Category Archives: Food and Drink

POULTNEY — The days are numbered for two oxen that have worked the fields at Vermont’s Green Mountain College farm for more than a decade.
The Poultney college says the oxen, Bill and Lou, are being retired because of injury and will be processed into beef products to be served in the college dining hall.
College officials tell the Burlington Free Press that the animals are regarded with affection, but that it’s a traditional understanding that cattle working at the farm are turned into beef when their working careers end. The college farm produces vegetables and animal products for the dining hall and a community-supported agriculture program.
More than 3,000 people have signed an online petition started by an animal sanctuary in Springfield asking that oxen be spared.

State agriculture officials and maple professionals will hold three public meetings to take comment on the proposed changes (for an article on the confusion around the grading system itself, here’s a pretty good wrap of the whole situation at Farming Magazine) to the maple grading system.
The changes have been proposed to align the Vermont grading system with the standard recommended by the International Maple Syrup Institute. Members of the public will be given the opportunity to provide comment
The meetings are being held by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets in partnership with the Vermont Sugarmakers Association and UVM Extension.
Meetings will be held in October at the following locations:
Oct. 16: American Legion Post 27 at 49 Wilson Road in Middlebury.
Oct. 17: South Woodstock Fire Station on Route 106 in Woodstock.
Oct. 18: Lamoille Union Tech Center on Route 15 in Hyde Park.
All meetings start at 7 p.m.
After a brief presentation outlining the proposed changes, discussion will be moderated by Lynn Coale, director of the Hannaford Career Center and a member of the Agriculture and Forest Products Development Board.
Input from these meetings will be considered for future maple grading standards.
For more information, call Henry Marckres at the state Agency of Agriculture, 828-3458.

WEST RUTLAND — The second annual town-wide food drive to benefit the West Rutland Food Shelf is set for Saturday.
The event will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with food drive volunteers accepting donations at the food shelf next to the Town Hall. They will also arrange to pick up donations at homes throughout the day.
Tony Morgan, coordinator, said supplies were very low. Currently, the food shelf has a good supply of rice and beans.
Needed non-perishable food items include tuna, pasta, pasta sauce, canned fruit, jelly, peanut butter, soups and cereals.
Cash donations are encouraged as they help fill the gaps and buy perishable items like bread and eggs.
For more information or to schedule a pick-up, call Morgan at 282-5374.