Valley Quest

One thing a group of Millennial cartoonists doesn’t need is help using a smartphone app – especially an intuitive one that shows the real-time loc [...]

EPA Recognizes Hanover Co-op Food Stores with National Award

Congratulations to The Co-op Food Stores! EPA Recognizes Supermarkets Across America for Smart Refrigerant Management WASHINGTON — Yesterda [...]

Market-Fresh Cooking Demos

Love to shop at the farmers' market, and want to learn a new tip or recipe for cooking with all the great produce that is available this month? Join [...]

The Norwich Bookstore is the BOM!

Celebrate The Norwich Bookstore as the September Business of the Month! And as a founding Local First Alliance member, The Norwich Bookstore has been [...]

Vital Communities on NHPR’s “The Exchange”

Did you catch us recently on New Hampshire Public Radio's weekday call-in show "The Exchange"? Their 'Going Local' series explores the different regio [...]

Mascoma Bank is the BOM!

Celebrate Mascoma Bank as Business of the Month August 6-17 and support three nonprofits while you're at it! Mascoma Bank has put community first sin [...]

Power of Produce Clubs

Power of Produce Clubs are fun, free, and filled with fresh local food. Fourteen locations are hosting Power of Produce this summer. Visit our POP pa [...]

“Friend of the Market” Deals

The food is fresh, the market is fun, and the deal is sweet! Support Your Farmers' Market with the NEW Friend of the Market Card! Buy a Friend [...]

Farmers’ Markets are Truly Local

Download the printable area Farmers' Market Calendar! See a full online area market schedule here! Farmers' markets are truly local, and that's as tru [...]

Longevity & Commitment: Keynote Remarks from Heroes & Leaders 2018

Editor's Note: Many thanks to Kevin Peterson, Director of Economic Development for the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority, who offe [...]

