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馃寴 It鈥檚 Friday, April 25. Here鈥檚 what鈥檚 on deck:
- Helping snowshoe hares adapt
- Farmers lose out on funding
- Spring skiing
But first,
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Fewer dairy farms, more dairy processors
Half of Vermont鈥檚 dairy farms have closed in the past decade 鈥� there are just under 450 today. Fifty years ago, there were nearly 4,000. Today鈥檚 farms are bigger than those of the past, but most still have under 200 cows. And they remain a : Vermont supplies most of the milk for New England and dairy still accounts for the majority of agricultural sales. And while the number of farms has dropped, there are far more dairy processors 鈥� businesses making cheese, caramels, yogurt and bottling milk. Other ways the state鈥檚 dairy industry has changed:
馃殰 Fewer farms come with challenges: Farmers say it鈥檚 harder to find veterinarians and dealers for equipment and grain. In Bennington and Essex counties, dairy farms number in the single digits.
馃馃 People are consuming more dairy: American consumption is at an all-time high since the 1950s. Often that鈥檚 in the form of cheese and butter. More people are opting for whole milk. And demand for sheep and goat milk is rising. Vermont has to import most of its sheep milk from New York 鈥� there are only three sheep dairies in the state.
馃鈥嶐煂� Vermont鈥檚 dairy farms rely on migrant workers: Over 90% of farms report hiring migrant workers. And an estimated 800 or so migrant workers in Vermont make up more than half of the labor in the dairy industry, according to Vermont鈥檚 Secretary of Agriculture. Without those workers, dairy experts say there wouldn鈥檛 be enough people to milk or feed Vermont鈥檚 more than 100 thousand cows.
馃毃 Safety for migrant farm workers is top of mind: That鈥檚 after eight workers at a Franklin County farm were arrested by federal agents this week and are being held at a Swanton prison. Gov. Phil Scott and other state leaders have spoken out against the arrests.
In other news
馃悋 Helping snowshoe hares adapt: Less snowfall poses a problem for animals like snowshoe hare and short-tailed weasels that change their fur with the seasons to better camouflage: white in winter and brown in warmer months. : introducing hares that have a mutation so they keep their brown coats year round. Others are studying how to manage forests with more shade to keep snow on the ground.
鉂� Farmers lose out on funds for climate resilience: Another casualty in cuts from the Trump administration is a program that would have provided more than $500,000 for over 50 farms in the state to invest in flood mitigation, soil health, and other practices to be more resilient. The Trump administration said the program was canceled because of , and some projects might be able to continue.
鈿� EVs are still hot stuff: The number of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids registered in Vermont has doubled in the past two years 鈥� there are now more than 18,000 on the roads. They account for 12% of new vehicles registered in the state. And despite tariffs, experts say now is a good time to buy while federal subsidies still exist.
In your backyard
Get out there
鉀凤笍 Final days of mushy skiing: This winter brought over to Jay Peak (some 10 feet above average) and 30 feet to Stowe. Several of the state鈥檚 biggest resorts, including Jay Peak, Stowe, Sugarbush and Killington say they鈥檙e still open.
馃 Spring ephemerals: It鈥檚 a special time of year when spring flowers take advantage of plentiful sunlight before trees leaf out. Here are a few chances to learn about trilliums, trout lilies and bloodroot in the Burlington area:
- Join an afternoon walk Saturday, April 26.
- Or spend Monday evening, April 28 .
馃惛 Search for frog eggs in vernal pools: Learn about the breeding habitat for amphibians and bugs that biologists calls 鈥渃oral reefs of the forest鈥�:
- The Vermont Center for Ecostudies is .
- And Vermont Land Trust is hosting a in Wells on Sunday, May 4.
馃Г馃棏锔� Green up day is Saturday, May 3. It鈥檚 the yearly statewide effort to clean up trash along roads, with free trash bags and pick up in every community. . And if you can鈥檛 wait until then, Saturday, April 26.
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开云体育's biweekly dose of all things environment.
Credits: This week鈥檚 edition was put together by Lexi Krupp with lots of help from the 开云体育 team, including graphics by Laura Nakasaka and digital support from Sophie Stephens. Editing by April McCullum.
