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Video ~ VT Working Lands Bill Signing Ceremony

Publication Date: 
05/15/2012

Video ~ Governor Shumlin's speech at the signing of the Working Lands Enterprise bill 5/15/12

Publication Date: 
05/16/2012

Working Lands Bill Moving toward Enactment: Governor expected to sign bill Tuesday afternoon

MONTPELIER, VT – Legislators gave final approval to the Working Lands Enterprise Investment bill (H.496) in the final days of the session, and sent the bill to the Governor’s desk. Governor Shumlin is expected to sign the bill on Tuesday in St. Albans.

Publication Date: 
05/15/2012

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

Food and Agriculture: The ‘Value-Added’ Buzz

By Josey Hastings

The Working Lands Enterprise Investment Bill, the result of a year’s work by the Vermont Working Landscape Partnership, seeks to create a fund to award grants and loans to start-up businesses making value-added products from raw agricultural or forest materials.

Value-added products are diverse, including confections, wooden furniture, sauces, canned goods, cheese, ice cream...and the list goes on.

Publication Date: 
05/03/2012

Landscape at work

The passage of a bill this year to boost farm and forest enterprise says something about the pervasive and enduring commitment of Vermonters to the rural character of their state.

Publication Date: 
05/11/2012

‘Working lands’ get funding

By PETER HIRSCHFELD, VERMONT PRESS BUREAU

MONTPELIER — The idea wasn’t new: Energize a flagging agriculture sector by treating farm-based enterprises like dot.com startups.

But backers of the “working lands” program proposed at the outset of the 2012 session asked for more than just the feel-good policy language.

They wanted money — $3 million, to be precise.

Publication Date: 
05/11/2012

Tom Slayton Commentary: Working landscape is our signature

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.

The working landscape is part of the signature of our state — important to our farm economy and our tourist economy, a place where Vermonters work, a producer of food and fiber, refreshing and beautiful to look at. It is part of our “brand” if you will, and part of who we as Vermonters are.

Publication Date: 
05/03/2012

Vt. Senate Passes 'Working Lands' Bill

The Vermont Senate has passed a bill designed to jump start farm and forestry projects. The "working lands" bill sets up a board that will oversee a fund to promote agriculture and forest ventures.

Senate President pro tem John Campbell says he considers it the most important economic development bill the Senate has passed this session.

Senate Natural Resources and Energy Chair Ginny Lyons says it's an important bill that brings forestry and forest products into a new era.

Publication Date: 
05/04/2012