Upcoming Events

	October 2018
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
	1 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Bethel Farmers' Market Bethel Farmers' Market October 1, 2018 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Bethel Band Shell Common See more details UV CRAFT- Luna Bleu Farm UV CRAFT- Luna Bleu Farm Starts: 5:00 pm Ends: October 1, 2018 - 7:00 pm Location: Luna Bleu Farm, 96 Boles Rd, South Royalton, VT 05068, USA Description: This event is not open to the public. Contact Nancy@VitalCommunities if you want to learn more about the CRAFT program. More details... • • •	2 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	3 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Woodstock Farmers' Market Woodstock Farmers' Market October 3, 2018 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Woodstock Farmers Market, 979 W Woodstock Rd, Woodstock, VT 05091, USA Details: https://www.woodstockvt.com/events/market-on-the-green See more details Hanover Area Farmers' Market Hanover Area Farmers' Market October 3, 2018 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm The Dartmouth Green, 1 E Wheelock St, Hanover, NH 03755, USA Details: http://www.hanoverchamber.org/hanover-area-farmers-market See more details West Hartford Farmers' Market West Hartford Farmers' Market October 3, 2018 @ 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm West Hartford Library See more details • • • •	4 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Royalton Farmers' Market Royalton Farmers' Market October 4, 2018 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm South Royalton (Green), Royalton, VT 05068, USA Details: https://www.facebook.com/Royaltonfarmersmarket/ See more details Can Accessory Dwelling Units Help Meet Our Region’s Housing Needs? Can Accessory Dwelling Units Help Meet Our Region’s Housing Needs? Starts: 4:00 pm Ends: October 4, 2018 - 6:00 pm Location: Kilton Public Library, 80 Main St, West Lebanon, NH 03784, USA Description: Can Accessory Dwelling Units Help Meet Our Region’s Housing Needs? Join Vital Communities and the City of Lebanon in welcoming ADU guru Kol Peterson for a presentation and discussion from 4 to 6 pm on Thursday, October 4, at the Kilton Library in West Lebanon This is a FREE event, but please register here. An accessory dwelling unit is a simple and old idea: having a second small dwelling right on the same grounds as (or attached to) your regular single-family house. An ADU can provide an affordable place for you or others to live, can be designed for your needs, and can provide rental income. Copies of Kol Peterson’s book Backdoor Revolution: The Definitive Guide to ADU Development can be purchased online for $10 (a 60% discount) and picked up at the event. This event is generously sponsored by AARP and presented by New Hampshire Housing, who has published a helpful Homeowner’s Guide to Accessory Dwelling Units to help you think through questions about ADU construction and ownership. The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development has also published a helpful brochure about ADU requirements, available here. More details... Feast & Field Market Feast & Field Market October 4, 2018 @ 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm 1544 Royalton Turnpike Road Barnard, Vermont, 05031 Details: http://feastandfield.com/ See more details • • • •	5 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Newport Farmers' Market Newport Farmers' Market October 5, 2018 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Newport Common, Newport, NH See more details • •	6 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Norwich Farmers' Market Norwich Farmers' Market October 6, 2018 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Norwich Farmers Market, 301 US Route 5, Norwich, VT 05055, USA Details: http://www.norwichfarmersmarket.org/ See more details Mt. Tom Farmers' Market Mt. Tom Farmers' Market October 6, 2018 @ 9:30 am - 12:30 pm Mount Tom, Mt Tom, Woodstock, VT 05091, USA Details: https://www.facebook.com/Mt-Tom-Farmers-Market-1034410693250229/ See more details • • •
7 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	8 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	9 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	10 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Leadership Upper Valley - Education Day Leadership Upper Valley - Education Day Starts: 8:00 am Ends: October 10, 2018 - 4:00 pm Location: Hartford Town Hall, 171 Bridge St, White River Junction, VT Description: This is a Vital Communities Leadership Upper Valley Class of 2019 event. If you'd like to apply for next year's LUV Class, please contact Rob Schultz at rob@vitalcommunities.org. LUV alumni are welcome at current year classes with advanced notice. Please contact Rob for details. More details... Woodstock Farmers' Market Woodstock Farmers' Market October 10, 2018 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm Woodstock Farmers Market, 979 W Woodstock Rd, Woodstock, VT 05091, USA Details: https://www.woodstockvt.com/events/market-on-the-green See more details Hanover Area Farmers' Market Hanover Area Farmers' Market October 10, 2018 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm The Dartmouth Green, 1 E Wheelock St, Hanover, NH 03755, USA Details: http://www.hanoverchamber.org/hanover-area-farmers-market See more details • • • •	11 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Feast & Field Market Feast & Field Market October 11, 2018 @ 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm 1544 Royalton Turnpike Road Barnard, Vermont, 05031 Details: http://feastandfield.com/ See more details • •	12 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	13 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Norwich Farmers' Market Norwich Farmers' Market October 13, 2018 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Norwich Farmers Market, 301 US Route 5, Norwich, VT 05055, USA Details: http://www.norwichfarmersmarket.org/ See more details Mt. Tom Farmers' Market Mt. Tom Farmers' Market October 13, 2018 @ 9:30 am - 12:30 pm Mount Tom, Mt Tom, Woodstock, VT 05091, USA Details: https://www.facebook.com/Mt-Tom-Farmers-Market-1034410693250229/ See more details Valley Quest Guided Cemetery Tour Valley Quest Guided Cemetery Tour Starts: 1:30 pm Ends: October 13, 2018 - 2:30 pm Location: Hartford Cemetery, Rt 14, White River Junction, VT, 05001 More details... • • • •
14 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	15 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	16 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	17 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Hanover Area Farmers' Market Hanover Area Farmers' Market October 17, 2018 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm The Dartmouth Green, 1 E Wheelock St, Hanover, NH 03755, USA Details: http://www.hanoverchamber.org/hanover-area-farmers-market See more details • •	18 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Feast & Field Market Feast & Field Market October 18, 2018 @ 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm 1544 Royalton Turnpike Road Barnard, Vermont, 05031 Details: http://feastandfield.com/ See more details • •	19 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	20 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Norwich Farmers' Market Norwich Farmers' Market October 20, 2018 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Norwich Farmers Market, 301 US Route 5, Norwich, VT 05055, USA Details: http://www.norwichfarmersmarket.org/ See more details • •
21 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	22 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	23 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	24 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	25 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... UVTMA Monthly Meeting UVTMA Monthly Meeting Starts: 4:00 pm Ends: October 25, 2018 - 5:30 pm Location: Lebanon City Hall, North Park Street, Lebanon, NH (unless otherwise noted) Description: We meet in the West Meeting Room, by the City Council Chambers. We typically NO NOT meet in August and December. More details... • •	26 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Fall Business Leaders Housing Breakfast Fall Business Leaders Housing Breakfast Starts: 7:30 am Ends: October 26, 2018 - 9:00 am Location: Fireside Inn & Suites West Lebanon, 25 Airport Rd, West Lebanon, NH 03784, USA Description: The Fall Business Leaders Housing Breakfast, co-hosted by Vital Communities and Twin Pines Housing, is being held on Friday, Oct 26, 2018 at the Fireside Inn in West Lebanon. Registration and a full breakfast buffet will begin at 7:30 am followed by presentations from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. A very special thank you to Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and Vermont Housing Finance Agency for sponsoring this important event! Dartmouth College geographer Garrett Dash Nelson will present the regional nature of our housing challenge and current possibilities for change. Vital Communities will be encouraging each attendee to participate in a local planning meeting in the next 3 months. You will also hear the latest on the Upper Valley home purchase and rental markets from Buff McLaughry of Four Seasons Sotheby's International Realty and Lynne LaBombard of Housing Solutions Real Estate. Come join us for the informative presentations and great networking opportunities that you have come to expect from this event! Please RSVP by Friday, Oct 19. While the breakfast is sponsored, a $10.00-$20.00 donation at the door to support Vital Communities’ housing program is encouraged. More details... • •	27 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Norwich Farmers' Market Norwich Farmers' Market October 27, 2018 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Norwich Farmers Market, 301 US Route 5, Norwich, VT 05055, USA Details: http://www.norwichfarmersmarket.org/ See more details • •
28 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	29 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •	30 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... Droughts & Downpours: Managing for Extremes Droughts & Downpours: Managing for Extremes Starts: 4:30 pm Ends: October 30, 2018 - 8:15 pm Location: Hypertherm Inc, 71 Heater Rd, Lebanon, NH 03766, USA Description: Join Vital Communities and the Upper Valley Adaptation Workgroup (UVAW) for a community conversation about how shifts in precipitation patterns are affecting the Upper Valley. Hear from regional planners about how these changes are already impacting towns, private citizens, and state-level management practices. Local practitioners will explain how managing for flooding can also help in times of drought. Attendees will tour Hypertherm’s innovative stormwater projects, get a chance for Q&A with the panelists, and learn how to put best practices into action. A light meal will be served. The event is FREE, but registration is required by October 25: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07efph7hne0d316a75&llr=7jf5uhcab More details... • •	31 LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores LFA Business of the Month: Co-op Food Stores Starts: 12:00 am Ends: October 31, 2018 - 11:59 pm Description: Celebrate the Co-op Food Stores as Business of the Month AND National Co-op Month all October. Mention Local First or thank the Co-op for all they do to support our community and SAVE 10% on your purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee in the bul department. Learn more. More details... •

