The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund is embarking on a new chapter. In May, founding director Wayne Fawbush and the board of directors agreed that it is time for a change of leadership. Under Fawbush, VSJF developed a broad template of economic development approaches including network formation, market building, and community revitalization. These activities fulfilled the first major phase of VSJF's strategic plan.

The VSJF board of directors will soon launch a search for a new director to carry VSJF through its second phase of growth as an integrated sustainable development organization. Ed Delhagen will serve as interim director as the staff continues to manage a number of funded initiatives. With several exciting opportunities emerging, VSJF is well positioned to capitalize on its initial successes. Upon completion of this transition, VSJF will further build its capacity to fulfill the mandate of the Vermont Statutes by assisting Vermont communities and businesses in their efforts to prosper in a changing global economy.

While many people wonder what can be done about our reliance on fossil fuels, John Hurley and Scott Gordon are doing something about it. These Vermont entrepreneurs are both in the process of building biodiesel production capacity in Vermont.

Fossil fuels pervade everything that we do, with increasingly harmful results. A recent Burlington Free Press article reported that Vermont ranks second in the nation in vehicle miles traveled per capita and that transportation is Vermont's largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. Vermonters consume about 300 million gals of diesel fuel per year. The daunting challenges of preparing for both global climate change and 'the end of oil' will require extensive, coordinated efforts.

For the past two years, VSJF and its partners have begun been exploring the possibilities of using biodiesel to help wean Vermont from a portion of its fossil fuel demand. Biodiesel is a clean burning fuel produced from domestic, renewable resources such as soy, sunflower, canola, and hemp seeds, as well as algae and waste grease.

Interest in biodiesel is picking up. Fleming Oil's recent decision to offer pure biodiesel (B100) at the pump in Brattleboro met with solid approval. Greg Pahl, co-director of the Vermont Biofuels Association and author of Biodiesel, Growing a New Energy Economy (Chelsea Green), noted that his book is selling very well and receiving rave reviews by people in and out of the industry. He is receiving queries from around the world regarding biodiesel.

Despite the increasing demand, however, most biodiesel used in Vermont is imported from other states or Canada. Currently, national production is small compared to Europe, and Vermont's biodiesel production is marginal.

John Hurley, owner of Dog River Alternative Fuels Company, LLC, and Scott Gordon, from Green Technologies, LLC, are among Vermont's entrepreneurs who think they can change this situation. Hurley and Gordon currently use waste oil from restaurants to produce biodiesel for off-road uses and have plans to increase the scale of their production operations.

Hurley got into biodiesel as a natural extension of his forestry practices. He explained, "If you're going to log your property in an environmentally friendly way, don't you think that the oils and fuels that we use should be biodegradable as well? That's why I got into biodiesel." Diesel exhaust bothers his lungs but now with biodiesel, he notes, "What you'll smell is a sweet, waxy smell a little bit like French fries."

Hurley learned how to create biodiesel from watching others make it in a 5 gallon pail and has since gone through a series of trainings on safety and regulations through the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association to make sure, he says, "That I do it right."

Beyond training, getting biodiesel to meet the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards for on-road use is a challenge. His process is extremely close to meeting that standard and basically requires one added step but, Hurley explains, "In order to do that I would need to put my facility in an industrial zone and have municipal sewer and water to really make it work."

The biggest challenge Hurley faces now is fine-tuning his business plan and finding an industrially zoned piece of property near a railroad track. "I've done my experimentation," he says, "I've proved that you can do biodiesel in Vermont, in the wintertime. Now, to do it right, and to do it so that the numbers work out, you have to get bigger."

As a researcher, Scott Gordon brings his expertise in chemistry to bear at Green Technologies. Along with John Orr from Long Trail Biofuels, Gordon has produced about 400 gallons of biodiesel a week in his University of Vermont demonstration plant. On a recent visit to Gordon's new Winooski facility, he showed off a plant that will produce about 100,000 gallons of B100 annually. Gordon believes that biodiesel is ready for the market, but he is interested in the bigger picture of green chemical processes as well. His vision is that waste oil will come into his plant but only useful products such as biodiesel, bioplastics and biowaxes will come out.

Gordon is working hard to grow his business. He describes two ladders of knowledge that he has had to climb: technological and business acumen. He originally thought that technical know-how automatically led to success. He does not believe that anymore. The business side of creating biodiesel is just as important, and Gordon has learned a lot over the past two years.

