The Climate Catalyst Innovation Fund supports local innovative climate projects for which a small grant could have a meaningful impact at the community level. In this round, $60,500 in grants ranging from $500 to $4,000 were awarded to 17 local projects developing solutions that move Vermont closer to its climate and energy goals. Funded projects…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is pleased to announce recipients of the fifth competitive round of the Climate Catalyst Innovation Fund. The funding supports projects that create new approaches to challenging problems by expanding community resilience and reducing energy use. VCRD received over $137,494 in requests and was able to fund 17 projects…
In the wake of devastating floods in both 2023 and 2024, the Town of Plainfield invited VCRD to facilitate a process to bring together the full diversity of Plainfield residents, organizations, business owners and partners in an open, inclusive dialogue to build connections, and identify actions for recovery and future efforts. The three-part process, facilitated…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the call for Climate Economy Resilient Communities participants for 2026. Through the program, VCRD supports three to five communities each year working on local climate action solutions that help increase climate resilience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy use, and/or strengthen the local climate economy. Since launching…
The Preservation Trust of Vermont, Vermont Council on Rural Development, and the Vermont Community Foundation are pleased to announce the second cohort of communities selected for the Village Trust Initiative (VTI). Now in its second year, VTI is a partnership supporting rural communities undertaking transformational revitalization projects in their historic villages. “Vermont’s rural villages should…
On Thursday November 6, all New Haven community members are invited to gather at the Town Hall for a free community dinner and the opportunity to be an active participant in sharing and developing ideas for the future prosperity and quality of life of New Haven. This event is the first of three steps in…
Read VCRD’s 2024 Annual Report for an overview of our work serving communities and building local leaders. We also supported local actions for growing the climate economy, improving youth opportunity, strengthening our working lands enterprises, and more.
Members of the Plainfield community came together Wednesday, September 17th for the second step of the Plainfield Forward resilient communities process and set two concrete and actionable priorities for the future of the town. All area residents, including those displaced from the 2023 and 2024 floods, are encouraged to sign up for these priority groups online…
Through the “Sunderland Shines” process, the community came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose two priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task force groups will…
Plainfield community members are invited to participate in the next step of the Plainfield Forward process to review, discuss and prioritize community-led actions that will improve the future of their town. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 17th from 5:30-8:30 pm at the Haybarn Theater at The Creative Campus at Goddard with free…
Through the “What’s Possible, Windham?” process, the community came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 2 public meetings, community members chose two priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task force groups…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the opening of applications for the fifth round of the Climate Catalysts Innovation Fund, a small catalytic grant program for local innovative climate projects. VCRD launched the fund in 2021 to support local innovators in developing climate and energy solutions for which a small grant could have…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announced the recipient of the Vermont Community Leadership Award at its 2025 Vermont Community Leadership Summit on August 11 at the Vermont State University Randolph Campus where hundreds of community leaders from across the state gathered to share skills, connect, and build a stronger Vermont together. The Vermont…
Members of the Sunderland community came together Wednesday, July 18th for the second step of the Sunderland Shines Community Visit process and set two concrete and actionable priorities for the future of the town. All area residents are encouraged to sign up for these task forces online at bit.ly/SunderlandShines. At the meeting, community members discussed…
Following the anniversaries of intense flooding to much of Vermont including Plainfield, another storm event in the NEK has caused significant damage. With this stark reminder of repeated flooding events as the backdrop, all Plainfield community members are invited to gather at the Haybarn Theater at The Creative Campus at Goddard on Monday July 28th,…
Through the “What’s Next Roxbury” process, the community came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose two priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task force groups…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) has welcomed nine participants to the 2025 Climate Catalysts Leadership Program. Participants from across the state will focus their time on the implementation of a local climate or energy project such as emergency planning and preparedness, promoting transportation equity, mapping climate/sustainability tools used by the ski industry, celebrating…
Windham community members are encouraged to participate in the second step of the What’s Possible, Windham? community process by joining the meeting on July 24th from 4:30 to 8:30 pm at the Windham Meeting House. At this meeting, Windham residents will discuss what’s important for Windham to champion right now, prioritize action ideas with dot…
Sunderland community members are encouraged to participate in the second step of the Sunderland Shines Community Visit process by joining the meeting on Wednesday, July 16 from 6:00 to 8:30 pm at the Sunderland Elementary School to discuss and vote for community-led actions that will improve the future of their town. Selectboard Chair Todd Lawrence…
After two days in Reading in May and June 2025, the town and their love for their school captured the heart of VCRD’s Jessica Savage, Director of Programs and Strategic Initiatives. So she wrote this love letter / opinion piece sharing her reflections. The Town of Reading Has My Heart: Small Schools, Big Questions…
On Tuesday June 17 from 4:30-8:30 pm, all Windham community members are invited to gather at the Windham Meeting House for a free community dinner and the opportunity to be an active participant in sharing and developing ideas for the future vitality, quality of life, and prosperity of Windham. This event is the first…
The Town of Lunenburg, like many rural Vermont towns, has several villages and hamlets nestled within its borders: the villages of Lunenburg and Gilman and the hamlets of West Lunenburg, South Lunenburg and Mill Village. Residents and visitors traveling through are treated to quintessential Vermont scenery with historic buildings, open spaces, sweeping vistas, cemeteries, bandstands,…
The Vermont village is often recognized as an iconic hub of general stores, churches, and community gathering spaces where residents come together. These villages have no shortage of people who want their communities to thrive and the Vermont village continues to be the stage of vibrant social life. The Village Trust Initiative (VTI), made possible…
For five years, the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) has hosted a dedicated group of new and emerging leaders from across the state who are focused on transformative, community-scale climate economy projects. From tool lending libraries to starting an energy committee, Climate Catalysts have made significant contributions to their communities. VCRD is now accepting…
All members of the Roxbury community are encouraged to attend the final phase of the What’s Next Roxbury Community Visit, on Monday, April 28, 2025 at the Roxbury Village School at 6:30pm to set action plans to move their two identified priorities forward. All members of the Roxbury community are encouraged to attend. In March,…
The first cohort of the Village Trust initiative (VTI) has gotten off to an energetic start. Since launching in April 2024, the communities of Benson, Braintree, Greensboro Bend, Lunenburg-Gilman, Reading, West Fairlee, and Wolcott have been gathering community input through events, surveys, and facilitated conversations to lay the groundwork of an impactful community-driven project for…
Through the Lunenburg-Gilman: One Community Working Together process, the community came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose two priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task…
In the wake of the 2023 and 2024 flooding events, the Town of Johnson invited VCRD to facilitate a process to bring together the full diversity of Johnson residents, organizations, business owners and partners in an open, inclusive dialogue to build connections, develop a self-assessment of resiliency, and identify actions for recovery and future efforts.…
On Tuesday February 18, all Roxbury community members are invited to gather at the Roxbury Village School for a free community dinner and the opportunity to be an active participant in sharing and developing ideas for the future vitality, quality of life, and prosperity of Roxbury. This event is the first of three steps of…
The Climate Catalyst Innovation Fund supports local innovative climate projects for which a small grant could have a meaningful impact at the community level. In this round, $82,500 in grants ranging from $500 to $4,000 were awarded to 25 local projects developing solutions that move Vermont closer to its climate and energy goals. Funded projects…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the awardees for the fourth competitive round of the Climate Catalyst Innovation Fund. The funding supports projects that make a meaningful, community-scale impact. VCRD received more than $224,000 in requests and was able to fund 24 projects totaling $85,000 to support local climate solutions in Vermont. In…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the call for Climate Economy Resilient Communities participants for 2025. Through the program, VCRD supports three to five communities each year working on local climate action solutions that help increase climate resilience, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy use, and/or strengthen the local climate economy. Services are…
Lunenburg and Gilman community members are encouraged to participate in the second phase of the Lunenburg-Gilman: One Community Working Together process by sharing their ideas for the future, and joining the meeting on November 19 to discuss and vote for actions the community can take for the future of their town. Community Visit Co-Chair and…
The application deadline for these 2 positions has passed, so we are no longer accepting applications. Community Programs Associate VCRD is seeking a dedicated, energetic and hardworking Community Programs Associate to support VCRD’s community programs. Must be a team player with excellent communications skills, an eagerness to learn, and a strong sense of mission in…
On Thursday October 24, all members of the Lunenburg and Gilman community are invited to come together for a free community dinner and the opportunity to be an active participant in sharing and developing ideas for the future vitality, quality of life, and prosperity of Lunenburg-Gilman. This event is the first step of the Lunenburg-Gilman:…
Through the Westmore’s Path Forward process, Westmore community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose two community priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task…
Through the Bridport Community Voices process, Bridport community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose two community priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task…
The Preservation Trust of Vermont, Vermont Council on Rural Development, and the Vermont Community Foundation are pleased to announce the first cohort of communities selected for the Village Trust Initiative (VTI). The Village Trust Initiative is a new partnership of the three organizations that will support twenty Vermont communities over the next several years to…
Johnson community members are encouraged to participate in the second part of the Re-Imagine Johnson process to discuss and vote for actions generated by the community to address the long term flood recovery in Johnson and review the Community Resilience Assessment outcomes. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 10th from 5:00-8:30 pm at…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announced that Denise Smith has been selected as its Executive Director, a role she will assume on September 3, 2024. The announcement was made at the Vermont Community Leadership Summit on August 6, a VCRD event where hundreds of community builders from across the state came together to…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announced the recipient of the Vermont Community Leadership Award at its 2024 Vermont Community Leadership Summit on August 6 at the Vermont State University Randolph Campus where over 450 attendees gathered for the day-long event. The Vermont Community Leadership Award is presented each year to celebrate Vermonters who…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) has welcomed fifteen participants to the 2024 Climate Catalysts Leadership Program from a strong pool of applicants. The 2024 participants from across the state will focus their time on the implementation of a local climate or energy project such as bringing community members together to determine the best…
Through the Franklin Community Voices process, Franklin community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose three community priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task…
“Vermont Vision for Youth Success” is the culmination of a deep engagement process that included the voices and insights of over 600 Vermonters of all ages, including more than 200 youth. The report lays out a framework of policy and programming recommendations to achieve a future where our youth are more deeply connected to their…
On Tuesday, May 7, all members of the Bridport community are invited to come together for a free community dinner and the opportunity to be an active participant in sharing and developing ideas for the future vitality, quality of life, and prosperity of Bridport. This event is the first step of the Bridport Comes Together…
Expertise and Funding Available to Support Community Revitalization in Vermont’s Small Towns. Villages are an essential part of our communities, Vermont’s identity, and its future. The Village Trust Initiative launched in 2024 offering expertise and funding to help 20 small towns create or bolster a local community trust organization and take on a transformational revitalization…
Often, our small rural towns in need of investment lack the internal capacity to develop local projects and access grant funds to complete them. To help these communities, the State of Vermont launched the Municipal Technical Assistance Program (MTAP). Through this program, VCRD is able to offer free facilitation and technical support services to more…
Application Deadline has passed. VCRD is seeking an Executive Director to advance and increase the impact of VCRD’s mission and collaboratively lead a dedicated team to convene and facilitate democratic engagement and collective action at the local and state level. We’re looking for someone with demonstrated excellence as: Community Builder Visionary and Strategic Leader Exceptional…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is seeking applicants for the fifth Climate Catalysts Leadership Program. Over the past four years, Climate Catalysts have worked to implement projects such as building a county-wide Farmer Climate Network; establishing community-wide weatherization efforts; facilitating the development of community solar projects; starting a town energy and climate committee;…
Through the Albany Together process, Albany community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose two community priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task force…
On Tuesday, March 19 2024, all members of the Franklin Community are invited to come together for a free community dinner and the opportunity to be an active participant in developing new ideas for the future of Franklin. This event is the first step of the “Franklin Community Voices” process – a three-part series of…
The Climate Catalyst Innovation Fund supports local innovative climate projects for which a small grant could have a meaningful impact at the community level. In this round, $82,912 in small grants of $500 to $4,000 were awarded to 25 local projects developing solutions that move Vermont closer to its climate and energy goals. Funded projects…
Through the Shelburne Forward Together process, Shelburne community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose three community priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task…
In the wake of the July 2023 flooding event, the newly formed Barre Up (Long-Term Flood Recovery Committee) and the City of Barre invited VCRD to facilitate a process to bring the full diversity of the Barre community together to listen to each other, share experiences, and think together about what comes next for flood…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the awardees for the third competitive round of the Climate Catalyst Innovation Fund. The funding supports projects that make a meaningful, community-scale impact. VCRD received more than $99,000 in requests and was able to fund 25 projects totaling $82,500 to support local climate solutions in Vermont. In…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the call for Climate Economy Resilient Communities participants for 2024. Community leaders and volunteers submit a simple online application that will be reviewed on a rolling basis until January 12th, 2024. Through the program, VCRD supports three to five communities each year working on local climate action…
The application deadline has passed, so we are no longer accepting applications. The Village Trust Initiative Director will help launch and lead VCRD’s work on the new Village Trust Initiative, a partnership between the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), Preservation Trust of Vermont (PTV), and the Vermont Community Foundation. The Village Trust Initiative will…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development’s (VCRD) Climate Economy Resilient Communities Program helps communities build and implement priority actions that increase economic vitality and affordability in a time of climate change. In 2023, VCRD worked with towns in the White River Valley Region to explore putting in place a regional coordinator initially modeled after the…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development’s (VCRD) Climate Economy Resilient Communities Program helps communities build and implement priority actions that increase economic vitality and affordability in a time of climate change. In the fall of 2023, VCRD worked with the Sharon Energy Committee to reignite collaborative actions towards community resilience. The “Sharon Connects” process engaged…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the opening of applications for the third competitive round of the Climate Catalysts Innovation Fund. In collaboration with VLITE, VSECU, Vermont Community Foundation Flood Response & Recovery Fund, the Sunflower Fund, and the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, VCRD is supporting innovators in developing solutions that move Vermont…
Due to flooding again in 2024, Barre Up! is actively organizing volunteers and folks in need. Find the current status and ways to help out, through their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/barreup/ In the wake of flooding events in July 2023, members of the Barre community came together on September 13th and October 18th, 2023 to connect with…
The mission of the Vermont Council on Rural Development is to “help Vermont citizens build prosperous and resilient communities through democratic engagement, marshaling resources, and collective action.” VCRD’s long-standing Community Visit program is core to this mission. Many times, communities create a long list of critical actions for the future, but the length of the…
Read VCRD’s 2022 Annual Report for an overview of our work in Community, Policy, Climate, and Leadership. Our work in 2022 also included the launch of the Youth Opportunity Initiative – a major statewide engagement effort that focuses on youth aspirations, community connections, and potential new ideas for strengthening the tie between youth aspiration and…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development is committed to supporting locally defined progress in rural communities throughout Vermont. This month with the severe flooding, many communities have experienced a devastating setback impacting individuals, families, businesses, downtowns and villages across the state. VCRD is not an emergency response organization, but in times like this, we need…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) today announced the recipients of the Vermont Community Leadership Award, which will be presented at VCRD’s 2023 Vermont Community Leadership Summit on August 15 at the Vermont State University Randolph Campus. The Vermont Community Leadership Award is presented each year to celebrate Vermonters who exemplify “dedication, integrity and…
For the fourth time, the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is gearing up for our statewide Vermont Community Leadership Summit on August 15 at Vermont State University Randolph. The Summit brings together over 500 attendees to celebrate and explore new ways to support local leadership and democracy in Vermont. It is one of the…
VCRD is seeking a dedicated, energetic and hardworking Community Engagement and Policy Associate to support VCRD community leadership and engagement efforts, and rural policy initiatives. The Associate must be a team player with excellent communications skills, an eagerness to learn, and a strong sense of mission in service to rural Vermont communities. We’re looking for…
For the fourth time, the Vermont Council on Rural Development is gearing up for our statewide Vermont Community Leadership Summit on Aug. 15 at Vermont State University Randolph. The Summit brings together over 500 attendees to celebrate and explore new ways to support local leadership and democracy in Vermont. It is one of the most…
On Thursday, July 27, all members of the Shelburne Community are invited to come together for a free community dinner and the opportunity to be an active participant in developing new ideas for the future of Shelburne. This event is the first step of the “Shelburne Forward Together” process – a three-part series of facilitated…
Through the Northfield: Our Common Future Community Visit process, Northfield community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose four community priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward.…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is inviting all Vermonters thinking about their community and the future of our state to attend the 2023 Vermont Community Leadership Summit on Tuesday, August 15 at Vermont State University Randolph Campus hosted by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD). Register now at https://www.vtrural.org/summit/. Designed in partnership…
The mission of the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is to “help Vermont citizens build prosperous and resilient communities through democratic engagement, marshalling resources, and collective action.” VCRD’s long-standing Community Visit program is core to this mission. Many times, communities create a long list of critical actions for the future, but the length of…
The “Sharon Connects” process brings community members together to actively participate in examining issues, decide top priorities and develop action plans for the future of the town. The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) provided the overall structure and neutral facilitation for the first two gatherings. On June 8th, 80 community members came together to…
Here at the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), we’re committed to listening to community members from around the state about the opportunities and challenges they see in their towns and supporting those who step forward to build an even stronger future. It is a critical time to be focused on our small cities and…
All members of the Northfield community are encouraged to attend the final phase of the Northfield: Our Common Future Community Visit, on Tuesday, May 16 at the Northfield Middle/High School at 6:30pm to set action plans to move their three identified priorities forward. All members of the Northfield community are encouraged to attend. In April,…
Residents of the Northwest Region of Vermont are encouraged to attend the upcoming Youth Opportunity Regional Forum on May 23 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans for people of all ages and backgrounds to come together to discuss how we can improve opportunities for youth in our communities. Free pizza and…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is inviting community leaders, volunteers, and partners committed to Vermont to join the inaugural “Community Social” June 13 at the Lake Bomoseen Lodge & Taproom. The event will include a short speaking program with updates on VCRD initiatives and issues vital to towns across Vermont, as well as…
Members of the Northfield community came together Tuesday, April 18 for the second step of the Northfield: Our Common Future community visit process and set four concrete and actionable priorities for the future of the town. All area residents are encouraged to sign up for these task forces online at bit.ly/FutureNorthfield. As part of the…
Residents of the Upper Valley Region of Vermont are encouraged to attend the first Youth Opportunity Regional Forum April 20 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Oxbow High School to join together with fellow community members, businesses, educators, and youth to share successes, challenges, and ideas for the future. Free pizza will be served and childcare will…
The strength of our democracy, the vitality of our economy, and the emotional and physical wellbeing of our population start with our youth and a shared belief in a positive future. In order to build strong communities and realize our vision for a thriving economy, we must work together – youth and adults – to…
Northfield community members are encouraged to participate in the second phase of Northfield: Our Common Future Community Forums to set actionable priorities together for the future of their town. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 18 from 6:30pm to 9pm at the Northfield Middle High School. This event is the second phase of…
The Future of Vermont Action Team is launching a statewide Youth Opportunity Initiative, facilitated by the Vermont Council on Rural Development, to embark on a deep engagement process to draw input from youth, community members, parents, advocates, municipal leaders, educators, school administrators, business owners, policy experts, and more to identify strategies and action to advance…
The Village of Enosburg Falls wanted to go green and show care for their local environment, and after learning about the Climate Catalysts Innovation Fund Village Manager John Dasaro took the opportunity to bring an EV charger to town. “We wanted to show that we care for our environment and had been looking for options…
Building a flourishing democracy requires many things of the citizens and residents of the United States. One of the most important things democracy requires is our attention – not only on the issue of the day at the national level, but also on the challenges we can impact closer to home in our communities. Our…
Just one year later and Milton community members are ready to celebrate the work behind them and plan further action for the year ahead. Over 180 community members in Milton participated in the Milton on the Move Community Visit process that began in the fall of 2021, facilitated by the Vermont Council on Rural Development…
A few weeks ago, the Working Lands Coalition hosted a celebration to honor the ten-year anniversary of the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative – a program dedicated to supporting farm and forest businesses across Vermont. The celebration, held at the State House with food and live music, saw an overflow crowd of founders, friends, and champions…
Sometimes, it’s not about fixing the problem. It’s about changing the conditions that created the problem in the first place. In other words, sometimes changing the underlying system to create a better future. And the eight Vermont Working Communities Challenge (WCC) Teams are doing exactly that kind of systems change work. The Working Communities Challenge…
On Tuesday, March 21, all members of the Northfield Community are invited to come together for a free community dinner and the opportunity to be an active participant in developing new ideas for Northfield’s future. This event is the first step of the Northfield: Our Common Future process – a three-part series of facilitated discussions…
Through the Our Future Putney Community Visit process, Putney community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose three community priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The…
Through the Let’s Grow Concord process, Concord community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose three community priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is welcoming sixteen participants to the 2023 Climate Catalysts Leadership Program from a strong pool of applicants. The sixteen participants come from across the state and will focus their time on implementing projects addressing topics such as developing town climate actions; expanding outreach regarding weatherization programs; producing an…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is pleased to announce the four selected communities for their Climate Economy Resilient Communities (formerly known as Climate Economy Model Communities). The Resilient Communities program supports three to five Vermont communities per year working on local climate action solutions. Already in 2022, VCRD worked with the Intermunicipal Regional…
All members of the Putney community are encouraged to attend the final phase of their Community Visit process, Our Future Putney, on Tuesday, January 17 at Next Stage Arts to help set action plans to move their three identified priorities forward. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for light snacks and refreshments with the meeting…
This Initial Policy report provides an overview of the WCC program and keys to the initial success of 8 regional teams approaching long-standing challenges in new ways. Read the report here.
