Giant Journey Farm

05/12/2026

Calling all farmers + farmworkers!

The Vermont Workers Center and Rural Vermont are sponsoring a Soup and Stories just for us! 😎💪✨

Come on over to Newfane!

04/16/2026

If anyone local wants to learn with us we're doing this fun thing:

Dig into the importance of soil health and how you can achieve it in this hands-on workshop.

03/25/2026

DUE TODAY WED MAR 25

We've been fighting this fight all session (I've even journeyed to the State House to testify myself!) and now we need your help!

We're at a critical point in the State House and your Reps need to hear from you!

There is a link in this action alert to a webinar from yesterday morning with the most up to date information but for a quicker primer see this link: https://www.ruralvermont.org/action-alerts

Please help us get this over the finish line!

ACTION ALERT --> Call your House Reps NOW to affect whether and how farms are regulated by municipalities!

H.941 is a bill which has come out of the House Agriculture Committee, and will be voted on the floor of the House tomorrow, Thursday, March 26. This bill has the most ideal compromise language we have yet achieved in a bill:

- It prohibits the municipal regulation of farms and farm structures across VT, allowing only a very limited scope (mostly related to public safety) within Tier 1a areas.
- It limits the ability of municipalities to regulate the growing of plants, and poultry (except for roosters) for producers who do not qualify as a "farm" or "farming".
- And it creates a study committee or cohort to report on how municipal regulation of agriculture affects or could affect farms, and how it may better support farmers and their role in the farming economy.

Even more positively, we anticipate an amendment on the floor which would propose striking the language in the bill, and introducing language we have always preferred and asked for as a coalition - which would reaffirm the longstanding understanding and precedent the court originally overturned by clearly stating that farming, farm structures, and agricultural activities are exempt from municipal zoning regardless of the scale of operation or its location. And it would likely also call for a study committee and report addressing things such as: how farms are regulated, what the concerns are, how municipal regulation of farms may impact farms, and how farms and farmers can be better supported by municipalities and planning.

As this vote is tomorrow - it is important to reach out to your House Representative/s now and ask that they vote to:

- support H.941 as the best option we currently have in a bill; and
- an amendment which may be proposed which would be an even better and more appropriate option, which would be to entirely reinstate the municipal exemption as it has been understood and applied for decades, sending further questions to a study committee.

You can find your House Representative/s on the legislative webpage here:
https://legislature.vermont.gov/

Thank you!

03/24/2026

Ready to skill up? 💪

02/11/2026

Protect Farmland from Municipal Regulation!

This week, legislators need to hear from us to protect the Right to Grow Food for homesteaders, including the right to raise livestock and to sell food!

Due to a 2025 Vermont Supreme Court ruling, farms and farming in VT are no longer exempt from municipal zoning, which means towns can regulate where growing food is allowed, what animals can be raised, or when machinery can be operated, among other possibilities. We are working with other agricultural organizations and lawmakers to address this, and restore the exemption - but we’re meeting resistance. You may be particularly vulnerable to increased regulatory requirements if:
- You are a farmer *or homesteader* with livestock on fewer than 4 acres, who sells anything you produce.
- You are operating near a downtown, village, or "planned growth area" (or Tier 1a or 1b area; learn about this here).
- You make less than $5,000 each year from farm products, or qualify as a farm under the Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs) by filing a Schedule F.

Now is the time to contact us and the legislature to make sure your voice is heard and that they understand how these changes could impact you.

Learn More & Take Action Here: https://www.ruralvermont.org/action-alerts

Sign Up for our Informational Webinar Here: https://www.ruralvermont.org/municipal-exemption-2026

Please join us on Thursday, February 26th, from noon - 1:30 for an overview of our coalition’s proposal and to offer your own feedback. We need and value your input!

10/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/100063669515155/posts/1377376857727952/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

Today we introduce the first of five *new* folks running for the Rural Vermont Board this year. Meet Seren Dias (they/them) of Giant Journey Farm in Newfane!

Before farming, Seren pursued a fulfilling career in research and education throughout the former Soviet Union. After receiving a MA in Nationalism Studies, they returned to New England and became a parent as well as a founder, farmer, and owning member of Giant Journey Farm. Their work specializes in illuminating the connections between all things by making their farm not the focus but the occasion for the web of reproductive work they do: teaching others how to tend land and grow food; facilitating the connection between somatics, land work, and reclamation; providing opportunities to build community and practice the hard skills of co-creation; visioning for a resilient and liberated future, and advocating for a just transition to that future (now!).

