For Immediate Release

February 2, 2008

Contact: Laurie Garland
Phone: 802-257-1646
lgarland@svcable.net

Strolling of the Heifers Offers Scholarships for Farmers

Brattleboro, VT -- The Strolling of the Heifers is now accepting applications to its scholarship program for Windham Country area farmers. The purpose of the grants is to promote farmers ongoing education in the agricultural field. Scholarships will be awarded to Windham Country area farmers and agricultural students who want to take courses, attend workshops or conferences, or pursue other educational opportunities related to farming. Applicants may apply for funding to cover registration or other fees. Scholarship money also can be used to cover the cost of the time on the farm lost by farmers pursuing further education.

“We believe more farmers would continue their education in the field if they were given a helping hand,” notes Orly Munzing, Executive Director of the Stroll. The mission of the nonprofit organization, founded in 2001, is to promote awareness of the importance of agriculture and to raise money to fund educationally oriented agricultural programs for youth. 

Farmers, farm employees, and agriculture students are eligible to receive scholarships. More than one applicant from a farm may apply for funding. All applicants must complete a separate application form. Once proper documentation has been provided, the Stroll will reimburse funds directly to the farmer. Funding also may be provided directly to the people who fill in for participating farmers while they are away from the farm. The Stroll’s Scholarship Committee will review all applications. Scholarships will not exceed $250 per applicant. And a maximum of $5,000 in scholarship money will be awarded during 2008.

Application forms are available on the Stroll ’s Web site. Log on to: www.strollingofheifers.com or contact Laurie Garland at 802-257-1646 for an application or if you have questions. To be eligible, applicants must be from the Windham County area. They also must apply either before -- or no later than a week after -- the date of the educational opportunity. Three copies of the application and other documentation related to the educational opportunity must be submitted. Such materials should be mailed to: Strolling of the Heifers, c/o Laurie Garland, 162 Carpenter Road, Dummerston, Vermont 05301.

Examples of Potential Educational Opportunities
 
Examples of the kinds of educational opportunities that may be available in the future follow. Contact the host organizations for further details.