Members of the Putney community came together Monday, December 12 for the second step of the Our Future Putney community visit process and set three concrete and actionable priorities for the future of the town. All area residents are encouraged to sign up for these task forces online at bit.ly/FuturePutney. As part of the Community…
Putney community members are encouraged to participate in the second phase of the Our Future Putney Community Forums to set actionable priorities together for the future of their town. The meeting will take place on Monday, December 12 from 6:30pm to 9pm at the Putney Central School. This event is the second phase of a…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the awardees for the second competitive round of the Climate Catalyst Innovation Fund. The funding supports projects that make a meaningful, community-scale impact. Of the 37 applications that totaled more than $118,000 in requests, VCRD was able to fully fund 25 project requests totaling over $82,000 to…
It’s around this time of year when people start counting the things they are thankful for: family, friends, and health, so today at VCRD we’d like to share the top five reasons that we find ourselves thankful for rural Vermont. Communities Vermont is made up of 252 towns and cities – each with a unique…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is celebrating the graduation of sixteen local leaders from the third class of the Climate Catalysts Leadership Program. The third cohort began in the fall of 2021 and, over the past year, members worked to implement projects such as, building a trade network for hunters, farmers, and gardeners;…
On Monday, November 14, all members of the Putney Community are invited to join their neighbors for a free community dinner, live music, and the opportunity to be an active participant in developing new ideas for the future of Putney. This event is the first of a three-part series of facilitated discussions coordinated by the…
Residents of the Concord community are encouraged to review the newly released Let’s Grow Concord Action Report for a recap on the recent Community Visit process. This report includes details on the new task forces, the contact information of local leaders, and collected resources to help move the community-determined priorities forward. Throughout the summer and fall, the…
The Vermont Working Communities Challenge (WCC) has released its Initial Report sharing the new approaches made by the eight Vermont teams over the first three years to address systemic challenges in Vermont like housing, childcare, poverty, workforce development, racial equity, and more. The report was shared with Vermont’s decision-makers and community builders on October 14…
The Climate Catalyst Innovation Fund supports innovative local projects for which a small grant could have a meaningful impact at the community level. In its first round, the Fund received 32 applications for a total requested amount of over $76,000. Of those, 18 projects were awarded small grants to support local innovators developing solutions that…
At the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), we are passionate about the importance of local leadership and supporting individuals and their communities to build a positive future for Vermont. Democracy requires that each of us step forward in service to each other. Most of the time, especially in rural communities, local leadership involves a…
All members of the Concord community are encouraged to attend the final phase of their Community Visit process, Let’s Grow Concord, on Wednesday, September 14 to help set action plans to move their three identified priorities forward. On August 8, members of the community came together and identified three priorities to be developed into a…
Identifying a community need and leveraging local partners and resources to address it was an exciting piece of the puzzle for the Ilsley Public Library in Middlebury. With new ideas, partners, and local funding, the Library has helped make it possible for visitors, friends, and neighbors to explore Middlebury and Addison County on the library’s…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development welcomed 500 leaders from across the State to the August 10, 2022 Vermont Community Leadership Summit held at Vermont Technical College to build their skills, share opportunities, network, and learn. We are inspired and are honored to be working on behalf of rural communities – and their leaders –…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announces the opening of applications for the second competitive round of the Climate Catalysts Innovation Fund. In collaboration with local funders, VCRD is supporting innovators in developing solutions that move Vermont closer to its climate and energy goals by providing at least $20,000 in grant funding toward local…
The Town of Highgate was ready to start taking action for the future. Participating in a facilitated discussion to talk through what community members wanted in the place they call home was the first step. For three months this past spring and summer, community members in Highgate came together in the gymnasium of the Highgate…
Through the Brownington Connects process, Brownington community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose three community priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task force…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) today announced the recipients of the Vermont Community Leadership Award and Vermont Lifetime Leadership Award. These awards will be presented at VCRD’s 2022 Vermont Community Leadership Summit on August 10 at the Vermont Technical College in Randolph. The VT Community Leadership Award is presented each year to celebrate…
By Ethan Weinstein, as seen in VT Digger: https://vtdigger.org/2022/07/17/advocates-for-londonderry-community-center-take-first-major-step/ Excerpt: Enlisting the help of Norwich University students, the town of Londonderry will explore the possibility of creating a community center on an undeveloped town property. Tentatively called the Tri-Mountain Commons, the space would include child care, meeting rooms and housing, according to proponents of the…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is inviting Vermonters of all backgrounds who are working with a goal of improving life in their community to attend the 2022 Community Leadership Summit on Wednesday, August 10, at Vermont Technical College. Registration is now open for $50 per person, with options available on the registration website…
As an organization dedicated to supporting locally-defined progress of Vermont’s rural communities, the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) felt an instant spark of connection to the Vermont Working Communities Challenge (WCC). The Working Communities Challenge is a partnership between the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (FRBB), the WCC Steering Committee of statewide leaders, private…
The "Let's Grow Concord" Community Visit is a 3-month process that brings community members together to actively participate in examining issues, decide top priorities and develop action plans for the future of the town. The Vermont Council on Rural Development provides the overall structure and neutral facilitation each step of the way. Visit the event…
The recently concluded Legislative Session was a busy one, resulting in major investments in housing, broadband, and many other areas. Thanks to the leadership of the Governor and Legislature, the base funding appropriation for working lands was nearly doubled to $1 million annually this year. These funds help support new jobs and investments in our…
Read VCRD’s 2021 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2021, and what we’re looking forward to in 2022.
Through the Highgate Reaching New Heights process, Highgate community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose three community priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new…
Leaders across Vermont play an instrumental role every day in shaping the future of our State and our communities. Here at the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), we are constantly inspired by the dedicated local leaders across the state and their tremendous levels of commitment, strength, and ability to make such huge impacts in…
Whether it is affordable housing, community development, conservation and recreation, or food resilience, the 4-Town Coalition consists of movers and shakers making things happen in Royalton, Sharon, Strafford, and Tunbridge. The 4-Town Coalition is a grassroots and volunteer initiative that came to life originally in response to an out-of-state developer who planned to build the…
Through the Milton on the Move process, Milton community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose three community priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new…
The greater Rochester area participated in VCRD’s Climate Economy Model Community Program (CEMCP) in 2021. CEMCP is community-driven process with local leaders, VCRD, Green Mountain Power, and Efficiency Vermont to cultivate economic development, innovation, and affordability in the face of climate change. Over 80 residents participated in the “Rochester Area Climate Initiative” (RACI) process with…
Through the All In For Barre process, Barre City community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose three community priorities for action, and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The…
Home heating is the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Vermont, with the average Vermonter spending nearly $2,000 to heat stay warm. Based in Bristol, VT, Smith & McClain is a general contractor specializing in residential construction, solar power systems, electrical services, and energy efficiency. Their goal is to provide customers with the…
Through the Moving Forward Together process, Bradford community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 3 public meetings, community members chose three community priorities for action and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task…
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that roughly 30% of global emissions leading to climate change can be attributed to agricultural activities, including pesticide use. One of the most effective tools for stopping the present increase in atmospheric CO2 is to build soil carbon through regenerative farming, grazing and land-use practices with a focus on soil health. Studio Hill Farm,…
Through the Mendon on the Move process, community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 2 public meetings, community members chose two community priorities for action and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task…
New round of applications are now open and available: APPLY HERE The Vermont Council on Rural Development, in collaboration with local funders invites applications for small grants to support local innovators developing solutions that move Vermont closer to its climate and energy goals. The fund is initially capitalized with at least $20,000 and will be administered…
Read VCRD’s 2020 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2020, and what we’re looking forward to in 2021.
As seen in Vermont Business Magazine: https://vermontbiz.com/news/2021/june/02/vcrd-executive-director-paul-costello-leaving-post After 21 years at the helm of the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), Paul Costello is stepping down from his role as Executive Director. Over these years Costello has engaged communities throughout the state to help them set priorities and connect to resources, led a dozen policy…
After 21 years, the head of a group that’s helped organize hundreds of communities across the state is stepping down. Paul Costello, executive director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is moving on come September.
On May 26 and 27 2021, the Vermont Council on Rural Development welcomed 700 participants from all backgrounds and corners of the state to the Summit on the Future of Vermont to review The Vermont Proposition draft from all sides and consider ways to move each element forward. This report includes some background on the…
See story on WCAX: https://www.wcax.com/2021/05/20/group-releases-blueprint-ahead-of-future-of-vermont-summit/ BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The Vermont Council on Rural Development has just completed a blueprint designed to drive discussion for their upcoming Summit on the Future of Vermont next week. VCRD officials say the Vermont Proposition was compiled from the comments of thousands of Vermonters and will be a key…
Next week, hundreds of Vermonters including state leaders, business owners and advocates will gather virtually for a summit on the future of the state.
As the state finalizes its budget for next year, the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) releases its summary of feedback from thousands of Vermonters who weighed in with their ideas of what we need to do in the next few years in order to have a prosperous and sustainable Vermont over the next 30.
Lighting accounts for nearly 5% of global CO2 emissions. With LED lighting achieving savings of 50-70%+ compared to older technologies, LEDdynamics is helping to combat climate change from Randolph, Vermont. LEDdynamics is a cutting-edge LED technology producer. Manufacturing Technology Insights recently recognized LEDdynamics as a Top 10 Electric Manufacturing Solutions Provider. The company conducts all…
Kehler spoke Thursday as part of a virtual forum with NEK business and education leaders on how confronting the climate crisis can also create economic opportunities for Vermonters.
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Londonderry. Community members identified 3 priority areas for future action: Expand Affordable Housing Develop a Community Center Revitalize the Village Centers/Main Street Read the Report & Action Plan.
The City of St. Albans can expect its share of the American Rescue Plan stimulus money to be a shade over $2 million. St. Albans Town will receive about $1.9 million.
MENDON — Making Route 4 better, and boosting outdoor recreation are the town’s top priorities coming out of two big public hearings held over the past two months.
Ideas for the Future of Vermont is a collaboration between the nonpartisan Vermont Council on Rural Development, The Times Argus/Rutland Herald and GNAT -TV and the Vermont Access Network. It is an opportunity for Vermonters to learn, discuss and provide feedback on 10 proposition statements that look toward the state's future and long-term viability. See…
A Vermont nonprofit is looking to create a blueprint for the state’s future priorities. The Vermont Council on Rural Development is hosting the Summit on the Future of Vermont.
MONTPELIER, VT – The Summit on the Future of Vermont on May 26-27 will bring Vermonters together virtually to consider “The Vermont Proposition” – a set of bold and transformational ideas for the state’s economy, environment and people by mid-century. The Summit is produced by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD). For 30 years this non-profit and…
Wheelock has hired a project team to help the town move toward its long-sought goal of allowing all citizens to fully utilize the Wheelock Town Hall meeting space and clerk’s office. Solving this problem has bedeviled the community for decades.
The town is among three communities to receive a state planning grant that’s only awarded to a few places every couple of years. It was announced Monday that Poultney, Bethel and Lyndon have been awarded Better Connections grants.
In this most unusual year, we could finally see how “short” we are on broadband. Perhaps you were one of the 22 million Americans over 70 who didn’t have an internet account to get a vaccine appointment. You may have seen the cars pulled up around the town clerk’s office or the library. Look closely…
A year ago, Rockingham launched three citizen task forces eager to complete “actionable goals” by tackling areas of need identified by a process brought to town by the Vermont Council on Rural Development.
Vermont’s pandemic recovery is a catalytic opportunity for creative renewal. How do we work together to revitalize Vermont? Where do our values, principles, culture and economy fit together as we search for common paths to a more resilient, prosperous and welcoming state?
As part of the Vermont Community Leadership Network, the Vermont Council on Rural Development is forming a new “action center” to convene and provide targeted support to a cohort of Vermonters working on response to the pandemic and a robust recovery.
After being delayed for a year by the pandemic, the town is set to hold a pair of community-wide forums to figure out what its priorities are and how to get them done.
Restoring downtown buildings was identified as a top priority during last year’s Rockingham community visit, led by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD).
Executive Director of Vermont Council on Rural Development, discusses the work of bringing attention to the fundamental needs that communities face and the next phase of the ongoing work of the Council on the Future of Vermont.
Governor Phil Scott unveiled his proposal to add $3 million to the base funding for the Vermont’s Working Lands Enterprise Initiative for Fiscal Year 2022 on Tuesday, Jan. 26, during his annual budget address.
This was a rich week for the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee as we took testimony regarding some of the programs we consider our legacy.
Strike up a conversation with the locals at one of the general stores in West Burke and you’re bound to hear a little history of the village in its heyday.
Former Vermont Secretary of Agriculture Roger Allbee’s extensive work on behalf of rural Vermont was recognized on Wednesday by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD).
The Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) has awarded a Small Grant for Smart Growth to the Town of Rockingham to promote small-scale development in the village of Bellows Falls.
The Manchester Riverwalk Association has received a $2,500 grant that will help the group build a bridge over the West Branch of the Battenkill River, as part of its plans for a path connecting Factory Point Town Green and downtown Manchester Center.
VCRD and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont collaborated to put together an online seminar featuring Dr. Kate Mcintosh. Dr. Mcintosh’s presentation covered the latest trends in virus spread, different types of tests available, quarantine guidelines, and the coming vaccines. See the presentation below or on YouTube here. The slideshow Dr. Mcintosh used for the…
Dorset participated in VCRD's Climate Economy Model Community Program (CEMCP) in 2020. CEMCP is community-driven process with local leaders, VCRD, Green Mountain Power, and Efficiency Vermont to cultivate economic development, innovation, and affordability in the face of climate change. Over 110 residents participated in the “Dorset Tomorrow” process with support from 26 visiting resource team…
The COVID-19 pandemic took us all by surprise. When the public health crisis hit in early March 2020, community leaders stepped up throughout Vermont to build local response and mutual aid groups to address local needs. In that chaotic time these groups needed a backbone organization to provide support, build connections, and foster the sharing…
There aren’t many people in Vermont who have accomplished as much and been publicly recognized so little as Roger Allbee.
Over the last couple months, The Vermont Council on Rural Development has been working on an initiative they’re calling the Vermont Proposition: an effort to engage thousands of Vermonters in articulating priorities designed to optimize the best of Vermont.
An effort is underway to find out what thousands of Vermonters think should be done to set the state up for prosperity in the coming years. The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is calling it the “Vermont Proposition.”
As we come out of the crucible of the pandemic and look to a new year, we need more than recovery, we need to work together to advance renewal and resilience for our communities and economy.
Are you looking for ways to connect your community and build unity during these challenging times? Are you hoping to build engagement and set priorities for community initiatives or projects? Current restrictions on public gatherings create a barrier to public engagement and participation, but community work, whether focused around Covid response and recovery or other…
Despite the pandemic slowing the world down, the Pittsford Village Farm has been plugging away on its redevelopment over the summer. All it needs now is about $1.4 million.
When it comes to navigating the ever-changing course of the pandemic and meeting the needs of vulnerable populations, Lamoille County’s cadre of service-providers and people are rowing in the same direction.
The application deadline has passed. VCRD is seeking a dedicated, energetic and hardworking Community Projects Associate to provide facilitation, technical assistance, coaching, resource connections, grant drafting, and other support to local leaders who are driving projects forward for community and economic recovery. We’re looking for someone who: demonstrates excellent project development and communication skills is…
On Tuesday September 29 the Vermont Community Leadership Network hosted a workshop on improving access to child care, afterschool and summer time care in your community. The agenda included: Aly Richards, Let's Grow Kids Holly Morehouse, VT Afterschool Cheryl Huntley and Jaimie Stewart, Shared Services Model, Counseling Services of Addison County Mandy Chesley-Park, Mount Abraham…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development will open the application process for the Climate Catalysts Leadership Program October 1, 2022. The program brings together local leaders from all walks of life and all corners of Vermont to build peer connections, strengthen leadership skills, and receive support in developing a local climate economy project or initiative. VCRD…
The launch of the Vermont Community Leadership Network, an online portal that will serve as a place for leaders of all stripes to network, take free workshops, and focus on community projects.
Nearly 200 Vermonters joined Senator Patrick Leahy and the Vermont Council on Rural Development for an online celebration of local leadership where VCRD announced the launch of the Vermont Community Leadership Network and the publication of the new Community Leadership Guide.
Each year the Vermont Council on Rural Development recognizes leaders who have had a transformative impact on their community with the Vermont Community Leadership Award. This year the award will go to Des Hertz of Burke and Mike Strait of Brighton.
In democracy, all citizens are called upon to lead. Where leaders step up, towns achieve great things. Motivated by a wonderful and binding patriotism of place, local leaders in all their diversity throughout Vermont are constructing a future, building momentum, and making democracy real. Today as much as any time in our recent history, Vermonters…
Fourteen Vermont communities will see $4.4 million distributed among them for a range of projects ranging, including the purchase of a closed college building by Rutland City, to the revitalization of an old country store in East Calais.
Jody Fried, head of Catamount Arts in St. Johnsbury, offered that grim assessment during a remote forum Thursday evening that focused on civic and cultural institutions in the Northeast Kingdom.
Read VCRD’s 2019 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2019, and what we’re looking forward to in 2020.
The Local Support and Community Action Team led by Paul Costello, Executive Director of Vermont Council on Rural Development, today released its interim report for economic and social recovery.
As the weather warms and our economy begins to re-open, communities are quickly figuring out how to best use sidewalks, parking spots, streets, and parks to enable outdoor dining and shopping. They also are considering how to provide space for those travelling on foot or by bicycle. The Local Support and Community Action Team of…
The local groups that sprang up across Vermont to help neighbors in crisis due to COVID-19 are now turning their focus toward longer-term economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
Paul Costello, VCRD Executive Director, and Xusana Davis, State of VT Racial Equity Director, discuss Vermont’s COVID-19 recovery phase as communities look to the future, and explore questions around resiliency, equity, and moving from crisis mode to creativity.
Last year, the Rockingham Selectboard invited the Vermont Council on Rural Development to come to Bellows Falls and hold community meetings for a process called “Let’s Take Action Rockingham” that would lead to defining town wide action steps intended to improve the community and quality of life of its residents.
In 2019, VCRD completed its Community Visit process in Greensboro. Improving broadband and cell service was one of the priorities the community identified through the process.
On April 16, 2020, Gov. Phil Scott and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development announced the creation of the Economic Mitigation and Recovery Task Force. On April 22, 2020, Vermont Public Radio hosted a conversation with task force members to share what they’re doing to help move Vermonters and businesses toward reopening sectors of the…
The Marshfield and Plainfield communities participated in VCRD's Climate Economy Model Community Program (CEMCP) in 2019. CEMCP is community-driven process with local leaders, VCRD, Green Mountain Power, and Efficiency Vermont to cultivate economic development, innovation, and affordability in the face of climate change. Over 150 residents participated in the “Revitalizing All of Marshfield and Plainfield:…
Governor Phil Scott and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) today announced the establishment of the State of Vermont Economic Mitigation & Recovery Task Force.
Several organizations have come together to create a community response coordinating team to help the community-based response teams and mutual aid networks that have risen in response to Vermont’s effort to “flatten the curve” of the spread of the novel coronavirus and COVID-19.
In 2017, VCRD completed its Community Visit process in Burke. The “One Burke” initiative was formed as part of the process and local task force groups are working hard to move projects forward that the community identified as priorities.
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Rockingham. Community members identified 3 priority areas for future action: Build a Youth Center Advance Community Energy, Efficiency, and Resiliency Redevelop Bellows Falls Buildings Read the Report & Action Plan Falls Area Community TV (FACT) is airing weekly updates as task force groups move forward. Here, Teresa…
POSTPONED. WE WILL BE RESCHEDULING THE FORUMS FOR A LATER DATE. All members of the Barre community are invited to join with friends and neighbors on April 7th to discuss assets, challenges, and ideas for the future of Barre! Forums will be facilitated by the Vermont Council on Rural Development, a neutral facilitator of public…
Through the Wheelock’s Future process, community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 2 public meetings, community members chose two community priorities for action and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task force groups…
Rockingham residents gathered at Bellows Falls Middle School last Thursday for the third Let’s Take Action forum with officials from the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) to design three task force blueprints focused on long-term improvements for the township.
On a suggestion by Development Director Gary Fox, the Rockingham Selectboard invited the Vermont Council on Rural Development to come to Bellows Falls and hold community meetings for a process called “Let’s Take Action Rockingham.”
Rockingham residents started to map a path Thursday toward their shared goals of reusing old buildings, creating a youth-led youth center and making a concerted push toward energy conservation.
It seems everyone has a story to tell about Paul Bruhn and his work with the Preservation Trust of Vermont.
Vermod is a Wilder-based company that designs and builds affordable net-zero energy ready modular homes to meet the highest standards of durability, energy efficiency, comfort and indoor air quality. After Tropical Storm Irene devastated homes across the state, it became clear that mobile home residents were disproportionately affected by extreme weather. Following the storm, Vermod…
As seen in the Brattleboro Reformer: https://www.reformer.com/stories/community-action-plan-advances-to-next-stage,596733 BELLOWS FALLS — The Vermont Council on Rural Development will hold its last community meeting in the Let’s Take Action Rockingham Community Visit process, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Bellows Falls Middle School. All residents of the town are welcome to help line…
Aired 2/4/20, as seen on WCAX Across the Fence: Fran Stoddard interviews Paul Costello about VCRD’s Community Visit program and other community-based work.
In his State of the State, Governor Scott spoke about the demographic crisis that is creating a divide between the urbanized and rural areas of our state. At the Vermont Land Trust, it’s a divide we see every day, with opportunities to work in the woods or on the farm becoming less profitable or desirable, and rural businesses falling on hard times.
For 26 years, I’ve called this glorious little town home — I was born and raised here, stayed in the area throughout college, and bought my first home right in the village where I reside today. For 26 years, I’ve loved this town, but this past week, I fell in love with it all over again.
In March 2019, over 200 Poultney residents came together to discuss the impacts on the town associated with the closing of Green Mountain College, and to consider what community residents could do to address the challenges facing Poultney and revitalize the town and village of Poultney. As a result of this “Poultney Comes Together” process,…
On Wednesday, Jan. 8, the Vermont Council on Rural Development visited the town of Rockingham in a priority-setting meeting at the Bellows Falls Opera House to continue the process that began Dec. 4, 2019 with its well-attended community forums.
