Vermont farmer grows family dairy into a 550-acre conservation program

NRCS Soil Conservationist Jimmy Young with Vermont Dairy Farmers Matt and Guy Choiniere in Highgate Center, Vermont (pictured from left to right). Image Credit: US Department of Agriculture The Choiniere family farm in northern Vermont has grown from a small dairy started with 14 cows on 100 acres into a much larger operation while placing greater attention on the land around it. Today, the farm is part of a 550-acre dairy operation where conservation work focuses on soil, water and wildlife. The changes have taken place over several generations, with the family working with the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service(NRCS) to address erosion, manage manure and improve the health of the farm’s fields and waterways.The journey of 100-acre Vermont dairy farm began with 14 cowsThe Choiniere family has farmed in northern Vermont for generations. According to NRCS, Guy Choiniere is a fourth-generation Vermont farmer, while the Sand County Foundation reports that the family has been farming the property since 1945.The farm’s early story was much smaller. Guy recalled that the family began with 14 cows on 100 acres. His father, Henry, worked with his siblings...