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Working Lands coalition asks legislature to raise enterprise fund to $3 million
Summary
Representatives of the Working Lands Coalition urged the committee to increase base funding for the Working Lands Enterprise Fund from $1 million to $3 million for fiscal 2026, citing heavy demand and a $16 million request pool in 2024.
Liz Smith, executive director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development, told the committee she and the Working Lands Coalition are asking the legislature to appropriate $3,000,000 to the Working Lands Enterprise Fund for fiscal 2026.
The request would raise base support from the $1,000,000 included in the governor’s recommended budget to $3,000,000. "What we're here to request for the budget is an appropriation of $3,000,000 to the enterprise fund for FY 2026," Smith said. She said the 2024 application pool exceeded $16,000,000 while only $3,000,000 was available for awards.
The request matters because the fund supports small farm and forest businesses across Vermont, proponents said. "These grants have helped Vermonters start, expand, and pivot their…
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