By Susan Smallheer, as seen in the Brattleboro Reformer: https://www.reformer.com/stories/youth-center-emerges-as-top-priority,594301 BELLOWS FALLS — Rockingham community members have set their priorities: they want to build a youth center, establish a climate and energy task force, and redevelop Bellows Falls buildings. At a well-attended public meeting Wednesday evening, the second in the “Let’s Take Action” community planning…
The Alchemist co-founder Jen Kimmich is on the VCRD board of directors. —————- By Kenny Gould, as seen in Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kennygould/2020/01/09/how-the-alchemist-goes-above-and-beyond-to-give-you-sustainable-beer/?fbclid=IwAR3Bh1zPmBslcUSVVGDNfEDMi5kswgB2MMcNTbDAbLIIgXI42Oc7_bjB8Ls#2ca09fcce703 By any metric, The Alchemist Brewery is a successful business. Currently, the brewery has two locations: a production facility in Waterbury, where they make their flagship Heady Topper IPA, and a visitor’s center in Stowe where…
Randolph participated in VCRD’s Climate Economy Model Community Program (CEMCP) in 2018. CEMCP is community-driven process with local leaders, VCRD, Green Mountain Power, and Efficiency Vermont to cultivate economic development, innovation, and affordability in the face of climate change. Over 300 Randolph residents participated in the “R3 – Randolph Region Re-Energized” process with support from…
By Kevin O’Connor as seen in vtdigger.org: https://vtdigger.org/2020/01/09/vermont-town-wrestles-the-cycle-of-revisiting-the-same-challenges-%EF%BB%BF/ ROCKINGHAM — More than 100 residents buzzed as they worked to whittle down two-dozen possibilities into three plans for action: Should the town improve internet and cellphone service? Recruit new residents? Expand an alphabet of opportunities, starting with arts, bike lanes and child care? A local who recalled…
The second meeting of Rockingham In Action, the community visit by the Vermont Council on Rural Development will be this coming Wednesday. The second step of the “Let’s Take Action” visit will be held at the Rockingham Town Hall, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
Enhancing quality of life is a goal that’s at the heart of most policymaking regardless of whether you are working from a community or town, county, state or national perspective.
By Susan Smallheer, as seen in the Brattleboro Reformer: https://www.reformer.com/stories/following-the-entergy-money,593574 BRATTLEBORO — Where has that $10 million Entergy Nuclear money for economic development gone? The Windham County Economic Development Program, WCEDP (pronounced “wikidip”), was set up as part of an agreement between Energy Nuclear and the state to soften the impact of the closing of…
By Robert Zulkoski & team, Social Entrepreneur, as seen in Vermont Business Magazine: https://vermontbiz.com/news/2019/december/22/zulkoski-farmers-almanac-says-change-coming “It’s been a long time coming. But I know a change is gonna come.” – Sam Cooke This article was written as a collaborative effort between Vermont Works Management Company and Vermont Innovation Commons. As we wrap another decade, the feeling of…
The temptation with bad news, like that of the closing of Green Mountain College, is to sit on one’s hands, paralyzed by structural change beyond immediate local control. The alternative is to come together, line up strategies and do what is in your power to move your community forward.
In 2016, VCRD held its community visit process in Vernon. Revitalizing the town and establishing a village center was one of the priorities the community chose as a result of the process. This article shares some of the progress they’ve made since the visit. By Olga Peters/The Commons: http://www.commonsnews.org/site/sitenext/story.php?articleno=31591&page=1 VERNON—As at least 20 people toured…
State Rural Development Councils collaborate both with in-state public and private-sector groups and with other states to strengthen rural development. Maine hasn’t had a formal rural development council since Maine Rural Partners shut down in 2016.
By Layla Burke Hastings, as seen in The Commons: http://www.commonsnews.org/site/sitenext/story.php?articleno=31565 BELLOWS FALLS—Echoes of solidarity and a desire for a unified long-term planning approach was on the minds of community members during a series of public forums led by Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) on Dec. 4, as part of its community visit to Rockingham…
BY BILL LOCKWOOD, as seen in The Shopper: https://vermontjournal.com/news/council-on-rural-development-holds-community-forums-in-rockingham/ BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – On the evening of Dec. 4, a large, interested group from the Rockingham community responded to the Vermont Council on Rural Development’s nine community forums held at three locations in Bellows Falls. The Rockingham Selectboard had invited the council to bring its process…
When talk turns to obstacles holding back rural Vermont, the lack of high-speed internet is often cited. The last gubernatorial race even saw a candidate who pitched broadband expansion as the new rural electrification.
Through the Westford’s Future process, community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 2 public meetings, community members chose three community priorities for action and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task force groups…
The community conversation was billed as “Attracting and Retaining Young People.” But the older resident in work jeans and boots came to discuss what could keep hold of him, too.
By Susan Smallheer, as seen in the Brattleboro Reformer: https://www.reformer.com/stories/loyalty-pride-cited-as-rockingham-assets,591832?fbclid=IwAR2C0V9RF_mYYRcao7hclDhvjo8VTcoLsq7HNzp6hIYXLTC22xduwBwVbHI BELLOWS FALLS — Hometown pride is palpable in Bellows Falls and Rockingham, members of the “Let’s Take Action” visiting team of state and regional officials said Wednesday. “The amount of affection, the place that you revere … really comes through strong,” said Martin Hahn, housing…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development is bringing its “Let’s Take Action” program to Rockingham that will help townspeople set the direction for what townspeople hope would be a “vibrant, prosperous and dynamic future.”
As seen in vtdigger.org: https://vtdigger.org/press_release/lets-take-action-rockingham-community-forums Community Process to Set Direction for the future of Rockingham On December 4th, all members of the Rockingham community are invited to kick off Let’s Take Action: A community process to engage all residents of Rockingham, Bellows Falls, and Saxtons River in setting direction for a vibrant, prosperous, and dynamic…
Task Force Co-Chairs: Diana Batzel and Nick Siefert Task Force Description: This task force will work with partners to assist home owners, renters, businesses and community institutions in reducing energy use, using renewable energy, and fuel switching. Task Force Update: Energy Improvements At Twinfield School: Twinfield School is a treasured community institution and has already…
by Joseph Gresser as seen in The Chronicle: https://bartonchronicle.com/ GREENSBORO — Community leaders who attended the annual meeting of the Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA), held at the Highland Center for the Arts in Greensboro on September 26, heard Paul Costello of the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) explain his organization’s work. The council…
Task Force Co-Chairs: Richard Baker (Marshfield) and Jamie Spector (Plainfield) Task Force description: Downtown Marshfield and downtown Plainfield are key hubs of economic, social, and cultural activity. The health and vitality of both communities depends in part on the vibrancy of these two places. Route 2 also plays a critical role in defining both communities,…
VCRD completed a 3-month Community Visit process in Greensboro where community members identified 4 priority areas for future action: Build Community Wastewater Infrastructure Improve Community Walkability and Bike-ability Address Water Quality and Lake Protection Improve Broadband & Cell Service Read the Report & Action Plan
As seen in the Rutland Herald: https://www.rutlandherald.com/opinion/editorials/two-vermonts/article_131453ae-20ea-576a-adc8-facc6ce56370.html Vermont seems to have a pretty good story to tell right now. But indications are that there really are “Two Vermonts.” According to the new Rural Life Survey commissioned by Vermont Public Radio and Vermont PBS, generally Vermonters enjoy life in their rural communities, and most say they’re…
By Peter Hirschfeld as seen on VPR: https://www.vpr.org/post/vpr-vermont-pbs-rural-life-survey-spotlights-vermonters-optimism-also-challenges#stream/0 Listen here: https://cpa.ds.npr.org/vpr/audio/2019/10/vpr-news-poll-overview-20191021.mp3 A survey of 801 Vermonters, conducted between Aug. 26 and Sept. 9, is part of a project by VPR and Vermont PBS called “This Land: The Changing Story of Rural Vermont.” The poll results suggest that story is complicated. Vermonters generally enjoy life in…
In 2018, Wallingford participated in our Community Visit Program. Through the process, a task force group was formed to “Build Multi-Use Trails, River / Lake Access & Boost Recreation Capactiy.” By Keith Whitcomb Jr., as seen in the Rutland Herald: https://www.rutlandherald.com/news/group-forming-to-promote-white-rocks-area/article_724a67c9-08db-5c1c-8e17-34aa907372f8.html WALLINGFORD — A group of outdoor lovers wanting to raise the profile of White…
Several hundred people turned out last year for forums held by the Vermont Council on Rural Development and the list of priorities people came up with was centered around conserving land for recreational use.
Over 120 Marshfield and Plainfield residents came together through the Model Communities program to consider the future of their two towns and how they can collectively rally to maintain the vibrancy of both places while also tackling climate change. From this process, the residents created Revitalizing All Marshfield and Plainfield,” or RAMP, consisting of four…
The brilliant, irrepressible, irresistible Paul Bruhn, one of Vermont’s most effective leaders and beloved citizens, passed away on Thursday the 19th of September. In addition to being the founder and Executive Director of the Preservation Trust of Vermont, Paul was a giant in the field of historic preservation and community development, and a key leader…
When VCRD brought a Community Visit process to Guilford in 2013, it quickly became apparent that there was an abundance of excitement and energy to build upon the town’s assets and set trajectory for the future. Through the Community Visit process, residents of Guilford discussed the town’s identity and opportunities for the future, and then…
VCRD and our partners in the Working Lands Coalition had a major victory in the past legislative session. Legislators recognized the crucial role of enterprise investments in stimulating new farm and forest innovation, stimulating new businesses and jobs, and creatively expanding collaborative marketing, distribution and added $1,000,000 to the Governor’s initial recommendation of $595,000 for…
Since 2017, VCRD has convened the Climate Economy Action Team (CEAT), a group of business and non-profit leaders dedicated to advancing distributed clean energy generation, energy efficiency, and climate solutions entrepreneurship. We are working together to help start new Vermont businesses, expand innovation and the profitability of existing businesses, and reduce Vermont’s carbon impact while…
Vermont’s stagnating population has concerned residents and policymakers for years. Census data shows that from 2010 to 2018, 10,000 more people left Vermont than moved into the state.
In 2018, VCRD brought its Community Visit program to Montgomery. Residents prioritized “improving traffic flow and pedestrian safety” as key to improving the town.
Middlebury was the second community to participate in VCRD's Climate Economy Model Community Program (CEMCP). CEMCP is community-driven process with local leaders, VCRD, Green Mountain Power, and Efficiency Vermont to cultivate economic development, innovation, and affordability in the face of climate change. Read the Greater Middlebury Report and Action Plan. Through the process, community members…
Over 500 leaders from towns throughout Vermont came together at the 2nd annual Community Leadership Summit to learn from each other, connect to potential partners and resources, and support each other’s progress in service to their community, and to Vermont. Read the 2nd Vermont Community Leadership Summit Report.
Over 200 residents came together to think about the impacts of the closing of Green Mountain College on their community and the actions community members could take to advance community and economic development projects that could improve the prospects ahead. Five key directions have been established and task force groups have been formed to: Expand…
“A leader doesn’t want to be the best in the world, but the best for the world,” said Paul Costello, executive director of Vermont Council on Rural Development, while speaking to a crowd of over 500 leaders, politicians, CEO’s, directors and Vermonters who packed the halls of Vermont Technical College on Aug. 12.
At VCRD’s Community Leadership Summit Today, VCRD Awards its Annual Vermont Community Leadership Award and Community Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award.
Gov. Phil Scott and U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., will address the second Vermont Community Leadership Summit at Vermont Technical College in Randolph on Monday.
See the video clip here on NBC5 News: https://www.mynbc5.com/article/hundreds-attend-2nd-annual-vermont-community-leadership-summit/28679873 Here’s the transcript: RANDOLPH, Vt. — Hundreds of leaders from across Vermont descended on Randolph on Monday for the 2nd annual Vermont Community Leadership Summit. The summit was put on by the Vermont Council on Rural Development. “There are people put themselves on the line for…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is inviting local leaders from throughout Vermont who are working to improve life in their communities to join in the deliberations at the 2nd annual Vermont Community Leadership Summit.
The Vermont Council on Rural Development is a nonprofit that has been instrumental in helping communities articulate community goals and find ways to marshall community resources to achieve them.
Eighteen Vermont working lands businesses and service providers were recognized today at an event celebrating the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI), created by the Legislature in 2012 to stimulate economic development in the agricultural and forestry sectors.
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in the 4-Town region of Royalton, Sharon, Strafford and Tunbridge. Community members identified 3 priority areas for future action: Develop Area Housing and Build a Senior Housing Community Support Economic Development in the Region Conserve Natural Resources and the Working Landscape and Create a Regional Agricultural Network Read…
By Elodie Reed , Landscapes correspondent, as seen in the Manchester Journal: https://www.manchesterjournal.com/stories/working-the-land,578183 DUMMERSTON — Somewhere along Bunker Road, not far from the center of Dummerston, the asphalt gives way to dirt. Overhead, the shade of leafy canopy transitions to the sun-soak of open fields. And around one sharp corner, an otherwise quiet, rural route…
By Paul Costello, and printed in multiple media outlets, including The Bennington Banner: https://www.benningtonbanner.com/stories/paul-costello-what-is-the-climate-change-story-we-tell-our-children,577259 I’ve been wrestling with a sentence that typifies the mission of our times, and have come to this: “We need to end the fundamental threat that climate change presents to our ability to provide for our children.” We can accomplish this…
As seen in Vermont Business Magazine: https://www.vermontbiz.com/news/2019/june/13/working-lands-enterprise-board-names-fy19-grantees-over-800000-awarded Eighteen Vermont working lands businesses and service providers were recognized Wednesday at an event celebrating the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI), created by the Legislature in 2012 to stimulate economic development in the agricultural and forestry sectors. The awardees received over $800,000. Governor Phil Scott and Agency of…
By the Associated Press, as seen in the Burlington Free Press: http://burlingtonfreepress.vt.newsmemory.com/?publink=17cc51b49 BURLINGTON – Vermont has awarded another round of annual grants to food and forestry businesses and groups that support them to help boost those industries. The 18 grants announced on Wednesday include $20,000 for Fisher Brothers berry farm in Shelburne to expand production…
By Jo Levasseur, as seen in the Randolph Herald: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/four-towns-make-plans-for-a-vibrant-future/ At the most recent “Our Four- Town Future” gathering, residents of Sharon, Strafford, Royalton, and Tunbridge discussed possible action steps in an effort to reach community-planning goals they’d set at earlier meetings. That meeting was held at the Sharon Academy on May 21. Hosted by…
In 2017, VCRD brought its Community Visit process to Brighton/Island Pond where residents identified a number of action ideas for future progress in town. Since then, the community has been working to revitalize their town – and creating events is one way they doing it! BY KRISTEN FOUNTAIN, as seen in the Caledonian Record: https://www.caledonianrecord.com/features/business/community-events-are-serious-fun-and-economic-drivers/article_efe8f995-fad9-56ec-8bb3-2522c05f0fbc.html…
As seen in vtdigger: https://vtdigger.org/2019/05/22/woodstock-looks-ahead-launch-woodstock-future/ Woodstock, VT— What do you love about Woodstock? What do you want for its future? This summer, community members will have the chance to weigh in on those critical questions – and then make them happen. Our Woodstock, Our Future is a community planning process that will bring people together…
Eighteen Vermont working lands businesses and service providers were recognized today at an event celebrating the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI), created by the Legislature in 2012 to stimulate economic development in the agricultural and forestry sectors.
Paul Costello, executive director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development, said colleges bring multiple benefits to rural areas, and government support such as the USDA loans is important.
The towns of Royalton, Sharon, Strafford and Tunbridge are working together with the Vermont Council of Rural Development (VCRD) to develop a plan to help shape the future of the towns and region.
As seen in the Caledonian Record, April 30, 2019: https://www.caledonianrecord.com/opinion/columns/david-snedeker-invest-in-weatherization/article_5124474b-a682-535d-a43f-7be3213af1f4.html One of the smartest investments Vermont can make as a state is in the weatherization of our homes and businesses. Our old housing and building stock means that too much of Vermonters’ hard earned money ends up going up the chimney or out the door.…
By DANIELA VIDAL ALLEE, as seen in the Valley News: https://www.vnews.com/4-Towns-Meeting-25098296 TUNBRIDGE — A group of residents from four White River Valley towns agreed on Thursday night to prioritize economic development, housing, and conservation as part of an initiative led by the Vermont Council on Rural Development. The council has held forums on the initiative,…
By Nina Keck, as seen and heard on Vermont Public Radio: https://www.vpr.org/post/gmcs-impending-closure-prompts-poultney-residents-propose-new-uses-campus#stream/0 There's still no decision on what will happen to the campus of Green Mountain College when it shuts down this summer. On Thursday, 300 people from in and around Poultney met at the high school to talk about what they'd like to see happen…
By Kate Barcellos, as seen in the Rutland Herald: https://www.rutlandherald.com/news/local/gmc-announces-receipt-of-proposals/article_f9e17f25-229a-52e2-9bfc-32a43cec8d75.html POULTNEY — Hundreds of staff members, students, community members and Green Mountain College officials, state officials and local leaders met again Thursday evening in the Poultney High School gymnasium to continue brainstorming and hear about the progress of the closure and “unwinding” of the 185-year-old…
VCRD is working with the 4-Town region of Royalton, Sharon, Strafford and Tunbridge through our Community Visit process to help them prioritize and implement projects for the future of the region. This story shares some of the history that led to the Selectboards in each town inviting our process. —————– By Howard Weiss-Tisman, as seen…
By Kate McCarthy, as seen in vtdigger.org: https://vtdigger.org/2019/03/12/kate-mccarthy-continuing-states-working-lands-legacy/ We hear it all the time, but it’s true: We have something special here in Vermont. We have historic villages, strong communities, beautiful places, clean air and abundant water. Vermont’s villages and vistas, farms and forests are downright iconic – for people who grew up here, people…
By Julia Purdy, as seen in the Mountain Times: http://mountaintimes.info/poultney-grapples-gmc-closure/ Poultney is at a crossroads with the impending shuttering of Green Mountain College, but with characteristic community spirit, some 200 residents, in addition to 19 state and federal agencies, town officials, UVM, planners and the college itself, came together last Thursday, March 7 in a…
As seen in the vtdigger.org: https://vtdigger.org/2019/02/20/paul-costello-addressing-climate-change-boosting-vermonts-economy/ Carbon tax. Cap and Trade. Carbon Markets. Depending on our point of view, these concepts might make us nervous about raising the cost of living when we are already struggling to pay our bills. Or we may feel passionately about the necessity of pricing carbon for the future of…
By David Moats as seen in the VtDigger.org: https://vtdigger.org/2019/03/04/moats-though-dairy-wanes-vermont-agriculture-can-thrive/ A crisis atmosphere pervades the topic of farming this year among Vermont farmers, policymakers and anyone else who cherishes Vermont’s working landscape. Low milk prices during the past four years have forced dairy farms out of business at an alarming pace, putting the future of the…
Read VCRD’s 2018 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2018, and what we’re looking forward to in 2019.