"It's an exciting time for us but we're hovering on the hump," observes Gordon. He sees a large potential in moving from exhaustible feedstocks to renewables. Like Dog River Alternative Fuels, the biggest challenge Green Technologies faces is producing enough high quality biodiesel to achieve economy of scale.

With interest in biodiesel rising, VSJF offered a round of grants during the summer of 2004 to spur demand and increase experience with the fuel in heating and transportation systems. The first recipients, Vermont Law School and Sugarbush Resort, reported positive results from both pilots.

The Vermont Law School chose its Julien and Virginia Cornell Library as their test facility. Their goal was to introduce biodiesel into the building's heating mix as part of the school's commitment to the environment, and as a way to support the local economy. By doing so, the school's staff expected to learn about the fuel's performance in real world settings and gauge the development of the supply system.

Upon receiving the grant, the school's staff contracted with a local fuel company to deliver the product, which took place last November. Facilities staff mixed B100 with #2 fuel oil. A second batch arrived later in the winter allowing completion of the pilot. Physical Plant Director John Delemarre observed the need to resolve infrastructure and distribution issues that cropped up with VLS deliveries. Regarding the actual use of biodiesel, he reported that the fuel worked "flawlessly" with "no obvious problems." Delemarre noted that pricing is becoming more competitive and encouraged more fuel suppliers to enter the market.

The Sugarbush pilot focused on using biodiesel for transportation. Faced with rising concerns in the ski industry about global warming, Sugarbush Resort's Green Team formulated a plan to increase use of renewable resources, including biodiesel. Prior to the 2004-2005 winter operating season, the resort reported that all of its snow grooming and removal equipment at its two mountains ran on petrodiesel. The goal of their pilot was to document the performance of biodiesel in Vermont's challenging winter environment.

The pilot involved initial tests with B20 in mowing tractors during the summer, which provided baseline experience with the fuel. The resort's staff drew upon their knowledge later when they operated four groomers and a bucket loader at Mt. Ellen in the winter.

Upon completion, Sugarbush Environmental Coordinator Tim Jones reported that vehicle operators did not have to make any alterations to the machinery or fuel storage facilities, and that all tests had satisfactory outcomes. Dave Mosher, VP of Mountain Operations and Head of Grooming put it this way, "We saw no difference using B20 compared to regular diesel. If we hadn't told operators and mechanics we were using it they would have never known."

In addition, the vehicle operators reported noticeable decreases in emissions and noxious odors. The resort also gained recognition for its leadership including support from staff and skiers expressed at the resort's Sustainable Slopes Day program.

Win Smith, President of Sugarbush Resort Operations, commented, "Sugarbush Resort was pleased with the opportunity to run a successful biodiesel pilot program and participate in the VSJF grant process. We strive to run our business operations as efficiently as possible while remaining environmentally conscious. The Mt. Ellen Biodiesel Pilot project has met these objectives."

In both pilots cost was a factor as infrastructure issues and low supplies keep biodiesel prices high. However, prices for regular diesel are rising, and the new biodiesel tax incentives are beginning to kick in. At the same time, users are gaining experience and the fuel infrastructure is responding to increased demand. Notes Ed Delhagen, interim director at VSJF, "We anticipate that the combination of increased demand and larger volume requests will foster the economies of scale needed to make this product more widely available at affordable prices. With each successful pilot project, we take another step closer toward achieving that end."

Fulfilling a key component of its U.S. Department of Energy grant goals, the Vermont Biodiesel Project and Smugglers' Notch Resort in Jeffersonville are partnering to integrate biodiesel usage into the resort's summer and winter operations.

Beginning in mid-May and continuing through the fall, phase one of the pilot will introduce B20-a mix of 20 percent biodiesel with 80 percent diesel-into the resort's mobile heavy equipment such as excavators and forklifts. Phase two will establish B20 usage in Smugglers' 14 snowmaking air compressors in November 2005. These 400-horsepower compressors power the resort's snowmaking operations and consume substantial amounts of fuel. Upon successful testing in November, Smugglers' Notch managers plan to use B20 in the compressors for the balance of the 2005-2006 season.

In addition, researchers from Keene State College are expected to perform air quality testing in conjunction with both phases of the pilot project. The data will help quantify the environmental benefits of biodiesel. When complete, the project will result in the use of more than 200,000 gallons of B20. Jack F. Corse, Inc., located in Cambridge, will supply the biodiesel.

