I have been very supportive of this bill from when I first heard it discussed on WDEV’s The Mark Johnson Show, a radio program and station I listen to a great deal and find to be very in touch with Vermonters of all walks of life. I thought I would share a letter-to-the-editor I wrote in support of the bill which was published in The Charlotte News on April 22, 2012 and can also be found on the Vermont Council on Rural Development’s website.

Thank you Mike Yantachka for voting in favor of the Working Lands Enterprise Investment Bill (H.496). Charlotte is blessed with some of the most fertile land in all of Vermont. Before moving to Charlotte in 2008, I gardened in a small lot at my apartment in Burlington’s North End for 8 years, producing a small but delightful selection of veggies and herbs. Moving to a rental property in East Charlotte I was mesmerized at the soil, south facing exposure, and opportunity for so much more than toiling in the soiled North End. The past four years in Charlotte have turned my hobby of gardening into a career goal of homesteading. The first year the tomato and pepper crops were turned into 12 quarts of tomato sauce and 20 quarts of salsa, following years offered juicy cantaloupes and tasty celery – two vegetables I never thought I would be able to grow. And last year we timed and mass produced 75% of the produce for our 120 person wedding and 50% of the flowers.

As I come to a crossroads in operating my public relations business out of my rented home, I look at the reality of agriculture in Vermont, the cost of living in a place like Charlotte, and the growing divide between those with money and those without. There are many younger Vermonters like myself who have the drive, physical skill, growing agricultural knowledge, and marketing power from day jobs like PR/marketing/social media consulting to really make a go of working the land with a strong chance of being successful. But, unless we have a trust fund behind us, the financial reality of Vermont agricultural costs halts potential situations.

Mike Yantachka and the vast majority of the Vermont House (131-5) approved $2 million in funding for the first year of the Working Lands Enterprise Investment Bill (H.496) which acknowledges the challenges with the current financing system and recognizes the strength forest and farm based entrepreneurs source to the local economy. I write this letter in hopes that the Senate will support that funding so people like myself can help move agricultural systems forward and to keep Vermont’s working landscape a working one.

More information can be found at www.vtworkinglands.org.

Please join me online Wednesday, May 2, 2012 from 1-2 pm for this social media strategy webinar targeted to farmers, foresters, and farm-based educators. If your business supports your local working landscape, this webinar could be useful in both your marketing and customer service areas…

Facebook…Twitter…Linked In…Four Square…. They can be effective ways to connect with your community….Or they can be a huge waste of your time and energy. How can you use social media to build a supportive community online and in-person? Public relations expert Rachel Carter will explain how to develop a strategy for building a community of champions for your farm. Whether you are a farmer, a farm-based educator, or an Extension educator, this webinar will provide guidance for creating a strategy to use social media effectively and manage related risks. Hosted by: Lisa Chase, Jessie Schmidt, Ben Amsden, and Erica Curry University of Vermont Extension, UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Plymouth State University Center for Rural Partnerships, and the Farm-Based Education Association.

To join the webinar, please click here prior to the start to make sure you have the software downloaded to participate in the webinar.

As the start of my married life transitioned to this point, I have been carrying on some existing PR consulting while working as a travel writer researching and editing VERMONT: An Explorer’s Guide for which I am co-authoring the 13^th edition with respected travel writer, Christina Tree. As the deadline for this nears, I reflect on the past five years as a business owner. I look at the state of the world and, more importantly to me, the state of Vermont…

I feel I no longer can be committed to so many disjointed consumer driven efforts where I am but a pawn in a larger system that is failing average people who work hard and rewarding those who are able to spend. I believe in production, not consumerism; and in a state becoming more divided between trophy homes and a diminishing working landscape, I have chosen the side that is important to the future of that which I care about. I have vision, leadership, and strong opinions that have lain dormant, though fully developed; hiding under the public relations marketing machine I created. I was so successful at branding myself as a PR expert; my artistic talents, leadership style, problem solving skills, and agricultural abilities have been publicly unexposed. People have wondered where I have been – I have been planning the unbranding of Rachel Carter PR and the fulfillment of my true purpose and expertise.

