The Vermont Farm Viability Program offers business planning and technical assistance to Vermont farmers and agricultural infrastructure business, as well as wood product and forestry businesses. The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, offers business planning and technical assistance to Vermont farmers. We also provide services to food
system enterprises (those processing, storing, marketing, or distributing local farm products) and other working landscape enterprises such as forestry and woods products businesses. Businesses enrolled in the Program work with a business planner provided through cooperating organizations, listed below, or directly with an individual consultant. Our staff works with enrollees to identify a good match for the business. The business planning process is tailored to each enrollee, and involves the business owner in an assessment of the farm operation’s strengths and weaknesses and in an exploration of possible management changes that could increase profitability. Examples include consultations on keeping better production or financial records, financial benchmark analysis, meetings with production specialists, new enterprise analysis, estate and transfer planning, labor management, and value-added processing. We also hold periodic grant rounds as funding allows and provide succession planning services to forest landowners who may not have a related business. Our Network of Service Provider Organizations:
-University of Vermont Extension - Agriculture & Forest Business
-Intervale Center's Success on Farms Program
-NOFA-VT Business Planning & Technical Assistance
-Land For Good
-Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund
-Vermont Woodlands Association
