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Vermont program: Farm and Forest Viability, REDI help rural businesses access federal grants, succession planning
Summary
Liz Leeson, director of the Farm and Forest Viability Program and the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) at the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, told the Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee that her programs combine business advising, succession planning and grant-writing support to keep Vermont farms and working-lands businesses viable.
Liz Leeson, director of the Farm and Forest Viability Program and the Rural Economic Development Initiative (REDI) at the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, told the Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee that her programs focus on strengthening farm and forest businesses by pairing business advising with targeted grants and by helping communities draw down complex federal funds.
The programs provide multi-year business advising, succession and transfer planning, and small implementation grants. "Farmers generally are land rich and cash poor," Leeson said. "We match them with lawyers and tax planners and pay for an initial meeting or two to help navigate those issues." She told the committee the program measures outcomes and has seen an average 36% increase in profitability among participating businesses in recent years.
READING THE CONTEXT: The Farm and Forest Viability Program…
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