenses. These three types of processing licenses account for: uninspected poultry products, exempt & partially inspected poultry, and state or federally-inspected poultry products. Poultry processors are inspected by the Vermont Meat Inspection Program, a program within the Vermont Agency of Agriculture (the state’s branch of the USDA). The VT Meat Inspection section followed the nationwide Wholesome Meat Act of 1967, when it was established within Vermont legislation the same year. The main criteria included in this legislation was that the Vermont meat inspection must be equal to or exceed federal meat processing standards. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets is allowed by the USDA Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) to inspect processing facilities of businesses who are only selling their product within Vermont (VT Agency of Agriculture, 2014).
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/2/3/24231648/1969066.jpg?250)
Fully inspected poultry processing facilities have the most involvement with either the FSIS or VT Agency of Agriculture. These facilities are extremely expensive, starting at approximately $75,000, according to Rural Vermont and Maple Wind Farm who have opened a state-inspected facility on their farm in Hinesburg, VT (Page, 2013). These facilities are only viable for farms or businesses who are processing thousands of birds a year. These expensive facilities allow a producer or processor many more options in the sale of their product. The type of allowable practices within these facilities include an ability to sell whole birds, cut up birds, or further processed (i.e. cooked, smoked, ground) poultry. The facility may process birds from their own farm or other farm’s birds. Fully inspected facilities may sell their product almost anywhere, including grocery stores, farmers markets, co-ops, on-farm, CSA, restaurants. In other words, inspected poultry can be sold in all retail or wholesale outlets. The main difference between federal and state inspection is that state inspected facilities must only sell their poultry within Vermont state lines. The practices that are required of inspected facilities include a mandatory HACCP plan. The HACCP plan must be proposed and looked over by Vermont Meat Inspection Program or FSIS, and is subject to any changes from the state that are deemed necessary (Vermont Agency of Agriculture, 2014).
There are options within the state of Vermont to produce poultry products under exemptions. There are several current types of exemptions within the state of Vermont. Exemptions are generally for producers processing over 1,000 birds per year, but have some sort of exception to their situation. Someday Farm, a commercial poultry farm in East Dorset, VT, is partially inspected under their own exemption, and have been for 25 years, under 6 V.S.A §3312. Their exemption is relevant to the processing of 1,000-20,000 birds per year. Someday Farm can sell whole birds only, either fresh or frozen (no cooking or cutting), and can only process birds grown on their own farm. Someday can sell their poultry only within the state of Vermont, on their own farm, to their CSA shareholders, or other retail locations that are owned by the farm, (such as the farmers market stand or their personal farm stand which is off of the farm). The farm may not sell poultry to restaurants or stores. Someday Farm is only partially inspected. An Agency of Agriculture Inspector comes to the farm several times a year to check the HACCP plan, the processing facility, records of numbers of birds processed, and retail outlets where birds are sold. This exemption allows a smaller commercial producer to raise over 1,000 birds without having to invest in an extremely elaborate and expensive inspected processing facility (Someday Farm, 2014).
A new bill has been brought to Vermont Legislators this season that aims to increase the amount of local poultry. Titled H.52, the bills aims to exempt from inspection poultry producers processing up to 5,000 birds. Under Sec. 1. 6 V.S.A. § 3312 , a producer in the state can sell their birds whole “from the farm, at a farmers’ market, or to a food restaurant licensed by the Commissioner of Health”. This exemption is only allowed if, “the slaughtering or preparation is done on the producer’s premises; fewer than 5,000 birds are slaughtered annually; no birds are offered for sale or transportation in interstate commerce; the producer’s facility is not used to slaughter or process poultry by any other person or business; the producer does not purchase birds for resale that have been processed under any exemption under this section; the poultry are healthy when slaughtered; and slaughter and processing are conducted using sanitary standards, and procedures to produce poultry products that are not adulterated. It will be the responsibility of the Vermont Department of Agriculture to ensure that uninspected poultry producers are following these guild lines. There are also strict labeling requirements that are mandatory with this exemption. The label must include; name of farm and name of producer; address of farm including zip code; the title, “Exempt per 6 V.S.A. § 3312: NOT INSPECTED.”. It must also include safe handling instructions. If the farmer is selling birds to local restaurants, the restaurant must provide the farmer and the Vermont Department of Agriculture with a signed letter stating that they are aware they are purchasing uninspected poultry. On the restaurant's menu, there must also be a note informing customers of where the product is produced and by whom (Komline, et al. 2015)
Scout Proft is the owner of Someday Farm. Her farm processes over 8,000 birds for their community members in East Dorset, Vermont. Proft has been the in the food production business since 1984, where she started the state's first CSA. Her, “full course farm” provides consumers with vegetables, poultry, turkeys, game birds, eggs, compost, small fruits, maple syrup and honey. As mentioned earlier, the farm operates under the current, 6 V.S.A. § 3312 inspection. In an interview, Proft spoke about how stringent and costly regulations have made her business much less profitable than it could be. At the end of each winter, there's barely enough money to cover the capital costs for the upcoming season. In Scout's opinion, small farms are the key to keeping communities fed. These farms are best able to adapt to the needs of consumers. Proft brought up an example from her farm. About fifteen years ago, customers started asking her to grow small fruits to put in the CSA. Because of their small size, adding these crops to their business plan was much easier than large scale farms where only one or two crops are grown with expensive machinery and heavy mechanical input. Someday Farm is the perfect example of a traceable food source. A customer can come to her farm, touch the plants, feel the soil and speak with her face to face (Proft, 2015).