For years, Smugglers' Notch has provided leadership in the environmental arena. The resort's commitment to the environment ranges from an integrated recycling program to use of innovative waste water treatment technologies site such as a "Living Machine®. "We're excited to be a part of the Vermont Biodiesel Project," said Tom McGrail, Environmental Compliance Manager at the resort. "We're optimistic that biodiesel will function well in our equipment and in turn help us meet our environmental goals, as well as educate our guests and staff."

For more information on the Smugglers' Notch project, contact Greg Strong at greg@spring-hill.biz.

This day-long event will build on the successful Biodiesel Fall Workshop held at the Statehouse in September, 2004. Detailed information and interactive workshops in two concurrent tracks will be presented: One for "Users and Small-scale Producters" and one for "Dealers and Distributors."

Who Should Attend:

Commercial and institutional diesel fuel users, fleet and facility managers, fuel suppliers and dealers, biodiesel producers (both commercial and non-commercial), interested members of the agricultural community and the general public.

Where: Vermont Law School, South Royalton

When: Wednesday, June 8th, 2005. 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Registration: A $25 registration fee includes session materials, continental breakfast, and buffet lunch.

For information regarding registration, contact the Registration Coordinator at 802.655.7769 or Fax 802.655.6098 or email: info@delaneymeetingevent.com

New York City has increasingly become a hotbed for green building, and Vermont has an expanding supply of the Forest Stewardship Council's (FSC) certified wood. However, New York architects and Vermont landowners frequently don't know what the other wants or has to offer, and the connection between supply and demand has yet to be fully explored.

Enter Parker Nichols from Marshfield. Parker has deep roots in the forest products industry. He grew up on a 200-acre tree farm in Windsor County, attended architecture school for ecological design, and owns Vermont WildWoods, a specialty wide plank flooring and millwork company that uses disease-killed and FSC-certified butternut trees.

While in New York City marketing his own unique butternut products, Parker began asking architects about FSC-certified products. He found that they were interested in the connection between FSC-certified wood and the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) program. Vermont forests fall within a 500-mile radius of New York City, a requirement for green buildings to get certain LEED credits. Hearing architects express concern about not being able to find FSC-certified wood products, Parker reached out to Vermont landowners who were getting frustrated because they could not find regional markets for their products. Parker explains, "It's the equivalent of a chef trying to plan a menu without knowing what the food distributor has to offer. It creates a maddening process."

Parker has found a role to play in linking the two sides. He points to the Cornerstone Project, which connects the dots between certified forests from Vermont lands, sawmills, manufacturers and institutions like the University of Vermont and Middlebury College as a possible model. Parker reports that FSC certified Vermont wood is slowly making it to Manhattan in the form of moldings, millwork, lumber for cabinets, and veneer for panels. Other large regional markets for Vermont products include Boston, Montreal, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia.

Parker explains, "This is a critical opportunity to show that we have something that is really special up here in the Northern Forest. Forestland is still a viable asset in Vermont and landowners who recognize that are less apt to liquidate, subdivide, and sell. Once a piece of land goes out of forest management and into development it's never going to be forestland again."

Parker is excited about the opportunities emerging for Vermont's wood products industry and the role he is playing. "I'm glad to be involved in building bridges and hope that I can do my small part toward educating architects by letting them know what FSC certified Vermont wood is available. The architects I've met with are excited to find a way to identify what is coming out of the woods."

(Photo: Butternut flooring. Photo credit: VTWildWoods).

Many architects, institutions and builders want to use Vermont products, but up until now finding the right item has proved challenging. To ease that task, VSJF has partnered with the Vermont Wood Manufacturers Association (VWMA) to produce a resource manual of Vermont wood products.

The resource manual will help end-users of wood products like institutional project managers, architects, specifiers and contractors to identify wood products from Vermont. In addition, the catalogue will enable wood users to find products made from Vermont-grown wood and from Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood.

Mary Jeanne Packer, Executive Director of the VWMA, and Doug Patterson, Cornerstone Forest Products Specialist are working together on the content and design. The first edition of the resource manual, focusing on furniture, will be available in June. Plans for future editions include millwork, casework, lumber, flooring and other wood products.

For further information, contact Mary Jeanne Packer at (802) 287-4284.

The University of Vermont, one of Cornerstone's founding members, reports a number of deals with Vermont furniture makers. These purchases demonstrate a real interest in Vermont wood growers and quality product manufacturers.

