Required Agricultural Practices 

Federal and State Conservation Program Consulting

Would you like some help navigating the application process for federal and state conservation programs?  After a site visit, we can advise you on the conservation programs available to your operation and assist with submitting applications.  To learn more about current programs, visit our Conservation Programs page. If you are interested in learning more about conservation in general, please visit our Educational Resources page.

Required Agricultural Practices (RAP) Compliance

Overview 

Required Agricultural Practices

The Required Agricultural Practices outline the practices and restrictions that farms in Vermont must adhere to. Depending on the size of your the farm, there are different rules and restrictions. For a summary of the RAP's please view the document below. For the statutory text, click here.

RAPsummaryPDF.pdf
FarmSizeClass.pdf

Farm Size Classification

The RAP's classify farms by the amount of revenue that the generate, the size of the land that they operate on, and the type of operation. Farms that are Certified Small farm or larger must undergo an annual certification process, get water quality credits, and have a nutrient management plan. 

Re-certification 

All farms which are a CSFO or larger must re-certify with the state every year. For more information on certification, click here.