Live from Cambridge, Massachusetts. Extracting the signal from the noise. It's theCUBE, covering the MIT Chief Data Officer and Information Quality Symposium. Now your hosts, Dave Vellante and Paul Gillin. We're back in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dave Vellante with Paul Gillin. Jamie Popkin is here. He is the Managing Vice President of Data Management Strategies and a distinguished analyst at Gartner. Jamie, thanks for coming on theCUBE. Great, thanks, glad to be here. I know you're super busy and we're sort of grabbing you as you're running out. So really thrilled to have you here. We had Doug Laney on earlier, talking about Gartner's infonomics. Have you attended this event before? Was this your first time here? This is my first time at the event. People that have been on my team have been supporting the event for a long time, but it was fortunately the first time I got to attend. Yeah, so it's evolved from sort of data quality and then of course the big data theme comes out and everybody's hopping on that and analytics and the chief data officer. What do you make of sort of the transition that we're seeing from this sort of old, stodgy data management topic to really, you know, sexy, exciting big data analytics? What's really happening there? I think that most enterprises recognize that data needs an advocate within the enterprise. And so the old ways of managing data, the old ways of building applications, cobbling together analytics on an as needed basis isn't cutting it anymore. And so I think people recognize they need to build a data governance strategy and they need to really treat information as an asset. You know, the promise of whether it was decision support or business intelligence, you know, for years, they ever literally lived up to that promise. And now we're sort of hearing a lot of those themes again, predictive 360 degree view of your business, you know, governance, you know, that actually is going to be achievable. Do you think we're at a stage now where we will realize that vision or is complexity higher than ever? It's going to be harder than ever. We think about it in terms of the analytic process. So there's descriptive, what happened? There's diagnostic, why did it happen? And the literally billions that have been spent in the last 15, 20 years were really good at doing descriptive and diagnostic. And I think most enterprises are there, but the future is predictive analytics and prescriptive analytics. And that's where the phase that we're in now is how do you take all the data that you have and manage it in a way that you can build predictive and prescriptive analytical applications that become embedded in the business operating model. And I think that's what we're seeing right now. What do you think the role of the CDO evolves to? It seems right now that a lot of CEOs are still dealing with basic data governance issues, data quality, a lot of plumbing work. Do you think that this role evolves to become more strategic or is there just so much plumbing work to be done that like CIOs, those who never got out of the infrastructure game, could they get mired down in this stuff for the long term? I guess I would argue that the data hygiene is strategic because if you don't have the proper data management and data governance in place, you'll never be able to do the advanced analytics. So I would say that, sure, some organizations are still going through some basic data hygiene. Others have figured it out and are operating well and now they need to prepare to the next phase. Start about your practice a little bit at Gartner. Your focus, how it's evolving, how you're helping clients. Sure, we're focusing on doing research for the chief data officer, for the chief analytics officer, helping them do what this conference is doing, understand what is the role? What am I supposed to be doing? What's the scope of my responsibility? What kind of impact I can have? So that's a lot of the research that we're doing. In fact, we just completed a survey, we got the results in and now we're starting to do the analysis which we'll publish in the next couple of months, where we're looking at that, understanding what the early adopters are doing and then figuring out how to talk to others about that. I'm also very much involved in big data analytics. To what extent, Jamie, do you think the job of the CDO should be to work him or herself out of a job? In other words, and you were on a panel with me earlier, we talked about this, to get data so imbued in the organization that essentially you don't need a data czar anymore. Well, I think for the near term, at least the next three to five years, the role is an important one to provide that advocate for data, as I said at the beginning. I think over time, the CDO role will go from one that's focused on risk management, making sure people don't go to jail because they reported improperly or violated compliance, to being much more strategic around bringing in the advanced analytics. So sure, five, 10 years, perhaps you don't need a CDO, but I think there's a lot of runway between now and then as organizations figure out how to use data more strategically. But now, so tactically to protect the organization from risk or getting sued or whatever, and strategic, but also potentially tactical to help grow the company to the extent that data can drive new sources of revenue, why wouldn't the, if in fact that occurs, the CDO role might evolve into an ongoing, you know. Sure. Not just an advocate and a cheerleader for data, but one that actually drives new growth initiatives. I think in the era of digital business, which is definitely the era that we're in, you have to use information more strategically. And for those organizations that are still doing some of that basic hygiene, they're falling behind a little bit, and those that are getting on top of it and creating CDOs and starting to examine how advanced analytics can grow the business strategically. That's absolutely where the game is right now. So I've heard some, yesterday, somebody said on theCUBE that the analytics role should be part of the CDOs organization. Now, of course, that's a, a lot of people would disagree with that. Maybe some would agree. I'm sure the CDOs might agree with that some anyway. A lot of CMOs might think it should be a CMO function. The Gartner came out with the prediction that CMOs would spend more than CIOs by whatever date you guys predicted. What are your