ABOUT THE FARMERS
Harvey and Donna Smith
HARVEY SMITH
Harvey T. Smith grew up on a dairy farm, and since 1972 has owned and operated one in New Haven, Vermont, with his wife, Donna. After selling his dairy herd in 2005, Harvey has been raising beef cattle, pigs, meat birds, and laying hens, as well as growing soybean and forage crops for sale.
Harvey is a 1966 graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Animal Science. He received the Vermont Farm Bureau Award for Young Farmer of the Year in 1975 and Farmer of the Year in 1992.
VERMONT LEGISLATOR & USDA STATE FSA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
A member of the Vermont House of Representatives for Addison County District 5, Harvey was first elected to the Vermont Legislature in 1998 and served four two-year terms on the House Committee on Agriculture and Forest Products. In 2007 Harvey was appointed to serve as Farm Service Agency State Executive Director for Vermont by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where he was responsible for overseeing FSA’s responsibilities to farmers within Vermont and contributing feedback to assist the agency in policy decisions. Harvey returned the Vermont General Assembly in 2011. He is proud to have introduced bills for the Farm Viability Enhancement Program, Agriculture Economic Development, Vermont Department of Agriculture to Agency Cabinet Level, and Upgrades to the Agriculture Transportation Statues. Harvey continues to serve on the House Committee on Agriculture and Forest Products.
BOARD MEMBERSHIPS
Harvey Smith has been very active in a wide range of agricultural organizations on the local, state, regional, and national level since the mid-1970s. He has served on numerous boards to include the Addison County Economic Development Corporation, Addison County Farm Bureau, Addison County Regional Planning Commission, Associated Industries of Vermont, University of Vermont Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Efficiency Vermont, Vermont Dairy Task Force, Vermont 25x’25 Steering Committee, University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm, Agri-Mark Resolutions Committee, USDA Northeast Region Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education, New England Milk Promotion, Yankee Milk Inc., Farm Family Insurance, United Dairy Industry Association, and National Milk Producers Federation, and the New Haven Congregational Church among others.
DONNA SMITH
Early in their married life, Donna Smith taught in the Bristol and Weybridge school systems. She gave birth to their daughter, Sara, in 1971 and in 1972 they bought the farm in New Haven, Vermont. Donna learned how to be a farmer’s wife and farmhand first-hand! She and Harvey worked together from morning milking until evening chores were done. In 1973, their daughter, Amy, was born, and the playpen, ride on toys, and the girls joined them in the barn. Amy was in third grade when Donna went back into teaching at Beeman Elementary School in New Haven, where she taught for nearly twenty-five years, before retiring in 2010.
CARING FOR CHILDREN ON THE FARM
Donna’s dream had always been to have a farm where children could come, be around the animals, help to feed or water them, or just be around to pet their favorites. Now, Donna cares for children on the farm—where they have an opportunity to learn about life on a farm, “help” Harvey feed the animals, and collect the eggs. To explain the change of animals, we say they go for rides in the trailer!
ANNAJO SMITH
AnnaJo Smith with her dog, Boone.
AnnaJo Smith, a graduate of Vermont Technical College and the University of Vermont’s FARMS 2+2 Program received her degree in animal science with a minor in business. Her original goal was to become a high school agricultural teacher while keeping the family farm going. Instead she opened her own business, the Vermont Food Collaborative in 2019 in New Haven, VT with her business partner Jennifer Kennett of Tail Feather Farm; and continues to operate the family farm.
Since an early age, AnnaJo has been involved in 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) and now assists both organizations. She is the 4-H leader for the Green Mountain Grazers beef club and serves as Co-Executive Director of the Vermont State FFA Association. She is working hard to build her own herd of cattle and continues to develop the family business with her grandparents. In her spare time, AnnaJo enjoys riding and working with her horses, kayaking, and playing out-of-doors with her dogs.
