New rules intended to curb pollution from farming activities have been approved by the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. Here's a link to the rules on the Agency of Agriculture web site. These rules are in effect.

Introduction to the Agency of Agriculture’s
Programs in Clean and Clear

The Vermont farm is truly a slice of Americana. Much like a lobster boat in the coastal mist evokes an image of Maine, it is that pastoral setting with grazing cows and a red barn set against a Green Mountain backdrop that reminds us of the rich agricultural heritage of Vermont.

Beyond the images, though, dairy farms make a crucial contribution to Vermont’s economy, producing an average of 2.6 billion pounds of milk each year - or 302 million gallons.

But farms produce more than just milk. 154,000 dairy cows, 9,000 beef cattle, chickens, horses, sheep, goats and other livestock produce many tons of manure each year. The manure contains a great deal of phosphorus which, when it is washed into rivers and streams, eventually contributes to the algae blooms plaguing Lake Champlain.

Agriculture contributes to phosphorus loading of the lake through inadequate manure management, unstable stream bank impacts and other land use practices. Since the early 1980's farmers have expended significant private resources in support of state and federal programs to reduce phosphorus loads in Vermont waterways. While Lake Champlain has historically received priority funding for agricultural water quality best management practices (BMP's), it is essential for agricultural water quality programs to address the entire state.

Over the past thirty years, farmers' access to land has been constricted by development pressures, wetlands regulations and limits on the use of highly erodible land. The remaining land must be very productive to provide sufficient yields for farms to remain viable. Farms are forced into a narrow band between profitable production and public environmental concerns that can reduce land management choices. Often, the next choice for farmers is to sell productive land for development.

And yet, an acre of farm land produces less phosphorus than an acre of urbanized land. Many farmers are taking steps to reduce phosphorus pollution by working on a series of programs through the Vermont Agency of Agriculture and the Governor’s Clean and Clear Action Plan. We hope you’ll read on to see how farmers can further reduce agriculture's contribution to the Lake Champlain phosphorus load through technical assistance, stream bank stabilization, riparian buffers, nutrient management, waste management technology and regulation.