FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 2, 2009

CONTACT: Jessica Hyman, (802) 656-9897 or [log in to unmask]

CRS, WNRCD launch Local Growers Guide
www.vermontgrowersguide.com

The UVM Center for Rural Studies (CRS) and the Winooski Natural  
Resources Conservation District (WNRCD) have launched the Local  
Growers Guide, a searchable web site that links consumers with local  
food, farms, and sales outlets in the Champlain Valley and central  
Vermont.

The Local Growers Guide, at www.vermontgrowersguide.com, is intended  
to raise awareness about local food sources, link customers to local  
products, and support Vermont farms. The guide includes  
farmer-submitted information about their farms, their products, and  
where they sell. Farmers can also access and update their listings.  
The web site is searchable by town, product (organically grown,  
certified organic, or conventional), farm name, or sales outlet.

The Local Growers Guide currently contains listings from farms in  
Chittenden and Washington counties, with ongoing updates. CRS is  
working with the Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN) and the  
Northwest Regional Planning Commission to expand the Local Growers  
Guide to Addison, Franklin, and Grand Isle counties this fall.

This web site is intended to complement the comprehensive, searchable  
web sites that state-wide organizations like NOFA Vermont and Vermont  
Fresh Network already have for their members. Look for printed  
versions of the Chittenden and Washington counties Local Growers  
Guides in early spring 2010.

The Local Growers Guide web site was designed by Gregg Banse of 7th  
Pixel (www.7thpixel.com). Funding for the project comes from the  
Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Northern Vermont Resource Conservation  
& Development, Inc., the Oakland Foundation, and a USDA CSREES special  
research grant with ongoing support from Senator Patrick Leahy.

The Center for Rural Studies is a nonprofit, fee-for-service research  
organization that addresses social, economic, and resource-based  
problems of rural people and communities. The mission of CRS is to  
promote the dissemination of information through consulting, research,  
and community outreach. To learn more about CRS, go to  
http://crs.uvm.edu

The Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District is a non-profit  
organization servicing the Winooski River Watershed, Browns River, and  
portions of Lake Champlain's sub-watersheds, including all the land  
and resources within Chittenden and Washington counties and three  
towns in Orange County. WNRCD provides on-the-ground conservation  
assistance and promotes public awareness and appreciation for the  
value of conserving natural resources. To learn more about WNRCD, go  
to http://vacd.org/winooski/

Local Growers Guide quick facts:
URL: www.vermontgrowersguide.com
Farmers who want to be listed in the guide can contact Jessica Hyman  
at 656-9897 or [log in to unmask] or go to  
http://www.vermontgrowersguide.com/get-listed/


-- 
Jessica Hyman
Research Specialist
Center for Rural Studies
206 Morrill Hall
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405
(802) 656-9897
http://crs.uvm.edu