On-farm processing of value-added dairy products can be a way for small dairy farms to diversify production and increase revenue. This article examines characteristics of three groups of Vermont farmers who have grass-based dairy farms--those producing value-added dairy products, those interested in such products, and those not interested in such…

Purpose/Objectives: The number of Farm to School (FTS) programs is increasing across the United States. These programs employ a variety of school-based initiatives including, but not limited to, local procurement for the school nutrition program, nutrition education in the classroom, hands-on and garden-based learning, and community partnerships…

Background: Recent efforts to prepare healthcare professionals to care for patients/clients with substance use problems have incorporated SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) into graduate education programs. This pilot study adds to the literature by examining the impact of an SBIRT interprofessional education approach…

High-quality family childcare (FCC) can positively influence all areas of a child's growth and development. Thus, it is important to invest in efforts to increase quality, including providing professional development to enhance the skills of those caring for children in their homes. This study explores the characteristics of FCC providers who…

In a Public Service Employment program of subsidized work training, nonprofit employers in the areas of health, education, social services, and government can be evaluated in terms of the client's employability growth, wages, supervision, retention, transferability, and client satisfaction. Client employability increases in all four areas of…

This report compares Vermont's experience with two federally funded programs aimed at reducing unemployment. The first was a Special Work Project (SWP) directed toward providing work experience rather than skill training for welfare recipients, and also for low-income families. A second approach was through the Public Employment Program (PEP).…

Trainees in a Public Service Employment program may find work training as paraprofessional aides in manpower agencies, social services, and human services. The work experience is valuable for the trainees. However, the actual structure of their training needs close attention. Supervisors are likely to rate the effectiveness of on-the-job training…

The "Measuring College and Career Readiness" report for each state represents a snapshot of the ACT-tested graduates in the class of 2009 and focuses on their readiness for college and careers. Designed to inform policymakers and practitioners about selected indicators of effectiveness, the report is not intended to be comprehensive but…

The most difficult problem in the financial management of a program of Public Service Employment (or subsidized work-training experience) is the over-obligation of funds. Some training slots are never filled, some trainees drop out early from the program, and others complete their training early. All of these factors "free" funds which…

From a comparative economic viewpoint, does regular employment secured through temporary subsidized Special Work training afford the publicly supported individual any marginal advantage over his welfare status? A study of 279 Aid to Needy Families with Children (ANFC) recipients was conducted to address this question. The median annual dollar…

The Vermont Experimental and Demonstration Manpower Pilot Project placed low income unemployed individuals in wage subsidized job slots in public and nonprofit agencies, anticipating that the work experience and related job skills gained would enable them to acquire nonsubsidized employment. A quantitative analysis is presented of 196 Special Work…

This 1987-88 study was conducted to identify, describe, and analyze the significant issues facing one of Vermont's five remaining schoolmarms. The primary subject of the study is a first-year one-room schoolteacher in a rural Vermont town. Chapter 1 offers a brief history of Vermont's one-room schools, a description of the town, the school, and…

The necessity of having funds which meet client related and additional educational needs are presented in this two-part monograph. The first part is comprised of a comprehensive discussion of Training Related Expenses and analysis of their uses and effects on client completion or termination from training. The second part describes the function…

The ensuing report is a counselor's first hand account of her experience with Vermont's Manpower Pilot Project on Public Service Employment. This statewide project was designed to test temporary subsidized employment in nonprofit agencies for low income clients. The report describes and refers to many case studies, specifically those who entered…

An analysis of rural population growth and its economic consequences in California, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Vermont helps explain the changing conditions in rural America and indicates the direction policy should take. Despite their distance from financial centers and their low density, rural areas are generally characterized by a more…