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…
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…
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…
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…