There are options within the state of Vermont to produce poultry products under exemptions. There are several current types of exemptions within the state of Vermont. Exemptions are generally for producers processing over 1,000 birds per year, but have some sort of exception to their situation. Someday Farm, a commercial poultry farm in East Dorset, VT, is partially inspected under their own exemption, and have been for 25 years, under 6 V.S.A §3312. Their exemption is relevant to the processing of 1,000-20,000 birds per year. Someday Farm can sell whole birds only, either fresh or frozen (no cooking or cutting), and can only process birds grown on their own farm. Someday can sell their poultry only within the state of Vermont, on their own farm, to their CSA shareholders, or other retail locations that are owned by the farm, (such as the farmers market stand or their personal farm stand which is off of the farm). The farm may not sell poultry to restaurants or stores. Someday Farm is only partially inspected. An Agency of Agriculture Inspector comes to the farm several times a year to check the HACCP plan, the processing facility, records of numbers of birds processed, and retail outlets where birds are sold. This exemption allows a smaller commercial producer to raise over 1,000 birds without having to invest in an extremely elaborate and expensive inspected processing facility (Someday Farm, 2014).
A new bill has been brought to Vermont Legislators this season that aims to increase the amount of local poultry. Titled H.52, the bills aims to exempt from inspection poultry producers processing up to 5,000 birds. Under Sec. 1. 6 V.S.A. § 3312 , a producer in the state can sell their birds whole “from the farm, at a farmers’ market, or to a food restaurant licensed by the Commissioner of Health”. This exemption is only allowed if, “the slaughtering or preparation is done on the producer’s premises; fewer than 5,000 birds are slaughtered annually; no birds are offered for sale or transportation in interstate commerce; the producer’s facility is not used to slaughter or process poultry by any other person or business; the producer does not purchase birds for resale that have been processed under any exemption under this section; the poultry are healthy when slaughtered; and slaughter and processing are conducted using sanitary standards, and procedures to produce poultry products that are not adulterated. It will be the responsibility of the Vermont Department of Agriculture to ensure that uninspected poultry producers are following these guild lines. There are also strict labeling requirements that are mandatory with this exemption. The label must include; name of farm and name of producer; address of farm including zip code; the title, “Exempt per 6 V.S.A. § 3312: NOT INSPECTED.”. It must also include safe handling instructions. If the farmer is selling birds to local restaurants, the restaurant must provide the farmer and the Vermont Department of Agriculture with a signed letter stating that they are aware they are purchasing uninspected poultry. On the restaurant's menu, there must also be a note informing customers of where the product is produced and by whom (Komline, et al. 2015)
Scout Proft is the owner of Someday Farm. Her farm processes over 8,000 birds for their community members in East Dorset, Vermont. Proft has been the in the food production business since 1984, where she started the state's first CSA. Her, “full course farm” provides consumers with vegetables, poultry, turkeys, game birds, eggs, compost, small fruits, maple syrup and honey. As mentioned earlier, the farm operates under the current, 6 V.S.A. § 3312 inspection. In an interview, Proft spoke about how stringent and costly regulations have made her business much less profitable than it could be. At the end of each winter, there's barely enough money to cover the capital costs for the upcoming season. In Scout's opinion, small farms are the key to keeping communities fed. These farms are best able to adapt to the needs of consumers. Proft brought up an example from her farm. About fifteen years ago, customers started asking her to grow small fruits to put in the CSA. Because of their small size, adding these crops to their business plan was much easier than large scale farms where only one or two crops are grown with expensive machinery and heavy mechanical input. Someday Farm is the perfect example of a traceable food source. A customer can come to her farm, touch the plants, feel the soil and speak with her face to face (Proft, 2015).
