Poultney Mettowee Natural Resource Conservation District

10/28/2026

Using Less Road Salt, Protecting More Water
A free, informal workshop on winter road management and sustainable road salt practices

Thursday, November 5, 2026 | 2:30–3:30 PM

Castleton Fire House
273 VT Route 30, Castleton, VT
Join us in person or online via Zoom.

Road salt helps keep our roads and sidewalks safe in winter, but too much salt can affect our lakes, streams, groundwater, roadside vegetation and infrastructure. The good news? There are practical ways to use less salt while keeping safety a priority. Join Poultney Mettowee NRCD, in collaboration with Rutland Regional Planning
Commission (RRPC) and Lake Champlain Sea Grant, for a free, informal and informative workshop exploring what sustainable road salt practices look like in action.

What’s on the agenda?
 The science behind the salt: Kris Stepenuck (Lake Champlain Sea Grant) will explore how road salt works, its impacts in the Lake Champlain Basin, and practical strategies to reduce salt use.
 Learn from others: An opportunity to share experiences, ask questions and discuss practices and technologies being used by other towns and private contractors.
 A little hands-on science! Bring along a water sample from your local lake, stream, well or other water source, and we’ll test its conductivity together. Whether you work for a town, are involved with a conservation commission, apply salt professionally, or are simply curious about protecting local waters, you’re very welcome.

Hot and cold drinks provided. Come along, learn something new, and join the conversation!

Free to attend | In person and via Zoom

Please let Vicki know if you plan to join us or have any questions:
Vicki Pattison-Willits
[email protected] | 603-299-9096
Zoom details: Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85852426738?pwd=BUPnDx7GJBoa8hdDBRTDmySzVPpXdc.1

Meeting ID: 858 5242 6738
Passcode: 658886

This is an informal opportunity to learn, share experiences and explore what we can do differently during the winter. We hope to include additional practical insights from municipal crews/a private contractor, weather and availability permitting.

10/13/2026

Please be aware that the Dept of Taxes will NO LONGER be mailing prefilled certifications to landowners who are enrolled in Current Use.

2026 Changes to Current Use for Ag Certification

Landowners who have agricultural land or buildings enrolled in the Current Use Program are required to submit an agricultural certification by November 1. This year, the Department of Taxes is encouraging landowners enrolled in Current Use to use myVTax, Vermont’s secure taxpayer portal, to complete their Agricultural Certification. Benefits of using myVTax include: faster processing of certifications, pre-population of some information based on your existing account, and secure correspondence throughout the process.

With the recent upgrade to myVTax, the Department will no longer mail pre-filled Agricultural Certifications to landowners. If you prefer to submit your certification by mail, you can access the form online. If you do not have access to a computer, please contact the Department of Taxes at 802-828-5860 ext. 2, or [email protected], and a blank form will be mailed to you.

Submissions for Current Use applications, Forest Management Plans, and Agricultural Certifications have transitioned from eCuse to myVTax. Maintenance of eCuse ended on July 1, 2026.

10/05/2026

The countdown is on!!! 🥳

It’s officially October, which means we’re counting down the days until one of our favorite VFFC traditions—Harvest Fest 2026! 🍂

Join us on Sunday, October 18, from 5–7 PM at Farmers Hall for an evening celebrating everything we love about our local food community!

📅 Sunday, October 18
⏰ 5–7 PM
📍 Farmers Hall, 251 West Street, Rutland

🎟️ Tickets are available now! Get yours here:
www.vermontfarmersfoodcenter.org/harvest_fest_2026

Just 16 days to go! We can’t wait to celebrate the harvest with you! 🌾

07/22/2026

Re-sharing this post with a friendly reminder that the application deadline is near! If you are interested, please submit an application by July 27th! That is this coming Monday!

Farming in a changing climate calls for thoughtful planning—and you don't have to do it alone.

This summer, NOFA-VT is launching a new Climate Adaptation Planning Cohort for farmers in Bennington and Rutland counties.