thoughts on where analytics should fit? Is it analytics everywhere? What about that function? I think analytics needs an advocate as well. That's part of the research that we're doing right now, and hopefully this study that will be coming out in the next month or two will focus on some of those issues directly. There's probably a case that could be made that some CDOs should have the analytics function as part of what they're doing. There are other cases where you could make the argument that no, the CAO needs to be separate because analytics is focused on a different set of roles and responsibilities and functions than some of the infrastructure management and data hygiene. So I don't think it's been decided yet. I think you can make arguments both ways either way. It really becomes something that each organization has to look at their own needs and requirements. I mean, it really does feel like it's not a one size fits. I think we've determined that. I think that's been clear from these discussions. I wonder, I mean, doesn't analytics belong within the business units though? Do you need a CAO? Well, there may be some analytics, particularly as analytics gets embedded in the fabric of the business model that you might need some analytics shared services. Right now, a lot of the analytics absolutely happens within the business units and that's fine. Over time, organizations might find that some of the analytics as a service or analytics as a shared service might be useful for their business model. So the survey that you were talking about before, have you done a quick scan of the results? Can you share anything with us at this point or you have to go take a bath in the data first? Well, we certainly, I can't draw any conclusions yet from it. We're still going through the results. It was a qualitative survey based, so it's not just adding up the numbers on a quantitative survey, so we need to read them. But I think what we're finding and is certainly validated by this event is that there is a wide range of scope. There is a wide range of organizational structure and that people are really still in an early phase of adoption for it and what we're getting out of the survey is some of the richness of the experiences that people are having in different types of CDO roles. How does Gartner look at, you've mentioned before, you're involved in big data analytics.  From hardware, from software to services. How do you guys approach that topic? We've had Merv on before, Merv Adrian. Obviously, Articulate follows that. He's always at all the Hadoop conferences speaking. I think you're in a different part of the organization. Is that fair to say, right? Not so different. We cover similar topics. I think, you know, Merv is certainly covering a lot of things like the Hadoop technologies and some of the newer technologies. Frankly though, from a data strategy, analytic strategy, the issues, the way we characterize big data, volume, velocity, variety. Frankly, you don't need to have a whole lot of any of those to still have processing problems. And so there are lots of organizations that are still struggling with certainly velocity. How do you manage data from different sources coming in? How do you make sure that your current information is current for the customer experience? You don't necessarily need big data to get that kind of processing capability in line. So I think big data is causing all types of data processing to be looked at and say, are we really being responsive to what our internal customers need and what our external customers need? Is big data to some extent taking our eye off the ball, though? I mean, focus on it. It's kind of the shiny new bubble, which for a lot of companies have much more fundamental needs, about getting their own data at data house in order before they move on to something like that. I think it can be. So I'll get a call from a client saying, I have a big data problem. Should I use Hadoop? And then you start to talk to them and what you realize is, oh, you have a master data management problem because you don't have a single view of your customer, which has nothing to do with big data or using Hadoop. You have a problem with how you built your applications and how you were able to aggregate data across all of your different systems to see a single view of the customer. So worrying about Hadoop in that situation? No, that's a problem that's not solved by throwing on a tool. Okay, I'm glad you brought that up. So what are the common misconceptions about big data that you hear among the enterprise you work with? That somehow the new sets of tools are somehow going to magically solve a problem. We've heard that before. It's easy. It's so easy to do a vendor selection, a product selection, a technology evaluation, because we know how to do that really well. But if I have 37 ERP systems and I'm having trouble aggregating customer data, the new tool, right? Is it going to make a difference? Is it going to make a difference? Is that a tool? Exactly, exactly. It's a great conversation, Jimmy. So thinking about the evolution of this topic, you mentioned Hadoop as an example. People always talk about technology, process, and people. And data. People, process, technology, and data would be the four legs. So that's the fourth piece of it that is now injected into this equation. And technologies, they always say the easiest part of that as you just sort of alluded to. At the same time, technology has sort of created this problem. So in thinking about when you work with your clients, people, process, technology, and data, are we, when we started this business, we called it data processing. Are we sort of headed back to maybe a distributed but a data processing mindset as a discipline? I think the discipline is going to come into thinking about that data and applications are not just a way to remember that a transaction happened or report to management that those transactions happened. What digital business means is that we're embedding, processing, we're embedding data into the actual function of your business model, the way that you make money, the way that you interact with customers and suppliers is now being done digitally. And so having IT be something that happens later or helps us remember or helps us report, that's old style where the new is, how do we embed IT and data into our actual business processing? That's the exciting part. Well, that's right, that's exactly right. Just quick, are there