NEK Adaptation Planning Cohort

Hosted by NOFA-VT in collaboration with Orleans, Essex, & Caledonia NRCDs and Center for Agricultural Economy

Hope for the Best, Plan for the Rest

Why This Program Exists

Farming has always meant constantly adapting to changing weather, shifting markets, and evolving on-farm conditions. But now with so much climate instablity, the realities farmers face are more intense. Climate adaptation planning can feel overwhelming, especially when you're trying to do it on your own and don't know where to start.

This program was created so you don't have to.

The NEK Farmer-to-Farmer Adaptation Planning Cohorts bring farmers together to collaboratively build practical, farm-specific climate adaptation plans, while learning directly from peers who are navigating similar challenges.

What This Program Offers

This pilot program combine's NOFA-VT's established climate adaptation planning framework with a farmer cohort model, creating space for both structured planning and meaningful farmer-to-farmer learning.

Participating farms will:

Develop a custom climate adaptation plan tailored to their operation that also addresses bottom line needs.
Participate in guided farm visits and collaborative risk assessments
Learn alongside other NEK farmers through group meetings and shared meals
Receive a $5,000 implementation grant to jumpstart a priority resilience project
Gain connections to additional technical, financial, and conservation resources

How the Adaptation Planning Process Works

The planning process includes three main steps

1. Prework

Farmers reflect on their goals, farm history, and current financial and environmental health. This groundwork shapes the rest of the planning process.

2. Risk Assessment

Through an on-farm visit, farmers and technical service providers walk the land together to identify climate vulnerabilities related to soil, water, infrastructure, markets, and supply chains. These observations are documented in a written risk assessment.

3. Action Planning

Farmers prioritize strategies to address identified risks and develop an implementation plan that includes both short-term and long-term actions to strengthen climate resilience and support the farms bottom line.

Climate adaptation planning is iterative, and farmers are encouraged to revisit and update their plans over time.

The Cohort Model: Learning in Community

Over the course of Spring 2026, participating farms will move through the planning process together as a cohort.

The full group will meet four times in person, roughly once per month, for facilitated learning, discussion, and shared meals. As the program progresses, farmers will be organized into small groups of 3-4 farms for farm visits, peer support, and deeper collaboration.

This structure is intentionally designed to support strong planning outcomes while fostering lasting farmer-to-farmer connections across the NEK.

Program Details

Timeline: Late February - May 2026
Time Commitment: ~16 hours total (plus travel)
Meetings: Four in-person cohort gatherings + farm visits + two Zoom check-ins
Grant: $5,000 per participating farm*

*Farms that have recently received a $1,500 NOFA adaptation planning grant are eligible, and will receive $3,500 through this program