I ask for your help in mentioning my transition to those who may be interested. As I continue to operate my public relations business on a part time consulting and training basis, I seek an opportunity to create a balanced and productive work environment to benefit and support Vermont’s working landscape. Through vision and problem solving, I aim to lead a broad spectrum of people to express excellence in agriculture, recreation, agritourism, or localized economies as these industries relate to sustainable land use in Vermont. I identify problems quickly and can energize and encourage others to get involved, feel ownership, and create timetables for solutions that are meant to be executed. Because I have specialized in public relations, marketing, and social media for the past 15 years (12 specifically in Vermont), I am skilled at being practical while creative; pragmatic while resourceful. And…my vast network begs to be utilized for the benefits of Vermont’s working landscape.

My public relations talents are simply icing on the zucchini bread.

Please feel free to share this news with others and to view my resume.

Known for creating unparalleled communication experiences for Vermont businesses and organizations, Rachel Carter is shifting her focus to center around consulting and employee training for Vermont businesses to implement their own public relations, social media, and grassroots marketing efforts – the key being how all three work seamlessly together. Troubled by the social media guru race, decreasing fulfillment in what really matters in life, rising costs and emphasis of a consumer driven culture, and shiftiness in so many areas of business, Carter firmly believes that small Vermont businesses should not fear new technologies and should be empowered to know and implement what is best for their mission, environment, and customers.

"Some businesses are able to grasp how to effectively implement their own PR efforts in just a few conversations because they are already half way there – they just need to connect the dots," comments Carter who has been offering these services for five years and is now centering them as the core of her business. "The majority of businesses need more than a few conversations and it is my job to train an employee or small team to be able to effectively handle media relations, publicity, social media, customer service, and how they all inter-relate to personal, grassroots, and Vermont appropriate marketing efforts."

To connect, type in Rachel Carter PR on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, or Google.

Carter continues her work co-authoring the 13th edition of VERMONT: An Explorer’s Guide due to be published in 2012 and achieving her lifelong dream of homesteading (she began gardening at age 5). She is also an accomplished singer and public speaker and is available for voice work and presentations. www.rachelcarterpr.com

Photo Courtesy of Letter 10 Creative

Vermont Mountain Wedding Venue – The Inn at Sleepy Hollow, Huntington, VT
Vermont Wedding and Event Catering – 3 Squares Café, Vergennes, VT
Vermont Bar Service – Cocktail Hour of Vermont, Jericho VT
Vermont Wedding Photographer – Letter 10 Creative, Hinesburg, VT
Vermont Wedding Cake – Snaffle Sweets, Richmond, VT
Vermont Rehearsal Dinner – La Villa Bistro, Shelburne, VT (note: food was off-site)
Vermont Wedding Band – Brett Hughes and the Honky Tonk Band
Vermont Wedding Jewelry, Gifts & Candles – Luna & Luna of VT
Vermont Wedding Flowers – The Painted Tulip of Waterbury, VT (note: bucketed flowers, design by wedding party)
Vermont Wedding Hippie Hair – The Best Little Hairhouse in Hinesburg, VT
Vermont Wedding Officiant – Kathryn Blume, Charlotte, VT
Vermont Wedding Linens – Occasions, Rochester, VT
Vermont Wedding Tablewares – Celebrations, Brandon, VT
Vermont Wedding Registry – Arabesque, Shelburne, VT

Chef Birong serves up Vermont’s best cuisine samples alongside Steve & Lara Atkins, Kitchen Table Bistro; Michael Clauss, Bluebird Tavern; Jack Pickett & Josh Bard, Frida’s Taqueria & Grill; Jason Gulisano, The Green Cup; Michael Kloeti, Michael’s on the Hill; Scott, Matt & Wes, Three Penny Taproom; Eric Warnstedt, Hen of the Wood; and Brian Tomlinson, Trapp Family Lodge at the Stowe Wine & Food Classic.