BY ZOË NEWMARCO as seen in the Randolph Herald: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/towns-plot-path-ahead/ More than 100 people crowded into the gym at the White River Valley High School in South Royalton last Thursday evening, to begin discussing ways to improve the four-town region of Royalton, Sharon, Strafford, and Tunbridge. The meeting was the first in a series of…
By Kate Barcellos as seen in the Rutland Herald: https://www.rutlandherald.com/news/local/poultney-seeks-guidance-from-municipal-developers-legislators/article_95de33b7-fea6-5f2f-8714-89de1b7cce55.html POULTNEY — School will be out — and not just for the summer — once June rolls around for Green Mountain College, and locals are wondering what to do once hundreds of students, staff members and faculty pack their bags. The town and GMC will…
In 2015, VCRD brought its Community Visit process to St. Johnsbury where residents identified a number of action ideas for future progress in town. “Redevelop and Revitalize Downtown Buildings” and “Improve Housing in Downtown St. Johnsbury” were two of the priorities for action the community identified. This article shares current progress on the affordable housing…
BY ZOË NEWMARCO, as seen in the Randolph Herald: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/newvistas-towns-to-host-vermont-council-on-rural-development/ On February 21, the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting rural communities, will host the first of four forums for residents in the towns of Royalton, Sharon, Strafford, and Tunbridge. The first meeting will be held at the White River…
As seen in the Stowe Reporter: https://www.stowetoday.com/stowe_reporter/opinion/opinion_columns/electric-vehicles-weatherization-can-save-thousands/article_ca39627e-2574-11e9-8077-27779dc5907d.html?fbclid=IwAR0x5fWtwRlciIRiBnud22vhqhMd5ybWjkR2QOOQGMJuPL6USPhiJiMSVr0 As with most adages, there’s truth to one we hear a lot: Vermont can be an expensive place to live. After we pay the rent or mortgage, taxes, health care, transportation and heating, there’s often not much left over. It’s a fact of our rural economy. But that’s…
VCRD held a Craftsbury Community Visit process in 2015. The article below shows how Sterling College built on the opportunities identified during that process into the idea of a community Wellness Center. ——————– Craftsbury Common, VT – Sterling College has received a challenge grant from the Peter Alfond Foundation to make possible $1.34 million to…
Paul Costello, VCRD Executive Director, was interviewed by this Georgia newspaper about what is working in Vermont as Georgia looks to set policy that improves opportunity in rural Georgia. Scroll to the end! ———————- By Maggie Lee, as seen in the SaportaReport: https://saportareport.com/georgia-and-other-states-have-rural-prosperity-on-their-minds-now-how-to-get-it-done/ The tale of town versus country is an old one. In metro…
By DAVID CORRIVEAU as seen in the Valley News: https://www.vnews.com/Seeking-Common-Ground-After-New-Vistas-Fight-23172366 SOUTH ROYALTON — By day, Rob McShinsky oversees information-technology systems at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. By night and by weekend, the 45-year-old engineer rides herd on his four children’s many extracurricular activities in and around his, and their, native White River valley. And somehow, he hopes…
VCRD helped bring Front Porch Forum to every town in Vermont through our eVermont Community Broadband and Vermont Digital Economy projects. This article expands on the history of this unique social network designed to build bonds between neighbors and make communities more resilient. ——————- By Andrew Liptak, as seen in The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/24/18129437/front-porch-forum-vermont-social-network-listserv-local-online-community (click the…
By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN as seen on Vermont Public Radio: http://digital.vpr.net/post/rural-towns-fixing-historic-buildings-strengthen-community-ties#stream/0 Much has been written about what Vermont’s small rural towns need if they hope to survive. Officials talk about bringing in broadband internet and cell phone coverage, and encouraging young families to move in. But as they try to avoid population decline and other problems, some…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Montgomery. Community members identified 3 priority areas for future action: Improve Village and Center Traffic Flow and Pedestrian Safety Develop Community Wastewater Infrastructure Improve Cell and Broadband Infrastructure Read the Report and Action Plan. Montgomery Selectboard chair, Charlie Hancock, shares his reflections on the process:
By Bob Audette, as seen in the Brattleboro Reformer: https://www.reformer.com/stories/grange-hall-to-reclaim-role-in-guilford-activities,559930 GUILFORD — In 2013, the Vermont Council on Rural Development visited Guilford to facilitate a community discussion. During that process, the renovation of the building belonging to the Broad Brook Grange was identified as a top priority. “The Guilford Grange building is an irreplaceable community…
Thanks to Senator Leahy for his work to include the continuation of authoriation, by statute, for State Rural Development Councils (SRDC) in the new Farm Bill. The authorization will ensure that SRDC’s – including VCRD – will be able to continue their important work of strengthening rural communities in their states. —————— As seen in…
VCRD awarded Hank and Molly Lambert its “Community Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award” in September 2018. Together, they are a force for good in their community and in Vermont. Thanks to Hank and Molly for all they do! —————- By TOM BENTON, as seen in the St. Albans Messenger: https://www.samessenger.com/the-lamberts-building-on-good-things/ SWANTON — The Vermont Council on…
In early 2019, VCRD is bringing its Community Visit process to the 4 town region of Tunbridge, Strafford, Royalton and Sharon at the invitation of the 4 towns. The process brings people together to set direction for the future. Learn more about Community Visit here: https://www.vtrural.org/programs/Community-Visits. ————— By Katie Jickling @katiej7D, as seen in Seven…
Monique Priestley, founder of the Space on Main in Bradford, is a VCRD board member. Read on to see what 1 person in a community with a good idea and energy can do!! By Hannah Palmer Egan @FindThatHannah as seen in Seven Days: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/space-on-main-founder-monique-priestley-cultivates-engagement-in-bradford/Content?oid=23934580 Things were not looking good for the Upper Valley town of…
The Vermont Climate Economy Action Team (CEAT) today announced their 2019 agenda for advancing economic progress and making Vermont more affordable by helping Vermonters use energy more efficiently and meet their heating and transportation needs with renewable energy sources. “While the national economy is bustling, many areas of Vermont are searching for new approaches to…
By Mike Frett, as seen in the St. Albans Messenger: https://www.samessenger.com/montgomery-builds-its-bones-initiative-hones-in-on-infrastructure-needs/ MONTGOMERY – A community initiative dubbed Montgomery Thrives entered a new phase this Thursday as residents organized into specialized committees and drafted the first steps of their plans that, if realized, could lead to substantial developments for the small mountain town. In a series…
In 2017, VCRD brought our Community Visit process to Lyndon where residents identified a number of opportunities for future progress in town. “Develop a Business Incubator and Co-Working Space” was one of the ideas the community identified. It’s happening! Read on… By Amy Ash Nixon as seen in the Caledonian Record: https://www.caledonianrecord.com/features/business/do-north-coworking-opens-in-bag-balm-building/article_e2f5c996-2fd7-5420-9664-30606ef85ff3.html#utm_source=caledonianrecord.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Fheadlines%2F%3F-dc%3D1543064438&utm_medium=email&utm_content=read%20more LYNDONVILLE — The…
Here is a link to VCRD's 2021 annual report as well as those from the past few years: 2021 Annual Report 2020 Annual Report 2019 Annual Report 2018 Annual Report 2017 Annual Report 2016 Annual Report 2015 Annual Report 2014 Annual Report 2013 Annual Report 2011 Annual Report 2010 Annual Report 2009 Annual Report 2008…
As seen in the St. Albans Messenger: https://www.samessenger.com/montgomery-thrives-infrastructure-broadband-emerge-as-priorities/?fbclid=IwAR35itY7UPZ8tEC60K5PHtzn92uWFZufwO81YuuI4pE4kf5FenPLv2vdxgs MONTGOMERY – Working with the Vermont Council on Rural Development’s (VCRD) Community Visit program, Montgomery residents have identified projects and goals to guide and promote growth in the community including pedestrian and traffic infrastructure, cell phone access and wastewater treatment. The effort has been dubbed Montgomery Thrives, and…
By Amy Ash Nixon, as seen in the Caledonian Record: https://www.caledonianrecord.com/news/local/grant-received-for-burke-infrastructure-project/article_43785238-68bc-5260-a62b-b8b50b4ebfb6.html BURKE — Hoped-for infrastructure improvements to East and West Burke Villages took a recent step forward. Town officials were recently informed by representatives of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development that Burke will receive a…
Video captured by CCTV at some sessions of the “Making It Happen! Vermont Community Leadership Summit” held October 1, 2018 at Castleton University. 1. Morning plenaries (1 hour 30 minutes) – includes opening remarks by: VCRD board chair Megan Camp; Castleton President Karen Scolforo; and Vermont Governor Phil Scott; followed by a panel on the…
By Steve Costello, as seen in the Rutland Herald: https://www.rutlandherald.com/opinion/commentary/rutland-s-growing-sense-of-pride/article_891a9956-b057-5838-bdac-50108c82cc14.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share Your Sept. 27 editorial and this week’s Vermont Council on Rural Development conference at Castleton University, featuring a panel discussion on Rutland’s ongoing revitalization, were wonderful reminders of the importance of celebrating victories along the way. Rutland has a lot to celebrate. While some of…
As seen in Vermont Business Magazine: https://www.vermontbiz.com/news/2018/october/01/vcrd-reveals-annual-awards-castleton Over 500 Vermonters from over 130 different towns gathered at Castleton University today to hear from 90 different presenters and to continue a statewide conversation about how we can nurture great leaders in our local communities. Vermont Council on Rural Development’s “Making It Happen! Local Leadership for the…
By Kate Barcellos, as seen in the Rutland Herald: https://www.rutlandherald.com/news/local/panel-lead-by-example-lead-together/article_9c38041d-9110-5718-a74e-27da4b5e7335.html CASTLETON — The Casella Theater at Castleton University was standing room only as hundreds of municipal administrators, organizers and legislators gathered Monday for the Vermont Community Leadership Summit “Making It Happen,” hosted by the Vermont Council on Rural Development. Gov. Phil Scott cited both John…
By Keith Whitcomb Jr. as seen in the Rutland Herald: https://www.rutlandherald.com/news/local/wallingford-woman-wants-to-bring-odd-fellows-building-back-to/article_4d2fd0e4-c939-575b-ac51-0106c6a1963d.html WALLINGFORD — A local woman wants to return the historic Odd Fellows building to its former glory. The three-story, 13,400-square-foot building sits at Wallingford’s four corners at 15 South Main St. It’s been the home of Sal’s Italian restaurant for the past 16 years…
The Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) is pleased to present this year’s Arthur Gibb Award for Individual Leadership to Paul Costello, Executive Director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD). The award will be presented at VNRC’s annual meeting on Thursday, September 20 at American Flatbread, Lareau Farm Inn in Waitsfield. Paul Costello is…
In 2010, VCRD brought its Community Visit process to Marlboro where residents identified a number of action ideas for future progress in town. “Develop a Marlboro Community Center Building” was one of the ideas the community identified. This article shares the great work going forward on that effort! ——————– By Wendy M. Levy as seen…
By Dan Smith, VCRD board member and president and CEO of The Vermont Community Foundation, as seen in vtdigger.org: https://vtdigger.org/2018/09/04/dan-smith-new-generation-local-leadership/ Vermont faces a set of economic and demographic challenges that, if left unaddressed, will continue to erode communities, widen the gap between regions and stretch the distance between poor families and wealthy families in our…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) has launched registration for a statewide one-day summit focused on supporting emerging and existing local leaders working to improve life in their communities across the state. The summit is happening October 1 at Castleton University. Vermonters can find out more and register here: https://www.vtrural.org/Summit18 Summit organizers believe that in democratic…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Wallingford. Community members identified 3 priority areas for future action: Support Business and Economic Development Build Multi-Use Trails and River Access and Boost Recreation Capacity Improve Community Communications and Engagement and Expand Wallingford Events Read the Report and Action Plan
In a time when the political climate in Washington lends itself to chaos and uncertainty that undermines environmental and economic efforts, it is more important now than ever that Vermont takes the lead on these issues and strengthens our commitment to our ambitious and necessary energy and emission goals toward a low-carbon economy. While the…
Through the Proctor’s Future process, community members came together to identify and prioritize goals, foster local leadership, connect to resources and develop and realize achievable action plans. Through 2 public meetings, community members chose three community priorities for action and signed up for task force groups to move them forward. The new task force groups…
RANDOLPH – The Randolph Region Re-Energized (R3) initiative will convene on June 11 as four task forces focused on community priorities meet to develop action plans. Joining these conversations will be a resource team of issue-area experts from around Vermont who will provide technical advice and help to identify resources important for success. The task force meetings…
By Cherise Madigan, as seen in the Bennington Banner: http://www.benningtonbanner.com/stories/pownal-farms-put-out-the-welcome-mat,539776? POWNAL — Are you ready to discover Pownal? With a slew of events planned for this summer — including farm tours and workshops, an Independence Day picnic, and a fall harvest festival — a Pownal initiative is working to make the town’s farms and food…
By Tim Calabro, as seen in the Randolph Herald: https://www.ourherald.com/articles/randolph-picks-its-missions/ Though the volume of people filling the RUHS cafeteria Monday night was slightly less impressive than the hundreds that took part in the first round of the Randolph Region Re-Energized project, scores of Randolph-area residents turned out to take part in the initiative’s second phase…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Newport. Community members identified 4 priority areas for future action: Enhance and Market the Newport Tourism Experience Support and Attract Businesses and Entrepreneurs Expand Community Events and Celebrations Improve and Coordinate Health and Wellness Services and Early Childhood Care and Education Read the Report and Action Plan.
Read the 2017 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2017, and what we’re looking forward to in 2018.
When Governor Phil Scott announced the formation of the Vermont Climate Action Commission, he charged the Commission to develop at least three recommendations by January 1, 2018. This report outlines that preliminary set of recommendations. The Commission will continue to look at possible policy options to meet Vermont's greenhouse gas and clean energy goals. See…
Over 500 entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders attended the cc:econ Catalysts of the Climate Economy Summit – a 3-day national innovation summit in Burlington, Vermont to gear up for the next stage of economic development and prosperity in a low-carbon future and accelerate progress toward the significant economic opportunities associated with solving the unprecedented challenges…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Burke. Community members identified 3 priority areas for future action: Revitalize Village Infrastructure Expand Educational Facilities Improve Village Traffic & Pedestrian Safety & Build a Trail Connecting East and West Burke Read the Report and Action Plan
Pownal was the first community to participate in VCRD’s Climate Economy Model Community Program (CEMCP), named Empower Pownal. CEMCP is community-driven process with local leaders, VCRD, Green Mountain Power, and Efficiency Vermont to cultivate economic development, innovation, and affordability in the face of climate change. Read the Empower Pownal Report and Action Plan. Through the…
By Terri Hallenbeck, as seen in Seven Days: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/conquering-climate-change-one-business-at-a-time/Content?oid=8281954 When Paul Costello and his team of organizers started putting together a conference on climate change a few months ago, they decided this one wouldn't be about politics or public policy. Instead, they opted to celebrate entrepreneurs who are trying to combat climate change while also…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development will hold its last major session in the Burke Community Visit process on September 19th; all community members of the town are welcome to help line up action plans to move priority projects forward. On August 15th over 80 Burke community members came together to set core priorities for…
By Kevin O’Connor as seen in vtdigger.org: https://vtdigger.org/2017/08/20/green-business-summit-aims-spur-national-investment/ Paul Costello doesn’t want to talk about the polarizing problem of climate change. He wants to talk about solutions. “We have smart, creative people advancing innovations around agriculture, clean energy, green building, transportation and wise use of resources, recycling and digital technologies,” says the executive director of…
As seen in vtdigger.org: https://vtdigger.org/2017/08/16/robert-miller-climate-economy-important-opportunity/ Editor’s note: This commentary is by Robert Miller, of Shelburne, who is CEO of VSECU and a former commissioner of the Vermont Department of Economic Development. He serves on the boards of the Vermont Council on Rural Development, Capstone Community Action and the Energy Action Network. He is on the…
As seen in the Times-Argus: https://www.timesargus.com/articles/answering-the-climate-challenge/ This week saw yet another disturbing climate change report in the news—this one authored by U.S. Government officials—highlighting the grave danger humanity faces from climate change. To answer the challenge, we will need leadership, entrepreneurship and creativity. That creativity is all around us in Vermont. We will celebrate that…
As seen in the Vermont Business Magazine Vermont will host the Catalysts of the Climate Economy (cc:econ), a three-day national innovation summit on September 6-8. Taking place at the University of Vermont in Burlington, the summit brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders working to accelerate economic development by addressing climate change. Speakers at cc:econ…
Montpelier, VT – Environmentalist, entrepreneur, journalist and author Paul Hawken will be the keynote speaker at the Catalysts of the Climate Economy: National Innovation Summit, (cc:econ). The National Innovation Summit is a three-day event being held in Burlington, VT September 6-8. The Summit will bring together leaders from across the country who are working to…
Danielle Laberge has always dreamed of staying and working in Vermont, but after completing her studies in botany and ecology at Vassar College, many told her that she would need to leave her home state in order to advance her career. After several years of following this advice and working out of state, Danielle saw…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Lyndon. Community members identified 4 priority areas for future action: Support business growth and economic development Establish a unified recreation program and build a Lyndon community and recreation center Build a formal school, college, and community partnership Revitalize downtown businesses and storefronts. Read the Report and Action…
New Frameworks is a natural design and construction firm with a central mission to help lead the transformation of our state and region into a climate-adaptive, sustainable place. New Frameworks designs, builds, and renovates homes and small commercial projects that connect with place and help lower our carbon footprint. They focus on using biogenic materials,…
Read the 2016 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2016, and what we’re looking forward to in 2017.
Same Sun employee Jonathon Klos came to Vermont from Michigan to attend Green Mountain College. Instead of returning to Michigan, he stayed to take a job with Same Sun, a Rutland-based solar company. Today, he leads one of their two installation crews on many industrial, school, business, and residential arrays – including Jane and Bernie…
Wheeled Hand Tool Systems, Inc. was founded in 1978 to create solutions that reduce human impact on the environment. Recognizing the significant emissions that small engines generate, developer Gerry Hawkes, a 7th generation Vermonter, patented a wheeled hand tool system that can lever, lift, and move a wide variety of rocks, logs, timbers, and more that…
You may have heard in the news last year that Volkwagen (VW) violated the Clean Air Act with sales of vehicles that were equipped with devices designed to defeat emission controls. In order to remedy this violation, VW has come to a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice to compensate individuals and governments and…
Danielle Bombardier, has found an opportunity for employment and growth in the expansion of renewable energy projects in Vermont. Originally drawn to the work by the potential for advancement, training, and access to benefits for her family, she is now excited about the chance to put her skills to use into the clean energy sector.…
VCRD serves as a convener, catalyst, and leader for Vermont to build and advance policies to support the working landscape, economic innovation, and strong communities! Here’s our work plan for 2017. Your support makes our work possible. Click here to support us today.
Climate Economy Model Communities Program – Frequently Asked Questions – Updated March 15 1. Can more than one town join together in one application? Possibly. VCRD finds organizing at the town level to be most effective when engaging a community. If there is another governance structure or a track-record of joining across town lines on…
Nearly 18,000 Vermonters work in fields related to energy efficiency and renewable energy, which is over 4% of Vermont’s workforce. These jobs include electricians installing solar panels, carpenters and technicians insulating homes, and plumbers improving heating systems. Nunez Electric & Solar, a renewable energy company located in Swanton, VT, is one electrical company that is…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Brighton. Community members identified 4 priority areas for future action: Advance a Brighton Recreation Program Revitalize and Beautify the Downtown Make Brighton an ATV Destination Support Business Growth and Economic Development Read the Report and Action Plan To learn more about Brighton, read the 2016 Brighton Community…
The Right House is a Stowe Vermont-based architectural firm that designs modern low carbon homes that stay true to the spirit of Vermont. Projects may include renovations or new construction, commercial or residential, but they all have one thing in common – they use less energy for heating and cooling; drastically reducing carbon emissions. Harry…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Vernon. Community members identified 3 priority areas and built task forces to take action to: Develop the Riverfront and Improve Trails and Outdoor Recreation Build a Community Store and Café Enhance the Village Center Vernon community members also recognized the importance of the current efforts of the…
All Earth Renewables has developed an award-winning solar tracking system right here in the Green Mountains which produces up to 45% more energy than typical fixed solar systems. Distributed nation-wide through a team of solar installers, more than 3,000 systems are currently powering homes, businesses, and other institutions from coast to coast. “We have an…
(FPF) is a free community-building platform that now serves every town in Vermont.* This service helps residents communicate with their neighbors, connecting people to their community and each other. In addition to building connections, the hyper-local social media platform is also a catalyst of Vermont’s climate economy. FPF helps Vermonters reduce their carbon footprints through…
Many mobile home residents in Vermont are faced with a significant challenge; while their incomes are often low, their energy costs are high. Since 2013, Efficiency Vermont and the VT Housing and Conservation Board have teamed up on a Mobile Home Replacement Program to address this challenge and eliminate the energy, health, and maintenance burdens…
Green Writers Press (GWP) is a Vermont-based global publisher with a mission to help foster a sustainable environment through the words and the images they publish. Dede Cummings, the founder and managing director/editor of the business, carefully considers both her business and personal decisions to ensure that they are in line with the standards GWP…
VSECU is a not for profit, cooperative credit union that is committed to finding opportunities within both its operations and its business products to promote environmentally sound choices for its member-owners and its employees. We’re proud to provide products and services that foster environmental prosperity and support our growing climate economy,” said Laurie Fielder, VGreen…
is a 15-year-old full service fuel dealer serving 2,500 members and customers in northwestern and central Vermont. The Co-op delivers heating oil, kerosene, and wood pellets and maintains, replaces and repairs a wide range of residential heating equipment. Quality service and member savings are front and center for General Manager John Quinney, but the Co-op…
Blue Spruce Farm in Bridport, Vermont is known for the many gallons of milk that its cows produce each year to produce Cabot Cheddar Cheese at a plant located just 9 miles from the farm. However, Blue Spruce also has another claim to fame; in 2006, they became the first Cow Power farm in the…
Burlington-based Encore Renewable Energy is a leading integrated clean energy company specializing in commercial, industrial, and community-scale solar PV systems and 21st century solutions for underutilized property. Encore’s projects showcase an innovative approach to alternative energy generation that build community partnership and collaboration, help to position key Vermont organizations, businesses and institutions as climate economy…
Read the 2015 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2015, and what we’re looking forward to in 2016.
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Hardwick. Community members identified 4 priority areas for future action: Open a Recreational Center and Expand Recreation Opportunities Expand Jeudevine Library Space and Services Enhance Hardwick’s Downtown and Build a Business and Economic Development Network Build a School and Community Partnership and Develop Mentorship and Career Building…
The Summit is in progress. Watch the event live at https://www.periscope.tv/bobthegreenguy/ or later at www.bobthegreenguy.com/vces16.
