Projects
VSJF works on three core local production-for-local use market development initiatives, offers CEO leadership training to growth stage companies, has developed the Renewable Energy Atlas of Vermont, and will be launching a new Flexible Capital Fund to support the deployment of growth-stage capital in the state. Collectively, our grantees and Peer to Peer client companies are helping to build the green economy in Vermont, from local food systems to sustainable forestry, from renewable energy to green technologies. Their combined efforts create local jobs, preserve resilient ecosystems, and fill special niches in the global economy.
Sustainable Agriculture
The Farm to Plate Strategic Plan provides statistics and detailed analyses of Vermont’s food system, from soil-to-soil. It contains 33 goals and 60 high priority strategies that will lead to job creation, greater economic output, and increased access for Vermont and regional consumers to healthy, fresh food over the next 10 years.
The Vermont Agriculture Development Program supports the growth and long-term success of Vermont-based, value-added agricultural enterprises that are building markets and infrastructure for other…
Renewable Energy Atlas
The Renewable Energy Atlas of Vermont allows users to identify, analyze, and visualize promising locations for renewable energy investments and is a valuable tool for transitioning toward a more sustainable state. The Atlas is a user-friendly GIS-based website where Vermonters can click on their town (or several towns or county/counties) and select from a range of renewable energy options. A map and analysis appears on the screen and both can be saved and printed.
Flexible Capital Fund
The VSJF Flexible Capital Fund offers a new kind of risk capital for growing Vermont businesses in the natural resource sectors. The Flex Fund balances equity features and returns with the reality of small business in Vermont, offering flexible mezzanine debt and technical assistance to fit Vermont’s early and growth stage companies’ needs. Our goal is to help our portfolio companies accelerate the rate at which Vermont and the region moves towards healthy food systems, renewable energy and climate change solutions - while preserving Vermont’s working landscapes and ensuring the health of our communities.
Vermont Bioenergy Initiative
The Vermont Bioenergy Initiative is working to replace a portion of the fossil fuel energy consumed in-state with homegrown alternatives from oilseed crops, perennial grasses and algae. Our grant making and technical assistance are aimed at addressing the most critical issues of our time -- peak oil, energy price volatility, and climate change – using an innovative ‘local production for local use’ market development model.
Sustainable Forest Products
The goals of the Harvest for Use pilot project are to shepherd Vermont-grown FSC logs through the supply chain all the way to finished product and to capture a 5 – 15% premium in the marketplace so that all parties–from the landowner to the logger to the mill to the manufacturer–are able to capture a slightly higher value for their efforts.
Peer To Peer Collaborative
The Peer to Peer Collaborative is a CEO advisory program that gives access to a confidential, supportive team of experienced entrepreneurs and business leaders who have been in your shoes, and who can share lessons learned and strategies for success. Where can an entrepreneur talk frankly about tough issues, or think strategically about the direction of the business? Contact us if you are a growth stage company with sales between $1-15million and are interested in exploring whether the Peer to Peer Collaborative is right for you.