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/2/3/24231648/2885920.jpg?250)
Because it is small farms that can most appropriately cater to consumers, Scout believes that, “every single farm should be encouraged to operate”. In order for small scale farmers to thrive, Proft believes that their needs to be, “scale appropriate laws” put in place. Ultimately, the uninspected and exempt poultry processing facilities are options for the farmers and consumers who demand local markets and local products. There of course are concerns though about how consumers can ensure their safety. When this was brought up to Proft, she replied by saying, “I see every customer that purchases one of my birds. I know their faces and their names. Safety is my number one priority. I care about my business and my customers. I would never want to see someone get sick”. This is of course a very difficult topic. What it comes down to is consumers truly caring not only about the locality of their food but out the farmers who are growing and processing it. Food safety should be a responsibility of the consumer and the producer (Proft, 2015).
Proft believes that Vermont needs a one-hundred and eighty degree shift.. The Department of Agriculture needs to trust farmers as much as their consumers do. This can be accomplished in her opinion by getting the Department of Agriculture away from their desks and onto farms. Loans need to be given at little to no interest so that farmers can build safe and clean facilities. Free workshops and grants need to be provided so that farmers know how to best perform their jobs. More farmers need to serve in our government so that bills will be designed as scale appropriate. Our conversation ended by Proft saying that small farms provide the most for our community, especially in tourism dollars, yet farmers make the most meager livings. This she exclaimed, “needs to change” (Proft, 2015).
Another suggestion is to create a three tiered approach to regulation. In this system a, “high-volume” producer, selling more than 10,000 birds a year should be held at the highest level of inspection. For, “low volume” small-scale producers, “the state should require training and expertise as opposed to facilities”. Lastly, there should be exemption from any training or inspection for subsistence producers. These are producers who only raise chickens for their own consumptions and the consumption by family, friends and neighbors. Currently, there are only two large scale producers in Vermont whose meat can be sold to grocery stores. These are Misty Knoll and Maple Wind Farm. Each farm was able to attain the capital for these $75,000 plus facilities and a full-time inspector. For the rest of the state, most poultry producers are only selling 2,000 or fewer birds. That 1,001st bird costs small farmers tens of thousands of dollars (Rural Vermont, 2014).
In order to make it more convenient for consumers to attain high quality local poultry, the premises behind inspection need to be changed. One farmer who wrote to Rural Vermont argued that she'd be more than willing to attend safety classes if that meant avoiding a near impossible investment and facility construction and maintenance. She stated, “we all have the time, especially when it’s below zero and there’s snow on the ground, to attend classes in food safety, proper livestock handling, appropriate equipment and tools, and disease epidemiology. Give small farmers the option of achieving food safety goals through education as opposed to construction. Animals can be processed safely, cleanly and respectfully on their home farms — without expensive facilities — if the farmer knows what he or she is doing” (Rural Vermont, 2014).
Proft believes that Vermont needs a one-hundred and eighty degree shift.. The Department of Agriculture needs to trust farmers as much as their consumers do. This can be accomplished in her opinion by getting the Department of Agriculture away from their desks and onto farms. Loans need to be given at little to no interest so that farmers can build safe and clean facilities. Free workshops and grants need to be provided so that farmers know how to best perform their jobs. More farmers need to serve in our government so that bills will be designed as scale appropriate. Our conversation ended by Proft saying that small farms provide the most for our community, especially in tourism dollars, yet farmers make the most meager livings. This she exclaimed, “needs to change” (Proft, 2015).
Another suggestion is to create a three tiered approach to regulation. In this system a, “high-volume” producer, selling more than 10,000 birds a year should be held at the highest level of inspection. For, “low volume” small-scale producers, “the state should require training and expertise as opposed to facilities”. Lastly, there should be exemption from any training or inspection for subsistence producers. These are producers who only raise chickens for their own consumptions and the consumption by family, friends and neighbors. Currently, there are only two large scale producers in Vermont whose meat can be sold to grocery stores. These are Misty Knoll and Maple Wind Farm. Each farm was able to attain the capital for these $75,000 plus facilities and a full-time inspector. For the rest of the state, most poultry producers are only selling 2,000 or fewer birds. That 1,001st bird costs small farmers tens of thousands of dollars (Rural Vermont, 2014).
