April 21, 2025 | Montpelier, VT - The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) announces 18 businesses have been awarded a total of $679,095 to maintain and grow the agricultural and forestry sectors in Vermont. The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) was created by the Vermont Legislature in 2012 to stimulate economic development in the agricultural and forestry sectors. WLEI is a collaborative effort between the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets, the Vermont Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation, and the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
“These investments support the people and businesses behind the local food and wood products we use every day,” said Danielle Fitzko, Commissioner, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. “From farms to forests, this work reflects the heart of Vermont’s identity and adds to the strength and resilience of our working landscape.”
One of WLEB’s key strategies is to strengthen working lands business viability and resiliency by providing access to capital. The Business Enhancement Grant plays a key role in making progress in this area.
“The State of Vermont is proud to have a program like the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative that makes annual investments resulting in positive impacts for those making their living off the land,” said Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets Secretary Anson Tebbetts. “Investing in our farm and forest businesses helps our rural communities and economies thrive.”
The following Business Enhancement Grants were made in FY25:
- Agricola Farm LLC - Panton, $43,472
- Butterfly Bakery of Vermont - Montpelier, $45,000
- Carman Brook Farm LLC - Swanton, $50,000
- Conscious Homestead, L3C - Winooski, $15,429
- Crossroad Maple - Bakersfield, $49,831
- Eastview Enterprises Inc. dba Sylvacurl - East Hardwick, $22,500
- Ellison Estate Vineyard LLC - Stowe, $47,195
- Free Verse Farm LLC - Chelsea, $13,909
- J K Adams Co INC - Dorset, $42,366
- Keck Wine Enterprises LLC - Jeffersonville, $50,000
- Lower Notch Farm - Bristol, $31,763
- Mayo’s Maple Farm - Richford, $35,000
- Rowley Brothers Dairy LLC - Milton, $50,000
- Sawyer Made - East Calais, $50,000
- Sunrise Organic Farm LLC - White River Junction, $13,158
- Trenchers Farmhouse LLC - Lyndonville, $39,437
- Vermont Heavy Timber LLC - Huntington, $50,000
- Witt Acres Farm - Fairfax, $30,035
Including today’s announced grants, the Working Lands program has invested a total of $1 million dollars this state fiscal year in Vermont farm and forestry businesses. Please visit https://workinglands.vermont.gov/history-initiative/funded-projects to find out more about each grantee's project.
For more information about the Vermont Working Lands Program, visit: https://workinglands.vermont.gov/.
Photo: Ellison Estate Vineyard
For questions, please contact:
Clare Salerno (she/her) | Program Coordinator, Working Lands Enterprise Initiative
802-917-2637 | Clare.Salerno@vermont.gov