Jay, VT – Jay Peak Resort welcomed more than 100 Vermont state officials, food industry and agricultural heads from 11 Northeastern states for Ski Vermont’s presentation of a contribution of $8,495 to the Keep Local Farms program at the opening night of the annual Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NEASDA) reception Sunday.
“The skiing and farming economies run deep throughout our local communities and working together is vital to ensure the future success of these two iconic Vermont industries,” Ski Vermont President Parker Riehle said. “Vermont’s agricultural heritage is the very essence of our unique and enviable brand identity and that’s why Vermont’s ski areas are proud to expand upon our longtime partnership with our dairy farmers by donating the proceeds from our youth skiing program, the Ski Vermont Fifth Grade Passport, to the Keep Local Farms initiative.”
Riehle presented the contribution to Jane Clifford, President of New England Family Dairy Farms Cooperative, who also remarked that Vermont’s ski and agricultural industries support education and Vermont’s heritage at a crucial time for the state and its farmers.
Ski Vermont’s Fifth Grade Passport program enabled 2,400 children to ski free at all partner resorts in the 2010-11 season and Ski Vermont pledged to continue to donate proceeds from the passport’s $10 processing fee to support New England dairy farmers in the 2011-12 season.
The event commemorating the contribution was part of the larger annual meeting of the Northeast Association of State Departments of Agriculture this weekend at Jay Peak. NEASDA, as it is known, is comprised of 11 northeast states: Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. Each state sent its Secretary or Commissioner of Agriculture to the meeting being held through today at the Vermont ski resort.
“Agriculture has always been a way of life in the Northeast Kingdom (of Vermont),” remarked resort president Bill Stenger. “At Jay Peak, we’ve tried to shine a light on that community’s contribution, whether it’s through our weekly tours of the Couture Farm (of Westfield) or our 23 years-strong Farmers’ Appreciation Day, where any Vermont Farmer gets to ski for free.”