Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Inc

Programs: Farm to plate is vermont's food system plan being implemented statewide to increase economic development and jobs in vermont's farm and food sector and improve access to healthy local food for all vermonters. The ten year farm to plate strategic plan (2011-2020) to create a viable, sustainable, and resilient food system to produce and distribute our food, is being implemented by the farm to plate network-over 350 farm and food sector businesses, non-profits, institutions, and government agencies from across the state. Farm to plate is a program that was initiated by the vermont legislature in 2009, and is administered by the vermont sustainable jobs fund.

the vermont sustainable jobs fund launched the vermont forest products program in 2016 to help support and promote vermont's forest products industry through the development of value chain investment strategies to improve market opportunities for the industry. The program is a collaborative partnership between the vermont sustainable jobs fund, the vermont working lands enterprise initiative, and the northern forest center.

the flexible capital fund, l3c (flex fund) is a mission-based, for profit investment fund launched in 2011 that provides flexible risk capital to innovative growth stage companies in vermont's food system, forestry and clean technology sectors. The vermont sustainable jobs fund serves as the flex fund's manager, and through contractual arrangement provides fund management services and administrative support to the flex fund on a fee for service basis. Decision-making authority and governance for the flex fund is done solely through the flex fund's board of managers.

other programs of the vermont sustainable jobs fund include: the vermont climate economy business network is building a sense of community, creating opportunities to explore business-to-business collaboration, and providing targeted expertise to develop and grow vermont businesses whose products and services aim to prepare for, mitigate against, or adapt to the impacts of climate change. The vermont agriculture development program (vadp) supports the growth and long-term success of value-added agricultural and forestry enterprises based in vermont. The program provides venture coaching and technical assistance to strengthen the capacity of businesses in order to serve an expanding market for vermont food and forest products. Vadp partners with the vermont housing and conservation board's farm and forest viability program on this effort. The vermont bioenergy initiative connects diversified agriculture and local renewable energy production for on-farm and community use by supporting research, technical assistance, and infrastructure development in emerging areas of bioenergy including biodiesel production and distribution for heating and transportation, oil crops for on-farm biodiesel and feed, grass for heating, and algae production for biofuels and wastewater management. This eight-year-long program was completed at the end of 2016 (fy17).