Hello Farmers!
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
This year’s Open Farm Week takes place August 4 - 11, 2024 - please save the date!
Open Farm Week creates an opportunity for folks to visit farms and connect with Vermont's working landscape, and it's a great way to engage with your customers and community. We are all looking forward to getting out and enjoying Vermont this summer! Remember, you can choose any day during the week to host an event, or have events on multiple days.
Registration for farm participation will run until July 1st.
Here is a report on Open Farm Week 2023.
Calling all Vermont dairy farmers! New England Dairy is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Vermont Open Farm Week by covering the cost of registration for 15 Vermont dairy farmers. Click here for more info!
Important Details for Open Farm Week 2024
Event Requirements
Feedback has shown that people attending Open Farm Week events are looking for activities, farmer interaction, and unique events. Rather than listing a farm stand as open throughout the week as an Open Farm Week event, the farm will be required to have an activity (big or small) in addition that is not part of their regular farm schedule.
Feel free to think outside of the box. And if you want to include a standing event you usually host during that week, we’re just asking that you provide a special addition to the event that we can highlight for Open Farm Week. Questions about this? Please let us know - we can help you find the right fit for your farm.
Cost to Participate
To effectively plan and produce Open Farm Week, the Vermont Open Farm Week committee starts planning 10 months prior to the event.
We’ve calculated the true cost of organizing Open Farm Week at well over $400 per farm. The recommended fee for participation is $50/farm. We also offer a range of registration fees in an effort to make Open Farm Week accessible to all farms.
Registration fees go towards coordination and planning of the week long event, registration management and outreach, DigInVT website promotion, paid digital and radio advertising, print advertising, marketing materials and promotional resources for each farm, technical assistance, and in-state marketing and promotion through the many communication channels of the DigInVT committee organizations.
Resources
Many resources and tips on hosting events are available here: www.uvm.edu/vtagritourism. Some specific guides for setting up an event may be particularly helpful!
- Do you have an Act 31 sign? Learn about Vermont's Limited Liability Law for Agritourism hosts with this FAQ.
- Questions about rules and regulations on farm activities? you can find answers with this Guide to Navigating Vermont's Agritourism Regulations
- Here is an agritourism worksheet. Are you ready to invite visitors to your farm?
- The Farm-Based Education Network also has several great free scavenger hunts, tools for engaging all five senses on a farm visit, and activities to share with guests on your farm.
- UVM Extension's Vermont Agritourism Collaborative has a wealth of important information and resources on all things agritourism for farms.
Technical Assistance
Our Open Farm Week team is available to provide resources & technical assistance to a limited number of farms that would like support developing ideas and preparing for visitors. We can help you develop an event that's right for your farm and community, along with a timeline, marketing plan, and safety plan. There is no additional charge for this technical assistance, but you do need to apply for it via the Open Farm Week registration form.
Technical assistance looks different for every farm. It can be anything from a 15 minute phone call about event marketing or an email conversation about social media promotion to an on-site visit for help to develop a safety plan and/or discuss ideas for an event. It’s really up to you and it ranges from farm to farm.
Discounts
Neighboring farms interested in collaborating and marketing their events together can sign up together and receive a $10 discount per farm.
Please be in touch with any questions and we look forward to hearing about your events!
The 2024 Open Farm Week Organizing Committee
Vermont Fresh Network & DigInVT; Managing Organization
Open Farm Week Organizing Committee members
Andrew Graham, NOFA-VT and the Vermont Farmers Market Association; Lisa Chase, UVM Extension; Katherine Ingram, Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing; Kristen Brassard, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets; Tara Pereira, Vermont Fresh Network & DigInVTVera Simon-Nobes, Shelburne Farms and Farm-Based Education Network;
Vermont Open Farm Week is made possible by the generous support of the sponsors below.
