Co-Applicant / Spouse Name
Andrew Stachiw
Please describe your past and/or present farming experience
We own and operate Delicious Dirt Farm, which has been in operation in Vermont since 2018. We are a small, no-till, hand-powered farm that uses organic seeds and practices. We intensively farm a 1/2 acre, have 3 high tunnels, and 70 50ft permanent raised beds. Our sales channels are a 20-family CSA, Jericho Farmers' Market (where Ally is a board member), and several well-established wholesale accounts. Our farming enterprises include vegetables, cut flowers, medicinal herbs, and a popular line of value-added products. While we run a small-scale farm, we are financially successful with a growing customer base and a strong reputation. We have hit the ceiling on our current rented land and are looking to buy land so that we can expand our operation and continue to diversify our farming enterprises.
Are you currently farming?
Yes
Are you interested in connecting with other farmers to explore collocation or collaborative farm ideas?
Yes
Counties being considered
Chittenden
Franklin
Grand Isle
Lamoille
Washington
What is the primary agricultural enterprise you are considering?
Vegetables
What other enterprises are you considering?
Apple/Fruit
Berries
Flowers
Greenhouse
Herbs
Livestock
Nursery
Poultry
Row Crops
Vegetables
Total Acres Desired
20.0
Tillable Acres
5.0
Forested Acres
10.0
Acres in Pasture
5.0
Organic
Yes
Farm Structures Needed
Barn(s)
Greenhouses
Farmhouse Needed
Yes
Which of the following arrangements are you considering?
Lease with Option to Buy
Owner-Financed Sale
Standard Sale
Have you been qualified by a lending institution? (if applicable)
Yes
Are you interested in conserved farms?
Yes
Do you have a business plan? Please write an informative description of your vision & goals for your farming future.
We have created a business plan for our current farming operation that we have utilized for the last 6 years. Additionally, we have developed a business plan for our next farm, which is more hypothetical, as we don't know what the land or infrastructure will look like. That being said, the business plan is focused on expanding our acreage to .5-1 acres, adding 3 more tunnels, increasing our value-added production, and building out our agroforestry operations.
Andrew, one of the farm owners, is a co-op developer, educator, and technical assistance provider focused on farm and food systems, specifically businesses in their first 5 years of operation. All to say, we have a lot of experience developing and executing farm and food system business plans.