Later in the summer, Chef Birong rubs elbows with more renowned Vermont chefs at Vermont’s premier Iron Chef Competition – the Top Chef of the Champlain Valley to benefit the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging. At the August 8th event, Chef Birong goes head-to-head with Shawn Calley of The Essex Resort & Spa and reigning Top Chef attempting to defend her title, Donnell Collins of Leunig’s Bistro & Café – one of Chef Birong’s former colleagues. More info at www.cvaa.org.

3 Squares Café, a Vermont restaurant and café, serves up casual, creative cuisine three meals a day, seven days a week.  Chef/Owner Matt Birong welcomes the entire family into his eclectic atmosphere serving vegans to meat lovers while sporting an espresso bar to homemade pastries and local retail products.  Noted for their dedication to cooking from scratch and generous portions for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 3 Squares Café has been pumping nourishment into the heart of the Vergennes community and those who visit since 2007.  Catering for all types of events, from weddings to class reunions, is also a popular feature.  3 Squares Café is located at 221 Main Street in historic downtown Vergennes and more information is at www.3SquaresCafe.com and www.facebook.com/3SquaresCafe.

Woodchuck Private Reserve Barrel Select is the second Private Reserve Label to be released from the Woodchuck Cidery in Vermont following last year’s Private Reserve Pumpkin. Private Reserve Barrel Select is a special edition high end cider with a 6.9% ABV (alcohol by volume), compared to Woodchuck’s 4% and 5% for core and Limited Release styles. Woodchuck Private Reserve Barrel Select has an in-market date of June 1st and will be available in select markets across the United States including Vermont. Availability in select markets can be found at www.woodchuck.com/locator. Purchase will be available in six packs for which suggested retail is $10.99.

Displaying an elegant copper hue, the first sip captures a sweet apple taste, followed by the notes of vanilla and bourbon. Handcrafted to be served at 50 degrees, Barrel Select pairs well with artisanal cheeses, pork roast, and chocolate cake. Woodchuck Cider recipes can be viewed and submitted at www.woodchuck.com/cider/recipes.html.  

Woodchuck Private Reserve Barrel Select is naturally gluten free, as are all Woodchuck Hard Ciders.

About Woodchuck Hard Cider
Woodchuck Hard Cider is a hard cider handcrafted with apples.  First crafted in Proctorsville, Vermont in 1991, Woodchuck Hard Cider now operates in a state-of-the-art cidery in Middlebury, Vermont.  The popular Woodchuck Amber is the original style produced and still today the recipe remains the same. That’s not to say some things haven’t changed over the years, Woodchuck now has an extended line up of styles and has grown distribution from one country store in VT to across the United States. Greg Failing, the original creator of the recipe and the cider maker to this day, combines both art and science with his own personal touch in crafting this award winning cider. The Woodchuck family ensures exceptional quality and premium taste are met in every small batch before any bottle or keg leaves our back door. A naturally gluten-free beverage, Woodchuck Hard Cider is also a favorite in food pairings and a key ingredient in a variety of recipes.  More information is available at www.woodchuck.com.  

Vermont cheese samples from the following local producers will include fresh ripened goat cheese from Lazy Lady Farm in Westfield, VT, Camembert from Blythedale Farm in Corinth, VT, and Raclette from Spring Brook Farms in Reading, VT. The esteemed Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, MA will provide an around-the-world selection of unique farmstead cheeses. Bob-White Systems’ staff will be on-hand to discuss home and micro dairy cheese making and equipment.

Behr is a leading writer and speaker in the Slow Food Movement. In addition to The Art of Eating and The Artful Eater, he has been featured in publications ranging from The New York Times and The Atlantic to Forbes and The Financial Times. He currently writes and publishes from Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom and recently taught at the University of Vermont.