Over 420 participants came together on February 22, 2016 for VCRD’s 2nd Climate Economy Summit: IDEAS to ACTION. Participants reviewed PROGRESS FOR VERMONT, the report and action plan of the Vermont Climate Change Economy Council and worked to identify strategies to make Vermont a national leader in achieving climate economy business development, innovation, and job…
VCRD Summit Highlights Talented students from the Emergent Media Center at Champlain College interviewed Summit speakers and participants to capture the spirit of the Summit in video. Their showing of a first draft at the close of the Summit was a huge hit and a great way to end a great day. Here’s their final…
As seen in the Times Argus: http://www.timesargus.com/article/20160225/OPINION01/160229804 A report out this week found that sea levels are rising more rapidly than at any time since the era of ancient Rome. As a result, coastal flooding is becoming commonplace, promising cataclysmic changes in the not-too-distant future. This was the reality hanging over a summit meeting held…
By Steve Zind, VPR. Listen here: http://digital.vpr.net/post/summit-explores-vermonts-climate-economy More than 400 participants attended the second annual Vermont Climate Economy Summit held Monday in Randolph Center. The day-long event followed the release of the report Progress For Vermont, prepared by the Vermont Climate Change Economy Council. The group was created by the Vermont Council on Rural Development,…
By Mark Johnson, vtdigger.org: http://vtdigger.org/2016/02/22/gathering-asks-could-vermont-benefit-from-climate-change/ RANDOLPH — Vermont is poised to benefit economically while also helping the world cope with climate change, political and policy leaders agreed Monday. They shared ideas at a conference that drew more than 400 and was punctuated with an impassioned plea by Speaker of the House Shap Smith and a…
By Gregory Dennis, Addison County Independent: http://www.addisonindependent.com/ When confronted with the latest piece of bad news about climate change – record-high temperatures, devastating floods, the North Pole turned into a giant swimming pool – I’m inclined to respond as the writer Dorothy Parker did to many events: “What fresh hell is this?” So it was…
In the midst of one of the warmest winters in memory, how can Vermont adapt to the new realities of climate change? Paul Costello of the Vermont Council on Rural Development has been exploring this issue with community leaders all around Vermont. He has helped lead the Vermont Climate Change Economy Council, which recently issued a five-year…
As seen at Mountain Times: http://mountaintimes.info/vcrd-summit-focuses-on-growing-vts-green-jobs/ RANDOLPH – Strategies for keeping Vermont in the forefront of stimulating the growth of green jobs while reducing carbon emissions were abundant at the Feb. 22 Summit on Vermont’s Climate Economy at Vermont Technical College in Randolph. Over 400 innovative business, non-profit, and community leaders, the Governor’s Climate Cabinet, local officials and students…
Listen to the audio of the Pat Bradley story on WAMC: http://wamc.org/post/conference-held-implementing-climate-economy-vermont#stream/0 Hundreds of people gathered in Randolph, Vermont Monday to discuss the state’s “climate economy.” Attendees considered how to advance the state’s economy in the midst of climate change. Last year the Vermont Council on Rural Development held a conference on how the state…
See the story on WCAX: http://www.wcax.com/story/31285216/hundreds-gather-in-randolph-for-economic-climate-summit#.VsytXCQSffQ.email RANDOLPH, Vt. – Lawmakers and business leaders are fighting climate change and looking to help Vermont cash in at the same time. A summit focused on just that brought hundreds together Monday at Vermont Technical College in Randolph. Can you take on climate change and turn a profit at the…
By Andy Clark, Times Argus: http://www.timesargus.com/article/20160224/NEWS01/160229839 RANDOLPH — Vermont’s climate economy is a pace-setter for the nation, in large part because of work being done in many communities across the state. Vermont ranks second in the nation in number of jobs per capita in the developing labor-intensive solar power industry. Up to a quarter of…
As seen at: http://www.vermontbiz.com/event/february/leahy-open-vermont-climate-economy-summit-monday-february-22 Senator Patrick Leahy to be opening speaker at the Vermont Climate Economy Summit, sponsored by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD). VCRD founded the Vermont Climate Change Economy Council in February of last year to frame a platform of ideas to move the new climate economy forward for the state. …
Contact: Paul Costello, VCRD Executive Director, 802-223-5763, [email protected] EDITORS: Note, a complete Summit packet, including participants and bios, is available at http://vtrural.org/sites/default/files/content/ClimateEconomy/CESummitPacket2016.pdf. RANDOLPH, VT – Strategies for keeping Vermont in the forefront of stimulating the growth of green jobs while reducing carbon emissions were abundant at today’s Summit on Vermont’s Climate Economy at Vermont Technical…
By Laurie Caswell Burke, Wind Ridge columnist | As seen at Shelburne News: http://www.shelburnenews.com/2016/02/18/living-economically/ Miss the Paris Climate Summit? Here’s an opportunity much closer to home. A second climate summit in Randolph takes place on Feb. 22. Last February, the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) hosted the first Vermont Climate Economy Summit at Vermont…
With 100% of their degrees earned through applied, hand-on education, Vermont Tech students learn by doing. This experiential learning is central to the school’s renewable energy and climate change initiatives, allowing students to work hands-on with innovative technologies to save on energy and costs and reduce carbon emissions. These include A 375W anaerobic biodigester on…
As seen at: http://timesargus.com/article/20160205/OPINION01/160209789/0/SEARCH About a year ago, the Vermont Council on Rural Development held a daylong summit in Randolph to discuss the economic implications and potential opportunities of climate change on Vermont. While there were scientists in attendance who could attack or defend the premise, the summit’s focus was on moving the discussion forward.…
Over the past year, as the Vermont Climate Change Economy Council (of which I was a member), listened to the collective wisdom of the state’s communities, entrepreneurs and policy leaders, one thing became very clear: Sooner or later, it’s going to happen. Someone, somewhere, is going to break new ground in the production, conservation or…
MONTPELIER, VT – Danny Kennedy, an internationally recognized opinion leader on climate and energy issues, will keynote Ideas to Action: the Summit on Vermont’s Climate Economy on February 22 at Vermont Technical College in Randolph. Kennedy is the author of Rooftop Revolution: How Solar Power Can Save Our Economy – and the Planet – From…
Progress for Vermont is the final report and action plan of the Vermont Climate Change Economy Council (VCCEC) which was founded in February 2015 by the Vermont Council on Rural Development. This broad-based nonpartisan group spent a year considering multiple policy options to produce these recommendations. The report proposes a bold new vision and strategy for…
Wind power nationally is growing at a rate of roughly 30% a year, but it remains a major capital expense. Perhaps more importantly, wind turbine repair and upkeep costs are high and downtime means a significant loss on investment. LORD MicroStrain Sensing in Williston, Vermont is helping keep those costs low with its wireless systems…
A key factor in harnessing renewable energy is how efficiently the DC power can be converted to AC power for homes and businesses. A Vermont company, SBE Inc. in Barre, focused on a single component of this process and developed a product that is now in demand around the world. In today’s most advanced wind…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Craftsbury. Community members identified 3 priority areas for future action: Advance Craftsbury Land Protection Improve Cell Phone and Broadband Access Build Partnerships between the Schools and the Community. Read the Report and Action Plan To learn more about Craftsbury, read the 2015 Craftsbury Community Profile.
Vermont’s Inc. (NRI) builds custom energy storage solutions to fit any application. As a result, the Waitsfield based company is making it possible to have reliable electricity available anywhere in the world. NRI’s sophisticated set of system controls also allows power to be stored when generation is abundant and consumed when the demand and costs…
Few of us think about how a better nozzle could reduce the entire spray can industry’s environmental impact. Yet at Bethel’s family-owned Ultramotive Corporation, that’s just what happened. Its patented EarthSafe Air Power System has the potential to eliminate tons of harmful hydrocarbons entering the atmosphere every year. The company specializes in barrier packaging. In…
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) make up one of the most sustainable, energy-efficient construction methods in the residential and light commercial building industry today. Essentially, these are panels that sandwich a hard skin on either side of a core insulating layer. The rigid insulation blankets the entire structure in a well-sealed envelope, a critical factor for…
Nathaniel Vandal is the co-founder of Green Peak Solar, a Waitsfield, Vermont-based company focusing on developing large-scale solar energy systems for utilities, towns, school districts, and businesses in the Green Mountain State. Founded in 2012, Green Peak is committed to finding the lowest cost for generating solar in Vermont and is demonstrating its success through…
Enosburg Falls, VT – Most people know about composting—the natural recycling process that converts food scraps, leaves, and manures into soil building compost and mulch. What is less known is that this decomposition process also generates a substantial amount of heat. Agrilab Technologies, Inc. in Enosburg Falls has developed a patented system to help farms,…
Stevens & Associates, P.C., an architectural and engineering firm, has a passion for walkable environments and mixed use buildings. Their work focuses on urban revitalization and the repurposing of existing historic buildings. By creating compact diversified environments, users can access multiple services and locations throughout the day without driving. Rebuilding such places uses the embodied…
VBike is a nonprofit organization dedicated to shifting the bike culture in Vermont towards a more inclusive, fun, and transportation-oriented future. By promoting exciting innovations like electric-assist technology and cargo bikes, VBike is working to make bicycles more relevant for Vermonters while encouraging healthy bodies, vibrant communities and a sustainable vision for our planet. It…
Tucked behind a secluded lake in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, the Craftsbury Outdoor Center is an outdoor-lovers’ dream that offers year round recreation opportunities including Nordic skiing, running, mountain biking, and sculling. Family events, lodging, and event rentals are available as well. While the non-profit organization is dedicated to lifelong sports, Directors Judy Geer and Dick…
ShackletonThomas is a Bridgewater, Vermont based company that specializes in making fine handmade furniture, pottery and accessories. For the past 25 years, ShackletonThomas has made a commitment to help curb the effects of climate change. The primary material used for its furniture is wood that comes from within the Northeast US, which keeps emissions from…
As a former medic, police officer, non-profit manager, legislative director and values-led business executive – Duane Peterson has always been dedicated to organizing people to take meaningful action towards positive change. Duane demonstrates this commitment in his latest venture as Co-President of SunCommon – a Vermont Benefit Corporation with a mission is to make it…
Aired on WCAX: http://www.wcax.com/story/26609277/improving-vermonts-digital-economy Watch the video here: http://www.wcax.com/story/26609277/improving-vermonts-digital-economy?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=10615461 WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports- In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, most of the visible damage was to Vermont’s infrastructure: roads washed out, bridges swept away and homes destroyed. A lot of the unseen recovery effort the last year and a half has…
In the over 40 years they’ve been in business, Butternut Mountain has built a reputation as a leader in Vermont’s maple industry. The company is also taking the lead in other ways – demonstrating that including environmental stewardship in their business model is good for sustaining the resource they rely on, their employees, the community,…
The “Ideas for the Future of the NEK” forum series was produced by the Vermont Council on Rural Development for the NEK Collaborative to gather ideas and set directions for work to advance the prosperity and vitality of NEK communities. This Final Report documents the “Ideas for the Future of the NEK” process, capturing notes…
For ten years now, Washington Electric Co-op has been generating power from the stuff that Vermonters throw away. Their system channels methane gas from deep within the Coventry landfill to fuel the five Caterpillar engines that produce enough electricity to power 8,000 houses a day. That’s about 50,000 MWH a year and over half of…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in St. Johnsbury. Community members identified 5 priority areas for future action: Improve Community Communications and Promote a Positive Town Image Develop a St. Johnsbury Warming Shelter Redevelop and Revitalize Downtown Buildings Redevelop the St. Johnsbury Riverfront Improve Housing in Downtown St. Johnsbury Read the Report and Action…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Swanton. Community members identified 5 priority areas for future action: Expand Outdoor Recreation Opportunities, River Access, Bike-ability, and Bike Tourism Create the Swanton Arts Council (established following the January 28th Community Visit Day) Build a Swanton Economic Development Committee Unite the Community to Reduce Substance Abuse Improve…
Read the VCRD 2014 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2014, and what we’re looking forward to in 2015.
The Summit on Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change brought together over 400 innovative business, non‐profit, and community leaders, elected officials, public policy advocates, students, and interested residents to begin to frame policy and investment strategies to advance the development of the Vermont Climate Economy. Over the course of the day, Summit participants developed…
By Steve Pappas, Times Argus: www.timesargus.com A summit at Vermont Technical College on Wednesday showed exactly how far Vermont has progressed when it comes to climate change, but also how far we still have to go if we want to be economically viable — and sustainable — on the world stage. “Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change” was the name of the conference…
On Wednesday , February 18th the Vermont Council on Rural Development presented the Vermont Community Leadership Award to the community leader who have led the renaissance of downtown St. Albans over the last few years. The award was presented at the Summit on Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change at Vermont Technical College in…
By Laurie Caswell Burke, published in the Shelburne News: http://shelburnenews.com/?p=20752 Last month I joined 400 Vermonters from around the state to participate in the Vermont Council on Rural Development’s Summit on Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change. Business leaders, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders and community citizens, like myself, came together at Vermont Technical College campus…
Published in the Times Argus: http://www.timesargus.com/article/20150308/OPINION06/703089979 By Brian Shupe, Executive Director of the Vermont Natural Resources Council Many people have raised alarms about the need to do something about climate change. By doing something, I mean two things. We must prepare for it, because we are already seeing the effects — and they will only…
This video captured sessions at the Summit on “Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change” held at the Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center on February 18, 2015. [Video by Rick McMahan of Vermont In Person: http://www.vermontinperson.com/ Part 1: Opening Remarks and Panel Discussion Opening remarks by Paul Costello, Executive Director of the Vermont Council on…
By Bill Laberge, owner of Grassroots Solar, and published in the Times Argus: http://www.timesargus.com/article/20150301/OPINION06/703019960/1014 Despite the thermometer suggesting otherwise, the February sun is starting to give us the sense of change, slowly melting our hibernating souls. You can feel the warmth starting to thaw out the dormancy, although maybe that is just a reaction to…
MONTPELIER, VT – On Wednesday , February 18th the Vermont Council on Rural Development presented the Vermont Community Leadership Award to the community leader who have led the renaissance of downtown St. Albans over the last few years. The award was presented at the Summit on Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change at Vermont…
This week’s Summit on Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change isn’t about the debate over climate change, organizers say. Instead, it’s about how to use climate change to benefit Vermont’s economy. The summit Wednesday at Vermont Technical College in Randolph will be a daylong conversation including panel discussions, work groups and keynote addresses. Gov.…
This 28 minute program gives a good overview of the Climate Economy Summit and Initiative. City Room with Steve Pappas: Paul Costello and Ted Brady of Vermont Council on Rural Development from Central Vermont Television on Vimeo.
By Nate Freeman. Published in vtdigger.org: http://vtdigger.org/2015/02/15/nate-freeman-vermonts-climate-questions/ Editor’s note: This commentary is by Nate Freeman, who is director of ClimatePlanners Consulting and program coordinator for the Climate Change & Society master’s program at NC State University. On Feb. 18 the Vermont Council on Rural Development will be hosting a summit, “Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Cambridge. Community members identified 4 priority areas for future action: Plan and Develop a Senior Living Center and Expand Senior Services Advance a Cambridge Community Center Expand Communications, Capacity, and Efficiency for Community and Economic Development Evaluate Municipal Structure Read the Report and Action Plan. To learn…
MONTPELIER, VT –Jigar Shah, one of the today’s leading cleantech champions, will keynote the Summit on Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change on February 18 at Vermont Technical College in Randolph. Shah founded and is former CEO of SunEdison where he pioneered “no money down solar” and unlocked a multibillion-dollar solar market, creating the…
The Summit on Creating Prosperity & Opportunity Confronting Climate Change, held February 18, 2015 at the Vermont Technical College in Randolph brought together over 400 scientists, innovative business, non-profit, and community leaders, elected officials, public policy advocates, students, and interested residents to consider the impacts of climate change on Vermont and propose ways to advance…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development is holding a major statewide conference, “Creating Prosperity & Opportunity Confronting Climate Change,” in Randolph on February 18. The gathering will launch VCRD’s new Climate Change Economy initiative, which aims to stimulate the growth of small businesses that can prosper by addressing various aspects of the climate change scenario.…
From Green Energy Times: http://www.greenenergytimes.net/2014/12/15/vermont-climate-economy-initiative/ The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is kicking off its new Climate Change Economy Initiative with the Summit on Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change on February 18 at VermontTechnicalCollege in Randolph. The summit will serve as a founding point for the Vermont Climate Change Economy Council (VCCEC).…
Through both the Vermont Digital Economy Project (VDEP) and its predecessor, e-Vermont, we have worked to implement free Wi-Fi zones and hotspots in 33 Vermont towns. The guide below, created by the VDEP team before the project ended in Dec 2014, walks through the process of creating a WI-Fi zone, so as to allow other…
This article was written with insight from Tess Gauthier, Project Coordinator from the Snelling Center for Government and based on a presentation given at the Vermont Connected Summit. One of the services that provided great opportunity for enhanced communication within towns, and greater community resilience was the creation of municipal websites. Through the Vermont Digital Economy…
MONTPELIER, VT –The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is kicking off its new Climate Change Economy Initiative with the Summit on Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change on February 18 at Vermont Technical College in Randolph. The Summit will serve as a founding point for the Vermont Climate Change Economy Council (VCCEC). This…
The Vermont Digital Economy Project was created by the Vermont Council on Rural Development to address vulnerabilities of Vermont business and communities that are not fully utilizing online tools. The project offered free support that sped-up flood recovery, spurred economic development and job growth, and improved community resilience to disasters. The project worked directly with…
Digital tools have the potential to revolutionize the operation of any organization, while at the same time befuddling even the most tech-savvy people. As the Nonprofit Adviser for the Vermont Digital Economy Project, I have had the pleasure of working one-on-one with more than 120 nonprofit organizations of all types, methodically evaluating their current use…
VCRD launched the Vermont Digital Economy Project to offer free support to speed flood recovery, spur economic development and job growth, and improve community resilience to disasters. The project worked directly with Vermont towns affected by 2011’s floods to help businesses, nonprofits and municipalities expand their use of online tools. Together with project partners, we…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development’s Summit on “Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change” on February 18, 2015 will bring together scientists, innovative business, non-profit, and community leaders, elected officials, public policy advocates, students, and interested residents. Together, participants will consider the impacts of climate change on Vermont and propose ways to advance the…
MONTPELIER, VT –The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is kicking off its new Climate Change Economy Initiative with the Summit on Creating Prosperity and Opportunity Confronting Climate Change on February 18 at Vermont Technical College in Randolph. The Summit will serve as a founding point for the Vermont Climate Change Economy Council (VCCEC). This…
Almost all of the digital tools that we have discussed in previous articles have focused on how to reach to reach a wider audience. But it is also important to consider two-way communication methods, so that people collaborating on a project, or united by their affinity for a cause can work together. In this article,…
This article was written by Kate Jellema, Marlboro College Graduate & Professional Studies, who facilitated a discussion at our Vermont Connected Summit on how nonprofits can keep pace with technology. The good news: 55% of people who engage with a nonprofit via social media are inspired to take further action, and the average nonprofit crowdfunding effort…
Digital tools have the potential to revolutionize the operation of any organization, while at the same time befuddling even the most tech-savvy people. As the Nonprofit Adviser for the Vermont Digital Economy Project, I have had the pleasure of working one-on-one with more than 120 nonprofit organizations of all types, methodically evaluating their current use…
The following article was submitted by Martha Reid, Vermont State Librarian. Marty will be moderating the morning panel on “Digital Literacy for a Thriving Economy” in the “Digital Divide” track of our Vermont Connected Summit on Tuesday, September 23rd. Follow this link for more information about the summit. The Vermont Department of Libraries (VTLIB) has…
One of the many ways that the Vermont Digital Economy Project has worked to foster resilience and create community engagement in the past 18 months was by enabling Front Porch Forum to expand to each and every Vermont community. The following article was submitted by Michael Wood-Lewis, Co-Founder & CEO of FrontPorchForum.com. Michael will be…
Betsy Calhoun, a business applications teacher at Lake Region Union High School in Orleans, Vermont, will take part in our “K-12 Goes Digital” panel at the Vermont Connected Summit. It was tough getting ahold of teachers to take part in our upcoming “Educating for a Digital World” panel at the Vermont Connected Summit which…
One of the things that makes our summit unique is that by organizing our sessions into four tracks (Educating for a Digital World, Building Effective Organizations, Creating Resilient Communities, and Steering Vermont’s Digital Future) we want to attract participants from a number of different spheres – from teachers to municipal leaders to visionaries in the fields…
On Thursday, August 14th, VCRD’s Vermont Digital Economy Project facilitated a discussion with an impressive group of representatives from several nonprofit organizations that are part of Vermont Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD), including the American Red Cross, the Vermont Foodbank, Vermont 2-1-1, and the Vermont Disaster Relief Fund; the Vermont Division of Emergency Management…
Last August, at the closing ceremony of the 100on100 Heart of Vermont Relay on Okemo Mountain in Ludlow, Heart of Vermont Productions co-founders Robert and Scott O’Neil presented me with a check for $9,000. The money was raised during the 2012 100on100 Relay through the sale of limited edition “Rebuild” T-shirts, along with a special per…
As an organization grows, sometimes using excel spreadsheets to keep track of donors, volunteers, and other contacts is not enough, and more powerful and complex tools for managing contacts become both necessary and convenient. These types of tools, called Constituent (or Customer) Relationship Management Software or CRMs for short, are web or desktop based tools…
We are extremely pleased that our Keynote Speaker is Julie Lenzer Kirk. At our summit, she’ll speak to us about “Infusing Innovation & an Entrepreneurial Mindset to Fuel Economic Growth.” “At EDA, we know the importance of a connectedness to the future economic strength of any community,” she told us. “Being a ‘geek’ myself, I…
The town’s annual Midnight Madness event will coincide with a celebration of the recent Wi-Fi project completed in the downtown.
One free tool that we have discussed before that can be very helpful for a nonprofit, no matter what its size, is Google for Nonprofits. In previous articles we’ve written about how nonprofits enrolled in the program can have free email using a unique name as their email domain, get free access to Google Calendar,…
Although we have been crossing the state to launch numerous Wi-Fi zones over the past few weeks, each town we’re in is so distinctive that every launch is a special experience. Last Thursday, we launched a Wi-Fi zone in Bennington. Bennington stood out because the town had been looking at creating a downtown Wi-Fi zone…
A new Wi-Fi service is up and running downtown. The free access is part of an effort by Vermont’s Council on Rural Development to get communities connected.