any technologies you see right now that do really excite you in this area? Yeah, so I think many of the big data technologies, things that are happening with the Apache project, the Hadoop, the Sparkle, all of that's really exciting stuff that people need to learn and develop skills, learning Python, learning R as a way to build analytic applications. Person had been doing a lot with text analytics, sentiment analysis, natural language, question answering technology, all really fascinating stuff, and then smart machines, a whole new area that we're going to see coming on very quickly. So all of that's really exciting. Now Jay, I've seen you're linked in by also chairman of the symposium. I have served as, I'm no longer, but I have served a couple of times, yes. So I know it's, we're talking to Doug, it's coming up in the fall, it's your big event, and you participate in that, and that's to Gartner's big event, right? Yes, absolutely. So we'll have a lot on the chief data officer, we will be unveiling the research around the survey that I mentioned at symposium, certainly a lot on big data, analytics, smart machines, all really hot topics at symposium. Great, awesome having you on theCUBE, Jamie, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate it. Thank you very much. All right, we'll be back to wrap up day two, MIT IQ, the CVO symposium, this is theCUBE. Right back.


obtaining market access, which is the fourth P of marketing mix. This place basically refers to the distribution system through which the startup have an access to the market through which the startup is in a position to deliver the product or application to the customers. To place refers to distribution and therefore all the available options to deliver the new product to your target audience with whom you have communicated and who are basically your potential customers. So it involves three decenns, where customers should be able to buy the product that is the channel decenn, which distribution channel is from which the product reaches our potential customers. How to ship it to the customers, which is the physical distribution, how to manage the relationship with the distributors. Distributors who are middlemen, intermediaries, who are either making it or not using it, but through them the product is reaching the end users, so you need to cultivate good relation with them as well, so that is also the responsibility of the startup. And long channels of distributions can be distinguished, So this is usually a distribution structure, which we use in fast moving consumer goods. So what will be the distribution structure, it depends on what is the product, it depends on how many people are buying the product and how it is located, short and long channels of distributors can be distinguished. In the case of short channels, new intermediary partners exist between a firm and its customer. In the case of long channels, there could be multiple stages, which may exist like wholesale, retail, distributor, as we said, here the internet is a popular way to distribute the product, so it is a very popular way to distribute the product. In a long channel, there could be multiple stages, which may exist like wholesale, retail, distributor, as we said. Here the internet is a popular way for startup to gain distribution access. The internet is a low cost option, because no expensive presentation and showrooms are needed and shipping only occurs when an order and payment have been received. In the case of long channels, there could be multiple stages, which may exist like retail, retail, distributor, as we said, here the internet is a popular way to distribute the product. In the case of long channels, there could be multiple stages, which may exist like retail, retail, distributor, as we said. In the case of long channels, there could be multiple stages, which may exist like retail, retail, distributor, as we said, here the internet is a very popular way to distribute the product. In the case of long channels, there could be multiple stages, which may exist like retail, How would you deliver and how would you get the payment for the for the product being ordered and delivered? The internet option may also be combined with operating a direct sales force and that directly approaches the customer.  But simultaneously, your process is also going on that your sales force may be directly to your users. If it is an industrial product, then the players of the industry are physically going from one firm to another. And if the product is not a handy product, then the brochures or videos are carrying and persuading the potential customers to buy or adopt your application. Integrating these two options can help to accomplish synergy. If both of them run any direct marketing efforts as well as presence on the net, then both of them will cover the market well and one who is not satisfied with one way of communication could be tackled by another way of communication and presentation.


Item number SCP-251 Object Class, Euclid Special Containment Procedures SCP-251 is to be kept in a locked container at all times. No one is to enter the container alone. If anyone is found to have been left alone in the container for any amount of time, they are to be treated as violently hostile and terminated with extreme prejudice. The container is to be guarded by armed personnel at all times, and guards should never allow anyone, regardless of clearance level, to move the artifact or be alone with it. Sounds of screaming, gunfire, and fires will be heard from within the container. This is normal. Description, Origin Unknown SCP-251 consistently appears to be a small snow globe. Attached is a series of photographs taken of the same artifact over time. This indicates that the snow globe is at least partially animate. However, when viewed directly by multiple people, there is no apparent movement, except by a perpetual blizzard. SCP-251 has not been moved since its arrival at Site-19, but the snowflakes have never ceased falling. The scenes depicted in SCP-251 are all extremely violent or morbid, occasionally depicting something fantastical, while mostly depicting more realistic brutality. All those who have been alone with SCP-251 for any amount of time have later displayed extreme violence, xenophobia, and emotional distress. Lesson complete. If you missed the previous orientation, go watch SCP-250, most of Anallosaurus, right now. Or for the complete course, watch this playlist.