Bob-White Systems is bringing the cows back home by creating the technology, manufacturing the equipment, and generating the knowledge for the local, farmstead, and homestead production of pure, farm fresh milk.  Located in South Royalton, Vermont, Bob-White Systems is committed to making it possible for every small or rural community to enjoy safe, fresh, and delicious milk produced by local, micro dairy farms.  By designing, equipping, and helping to manage small micro dairy operations, Bob-White Systems reduces dairy start-up and operating costs, helps farmers enjoy more profits, and enables communities to produce and purchase their own local milk.  Bob-White Systems recently introduced a hand-selected line of cheese making supplies and equipment to facilitate farmstead and homestead cheese making as a critical component of efficient and diverse small-scale dairies.  More information is available at www.bobwhitesystems.com.  

“Governor Douglas is a man of unquestioned integrity who brings sound judgment, strong values and broad executive experience to our board,” said Mehran Assadi, president and chief executive officer.

“I am honored to be joining the board of National Life Group,” said Douglas, who stepped down as governor earlier this year after serving eight years in office. “National Life has a storied history of delivering on its promises to millions of Americans for 162 years.”

James H. Douglas served as governor of Vermont from 2003-2011. Prior to his election as governor he served 12 years as Vermont’s secretary of state and eight years as state treasurer. He also served in the state House of Representatives and as executive assistant to Gov. Richard Snelling.

While governor Douglas served as chairman of the National Governors Association. He also has served as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, president of the National Association of State Treasurers, and president of the Council of State Governments. He is currently the Executive In Residence at Middlebury College – his alma mater – and serves on the Governor’s Council of the Washington-based Bipartisan Policy Center.

The companies of National Life Group, a Fortune 1000 company, offer a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, and investments. Agents can also help to provide financial solutions in the form of estate, business succession and retirement planning strategies. As of Dec. 31, 2010, National Life Group held $28.9 billion in assets under management and served in excess of 840,000 customers.

Douglas’ election came at the annual meeting of National Life Holding Company on May 13, 2011.

National Life Group® is a trade name representing various affiliates that offer a variety of financial service products. National Life Insurance Company is licensed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, Addison, TX is licensed to do business in 49 states and the District of Columbia. It is not licensed to do business in New York. Securities offered solely by Equity Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, a Broker/Dealer and Registered Investment Adviser affiliate of National Life Insurance Company. All companies, unless otherwise noted, are affiliated and are located in Montpelier, VT. Each company of the group is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. www.nationallife.com

The handcrafters of Woodchuck Hard Cider take celiac disease seriously, and since Woodchuck has always, and only, been made from apples (not wheat, barley or rye) none of the cider varieties have ever contained gluten. Further, all cider varieties have been tested by ABC Research Corporation of Gainesville, Florida and the Woodchuck Cidery in Middlebury, Vermont maintains a completely gluten-free facility. Woodchuck’s flagship Amber is still handcrafted by cider master Greg Failing and his original recipe from Woodchuck Cider’s humble beginnings in 1991 in Proctorsville, Vermont.

Throughout May, Woodchuck Cider is sponsoring the Woodchuck Celiac Awareness Sweepstakes awarding ten grand prize $250 gift certificates to Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods and Gluten-Free Starter Kits. Fifty second prizes of one year subscriptions to Gluten-Free Living Magazine will also be awarded.

With a gluten-free diet, most beer is off limits. With Woodchuck Hard Cider, there’s no need to worry. The only pressing questions are choice between the Core Styles, Limited Releases, or the rare Private Reserve Ciders, all ranging between 4% – 6.9% alcohol by volume.

Woodchuck Cider also makes an excellent ingredient in gluten-free recipes – as a glaze, in a soup, as a marinade, or to enhance a dessert. Woodchuck offers some favorite recipes at http://www.woodchuck.com/cider/recipes.html and also encourages their exuberant fan base to share recipes through blogs via their Facebook – www.facebook.com/WoodchuckCider and Twitter – www.twitter.com/WoodchuckCider.