UVM has recently contracted with Neudorfer, Inc. of Waterbury for 16 custom cherry reading tables for the Dana Medical Library, and for 90 laminate tables for the Medical Education Center classrooms. These two projects are UVM's portion of the Renaissance project, which is scheduled for completion this summer. Beeken Parsons of Shelburne is building two conference tables, one in maple and one in cherry for the Dana Medical Library. In addition, UVM is working with Lyndon Furniture of Lyndon for 21 custom hard maple carrels for the library.

Jan Peterson, the interiors project manager in the Architectural and Engineering Services department responsible for furniture purchases, remarked "There is a much broader awareness now of the possibilities and being involved in Cornerstone brought that around." Jan is also responsible for the architectural design work including finishes, walls, carpet, and panels.

Further evidence of the opportunities generated by Cornerstone is the positive response John Lomas of Cotswold Furniture in Whiting received on a recent visit to UVM. Cotswold Furniture recently made maple desks and chairs for several Middlebury College projects. Jan was very impressed by Cotswold's quality and showmanship: When she greeted John, she found him sitting in the reception in one of his own handmade maple chairs! Both parties look forward to future relations.

For more information:

Beeken Parsons, www.beekenparsons.com

Cotswold Furniture, www.cotswoldfurniture.com

Lyndon Furniture, www.lyndon.com

Neudorfer, Inc., www.neudorfer.com

University of Vermont Architectural and Engineering Services, www.uvm.edu/~arch/

(Photo: Assembling a chair at Cotswold Furniture. Photo credit: Cotswold Furniture).

Just a few years ago, the term "green building" held little meaning for people outside this burgeoning movement. If recent examples provide any gauge, Vermont now has a thriving green building sector.

According to the Vermont Green Building Network (VGBN), "green building" is a collection of land-use, building design, and construction strategies that reduce environmental impacts. Investments in green buildings also have the potential to save costs for owners over the lifespan of the building.

Several events and projects around the state illustrate the growth of this sector. Late last year, Builders for Social Responsibility showcased their first green residence, officially certified under the Vermont Builds Greener system. BSR and Vermont Energy Investment Corporation subsequently used the VBG green building Scorecard at the University of Vermont. Outside Vermont, a group of municipal utilities called the Cape Light Compact chose the VBG Scorecard for construction and other national groups are considering adopting it as well. VSJF provided more than $30,000 to support the development of this system since 2000.

In early February, Efficiency Vermont expanded its Better Buildings by Design conference to include topics related to "innovations & high performance." The event drew over 900 people on a cold and snowy winter day.

Shortly thereafter, VGBN held its annual meeting featuring keynote speaker Senator Vincent Illuzi, a proponent of green building. VGBN began in December 2002 with a handful of practitioners and continues to attract new designers, policy makers, suppliers and others interested in improving construction practices in Vermont.

On May 12th and 13th, the Vermont Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute, VGBN and VSJF sponsored two back-to-back events: a daylong Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED®)-New Construction training followed by "Green and Sustainable in Vermont 2005", a conference and trade fair. Both events drew more than 60 designers, architects and suppliers who explored new trends and cultivated new opportunities.

Nadav Malin, vice president of BuildingGreen, Inc. and editor of Environmental Building News in Brattleboro served as co-trainer for the LEED workshop as well as keynote speaker for the conference. Malin's national perspective reinforced the picture that the influence of green building is growing. He noted that since the release of LEED 2.0 in March 2000, over 1,700 project teams have registered their buildings with the hope of receiving official certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Projects now exist in all states plus the District of Columbia.

Conference organizer and Vermont CSI Program Chair Jonathan Miller has been a long-time advocate for green building. Miller noted a significant increase in green building over the past five years. Said Miller, "Federal, state and local agencies across the US have been adopting, one by one, more holistic green building standards lately. Public agencies are a large driver of construction work, which fuels great interest in the construction service sector."

Many Vermont institutions and businesses, including several Cornerstone Project partners, are "greening up" their projects. Cornerstone began its efforts to connect large institutions with Vermont producers with the support of the Office of Senator Leahy in 2001. Partners such as Middlebury College, the University of Vermont, Vermont Law School, Green Mountain College and the Department of Buildings and General Services have or are currently planning to incorporate green features into their buildings.

For example, VLS gained wide recognition for Oakes Hall, and continued its pioneering work recently with renovations to Debevoise Hall. Middlebury's leadership helped foster development of the state's certified forest products market with its landmark Bicentennial Hall. Both UVM and Green Mountain College in Poultney are considering LEED certification for new construction on their respective campuses. Other businesses such as NRG Systems are also providing leadership. NRG recently opened its remarkable 46,000 square foot LEED-Gold facility in Hinesburg.