BARRE, VT – On July 23rd, from 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm, Barre, Vermont, will celebrate its public downtown Wi-Fi zone, which is free for residents and visitors alike. The zone was funded, developed, and implemented by the Vermont Digital Economy Project, with local support from the City of Barre and the Barre Partnership. The…
BENNINGTON, VT – On July 17th, from 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm, Bennington, Vermont, will celebrate its public downtown Wi-Fi zone, which is free for residents and visitors alike. The zone was funded, developed, and implemented by the Vermont Digital Economy Project and the Vermont Telecommunications Authority, with local support from the Town of Bennington…
This article is written by Tess Gauthier, Project Manager at the Snelling Center for Government The Snelling Center for Government has created and redeveloped a total of 18 municipal websites through the Vermont Digital Economy Project. Recent changes in the state’s Open Meeting Law, which is intended to promote participation in government and advance public…
For the past few months, the media has been awash with stories about net neutrality. Recently, these stories became particularly salient for Vermonters, when Senator Patrick Leahy, who chairs the United States Senate Judiciary Committee, brought a field hearing on the FCC’s proposal on “Protecting and Promoting the Open Internet” to Burlington, Vermont. Net neutrality…
By connecting compelling visuals to a story, a good video can inspire, inform, agitate, or promote an organization or cause. Just a few years ago, creating an inspiring video was out of reach for most small nonprofits, but advances in technology and the availability of free online tools have opened up a new way for any organization to tell…
Almost exactly one year ago, in June 2013, the Vermont Digital Economy Project launched its first Wi-Fi zone in South Royalton, VT. Now, in June 2014, we have a lot to show for the past year’s work. On Thursday, June 19, we launched our Wi-Fi zone in Cambridge VT with cake, music, and a cable…
Earlier this month, the Vermont Digital Economy Project organized a training for the Adult Outreach team at the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC). VSAC provides services to all adult Vermonters through the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) program, so the training focused on the how social media can help or hurt an applicant’s educational or employment prospects.…
You may have seen my previous article about Pat Corcoran, the founder of IBM’s Business Continuity & Resiliency Services Group and one of the world’s premier experts in business continuity. After completing the hands-on disaster preparedness for nonprofits workshop for the more than 20 Vermont food shelf representatives, Pat was kind enough to share his…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Vergennes. Community members identified 3 priority areas for future action: Improve Transportation & Parking Advance the Vergennes Economy & Expand the Community and Economic Development Capacity of the City Redevelop the Vergennes Falls Basin & Open a Riverwalk. Read the Report and Action Plan To learn more…
WATERBURY, VT – On June 26th, at 7 pm, Waterbury, Vermont, will celebrate its new, free public downtown Wi-Fi zone, which was funded, developed, and implemented by the Vermont Digital Economy Project with additional funding from the Vermont Telecommunications Authority, and local support from the Town and Village of Waterbury. The launch event will tie…
This post was written by Tracy Staples, the program’s Internet Intern at the Brown Public Library in Northfield, VT. I began working as an Internet Intern this past January after hearing that the program sorely needed an intern at the Brown Public Library in Northfield. After being introduced to the purposes of the Vermont Digital Economy…
Last Thursday, IBM consultants delivered a disaster preparedness for nonprofits workshop to food shelf managers from across Vermont to ensure that organizations caring for some of the state’s most vulnerable people have strategies in place before the next disaster strikes. Two dozen food shelf professionals took part in the day-long workshop, which was developed and…
CAMBRIDGE, VT – On June 19th, from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm, Cambridge, Vermont, will celebrate the new, free public downtown Wi-Fi zone, which was funded, developed, and implemented by the Vermont Digital Economy Project with local support from the Cambridge Artists and Entrepreneurs (CAE). The celebration will be part of the Cambridge Artists and…
Microsoft Corporation is one of VCRD’s partners in the Vermont Digital Economy Project. Through a generous in-kind donation of three discounted three-year licenses of their extensive catalog of online courses called the Microsoft IT Academy Program ® (ITA), Microsoft has enabled the project to expand free online digital workforce education in three regions of Vermont. Microsoft’s donation…
Small organizations are at the heart of most communities, and they are often born directly in response to a community’s need. This relationship only deepens once these organizations are established. They depend on their community to help raise funds, to advertise their services and events, and to find volunteers. Across the state, organizations new and…
This article was written with the help of Tess Gauthier, Project Manager at the Snelling Center for Government As part of the Vermont Digital Economy Project, our partners at the Snelling Center for Government have now successfully implemented new or updated websites for 15 towns across Vermont, and they plan to create another 10 by…
One of the most important services we are delivering is digital skills training. We’re doing that through both our Internet Intern program, a paid internship program that is now active in 24 Vermont libraries, and through our iConnect workshop, a train-the-trainer half-day program on how to teach digital skills to others. Mary Geoffrion in the…
On Wednesday May 21, VCRD and a Community Visit Resource Team went back to Vergennes for our last session as facilitators of the Community Visit process. At this final visit, we kicked-off the Task Forces that address the three community priorities identified in the process. Over the course of the prior three months, the people…
After twelve years of support and plenty of advanced notice, on April 8th of this year, Microsoft officially ended its service support for the Windows XP operating system. As a result, organizations that continue to use XP will be increasingly vulnerable to computer viruses and even hacking. At a minimum, these computers should no longer be used…
I recently attended the 20th Annual Historic Preservation & Downtown Conference deep in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. This year’s conference had the theme of “Preservation and Community” and was held at the lovely renovated Town Hall building in downtown Brighton which was originally an opera house that had fallen into disrepair. The building, through much effort…
Vermont fruit and vegetable farmers produce hundreds of tons of edible, farm-fresh food, but often, not all of their production is sold. These leftover products are sometimes wasted, but through gleaning, they can be put to good use. Marcella Houghton, AmeriCorps VISTA, gleans apples at Yates Family Orchard in Hinesburg Gleaning is the process of…
One of the most exciting services that we are delivering through the Vermont Digital Economy Project is the installation of Wi-Fi zones and hotspots in communities throughout the state. Our goal is to positively impact 25 towns with this technology, and we have so far successfully installed access points in 20 zones and hotspots. We…
Windsor — A student sitting on a bench doing homework on a laptop. A businessman enjoying lunch outside a cafe while surfing the web on a tablet computer. A tourist scanning the Internet on a smartphone while navigating downtown streets. These are the scenes envisioned for downtown Windsor when a Wi-Fi zone is established there…
Games have always been a great tool for teachers to engage students and make learning fun. For example, they have been used effectively to help students understand such diverse topics as historical events and environmental issues. I fondly remember learning about Westward expansion through the online game Oregon Trail as a sixth grader. This early…
Part of the matching funds for our grant was graciously donated by IBM, which, through its Impact Grants program, allows expert consultants to conduct in-depth analysis and workshops with nonprofits on a number of important topics. In the past, these IBM consultants have helped the Vermont Access Network and the Vermont Foodbank with Disaster…
This article was written by Tess Gauthier, Project Coordinator at the Snelling Center for Government In the last newsletter, I provided an update of the Snelling Center for Government’s work on 15 municipal websites as part of the Vermont Digital Economy Project. And, previously, we’ve discussed the community process by which we work with towns to…
Over the past few months, we’ve been writing about our Community Visit process that is underway in Vergennes. Through this signature program of VCRD, we are bringing together local prioritization and community engagement with state, federal, and regional experts and resources to help Vergennes define the projects that will sustain the city and make it…
On April 16, over 100 Vergennes community members gathered in a community meeting to consider the ideas that were discussed through the Vergennes Community Visit process and to set priorities for action. At the Community Meeting participants reviewed all the issues that the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) Visiting Team had heard in focus…
The citizens of Vergennes have set the top three priorities for their city, in an effort to take a big picture approach to planning for the future. More than 100 people turned out to a community meeting last week. It was the second event in a three-month “Community Visit” facilitated by the Vermont Council on…
Read the 2013 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2013, and what we’re looking forward to in 2014.
The most important part of creating a new downtown Wi-Fi zone is not the technology involved. Certainly, the equipment that we have been using, produced by a West-Coast company called Meraki that was founded by two MIT grad students and is now owned by Cisco, is enterprise-level stuff, able to withstand even Vermont’s harsh winters.…
The graphic above is used in the UK’s small business digital skills survey Vermont’s Digital Skills Roundtable was formed last year to discuss our readiness to fully utilize the power of the Internet not just at the basic level, but also at the highest levels. The third meeting took place last month and the diverse…
“There’s only so much time in a day!” That’s a common response from my nonprofit clients when I advise them that their community organization should be posting on Facebook 3 to 5 times every week. And, to be honest, many of them are ready to completely give up when I get around to explaining how…
[highlight_404_links]This article was written by Tess Gauthier, Project Coordinator at the Snelling Center for Government The Snelling Center for Government (SCG) is building local government capacity and better engaging citizens in local affairs throughout Vermont. Through our partnership in the Vermont Digital Economy Project, SCG has already launched 15 municipal websites so far in Vermont’s flood impacted towns. By the…
Our project has highlighted the role and power of social media, especially Facebook, in assisting both nonprofit organizations and small businesses in expanding their audience, getting donations, and increasing sales revenue. It has also touted the role that Front Porch Forum can play in bringing a community closer to together. Lately, I’ve been thinking about…
This past Saturday at the ACORN Sustainable Living Expo, I presented with Michael Wood-Lewis, co-founder of Front Porch Forum, on the question of how technology interacts with community to create sustainability. The discussion was rich with concepts and thoughts, and our attendees presented us with a number of inputs and opinions as well, which I…
Many organizations assume that when they post something to their organization’s Facebook page, everyone who has liked the page will see it. This is not the case. Just as your Facebook friends don’t see everything you post, neither do the fans of your page. In fact, late last year, Facebook tweaked its algorithm for determining…
by Eric Sakai, Community College of Vermont A couple of years ago, my then-85-year-old mother called me from California in a panic to tell me, “They took away my inbox!” Email was the one internet resource she had more or less figured out on her shiny new iMac computer, because it’s the one resource she…
Last December the Vermont Department of Libraries and the Vermont Telecommunications Authority (VTA) convened a roundtable discussion with a diverse group. It focused on the need for Vermonters to have digital skills in order to thrive and participate in the greater online community. I was proud to be included among the group of 19 individuals…
Since we started this project, we have been working hard to implement Wi-Fi zones and Hotspots in towns across the state. We now have 17 active Zones and Hotspots (some of which are still in progress), using a total of 33 pieces of equipment, so we thought it was a good time to look back…
by Nancy Shuttleworth, VtSBDC E-commerce Business Advisor Online tools may not be at the start of every new business, but once a business is up and running, the importance of having an online presence becomes clear. After two years of planning and considering the best location for a cheese production location, Nicki Foster and Julie…
Vermont’s emergency managers have embraced social media and digital communications to keep Vermonters as informed as possible and recently added messages on Front Porch Forum to their outreach strategy. That’s why we asked Mark Bosma, the Vermont Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (DEMHS) Public Information Officer, to tell us more about this strategy.…
This Piano came from the famed Weston Playhouse in Weston, Vermont. It is Vermont’s oldest professional theater (est. 1935) and is a living testament to a community’s belief in the arts. On a snowy Valentine’s Day afternoon, more than a dozen people met at the Vermont History Center in the Vermont Historical Society building in…
There is a term that developers refer to when building websites called usability. The basic premise involves creating websites that are easy to navigate, as well as being full of useful information and having a “pretty” look and feel. After all, even if you have a beautiful looking website with rich content, if the…
Last year, VCRD completed a 6-month Community Visit in the southern Vermont town of Manchester. This process helped Manchester residents whittle 22 issues and ideas about how to focus community efforts to build a better Manchester by 2020 into four priorities for future action. One of these priorities is to Attract Higher Education Opportunities. The…
Maybe you’ve noticed, but our website just got an overhaul. The old VCRD home page vs the new VCRD home page Throughout the Vermont Digital Economy Project, we have been working with nonprofits and small Vermont businesses to help them to take advantage of online tools, and to present themselves professionally and effectively online. One…
This article was written by Christine Friese, Assistant State Librarian The Computers at Rutland Free Library get a lot of use, from people seeking Lauren’s help to a troop of Boy Scouts! Lauren DuQuette is a digital literacy super hero. Most of the time, she is a college student in Liberal Studies, but several hours…
By Hilary Niles, vtdigger.org: http://vtdigger.org/2013/06/17/nek-today-and-tomorrow-development-drives-discussion/ Bill Stenger found more money than he knew what to do with when he started developing the year-round water park that opened at Jay Peak in 2011. So he dreamed up a new idea — a much bigger one that’s unfolding at a rapid clip before his very eyes. Stenger…
Here are some of the broadband efforts in Vermont communities that have happened or are still in progress. Ascutney Area The Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission, working with the towns of Reading and West Windsor, sponsored a project to bring broadband service to the area. The Commission has selected WaveComm to provide a wireless…
Call it the polar vortex, an arctic blast, or just call it winter. Whatever its name, the recent spate of cold weather has been making a lot of headlines, and it’s made it tough to work on our Wi-Fi zone installations. When the temperatures are in the negatives, cable casings get brittle, and fingers get…
This article was written by Patrick Ripley, Director of e-Commerce at the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) After many patient months preparing, Blu-Bin, Vermont’s 3D Printing Shop, opened its doors late last year with an innovative concept aimed at providing Vermont’s creative and entrepreneurial communities an outlet to affordably and easily make their ideas…
Digital tools have become essential to farmers. From Amanda Andrews at Tamarack Hollow Farm, who used Kickstarter.com to raising the necessary funds to move her farm off of a flood plain and is using Instagram to promote the farm, to Eric Rozendaal of Rockville Market Farm, who, in addition to Facebook and Twitter, also uses…
Free digital skills training has been available in the Rutland area for the past several months, made possible by a generous donation from Microsoft to the Vermont Digital Economy Project. Two additional Vermont training sites are going to be up-and-running soon, making this a great time to update you on the importance of increasing your…
Thanks to Orca Media for filming the Summit sessions that took place in Judd Hall and making the video available online. The day is broken out into 4 videos: Part 1 ~ Introductions and welcoming remarks by: Paul Costello, Phil Conroy, Chuck Ross, and Governor Peter Shumlin. Vermont Farm and Forest Entrepreneur panel: Moderator: Anson…
On Dec. 17, hundreds of Vermonters will come together at Vermont Technical Center to celebrate the success of the Working Lands Enterprise Fund and to identify actions to encourage policymakers to continue this important work. The summit is being organized by the Vermont Council on Rural Development, with several organizations sponsoring the event. The day…
Randolph — On Dec. 17, hundreds of Vermonters will come together at Vermont Technical Center to celebrate the success of the Working Lands Enterprise Fund and to identify actions to encourage policymakers to continue this important work. Farmers, forest products leaders, value-adding entrepreneurs, investors, policy leaders, community residents, and all who care about the future…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development has presented its 2013 Vermont Community Leadership Award to Orly Munzing, founder and executive director of Strolling of the Heifers. The award was announced on Tuesday, Dec. 17 during the Council’s 2013 Summit on the Future of Vermont’s Working Landscape held at Vermont Technical College in Randolph, Vt. Presenting…
BRATTLEBORO — Strolling of the Heifers founder Orly Munzing this week received the 2013 Vermont Community Leadership Award from the Vermont Council on Rural Development. Munzing was honored at the end of the council’s 2013 Summit on the Future of Vermont’s Working Landscape held Tuesday at Vermont Technical College in Randolph, Vt. The Vermont Community…
Last week, Governor Shumlin delivered his budget address to the Vermont legislature, and in that address, he showed a renewed commitment to the Working Lands Enterprise Fund. Importantly, he stated that the funding line is included in the base budget, and he is recommending a 5% increase over last year’s funding, which was $1,425,000. The…
One of the reasons I love Vermont is because of its agricultural background. Between the push for a Working Landscape, and the fact that we have the most CSAs per capita anywhere in the United States, Vermont has developed a reputation as a beautiful haven for those who are looking for locally sourced and sustainable…
The Woodstock Community Food Shelf board of directors: back row, left to right: Sally Gottlieb, Joan Williamson, Norm Youknot and Laura Kent; front row: Cassie Horner, Sheila Murray and Bev Regan. Food shelves provide support for a community and can also inspire the community itself. Like many Vermonters, I grew up in poverty. Our local…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Guilford. Community members identified 3 priority areas for future action: Develop a Small Business Incubation Space in Guilford Redevelop the Grange Building Support the Development of the Church as a Community Center and Early Childhood Education Center. Read the Report and Action Plan To learn more about…
Every community in Vermont now has access to its own online calendar, thanks to Front Porch Forum and the Vermont Council on Rural Development’s Vermont Digital Econony Project. This just-released innovation comes from years of listening, planning and work. Please go to FrontPorchForum.com to check out your local FPF community calendar. As we work throughout…
Stepping up the use of digital tools can be a game-changer for small agricultural and forest products businesses. The integration of farm and forest mobile applications has been shown to save both time and money, while improving productivity by enabling farmers and wood products businesses to spend more time on their core business. Starting a…
This article was written by Domenic Laurenzi, an Internet Intern who works at the Dailey Memorial Library in Derby and the Goodrich Library in Newport. He is currently pursuing his associate degree in Applied Business Practices at CCV. When I first started as an Internet Intern, I had no idea about the impact that I could…
This article was written by Nancy Shuttleworth, E-Commerce Advisor at VtSBDC The Battenkill River is known as one of the best trout streams in the East, and visitors from far and near come to fish, swim, and camp with the river as their front yard. Camping on the Battenkill occupies prime river frontage and has…
Director Georgia Brehm and Assistant Director Linda Tucker from the Black River Academy Museum use Square and a tablet to take mobile donations. As fewer people carry cash or even use check books, many nonprofits are scrambling to find new ways to capture donations. Passing the hat or asking people to pull out their checkbooks…
I can’t believe that my first blog article as director of the Vermont Digital Economy Project was nine months ago, and that the project is fast approaching its one-year mark. In this relatively short time, the team has made great strides in assisting the people and communities of rural Vermont, focusing, of course, on those damaged…
Alerts like this one, can be emailed, texted, and sent by other methods. Just sign-up at www.vtalert.gov[/caption] The Digital Economy Project was created to support the use of digital tools for disaster resilience. We’re always happy to see the State of Vermont take steps to use mobile technology, as well as email and social media…
On a chilly Thursday evening in late November, members of the new downtown development group called Wilmington Works, town officials, state representatives, and Wilmington business owners gathered at the town offices to celebrate the achievements that the town of Wilmington had accomplished through the services provided by the Vermont Digital Economy Project. “When we first…
Juli Reiderer, Park House Exectutive Director, looks at her organization’s new website An empowered organization is a successful organization. For a nonprofit to be successful, it must have control over its message. For most organizations, a website is their public face and, often, the first point of contact between the organization and a potential donor,…
This article was written by Patrick Ripley, Director of e-Commerce at the Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) Rochester was one of many southern Vermont communities slammed by Hurricane Irene in late summer 2011. “The town of Rochester was totally cut off for the first week after Irene. We had no electricity and no services,” recalled Beth…
Here at the Vermont Council on Rural Development, we are in the process of asking for donations to fund our great ongoing work, including support for programs like our Community Visits Program and our Working Landscape Initiative. As we looked at numerous ways to solicit donations, including mailings and emails, we realized that we should…
Earlier this month, two IBM specialists in business continuity and resiliency services conducted two Disaster Preparedness for Nonprofit Workshops in Vermont. The workshops were donated to the Vermont Digital Economy Project through IBM’s Service Grants program. I had arranged the first workshop through the leadership of the Vermont Access Network, a professional membership organization representing…
Vermont Public Radio: http://digital.vpr.net/post/conference-focuses-financing-working-lands According to those working to improve farming and forestry opportunities in Vermont, the state is experiencing a renaissance. There’s an influx of interested young people and a host of new ideas for keeping the land productive. The third annual Financing the Working Landscape Conference Thursday in Middlebury will provide a chance…
This article was written by Patrick Ripley, Director of e-Commerce at VtSBDC Unlike many Vermont business owners, when Bethel logger Carl Russell emerged from the rains of hurricane Irene in late summer 2011, most of his inventory was left intact. But he had a different problem. He couldn’t get to it. “Basically the business virtually came…
This year, we were excited to be a part of Tech Jam, a technology-focused job fair that also serves to showcase how well Vermont is succeeding at creating and adopting to new technologies, from being the home of companies such as Dealer.com and MyWebGrocer to fostering smaller businesses such as Found Line. Many of these…
On November 1st, the Vermont Digital Economy Project will be facilitating a discussion at the Woodstock Digital Media Festival on open data, a subject that will be introduced during a presentation by Eddie Tejeda. Eddie is a 2012 Code for America Fellow and co-founder of OpenOakland, a civic innovation organization that brings together coders, designers,…
It was humbling to be part of the Vermont Council on Rural Development’s visiting team for the Guilford Community Visit on October 15th. The Town of Guilford is a community just south of Brattleboro, along Vermont’s southeastern border with Massachusetts, that is comprised of five hamlets, each with its own character. There were many reasons…
This article was written by Donald de Voil, Internet Interns Coordinator at CCV In today’s world, it can be impossible to apply for a job, fill out a government form, or complete other essential tasks, without some internet literacy. Sadly, too many Vermonters find the world of online a bewildering, frustrating and disempowering experience. If…
This article was written by Christine Friese, Assistant State Librarian, Vermont Department of Libraries Recently, Library directors, trustees and staff from 10 public libraries, representatives from the Vermont State Library, and members of the Vermont Digital Economy Project spent a day at the Brown Public library in Northfield with consultants from IBM, learning all about…
In August, VCRD was honored to serve as a partner with the Windham Foundation to facilitate their thirty-fifth Grafton Conference. On the 50th year anniversary of the foundation, they wisely chose to bring together key industry and policy leaders to address the topic: “Vermont’s Forest Economy: Advancing Creativity and Entrepreneurship in Value-Added Forest Products.” The…
When discussing social media with nonprofits, the number one question I am asked is: “How can I get more people to like my organization’s Facebook Page?” There are a few basic first steps, including inviting your friends, using the build audience function to invite your organization’s email list, and making sure your Facebook page is…
On October 3rd, I had the great pleasure of moderating an educational panel at the Vermont League of Cities & Towns Town Fair 2013. The purpose of the panel was to educate municipal leaders from the four corners of the state on how they can leverage digital tools to build community resilience and improve overall…
On September 23rd, the Vermont Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) in Waterbury hosted an IBM “Strategies for Social Media” workshop for Vermont’s emergency managers and their extended partners. The purpose of the workshop was for the IBM consultants to gain inputs needed to assist Vermont in creating a road map for using…
A goal of our grant is to assist towns, business and nonprofits in using technology to be more prepared in the case of another disaster. This effort includes encouraging communities to learn to communicate with their residents through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Front Porch Forum (which we’re excited to have just…
This article is written by Patrick Ripley, VtSBDC Director of e-Commerce Wilmington was one of many southern Vermont communities hit hardest by Hurricane Irene in the late summer of 2011. Its tight-knit business community has stuck together, and continues to take steps to improve awareness of what they have to offer Vermont travelers. “Our building…
Last week, VCRD hosted a “State Rural Policy Innovation Roundtable” reviewing key rural development action led by states and how this work can contribute to national rural policy. We had folks from California, Wyoming, Oregon, Vermont, Illinois, Michigan, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, Idaho, Arizona, Maine, Texas, Minnesota, Utah, Wisconsin, Indiana, North Carolina, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Washington…
