WLEB offers funding to help state’s working lands economy respond and recover during pandemic
Vermont Business Magazine In response to the ongoing urgent needs arising from COVID-19 challenges to Vermont’s Working Lands businesses, the Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) has announced that 16 businesses will receive over $250,000 in COVID-19 Response Business Development Grants within the sectors of agriculture and forestry. These awards will focus on business response, shifting marketing strategies, or other activities that may improve business recovery.
“Vermont’s agricultural and forestry businesses are critical to our future. Getting grants quickly to these companies will help Vermont’s economy to recover and grow as well as help feed Vermonters,” said Governor Phil Scott.
With supply chain impacts felt around the region, one grantee, The Royal Butcher of Braintree, intends to respond to the surge in demand for slaughter and meat processing. Current bottlenecks in processing will require urgent need to meet the local demand for this butcher’s services. “These dollars will allow us to expand our business while helping farmers who need our services during the pandemic,” said Justin Sauerwein of The Royal Butcher. The Royal Butcher, established in 2003, is a USDA inspected slaughterhouse and meat processor, attending to the needs of local livestock and dairy farms. This $20,000 grant will allow them to serve more farms, improving throughput by 30-40%.
The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) was pleased to receive funds from the Vermont and Northeast USDA Dairy Business Innovation Center which enabled WLEI to sponsor two businesses from the pool of applicants with grants to assist in marketing and brand development efforts in direct response to coronavirus pandemic induced market declines.
The WLEI is a strong program with rigorous standards, an in-depth review process, and history of grantees achieving their goals with lasting positive impacts.
The two value-added dairy processors, Cellars at Jasper Hill in Greensboro and Parish Hill Creamery in Putney, are both strong operations who have been adversely impacted. As producers of high-quality, innovative, and world-renown cheeses, they exemplify the goals of the Vermont and New England USDA Dairy Business Innovation Center.
|
Grantee |
Project |
Award |
County |
|
Cate Hill Orchard |
Transitioning to year-round production of Sheep Milk Skyr |
$ 14,190 |
Orleans |
|
Champlain Valley Creamery |
Product Line Expansion and Marketing Strategies During COVID-19 |
$ 5,300 |
Addison |
|
Fat Toad Farm |
Maximizing E-Commerce Sales |
$ 11,438 |
Orange |
|
Maple Landmark, Inc |
Production improvements for Efficiency and Flexibility |
$ 12,807 |
Addison |
|
Maple Wind Farm |
Poultry Plant Equipment for Worker Safety Guidelines |
$ 20,000 |
Chittenden |
|
Sheehan and Sons Lumber |
Expansion of Pallet Shop |
$ 25,000 |
Windsor |
|
Silloway Maple |
Improvement of Silloway Maple Agritourism Area, Maple Products |
$ 16,000 |
Orange |
|
Snug Valley Farm |
Snug Valley Multi-Farm Home Delivery & Local Product Distribution |
$ 25,000 |
Caledonia |
|
Squier Family Farm, LLC |
Squier Family Farm Stand |
$ 14,739 |
Rutland |
|
Stannard Farm |
Farm Improvements for Covid-19 |
$ 9,589 |
Orleans |
|
Tamarack Hollow Farm, LLC |
Baby Greens Wash/ Pack for Safe and Efficient Wholesale Expansion |
$ 15,823 |
Washington |
|
The Royal Butcher, LLC |
The Royal Butcher Equipment Investment |
$ 20,000 |
Orange |
|
Thistle Hill Farm LLC |
Processing and Internet Upgrade for Market Expansion |
$ 5,000 |
Windsor |
|
Vermont Farm Table, LLC |
Expanding Local Supply Chain and Collaborations |
$ 10,000 |
Chittenden |
|
Cellars at Jasper Hill |
Exact Weight Cheese Wedge Project Launch |
$ 25,000 |
Orleans |
|
Parish Hill Creamery |
Pivoting in Place and Preparing for Succession |
$ 21,175 |
Windham |
*Attached photo courtesy Almanack Farm/The Royal Butcher LLC.
About the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative - The mission of the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative is to grow the economies, cultures, and communities of Vermont's working landscape. The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) achieves this by making essential, catalytic investments in critical leverage points of the Vermont farm and forest economy and facilitating policy development to optimize the agricultural and forest use of Vermont lands.
Source: June 16, 2020 | Montpelier, VT – Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets