Champlain Housing Trust has financing available for applications for its Farmworker Housing Repair Loan Program. The program provides loans up to $30,000 for farmers to make essential repairs and necessary improvements to their farmworker housing. The loan is forgiven over ten years so long as the housing is maintained for farmworkers, helping to preserve this important affordable housing resource and improving the health and welfare of the farm workforce.
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, has grant funds available for on-farm capital improvement projects that have a positive impact on water quality. Eligible farmers can apply for a Water Quality Grant, which provides $5,000 to $40,000 in funding. Applications are due by January 27, 2023.
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, announces its 2022 grant awards to working lands entrepreneurs, totaling $797,108 to support businesses improvements and improve water quality.
Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets Anson Tebbetts summarizes $65,300,000 in new funding appropriated by the Vermont Legislature following policy and program recommendations made by the Governor’s Future of Agriculture Commission this winter. The Commission proposed investing in food related businesses so they could grow and feed people in Vermont and beyond.
In collaboration with UVM Extension, the Champlain Housing Trust will initiate a new farmworker housing repair program using State funds allocated by the Legislature to the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board. The loan funds may be used for various health and safety repairs and improvements to farmworker housing. The interest rate on the loans is 0%, and repaid loan funds will be recycled to other borrowers with a goal of providing loans for safety repairs and improvements to 20-30 properties. The loans will be forgiven after 10 years if the improved housing continues to be used for farmworker housing.
Are you a farm, food, or forest products entrepreneur trying to take your business to the next level? Thinking about developing a new enterprise? Or considering transitioning your business model or planning for retirement? The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program can help!
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, is expanding services to help working lands businesses navigate urgent needs related to COVID-19. Funding to support this programming comes from the State of Vermont, allocated by the Vermont Legislature.
The 2021 Legislative Session resulted in appropriations of $168.8 million in state and federal funds to the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board. Governor Scott signed the budget, allotting $14.8 million in base funding for VHCB and $154 million in supplemental funding including from the federal American Rescue Plan Act State Fiscal Recovery Fund (ARPA-SFR). VHCB will also receive $9.8 million in ARPA funding from HUD through the federal HOME Program targeted to housing those experiencing homelessness during the pandemic.
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, has grant funds available for on-farm capital improvement projects that have a positive impact on water quality. Eligible farmers can apply for a Water Quality Grant, which provides $5,000 to $40,000 in funding. Applications are due by March 26, 2021.
VHCB's Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program launched a COVID Response & Recovery Business Coaching Program in late March to support working lands businesses with navigating the impacts of the pandemic. Using a $50,000 Working Lands Enterprise Initiative grant and $192,000 in federal CARES Act funding allocated by the State Legislature, the program has helped more than 520 businesses including dairy farmers, forest and wood products businesses, value-added processing operations, farms raising produce and livestock, diversified operations, and meat processing enterprises. In collaboration with the VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets, the Viability Program helped nearly 400 producers apply for the Vermont COVID Agricultural Assistance Program grants.
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, awarded a total of $956,000 to 30 farms in Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Franklin, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, and Windham Counties to support capital investments that improve water quality. Some of these awards will also support businesses in their recovery from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. These grants leveraged an additional $3.1 million for capital improvement projects, including farmer investment, bank loans, and grant funding from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM).
Learn about recent VHCB awards, new housing under construction statewide, recent conservation projects, COVID programs providing assistance for renters, homeowners, and landlords, updates from Viability, VHCB AmeriCorps, Healthy & Lead-Safe Homes, staff changes, and more...
The national trauma that is the murder of George Floyd at the knee of a police “training” officer has horrified us. In the weeks preceding this awful event we saw the murders of Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. What is more troubling are the many, many incidents of racism that American society and culture has for generations too easily accepted, either without notice or without sufficient outrage to demand and result in change.
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, is expanding services to help working lands businesses navigate urgent needs related to COVID-19. Funding for these new services is provided through generous support of $50,000 from the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI).
In the face of the growing Corona Virus pandemic, and with the health and well-being of our staff and community our main concern, the VHCB office will be closed to the public, and staff will be working remotely until further notice.
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, has grant funds available for on-farm capital improvement projects that have a positive impact on water quality. Eligible farmers can apply for a Water Quality Grant, which provides $5,000 to $40,000 in funding.
Applications are due by *March 27, 2020.* More information, eligibility requirements, and applications are available on the Viability Program Website at: https://vhcb.org/WQG
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB), in partnership with The Blueprint, are pleased to announce funding available for organizations to provide one-on-one business planning and technical assistance to farm and food businesses, across the Northern Border region of NY, VT, NH and ME. (***Application deadline extended to April 8, 2020!)
At an event at the St. Albans Creamery, VHCB announced $410,944 in Dairy Improvement Grants to 12 Vermont farms. The grants are made possible by funding from Commonwealth Dairy.
Grants Available for Infrastructure Improvements that Enhance Water Quality
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the VT Housing & Conservation Board, has grant funds available for on-farm capital improvement projects that have a positive impact on water quality. Eligible farmers can apply for a Water Quality Grant, which provides $5,000 to $40,000 in funding. Matching funds are required and may include federal or state grants as well as cash, loans, or labor. Application deadlines are November 8, 2019 and March 20, 2020. More information, eligibility requirements, and applications are available on the Viability Program Website.
VHCB to receive $624,000 in funding to advance the agricultural economy by launching the Northeast Agricultural Business Assistance Network throughout the four-states in the NBRC region.
The Viability Program awarded a total of $507,000 to fourteen farms in Addison, Orleans, and Rutland counties, leveraging an additional $4.9 million for capital improvement projects and matched by the farmers’ funds, bank loans, and grant funding from the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets.
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, awarded a total of $268,684 to nine Vermont farms in March through its most recent round of Water Quality and Dairy Improvement Grants.
"Without that [Viability] program, our farm would not be in place." - Ashlyn Bristle, Rebop Farm
A profile of Rebop Farm in the Brattleboro Reformer highlights the work of VHCB's Viability Program.
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, awarded a total of $370,136 to 11 Vermont farms through its most recent round of Water Quality and Dairy Improvement Grants.
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, announced today the availability of grant funds for on-farm capital improvement projects.
The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, awarded a total of $407,834 in Dairy Improvement Grants to 11 dairy farmers, in Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, Essex, Grand Isle, and Orleans counties, for on-farm infrastructure projects. These funds are matched by over $1.2 million of additional investments in order to complete their projects.