Good evening everyone. Thank you for coming out tonight. I know you're all hearty Vermaters I assume so no worries about coming out on that relatively cold November night in the dark. You can't hear me? My name is Chip Confesta. I'm the co-chair along with Laura Sabilia of the Rural Economic Development Working Group. We're the ones hosting this hearing tonight. I'm glad to see all of you here. I'm just gonna say that if we have more people than chairs just please help yourself to the chairs there in the back there you can sit at any of the tables or just pull the chairs down. We're gonna get started here pretty quickly. I just wanted to make a couple of thank yous. One to Mitzi Johnson who wasn't able to come tonight the speaker of house but she has been very supportive in for our group and allowing us to do these hearings and really just being genuinely supportive of rural economic issues in general and helping us move forward with some of the legislation that we've proposed over the past year. So thanks to her and thanks to you all for coming out. We've tried to figure out what a good time of year to do this would be and I know there's always challenges for everybody with busy schedules but I really appreciate the fact that you all made time to come talk to us. So if you haven't been one of these hearings before you're gonna come we'll call your name and also say who's next in line. Come up and sit at the table we have a microphone up here for you to use and we have four minute time limit for now. Peter's gonna give you a sign when it's time when your four minutes is up and if you're unable to get all of what you wanted to say done in that four minutes we would encourage you to email us your testimony actually we'd encourage you to email us your testimony if you have it in that form anyway. The place to email it is to Charlie Kimball and so like everyone else everyone else's legeemailetsckimballatmledge.state.btus you can find that on the legislative webpage if you don't remember it. So again please email us anything you want us to be looking at and we'll share it among the entire group and as we said in our announcement this is really what this hearing is one of the things that's going to really guide our work in the legislature around these economic development issues for this upcoming session so please send us all of your thoughts. In a minute I'm going to ask folks around the table to introduce themselves we actually have a really significant number of people in the rural economic development working group as we call ourselves there's close to 30 of us not everybody was able to make it tonight but I'll have the people that up here introduce themselves. Alright so with that I think we'll get started so just just to remind you when I call you name please come up use the microphone and I'll also let you know who's following that person. So introduce yourself and we'll work our way around the table. Okay I'm Scott Campbell and I'm representative from St. Johnsbury. Peter Conlon from Cornwall and I'm on the House Education Committee. Hi I'm Sarah Coffey I'm from Guilford and I sit on House Corrections and Institutions. As I said Chip Conquest I'm actually from Wells River Vermont represent Newbury Groton and Topson and I'm on the Appropriations Committee. Laura Sabilia from Dover and I'm on the Energy and Technology Committee. Kelly Payala from London Dairy I represent London Dairy West and Jamaica Stratton and Winhall and I sit on the Human Services Committee. Randall Zodd I represent Barnard, Pomfret, Gweeching, West Hartford and I'm on the House General. I'm Lucy Rogers from Waterville I also represent Cambridge and I'm on House Health Care. May I have another member. Hi I'm Emily Sanheiser from Brattleboro and I'm on the Commerce and Economic Development Committee. And I think Sandy Haas is somewhere in oh right there in Farming. Sandy Haas from Rochester also representing Bethus Dockridge in Peacefield and I serve on Human Services. That's the only member I need audience. And would the Lieutenant Governor like to introduce himself? I'm David Zuckerman, Lieutenant Governor. I have a forum and a passion about our world economy so I was curious to hear your thoughts. And thank you for holding in here. And I think representative from Sanders office is also here. Emily Adolphus. Yes, I think. Holly. So we have Alan Robertson up first and Captain Water. Dangerous first person. My name is Alan Robertson. I'm a Woodland owner in Sheffield, Vermont. I'm Secretary Vermont Woodlands Association and also somewhat responsible for helping with policy and BWA our organization. You should all have my testimony already was emailed to Mr. Kimball several days ago. So to paraphrase you're going to read when you read the testimony that we feel there are a lot of new ideas and technologies that are available to improve the wood products industry and forestry in Vermont. We have reservations about whether any of that would ever happen because of Act 250. We feel strongly that Act 250 has been very, very good to Vermont in making keeping its rural and forestry environment. But unfortunately, the last few years, some of the very things that have been good for Act 250 and keeping development or control have also stymied development of the forest products industry. One of the things you'll see in the package is a handout from the Ecclesaw mill in Germany. It represents a very, very small micro plant that produces power and also uses waste heat to eat the local community. That's typical of the kind of things that you'll see in our submission that included cross-limit to timber, biochar, increasing use of biofuels and combined heat and power facilities. But again, there have been numerous attempts to fix Act 250 over the past few years. And yet it's never happened. And I say fixed because we don't want to disturb what works. What we want to see is the same respect for the forest products industry as we see for agriculture. Right