The Village of Enosburg Falls wanted to go green and show care for their local environment, and after learning about the Climate Catalysts Innovation Fund Village Manager John Dasaro took the opportunity to bring an EV charger to town. “We wanted to show that we care for our environment and had been looking for options…
Just one year later and Milton community members are ready to celebrate the work behind them and plan further action for the year ahead. Over 180 community members in Milton participated in the Milton on the Move Community Visit process that began in the fall of 2021, facilitated by the Vermont Council on Rural Development…
A few weeks ago, the Working Lands Coalition hosted a celebration to honor the ten-year anniversary of the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative – a program dedicated to supporting farm and forest businesses across Vermont. The celebration, held at the State House with food and live music, saw an overflow crowd of founders, friends, and champions…
Sometimes, it’s not about fixing the problem. It’s about changing the conditions that created the problem in the first place. In other words, sometimes changing the underlying system to create a better future. And the eight Vermont Working Communities Challenge (WCC) Teams are doing exactly that kind of systems change work. The Working Communities Challenge…
It’s around this time of year when people start counting the things they are thankful for: family, friends, and health, so today at VCRD we’d like to share the top five reasons that we find ourselves thankful for rural Vermont. Communities Vermont is made up of 252 towns and cities – each with a unique…
At the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), we are passionate about the importance of local leadership and supporting individuals and their communities to build a positive future for Vermont. Democracy requires that each of us step forward in service to each other. Most of the time, especially in rural communities, local leadership involves a…
Identifying a community need and leveraging local partners and resources to address it was an exciting piece of the puzzle for the Ilsley Public Library in Middlebury. With new ideas, partners, and local funding, the Library has helped make it possible for visitors, friends, and neighbors to explore Middlebury and Addison County on the library’s…
The Town of Highgate was ready to start taking action for the future. Participating in a facilitated discussion to talk through what community members wanted in the place they call home was the first step. For three months this past spring and summer, community members in Highgate came together in the gymnasium of the Highgate…
As an organization dedicated to supporting locally-defined progress of Vermont’s rural communities, the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) felt an instant spark of connection to the Vermont Working Communities Challenge (WCC). The Working Communities Challenge is a partnership between the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston (FRBB), the WCC Steering Committee of statewide leaders, private…
Leaders across Vermont play an instrumental role every day in shaping the future of our State and our communities. Here at the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD), we are constantly inspired by the dedicated local leaders across the state and their tremendous levels of commitment, strength, and ability to make such huge impacts in…