FY2009 Annual Report Project Descriptions

Central Vermont Community Action Council, Inc
PS: Post Start-Up Microenterprise Training .

Principal Investigator: J. Kolodinsky

Accomplishments & Outputs:
This project evaluates the implementation and outcomes of post start-up business training and technical assistance provided to low-income Vermont entrepreneurs by the statewide Vermont Micro Business Development Program (MBDP). The evaluation utilizes process and outcome strategies. The process component, collected primarily through qualitative data from staff, clients and project partners, examines project implementation to understand the effectiveness and efficiency of program activities and interventions such as client retention, training and technical assistance. The process results are used as a management tool for continuous program improvement and helps identify problems that occur, how they are addressed and recommendations for future implementation and replication by other MBD agencies. The outcome evaluation assesses the impact of the project interventions on microenterprise owners and their businesses. Data are collected through annual follow-up surveys. The outcome evaluation informs if and to what extent MBDP interventions produced desirable changes based on grant goals. This evaluation utilized mixed methods including qualitative and quantitative measures. Results have been shared through annual reports with project staff and partners and the CRS newsletter, Rural Developments. Two refereed presentations were also given at national conferences.

Outcomes & Impacts:
MBDP has surpassed the grant goal of 300 businesses supported over three years by 202% as 908 clients were provided services including technical assistance in financial management and credit repair, marketing assistance, loan application packaging, government and institutional contracts seminars, and other services designed to help businesses grow and create additional jobs. MBDP anticipated that 65 new jobs would be created, including 20 owner jobs and 45 additional jobs; this goal was also surpassed. MBDP helped 43 new owners start-up (33% start-up rate/81% survival rate) and 56 established owners stay in business (86% retention rate). Owners hired 70 FTE employees. Three quarters of clients surveyed gained access to capital through a lending source totaling $239,500.

Publications:
Kolodinsky, Jane and Erin Roche (2009). Objective Measures as a Predictor of Late Payments in High Risk Borrowers. International Journal of Consumer Studies: Special Issue on Housing. 33:5: pp591-95.

Schmidt, M.C, and J. Kolodinsky. (2008). Structural Equation Modeling. Using path analysis to evaluate multidimensional models: Developing a program success theory model for microenterprise development programs. [Abstract]. American Evaluation Association Annual Conference Proceedings. Denver, CO. November 2008.

Schmidt, M.C, and J. Kolodinsky. (2008). Entrepreneurship Session: The impact of access to alternative financing on the economic self-sufficiency of low-income microentrepreneurs. [Abstract] Consumer Interests Annual, 55.

Central Vermont Community Action Council, Inc
Local Agriculture Community Exchange (LACE) Project: A Private Sector Community Revitalization Project .

Principal Investigator: J. Kolodinsky

Accomplishments & Outputs:
This is an evaluation of the Local Agriculture Community Exchange (LACE) project, a community and downtown revitalization effort in Barre, VT through a public-private partnership. Process evaluation, documented through in-depth staff interviews, focuses on LACE development including renovation of a vacant storefront to establish the public enterprise, Farm Fresh Market and Cafe, and the nonprofit supported artisan Gallery and licensed, commercial grade community kitchen. Process evaluation also examines strategies to recruit and retain local vendors and quality of vendor support services provided. In documenting project development, this evaluation component helps staff identify challenges and strategies to resolve them and provides recommendations for mid-course corrections and future implementation. Outcome evaluation data, collected through vendor telephone interviews, documents changes in economic and social indicators such as increased sales, earned income and job creation as a result of access to a market and support services. Results have been shared through annual reports with project staff and partners and through the CRS newsletter, Rural Developments. A report was also published by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire as part of the Nancy Nye Fellowship that partially supported this project. The third and final year of this evaluation will continue to examine LACE development, partner collaboration, services provided to vendors, economic and social impacts of LACE on vendors and community kitchen users, and project sustainability beyond grant funds.