now, if you farmer builds a barn, he doesn't have to go through Act 250. But if a sawmill needs to expand or if a new sawmill wants to come into existence, sometimes the hurdles are just so overwhelming that it just doesn't get done. Same thing with energy facilities. So there are things that need to happen in Act 250 to make it better for the forest products industry. And we were hoping that that would be something that your group would be looking at. Specifically, there are two bills right now in front of the legislature, S104 and H197. We'll probably hear about those later tonight. They do a lot to resolve issues that we've identified in our testimony. And with that, I'm done. So, Kathleen Monner and Brian Sheldon. Hello. Thank you for the opportunity to be here this evening. I'm Kathleen Monner, executive director of Vermont's Alliance Association in Vermont Tree Farm. I am also a member of the working lands board as a woodland owner and tree farmer, representing woodland owners. But Vermont Woodlands is a member of the working lands coalition. And I feel like they need to say that I'm speaking for the coalition side tonight. I'm for the board. And so I've been involved with the working lands initiative since 2012 when it first came to the House Ag Committee, which is now the House Ag and Forestry Committee. After a wonderful change of focus that included Forestry, I guess nobody here tonight is from House Ag and Forestry. But I know I have friends there. Representative Partridge, we have it. Thank you. So this was really working lands enterprise initiative was a cutting edge proposal when it came to the legislature that was designed to assist businesses that rely on the working landscape of farms and forests. I've actually been asked to present information about working lands enterprise initiative in other states and at a national conference. It really is a flagship program that for month developed that signals a willingness to invest in economic development across the working landscape. Each year, the coalition comes to the legislature with asks for additional funding. Because we know what a difference it makes to have that funding on the ground. The grant requests every year over well more capacity. And so we often need to turn down good proposals. Now we know that the working group supports the working lands initiative. And wouldn't it be amazing if it were funded at $3 million annually? And we didn't have to fight for that year after year. That would just make such a difference. It would foster so much innovation and diversification across businesses that would lead to market and supply chain impacts for farm and forest enterprises. Now this program has really been the best rural economic driver for working lands businesses throughout the state. And it can continue to drive the rural economy adequately funded. Now I and I know I'm often preaching to the choir, you know, we do that a lot in forestry. But it is, it's just important for me to underscore how critical these investments are for forestry and with products businesses. We are really counting on this continued investment in working lands businesses that keep our forests working.  So I'm Mike Greenville. I guess right up right up right up. Okay, we got you. So I'm resident Lincoln. And I'm the owner of maple landmark quick craft, which is a woodworking business in Middlebury. We craft small wood products. Business I started 40 years ago. We currently have we employ 39 people. And I appreciate the attention that is put to the to the working lands economy. I sat on the working lands enterprise board and its first two years of existence. Got to be one of the people who kind of help break in that process, which is all right, us. I wish I had some bright ideas, brilliant ideas for you. I have just a few points I'd like to make. First is about the working lands fund. I've always been bothered when I was on the board and sense that it seems that the there's a lot of overhead that goes into running that and which is it doesn't bother me about the overhead it bothers me that there's a lot of capacity. If there's more money to give it wouldn't cost any more to give it out. It'd be more efficient use of funds. So the extra money you put in can go right out. I didn't explain that very well. But I think you get it. Also, perhaps a more flexible schedule for awarding the funds. Business happens fast and quick and opportunities come and go and the annual schedule of things just seems that it makes it difficult. applications only taken once a year takes four to six months for the money to be awarded. There's a lot of time delay in that. For me as to my business, I'm just going to offer an anecdote to kind of call attention to concern is that I've always been proud of my business in dealing as local as possible. And I've always focused in having a short supply chain. And I've been fortunate that the lumber that I buy, I buy 125,000 board feet a year. So it's not a huge amount, but it's no small amount. Come from local mills. We offer health insurance. We have offered my health connect plans. And our premium increase for 2020 is $27,000, primarily because of cost shifts. I already spend more money on health insurance than I do on lumber. What am I to do when I don't have both $27,000 and a cost of living pay increase floating around in my back pocket?  