UVM Leases Nordic Farm for Agricultural Research and Teaching

By COLLEEN GOODHUE

On an antique desk that belonged to Vermont Senator Justin Morrill, the father of the land-grant university system, representatives from the University of Vermont on Thursday signed a 30-year lease of approximately 400 acres of farmland for long-term agricultural research use in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

“It is especially meaningful that this lease was signed on Senator Justin Morrill’s desk, as this collaboration perfectly embodies the University of Vermont’s land-grant mission,” said UVM Interim President Patricia Prelock. “This partnership will advance agricultural research that directly benefits Vermonters and will strengthen our state’s food system.”

The conserved dairy farm – comprising nearly 600 acres in total along Route 7 in Charlotte – was acquired in 2021 by Will Raap, founder of Gardener’s Supply in Burlington’s Intervale. Raap renamed the property Earthkeep Farmcommon. 

After being on the market for over a year following Raap’s passing, the property was purchased this summer by Benjamin Dobson and Kaspar Meier. UVM will sublease the land to the USDA ARS for research purposes, with initial studies focusing on forage production and ruminants.

“This is a great advance in the partnership between the Agricultural Research Service and the University of Vermont,” said Christian Peters, Research Leader of the USDA ARS Food Systems Research Unit in Burlington. “The long-term lease agreement with Nordic Farms will allow us to pursue field research on food crops, forages, and grazing livestock. The knowledge we develop will ultimately improve the sustainability of the Northeastern food systems and the nutrition of the people they feed.”

This collaboration builds on UVM’s partnership with the USDA ARS through the UVM Food Systems Research Center, the first USDA-funded center dedicated to studying all aspects of the food system. UVM researchers also plan to conduct research on the farm.

“The leasing of Nordic Farm space to UVM represents an important step in the partnership between the USDA ARS Food Systems Research Unit and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at UVM to advance agriculturally relevant research in the State of Vermont,” said Leslie Parise, Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.  

ARS will invest $1.9 million through UVM in the 30-year lease, with options for three additional 30-year renewals, potentially conducting research on the land for up to 120 years.

“This investment in long-term agricultural research exemplifies the University of Vermont’s commitment to impactful research and our land grant mission,” UVM Vice President for Research Kirk Dombrowski said. “We know that agriculture takes time to research and we’re investing in that research now to contribute to a resilient future for Vermont, and to food systems research across the US and the world.”

UVM’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences maintains more than a dozen research centers, educational facilities, and unique program sites that provide experiential learning opportunities for students, and enable world-class research by undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty.