Burlington Free Press

Natural resources: 'It was a pretty good year for the environment'

Candace Page of the Burlington Free Press (www.burlingtonfreepress.com) interviewed Brian Shupe, Executive Director of the Vermont Natural Resources Council. He discusses the working landscape effort as well as other efforts they have been involved with this year.

Burlington Free Press: When members of the Vermont Natural Resources Council ask you about the 2012 legislative session, what is the overall assessment you give?

Publication Date:

05/13/2012

Highlights from the 2012 Vermont legislative session

Agriculture

Working landscape: $1.175 million is set aside for projects designed to spur forest and farm businesses and allow Vermont to preserve its landscape. The program will be staffed by two new state positions and overseen by a newly created board. H.496.

Click HERE to read the whole article on the Burlington Free Press website.

Publication Date:

05/12/2012

Scott Buckingham commentary ~ My turn: Growing our future economy

Vermont has an extraordinary and growing wealth of talent, energy, and entrepreneurial interest in its agricultural and forest products sectors. With the state's working lands economy at a turning point, a flood of interest from young entrepreneurs, and existing businesses wishing to grow the Vermont brand and economy, the future of our working lands based sectors can -- and should -- be bright.

Publication Date:

04/11/2012

Pass bill to support working landscape

I am writing in support of The Working Lands Enterprise Investment Bill. This bill defines how Vermont can pull all of the opportunities, policies and new plans into one united efficient effort to support Vermont’s working lands economies. This bill will combine funding sources and policy to create an efficient system that helps Vermont’s working lands entrepreneurs to expand their businesses.

Publication Date:

03/15/2012

Vermont Food Venture Center opens in Hardwick

HARDWICK — With nine crockpots going in her kitchen at once, Lisa Johnson feared she would short out her circuit breaker. She knew her home business of making roasted sweet potato dips had outgrown her Norwich home, but she was nowhere near ready to build her own food processing building. The new Vermont Food Venture Center, which had its grand opening Friday, saved her from giving it all up. Click HERE to read the article.

Publication Date:

01/06/2012

Creative Corner: 'Natural resource renaissance' rests on state's desire to invest in land

Paul Costello, VCRD's Executive Director, is thankful for Vermont's farm and forest stewards and the tremendous spirit of entrepreneurial energy they bring. The Working Landscape Partnership believes that Vermont must invest in diversification and value-added development to seize the incredible economic opportunity for Vermont that will bring jobs; attract youth, entrepreneurs and private capital; and build prosperity for communities throughout the state.

Publication Date:

11/22/2011

Grand Isle awarded e-Vermont grant

NORTH HERO — Residents of the Champlain Is lands, traditionally isolated from the mainland,
this month opted for e-connectivity upgrades.

Grand Isle County is one of 12 relatively isolated areas that received grants to improve Internet
applications in schools, municipal and civic networks and in commerce. The money is not used to bring broadbrand to the community, rather it teaches residents to make better use of
the Internet.

Publication Date:

05/20/2010

Digital divide targeted in e-Vermont project

Unlike Google’s lottery-like “Fiber to the Communities” project, the e-Vermont initiative
doesn’t promise super-high-speed Internet to every home.

But e-Vermont will deliver: This summer, 12 rural communities will receive financial and
technical assistance to connect residents, businesses, schools and local government or strengthen the digital connections they already have.

Publication Date:

04/16/2010

1 attachment

Study notes Vt. trends over two decades

COLCHESTER -- Agriculture in Vermont depends more heavily on a single commodity -- dairy -- than in any other state. Yet despite efforts to diversify the farm sector, sales of most nondairy products have remained relatively flat since 1991.

Publication Date:

02/04/2009

Chris Graff Commentary

Speaking in 1931 to the Vermont Commission on Country Life, Vermont Supreme Court Justice Wendell Stafford said, "Of Vermont have many books been written, many pictures painted, many songs sung. Yet who shall say that he has ever really seen Vermont? She cannot be seen or described.

Publication Date:

06/18/2008