The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative will Award over $1 Million in Grant Funding to 36 Businesses and Service Providers throughout VT

WHEN:

Tuesday, May 19th, 2015
Refreshments/Meet & Greet: 10am
Press Event: 10:30am � 11:45am
Optional Tour: 11:45am � 12:30pm

WHERE: Maple Wind Farm, 1148 East Main Street, Richmond, VT

Montpelier, VT – May 19, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Secretaries and Commissioners from the agencies of Agriculture, Commerce and Community Development, and Forests, Parks and Recreation will gather to announce the 2015 Working Lands grant recipients at Maple Wind Farm in Richmond, VT. This years grantee cohort, comprised of 12 forestry projects and 24 agricultural projects reaching every county in Vermont, will receive over $1 million in Working Lands and Local Food Market Development Grant funding, leveraging an additional $1.8 million in matching funds to expand production capacity and output, increase sales and revenue, and create new jobs. This year Local Food Market Development grant funds, focused on increasing institutional market access, were made available through the Working Lands grant process. Grantees will be in attendance to receive their grant award and display/sample their products.

RSVP: Noelle Sevoian at Noelle.Sevoian (at) state.vt (dot) us

Now in its third year of grantmaking, the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative has invested over $3 million in Vermonts working landscape. Based on 23 completed projects of 85 grants that have been made to businesses, 25 new jobs have been created, gross income has increased by $880,831, and product output has increased by an average of 25.

The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative, Act 142, is administered by the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets in partnership with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. The Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Board is an impact investment organization whose mission is to grow the economies, cultures, and communities of Vermont’s working landscape by making essential, catalytic investments in critical leverage points of the Vermont farm and forest economy, from individual enterprises to industry sectors.

The Local Food Market Development Program aims to improve Vermont producers  access to institutional markets, increase the quantity of local food available in Vermont institutions, and encourage local food market development opportunities with an institutional focus across the state.

More information on the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative and funded projects can be found at www.VermontWorkingLands.com

Directions to Maple Wind Farm, 1148 East Main Street, Richmond, VT, 802-434-7257

From Burlington:

Head east on Main Street toward South Winooski Avenue (1.4 miles)

Merge onto I-89 S via the ramp to Montpelier (10.3 miles)

Take exit 11, and take a right onto Route 2, towards Richmond/Bolton/VT-117 (.2 miles)

Maple Wind Farm will be on your right, enter in the first driveway (2.8 miles)

1148 East Main Street, Richmond, VT

From Montpelier:

Head southwest on Main Street toward Pitkin Street Court (.2 miles)

Merge onto 1-89 N (24.3 miles)

Take Exit 11 at Richmond, and take a left onto Route 2 towards Richmond/Bolton/VT-117 (.2 miles)

Maple Wind Farm will be on your right, enter in the first driveway (2.8 miles)

1148 East Main Street, Richmond, VT

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