North American Berry Association Conference. Savannah, GA. Jan; Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Conference. Hershey,  PA. Jan- Feb; New Hampshire Farm and Forest Expo. Manchester, NH. Feb; Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Annual Meeting; Capital Plaza, Montpelier, VT. Feb; NOFA-Vermont Winter Conference. Randolph Center, VT. Feb; New York State Horticultural Expo. Syracuse NY. Feb; Biofuels/Biodiesel Workshop. Brattleboro, VT. Dec.; New England Vegetable and Fruit Conference and Trade Show. Manchester, NH. Dec; Northern New England Beginning Farmer Conference. Waterville Valley, NH. Nov.; Greenhouse Tomato School. Vernon, CT. Nov; Farmer to Farmer Conference, Bar Harbor, ME. Nov; Farmers Market Coalition Meeting and Workshop, Durham, NH. Nov; National Association of Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs. Plymouth, MA. Oct; Northeast Seed Conference, Amherst, MA, Oct.; Women in Agriculture Conference, Burlington, VT. Oct; Cover Crop Demonstration, UVM Extension office, Brattleboro, VT; Sept; Soil and Pest Management Training for New Farmers, Burlington, VT, Aug; UMass Vegetable Research Field Day. S. Deerfield MA. July; Strawberry and Vegetable Twilight Meeting. Fryeburg ME. June; New England Grape Growers Twilight Meeting, Bolton MA. June; Twilight Meeting for Fruits, Vegetables & Flowers, Bradford, NH. June; Alternative Energy on the Farm. Randolph Center VT. May; Greenhouse Tomato School. Burlington VT. April; Organic Strawberry Production Workshop. Albany NY. April; Empire State Fruit and Vegetable Expo. Syracuse NY. Feb. ; North American Berry Conference. Nashville TN. Feb; NOFA-VT Winter Conference. Randolph Center VT. Feb; North American Farmer Direct Marketing Conference. Boston MA. Feb; Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Assn. Annual Meeting. Rutland VT. Feb; New England Vegetable and Berry Growers meeting. Waltham MA. Feb.; PASA Conference. State College PA. Feb; NOFA-NY Annual Conference. Syracuse NY. Jan; Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Assn. Farm Show meeting. Barre VT. Jan.; NOFA-MA Winter Conference. Barre MA. Jan; Ecological Farming Conference. Asilomar CA. Jan; New England Vegetable and Berry Growers meeting. Chicopee MA. Jan.; World Dairy Expo, Madison WI Oct.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS. PRIMARY MEDIA SPONSORS: Brattleboro Reformer; WKVT GOLD: Hood/Booth Brothers Dairy - Official Milk of Strolling of the Heifers; Holstein Association; SoverNet, USA; Toyota; Turkey Hill; WTSA SILVER: Aubochon Hardware; Brattleboro Food Co-op; C&S Wholesale Grocers; Cabot Cooperative Creamery; Horizon Organic/The Organic Cow; Organic Valley; Price Chopper; Redex Industries/Udderly Smooth; Walgreens; WCAX-TV BRONZE: Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce; Brattleboro Museum & Art Center; Brattleboro Retreat Healthcare; Brattleboro Savings & Loan; Costume Ladies; Durand Ford Toyota; Green Mountain Tent Rentals; Hannaford Superstore; Key Bank; Mount Snow; New Chapter; Newman's Own; Stacy Subaru; Stuart Communications; The Rutland Herald; Trust Company of Vermont; United Natural Foods Inc.; Vermont Cheese Council; Windham Foundation CRYSTAL: 101 The Fox Radio; Building A Better Brattleboro; Chelsea Royal Diner; Chittenden Bank; Foard Panel; G.S. Precision; H&R Block; Hampton Inn; Home Depot; Keats Inc.; The Keene Sentinel; Leader Distribution; The Marina; New Holland; The Putney School; Riverview Café; U.S. Cellular/21st Century Cellular; Staples; Stoneyfield Farm; University of Vermont Extension; Vermont Country Store; Vermont Department of Agriculture; Vermont Natural Water; Windham County Dairy Promotion; World Learning; Woodstock Farms; WRSI/The River; Zinn Graphics PATRON: A Candle In The Night; American Flatbread; Antioch University New England; Arthur Whitcomb; Best Energy Saving Technologies; Brattleboro Chrysler, Jeep, & Dodge; Brunelle & Son Construction; BRW Electronics/ Radio Shack; Building Green Inc.; Capers Restaurant; Cockadoodle DOO; Cooke Family Realty; Co-operative Insurance; Farmers Diner/Vermont Smoke & Cure; Fleming Oil Company; Free Lunch Media Productions; Gallery Walk; Garelick Farms; Grafton Village Cheese Co; Holiday Inn Express; Hooker-Dunham Gallery & Theater; Howard Printing; Landmark College; Leader Distribution System, Inc; Marlboro Graduate College Center; Mary Meyer Mfg Co.; Merrick Pet Care; New England Natural Bakers; Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub; O’Connor Law Office; Perkins Home Center; Putney Food Co-op; Red Roof Inn; Save The Corporations from Themselves; SEVCA; Silver Forest; Southern Vermont Cable; Spring Tree Maple Products/Specialty Brands of America; Suburban Propane; Taylor for Flowers; Triple T Trucking; The Valley Advocate; Verizon Wireless Zone; Vermont Agricultural Business Education Center; Vermont Agricultural Credit Corp; Vermont Bread/Rudy’s Organic Bakery; Vermont Land Trust; Wal-Mart; Windham Wines; Zinn Graphics SUPPORTING: Abbiati Monuments; Agri-Mark, Inc; Agway; Anon’s; Banknorth Vermont; Bart's Homemade; Best Inn; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont; Brown & Roberts Hardware; Brown Family Farm; Burton Car Wash; Cersosimo Lumber Co and Cersosimo Industries; Clear Solutions Inc.; Colonial Motel & Spa; Creamery Bridge Candles; David Manning; Inc.; Efficiency Vermont; Fireworks Restaurant; Friends of the Sun; Gale, Corum, Mabie, Cook & Prodan Law Firm; GPI Construction, Inc.; Green Mountain Spinnery; Hertz & Lloyd Attorneys at Law; Kristensen, Cummings, Phillips & Carol PC; Latchis Hotel; Mini Melts Dots of Ice Cream; Moo Dooers/VNAP; Newfane Country Store; Newton Business Products; Northland Downey Insurance Group; The Old Fashioned Milk Paint Co. Inc; One Stop Country Pet Supply; Peebles; Perkins Home Center; Peter Havens; Pieciak & Co; Inc.; The Putney Inn; Real Green Goods; The Richards Group; River Valley Credit Union; Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters; The Sandri Companies; Solar Source; Thai Gardens; True Value & VS Variety Store; USA Solar Store; Vermont Artisan Designs; Vermont Natural Coatings; Vermont Veterinary Medical Assn.; Vermont Vinyl; Vermont Water Buffalo; VT-NH Veterinary Clinic; Windham Family Vision Care; The Windham Solid Waste Management District; Winter Panel Corp.; Women's Agricultural Network; Woodman Athletics; Yankee Farm Credit; Zephyr Designs SPONSORS: Adagio Trattoria; Adivasi; Altiplano; A.L. Tyler & Sons, Inc.; Amy’s Bakery Arts Café; At the Oasis; Bast Investment Co; Beadniks; Berkley & Veller/Greenwood Country Realtors; Black River Produce; Book Cellar; Borter’s Jewelry Studio; Brattleboro Haulage; Brattleboro Area Realty; Brattleboro Veterinary Clinic; Brooks House Realty; Campbell & Boyd Ins. Services; Inc; Carley’s Florist; Creative Woods Furniture Inc.; Crispe & Crispe Law Firm; Crofter Moving & Storage; Dalem’s Chalet; Inc.; The Dorner Agency, Inc.; Edward Jones & Company; ERA The Masiello Group/Stepping Stone Real Estate; Fenton Family Dealership; Fitts, Olson & Giddings; Fitz, Vogt & Associates at World Learning/SIT; Friends of Brooks Memorial Library; Green Mountain Bovine & Equine; India Palace Restaurant; J Coleman & Co Architects; James M. Puls & Associates Certified Public Accountants; John Rocray Law Firm; Lawton Floor Design; Linden Gardens; Masiello Employment Agency; Merrill Lynch; Merrill Gas Co; Inc.; Miller Brothers-Newton; Inc.; Nassau Broadcasting Partners, WHDQ/WZLF/WXLF/ WWOD/WCFR/WNHV/WSTV; New England Coffee; The New England House; Océ North America Document Printing Systems; Oly’s Plumbing & Heating; Outer Limits Health Club; Pinnacleview Equipment Inc.; Potter Steward Law Offices; Putney Road Market; Shin La Restaurant; Stevens & Associates; T.J. Buckley; Thomas M. French Attorney At Law; Verde for Home & Garden; Vermont Butter and Cheese Co; Walker Farm; Windham Flowers; WW Building Supply; Wyman Agency.