We have four in Vermont. It is an agricultural state, maybe that is why? These facilities came about around 20 years ago. About 20 years ago the state made an effort to put agriculture on the same level as tourism, our products sell across the country, the meat, with a niche market, (grass fed, organic) farmers are doing well up here. The town I am closest too also built a usda processing plant for canning, freezing, packaging other produce for smaller operations, applesauce, salsa, barbecue sauce, organic vegetables, available to the less than 10 acre farms. If you slaughter yourself, or go to a smaller processing operation, you can still sell to individual buyers, but not to retail. There are mobile units that come right to your homestead and do all the poultry right there, they meet inspections qualifications, but do not have the stamp. If you have 50 turkeys, and a large refrigerated area, the local farmers put out an advert ahead of time, taking orders, this is done sometime in mid summer, so the farmer knows how much to slaughter. Small is better. It may not feed the country, but it can feed the state. Farm to table sells to schools, hospitals, and of course, restaurants.
The state had to do something, we were losing farms to development, it became political unfortunately, because many saw this as an anti business climate. It is an anti development issue, and not just because of "scenery". Farming is a business, albeit not a tax generator. And there lies the battle. Property taxes are very high here, because so many small towns have low population and no tax base. The developers press this issue, stating that development will relieve the cost of property taxes. So instead of dealing with the taxation issues, they want to turn the state into New Jersey. Tract housing, mini malls, strip malls, etc. There is nothing sadder than an auction held by a farmer as he sells out to a developer, a farm that has been in his family for generations. Some have children who have taken up farming so that they can hold on. We support small farms, and it took many years to finally see conservatives join the movement. It took maga families and their turn toward traditional values, and health to make this happen. Take a drive through New Hampshire and Vermont for foliage, you will see the difference in the land. Now, the only preserved land in NH is state forests, up here, the preserved land is privately owned, and working. All those fields and orchards are producing. Where one person sees 50 acres as empty and envisions paving it and developing it, I see 50 acres of good hay to feed the cows and sheep through the winter.The legislature passed, around 20 years ago, tax relief in the way of land use. If you set up a little farmstand for your extra produce, you can claim a land use exemption on property tax, if you build a garage or a swimming pool, you will get taxed. If you build a barn for your goats and hens, or for equipment storage, you claim an exemption.
We have four in Vermont. It is an agricultural state, maybe that is why? These facilities came about around 20 years ago. About 20 years ago the state made an effort to put agriculture on the same level as tourism, our products sell across the country, the meat, with a niche market, (grass fed, organic) farmers are doing well up here. The town I am closest too also built a usda processing plant for canning, freezing, packaging other produce for smaller operations, applesauce, salsa, barbecue sauce, organic vegetables, available to the less than 10 acre farms. If you slaughter yourself, or go to a smaller processing operation, you can still sell to individual buyers, but not to retail. There are mobile units that come right to your homestead and do all the poultry right there, they meet inspections qualifications, but do not have the stamp. If you have 50 turkeys, and a large refrigerated area, the local farmers put out an advert ahead of time, taking orders, this is done sometime in mid summer, so the farmer knows how much to slaughter. Small is better. It may not feed the country, but it can feed the state. Farm to table sells to schools, hospitals, and of course, restaurants.
Wow...this is the way!
The state had to do something, we were losing farms to development, it became political unfortunately, because many saw this as an anti business climate. It is an anti development issue, and not just because of "scenery". Farming is a business, albeit not a tax generator. And there lies the battle. Property taxes are very high here, because so many small towns have low population and no tax base. The developers press this issue, stating that development will relieve the cost of property taxes. So instead of dealing with the taxation issues, they want to turn the state into New Jersey. Tract housing, mini malls, strip malls, etc. There is nothing sadder than an auction held by a farmer as he sells out to a developer, a farm that has been in his family for generations. Some have children who have taken up farming so that they can hold on. We support small farms, and it took many years to finally see conservatives join the movement. It took maga families and their turn toward traditional values, and health to make this happen. Take a drive through New Hampshire and Vermont for foliage, you will see the difference in the land. Now, the only preserved land in NH is state forests, up here, the preserved land is privately owned, and working. All those fields and orchards are producing. Where one person sees 50 acres as empty and envisions paving it and developing it, I see 50 acres of good hay to feed the cows and sheep through the winter.The legislature passed, around 20 years ago, tax relief in the way of land use. If you set up a little farmstand for your extra produce, you can claim a land use exemption on property tax, if you build a garage or a swimming pool, you will get taxed. If you build a barn for your goats and hens, or for equipment storage, you claim an exemption.