Vermont's Farms Cropping Up, Diversifying

"According to Gary Keough, director of the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service New England field office, Vermont farmers are benefiting from the increasing opportunity to sell their own produce.

'More farms are selling direct to the public and it is adding income to the producers,' he said. 'Farmers are selling direct because there is a demand for it and as the demand increases farmers will be selling direct more often.'"

"Keough said the new census numbers prove that farming in Vermont is changing and getting stronger.

'Anytime you have an increase in the number of operations, you have an opportunity for the potential of more growth,' Keough said. 'You have people who want to be in farming right now.'