Outcomes & Impacts:
The replicable model at work through LACE is a multi-faceted approach similar community economic development, including 1) connecting local producers to consumers at a central storefront location, 2) supporting the business needs of local producers, 3) creating opportunities for individual growth, empowerment and income generation, 4) increasing community cohesion, and 5) supporting the local economy. A main economic development theory that LACE has successfully tapped include microenterprise development and business incubation and the use of vendor cooperatives to support the cost of shared space. Vendors have gained access to markets and resources to start and expand their business and product development and refinement, which has in part enabled them to expand into additional markets. Though revenue from product sales at LACE is not a sole source of income for vendors, micro business development enables artists and chefs with an opportunity to operationalize their skills and passion into important supplementary income, and perhaps one day, to expand into a thriving business. LACEs employment and workforce development program for Reach Up and Return House clients encompasses human resource development theory by providing underserved populations with workplace skills and experience to move onto other permanent employment. These training opportunities are critical in a community plagued with high unemployment and poverty rates. LACE also exemplifies a homegrown economy by purchasing local products wholesale, providing start-up entrepreneurs with business development assistance, incubation space and access to a market, and recirculating revenue by contracting Vermont businesses to renovate the physical space. LACE also subscribes to the more recent sustainable food retail movement that is occurring nationwide in impoverished and under served communities with declining family farms and agricultural based economies.

Publications:
Kolodinsky, J.M, Desisto, T.P. and M.C. Schmidt. (2009). Consumption patterns and demand for local food in Chittenden County, Vermont. [Abstract]. Consumer Interests Annual, 55. Cranwell-Schmidt, M. (September 2009). The Local Agricultural Community Exchange: A multi-faceted approach towards revitalization and economic development of a downtown community. Durham, NH: University of New Hampshire, The Carsey Institute.

Cooperative State Research, Education, & Extension Service/Department of Agriculture
Research and Outreach for Local Community Development and Entrepreneurship .

Principal Investigator: J. Kolodinsky

Accomplishments & Outputs:
Subcontracts have been signed and work is ongoing with the following projects: Vermont Council on Rural Development - a project to support and explore community-level solutions for rural broadband and fiber-optic telecommunications. Vermont Center for Geographic Information - a project to ensure the dissemination and informed use of indicators and information on rural communities in Vermont. Addison County Regional Planning Commission - updating a build-out software package for local community planning efforts. Vermont Food Venture Center has completed the work under their subcontract, holding two rounds of the Recipe to Market and Selling Skills workshops in 2008 and 2009. These workshops covered aspects of starting or expanding a value-added or specialty food business and of bringing product to market. The total workshop attendance was 86 food entrepreneurs. The VT FEED program has concluded its subcontract work from July 2008 to June 2009, raising awareness about healthy food, good nutrition and the role that Vermont farms and farmers play in our communities through farm-to-school initiatives. During this period, VT FEED provided approximately 700 hours of direct, on-site technical assistance and significant consultation to reach 60 schools, 27 food service directors, 43 teachers, affecting approximately 17,500 students. More than 20 teachers were directly connected with farms through VT FEED and partner work during this period. An additional 42 teachers have been exposed to VT FEED curriculum units during this period, which will affect, conservatively, 800 students in the classroom. More than 30 small family farms in Vermont benefitted by developing new purchasing arrangements with one or more schools during the period. Work to provide Census Bureau data outreach to Vermont data users has begun with workshops and presentations, and planning has begun on a beta community profile serving up the new American Community Survey data at the Vermont Indicators Online website.

