Working Lands Operations Team
The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative operates out of the Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets.
Elizabeth Sipple, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, 802-917-1134
Elizabeth Sipple is Program Lead for the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative. She trained in agroecology at the University of Vermont and the University of California Santa Cruz and has over a decade of on-the-ground experience accompanying farmers and rural entrepreneurs. Elizabeth was the founding director of Mercy Corps’ Rural Resilience Program and a Program Officer with American Jewish World Service in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. More recently Elizabeth worked with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets to strengthen critical mental health supports for farmers in Vermont. Elizabeth is passionate about social justice, environmentalism, and community-scale agriculture. She is a lover of adventures (big and small) and traditions that bring communities together.
Clare Salerno, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, 802-917-2637
Clare Salerno is an Agriculture Development Specialist providing program support for the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative. She grew up in Johnson, Vermont and studied sociology and environmental studies at Wellesley College. She worked for several years in Washington, DC conducting research related to housing, food, and climate policy at The Urban Institute. She has experience with evaluating federal housing programs, partnering with communities across the US to advance food and housing security, and researching the social aspects of climate change and resilience. Clare enjoys running and cross country skiing, and you can often find her at a local race or coaching afterschool and community recreation programs in Cambridge, Hyde Park, and Craftsbury.
Lily Bradburn, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, 802-480-1652
Lily Bradburn (they/them) is a Grants and Contracts Specialist for the Agricultural Development Division providing support to both the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative and Farm to Institution programs. Lily has called Vermont home for the last decade and has spent many years working for community based food access initiatives. Having coordinated gleaning efforts in Addison County to more recently managing a produce prescription program throughout Northern Vermont, Lily brings a breadth of experience working with agricultural producers and the community networks that support them. They are driven to play a role in all aspects of Vermont's vibrant agricultural community and supporting access and equity initiatives. When not nose deep in an excel sheet, Lily is usually attempting some baking or craft project and generally obsessing over all things honey bee.