Go to the Full Calendar

Our
Core
Values

About Us

Vital Communities’ agenda and programs emerge from, and are driven by, regional needs and community interests.

As a neutral convener, Vital Communities brings diverse people and organizations together to devise and implement collaborative solutions.

Vital Communities takes on issues where regional coordination and leadership can achieve results.

Greatest Hits

Starting or running a farm business can be all-consuming with tyranny of the urgent monopolizing your days, leaving little time to think about the big picture, review goals, or plan successful management strategies. Every farm ...more

2018 Farmer Celebration Mixer

Join us to celebrate the work we did together in 2018! Do your chores early, leave the spreadsheets behind, and come share some beer, crepes, and farm chat with fellow farmers as we celebrate the successful 2018 ...more

Donuts & Hogwarts: A Transit Travel Training Case Study

One thing a group of Millennial cartoonists doesn’t need is help using a smartphone app – especially an intuitive one that shows the real-time location of buses in the rural transit system, Advance Transit. No, ...more

Farmers' Market Roundtable

Join Vital Communities and NOFA VT for a Farmers' Market Roundtable November 7, 2018 from 4-7 pm at the Wilder Club & Library in Hartford, Vermont The roundtable is an opportunity to network, share market successes and challenges, gain ...more

Celebrate Co-op Month with the Co-op Food Stores!

Celebrate October as Co-op Month, Fair-Trade Month and Co-op Food Stores as the Business of the Month! Visit the Co-op Food Stores during the month of October and save 10% off purchase of Co-op Brand Coffee from ...more

The Norwich Bookstore is the BOM!

Celebrate The Norwich Bookstore as the September Business of the Month! And as a founding Local First Alliance member, The Norwich Bookstore has been and an anchor business in downtown Norwich providing the community with expert ...more

Bird and Quest

The Vermont Center for Ecostudies lists 382 species of bird that occur in Vermont, whether year-long resident or migratory visitor. The VCE’s Vermont Atlas of Life citizen science operation has recorded sightings of 332 of ...more

Mascoma Bank is the BOM!