In order to make it more convenient for consumers to attain high quality local poultry, the premises behind inspection need to be changed. One farmer who wrote to Rural Vermont argued that she'd be more than willing to attend safety classes if that meant avoiding a near impossible investment and facility construction and maintenance. She stated, “we all have the time, especially when it’s below zero and there’s snow on the ground, to attend classes in food safety, proper livestock handling, appropriate equipment and tools, and disease epidemiology. Give small farmers the option of achieving food safety goals through education as opposed to construction. Animals can be processed safely, cleanly and respectfully on their home farms — without expensive facilities — if the farmer knows what he or she is doing” (Rural Vermont, 2014).
Portrait of a Player in the Food System
Scout Proft – Someday Farm – Dorset, VT
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/2/3/24231648/1737766.jpg?278)
Scout Proft is a true local food pioneer! She is the owner/operator of Someday Farm in East Dorset Vermont. The farm processes over 8,000 chicken, turkey and game birds each year as well as vegetables, small fruits, eggs, compost, honey and maple syrup. Proft is a prominent figure in Vermont Agriculture. The first CSA in the state was established on her farm in 1987. In 2014, the Northeast Organic Farming Association, (NOFA) crowned her Farmer of the Year. She has been nicknamed the, “Alice Waters of the East Coast”. Proft not only works diligently, providing her community with the freshest, most nutrient-dense food, but she also invites young aspiring farmers to East Dorset to study her practices. Someday Farm is referred to by Proft as a, “full-course farm”, striving to provide customers with all they need.
Meat birds are far from the only product produced on this, “intensively managed family enterprise”. Their soil is nurtured with their high end compost and sustainably managed with carefully planned tilling and erosion management. Their products can be found in Rutland, Bennington and Washington Counties, New York and beyond!
Meat birds are far from the only product produced on this, “intensively managed family enterprise”. Their soil is nurtured with their high end compost and sustainably managed with carefully planned tilling and erosion management. Their products can be found in Rutland, Bennington and Washington Counties, New York and beyond!
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/2/3/24231648/242885.jpg?250)
Proft grew up on this farm where her parents practiced homesteading. She never thought of leaving her land or the community which so graciously and devotedly supports her in all her endeavors. Community support is the greatest component to fostering a healthy and sustainable community Proft believes. When asked how to end food insecurity in the state of Vermont, Proft responded by stating that it is all of our responsibilities to keep one another fed. “If you can afford to buy two CSA shares each season, buy one for your neighbor in need”.
While Proft truly loves what she does, it's clear that her job isn't easy. She works seven days a week and almost 365 days a year. This year, Proft managed to get away from the farm for four days to take a fishing trip with one of her sons. But with all that work, the farm accrues less than twenty thousand dollars a year in net profit. One impediment to financial success is tough regulations like poultry processing laws. Stringent regulations and costly facilities make it economically infeasible for small farmers to get their products out on the market, and not every consumer is willing to make the effort to visit a farm. According to Proft, meat processing regulations needs to be adjusted to account for scale.
Her hope for the future is to have Vermont legislators trust farmers as much as their consumers do. She'll always be creating nutritious, safe food for her community, “but it would be a whole lot easier if she could get her products into stores without needing to first win the lottery” (Proft, 2015).
While Proft truly loves what she does, it's clear that her job isn't easy. She works seven days a week and almost 365 days a year. This year, Proft managed to get away from the farm for four days to take a fishing trip with one of her sons. But with all that work, the farm accrues less than twenty thousand dollars a year in net profit. One impediment to financial success is tough regulations like poultry processing laws. Stringent regulations and costly facilities make it economically infeasible for small farmers to get their products out on the market, and not every consumer is willing to make the effort to visit a farm. According to Proft, meat processing regulations needs to be adjusted to account for scale.
Her hope for the future is to have Vermont legislators trust farmers as much as their consumers do. She'll always be creating nutritious, safe food for her community, “but it would be a whole lot easier if she could get her products into stores without needing to first win the lottery” (Proft, 2015).