These are just a sampling of the activities taking place around Vermont. Clearly there is growing interest in how we build. Increased attention by the public and private sectors provides the opportunity for even greater support for the green building movement, lending hope that more benefits will accrue to Vermont's built and natural landscape.

Betsy Sylvester is a natural networker. Named Vermont's Women's Business Advocate of the Year for 2004, she is bringing her talent for connecting people and helping them create opportunities in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom to a new level as a business coach.

The region that Betsy covers-Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties-is blessed with natural beauty and a long tradition of forest products manufacturing. However, job losses, isolation, poverty and population decline have taken a toll on the Northeast Kingdom over the years.

To help local people address their concerns, VSJF and its partner the University of Vermont Extension developed and focused a wide variety of resources on the NEK. The free service of the business coach helps potential business owners learn the rudiments of small business start-up. VSJF hired Betsy Sylvester last fall, and since that time approximately 60 entrepreneurs and small business owners have tapped her service. Her clients include artists, bed and breakfasts, retail shops, and even a person interested in creating a water and energy efficient laundromat in Island Pond.

Entrepreneurs in the NEK face a number of challenges ranging from deficient telecommunications infrastructure to finding customers and learning business skills. Many of the businesses Betsy works with are in crisis or survival mode. Betsy remarks, "They come to me because they don't know where to start. They're so worried about the regulations and the laws, but they haven't even got to that point yet. We're not realizing how confusing it is to people."

To ease that confusion, Betsy listens to prospective entrepreneurs to learn their plans and determine their stage of development. If entrepreneurs are ready to move forward Betsy directs them to the "Starting Your Own Business" class that she puts on twice a month with Norteast Kingdom Community Action and the Small Business Development Center.

Betsy also connects her clients with opportunities in the area. For example, Ruth Place, a client that plans to offer business services to other small businesses, comments, "She keeps in touch with so much that is going on. She knows where to lead you." Betsy is regularly involved with the Nulhegan Gateway Association, Vocational Rehabilitation, the Brighton Community Forum, the Island Pond Farmers' Market planning group, and the NEK branch of the Vermont Women's Business Center.

Betsy recently helped form two new networks that are now assisting artists and female business owners. The Vermont Mountain Arts Group connects artists from various NEK communities and makes them more aware of each other's activities. Members from this group are working collaboratively on various projects and promoting their talents more extensively. Heidi Whipple, owner of Art by the Hoof, praised Betsy's role: "I like that she's really straightforward. She keeps people on track. She keeps me informed."

Connections! is a group Betsy started with two clients from a previous job where women business owners meet monthly to share experiences, challenges and successes. Betsy has found that participants not only receive support, but they form "unbelievable" personal and business relationships as well.

Betsy sees her role as the glue between entrepreneurs and the range of service providers in the NEK: "My idea is to help them see the big picture that the Northeast Kingdom is, in fact, a community."

Contact Betsy at (802) 334-7325 ext 18 or toll free at (866) 260-5561 ext. 18

(Photo: Betsy Sylvester. Photo Credit: Wayne Fawbush).

The postcard image of Vermont is of quaint, little towns covered in fall leaves, unscarred by the march of the outside world. The reality is that poverty, community deterioration, and social problems exist even here. However, recent activities in Alburg and Island Pond demonstrate that enthusiastic citizens can create economic activity and community vitality in a relatively short period of time.

In the fall of 2000 the Wendling Foundation solicited proposals for a grant to design and implement income- and wealth-producing strategies for low-income individuals and communities in the Northeast. VSJF, along with Antioch New England Institute, Businesses for the Northern Forest, and UVM Extension, proposed an integrated model for sustainable community development. The program included: building community social capital to promote self-determination and the capacity to creatively tackle problems; increased ability of local businesses to create wealth and jobs; and sustainable utilization of human and natural capital.

Upon receiving the grant from the Wendling Foundation, which VSJF matched with its own resources, the partners selected to work with Alburg in Grand Isle County and Island Pond in Essex County. Nestled at the northern tip of Lake Champlain, Alburg (population 1,952) is a small community with a rich history that has recently settled upon hard times. In theory, Alburg's geographic location makes it a gateway community: the last stop for Americans heading to Canada, the first stop for Canadians traveling to America, as well as a link for interstate travel between New York and Vermont. Instead of geographic advantage conferring prosperity, however, some residents view the town as "a drive-thru".

