Browse Ambrook’s collection of funding programs by Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB)

Apply online by choosing the type of advising you wish to receive below:
- Farm Business Application
- Food Business Application 
- Forest Business Application

Vermont Farm and Forest Viability Program

The Viability Program offers business planning and technical assistance to enterprises that keep Vermont's working landscape in production. These include: farm businesses of&#x2004;all sizes and sectors; food businesses that process, store, market, or distribute local agricultural products; and forest products businesses such as maple producers, consulting forestry firms, loggers, sawmills, craftspeople and wood manufacturers.

The Viability Program also offers ownership succession planning for all the business types listed above. Additionally, the program provides forestland ownership succession planning assistance to families who own forestland in Vermont. 

## Services

The Viability Program provides a range of services, from in-depth long-term business planning to short-term specialized assistance, including:

- Business Planning

- Enterprise Analysis

- Financial Record-keeping and Management

- Marketing and Sales

- Human Resources Management

- Management Coaching

- Retirement & Ownership Succession Planning


## How It Works

The Viability Program matches participants with advisers who have the specific skills to meet their needs. The Viability Program contracts these advisers to provide on-site, one-on-one, custom-tailored assistance for participants. Services are provided free of charge following a $75 enrollment fee. In some cases, if the scope of work is larger than what the program can cover, participants will need to contribute to the consultancy fees. Participants who have completed the program may also re-enroll in the Viability Program as their business evolves.


## Why Enroll?

After participating in the Viability Program, more than half of participants report a high level of strategic planning skills, and almost all participants exit the program with a clear vision for where their business is going. Participants routinely report they are able to place more energy on the quality of their work, and personally, half report that they find themselves satisfied with their ability to balance workload and family life. 



The Viability Program offers business planning and technical assistance to enterprises that keep Vermont's working landscape in production. These include: farm businesses of all sizes and sectors; food businesses that process, store, market, or distribute local agricultural products; and forest products businesses such as maple producers, consulting forestry firms, loggers, sawmills, craftspeople and wood manufacturers.
The Viability Program also offers ownership succession planning for all the business types listed above. Additionally, the program provides forestland ownership succession planning assistance to families who own forestland in Vermont. 
Services
The Viability Program provides a range of services, from in-depth long-term business planning to short-term specialized assistance, including:
- Business Planning
- Enterprise Analysis
- Financial Record-keeping and Management
- Marketing and Sales
- Human Resources Management
- Management Coaching
- Retirement & Ownership Succession Planning

How It Works
The Viability Program matches participants with advisers who have the specific skills to meet their needs. The Viability Program contracts these advisers to provide on-site, one-on-one, custom-tailored assistance for participants. Services are provided free of charge following a $75 enrollment fee. In some cases, if the scope of work is larger than what the program can cover, participants will need to contribute to the consultancy fees. Participants who have completed the program may also re-enroll in the Viability Program as their business evolves.

Why Enroll?
After participating in the Viability Program, more than half of participants report a high level of strategic planning skills, and almost all participants exit the program with a clear vision for where their business is going. Participants routinely report they are able to place more energy on the quality of their work, and personally, half report that they find themselves satisfied with their ability to balance workload and family life. 

The Viability Program's 1-on-1 business advising is open to farms, food businesses and forest products businesses of all types and sizes, so long as:
- the owner(s) is year-round Vermont resident, currently operating the business in Vermont,
- the owner(s) is actively involved in the day-to-day management of the business,
- the owner(s) has at least two years' experience managing the current business,
- the business has grossed at least $15,000 in the most recent tax year,
- for food businesses there is an added requirement that these businesses must be primarily involved in adding value to Vermont agricultural products, and
- for forest products businesses there is the added requirement that these businesses must be primarily involved in the harvesting, production, processing, storage, marketing, and/or distribution of local forest products.
The sole eligibility for forestland succession planning is that the participating family own forestland in Vermont.

A reduction or waiving of fees for meeting a certain criteria.

Discount

Forestry

Forest Residues

Timber

More Information by Business Type
- Farm Business Advising
- Forest Products Business Advising
- Food Systems Business Advising
- Forestland Ownership Succession Advising


Certification

Distribution

Diversification

Events

Trade Show

Trade Relief

Certified Organic

Legal & Finance

Historically Underserved

Transition

Marketing

All eligible applicants should have been contacted and received online application information already. If you have not been contacted or would like to discuss alternate methods of submitting your application, please be in touch with Betsy McGavisk by email (betsy@vhcb.org) or phone (802-828-5562)

Betsy McGavisk

When funding is available, Farm & Forest Viability Implementation Grants are available on a competitive basis to farm businesses that have completed an up-to-date business plan or transfer plan through the Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program to help implement specific goals of the business plans created through the program. 



The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program is available on a competitive basis to Viability Program clients who participated in the Viability Program in 2022 or 2023.

A lump sum of money for a specific purpose that does not need to be paid back.

Grant

Farmers Market

HVAC

Lighting

Repairs

Air Quality

Carbon Capture

High Tunnel

Landscape

Soil Health

Wildlife & Pollinator Habitat

Certified Grassfed

Cover Crops

Reduced Tillage

Food Systems

Infrastructure

Regenerative

Conservation

PDF Instructions & Application

If you need assistance with the financial documents requested in the application, there is support available through UVM Extension. Please contact Zac Smith at zachary.m.smith@uvm.edu or 802-656-7624 for more information.

VHCB staff will be hosting 3 informational sessions which will provide a brief overview of the program and provide an opportunity for Q&A. Register here:
    - Wednesday, December 3, 2025 – 1:00pm-2:00pm
    - Thursday, December 18, 2025 – 11:00am-12:00pm
    - Monday, January 5, 2025 – 12:00pm-1:00pm


The Viability Program provides grants of up to $40,000 to help Vermont farmers invest in water quality-related on-farm infrastructure. This year, the program is funded by Federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, but VHCB reserves the right to use other funding sources if necessary. All grantees will be required to comply with VHCB and Federal ARPA requirements.



Eligible Applicants
Any Vermont farm with a gross farm income of $15,000 or more that is required to comply with Vermont’s Required Agricultural Practices (RAPs). 
Eligible Projects
Projects to make on-farm capital improvements that also have direct, positive impacts on water quality are eligible for funding. The following types of projects have been funded in the past: 
- Construction, renovation, or upgrades to farm infrastructure.
- Purchase of equipment that will be used frequently; is essential to the business; cannot be rented; and leads to innovative farm practices. Note that applications for equipment must include a price quote.

Trees

Water Management

Awards require one-to-one matching funds, meaning that VHCB can only pay for up to 50% of a project’s total cost.
Match can be in the form of state or federal awards or in the form of farm cash, loans, or in-kind labor from the applicant. A match waiver may be requested in the application. Awards will be paid on a reimbursement basis upon the receipt of project invoices.

List of Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) Funding Opportunities