Celebrate Mascoma Bank as Business of the Month August 6-17 and support three nonprofits while you're at it! Mascoma Bank has put community first since 1899 and as their way of celebrating being the BOM, Mascoma ...more

Lebanon Area Businesses - Join us on Sept. 27

So many small businesses in the Upper Valley are burdened with high energy costs. And not enough time to do anything about it! We've got some good news for you. A group of Lebanon residents are ...more

Subbasin Spotlight!

This year's Aquatic Adventure Super Quest showcases the 5 subbasins that make up the Upper Connecticut River Valley, or, more fondly, the Upper Valley. A subbasin is a term used to describe a watershed within a ...more

A Valley Side-Quest

While Questing is an absorbing hobby in its own right, it opens the door for a number of Side-Quests that you may find enrich the experience. One such Side-Quest is to collect data for any of a ...more

A Lot Lighter with More Hands: Leadership Upper Valley

On the bright, sunny morning of June 13, Cobb Hill was waking up, and the soon-to-be graduating 2018 Leadership Upper Valley class was just arriving for their final meeting. Before the ceremony at Harpoon Brewery, ...more

Buses are FREE Thursday for Dump the Pump Day!

Join people around the Upper Valley and nationwide and take the bus Thursday, June 21 for the 13th annual Dump the Pump Day. Stagecoach and Connecticut River Transit ("The Current") will be FARE-FREE. And Advance Transit ...more

Y'all Curbed the Car!

On Friday, May 18, the Upper Valley celebrated its newest holiday: Curb the Car Day. Riffing off National Bike to Work Day, Curb the Car Day embraces all forms of non-drive-alone commutes: biking, walking, taking transit, ...more

Longevity & Commitment: Keynote Remarks from Heroes & Leaders 2018

Editor's Note: Many thanks to Kevin Peterson, Director of Economic Development for the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority, who offered the keynote speech at our May 3 Heroes & Leaders celebration. Read his complete remarks ...more

Long-Standing Stewards: Heroes & Leaders 2018

Every spring, Leadership Upper Valley, a program of Vital Communities, hosts a Heroes & Leaders celebration to recognize individuals who make significant contributions to the greater Upper Valley region. This year, Heroes & Leaders is ...more

Get Stoked on Automated Wood Heat!

Boiler on its last legs? Looking to opt out of fossil fuels? Come learn about today's self-stoking automated wood heat! Opt out of oil with delivery of local wood pellets and whole home wood heating ...more

Weatherize Events in January

Weatherize Round Two kicks off this month across the Upper Valley region. What is Weatherize? Vital Communities partners community volunteer teams with local contractors to help Weatherize participants complete cost-effective home energy improvements. These upgrades save residents money on ...more

Vital Communities Staff

Tom Roberts

Executive Director

Tom Roberts joined Vital Communities as Executive Director in February 2015. A resident of Cobb Hill Cohousing in Hartland, Vermont, Tom has more than a decade of successful leadership experience in Upper Valley nonprofits, including as a Senior Philanthropic Advisor at the Vermont Community Foundation, and prior to that as Executive Director at the Ottauquechee Health Foundation in Woodstock. Before moving to the Upper Valley in 2002, Tom worked as an attorney both in a small litigation and government practice firm, and for the Homeless Advocacy Project with the Bar Association of San Francisco. He has worked in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors on issues of justice, housing, children, and healthcare. He holds a B.A. in English from Stanford University, a law degree from the University of California’s Boalt Hall School of Law, and is a graduate of the Vermont Leadership Institute.

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Sarah Brock

Energy Program Manager

Energy

Sarah Brock joined Vital Communities in 2013 as our Energy Program Manager. Through her work Sarah provides support for our region’s 40+ local energy committees, engaging with dozens of volunteers and clean energy businesses in programs like Solarize Upper Valley, Weatherize Upper Valley, and the Upper Valley Green Real Estate Network. Prior to joining the Vital Communities team, Sarah was an Environmental Philanthropy Associate with the High Meadows Fund, a supporting organization of the Vermont Community Foundation. Sarah now lives in Warner, New Hampshire, with her husband Zach and her chickens. When she's not busy advocating for energy efficiency, Sarah enjoys playing the trombone and taking walks in her backwoods to look for signs of New Hampshire's abundant wildlife.