So instead of $18,000 worth of money to Vermont mills, I pay I sent $12,000 to me. That bothers me a great deal. But I have to maintain my business. So you know, I don't have a brilliant thing there. But the cost shift in the health insurance is just crazy. And it's unsustainable. It's unsustainable years ago. And it's just worse now. So that's that's primarily what I have to say. I would like to be sure that spend time on good legislation, not sound bite legislation, be sure that it's funded so things so there's proper guidance, compliance and enforcement. I'm involved in several bits of legislation that don't have that. And it makes it real difficult to the business. Hey, folks. So my name is Jordan Giaquania. I'm the new public policy manager for Vermont businesses for social responsibility. This is my seventh day on the job at the throat. I should be here and certainly appreciate the opportunity to testify. So as many of you know, VBSR is a business association with close to 750 members who have advocate for policy. Sorry. Thank you. Appreciate it. VBSR is a business association with close to 750 members who advocate for policies that support workers, communities in the environments are really advocating around a triple bottom line of people, planet and prosperity. We have members of every business size and every Vermont industry and second sector represented and also represent industries from every county in the state of Vermont. As of 2019, more than half of our members represent small businesses employing fewer than 50 full time employees. And about a third of our members represent businesses retaining less than 20 full time employees as well. Many of our rural businesses that VBSR represents are interested in climate action, not just as a moral imperative, but also as an economic development opportunity. Investments in weatherization, efficiency and electric vehicle infrastructure and divestment from import import fossil fuels would yield significant benefits for rural and low income for monitors as well as great payers writ large. From winter recreation and local food production to our drink driven and tourism economies, climate change represents a very significant threat to the Vermont brand way of life and rural economies. So with that, I want to thank you all for the opportunity to testify and for all the important work you're doing to support our rural economies and we'll encourage you moving forward to continue to engage in advancing key legislation like such as the Global Warming Solutions Act, but also turn your attention as well to the forthcoming transportation climate initiative to ensure that these rural communities are represented fairly and that we don't leave folks in the lurch as we move forward toward a greener, more climate friendly future for the state of Vermont. So again, thank you all. I look forward to working with you and wish everyone a good night. So I just want to say first of all, good evening everyone. Hi folks. It's great that we're all here. My name is Nick Richardson. I'm the president and CEO of the Vermont Land Trust. I've been in that role for about two years. It's a real pleasure to be here with the Rural Caucus this evening. You are our people and we are deeply connected to rural lands and working lands all across the state. We have relationships with 2000 parcels and about 1,800 landowners who are farmers, foresters, working these lands, storing them on behalf of all of us. And so it's a real pleasure to be here with you this evening. I do have a couple of points I want to emphasize in the legislative session to come, but because we hardly ever look back and say thank you for the work that's come before, I just want to commend the caucus on the work you did last year. You know, particularly the expansion of funding for the Working Lands Enterprise Board. Kathleen Wanner spoke, I think, really eloquently to that. It's an important pillar of how we support the working landscape and our rural communities in this state. And it is a very innovative program. And along with a very strong support for conservation, low income housing, you know, and other key programs that really invest in rural communities. It's a part of what makes Vermont work. And I think it's a really important program. The regulatory relief was also, I think, really critical and has been described around supporting common sense changes that will allow businesses to stay in business. Our working landscape really needs that right now. And I'll say that for the Vermont Land Trust, which has conserved 11% of the land in Vermont, 2,000 parcels, almost 700,000 acres over the last 42 years, we're recognizing that as important as that is, we need to be doing more in order to make this working landscape work and our communities work. And so we're asking the question, what does Vermont need from us today? And the answer to that is different than it was 30 years ago. And it's about getting the next generation of farmers onto land in Vermont. We've done a hundred farmland access projects over the last 10 years, working with, in fact, with many folks in the room, who are great farmers who are connecting with their communities, investing in our rural economies. We want to expand that work going forward over the next 10 years to get 200 to 300 new and beginning farmers onto land in Vermont. We're working with landowners to participate in forest carbon offset projects. And there's been a great working group that's been working throughout the course of this last summer and fall to deliver some recommendations around that for policy changes and also just one of the things we can do as a state to promote access to forest carbon and forest carbon offsets for more landowners. That's something that we would really support and appreciate going forward. This state needs more from us than from all of us, than it's ever, than it's ever needed. And these working landscapes that we've participated in that are such an important part of how we, how we feel about this state, the connections that we have here, the community that we have here, they're really under threat. And I think it's important for all of us to be thinking outside of the box about what it is that we can be doing to support our rural landscapes. The Vermont Land Trust is here. We're all in and we're going to be looking very creatively at new ways to participate. And we really appreciate the rural caucus, the work that you're doing. And I want to be a partner with you. Thank you so much. Hi, I'm Amanda Carlson from, I'm the town administrator for the Town of Coventry. So on