Outcomes & Impacts:
Findings from the VT Feed subcontract work: Based on a food service survey conducted by VT FEED, more than 95 percent of respondents stated they would like to serve more local foods to their students. Survey results also showed that the primary reasons for wanting to connect students with farmers are to improve student health and healthy decision-making around food, to increase student awareness about the farm heritage in their region, and to increase student knowledge about where their food is produced. Data emerging from this survey also showed that socio-economic factors for school students did not affect the likelihood that schools used local foods in school meals. Nearly all of the eleven schools receiving funding from the state to develop farm to school programs also reported holding quarterly to monthly taste tests for students and added new menu items to their school lunch menus. Farm survey results showed that the primary reasons farmers stated they worked with schools were because it was such a winning situation for all, it is part of their mission, the school or farm is on an existing delivery route, they believe in education children about where their food is produced, and it is easy. This preliminary survey indicates that there has been an increase of somewhere between 10 to 20% increase per year, in the number of new farms participating in the farm to school market each year over the past five years. Findings from Food Venture Center workshop subcontract: For the two sets of workshop a simple Survey Monkey survey was e-mailed to all participants and we had 20 returned, a 37% return rate. All but one of the respondents was highly or somewhat satisfied with the program material, the sole "somewhat disappointed," had suggestions and comments on the presenting style of the two speakers. Most other comments were highly positive. The survey results confirm what we felt intuitively, that the first day session, Recipe to Market is overloaded with content that makes good interaction difficult while the Selling Skills on Day 2 is more interactive in nature. In addition, people, through comments at the session and in the survey are looking for more technical information on the food science and regulatory pieces. When we offer these again, we will move some of the Day 1 material to Day 2 to free up more time for the technical piece and for more interaction.

Publications:
Kolodinsky, J., Travis Reynolds , Mark Cannella , David Timmons, and Daniel Bromberg (2009). U.S. Consumer Demand for Restaurant Calorie Information: Targeting Demographic and Behavioral Segments in Labeling Initiatives. American Journal of Health Promotion. Sept/Oct 2009, V24, I1, 11

D Baker, Kolodinsky, J, C. Koliba, N. McMahon, T Patterson, (in press). Moving Toward a Transdisciplinary Approach in the Land Grant System. NACTA Journal.

New England Nursery Association, Inc.
Economic Impact Survey .

Principal Investigator: L. Perry

Accomplishments & Outputs:
This project updated data from a similar survey 3 years ago on the size, scope, economic conditions, and concerns of the entire environmental horticulture industry of New England. The survey was completed in fall 2008, with results compiled thereafter and distributed in a report, at the New England Grows 2009 meeting in a presentation, and on the internet.

Outcomes & Impacts:
The survey was completed in fall 2008, with results indicated the industry grew slightly to a value of $4.7 billion. Over 11,900 firms in the region employ an estimated 156,000. Half of firms sell plants grown totally or at last partially by them, comprising 60percent of total plant sale income. The industry is diverse, with over half the firms involved in two or more types of green industry businesses. The largest sector is landscape and tree services. All state industry, and regional, industry associations that funded this project benefit, as will their members individually. and is felt crucial by the industry leadership, and is being used extensively by them from group efforts such as lobbying to individual efforts such as business plans. The result is more businesses able to get loans, more students entering study in this field and employment, funding for positions in this field, and similar industry impacts. The most recent impact is the use of this survey as a model for a survey by the Assn. of Professional Landscape Designers.

Publications:
Perry, L. and L.B. Stack. 2009. New England Environmental Horticulture Economic Impact Survey, 2009. New England Grows, Boston. (http://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/nesurvey/index.htm)

Hatch
Where Does Vermont Milk Go? Examining Distribution of Vermont Milk From Transportation and Economics Perspective.

Principal Investigator: C. Liang

Accomplishments & Outputs:
The purpose of this study is to identify the market paths for Vermont dairy products between farms, processors, wholesale, and retail outlets. Most of the Vermont milk go to coops for processing, and some farmers sell to local individual processors. There are many issues related to the transportation and marketing for Vermont dairy products, such as distances to markets, transportation costs, distances to service providers and lack of infrastructure in many remote areas. Reports and fact sheets have been shared with government agencies, farmers, processors, and other community organizations. The goal is to assist farmers to understand options to plan strategically when it comes to balancing between production and distribution/marketing. The next step is to figure out costs/benefits associated with market options and whether farmers could be flexible in production and management to improve farm profits.

Outcomes & Impacts:
Policy makers and farmers directly benefit from this study by learning more about the milk market paths. Local organizations could work with farmers to identify new strategies when it comes to improving farm profitability. As consumer prices get higher and producer prices get lower, dairy producers need new information to 'think outside the box'. Most of the time, the 'box' for dairy producers is defined by milk distribution and distances relative to the processors.