The Vermont Small Business Development Center is a key partner in the Vermont Digital Economy Project. We are happy to announce their new guide, created after Irene to help businesses move forward in post-disaster situations. While the guides are meant to be used after such a disaster, reading through the checklists can also be helpful…
In each town that I work with to install a Wi-FI zone, the experience is a little different, which is one of the things that makes the culture of Vermont unique. Every town has its own social structure, and its own set of people and organizations who care deeply about their town. Thanks to these…
Lost dog found in Waitsfield, plow service recommended in Pownal, school board minutes shared in Newport, car break-in reported in Colchester, baby stroller given away in Tinmouth… and the list goes on. Everyday Vermonters use FrontPorchForum.com to connect with their neighbors and build community by sharing postings like those above with the people who live…
This article was written by Tess Gauthier, Project Coordinator at the Snelling Center The Snelling Center for Government is happy to announce the launch of a community-focused approach to engaging citizens in the redevelopment of Town websites. On Thursday, August 29th, we hosted the first forum in Wilmington, where residents attended a facilitated discussion about…
On a Tuesday night, in the upstairs rooms of the Thompson Senior Center in Woodstock, Vermont, 17 members of nonprofit organizations from Woodstock, Killington, Plymouth, Chester, and other nearby towns gathered to meet with five “social media surgeons” who would help them learn more about social media. The “Surgery” was a collaboration between Burlington…
Vermont’s 2011 floods demonstrated the potential for digital tools to support community resilience and recovery, as well as the vulnerability of nonprofits and communities who were not making full use of digital tools. Thankfully, Vermont is gifted with a growing, community-oriented tech sector. In the hours before and after Tropical Storm Irene hit Vermont, the…
Over the last few months VCRD has been working with the Northeast Vermont Development Corporation to convene a dialogue in the Northeast Kingdom on “Managing Change for the Best Future of the NEK.” We facilitated the “NEK Today and Tomorrow Summit” at Lake Region High School on June 15th and have followed up with a…
Two months ago, we announced the Community College of Vermont (CCV) Rutland facility was going to be the first location for free highly accessible digital workforce education training delivered by project partner Microsoft. We are very pleased to confirm that the cutting-edge Microsoft IT Academy Program ® (ITA) is now available to any person who…
Produced by the Windham Foundation and facilitated by VCRD. On August 14 and 15, 2013, a few dozen leaders in the forest products sector of Vermont gathered at the Grafton Inn for a Windham Foundation Conference entitled Vermont’s Forest Economy: Advancing Creativity and Entrepreneurship in Value-Added Forest Products. The participants of this conference brought together…
The NEK Today and Tomorrow Summit was designed by the Northeast Vermont Development Association and Vermont Council on Rural Development to build action to advance the health and prosperity of NEK communities while maintaining their character and protecting the working landscape that surrounds them. With the positive economic growth in the northern tier of the…
16 Grantees will Receive Over $750,000 in Total Funding Governor Peter Shumlin, Agency of Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross, Agency of Commerce and Community Development Secretary Lawrence Miller, Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Michael Snyder, and the Working Lands Enterprise Board will announce the 1st round of grant recipients from the “Service Provider” and…
Our goal, through the Vermont Digital Economy Project, is to help Vermonters use and understand digital tools better. We know that the more technologically capable Vermonters are, the more resilient they will be in the event of another disaster. In the meantime, they will be able to use these tools to help spur economic development,…
Last week, I participated in a Broadband Access Roundtable Discussion for Vermont’s healthcare providers co-hosted by the USDA – Rural Development and the Vermont Telecommunication Authority (VTA). The half-day event was attended by almost two dozen healthcare experts, federal and state officials, and various IT experts. The goals were to share USDA-RD funding opportunities for telemedicine,…
Paul Haskell, Chair of the Sharon Selectboard was a part of a group discussion on how to use digital mapping and crowd-sourcing tools to solve community problems convened by the Vermont Digital Economy Project. Stay tuned for additional stories of organizations using mapping tools and crowd sourced information to further their missions. (SHARON, VT) Like…
In a recent post, Pat Ripley of VtSBDC laid out some of the reasons why it is important to have a Facebook presence. In addition to the ability it affords businesses of reaching more customers and nonprofits of reaching more interested people, it is also a signal to either type of consumer that they are…
For Immediate Release Press Contact: Rob Fish, Nonprofit Adviser, Vermont Digital Economy Project (802) 488-5143 LOCAL NONPROFITS ENCOURAGED TO USE MORE ONLINE TOOLS TO BUILD STRONGER ORGANIZATIONS Vermont Digital Economy Project Assisting Local Nonprofits in Chester, Plymouth, Randolph and South Royalton July 29, 2013 (Montpelier, VT): During the month of August, representatives from community nonprofit…
Our visits to Vermont’s flood-impacted communities reveal several compelling stories of how towns used social media to help recover from Tropical Storm Irene. Part of this social media effort was to assist with the dissemination of vital information, organize volunteer efforts, and attract donations to help with the recovery process. Perhaps the most poignant of…
By Mary McClements, Coordinator of Academic Services-Career Training Programs at CCV Blake dropped out of school when he was sixteen and, for several years, tried to make a living on minimum wage which he just wasn’t able to do. He tried to start his own business, but with no real skills, he wasn’t able to…
Vermont’s strength is a direct result of the strength of the community organizations that step up in time of need, or provide ongoing assistance to members of the community in need. While these organizations are often small and cover only a few towns, it is still beneficial for them to have a web presence that…
Offering highly accessible digital workforce education is a key part of the Vermont Digital Economy Project. Project partner Microsoft is delivering the cutting-edge Microsoft IT Academy Program ® (ITA) to provide free online digital workforce education through selected Vermont institutions and libraries. After careful consideration, the project team has selected the Community College of Vermont’s…
All of this rain has reminded me how important it is that our Vermont Digital Economy Project will bring Front Porch Forum to every town in Vermont that wants one. This free community-building service allows neighbors to connect with one another in a moderated setting in which members are clearly identified as they share postings. These forums help…
This article is written by Patrick Ripley, Director of e-Commerce for VtSBDC Social media has become as much a part of daily life for Vermont small business owners and nonprofit organizations as a symbol of storefront signage, careful accounting practices, quality products and services, hospitality and good ole fashioned Green Mountain charm. More and more…
The driveway to my house, in Ludlow near the Plymouth town border, became a river during Tropical Storm Irene. I have to admit that all of the rain we’ve gotten lately has made me very nervous. As a Tropical Storm Irene victim, I am paying particularly close attention to the flash flood warnings that scroll…
Is your organization in need of a social media makeover? Nonprofit Advisor and Social Media “Surgeon” Rob Fish discussed social media strategy with “patient” Jahnine Spaulding, Outreach Coordinator of Vermont Operation: Military Kids (VT OMK) at a recent Social Media Surgery in Burlington. A resilient organization has mastered a full range of communication tools. As…
I was recently invited to participate in a panel on Civility for the National Endowment on the Humanities and the Vermont Bar Association, and it made me think of the challenges we see in rural towns in a different light. When the Vermont Council on Rural Development led our “Community Visit” process to one small…
This article was written by Christine Friese, Assistant State Librarian. To apply for an Internet Intern for your Library, fill out the form here. Access to high speed broadband and free computers has long been a known barrier to digital literacy across the U.S. Now, with more areas of Vermont receiving better connectivity and public…
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) has its roots in the 1992 Farm Bill. The organization has also taken strong leadership in the creation of Vermont’s Working Landscape Partnership, a non-partisan and broad-based coalition to support local agriculture and forestry, grow and attract farm and forest entrepreneurs, and conserve Vermont’s “Working Landscape” far into…
In a bright renovated Town Hall in Bethel Vermont, with sunlight flowing into the room from large windows lining two walls, locals gathered for an evening of celebration. A new free and public Wi-Fi zone, called the Bethel Connection, had just been installed, and members of the town were there to eat some local pizza,…
The Ottauquechee Community Partnership (OCPVT) is a locally funded non-profit organization with a focus on connecting young people to the community, bringing community resources to schools and building positive relationships through youth-adult mentoring. For the past several weeks, we have worked with the organization to integrate digital tools and become more efficient. “As a result…
BETHEL, VT – The town of Bethel, Vermont, will be celebrating the arrival of a free and public downtown Wi-Fi zone called “The Bethel Connection” at a launch event on Thursday, June 20th starting at 5pm, with speeches at 6pm at the Bethel Town Hall. The opening of the Wi-Fi zone will feature speeches from…
June 14, 2013 (Montpelier, Vermont.) — On a rainy Thursday afternoon, vendors gathered on the South Royalton green for the third annual BALE (Building a Local Economy) festival, but this year there was an added benefit to the town: a new free Wi-Fi zone blanketed the green and allowed vendors and visitors alike to access…
At the Vermont Digital Economy Project, we know that a connected community is a resilient community. While we’ve been focusing on using digital tools to build networks within a community, it’s just as important for local nonprofits to recognize the power of off-line networks and coalitions. Many communities have a Chamber of Commerce, an organization…
The Snelling Center for Government is partnering with their Vermont Leadership Network (VLN) to harness skills and knowledge in Vermont communities to aid in the development of the municipal website project. VLN consists of graduates of the Vermont Leadership Institute and Vermont School Leadership Project which promote stimulating citizen enthusiasm for and participation in public…
We completed our 3-month Community Visit process in Manchester. Community members identified 4 priority areas for future action: Develop a Small Business Incubator Become a Biking Center and Destination Attract Higher Education Opportunities Redevelop the Riverside and Open a Riverwalk Read the Report and Action Plan To learn more about Manchester, read the 2014 Manchester…
SOUTH ROYALTON, VT – After weeks of preparation, decision-making and community involvement, the town of Royalton will kick off its brand new free public Wi-Fi zone on the Royalton green on Thursday, June 13, at 3pm, in conjunction with BALE fest. The launch event will feature speakers from the town of Royalton, the Vermont Council…
This past weekend was the National Day of Civic Hacking. While for many of us, hacking brings up ominous images of security systems being overridden and important data being stolen, a hackathon is quite the opposite. During a hackathon, a number of techie people get together to solve problems. When you have engineers, programmers, user-interface…
Can a new rural rescue squad website promote public safety? How much more effective could a jobs bank be if the task of posting jobs were cut in half? How many additional people would a food shelf serve if they had a web presence? Thanks to the Vermont Digital Economy Project, Code for BTV, and…
Heidi M. Nikolaidis, of the Bethel Historical Society, received help from Rob Fish on the society’s Facebook Page. Here’s what she learned: A few weeks ago we first heard about the grant from the Vermont Digital Economy Project. We filled out the online survey for non-profits, on behalf of the Bethel Historical Society. Rob Fish…
More than 20 years ago, Vermonters Jeffrey and Maryanne Larkin opened Arvad’s Grill & Pub in Waterbury. From the very beginning, they put high emphasis on featuring local products and serving their local community. “We strive to use local products in preparation of our homemade food and serve the finest Vermont has to offer in…
Digital tools can create an important advantage in running a business these days, and we’re working in Bethel on a number of projects to help make these tools more reachable, including installing a free downtown Wi-Fi zone. But older means of communication, such as word of mouth and a tightly knit community are also great…
Members of the Bethel Historical Society I remember as a young boy growing up and being fascinated by the local history of my home town. I wanted to understand how and why certain things came to be the way they are now. Why were there abandoned iron mines on the hillside and stone walls cutting…
By Mary McClements, Coordinator of Academic Services-Career Training Programs at CCV ‘Balance’ is a great buzz word these days, in my opinion, especially because I don’t have it often enough. We hear this message on the news, and we see it in magazines, in newspapers, and in articles on the internet. These sources ask us…
As a neutral policy and community development convener, VCRD is rarely directly connected to legislative matters but we are excited today about two important developments! ******* First, as the dust settles on the 2013 Vermont legislative session, we are pleased to report that the Working Lands Enterprise Fund has been allocated $1,425,000 for the FY14…
Our search for relevant workshop content for Vermont’s farm and forest sector led us straight to someone who may, at first, seem an unlikely Vermont digital economy pioneer. Heather Darby, Ph.D., has been teaching nutrient management at the University of Vermont Extension for over six years. She’s a soil quality expert who received her B.S.…
At the Vermont Digital Economy Project, we’re passionate about using new technologies to improve disaster resilience and spur economic growth in Vermont. Mobile technology, from the ease of accessing the Internet on a smart phone to using text messaging to donate to an organization or pay your bills, is playing a huge role on both…
After a week and a half of meetings with over twenty nonprofits ranging from historical societies to downtown revitalization organizations, churches, rotary clubs, human services, agriculture education, and arts and disaster preparedness groups, I am struck by how passionate everyone I met was about their organization and their desire to do better. Over the next…
Our hearts go out to everyone who was injured or affected in the unthinkable attack on the Boston Marathon last week. Each of us here at the Digital Economy Project had friends or loved ones at the Marathon or in Boston. While shocked and horrified by the attack, the events were also an example of…
As we discussed in an earlier post, the Vermont Digital Economy Project has been getting its feet wet and meeting with towns to understand their needs and perspectives. However, as we continue to meet with flood-impacted towns (including Woodstock, Killington and Rochester), we are also beginning to dig into the projects and services that each…
Our partners at Microsoft have developed a Digital Literacy program that helps to bridge the digital divide. We’re working with them to integrate their curriculum with efforts already in place in the Vermont State Libraries. What comes out of this project should be fruitful and beneficial to all of those trying bridge the gap between…
An important service offered by our project is the Vermont Small Business Development Center’s digital workshops. They’re designed to teach small businesses how to leverage such hot digital tools as Cloud Computing, Mobile Marketing, Social Media, and Using Google Tools. Based on the Vermont Digital Economy Project Team’s recent discussions with business leaders and nonprofits…
I’ve been struck by census data on rural communities that shows that some rural towns across the country are rapidly urbanizing and others are losing population, especially young people. Vermont is ranked as one of the two oldest states in the nation and one of the two most rural states in the country. The two…
April 8, 2013 (MONTPELIER, VT) – The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) announced today the first round of communities to receive intensive services from its Digital Economy Project this year. The Vermont Digital Economy Project is designed to increase resilience and foster economic development in flood-impacted Vermont communities. In the past week, project staff…
One of the most requested items in our application was the “downtown Wi-Fi Zones and Hotspots”. As a member of the Millennial Generation, the benefits of having a free and public wireless zone are intrinsic to my mode of operating. A public internet connection means that there is one more place where I can connect…
Every time I commute to the Vermont Council of Rural Development office in Montpelier, I head north out of my hometown of Ludlow along Route 100 and pass through Plymouth, Bridgewater, Killington, Pittsfield, Stockbridge, Bethel, and Royalton to get to I-89. The bumpy roads en route include multiple bridges still under construction and some houses…
Guest post by Christine Friese, Assistant State Librarian Vermont Department of Libraries is pleased to be partnering again with VCRD and others in the Vermont Digital Economy Project. The Department will work with participating libraries in the areas of digital literacy and emergency preparedness. In partnership with Community College of Vermont (CCV), we will continue…
I was interviewed by a local TV program recently on the work of VCRD. The host thought it was interesting that our organization was working this year to support farm and forest business development, which he saw as supporting “traditional Vermont,” alongside the work of the Vermont Digital Economy Project, which is helping businesses, municipalities,…
Vermonters across the state know that local action makes our communities vibrant. But local action often needs support from regional, state and even federal levels to achieve goals for prosperity. To respond to this need in Vermont, the Vermont Council on Rural Development provides local leaders with the resources they need to build capacity for…
Over the next 18 months, VCRD’s Digital Economy Project will be working to help Vermont communities, businesses and nonprofits become more resilient to natural and manmade disasters. The project will also explore ways to systematically use technology to reshape volunteer management and disaster recovery efforts, and to transform the relationship between citizens and government. Our…
We’ve had a busy few weeks at the Vermont Digital Economy Project! Not only were Sharon, Rob and I getting to know each other and beginning the great work we will be doing for the next 18 months, but on top of starting out, our first round of application were due on March 15. We…
I am excited to join the Vermont Council on Rural Development as the Director of the Vermont Digital Economy Project. The Vermont Digital Economy Project is funded by a disaster recovery grant from the Economic Development Administration and from the donations and expertise of its partners: IBM, the Snelling Center for Government, the Vermont Department…
The Working Lands Enterprise Board received a total of 387 applications for the three investment areas, for a total requested amount of $11,569,397. Some examples of requests include processing equipment, facility upgrades and expansions, marketing assistance, product development, technical assistance and start-ups. The maps below show the breakdown by investment category, as well as type…
Members of the Working Lands Coalition launched their “5-by-3” campaign on Wednesday, February 13, 2013, at the Vermont State House. The day included an early morning presentation to the Rural Economic Development Working Group (REDWG), testimony in front of the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, and a press conference in the Cedar Creek Room. The…
During the Community Visit process in Cabot, community members identified 3 priority areas for future action: Develop a Cabot Agricultural Network Develop a Community Arts Center Improve Community Communications Read the Report and Action Plan. To learn more about Cabot, read the 2012 Cabot Community Profile.
Congratulations to Lars Hasselblad Torres, the winner of the 2012 Beginner Friendly Website Design contest. Our panel of judges selected Lars’ entry because they felt it best exemplified innovation and creativity in design. It began with a strong, easily navigable foundation and then experimented with new ideas for beginner friendly design elements. Judges felt that…
In 2009, the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project, announced their Sustainable Broadband Adoption (SBA) grants program. The e-Vermont partners came together to apply for these funds to increase rural broadband adoption rates using an approach built around community. This community focus meant two principal things: E-Vermont listened to a community’s needs,…
Digital Wish’s School Modernization Initiative (through VCRD’s e-Vermont Community Broadband Program) put one-computer-per-child programs into 24 e-Vermont schools. Through the program they conducted surveys of the participating teachers and students who report a wide range of gains including increased engagement in learning, technological proficiency, and dramatic improvements in the understanding of internet safety issues. The…
(Hardwick, VT) Sixth grade students at Hardwick Elementary classrooms are getting more connected with their teachers when it comes to organizing their homework and getting up to speed on classwork when absent. Through the e-Vermont initiative, Hardwick Elementary School was able to improve their wireless Internet connection. Additionally, each sixth grade student received a Dell…
(Fairfield, VT) Educators, students, and their parents have all played a key role in the growing presence of computer and information technology at Fairfield Center School. Through the efforts of the e-Vermont initiative, Fairfield Center received a netbook computer for every student in its 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classrooms. In addition, students have been…
Jay and Westfield, located in the state’s “Northeast Kingdom” near the Canadian border, share common north/south town borders, and depend heavily on natural resources such as farms, forests and mountains for economic development. Cooperative relationships among the towns’ residents, municipal offices and community organizations can account for the growing success of a community-based digital literacy…
(Dover, VT) Fourth, fifth and sixth-grade students at Dover Elementary got more than just a taste of technology this year with the help of Digital Wish and e-Vermont. Heading into this program, Digital Wish had high hopes that they would not only affect the more than 1,200 students they outfitted with Dell netbooks but that…
(Bridgewater Village, VT) With the Digital Wish training wrapping up, teachers at Bridgewater Village Elementary School reminisced on their experiences this past year. Mercy Grinold, the third and fourth grade teacher, was impressed by the students taking initiative, learning at a fast pace, and even teaching the teacher at times! She commented about the benefit…
(Calais, VT) When a school receives new technology, it can be an exciting opportunity to expand learning and help guide students in an increasingly connected 21st century world. Students at Calais Elementary have been able to do just that, by getting more personalized experiences when working on computer-based projects. The e-Vermont initiative, and its educational…
(Morristown, VT) The growing prevalence of broadband Internet access and cloud computing has made itself well known across classrooms at People’s Academy Middle Level, where students have recently been using tech tools to complement their Maple Leaf careers project, and are utilizing new online tools like the Edu 2.0 collaboration service. Internet use in these…
(Jay, VT) Recently, students at Jay/Westfield Elementary have been able to flex their creative muscles with new technology in both artistic and utilitarian ways. Whether it is with informational brochures on career paths with Microsoft Publisher, stop-motion animation videos edited together with their Dell netbook webcam and Windows MovieMaker, or even conceiving something as simple…
During the Community Visit process in Bennington, community members identified 4 priority areas for future action: Advance a Bennington Community Center and Improve the Recreation Center Develop a Bennington Vision Statement and Advance Community Communications and Positive Town Image Collaborate to Address Poverty and Build a Poverty Working Group Make Downtown Bennington a Destination, and…
(Addison, VT) Teachers at Addison Elementary School are using the tools Digital Wish provided them this past year to further enrich their curriculum. Students in grades 4-6 have been studying Newton’s Laws in the classroom, but were searching for a project to share that would really emphasize what they’d learned. Teachers took their newfound knowledge…
(Middletown Springs, VT) While e-Vermont and Digital Wish classroom training are winding down, the Kodu Game Lab after-school program is now in full swing at Middletown Springs Elementary (MSES). Thanks to a matching grant from Microsoft, Digital Wish has been able to give thousands of dollars worth of software to e-Vermont schools participating in the…
(Moretown, VT) For most elementary schools, a school newsletter can be a fun way to give students experience in journalism, but rarely a method of disseminating information to the community. That is not the case for members of Moretown Elementary School. With the help of Library Media Specialist, Meg Allison, students at Moretown Elementary have…
The Governor’s Workshop on Education, held June 12 and 13 at the Grafton Inn, was designed for the Administration and partners to explore key policy ideas to improve Vermont’s Pre K‐12 education system, to develop a comprehensive and coordinated education platform, and to define specific action steps to be implemented over the next two years…
Vermonters can explore their history through events, books, historic sites, museums, historical society collections across the state. . . and online. Today digitizing local historical collections provides a new way to share a town’s past. Digitizing historical collections lets you: Make materials available to anyone, anywhere in the world Build a collection that can expand;…
If you’re interested in setting up your own version of Internet Interns, check out these lessons that e-Vermont learned along the way: Recognize the unique combination of skills that interns need. Being comfortable with computers is only a starting point, interns need to be comfortable communicating with a wide range of learners, be able to…
(Castleton, VT) At Castleton Elementary School, computers are being integrated into the daily routine of 5th grade students thanks to a 1:1 computing initiative brought together by the e-Vermont Community Broadband Project and Digital Wish. Since 45 netbooks were put into the two 5th grade classrooms last fall, teachers have taken a liking to cloud-based…
(Richford, VT) One of the greatest challenges teachers face with their classrooms is making sure their students are staying on task and engaging with their lessons. When new technology is placed into the situation, one might think that it could create more distractions for students. However, in Richford Elementary classrooms it has had the opposite…
The conversations convened in this conference followed topics that e-Vermont has heard discussed at community, state and national levels: Establishing a New Foundation for Business in the Digital Age Building the Local Economy with Online Tools Sharing Local News: Neighborhood Forums and Citizen Journalism Engaging Citizens in State & Local Government Ensuring No Vermonter is…
Although the digital age may seem in its infancy, many Vermont small business owners are learning that they have already had to update their online presence to adapt to the evolving expectations of modern customers. One such Vermont company that recognized a need to update its website and other online resources is Morrisville’s popular eatery…
From late fall of 2011 to spring of 2012, the Vermont State Colleges placed student interns in public libraries to provide one-on-one assistance every week for patrons learning to use the Internet. Combining this service with new computer equipment purchased through e-Vermont, these libraries are creating a true gateway to the online world. What are…
What if nearly every household in a small rural town were in daily communication with each other? What would change? e-Vermont partner Front Porch Forum provides towns and neighborhoods with a virtual town green and bulletin board. Once FPF is set up in a town, it opens unlimited possibilities to connect Calais is a great…
Read the 2011 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2011, and what we’re looking forward to in 2012.