Residents describe Island Pond (population 1,200) as an old-fashioned frontier town carved out of Vermont's Northern Forest and populated with rugged, but nevertheless "mutually supportive" individuals. But it is also a frontier town in another sense: Island Pond is on the frontline of economic globalization. When Ethan Allen closed its furniture plant in 2001 and moved production to Asia 120 woodworkers lost their jobs.

VSJF and its partners sought to tap the creativity and capacity of these citizens to address issues pertinent to their communities. The first project strategy was to bring community residents together for a visioning and planning process. Residents broke into groups based on the issues that interested them and talked about community strengths, weaknesses, their vision for the future, and key strategies for dealing with each issue. Connie Burns of Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation and Bill McMaster of UVM Extension were hired to serve as on the ground facilitators in Alburg and Island Pond.

The vision of Alburg coalesced around the notion of improving the look of the town. "Before we could talk about economic development we had to improve the landscape and make ourselves more attractive as a small town for both the residents as well as potential business community in the future" explained Monica Greene, Chair of the "Forum for the Future" Steering Committee. Alburg's Revitalization Committee spearheaded the passing of three community ordinances having to do with town aesthetics, arranged to tow away abandoned cars in town, and with UVM and the Agency of Natural Resources has successfully deconstructed many abandoned trailers. Other activities stemming from Alburg's visioning session include a recharge of the Heritage Festival (an annual gathering on the Fourth of July), creating a three-season farmer's market, working to restore a historical site, and recruiting businesses to the town's business park. Eight new businesses have opened up in Alburg since the visioning session and the Steering Committee has managed to leverage funds from the town and other sources to continue their endeavors. In short, "We saw a community come together" says Connie Burns, Alburg's facilitator.

Island Pond and Alburg residents face many of the same concerns. The first community visioning session (the Brighton Community Forum) in Island Pond was held almost three years ago. Several short-term accomplishments developed out of that first meeting. Under the heading of 'downtown revitalization' community members hung welcome banners throughout the center of town. Another group produced a recreation map of the region's natural resources and trails. A committee to develop the broadband infrastructure in Island Pond formed and subsequently led to the creation of a wireless broadband business. A sewer study looking at the houses and septic systems surrounding the lake was completed. From a fairly early point Forum participants latched on to the idea of building a Welcome Center in town. At this point, the Forum has a plan for the building, has gone through the site selection process, has acquired some financing and has hired a grant writer to apply for other grants. A number of spillover effects from the creation of the Brighton Community Forum, such as building renovations and business expansions, have moved the town from a "real fixer-up" to a community with renewed vitality.

The keys to the remarkable success stories unfolding in these places have been the visions articulated by the communities, the volunteer sparkplugs that performed the difficult tasks, and the facilitators that held the process together. Over the course of this project, community members and VSJF have learned a great deal. VSJF is now in the process of turning those lessons into action by encouraging the development of a community-to-community network that shares best practices, helping to build leadership capacity, and looking into the possibility of arranging a network of community development and business assistance providers that tailor their services to the particular needs of specific communities.

(Photo: Joel Cope of Island Pond talks with Pat Rainville of Alburg and Connie Burns at a recent meeting of Alburg and Island Pond leaders. Photo credit: Wayne Fawbush).

· Beyond the Divide: Conflict and Paths to Community Success

The Vermont Council on Rural Development is holding a roundtable conference this summer to address the challenges of building unity in the face of social, economic, and cultural change.

Where: Vermont Statehouse, Montpelier

When: August 9, 2005. 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Send your Name, Address, Phone and Email Address to VCRD at vcrd2@sover.net to be included on their invitation list.

· 2005 Renewable Energy Vermont Conference

Where: Sheraton Conference Center, Burlington

When: September 21, 2005

For sponsorship and exhibitor information contact conference@REVermont.org

· What Works! Rural Entrepreneurship & Community Development in the Northeast

The University of Vermont and The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development are holding a conference on rural entrepreneurship and community development in the fall.

Where: Wyndham Hotel, Burlington

When: September 28-30, 2005

Questions or comments? Please contact Mary Peabody, UVM Extension at Mary.Peabody@uvm.edu

· Action in Place: Promoting Community & Environmental Sustainability

Goddard College is holding a conference that brings together people who have engaged in community and place-based initiatives and those who want to examine such opportunities and issues.

Where: Goddard College, Plainfield

When: October 6-9, 2005

For more information visit: http://www.goddard.edu/academic/actioninplace.html

email: info@vsjf.org

phone: (802) 828-1260

web: http://www.vsjf.org