Publications:
Liang, C. (2009), Marketing Strategies in Agri-Tourism: A Comparative Study between Vermont and the Common Wealth of Massachusetts, Report, The University of Vermont and Vermont Farms Association.

Michahelles, M. & Liang, C. (2009). You Are Where You Eat: The Role of Consumer Co-ops in Local Food Distribution, Natural Farmer, Vol. 2, No. 82, pp. 1-5.

Liang, K., Dunn, P. (2009) Entrepreneurial Couples in New Venture Creation: Reflections on Expectations, Reality, and Family Relationships. International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 165-183.

Liang, K., Dunn, J. (2008). Are Entrepreneurs Optimistic, Realistic, Both or Fuzzy?. Academy of Entrepreneurship, 14(1 & 2), 51-76. Dunn, J., Short, L., Liang, K. (2008). Human Resource Management in Small Businesses: Does Size Matter? Small Business Institute Journal, SBIJ Vol. 2, pp. 1-22 (Also available on-line: http://sbaer.uca.edu/sbij_2008_v2.pdf)

Liang, C. and Dunn, P. (2008). Exploring the Myths of Optimism and Realism in Entrepreneurship Related to Expectations and Outcomes. Journal of Business and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 20, No. 1, March, Pages 1-17.

Hatch
Robustness of Agricultural Freight Transportation Networks Serving Vermont.

Principal Investigator: J. Smith

Accomplishments & Outputs:
The discovery of a highly contagious disease--such as foot-and-mouth disease--anywhere in the US would severely impact dairy producers in Vermont. To effectively mitigate and prepare for such an event, producers and emergency management must raise their awareness and understanding of the contacts linking one farm to another and the associated levels of biosecurity risk. In this project, simulation modeling of contact networks and associated risks will be used to demonstrate the risk profile of a subset of dairy herds. Three service personnel who travel farm to farm have traced their routes over time using a passive geo-datalogger. An appropriate framework for modeling this data is under investigation.

Outcomes & Impacts:
The contact networks that have been mapped clearly show that disease control zones of only six miles radius are inadequate to account for distances among farms sharing service personnel who have close contact with cattle. This information is supporting outreach and planning activities whereby the private sector, in coordination with state agencies, will develop plans to enable biosecure movement of milk and feed in a bio-disaster like foot-and-mouth disease. Such planning is vital to protect the 0.5 billion dollar livestock industry and 1.5 billion dollar tourism industry in Vermont.

Hatch
Economic feasibility and market potentials for oilseed and farm-scale biodiesel production in Vermont .

Principal Investigator: Q. Wang

Accomplishments & Outputs:
The overall goal of this project is to analyze the economic feasibility and market potentials for farm-scale oilseed and biodiesel production in Vermont with a focus on the demand factors and provide information and recommendations to farmers, entrepreneurs, policymakers and communities. In this first year of the project, the research team has completed a comprehensive literature review, presented one paper at a conference, and a MS thesis related to this project.

Outcomes & Impacts:
Preliminary results from this study include (1) estimation of production costs for soybeans, sunflowers, and canola based on farm trials conducted by University of Vermont Extension in comparison with data from New Hampshire and Maine, (2) an economic feasibility analysis of biodiesel and livestock meal production based on data from Vermont and other states, (3) results from a simulation model for different scales of biodiesel processing operations, and (4) recommendations for farmers, policymakers and entrepreneurs who are interested in oilseed and biodiesel production. The significance of this research lies in two major areas. First, this study provides much-needed technical information to farmers and entrepreneurs who are considering growing biodiesel feedstocks, processing oilseeds, or producing biodiesel as enterprises. Second, the findings of this research will improve the understanding of what role local oilseed and biodiesel production could play in a sustainable and independent energy future and in reducing costs of production and improving viability for farms in Vermont and other states.

Publications:
Wang, Q., E. Stebbins, and R. Parsons. Technical and economic feasibility of oilseed and biodiesel production in the Northeast: Evidence from Vermont. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review. 2009. Abstract.