Through this collaborative program, you'll develop a farm-specific climate adaptation plan while learning alongside fellow farmers, strengthening community connections, and building practical strategies for long-term resilience. Participants will also receive $5,000 in seed funding to jumpstart one of the priority projects identified in their adaptation plan.

If you're ready to take the next step toward a more resilient farm, we'd love to have you join us.

Apply by July 27 at the link below:

https://www.nofavt.org/about/blog/announcing-southwest-vermont-farmer-farmer-adaptation-planning-program

07/14/2026

Regional farms, check out this program from NOFA-VT! Applications are due soon so be sure to act soon if you are or someone you know may be interested.

Farming in a changing climate calls for thoughtful planning—and you don't have to do it alone.

This summer, NOFA-VT is launching a new Climate Adaptation Planning Cohort for farmers in Bennington and Rutland counties.

Through this collaborative program, you'll develop a farm-specific climate adaptation plan while learning alongside fellow farmers, strengthening community connections, and building practical strategies for long-term resilience. Participants will also receive $5,000 in seed funding to jumpstart one of the priority projects identified in their adaptation plan.

If you're ready to take the next step toward a more resilient farm, we'd love to have you join us.

Apply by July 27 at the link below:

https://www.nofavt.org/about/blog/announcing-southwest-vermont-farmer-farmer-adaptation-planning-program

06/26/2026

2026 is turning into a bumper year for tick populations. This is a reminder to do tick checks and what you can do to prevent tick bites.

Whenever you spend time outdoors, it’s possible there are ticks nearby. Take simple steps to protect yourself and your loved ones from tick bites and the illnesses they can spread.Protect The best way to prevent tick bite illnesses is to prevent tick bites. Before heading outdoors, protect yourse...

06/10/2026

If you are looking for a great follow up event to our last workshop, this is it!

Wednesday, June 24th, 8-11AM

Join us for a guided walk with Audubon Vermont and for the chance to see species interactions between our native shrubs and birds!

Registration link here: https://www.mobilize.us/audubon-vt/event/966445/

Please note that this event will be taking place in Benson, Vt with an address that will be shared upon registration.

05/14/2026

Very excited to be a part of this event!!!

Event Address: 212 Main St. Poultney, VT (PMNRCD Office) Contact us at 802-779-4521 or [email protected] May 23rd, 2026 from 10AM-12PM

05/06/2026

And it has arrived!

With funding provided by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture through its Capitol Equipment Assistance Program (CEAP) and a Vermont Housing & Conservation Board Water Quality grant, PMNRCD was able to purchase a new Haybuster 107C No-Till Drill.

This addition to our equipment fleet will improve scheduling flexibility throughout the year, particularly during high-demand periods such as early spring seeding, late summer seeding, and fall cover crop establishment.

This year we are introducing an updated process for equipment use. The District is now requiring two additional steps for all equipment users: field documentation and a signed District release. Acceptable field documentation includes FSA maps or a screenshot from a mapping application such as Apple Maps or Google Maps. Together, these requirements will help the District better track equipment usage and meet reporting obligations for the grants that support this work. As in the past, farms with an active no-till or reduced-till seeding contracts will receive priority.

04/27/2026

We are getting excited for this awesome event!! Hope to see you there!

We are just two weeks away!🎉

This week we celebrated Earth Day 🌎 and two weeks from now we are gathering to celebrate spring and a bountiful start to a great harvest season! 🌱☀️🐝🐦🌷

Don’t miss this joyful evening of food, music, and community.
🗓️ May 8, 2026
🕓 5:00–8:00 PM
🎶 Live music from Newtime Keepers + calling with Lausanne Allen - Family Dance 530-630, Contra Dance 630-8
🥬 Local food vendors including Sustainable Eats Food Truck, Mach's Wood-Fired Pizza, Jamerican Cuisine Food Truck, & Fairly Buzzed: A Wandering Bar Co.
🎟️ Raffle prizes - you could win a whole CSA share for the season from Evening Song Farm or Boardman Hill Farm

Come celebrate the power of local food and community—
vermontfarmersfoodcenter.org/spring_fest_2026