Commercial sheep production is seeing a resurgence in interest in the state of Vermont, with a number of producers scaling up or planning to in the near future. A new generation of farmers are exploring whether commercial sheep production is a viable potential path to earning a living through farming. Vermont has several resources to support opportunities for these producers, including abundant, high-quality seasonal grazing, generational shifts in farmland ownership, and proximity to regional markets.

The Intervale Center and Vermont Housing and Conservation Board collaborated on this project to assess the viability of scaled commercial sheep production in Vermont and develop resources around production, marketing, and working budgets for producers to use. The project focused on small and medium scale grass-based meat production that is suited to the utilization of pasture and infrastructure common to similar scale dairy farms. This report compiles the resources developed as part of the project.