Vermont Council on Rural Development

St. Albans welcomed attendees from the Downtown Conference yesterday with open arms from beautiful Taylor Park to the surrounding buildings and businesses! Denise Smith, VCRD ED, spoke about this vibrancy during “St. Albans Story: Revitalization, Resilience, and Results” and Kaziah Haviland, Village Trust Initiative Director, moderated “Ground Truthing Before Breaking Ground: A Step-by-Step Pathway for Navigating Pre-development in Historic Reuse Projects.” Many thanks to The Preservation Trust of Vermont for hosting another great conference on historic preservation, community planning and downtown revitalization.

We'll be in Brandon tonight for the next step in the "Brandon: A Hub & Our Home" Community Visit at the Brandon Town Hall at 6pm. Come hear about ideas and opportunities shared by community members via surveys and forums in April, then vote on priorities for the town. Thanks to PEGTV for helping us broadcast tonight's meeting so anyone can attend/vote in person or on Zoom. Pizza, childcare and transportation available. Everyone is welcome! For more info, visit bit.ly/BrandonOurHome.

We're so excited to share the great work of our Climate Catalysts Innovation Fund recipients! COVER Home Repair of White River Junction has completed a solar set-up is complete for one trailer, which has already provided power for a roofing project! Conor Teal, who spearheaded the project for COVER, shows the trailer to Earl Simoneau of Enfield, NH at Upper Valley Earth Week last month.

Our innovation fund will be open for another round this fall. Check out https://www.vtrural.org/climate-economy/climate-catalysts-innovation-fund/ for more information. (photos courtesy of COVER Home Repair)

The weekend of June 4-5 is going to be huge in St. Albans! Check out these offerings from our partners:

The Downtown & Historic Preservation Conference is Vermont’s go-to gathering for people passionate about vibrant downtowns and preserving the places that make our communities unique. Connect with local leaders, community builders, and advocates at this energizing conference—share ideas, spark inspiration, and walk away with practical strategies to strengthen and revitalize the places we care about most, from housing and adaptive reuse to economic vitality and placemaking.
https://accd.vermont.gov/event/2026-downtown-and-historic-preservation-conference

On June 5th, learn and connect through workshops, panels, performances, and networking during the Creative Sector Convening. This year's theme is “Hands-On” — a reflection of how creatives come together: through the things we make, the skills we share, and the hands we extend to help our community. More information on panels, programs, and registration is here: https://www.vermontartscouncil.org/vermont-creative-network/connect/2026-creative-sector-convening/

Calling all Brandon community members! Come to the Brandon Town Hall on Wednesday, May 27th from 6:00-8:30pm for the next step in the “Brandon: A Hub & Our Home” Community Visit process. Through forums and surveys, community members have shared dozens of ideas for the future, and now is the time to discuss and vote on priorities for action. Free transportation, childcare, and pizza! For more information and hybrid options, visit bit.ly/BrandonOurHome

Over 150 Brandon community members shared ideas last Thursday about local issues from jobs and community resources to recreation and education. We are so grateful to the amazing planning team who did outreach and organized the dinner and space. Stay tuned for the next step on May 27th at the Brandon Town Hall! More info at bit.ly/BrandonOurHome

A new round of funding and support will soon be available to help a third cohort of small Vermont towns breathe new life into the historic buildings and shared spaces at the heart of their communities! Join The Preservation Trust of Vermont, The Vermont Community Foundation and VCRD for an informational session on June 17th at noon (applications will open on the same day). Community groups with a vision for their village that could be bolstered by this program are encouraged to attend. To register for the webinar, click https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Pg2Uuzg2Rg6oWN38ohuPow or visit vtrural.org/village-trust.

Last weekend, New Haven residents were able to sneak a peek inside of the old train depot with members from the New Haven Community Trust. A member of the Village Trust Initiative cohort, NHCT is engaging the community with a survey asking to imagine the future of the depot. Are you a New Haven resident or visit New Haven often? Share your thoughts here: https://forms.gle/fRhk2NntYm7W7LpG8 (and be eligible to win a prize!). NHCT will be at the depot again this Saturday from 8-noon, stop by to look inside!

Engaging your community can happen a lot of different ways! In West Fairlee, members of the West Fairlee Community Trust (WFCT) are talking with neighbors about community projects at the local transfer station. Share a cup of coffee and ideas!

WFCT is a member of the 2024 Village Trust Initiative cohort and they're doing fantastic engagement with their community. To learn more about their project at the former Bean Hall or get on their mailing list, email [email protected].

What does housing look like in your community? Kaziah Haviland, Village Trust Initiative Program Director, moderated the ‘Activating a Municipal Housing Committee’ panel at the VT Community Development Association’s spring conference today in Montpelier. It’s exciting to be in a room full of community members who are rolling up their sleeves while we learn and work alongside them!