A Note about Local Farms & Flooding from Kate of Stillman Quality Meats

This is a newsletter excerpt written by Kate Stillman of Stillman Quality Meats on July 12, 2023.

Jasper Farm in VT shown here. Click the image to see the Instagram post.

Dear Friends,

I wanted to take a very quick moment to ask everyone to tune in to a VERY SERIOUS farm situation unfolding:
On Monday Western Ma and Vermont farms took a massive blow.  In case you have not been following the news VT and Western MA suffered catastrophic flooding.  Sadly many farms are completely under water: crops are a total loss, livestock facilities damaged and roads to and from farms gone.

To say it's been sobering as direct neighbors to watch so many friends and admired farm colleagues have their entire farm operations washed away while we, just a few miles to the east and south are relatively unscathed is an understatement.  My heart is broken for these farms.  

2023 has already been an incredibly tough season and I do not know a farmer who is not struggling with weather related catastrophes this year.  And we have months to go...

Western MA and VT farmers are still very much in crisis mode and damage assessments are still being compiled, but I encourage everyone to seek out their favorite western Ma and VT producers to see what they need.  There is quite a bit of footage detailing the level of disaster on social media.  Jasper Hill in VT, Mt View Farm and Natural Roots CSA in MA. Check them out... They need you!

I hope to send an email toward the end of the week with legitimate farm relief funds based on feedback from my farm contacts. In the mean time- THANK YOU for keeping our fellow farmers in your thoughts.  It's a community and the reality is my farm needs thriving healthy farms in Western MA and VT to keep our farm community STRONG.

- FarmHer Kate