The University of Vermont Center for Rural Studies (CRS) is happy to
announce that it will be engaging in multiple projects benefiting
communities, entrepreneurs and local decision-makers in Vermont with
funds secured by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). Project work by CRS staff
and partner organizations will address program goals in the study of
local and regional food system issues, community problem-solving,
entrepreneurship assistance, and community-level information resources
for Vermonters. Senator Leahy requested the $228,410 in funds for
these projects as part of the 2009 United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) budget.
"This is an exciting time in Vermont with the many discussions taking
shape about the future of agriculture and food systems, and these
projects tap into this evolution," says Senator Leahy. "These
investments will help Vermont's communities, entrepreneurs, economy and
organizations to grow and thrive with the latest technology, resources
and partnerships."
CRS staff will use this funding to engage in a broad range of projects
that focus on different aspects of community and economic development
and Vermont's food system.
"These projects reflect the growing importance of projects related to
food systems and their connection to Vermont's economic vitality and
citizen's health," says Center for Rural Studies' Director Jane
Kolodinsky.
For example, CRS staff will be able to continue to support the new on-
and off-campus Food System Research Collaborative and develop tools for
sharing research and information and building partnerships for new food
system work. CRS will continue to host and develop the Vermont
Planning Information Center website at <a
href="http://www.vpic.info" target="_blank">www.vpic.info</a>,
which acts as a clearinghouse of information for planning commissions,
zoning boards, development review boards, and their staff and all
others involved in land use planning and regulation in Vermont. CRS
will also be able to continue its participation in the Vermont Land Use
Education and Training Collaborative, which brings together
organizations involved in education and technical assistance for local
land use officials in Vermont.
CRS is also designated as the U.S. Census Bureau's Vermont State Data
Center. The USDA funding will allow CRS to continue to advocate on
behalf of Vermont data-users to the Census Bureau and provide data
outreach to Vermonters through workshops, presentations and the State
data Center website at <a href="http://crs.uvm.edu/census"
target="_blank">crs.uvm.edu/census</a>.
Five partner organizations have also received funding through this
program for related activities.
The Vermont Food Venture Center in Fairfax will receive $12,500 to
provide two two-day workshops and other technical assistance for food
business entrepreneurs in Vermont. The workshop Recipe to Market
covers all aspects of starting or expanding a value-added or specialty
food business, and Selling Skills focuses on specific areas of bringing
product to market. These two workshops are designed to be taken
together or on a stand-alone basis. Overall this assistance will be
provided for approximately 35 growers and food product producers.
Vermont FEED (Food Education Every Day) - a collaborative partnership
of three Vermont nonprofit organizations: Food Works at Two Rivers
Center, the Northeast Organic Farmers Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT)
and Shelburne Farms - will receive $10,000 to provide statewide
technical assistance. FEED utilizes a "3-C" (classroom, cafeteria, and
community) approach to transforming the school food environment and
positively influencing students to make healthier food choices. FEED
works with local growers and school food service to strengthen
farm-school partnerships; craft purchasing agreements; and support menu
planning aimed at serving more locally-grown foods in schools. Students
visit farms and are encouraged through Taste Tests to try new foods
made with farm-fresh ingredients. Parent involvement further
strengthens the connection to local food. Vermont FEED will utilize
these and other effective strategies to support Farm to School
initiatives in a dozen Vermont public schools in 2009/2010 school year,
benefiting more than 30 teachers, 500 students and 15 small family
farms.
The Vermont Council on Rural Development will receive $8,500 for the
Community Visit program. Over the last 15 years VCRD's Community
Visits have provided a structure for major community revitalization
efforts in 32 rural Vermont Communities. VCRD has brought teams of up
to 40 executive level state, federal and non-profit officials and
business leaders to help communities systematically explore key issues
of local concern and set directions for the future. Community Visits
have helped towns build youth programs, redesign downtowns, build
senior or low income housing, merge town and village government, and
pursue myriad goals set by local consensus. VCRD and its team listen
first then lend all our resources as partners in support of the
community's progress once it has set its own priorities.
The Vermont Center for Geographic Information will receive $8,000 to
continue maintenance and updates to the Vermont Indicators Online web
site at <a href="http://crs.uvm.edu/indicators"
target="_blank">crs.uvm.edu/indicators</a>. This online
community information tool supplies local decision-makers with
essential local-level data from various sources. This funding will
also go toward enhancements to include the data that will be released
from the U.S. Census Bureau's new American Community Survey.
The Vermont Law School's Land Use Institute will receive $5,000 to
engage in a collaborative project to develop a series of training
modules on development review for local land use officials in Vermont.
These training modules will help fill the gaps to complete a curriculum
for the local volunteers that have stepped up to handle the crucial and
complicated aspects of development review and land use regulation in
their communities.
The UVM Center for Rural Studies (CRS) is a nonprofit, fee-for-service
research organization that addresses social, economic, and
resource-based problems of rural people and communities. The mission
of CRS is to promote the dissemination of information through
consulting, research, and community outreach. More information is
available at <a href="http://www.uvm.edu/crs"
target="_blank">uvm.edu/crs</a>.