A lot of Internet learning begins at the local library, where there are computers and Internet connections to get patrons started on navigating the online world. In late 2011, the Vermont State Colleges teamed up with the Department of Libraries to try out an “Internet Intern” project at libraries in e-Vermont towns. Trained college student…
Noah Carpenter, 5th grader at Fairfield Center School, is making the most out of the new Netbooks he and his classmates received from e-Vermont partner Digital Wish. Fairfield students not only have this tremendous asset to help with their school work, but also take their netbooks home where each is provided an accompanying Dell printer/scanner.…
For many Vermont communities, the terrible flooding in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene brought home both the importance of a strong community fabric and the value of having multiple channels for communication during a crisis. Bridgewater was one of the e-Vermont towns hit hard by the floods. As town systems became overloaded in the…
In the months since the mid-year annual report was published, e-Vermont continued its ambitious projects. This report outlines its accomplishments. Read the full report here (PDF).
The e-Vermont Community Broadband Project worked with partner Digital Wish to implement 1:1 computing initiatives in 4th – 6th grades at schools in e-Vermont towns. 1:1 computing brings technology into the classroom in a way that lets every student have their own computer and Internet connection. Online resources become easily accessible for any classroom activity…
MONTPELIER, VT – Vermont Rural Jobs Bill Draws a Crowd: A legislative panel holding a public hearing on the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Investment bill found a statehouse room packed to capacity Wednesday evening, where more than 100 people turned out – most in support of the bill. Close to 40 testified, with all but…
e-Vermont partner Front Porch Forum provides towns and neighborhoods with a virtual town green and bulletin board. Once FPF is set up in a town, it opens unlimited possibilities to connect resources with those in need. Last winter, when the days were hovering around 5°F, some Vermonters faced hard times heating their homes. Bob from…
Through e-Vermont, students at Dover elementary are getting more than just a taste of technology – they’re becoming tech experts. Just ask Stefanie Nick, mother of Isabella Nick, a 5th grader taking part in Digital Wish’s 1:1 Computing School Modernization Initiative at Dover Elementary School. “I work for a women’s scarf company and everything is…
The Russell Vermontiana Collection includes rare books, works by Vermont authors, historic documents, photographs and genealogies focused on Arlington and the neighboring towns of Sunderland and Sandgate (SAS). Dr. George A. Russell, a former resident of Arlington, started collecting at the age of 12 and continued until his death in 1968 at the age of…
Fairfield, Vermont is synonymous with maple sugaring and dairy farming, and was the birth place of the 21st president of the United States, Chester Arthur. This Franklin County town of 1900 residents does not live in the past, however. Their library, the Bent Northrup Memorial, has a new building with several computer stations and wireless…
There are many reasons for providing public Internet access. Usually this access is provided for the convenience of visitors, or for local community members who can’t access high speed Internet at home. Public Internet access is also an important part of Digital Literacy initiatives, giving people an opportunity to practice their computer skills before starting…
The Vermont State Colleges is an e-Vermont partner providing introductory Internet trainings across the state as well as online webinars. Jane Kearns is an instructor who presented several workshops in Bristol, one of the e-Vermont communities, in February, 2011. Despite the winter weather she helped one family discover Google tools. “Two sisters from the area…
In the months since the year-one annual report was published, e-Vermont continued its ambitious projects. This report outlines its accomplishments. Read the full report here (PDF).
In one busy month, Fairfield opened a beautiful new library, launched a community newsletter, and unveiled an online farmers market. Fairfield is a town of 700 households in Franklin County, chock full of dairy farms, maple sugar producers and many other farmers and artisans. During the Vermont Council on Rural Development’s Community Visit process in…
(12/8/11) – e-Vermont partner Front Porch Forum provides towns and neighborhoods with a virtual town green and bulletin board. Residents who opt to sign in can easily post notes which get delivered to e-mailboxes throughout the community. Notices about upcoming events, stuff for sale or trade, lost pets, and wildlife sightings mix with discussions about…
(12/8/11) – The village center of Moretown sits along the usually friendly Mad River. But Tropical Storm Irene swelled it to a torrent, taking houses and bridges in its wake. Just prior to Irene, this e-Vermont community was slowly building interest in its new town wide Front Porch Forum. Suddenly, it exploded with activity. In…
(12-2-2011) – e-Vermont and partner Digital Wish are helping to expand the world of learning for every 4th, 5th, and 6th grader in this rural southern Vermont town. Each week a trainer from Digital Wish joins their teachers for lessons that integrate technology into the curriculum. Along with the lessons, each student is outfitted with…
(12/1/2011) – A group of local artists and entrepreneurs have banded together to showcase their community – the town of Cambridge and its village center, Jeffersonville. Known as CAE or Cambridge Artists and Entrepreneurs this collection of business owners, professionals and artisans collaborated with e-Vermont to build the Cambridge Vermont Community Portal www.cambridgevt.com. CAE’s mission…
During the course of the e-Vermont project, three regional workshops and two statewide conferences provided an opportunity to share lessons learned, best practices, and new ideas. Below are some of the highlights from these events. Report from the final e-Vermont conference on Vermont’s Digital Future (May 8th, 2012) – see also the agenda for an…
The Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) has provided workshops, webinars, and one-on-one advising for small business owners in all e-Vermont communities. Their work reached beyond our 24 communities through workshops at regional and statewide conferences and e-Vermont webinars. Broadband for businesses in Vermont is a huge topic. It covers everything from educating a workforce…
(10/10/11) – When longtime Poultney print shop owner Chuck Colvin decided to retire, he knew he didn’t want to call it quits. The lifelong businessman wanted to help other entrepreneurs realize their dreams. His vision led to the development of the Poultney Small Business Center, a three-story 20,000-square-foot business rental space that opened in 2009.…
(10/10/11) – When the recession hit in 2008, Jennifer Partch Whitehurst of Poultney was among the tens of thousands of Americans who found themselves in the unfamiliar position of needing to find a new job. With a background in accounting and many years of experience under her belt, Jennifer decided she would focus on establishing…
(10/10/11) – When Vermont Small Business Development Center’s (VtSBDC) Broadband Business Advisor Patrick Ripley began his e-Vermont community visits, Troy and Jessica Steel of Waiora Valley Farm and Gallup Brook Fencing in Cambridge were among the first business owners he encountered. “Troy and Jessica are classic Vermont business owners, running multiple ventures simultaneously, while also…
(9/21/11) – The e-Vermont Community Broadband Project congratulates the West Rutland team for its completion of a successful year. Since being selected in spring 2010 as one of 12 inaugural e-Vermont communities, West Rutland has tapped cutting edge Internet tools to advance multiple local goals. West Rutland’s students are now better positioned for 21st century…
Investing in our Farm and Forest Future is the final report of the Vermont Working Landscape Partnership Council. It offers five recommendations to help reinvigorate the state’s rural economy: Build a major campaign to celebrate the distinctiveness of the working landscape that is Vermont. Target strategic investment through a Vermont Agriculture and Forest Products Development…
During the Community Visit process in Morristown, community members identified 4 priority areas for future action: Develop a Morrisville Food Coop and Organize the Foods Industry Organize a Business Incubator Redevelop Empty Buildings Downtown Improve Trails and Walkways and Physically Unify the Town by Building a Pedestrian Bridge Read the Full Report and Action Plan…
This report outlines the accomplishments of the first year of the e-Vermont project. Read the full report here (PDF).
The Community College of Vermont has designed the iConnect training to improve skills for working with Internet beginners. This training helps participants communicate effectively and efficiently as they walk beginners through specific online tasks, like navigating a website, filling out an online application, or opening an e-mail account. It also shows participants how to connect…
(5/4/11) – The Vermont State Colleges (VSC) are offering a variety of tools to help residents of e-Vermont communities learn basic computer skills. This year, they are expanding their workshop on the basics to include sessions for a new audience – anyone who works with people new to the Internet. If there is one important…
(5/4/11) – We talk about the Internet as the communications tool of the future, but it is also a new tool for communicating about our past. The e-Vermont communities of Sunderland, Arlington, and Sandgate are creating online tools to share their rich collections of historic documents. The Russell Collection at the Martha Canfield Library in Arlington…
(5/4/11) – The Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) employs an e-Vermont business advisor to work one on one with businesses interested in improving their use of the Internet. One important first step is designing your business’ web presence. Small funds are made available through VtSBDC for businesses starting or improving a website. One of…
VCRD 2010 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2010, and what we’re looking forward to in 2011.
During the Community Visit process in Fairfield, community members identified three priority areas for future action: Advance Agricultural Development in Fairfield Advance Community Communications and Coordinate Fairfield Volunteerism Implement a School Enrichment Program Read the Report and Action Plan To learn more about Fairfield, read the 2011 Fairfield Community Profile.
Participants at the Summit on the Future of Vermont’s Working Landscape shared their commitment to advancing the enterprise that serves as the foundation for the future vitality of rural lands and rural communities. Five afternoon breakout sessions reviewed the five-point Vermont Working Landscape Partnership Action Plan and offered their advice to improve it and initiate…
With the goal of assisting government, environmental, and planning leaders in their attempts to meet the ongoing challenges of promoting a vibrant working landscape in Vermont, this report (written by Cheryl Morse of UVM and contracted by us as an input to the Working Landscape Partnership Council) surveys strategies undertaken in other parts of the…
Through the Community Visit process, Marlboro began planning for a Marlboro Community Center Building to serve as a connecting point for multiple groups in the community. They are also working to improve walkability and to expand bike and walking paths. Read the Report and Action Plan Marlboro resident, Kelly Salasin, captured the flavor (and fun)…
During the Community Visit process in Shoreham, community members began work to attract village economic development and to build a business incubator. Other initiatives include improving civic participation and exploring in-town energy opportunities. Read the Report and Action Plan To learn more about Shoreham, read the 2010 Shoreham Community Profile.
Vermont Economic Development Partners worked together to identify doable, cost-effective and measured ways to advance economic activity that will create jobs and that can be initiated in the short term. This diverse group identified key recommendations for Vermont leaders to consider this year. Read the report.
This report synthesizes the discussion from public forums in the Addison NW Supervisory Union on the Renewal of Public Education for the 21st Century. The inputs were presented to the ANWSU Board, the School Boards of the Supervisory Union, and the people of the five communities that make up the union: Addison, Ferrisburgh, Panton, Vergennes,…
Imagining Vermont: Values and Vision for the Future is the final report of the Council on the Future of Vermont. With the publication of this report, the findings of the Council are no longer ours alone. The report is a contribution toward action. It is for the people of Vermont to use to move Vermont…
The 2009 VCRD Summit on the Future of Vermont marked a watershed point. It served as the official “report out” to Vermonters on the findings of the Council on the Future of Vermont. It turned their findings into a challenge to Vermonters, and especially the leaders gathered together for the day, to consider specific ways…
Read the 2008 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2008, and what we’re looking forward to in 2009.
The Council on the Future of Vermont and St. Michael’s Center for Social Science Research are proud to release Vermont in Transition: A Summary of Social, Economic and Environmental Trends. This book covers the major changes in fourteen public policy issues areas in Vermont over the past two decades. St. Michael’s College researchers worked in…
This compendium of findings highlights priority topic areas that have emerged through VCRD’s body of work, and considers challenges identified by communities, some of the accomplishments of VCRD at the community and policy level, and unmet community development needs in Vermont. Read the “Rural Development in Vermont: Community & Policy Findings” Report.
In September 2008, VCRD hosted the annual conference of the National Rural Development Partnership / Partners in Rural America (PRA). Participants from 13 states joined Vermont rural leaders in Montpelier for 4 days of dynamic sessions around “Advancing Creativity and Innovation in Rural America” which kicked‐off at the State House and included a bus tour…
A final report for the Creative Communities Program was presented back to each of the 12 participating communities. These summarized the public meetings and brainstorming sessions, captured the direction each community pursued, and listed specific resources for their priority projects. Read the Creative Communities Final Report Town-Specific Reports: Read an overview of…
Thanks to the Community Visit process, Killington built a system for positive Town/Mountain communications and problem-solving, and set a 4‐season economic development planning process with substantial funding from a 1% municipal rooms, meals, and sales tax. Read the Report and Action Plan
Read the 2007 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2007, and what we’re looking forward to in 2008.
Thanks to the Community Visit process, Derby began evaluating steps toward a town/village merger and solving water-sewer infrastructure issues. Read the Report and Action Plan
VCRD chose the subject of the 2007 Conference based on the growing momentum in Vermont (and globally) to identify our unique local assets and use them as essential building blocks to strengthen our rural economies. VCRD’s 2004 report Advancing the Creative Economy, and the “Creative Communities Program” (CCP) VCRD led over the past two years,…
At the beginning of 2008, the VT Agency of Agriculture and John Merck Fund asked VCRD to manage a strategic planning process designed to advance farm businesses and agricultural enterprises in the state. “Moving Vermont Agriculture Forward,” began with two working task forces: Branding and Marketing and Business Development. The task forces were designed to…
The Vermont Rural Energy Council (VREC) was developed by the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) to provide a non-partisan analysis of opportunities in rural electric generation, fuel development, and energy efficiency in Vermont. Based on inputs and on the knowledge and experience of Council members, the Vermont Rural Energy Council crafted a set of…
We ran a second Community Visit process in Richford in 2007. Community members formed task forces on Job Creation and Retention, Law Enforcement, and Image and Communication. Read the Report and Action Plan
Read the 2006 Annual Report for an overview of our programming, updates from 2006, and what we’re looking forward to in 2007.
The Manchester Creative Community Report summarizes the public meetings and brainstorming sessions and lists resources for the following priority projects chosen through the process: Create the Infrastructure for State-of-the-Art Communications Technology; Establish a Local Foods Retail Center; and Establish Manchester as a Leader in Sustainability and Green Business.
The Middlebury Creative Community Report summarizes the public meetings and brainstorming sessions and lists resources for the following priority projects chosen through the process: Establish a Business Incubator; Establish Middlebury as a Pioneer in Alternative Energy Production and Management; Found a Community Creative Economy Umbrella Association; and Make Better Use of the River.
The Richmond Creative Community Report summarizes the public meetings and brainstorming sessions and lists resources for the following priority projects chosen through the process: Develop and Market a Richmond Trails System; Form an Alliance for Creative Development of Existing Properties; and Hold a Harvest Festival to Celebrate Local Agriculture.
The Plainfield Creative Community Report summarizes the public meetings and brainstorming sessions and lists resources for the following priority projects chosen through the process: Establish Plainfield as a Learning Community; Form a Local Creative Economy Association; and Make Downtown Plainfield More Welcoming to Pedestrians.
The Randolph Creative Community Report summarizes the public meetings and brainstorming sessions and lists resources for the following priority projects chosen through the process: Create Stronger Collaborations Around the Creative Economy with an Ongoing Process to Support Creative Economy Projects; Improve Internet Access; and Promote Environmental Initiatives that Define Randolph as a Green Community.
The Bellows Falls Creative Community Report summarizes the public meetings and brainstorming sessions and lists resources for the following priority projects chosen through the process: Provide Year-round Access to Local Foods; Revitalize “The Island”; and Support a Strong Restaurant Culture.
The Johnsbury Creative Community Report summarizes the public meetings and brainstorming sessions and lists resources for the following priority projects chosen through the process: Develop an Eastern Avenue Park (Including Farmers’ Market Site); Highlight Local Cultural Organizations; Improve St. Johnsbury’s Web Presence
After the Community Visit process, the town voted for funds to contract for services to advance the initiatives recorded in the final report. It also improved energy efficiency, stopped bus idling, created a lightbulb campaign, and advanced the agricultural economy. Read the Report and Action Plan
VCRD chose the subject of the 2006 Summit process based on deep and widespread concerns in Vermont today about global climate change, our dependence on oil, “peak oil,” and perceptions of the growing challenge of national energy policies. Paralleling global and national security concerns are the questions on the future of Vermont’s energy supply, re-licensing…
Through the Community Visit Process, Pownal established a Housing Task Force that built a mobile home tenants association and planned for an affordable housing project. It also developed community gardens and activities and built a tourism map and a communications campaign to tell the good story of the town’s success. Read the Report and Action…
The Islands Creative Community Report summarizes the public meetings and brainstorming sessions and lists resources for the following priority projects chosen through the process: Develop Trails to Tour Local Farms, Arts, and Other Islands Highlights; Expand Options for Indoor Community Space; Form a Task Force on Increasing Off-Season Activity
The Hardwick Creative Community Report summarizes the public meetings and brainstorming sessions and lists resources for the following priority projects chosen through the process: Create a Business Incubator and Arts Space; Develop the Future of the Town House; Expand Recreation in the Hardwick Lake Area; and Spruce Up Downtown Hardwick. Hardwick is a town on…
The Windsor Creative Community Report summarizes the public meetings and brainstorming sessions, and lists resources for the following priority projects chosen through the process: Begin a Public Relations Campaign; Create an Arts Incubator; and Form a Local Leadership Group.
The Rutland Creative Community Report summarizes the public meetings and brainstorming sessions, and lists resources for the following priority projects chosen through the process: Advance Rutland as a Recreation Center; Build a Central Open Air Mall on Center Street; Rutland as an Arts and Culture Destination; “Sustainable Rutland” – A Model City. Since the program,…
The St. Albans Creative Community Report summarizes the public meetings and brainstorming sessions, and lists specific resources for the following priority projects chosen through the 2006 process: Bring Arts and Community Projects to Taylor Park; Organize Evening Events to Bring Activity Downtown after Dark; Build an Arts Center; and Promote the Digital Culture through a…
Through the Community Visit process, Woodstock set community priorities for a town/village merger, built an east-end development corporation, expanded conservation, expanded walking trails, developed a town trails map, and worked on building a Woodstock Vision. Read the Report and Action Plan
On Friday, November 17th, 2006, the Creative Communities Program coordinated with Bellows Falls’ creative economy organizers Richard Ewald and Robert McBride to host a conference addressing “Strategies for Community Creative Economy Projects”. This conference targeted creative economy leaders from around Vermont who wanted to build greater statewide connections and form new ideas about the next…
Based on the inputs and the knowledge and experience of Council members, the Vermont Rural Energy Council crafted a set of recommendations for actions that would advance rural energy generation, fuel development, and efficiency in Vermont. These recommendations include: Systematically Advancing a Vermont Renewable Energy Program Expanding Net Metering Adopting Clean Energy Policies Constructing an…
Through the Community Visit process, Chelsea gained a Vermont Agency of Commerce & Community Development Planning Grant to staff Community Visit Task Forces, building community facilities, and an infrastructure plan. Read the Report and Action Plan
Through the Community Visit Process, Bristol inventoried potential space for a small industrial park, set key attributes of businesses to attract, worked on redeveloping Bartlett Falls area, and improved the stormwater system. Read the Report and Action Plan
On August 11, 2004, we held a Summit on Planning designed to evaluate the challenges before the planning system in Vermont and to propose potential solutions. This Summit report documents the analysis and recommendations of 180 attendees representing members of the public, leaders in the Douglas Administration, Vermont planners, and customers of the planning system.…
Through the Community Visit process, Johnson leveraged significant federal funds to replace three bridges, build a water system, and implement a redesign of its downtown. It also built a community calendar and instituted a Winter Carnival and a summer concert series to unite and market the community. Read the Report and Action Plan.
Through the Community Visit process, Enosburg instituted a community‐wide literacy campaign and mentorship program, set up a Restorative Justice Board, created a new recreation park, built a town web page, and unified the town/village public works, financing, planning/zoning, and offices. Read the Report and Action Plan.
The creative economy is critical to the future competitiveness of Vermont in the global marketplace. Vermont’s heritage, arts and culture are integral strengths. They are an economic sector in Vermont today; they also provide a foundation to the sense of place and creative workforce critical to innovation in other sectors, add value to the Vermont…
In November 2001, the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) established the Vermont Agriculture Viability Council (VAVC). VCRD’s goal was to develop a “strategic plan” that would further the continuing evolution of Vermont’s vital dairy industry and foster the continuing growth of Vermont’s “diversified” agricultural enterprises. Read the “Vermont Agriculture Viability Council” Final Report.
Through the Community Visit process, Poultney built new youth activities and mentorships, expanded collaborations with Green Mountain College, designed new town banners and a town marketing strategy, beautified Main Street and filled storefronts, developed a Community Video, started an Artist and Writers Guilds, opened the slate museum, and built a consensus Vision for the community.…
This Blueprint for Action is the result of two years of study by the Vermont Forest Products Council (VFPC) on the challenges to the value-added wood products industry. It is designed to serve as an action plan to promote value-added wood manufacturing in the state of Vermont. As such, it documents 24 action steps in…
The 2002 Governor’s Summit on Rural Economic Development held at Basin Harbor on June 11th and 12th was particularly timely. With the difficulties facing the wood products sector, the dialogue about long-term agricultural viability, concerns about the regulatory climate and loss of IBM jobs, and the opportunity to integrate marketing across sectors to visitors to…
Through the Community Visit process, the towns of Troy, Westfield, and Jay built walking trails and events celebrating downtown Troy, and took steps in the development of “Tranquil Gardens.” Read the Report and Action Plan
Through the Community Visit process, Northfield redeveloped the old town school into a community center and set agreements for water/wastewater development. Read the Report and Action Plan
The 2001 Governor’s Rural Summit on Housing focused on developing plans to respond to a single area of critical and immediate policy concern. With leadership of Governor Howard Dean and his policy staff, the Summit invited participants to take a long view of the housing crisis facing rural Vermont and to partner in the development…
Through the Community Visit process, Wilmington built a Vision for the town’s future economic development and also built a senior housing project. Read the Report and Action Plan
Through the Community Visit process in Bradford, Village revitalization was boosted with library repairs, the development of Boch park, and ongoing affordable housing efforts. Work was also made towards a town/village merger. Read the Report and Action Plan
On October 14, 1999, over 40 federal, state, and other rural leaders met for VCRD’s 4th Annual Rural Development Summit. The summit focussed on water and sewer issues, youth issues, and downtown development. Participants identified 16 action steps which are outlined in the report. Read the “4th Annual Rural Development Summit” Report.
Through the Community Visit process, Middletown Springs built sections of the town plan and set up the Middletown Springs Conservation Commission. Read the Report and Action Plan
Through this community visit process, Rockingham accomplished its goals of creating more downtown housing, working towards a downtown revitalization, and rebuilding the Bellows Falls image. Today the reborn downtown is a model of creative economy development. Read the Report and Action Plan
Through this community visit process, Richford merged the village & town; built affordable housing, as well as river paths, and a new health center, and created plans to redevelop Sweat‐Cummings downtown industrial plant. The town also charted millions in grants in support of Community Visit Task Force action plans. Read the Report and Action Plan