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Rachel Darrow

Finance and Events Manager

Rachel Darrow joined Vital Communities in November 2016 after two years as Finance Manager of Opera North. Prior to moving to Lyme, N.H., she worked for more than eight years with the Greensboro Jewish Federation in Greensboro, N.C., most recently serving as Director of Finance and Human Resources. She graduated summa cum laude with a BA in English from the University of Maryland University College and an MA in Liberal Arts from St. John's College. Rachel currently serves on the United Way Campaign Cabinet, dances with The Raqs Salaam Dance Theater, and enjoys spending time with her three goats.

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Bethany Fleishman

Transportation Program Manager

Transportation

Bethany Fleishman was born at the old Mary Hitchcock hospital in Hanover, N.H., grew up in West Hartford, Vt., and now lives in Hartford Village, where she can see the White River and the trains from her window. She has a biology degree from St. Lawrence University and has worked in public health outreach, as a line cook in San Francisco, a pastry chef in Hanover, and as a member of the Town of Hartford Selectboard. She serves on the board of directors for both Advance Transit and Upper Valley CarShare and is a lifelong bike commuter.

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Lauren Griswold

Valley Quest and Volunteer Coordinator, Valley Food & Farm Program Assistant

Valley Quest Food & Farm

Lauren Griswold joined Vital Communities in May 2017 to coordinate Power of Produce (POP) clubs at Upper Valley farmers' markets and farmstands. In August 2017 she became our Valley Quest and Volunteer Coordinator, in addition to her role as the Valley Food & Farm Program Assistant. Lauren grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from the University of Vermont in 2011 with a Bachelor's degree in English and Environmental Studies. Her passion for sustainable agriculture took her out West, where she served as a garden educator in Bend, Oregon. After an enriching chapter in the high desert, Lauren is thrilled to be back in central Vermont. She is passionate about the rich communities and natural beauty of the Upper Valley, and enjoys engaging the next generation with wonder and enthusiasm about this special place. In her free time, Lauren can be found mountain biking, cross country skiing, gardening, knitting, and savoring meals with friends and family.

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Paige Heverly

Energy and Transportation Project Coordinator

Transportation Energy

Paige Heverly joined Vital Communities in 2017 as the Energy and Transportation Project Coordinator. Hailing from the suburbs of Philadelphia, she moved to Vermont in 2011 and earned a joint BA in Renewable Energy and Ecological Design and Environmental Studies from Green Mountain College. After completing her Master of Energy Regulation and Law from Vermont Law School, Paige worked in energy efficiency consulting in Portland, Oregon. Her love of local food systems, the White River, and the Green Mountains brought her back to the Upper Valley to work on regional issues with localized solutions. Paige is passionate about closing ecological loops and treating waste as food. In her free time, she enjoys baking homemade English muffins, weeding her garden, and writing letters to her pen pals.

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Mike Kiess

Workforce Housing Coordinator

Mike Kiess joined Vital Communities in July of 2018 as the Workforce Housing Coordinator, working to develop and strengthen workforce housing throughout the Upper Valley. Mike previously oversaw organizational development for Veteran Corps of America, a federal contractor in the field of emergency and disaster response. He moved to the Upper Valley in 2011 after years spent living and working across the US and abroad, serving as a Navy submarine officer aboard the USS Lewis and Clark, an administrative director for the United States Peace Corps, and as a project manager in the paper and steel businesses. Mike is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and holds an MBA from Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management. He lives in Thetford with his wife, who grew up in the area, and enjoys mountain biking, volunteering on the town Energy Committee, and encouraging people to try new things and do their best.

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Nancy LaRowe

Local First Manager and Valley Food & Farm Coordinator

Food & Farm

Nancy joined Vital Communities as the Valley Food & Farm Coordinator in 2014. She works to support and grow our local food system and economy. Nancy has lived, worked, and farmed in the Upper Valley for more than 25 years and believes our community is healthier and stronger when our connections to food and the farms that produce it stay vital.

Nancy's informal job title is Farmer-in-Residence: she also runs a pasture-based cattle farm in Norwich, Vt. Nancy is on the Board of the Norwich Farmers' Market, and a retired Norwich volunteer firefighter and EMT. She loves puttering in the garden, hiking with her dog, and visiting farmers' markets.

