Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Paul Costello, executive director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development, which is coordinating the work of the Vermont Working Landscape Partnership.
Right now, Vermont has an opportunity to build a new, stronger economy. That opportunity is H.496, the Working Lands Enterprise bill, being considered in the Vermont Legislature this year.
Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Tom Slayton, a journalist, writer, radio commentator, and retired editor of Vermont Life Magazine, who lives in Montpelier.
I believe that the working landscape of Vermont – that familiar tapestry of farm fields, forests, small cities and compact villages – is vital to the future of Vermont, and is endangered.
Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Rep. Will Stevens, an independent from Shoreham who is a member of the House Agriculture Committee. He and his wife own Golden Russet Farm.
I’ve often been asked, “What’s so special about the Working Lands bill (H.496)?” or a variant, “What does H.496 do that can’t be done without it?” These are great questions.
Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Tom Debevoise, the owner of Upwey Farm in South Woodstock. He served as chairman of the Council on the Future of Vermont in 2008-09.
Parallel bills to invest in rural economic development have cleared key hurdles in the House and the Senate, and the House version is scheduled for a vote Thursday.
The bills create a Working Lands Enterprise Fund, which would invest state money in grants and loans to businesses related to the rural economy, infrastructure like slaughter facilities and incubator kitchens, and direct services to businesses related to the farm, food, and forest economies.
This op-ed is by Scott Buckingham, an independent consultant living in Hinesburg and a member of the Public Policy Committee of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.
Our heritage is our working landscape. Agriculture and forestry are the backbone of our working landscape. Vermont is a small state and has limited resources. Therefore we need to use them wisely and sustainable. Over the years a number of institutional silos have evolved which have led to a fractured approach to moving agriculture and forestry forward. The Working Lands Enterprise Investment bill encourages a change in that direction and a strategy for doing so.
Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Bill Schubart, a regular commentator for Vermont Public Radio and president of the Vermont Journalism Trust, the umbrella organization for VTDigger.org. This piece was first aired on VPR.
Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Tom Debevoise, the owner of Upwey Farm in South Woodstock. He served as chairman of the Council on the Future of Vermont in 2008-09.