Stebbins, E. Technical and economic feasibility of biodiesel production in Vermont: Evidence from a farm-scale study and a commercial-scale simulation analysis. MS thesis. University of Vermont. 2008.

Cooperative State Research, Education, & Extension Service/Department of Agriculture
Environmentally Safe Products .

Principal Investigator: M. Vayda

Accomplishments & Outputs:
This project resulted in the design and development of several possible new product applications. These include: 1. The use of the cheese by-product whey for production of biodegradable plastics. Lactose and whey proteins in cheese whey are the two major components that impose environmental pollution. Biodegradable poly-L-lactic acidwas produced efficiently by fermentation. 2. The protein fraction of whey as the basis for a child-safe glue for paper and other light wood applications. Both of these products are currently under investigation for scale up studies in partnership with potential commercial partners. 3. Steel slag waste was optimized for use in a filter device to remove dissolved phosphorus from waste water. Findings: The research on dairy effluent treatment in several independent pilot scale projects has shown that steel slag filters are able to achieve 75-99% dissolved reactive phosphorus reduction from mixed dairy barnyard runoff and milk parlor effluent over prolonged periods of time (300-850 days); 75% DRP and 73% total suspended solids reduction from high strength milk parlor effluent when operating at subzero temperatures; and 90% to nearly 100% reduction in E. coli over 450 days from dairy effluent. 4. A new "check-valve" tap was designed for increasing yield of maple syrup without damaging maple trees. The initial design was tested in the 2008 sugaring season. The check-valve system provided 28% more yield than standard vacuum tube collection.

Outcomes & Impacts:
This project developed several new innovative product lines that either: a) reduce impacts of waste materials, b) develop a sound and safe product that increases output per unit, c) replaces a toxic product, or d) solves an environmental problem. These efforts benefit the environment, benefit the consumer, and provide an economic opportunity for private sector companies in Vermont.

Publications:
Gao, Y. and M.R. Guo. 2008. L-lactic acid production by batch fermentation of whey permeate using L. casei and L. lactis. China Dairy Industry 36(3): 4-9.

Chen, X., Y. L. Gao, L. H. Zhou, and M. R. Guo. 2009. Development and functionalities of milk protein-based paper glue. J. Dairy Sci. Vol. 92, E-Suppl. 1 361.

Drizo, A. (2008). Steel Slag versus other industrial by-products: overview and recommendations. EPA Region 3 Water Division Headquarters, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 18th, 2008.

Drizo, A., Cummings, J., Weber, D., Twohig, E., Druschel, G. and Bourke, B. (2008). New Evidence for Rejuvenation of Phosphorus Retention Capacity in EAF Steel Slag. Environmental Science and Technology 36, 4642-4648.

Lee, M., Drizo, A., Rizzo, D., Druschel, G., Hayden, N. and Twohig, T. (2008). Treating high BOD and Phosphorus concentrated dairy effluent with pilot-scale hybrid and integrated constructed wetlands. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Constructed Wetlands for Water Pollution Control, to be held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India November 1-7th 2008.

Drizo, A. and Picard, H. (2008). (WO/2008/042768) System and Method for Removing Phosphorus from Non-point Pollution Sources.

Cooperative State Research, Education, & Extension Service/Department of Agriculture
Environmentally Safe Products, Vermont Project at University of Vermont and State Agricultural College .

Principal Investigator: M. Vayda

Accomplishments & Outputs:
This project was just initiated within the past month. The purpose is to assess the several formulations using polymerized whey protein as an effective adhesive for use in wood composite materials. Scale up testing of the various formulations will be prepared during this year and the composite materials will be compared with commercial resins for bonding strength, durability, moisture resistance, mold-resistance, and volatile emissions.

Outcomes & Impacts:
We anticipate that this project will result in an environmentally safe commercial product suitable for replacing urea-formaldehyde and resourcinol-formaldehyde resins in production of wood composite materials.

Cooperative State Research, Education, & Extension Service/Department of Agriculture
Community Development Resources and Food System Research in Vermont .