behalf of the small municipal towns, I know there's a lot of effective tools that the, you've created for local government to support the businesses. But that information doesn't always reach the small towns. These towns are dealing with one person and the select board member that's been there for 30 years. And they don't always share that information around. So to make sure that they, they understand what's available, I'd love to see state supported or run regional workshops or meetings that would allow, you know, some of that one on one interaction for these towns to understand, to learn best practices for supporting local businesses and what they can do in their small communities. It's not always on a large scale. It's not always, you know, the big projects. Sometimes it's those small ones that need the most help. So for manufacturing, you know, are there case studies and, and, you know, what funding is available and the permit process and where to start so that the municipality can assist someone looking into that. And on outdoor recreation economy, understanding what's proven to work and what are the pitfalls or what policies we don't always need to recreate the wheel. It'd be nice to know kind of what is available. And also sometimes it's really hard to find out what funding is available because they're all available in different places. And you don't know when you have to just keep searching and hope somebody tells you which website or what agency to look at. It'd be nice to know where you can go for what funding and what's available to the small towns out there. Thank you. Good evening. I'm Jenna Kowalski. I'm the community and policy manager with the Vermont Council on Rural Development and also the president of the Vermont Community Development Association Board. And I live in Huntington. So thank you for providing this forum. We, VCRD is a facilitator of public process. We facilitate conversations at the community level. And then we kind of add up what we're hearing in communities across the state. And we also facilitate statewide discussions as well. On the community and economic development side, through our community visit program, we worked with about 70 different towns around the state on facilitated discussions to invite the whole town together and line up what's most important set priorities and then help to connect to resources. And we also provide coaching and leadership training and support of that work. And I thought just where we've worked in recent years, we've been in Montgomery, the four town region of Royalton, Sharon, Stratford and Tunbridge, Greensboro, Poltney, Westford and now we're working in Rockingham and Wiela. I thought it may be helpful just to share, you know, when we work to towns, we don't know what's best for them, but we listen and we learn, you know, what are the issues they're grappling with today. And I thought it would be helpful just to share a few things we're hearing in every town we're working with. We have communities lining up task courses around broadband and cell connection. Every town we're working with these days are setting those up traffic, streetscape walkability and bikeability as well as trails and outdoor recreation. Most towns are setting up around some kind of economic development committee or even looking for funding to build staffing into their town structure to support economic development and small businesses. And then certainly in recent years, every town is prioritizing water and sewer infrastructure. They come into the room thinking about housing and attracting young people and supporting businesses and realize that to do that, they need the infrastructure to support that vision they have for their community. So community leaders are working hard on these things all around the state. And but if you know, it's tough work and we see success where they're able to connect to resources and technical assistance that they need. And so there certainly have been some programs over the last couple of years that have supported many of those things I just listed and any support in those areas are critical. On the state policy side, we facilitate the climate economy action team, a group of large and small businesses and organizations unified around the belief that Vermont can be a leader in developing rural solutions to climate change. Their priorities this year will be around the transportation climate initiative around liberating efficiency utilities to kind of do their work where significant financial and greenhouse gas savings could be realized. So extending services from electric efficiency to thermal and transportation efficiencies. Seattle, the climate economy action team recognizes that this could help to increase affordability and savings, especially in the most rural areas where residents shoulder a lot of a much higher energy burden. And then finally, the Working Lands Initiative, you all heard a lot about the importance of the Working Lands Enterprise Fund. We facilitate and convene the Working Lands Coalition. And the Coalition certainly thanks you all for your leadership last year in authorizing the largest investment in that fund to date at over one and a half million. And the Coalition believes that they love for that to kind of become the base funding for this work in an ongoing way and in fact increase that over time with a goal of ultimately three million to meet the needs of businesses that are critical to protecting and promoting the future of Vermont's working landscape. And of course you've heard today all the ways that can support and grow the rural economy as well. So thanks so much for the time. Appreciate it. And I will submit this in writing as well. Thank you. I'm going to interrupt from just one second here because the last two speakers reminded me of things that I was going to say when we started and forgot.  