Vermont Council on Rural Development

Vermont Council on Rural Development Unleashing the power of Vermonters to create a better future. Unleashing the power of Vermonters to create a better future!

The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of the locally-defined progress of Vermont's rural communities. VCRD is a dynamic partnership of federal, state, local, nonprofit and private partners. Actively non-partisan with an established reputation for community-based facilitation, VCRD is uniquely positioned to sponsor and coordinate collab

orative efforts across governmental and organizational categories concerned with policy questions of rural import. Since its inception in 1992, VCRD has built a profile of rural policy leadership that is grounded by work in local communities and extends to collaborative partnerships with the highest levels of state and federal programs.

Reminder! The deadline for Village Trust Initiative applications is Tuesday, September 8th at 5pm. VCRD, The Preservatio...
08/28/2026

Reminder! The deadline for Village Trust Initiative applications is Tuesday, September 8th at 5pm. VCRD, The Preservation Trust of Vermont and The Vermont Community Foundation are looking forward to selecting the next cohort of VTI. Questions about applications? Email Kaziah Haviland at [email protected] or Nicole Gratton at [email protected]

Looking for fun for the whole family this Saturday? Head to West Fairlee for their Old Home Day on the green on Route 113 from 9am-3pm on Aug 29th. Live music, silent auction, food & sweets, vendors, demos, plant sale, face painting, 50/50 raffle, pie contest, games and more! Say hello to the West Fairlee Community Trust, part of our 2024 VTI cohort, for us!

"At VCRD, we're fortunate to see a Vermont where neighbors come together and support one another, and where hopes, worri...
08/27/2026

"At VCRD, we're fortunate to see a Vermont where neighbors come together and support one another, and where hopes, worries, and differences can be heard and addressed through shared problem-solving." - VCRD Executive Director Denise Smith and VCRD Board Chair Shannon Barsotti. Visit https://www.vtrural.org/2025-annual-report/ for an overview of our work serving communities and building local leaders!

VCRD is announcing the opening of applications for the sixth round of the Climate Catalysts Innovation Fund, a small cat...
08/26/2026

VCRD is announcing the opening of applications for the sixth round of the Climate Catalysts Innovation Fund, a small catalytic grant program for local innovative climate projects! Grant awardees have created rain barrel workshops, funded ebike loaners for their library, farmer work bees and more. This is a low barrier fund with a simple application, learn more and apply at vtrural.org/climate-economy/climate-catalysts-innovation-fund/ Deadline is October 14th!

Thank you to our VCLS sponsor The Vermont Community Foundation! Our sponsors help us put on a fantastic summit, which in...
08/24/2026

Thank you to our VCLS sponsor The Vermont Community Foundation! Our sponsors help us put on a fantastic summit, which includes a sliding fee registration scale so leadership skills workshops can be available to all. vtrural.org/summit

08/20/2026

Reading Community Trust, a member of the 2024 VTI Cohort, has been celebrating the purchase of the Reading Grange with a community clean up day. During their clean out of the Grange, they even hauled out a boat! Check out their photos and video of some amazing "all hands on deck" work by the Reading community.

We're looking forward to working with Wardsboro next for our Community Visits program, and appreciate the dozens of comm...
08/19/2026

We're looking forward to working with Wardsboro next for our Community Visits program, and appreciate the dozens of community members who have already taken our calls! Check out these photos from a recent self-guided tour we took around town :)

This year’s Summit is grounded in the newly updated Vermont Community Leadership in Action Guide, which will shape works...
08/17/2026

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

07/31/2026

Looking for some fun for the whole family this weekend? Communities VCRD is working with both past and present have some fantastic events this weekend:

Summer = blueberries! Head over to Johnson on Saturday for Discover Johnson's first big event: the Johnson Blueberry Festival and Concert Jam this Saturday at Legion Field from 8am-8pm

Need a big breakfast to start off your Saturday? The Snowsville Community Trust is holding an all-you-can-eat pay-what-you-can Blueberry Pancake Breakfast at the East Braintree Congregational Church from 8:00 - 10:30am.

Enjoy some art on the town green for the 4th Annual Orwell Art Festival this Saturday from 10am-4pm. The Orwell Community Trust will also be tabling at the fair (some of whom are artists themselves!).

Below: Snowsvile Community Trust hosted a community engagement last year with music, food and lots of neighborly camaraderie. Have a great weekend!

Join the WEAll - Wellbeing Economy Alliance for this free, half-day workshop and dialogue at Fable Farm in Barnard. The ...
07/20/2026

Join the WEAll - Wellbeing Economy Alliance for this free, half-day workshop and dialogue at Fable Farm in Barnard. The event – For All of Us: Shaping an Economy for Wellbeing – will be held August 13th from 1-5pm in and around the big barn with snacks and beverages, facilitated dialogue, and workshop presentations.

In the 2026 Vermonter Poll administered by the VT 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.”

Event participants will 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. RSVP here to reserve a ticket. All are welcome!

After the workshop, stay for Fable Farm’s weekly Feast & Field live music and food event starting at 5:30pm which brings neighbors together across the Upper Valley and beyond.

VCRD's summer update includes how youth voices in community engagement continue to inspire us, stories of towns doing gr...
07/16/2026

VCRD's summer update includes how youth voices in community engagement continue to inspire us, stories of towns doing great work around resilience/community meals/village center beautification and "Why Belonging, Leadership and Civic Trust Matter More than Ever,” a commentary from Denise Smith, VCRD Executive Director. Check out our newsletter here: https://conta.cc/4bEz3MP

Address

9 Bailey Avenue
Montpelier, VT
05602

Telephone

(802) 223-6091

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