Principal Investigator: J. Kolodinsky

Accomplishments & Outputs:
This project will staff and support a new on- and off-campus Food System Research Collaborative and develop tools for sharing research and information. This project will continue and evaluate specialized workshops for introducing Vermont farmers to the opportunities and challenges represented by e-commerce. It will also explore the provision of further post-workshop technical assistance and integration into existing farm business curricula. This project will support workshops by the Vermont Food Venture Center for local entrepreneurs in aspects of starting or expanding a value-added or specialty food business and of bringing product to market. This project will support the VT FEED program in raising awareness about healthy food, good nutrition and the role that Vermont farms and farmers play in our communities; and in rebuilding local food systems by linking school classrooms, cafeterias, local farms, and communities. This project will leverage a local Vermont products store to provide technical assistance to entrepreneurs in the fields of product marketing and promotion, business plan/expansion research and modeling, and financial analysis. This project will collaborate with the Vermont Center for Geographic Information on resources to ensure the dissemination and informed use of indicators and information on rural communities in Vermont. This project will support the Center for Rural Studies' role as Vermont's liaison with the U.S. Census Bureau through the State Data Center program, including technical assistance and outreach to data users and the representation of Vermont's needs to Bureau staff and programs. This project will support participation and activities in the Vermont Land Use Education and Training Collaborative, which brings together organizations involved in education and technical assistance for local land use officials in Vermont. This project will contribute to the Vermont Law School in a collaborative project to develop a series of teaching modules for a curriculum on development review for local land use officials in Vermont. This project will contribute to the Vermont Council on Rural Development Community Visit Program, an intensive and thorough community prioritization and capacity-building program.

Outcomes & Impacts:
Funding for this project began in August of 2009. There are no accomplishments to report at this time.

Blue Moon Fund
Blue Moon Fund .

Principal Investigator: A. Moulaert

Accomplishments & Outputs:
Technological, Institutional and Conceptual Solutions for the Sustainable Development of the Terraba-Sierpe Mangrove of Costa Rica By: Azur Moulaert, Community Development and Applied Economics, University of Vermont A southbound drive along the Pacific coastline of Costa Rica reveals the rapid spread of mass sun and sea tourism, with all the problems it brings. High-rise hotels sprout everywhere; billboards for American real estate firms litter the roadside; illegal developments abound; roads carved through forested mountainsides collapse blocking rivers; runoff from new construction loads mangrove estuaries with so much sediment that navigation is no longer possible. The area is clearly under siege. The protected area of the Terraba-Sierpe (TS) mangrove forest presently marks the end of the development boom and the start of the Osa peninsula, one of Costa Rica's best preserved wilderness areas, boasting one of the planet's greatest concentrations of biodiversity. The TS mangrove forest, the largest on the pacific coast of Central America, is a keystone ecosystem within this complex system. What has so far protected this area from runaway development is its difficult access. The government however is currently planning to build the largest airport in Central America, capable of landing 2000 tourists a day; there are plans for many traditional marinas; the Pan-American highway is slowly yet moving forward and a massive power plant looms in the horizon. Many fear that uncontrolled growth will lead to the same ecological, social and economic problems currently confronting other places . On the other hand some consider it a blessing and believe this high carbon development will bring needed jobs to the region. What no one seemed to discuss is the problem of building the intensely fossil-fuel dependent infrastructure at the very time that rising oil prices and accompanying global recession may make such infrastructure obsolete. Some well-informed people believe that the airport is inevitable, while others doubt it will be built in their lifetimes. Should Costa Rica build a world-class airport in the TS region? Will the airport prove an economic success in today's precarious global economy? What will be the ecological and social costs? What are the alternatives? In a complex ecological economic system, it is extremely difficult to answer such questions, and impossible to answer them definitively, yet it is imperative to try. To address these questions the Community Development and Applied Economics Department and the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics at the University of Vermont (UVM) received a two year grant from the Bluemoon Fund to work in the TS mangroves of Costa Rica. Local experts Bernardo Aguilar from Fundacion Neotropica, Eduard Muller from the Escuela Latinoamericana de Areas Protegidas and Helena Molina from the University of Costa Rica will work with David Batker from Earth Economics, and Robert Costanza, Joshua Farley and Azur Moulaert from UVM.

