Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund

10/02/2026

Registration is now open for the 2026 Vermont Farm to Plate Annual Network Gathering! Learn more and register: https://cvent.me/k15YDY?rt=NVVzORsOCU2yYZ2GM_5qHA

Join us November 19-20 at Burke Mountain Hotel for Taking Stock and Quilting the Future: Stitching Land, Farms, and Markets Together for a Stronger Food System.

More than halfway through the decade, Vermont's food system community has navigated major challenges while continuing to advance shared goals. This year's Gathering will bring us together to reflect on our progress, learn from one another, and explore where coordinated action is still needed.

We're especially excited about this year's agenda, featuring thought-provoking plenaries, interactive breakout sessions, meaningful networking opportunities, and locally sourced meals provided through the Vermont Food Hub Collaborative.

Early registration rates are available now and increase on November 9.

09/15/2026

Building a stronger regional food system takes more than vision. It takes capital, coordination, and collaboration. Read the article: https://nefoodsystemplanners.org/building-stronger-pathways-to-food-system-investment/

This spring, the New England Food System Planners Partnership (NEFSPP) partnered with the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) to host the New England Food Finance Forum in Boston. More than 65 funders, lenders, investors, economic development professionals, and food system leaders came together to explore how financing tools can help strengthen food businesses and infrastructure across New England.

Participants examined real-world examples from CommonWealth Kitchen and Maine Grains, heard a brief overview of the capital continuum from Flexible Capital Fund Janice St. Onge, and learned about a variety of additional financing instruments that can help fund food infrastructure projects from Toby Rittner at CDFA.

As part of their coordination on this event, CDFA created a New England dashboard designed to help food system businesses, producers, processors, distributors, and community organizations identify financing opportunities across the six New England states, including grants, loans, and other funding tools that support growth, innovation, and resilience in the regional food system.

The conversations and connections sparked at this forum are helping lay the foundation for a more resilient New England food economy.

NEFSPP Partners: New CT Farmer Alliance, Maine Food Convergence, Maine Network of Community Food Councils, MA Food System Collaborative, NH Food Alliance, Rhode Island Food Policy Council, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund/VT Farm to Plate

09/14/2026

Communities thrive when people show up for one another.

Every Day: Big and Small, a new documentary film by Vermont filmmaker Bess O'Brien of Kingdom County Productions, shines a light on Vermonters creating connection, resilience, belonging, and joy in communities across the state.

Using the 2023 and 2024 floods as a backdrop, the film highlights inspiring stories of people making a difference through everyday acts of care, leadership, and community building. From youth programs and farms to recovery groups, foster family support networks, and creative community spaces, the film celebrates the small actions that can have a big impact.

Through the Wellbeing Economy Alliance of Vermont (WEAV), we are excited to support the statewide conversation this film inspires about community resilience, connection, and collective wellbeing.

The tour runs September 25 through October 11 with screenings across Vermont. Learn more and purchase tickets through Catamount Arts: www.catamountarts.org/film/



Front Porch Forum
The Vermont Community Foundation
Vermont Council on Rural Development
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
Vermont Public

https://weav.network/event/new-documentary-film-every-day-big-and-small-tours-vermont/

09/08/2026

Meet Winslow Robinson, Founder of Fable Forestry, a 2025 Forest Business Accelerator company building nature intelligence tools for invasive species detection and management.

Read the full founder story in our Built from the Forest series: https://forestaccelerator.com/2026/09/01/fable-forestry-turning-one-press-of-a-button-into-30000-invasive-species-records/

09/01/2026

Today we had the privilege of attending the ribbon cutting for Franklin County Cheese in Enosburg Falls! Just a few months ago, this facility faced an uncertain future. Today, under the leadership of longtime plant manager and new owners John and Kathy Ovitt, it is beginning a new chapter as a locally owned business focused on dairy manufacturing, warehousing and other food industry services.

As John shared during the event, "We're open for business. There are a lot of possibilities here. We can reinvent ourselves. We're already exploring opportunities in new product lines, co-manufacturing, warehousing and other services. I'm not saying we're going to be better than we were, but we can be more than we are, and we're going to work to keep this facility operating for another 125 years."

Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund was proud to offer business coaching alongside the support of Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, the Vermont Agency of Commerce & Community Development, Community Bank, N.A., Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation, and others to help support a path forward for this facility. The reopening preserves valuable manufacturing capacity, retains decades of industry expertise, and creates opportunities for future growth in Franklin County.

Congratulations to John Ovitt, Kathy Ovitt, Chelsea Ouellette, the Franklin County Cheese team, and all the partners who helped make this day possible.

