VFN Breakfast Meeting | January 20, 2012
January 20, 2012 VFN Minutes
NEXT Meeting –> Friday, February 10 – Mark yer calendars!
Present: Robin Morris, Dotty Kyle, Eric Brattstrom, Nancy McHugh, Jordan Diez, David Sellers, Joshua Schwartz, Lisa Barnes, Wendy Cox, Jasna Brown, Rob Williams, Dave Benedict, Geri Procaccini, Teresa Langston, Ginny McGinn, Kathy Meyer, Don LaHaye, and Marge Keough.
VFN web site and listserve migration (Rob)
Thanks to CRAIG GOSS for all his tremendous hard work on building and hosting our VFN web site and list serves! Words do little to express how grateful we are for his pro bono citizen service. Craig is moving on, and Dan Holtz at “Footprints on the Web” has graciously agreed to take over our VFN web site and list serve responsibilities. We hope to have the migration complete by March 1. Any questions, contact Rob @ rob@vermontyak.com.
Mad River Food Hub Update (Robin and Josh)
GREAT celebration of our FOOD HUB opening this week! Kudos to Robin, Jacob, Kathy and the whole Food Hub team for their hard work. Moving forward–>Goal #1: How do we quickly build out ag programs like “Grow An Extra Row” in 2012 to meet the FOOD HUB’s goals? A small group has been formed to expedite the Food Hub’s vision. Goal #2: Pursuing USDA certification so we can process and sell more local food. Goal #3: Wastewater – we need a decentralized wastewater system for the Food Hub to succeed. Look to the bond vote for March town meeting. Let’s support our local businesses who are desperate for a new and improved wastewater system. Josh – “the #1 limiting factor to economic growth in MRV is our lack of a wastewater system.” Our new decentralized wastewater proposal is innovative – do your homework and learn more about how it will work and how it will be funded. Contact Joshua Schwartz
MRVPD Update – Planning Recovery in MRV (Josh)
EPA $80,000 federal grant (ANR, VtTrans, and Housing and Community) to identify policies to make communities more resilient in the face of climate change and natural disasters. Their focus is on Mad River Valley – a 12-18 month study to learn how to make communities more resilient. MRV is in the spotlight. An exciting opportunity for the MRV. For more questions, contact Joshua Schwartz
Theater/Performing Arts – MRV COOP idea (Teresa and Jasna)
Can the arts be harnessed as an “economic engine” for the MRV economy (like the Food Hub is beginning to do?) How do we harness the arts in this manner? This group is looking to create two entities – a 501c3 for a performance space, and an L3C to help incubate and fund new arts ideas, marketing, involvement from the broader business community, towns, citizens – serving the needs of the community. Why? We can develop the “middle ground” for performing arts here in the Valley, connecting professionals from “away” with professionals who live here, offer classes, arts opportunities, relationship building etc. Interested in getting involved? Contact Teresa Langston
Irene Flood Recovery HQ (Dottie)
We’re still working! HQ is open 4 days a week. Seeking volunteers with construction backgrounds and general “heavy lifting” (Trinity college students who are working weekly, for example). 6 houses closed for the winter, stripped to the bone. We also need “case workers” to help support families-in-need, suffering from PTSD.
Find out more and volunteer by calling HQ @ # 496.6089 or emailing dotty kyle @
Vermont Town Meeting “Corporate Personhood” Petition (Marge)
Our four Valley towns are working on a “Move To Amend – Corporations Are Not People” petition for town meeting day, introduced by Ginny Lyons in the Vermont State Legislature. The petitions are all signed and delivered in all four towns – ask your select boards to support a public discussion about this amendment on town meeting day. To get involved, contact Marge Keough
Vermont Hyper/Zip/Electric Car discussion (Wendy and Dave)
Local inventors/entrepreneurs Bill Parker, Don Mayer, Dave Sellers and others working on a prototype for a hyper-car and tram/transportation system – looking to “demo” a vehicle – either rail or wheeled – by year’s end. Look for monthly @BigPicture meetings to start exploring how to support/launch this idea in a feasible and sustainable manner. For more information, contact Wendy Allison Cox
Be the change,
Rob the Weaver