Outcomes & Impacts:
In August 2008 UVM launched the ECOTICOS Project (Education, Communication, Technical, Institutional and Conceptual Solutions) whose primary goal is to identify the threats, examples, and opportunities to promote the sustainable development of the Terraba-Sierpe Wetlands. How then should Costa Rica proceed, and how can the ECOTICOS Project help Costa Rica choose the right path? The work of Donella Meadows, one of the world's leading systems thinkers, can give us some insights. In one of her more relevant works "Limits to Growth" , Meadows identified twelve leverage points for changing complex systems, the ECOTICOS Project groups them into a new development framework entitled Technical, Institutional and Conceptual Solutions and proposes that to promote sustainable development it is imperative to work within and across all three levels of this framework. Throughout 2011 the ECOTICOS Project will focus on moving three critical levers: (1) The Technical lever: over the course of the project a series of Google Earth maps will be generated to capture the good, the bad, the ugly and most importantly the possible. This is being done with a combination of site visits, recognizance flights, personal interviews and on the ground training. An online gallery will be made public for every resident or visitor to share their images or videos empowering them to become better stewards of the land and sea. (2) The Institutional Lever: during this first stage of the project to community at large meetings will be convened to capture their views on what they see and would like to see across their landscape. These meetings will allow fine tuning both a Ecosystem Services Valuation Exercise and a Multi-criteria Analysis. (3) The Conceptual Lever: during the initial phase of this project efforts will be made towards the development of a baseline to assess both water quality and the current status of fisheries habitat. Even though there is no silver bullet for assessing threats to sustainable development the measuring and monitoring both of these variables will provide a good measure of ecosystem health in order to prioritize future restoration practices. Embedded in these three levers are the two most important pieces of the puzzle: Education and Communication. A series of trainings ranging from green mapping, photojournalism, storytelling and bio-monitoring are in the making. The ECOTICOS Project will plan a series of press releases and media campaigns to showcase the results of this project towards the fall - well in Costa Rica the rainy season - of 2010. More information can be found at: http://www.uvm.edu/cdae/ecoticos

Cooperative State Research, Education, & Extension Service/Department of Agriculture
Rural Agricultural Entrepreneurship: Research and Resources .

Principal Investigator: F. Schmidt

Accomplishments & Outputs:
A survey of more than 400 Vermont farmers on local land use issues and pressures was conducted, and analysis was completed with publications pending. Financial support for community processes toward rural broadband solutions funded activities in more than 50 communities. In 2006 alone, the broadband project distributed over 6,000 Broadband Interest surveys and recorded nearly 1,700 requests for broadband. The broadband project maintains a database of over 4,800 households and businesses across the state that want broadband, and information on new broadband services is regularly distributed. This project supported fifteen fledging farming operations over three years of a farm business incubation program. A study of the feasibility of a local food e-commerce portal was completed. A March 2009 workshop on e-commerce and the Internet for woman farmers was attended by 12 participants representing a wide range of businesses, including diversified family farms, agritourism, fiber, farm cheese and specialty food, and equestrian education. Updates, enhancements and maintenance were performed to the Center for Rural Studies' "flagship" data website Vermont Indicators Online at http://crs.uvm.edu/indicators. During the project period, website visits totaled 24,000, with 60,000 page and file accesses. Updates and maintenance were performed to the Vermont Housing Data website at www.housingdata.org. Under its Census Bureau State Data Center status, CRS updated the Census Bureau's records of group quarters locations in Vermont for the first time since the 2000 Census. The VT SDC also held workshops on the 2010 Census, attended by more than 50 local officials and Vermont data-users. The Vermont SDC website at http://crs.uvm.edu/census received 24,000 visits and 177,000 page and file accesses during this project period. More than 100 local officials attended workshops on municipal data security during the project period. CRS staff continued to provide leadership on the Vermont Land Use Education and Training Collaborative. Updates, enhancements and maintenance were performed for the Vermont Planning Information Center (VPIC) at www.vpic.info, which is a widely-used clearinghouse of information for municipal land use officials. VPIC totaled 31,000 visits and 195,000 page and file accesses during this project period. CRS began a community-based participatory research partnership with Smart Growth Vermont to determine indicators of health for Vermont downtowns, including food systems and regional landscape data. More than 230 general data requests were fulfilled for Vermont data-users.

