A way for towns to engage and bring together their residents, set common goals and directions in a neutral and facilitated structure, and access resources that will help them take action on those goals.
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.
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 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…
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…
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…