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Events, News & Jobs
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News
Announcement: Health Care's Climate Footprint report released
The Health Care's Climate Footprint report establishes the first-ever global estimate of health care’s climate footprint, identifies key sources of health care emissions, and makes a series of recommendations to align global health goals with global climate goals. Health care’s climate footprint is equivalent to 4.4% of global net emissions. The lion’s share of emissions – 71% are primarily derived from the health care supply chain through the production, transport, and disposal of goods and services, such as food and agricultural products. Part of decarbonizing the health care supply chain is leveraging health care’s purchasing power toward sustainably and locally grown food and plant-centered meals. To further distill the report and the findings as they relate to the food sector: This report is an important first step in an ongoing process to fully understand the channels of GHG impact from the health care sector. The current analysis does not yet provide enough detail to articulate the contribution of food procurement by the health sector. We have great interest in doing so but will need to conduct a structural path analysis which will require an additional scope of research which we hope to be able to undertake in 2020. The report notes that 9% of health care emissions can be attributed to agriculture, however this includes food as well as other agricultural products such as cotton for hospital gowns and other materials. The report also notes that 11% attributable to 'other manufactured products and 3% attributable to 'other primary industries' both of which have a component attributable to food production that which we have yet to parse out. A future analysis will further assess this segment to be able to attribute the portion associated with food related products. We are excited about this report and this important first step in getting towards quantifying the impact and opportunity of shifting food procurement in the global health care system to contribute to our collective climate goals.
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Food Connects Hosts Trauma and Nutrition Training for WSESD
In late August, Food Connects hosted a Trauma and Nutrition training for 31 Windham Southeast School District (WSESD) wellness leaders, including school nurses, counselors, behavior specialists, and food service directors. This training, funded by a grant from the Thompson Trust, educated wellness leaders on the connection between trauma and nutrition with the expectation that participants bring the information back to their school communities.
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A New Back to School Look for Leland & Gray
If you visit the Leland & Gray Union Middle & High School cafeteria this fall, you might notice a new back to school style.
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NOFA-VT Farm Beginnings® Applications Now Open
Applications are now open for NOFA Vermont Farm Beginnings®, a yearlong program for aspiring and beginning farmers that is designed to help participants launch or grow their farm business.
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Food Connects Partners With NH Food Bank
Food Connects is partnering with the New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities NH, to bring local produce to food pantries throughout New Hampshire.
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Statewide Development of Water Quality Projects Expands
A new grant will allow Conservation Districts to develop additional water quality projects throughout the state of Vermont
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VT Community Loan Fund Lends Almost $2.8 Million to VT Businesses, Farms & Food Entrepreneurs, Affordable Housing Developers and Early Care & Learning Programs in 2nd Quarter 2019
Road to Success: My Favorite Things Food Truck Jeffersonville food entrepreneur Lea Ann Macrery has never lacked for drive. Now, thanks to financing from the Vermont Community Loan Fund, her new business, My Favorite Things Food Truck, is ready to hit the road.
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Technical Assistance and Training Available to Vermont’s Composters
Participants in this day-long workshop will receive a Compost Operator Certificate, which meets the requirements of ANR for small, medium, and large compost facility site operators.
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Vital Communities Seeks Proposals from Social Enterprises for Community-Based Crowdfunding Program
Vital Communities invites emerging and established social enterprises to submit project proposals to The Local Crowd (TLC) Upper Valley, a new community-based crowdfunding program. Proposals are due by September 4. Details are available at vitalcommunities.org/tlc.
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Ready to Grow Your Food Biz?
Are you a woman-owned food business? Already making revenue of at least $50K/year? Want to create jobs, generate increased revenue, or take on more contracts in the Burlington area? Apply TODAY for Power Forward! This (FREE) 13-week strategic growth planning course with Center for Women & Enterprise VT will help you gain the knowledge, skills, resources, and networks to explore new markets and overcome barriers to growth.
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New On-Farm Slaughter provisions are in effect!
Rural Vermont’s top priority for the 2019 legislative session was to remove the July 1, 2019 sunset of the on-farm-slaughter law and to make meaningful improvements to the law. We did it! The new law is effective since July 1st 2019, and extends the sunset to July 2023, allows farmers to sell live animals raised on their farm to more than one person, and allows carcasses to be halved and quartered at the time of slaughter. Learn what you need to know to take advantage of the new law - along with how we can help YOU and how you can help US: On-Farm Slaughter Factsheet (www.ruralvermont.org/s/onfarmslaughter-final-factsheet.pdf)
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More Than 1,200 Visit Historic Sprague Ranch for Breakfast & Dairy Farm Tour
On Saturday, July 27th, more than 1,200 visitors gathered at the Sprague Ranch in Brookfield. The central Vermont dairy farm was packed as guests enjoyed a Vermont-inspired pancake breakfast and took a self-guided tour of the 600 cow dairy farm. In its fifth year, Vermont Breakfast on the Farm aims to connect the public with hard-working dairy farming families like the Sprague’s – who have been producing wholesome dairy, caring for their cows, and protecting and maintaining the working-landscapes of Vermont, for more than 150 years.
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