Read the St. Albans Messenger story: https://www.samessenger.com/news/business/we-can-again-reinvent-ourselves-franklin-county-cheese-officially-takes-over-enosburg-cheese-plant/article_5b3f7e40-c322-4e02-b9e4-136b7b43688c.html

Photo credit: Kelly Nottermann (VSJF).

08/21/2026

Vermont businesses: Your input is needed.

Take the Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VTDEDBUSINESSSURVEY

The Vermont Department of Economic Development is collecting feedback from businesses across the state to better understand awareness of and access to business support services. The survey results will help inform Vermont's Business Resources and Growth Inventory Report for the General Assembly.

If your business has benefited from technical assistance, coaching, mentoring, or other business support programs, please take a few minutes to share your experience. The survey takes about five minutes to complete and is open through September 4.

For current and past VSJF Business Coaching clients: while Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund is not currently listed among the survey options, there is an opportunity to identify additional providers. If our coaching services have supported your business journey, we encourage you to mention VSJF Business Coaching in Question 10.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

08/18/2026

This year’s Summit is grounded in the newly updated Vermont Community Leadership in Action Guide, which will shape workshops, panels, group discussions, and networking throughout the day. Sessions will explore practical tools and strategies for leadership including facilitation skills, community engagement and volunteerism, local economic vitality, advancing community projects, and more.

Whether you’re a longtime local leader or someone just beginning to get involved, you’ll find space to learn, share, and gather ideas you can bring home to your community. All people who care about their town and the future of our state are encouraged to attend. Register today at vtrural.org/summit Sliding scale ticket prices available

08/05/2026

UPDATE: Session proposal window is now closed. Thank you to all who submitted!!

Breakout session proposals are due this Friday, August 7!

Don't miss the opportunity to contribute to this year's conversation at the 2026 Vermont Farm to Plate Annual Gathering at Burke Mountain Hotel November 19-20, 2026.

Have an idea worth sharing with Vermont's food system community? This year’s theme, “Taking Stock and Quilting the Future: Stitching Land, Farms, and Markets Together for a Stronger Food System,” calls on our community to share practical, experience- and evidence-informed approaches that support stronger decision-making and help advance a food system that is just, environmentally resilient, and economically viable.

08/04/2026

When: Aug 13, 2026, 1 to 5 PM
Where: Fable Farm Fermentory, 1525 Royal Turnpike Road, Barnard
RSVP at https://my.jujubee.us/form/wellbeing-economy-alliance-of-vermont-for-all-of-us-shaping-an-economy-for-wellbeing/

Join the Wellbeing Economy Alliance of Vermont for a free, half-day workshop and dialogue at Fable Farm in Barnard -- For All of Us: Shaping an Economy for Wellbeing.

In the 2026 Vermonter Poll, administered by the Vermont Center for Rural Studies, 67% of respondents strongly agreed that “Vermont’s economic focus should prioritize the health and wellbeing of people, communities, and nature, rather than focusing mainly on maximizing profits and individual wealth accumulation.” We'll explore the assumptions and goals underpinning our current economic system, reimagine what the purpose of our economy really is, and consider what it might look like to cultivate a "wellbeing economy" in Vermont.

This workshop runs from 1:00-5:00pm in and around the big barn. You can anticipate snacks and beverages, facilitated dialogue, and workshop presentations.

This is a free event, and will accommodate up to 60 people. All are welcome.

We invite you to join us after the workshop for Fable Farm's weekly Feast & Field live music and food event, starting at 5:30, which brings neighbors together across the Upper Valley and beyond.

Wellbeing Economy Alliance of Vermont: https://weav.network/
Fable Farm Fermentory: https://lnkd.in/ewMmq3DC
Feast & Field: https://feastandfield.com/

08/03/2026

We're excited to introduce the 2026 Forest Business Accelerator cohort: eight innovative companies developing solutions in mass timber, sustainable building materials, carbon-smart forestry, carbon fiber, biobased packaging, biomass utilization and wood products manufacturing.

Learn more about the 2026 cohort: https://forestaccelerator.com/2026/08/03/forest-business-accelerator-selects-2026-cohort-of-forest-economy-innovators/

This year's cohort includes:
Cast Carbon (NY): Biochar enriched interior wall tiles
CORE Timber (CT): Mass timber construction
Jones Wood Products (NH): Wood products manufacturing
Latis Materials (ME): Forest-derived carbon fiber
Renoster (ME): Forest data and carbon markets
RETRN (NY): Biobased packaging materials
Structmill (WV): Pre-cut lumber automation
Takachar (CA): Biomass conversion and biochar

Hosted by the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund in partnership with Vermont State University and supported by the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), the Forest Business Accelerator helps startups bring new forest-based innovations to market.

The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) has selected eight startup companies from across the United States to participate in the 2026 Forest Business Accelerator to help entrepreneurs develop innovative products and services that strengthen the forest and wood products economy. Managed by VSJF,