Summits convene state and federal leaders and encourage their cooperative goal-setting and mutual investment in response to key rural priorities in Vermont.

Celebrating working lands

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…

Gathering to celebrate, foster Vermont’s rural renaissance

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…

Conference Focuses on Financing Working Lands

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…

Vermont’s Forest Economy: Advancing Creativity and Entrepreneurship in Value-Added Forest Products

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…

Final Report: NEK Today and Tomorrow: a Northeast Kingdom Summit Conference on Managing Change for the Best Future of the NEK – 2013

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…

Report-cover-2010-WL-Summit-Findings

Key Findings of the Summit on the Future of Vermont’s Working Landscape – 2010

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…