• DeltaClimeVT climate economy business accelerator selects Energy 2024 cohort

    The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) announces the selection of the Energy 2024 cohort of the Vermont-based DeltaClimeVT climate economy business accelerator. Eight early-stage energy companies from across the U.S. and Canada will work directly with Vermont utilities to contribute to Vermont’s 90% renewable by 2050...

  • Can Vermont Become a Regional Hub for Forest Innovation?

    Jared Reynolds at the Vermont Forestry Accelerator thinks so, and he has a plan. By Christine McGowan, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund One of our country’s great legacy industries, the forest products industry hasn’t changed much in the past century. But that’s something Jared Reynolds, manager of the...

  • New England Feeding New England Project

    [caption id="attachment_6593" align="alignleft" width="203"] A Regional Approach to Food System Resilience - NEFNE Report[/caption] The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) is providing important leadership for a new initiative called New England Feeding New England (NEFNE), aimed at increasing 30% of the food that is produced and...

  • Highlighting the 2023 Farm to Plate Annual Report

    Last year was an historically hard year on Vermont farmers and food businesses. A late spring frost resulted in significant losses for fruit growers, the July floods inundated farm fields of all types, though produce and hay crops were hit especially hard, and global grain...

  • Vermont Farm to Plate Releases Food Security in Vermont: Roadmap to 2035

    For two years, over 600 Vermonters contributed their personal expertise on food security to develop a Food Security in Vermont: Roadmap to 2035. The Farm to Plate Network’s Food Security Priority Strategy Team led the Roadmap development and presented the completed Roadmap on January 24,...

  • From Chocolate to Chili Peppers

    Butterfly Bakery of Vermont Finds Inspiration in the Working Landscape What do goat’s milk caramel, ginger cashew granola, maple hot sauce, and raspberry almond cookies all have in common? Aside from the fact that they’re all made at Butterfly Bakery of Vermont, there is a common...

  • New business mentoring program matches Vermont energy professionals with business coaches

    Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund launches 18-month program pairing energy services business owners with business coaches to address workforce challenges, strategic planning and project management.   The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF), in collaboration with Efficiency Vermont and its Energy Excellence Network, is launching an advanced business assistance...

  • DeltaClimeVT climate economy accelerator seeks entrepreneurs for Energy 2024 cohort

    The DeltaClimeVT climate economy business accelerator is seeking innovative, start-up and/or seed stage, energy companies offering innovative products or services aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to help Vermont meet its climate goals. During Energy 2024, entrepreneurs will work directly with Vermont...

  • Neighbor to Neighbor: Vermont Natural Forest Products Sees Potential in Pellets

    An alternative to importing fuel for heat, Richford VT sawmill produces clean burning, locally sourced wood pellets. Christine McGowan, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Efficiency is the lens through which Phil Gervais sees business. After 15 years working with multinational corporations around the world to find greater efficiency...

  • Knitting a Business Together

    Junction Fiber Mill founders blend quality and tradition with the “punk rock side of knitting” at their custom processing mill in Vermont. Peggy Allen likes to knit. Amanda Kievet likes to knit. The two met over a skein of yarn Peggy was selling at the Norwich...

  • Next Generation Wood-Based Textiles Offer Northern Forest Market Development Opportunities

    The potential for wood to replace plastic in woven and nonwoven textiles is progressing rapidly, offering new market development opportunities across the Northern Forest region, according to a new Market Opportunity Assessment commissioned by the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF). Forest to Fiber: Next-Generation Pathways for...

  • Creating a Regional Food System, One Warehouse at a Time

    Food Connects in Brattleboro, Vt. is among a group of New England food hubs that are building a sustainable, regional supply chain. Richard Berkfield, executive director of Food Connects, has a vision that someday soon, Vermont farmers and food producers will be able to supply more...