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Elyse Payson

Assistant to the Executive Director

Elyse Payson first became acquainted with Vital Communities after mistaking a Valley Quest treasure box for litter while out hiking. She joined the Vital Communities staff in July 2017 as Assistant to the Executive Director, with many years of administrative and management experience at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, MedU, and as a private consultant. A lifelong resident of the Upper Valley, Elyse enjoys hiking with her children, including on Valley Quests.

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Carole Petrillo

Bookkeeper and Office Manager

Carole Petrillo joined Vital Communities in 2013 as Bookkeeper, Office Manager, and Human Resource Manager. She is also a longtime yoga instructor and practitioner. Since arriving in Vermont in the 1980s, Carole has sought work and play where it contributes to services to lead a healthy lifestyle. Working at Vital Communities is a team effort to practice these goals in the workplace and in our community. Carole takes pleasure in contributing to make the office run smoothly and helping to support Vital Communities’ great programs. Carole grew up in Buffalo, N.Y., where she embraced winter – her favorite season. When not working, you can find her enjoying the adventures of skiing endless wooded trails with Jimmy, her partner and best friend. During all the other seasons, look for her on some mountaintop in the White Mountains or the Adirondack Mountains, her favorite playgrounds.

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Allison Rogers Furbish

Communications and Database Manager

Allison Rogers Furbish joined Vital Communities after a decade-long career in local journalism and public relations in the Upper Valley. A native of Lebanon, N.H., she has a BA in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic, an MBA in Sustainable Business from Green Mountain College, and a passion for telling stories that help make the community more sustainable and vibrant. She was the Founding Editor of The Lebanon Times, a hyperlocal newspaper launched in 2013 to cover the “good people, good places, and good things happening” in the city. She lives in Canaan, N.H., where she enjoys the sights and sounds of nature, explores the local trails and waterways, and is slowly learning to garden with her husband and two children. Outside of work, she loves to bake, eat, read, hike, ride her bike on the Northern Rail Trail (with kids in tow!), and spend time with her family.

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Beth Roy

Valley Food & Farm Manager

Food & Farm

Before joining Vital Communities, Beth Roy worked in the environmental and place-based education fields for 17 years in various positions around New England including at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science and as the Director of Education at the Nature Museum in Grafton, Vt. Beth is also on the boards of the Vermont Science Teacher Association (VSTA) and the Vermont State-Wide Environmental Education Programs (SWEEP), a coalition of dozens of individuals and organizations promoting sustainability and environmental education in Vermont. Beth is a New Hampshire native and lives in Hartland, Vt., with her husband and two children. When Beth is not working you will find her exploring the woods around her home with her family or cooking up a new taste test (made of local foods, of course!) for her children.

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Rob Schultz

Leadership Upper Valley Manager, Director of Development

Leadership UV

Rob Schultz is the Leadership Upper Valley Manager and Director of Development at Vital Communities. Most recently, he served as Area Coordinator for Granite United Way in the Upper Valley Region. Rob was Executive Director of COVER Home Repair in White River Junction for 9 years. Before working at COVER, Rob was Executive Director for the Farm & Wilderness Foundation for 8 years; helped start a corporate training center for PT Timah in Sumatra Indonesia; and ran programs for Outward Bound in Minnesota, Texas, and New Mexico. He is a graduate of Earlham College and has done graduate work at University of Maryland in International Political Economy. He lives in Hanover with his partner Diane. He sings with Thetford Chamber Singers and is an avid carpenter, cellist, wilderness traveler, and gardener.

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Becka Warren

Valley Food & Farm Communications Coordinator

Food & Farm

Part of Vital Communities' Valley Food & Farm team since 2012, Becka fosters relationships that keep agriculture a daily part of community life in the Upper Valley. She works with current and future farmers, businesses, schools, and partners across Vermont and New Hampshire to build connections that support farm viability and keep our landscapes working. Becka lived in Seattle for many years, where she worked for the Washington State University Small Farms Program, Cascade Harvest Coalition, Seattle Tilth, and area vegetable farms. Becka is also a writer, founding and writing Ask Umbra at gristmagazine.com until 2009. She holds a BA from Brown University and lives in Hartland, Vermont, with her family.

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October 2018

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Program NEWS

Vital Communities Staff

Tom Roberts

Sarah Brock

Rachel Darrow

Bethany Fleishman

Lauren Griswold

Paige Heverly

Mike Kiess

Nancy LaRowe

Elyse Payson

Carole Petrillo

Allison Rogers Furbish

Beth Roy

Rob Schultz

Becka Warren

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