Working Lands Initiative reports $19.5 million funded over 12 years; lawmakers pressed for more funding as demand soars

At a legislative committee briefing, staff and board members overseeing Vermont’s Working Lands Enterprise Initiative described 12 years of grant activity and urged continued investment as applicant demand continues to far outpace the program’s $1,000,000 base appropriation. Alicia Utter, vice chair of the Working Lands Enterprise Board and owner of Arbor Farmstead, said the initiative "was created to save Vermont's working landscape," and reported that 593 projects have been funded for a total of about $19,500,000 and that grantees steward an estimated 25,000 acres.

Program staff outlined fiscal‑year 2025 results and the program’s current structure. Elizabeth Sippel, program manager, said the FY25 competition drew 150 applications; the board ultimately funded 38 projects with roughly $1.06 million in Working Lands awards (including deobligated funds rolled forward). Sippel described a participatory review process in which "every application is read by 3 individual reviewers" and sector committees then discuss recommendations before the board takes action.

Committee members pressed staff on the large gap between demand and the base appropriation. Staff said the most recent cycle drew more than $5 million in requests against the roughly $1 million base, and noted that one prior year saw a temporary boost in appropriations (about $3 million) that produced a spike in funded projects. Lawmakers asked whether grants require matching funds; staff replied matches were invited but not mandatory and that many projects do include cash or in‑kind leverage.

Speakers described the range of FY25 investments and measurable impacts from recent cohorts. Claire Salerno, program coordinator, highlighted diverse grantees: a maple operation that halved bottling time through a new boiler and four‑port bottling line; a cured‑meat business that increased monthly cured‑meat sales and expanded pig inventory from about 140 to 220 animals; and a maple producer expanding remote vacuum monitoring across 430 acres and 19,000 taps, which staff estimated could raise syrup output 20–30% and increase revenue by roughly $70,000 annually. Salerno also noted smaller awards to marketing and value‑added projects that produced measurable client growth.

Staff reviewed complementary financing and technical assistance. Abby Willard of the Agency of Agriculture described the Sprout loan partnership with the Vermont Community Loan Fund, saying the Sprout program "since 2016 ... has provided 56 loans" to working‑lands businesses, with loans up to $60,000 and subsidized interest (1% then 2%); as of reporting, four Sprout loans closed in the FY25 cycle totaling about $202,000, and additional subsidized loans were expected to close.

Presenters also flagged pilot work and workforce initiatives. A $20,000 pilot for the Connecticut River Watershed Farmers Alliance aims to collect and bale bale‑wrap plastic for recycling but faces storage, contamination and municipal capacity constraints to reach recycler minimums. Staff described a roughly $39,000 award that supported legal and organizational work to merge the LEAP logger education program into the Vermont Woodlands Association to secure fiscal sponsorship and expand trainings. Oliver Pearson, director of forests at the Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation, said the agency secured federal support for a mechanized logging training opportunity in Maine and is arranging scholarships for Vermont participants.

Budget and program administration questions surfaced: staff estimated board‑level operating costs at about $13,004.50 (excluding staff salaries) and said the program currently relies on roughly 2.5 FTEs split across agency positions to administer grants, run the review process and provide applicant technical support. Staff acknowledged historical data gaps caused by past turnover but said they have revised applications and final reporting to collect stronger metrics going forward, including precise dollar increases in sales, jobs attributable to projects, acres put into production and equity outcomes.

Lawmakers signaled support for the program while questioning realistic appropriation targets. The governor’s recommended base remains $1,000,000; some committee members suggested asking for larger sums to match demand, but others warned that requesting very large increases could be dismissed by appropriations committees. The briefing concluded with a schedule note: committee members will hear direct testimony from several grantees the following day so lawmakers can better assess impacts and inform funding decisions.

The committee took no formal votes during the briefing; staff said additional testimony and data will be provided to the committee in upcoming sessions.