Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Working Lands Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Agency of Agriculture outlines Working Lands Enterprise Initiative, cites $18.8 million invested in 555 projects
Summary
Agency of Agriculture staff presented the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative to the House Commerce & Economic Development Committee, summarizing its history, governance, FY‑24 demand and cumulative impact figures and the program’s mix of business and service‑provider grants.
Elizabeth Sippel, program manager for the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, told the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on Jan. 14 that the Working Lands program has invested $18.8 million in 555 farm, food and forestry projects and leveraged about $30.9 million in matching funds since its start.
Sippel described the program’s statutory origins and governance. “The Working Lands Enterprise Fund was created to invest in working lands enterprises with the task of strengthening Vermont’s economy, creating jobs, increasing and maintaining land in productive use, keeping Vermont beautiful, and keeping the culture and vibrancy of our rural communities alive,” she said, citing the fund’s legislative creation in 2012 under Act 142.
Program structure and funding: Sippel told legislators that the Working Lands Enterprise Board — a 20‑member board that includes sector seats, the secretaries of Agriculture and Commerce and the Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation, plus several nonvoting ex‑officio staff seats — administers investments across several grant categories: direct business grants, service‑provider grants, trade‑show assistance (up to $5,000), and producer association grants. The agency said grants have been distributed to businesses in all 14 Vermont counties.
Demand and recent allocations: agency staff told the committee that demand outstripped available funding in the most recent cycle. The Ag Development Division reported $108 million in funding requests across 22 funding opportunities and applications from about 1,290 businesses, while available grant dollars were roughly $14.5 million and the agency funded 260 projects across its programs in the same period.
Sippel emphasized that the board also funds service providers that support businesses on human resources, marketing and business advising — not only capital or product investments — and that producer association grants support organizational capacity and member benefits. She noted the program’s fiscal year 2024 impact report will be released soon and offered to provide printed copies to the committee.
Committee members asked logistical questions about materials and whether the committee preferred paper or electronic copies; staff offered both. The agency offered to return with additional detail and suggested bringing previous grantees back for a future hearing to provide implementation examples.
ACTIONS AND OUTCOMES: No formal motions or votes were recorded on this agenda item.
