280 individual VYCC corps members worked from as early as March all the way until the end of November on our Farm and Conservation crews. From sowing seeds, to improving state park infrastructures, to removing invasive species, to harvesting organic vegetables for Vermonters in need, our crews learned, earned, and yearned to make their communities better. Our crews spread across New York State, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and of course every county in Vermont.

There are also now hundreds of individual stories to add to the VYCC #AllCorps story. We got lots of these on video, so stay tuned for these in the coming months.

For now, we want to wow you with this quick 2018 season recap.

Our award winning Food and Farm program ogave a high quality experience to their farm crews, building out our impact on our home campus in Richmond and with our partners in Newport at the Bluffside Farm on land conserved by the Vermont Land Trust. Together, 53 farm corps members grew organic vegetables on 6 crews for our Health Care Share program which provide:

• 4,759 Health Care Share boxes of food distributed statewide at
• 1,032 individuals enrolled in the Health Care Share program
• 74,045 lbs of organic produce distributed
• 2,250 lbs of chickens distributed

The Farm at VYCC is poised for continued excellence and exciting changes next season as we look to expand our partnerships into new parts of Vermont and incorporate elements of the farm’s learning opportunities for corps members across the VYCC corps experience. 

Our Conservation program showcased the power of innovation for a 21st century youth corps by giving 269 corps members hands on experience. They learned trades work like carpentry and trail building; about environmental protection and conservation that is impacted by climate change; how to maintain water quality; and valuable interpersonal and leadership skills as modeled by our dynamic team of Crew Leaders. Together, our 22 conservation crews improved public lands in Vermont through thousands of hours of hard work. Check out these stats!

• 179 puncheons constructed
• 116 stepping stones placed
• 587 non-native invasive plants removed (on over 47 acres)
• 364 new drainage structures installed on trails (includes waterbars, grade dips, culverts)
• 412 existing trail drainage structures maintained
• 408 hazardous trees removed
• 53 trail signs installed
• 38 staircase built
• 508 steps in those staircases
• 30 switchbacks constructed
• 36.09 miles of trail maintained
• 5.08 miles of new trail built
• 867 plants planted
• 3,427 trees planted
• 28 campsites cleaned
• 10 mouldering toilets installed (similar to composting toilet)
• 8.3 leanto roofs re-shingled (that’s 2,484 square feet)
• 11 structures painted (that’s 8,492.9 square feet)

In addition to the stats all our crews put up this season, we are proudest of the personal growth each corps member gained while working with the VYCC. Looking ahead to 2019, we are excited about plans underway to enhance the VYCC experience with particular focus on workforce readiness and leadership skills. 

Together, we will provide the best corps learning experience in the country in 2019 and build upon our #OneCorpsAllCorps success.