Vermontbiz.com

VermontBiz.com, 1/30/2012 ~ The Vermont Wood Products Marketing Council has released a new ten year strategic plan entitled, “A 2020 Vision for the Vermont Wood Products Sector,” prepared by industry expert and International Consultant, Tom Dossenbach, from Dossenbach Associates, Inc. of North Carolina. A similar strategic plan was adopted in 2001 and stimulated many successful projects during the last ten years. As our world changes, it was time to revisit the old plan and develop a new strategic outlook for the coming ten years.

Vermont’s congressional delegation – Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and Representative Peter Welch – Thursday welcomed nearly $54,000 in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grants to five Vermont maple syrup producers to make their operations more energy efficient. The news came as USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager is visiting Vermont.

The Vermont Working Landscape Partnership will release its Investing in our Farm & Forest Future Action Plan and announce the launch of a campaign to implement the 5-point platform outlined in the Action Plan. The "Action Plan" will be made public on Tuesday, October 18, at 10 am at the Jericho Settlers Farm. Confirmed speakers include Paul Costello, Executive Director of Vermont Council on Rural Development; Marie Audet, Blue Spruce Farm; Krista Alexander, Jericho Settlers Farm, Roger Allbee, former Secretary of Agriculture; and Peter Condaxis, Rygate Associates.

A dozen rural communities across the state will receive digital tools and in-depth training as the initial participants in the new e-Vermont Community Broadband Project. The twelve will benefit from the expertise and resources of e-Vermont’s statewide partners as the local groups develop ways to take full advantage of the Internet for job creation, school innovation, providing social services, and increasing civic involvement.