Outcomes & Impacts:
Among other findings, the local farm land use survey found that farmers' decisions to purchase or sell their land are significantly linked to their perceptions of development pressure and local boards' support for agricultural operations. Slightly more than a third of respondents said they felt some pressure to sell or develop their land. Farmers' feelings of pressure to sell increased as the level of development around their farms increased. Meanwhile, 18.9 percent said they felt pressure from neighbors to change the way their farm operates. Almost 80 percent of respondents said their local boards had some degree of understanding of agricultural issues and support for agricultural operations. About 10 percent of respondents said their local boards had no understanding of agricultural issues or support for agricultural operations. The 15 farming operations supported via the Intervale Center farm incubation program reported an increase in average net farm income from $18,472.77 to $21,196.16 from 2007 to 2008. The farms employed a total of 56 people in 2008. Six of the farms sold their products through community-supported agriculture (CSAs), 9 sold to cooperatives and natural food stores in Chittenden County, Vermont, and only 4 farms reported sales outside the county. Many of those 50 communities served by the community broadband project now have broadband services or are working with other towns to aggregate their demand and explore common solutions, such as adding fiber to home systems like the Burlington Telecom model. A feasibility study for an e-commerce portal for the Vermont Fresh Network found that farmers and chefs were receptive to the idea of an online method to list, find and buy products and fresh produce they currently purchase. Farmers thought that maintaining an accurate inventory of products in an online system would be a very difficult task, because of seasonality, crop success, weather and other factors. Some suggested that 'always available' could be shown for certain products or an expiry date could be provided when limited quantities or a seasonal crop were involved. Credit card purchases are rare today between Vermont chefs and farmers. Any system should support the basic business transaction tools using email and/or phone messaging as a notification method for order and shipping confirmation. Farmers and chefs are eager to help design, specify and test an e-commerce portal. All the participants in the e-commerce workshops for famers said the workshop met their expectations. They praised the depth of the sessions and practical applications and said the workshop provided many good ideas. Participants said the workshop helped expose them to new opportunities, opened their eyes as to the features available on the Internet, and increased their understanding of how to analyze the effectiveness of a site and analyze the online community.

Hatch
Locally grown food: Consumer preference, retailer attitudes and marketing strategies .

Principal Investigator: Q. Wang

Accomplishments & Outputs:
The overall goal of this project is to analyze the potentials and obstacles for increasing sales of local food through direct marketing channels in Vermont and provide information and recommendations for enhancing the local food efforts. In this final year of the project, we have published two articles: one presented findings from a conjoint study on consumer valuation of major attributes of fresh apples (production method, price, certification, and product origin) and the trade-offs between price and other attributes, and the second article used the 2007 USDA Census of Agriculture data and regression analysis to identify major factors associated with direct food sales across states and counties in the U.S.

Outcomes & Impacts:
The conjoint study based on data from 382 respondents or 3056 observations in the state of Vermont suggest that there is likely a significant niche market for locally grown organic apples, and many consumers, especially people who had purchased organic food, are willing to pay significantly more for organic apples produced locally and certified by the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA). This study also suggests that there are significant differences in preferences between respondents who had purchased organic food and respondents who had not purchased organic food, although both groups showed a strong preference and willingness to pay for locally grown apples as compared to apples from other regions. The second article used the 2007 USDA Census of Agriculture data and regression analysis to identify major factors associated with direct food sales across states and counties. Four variables, average farm size, population density, region, and available farmland, together explain most of the variation in direct food sales across states. Household income and type of farming are also significant explanatory factors at the county level.

Publications:
Wang, Q., J. Sun and R. Parsons. Consumer preferences and willingness to pay for locally grown organic apples: Evidence from a conjoint study. HortScience. 2009.

Timmons, D. and Q. Wang. Direct food sales in the United States: Evidence from state and county-level data. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture. 2009.