12/07/2024

When we looked into this event several years ago we decided to stay the f away because of major ick vibes so this is not at all surprising. (fwiw NOFA has also paid Salatin to speak at Winter Conferencing in several states...)

Bottom line: food sovereignty isn't a thing you tout, advertise, or convene- its a way of being that is fundamentally at odds with our current system. Ain't no fancy conference or shmoozy bougie event gonna get it done. Only we are going to save us, feed us, care for us.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1EZzpQcBUM/

12/07/2024

For those who do celebrate gift giving holidays, consider gifting experiences (like one of our workshops or series) or materials to make something or develop a skill.

That said, home gardeners: please think carefully about your seed purchases. The tendency to hoard seeds in the fervor of the winter dream of sunnier days makes it much harder for organizations like ours to feed the community. Dream away! BUT develop community channels to make use of the seeds you don't need once you've sown what you can grow!

Friday Funny!

Image by Joseph Tychonievich

12/05/2024

ACTION ALERT:
- TAKE ACTION BY DEC 6
- ACTION WILL TAKE ~5 MINUTES

"Background:
Every year at this time the Administration is working to craft a proposed state budget for presentation to the legislature in mid January. As part of the process the Governor is required to solicit public participation regarding goals and spending priorities.

As such, members of the public are invited to submit thoughts, comments or suggestions regarding the development of the FY2026 Vermont state budget via a link to the public comment page. This begins the process of funding the priorities for NOFA in the FY2026 state budget.

WHAT TO DO (by December 6th):
To submit a comment, go to:
https://finance.vermont.gov/about-department/contact-us/public-comments-budget-process

This link takes you to a form where you can submit specific comments on the budget. It should take you about 5-10 minutes for the entire process.

CHOOSE: General Government as the “area of comment” in the drop-down menu.

You can submit a comment for both of our requests, if you would like. If you do so, we recommend doing a separate comment for each request.

WHAT SHOULD YOUR COMMENTS SAY?

Be sure to include our request:
- Please include $20,000,000 for farmers to recover after a climate emergency or extreme weather event in your proposed FY2026 budget.
- In 2-3 sentences, say why YOU PERSONALLY support this request.

~ and/or ~

- Please include $500,000 in base funding to Strengthen Vermont Farm Viability and Address Food Security by sustaining two proven programs: Crop Cash (Plus) and Farm Share in your proposed FY2026 budget.
- In 2-3 sentences, say why YOU PERSONALLY support this request.

Please email me your NAME and the DATE of when you submitted your comment so we can keep track of how many people have made comments.

If you have questions about the farmer emergency relief funding, please reach out to me! For questions related to the Farm Share & Crop Cash (Plus) appropriations request, email Johanna Doren ([email protected]).

Thank you so much for taking action to support our farmers and neighbors.

Maddie [email protected]"

12/04/2024

This is a reminder that our initial collective meetings will happen this Thursday, December 5th 4:30-6:00pm and Saturday, December 7th 10:00-11:30am no matter the weather (although it will snow some tonight we should be all clear for both meetings). We will be outdoors so please dress appropriately. Giant Journey Farm 33 Autumn Ln, Newfane VT 05345

Why join our transition to farm collective?

This opportunity is for anyone who wants to grow food for a community and practice the interpersonal skills we need now more than ever. This opportunity is for everyone but folks in particular constellations may benefit more including those whose job doesn’t give them enough opportunity to be on the land, who don’t have access to land to care for, or folks who have access to land but need to build skills and knowledge to implement on that land.

We have a few ideas, some numbers crunching, and an understanding of our needs and boundaries and now we need to hear from you, prospective collective members about how we co-create this space so it works for everyone. This is an invitation to get messy (but not toxic) together.

As a collective member you’ll get
- your share of the harvest
- a garden bed to grow whatever you like
- buddies to garden with
- access to our collective growing knowledge and hands-on learning
- access to the rest of the land
- access to the farm library and community tool shed
- invitations to participate in other homesteading activities and projects
- invitations to participate in other rituals and happenings on the farm
- discounts on workshops and skill shares at the farm
- collective decision making power

What will be required?
- a few hours each week contribution to the farm (this does not have to be physical labor)
- a willingness to communicate openly and compassionately
- a commitment to collaboration and problem-solving
- potentially a small financial contribution (we're going to try to not do this at all but if its a thing it won't prohibit you from participation if you can't)

Let's meet up and dreamscape together for the 2025 season we want to make happen!