So this earlier this year our group took a bus tour of southern Vermont in order to do the same kind of thing of listening to her. That Sarah organized and it was a great thing. It was the first time that we've done it. And one of the things that we came out of it with is wow this is really great. We need to do this more. We need to keep doing getting out to other parts of the state because I know not everybody can make it to Montpelier on the night when we have the hearing. So we won't do another one this year but next year maybe we'll show up in your neck of the woods. The other thing I wanted to say was BCRD that Janet works for has been very helpful in helping us get the announcement out and I forgot to thank them for that when I started. So I really do want to extend our thanks to them. It's a pleasure. Hi, I'm Bruce Hennessy, Maple Wind Farm in Huntington, Richmond in Bolton, Vermont. Running that with my partner, Beth. We produce 100% grass that be pasture raised pork poultry and eggs from poultry of course and run a small USDA poultry processing plant that was funded in part by several working lands enterprise grants. We feel like we're the poster children for working lands. We've had a tremendous amount of support from that organization and from partners with that organization. Vermont Land Trust, Vermont Housing Conservation Board at RCS. I know works in there. So we've taken full advantage of those and somehow we've gotten the word maybe because we've been the squeaky whale asking for help for all these things. So I'm here in support of working lands in support of increasing that investment and also to ask the group to consider adding payment for ecosystem services into the mix. You know, when Beth and I first got started, we thought it would be enough that if we worked really hard we had a good resource space which we were reasonably intelligent and diligent that the business would just be successful. And the truth is, is that you can be all of those things and it still won't work out. You still need support. There's a tremendous amount of barriers between small agriculture and profitability. And even though working lands has been a big part in helping us solve those problems, we need to go further for us to stay in business. I was encouraged to hear that the gentleman at Wood Products was able to pay health insurance for his employees. We're not able to pay health insurance for our employees. And that's a major problem for them. And it doesn't feel good for us either. It's very hard to even pay, well, someone consider a living wage and others who consider not a living wage, at least in Chittenden County. So I want to tell a story at the end. The last thing that we received through working lands was a 50% grant to attend the Ranging for Profit. We like to call farming for profit, but officially it's called Ranging for Profit. A number of Vermont farms were able to attend last year. And that is an ongoing and continuing program for us. It's a seven-day farm business boot camp, essentially. That's the initial course. And then you have an opportunity to continue on in a board farmers from across the nation and continue to work under business and develop and realize many of the things that we need to do to be profitable and also build soils and add to the health and welfare of our community. And I just want to encourage a real focus on those really long-reaching and far-reaching programs for the working lands group to help farmers really go beyond just that hard work and core intelligence to true financial literacy and the ability to become viable farm operations. And again, a deep thanks to all of you for that opportunity. Good evening. I'm Christine McGowan from the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund and I coordinate the Vermont Forest Industry Network. The network was established in 2018 to help support and strengthen our state's forest and wood product sector and now includes more than 150 people and organizations involved in Vermont's forest and wood products industry. I'd like to start by thanking you for your support of the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative. The Vermont Forest Industry Network's creation was a direct result of research commissioned by the Working Lands Enterprise Board's Forestry Committee back in 2015 and in the years since has increased awareness about the value of our forest and wood products industry to Vermont and has embarked on several projects to expand or create new products for forest products, new markets for forest products and wood products. So, here are a few facts about our forests. Vermont's 76% forest and 80% of those forests are privately held by small family woodlot owners. Historic land use patterns have left us with a considerable challenge. After depleting most of our forests for more than 100 years ago, much of what has grown back has not been well tended. So, in a typical Vermont timber harvest, as much as three quarters of what is removed is considered low grade, and has a low value. Up until recently, that low grade wood had a healthy regional market and pulp used to make paper, but for a variety of reasons, one of which is probably within arm's length of everyone in this room. We've seen a sharp decline in pulp mills in our region and that's had a ripple effect on the entire supply chain. Two years ago, several Vermont loggers were stuck with wood they couldn't sell and expensive equipment they could no longer afford. Many of them parked their skitters and were forced to find other ways to make a living. Meanwhile, most of the saw mills that used to be economic drivers and so many of our rural towns have disappeared. Some couldn't compete with newer bigger mills across the border in Canada. Others have struggled with the constraints placed on them by state regulations. Those that remain are faced with the reality that their owners are not getting any younger, but their younger successors are few and far between. So, when a saw mill closes at stores, it's unlikely we will ever get that infrastructure back. Despite these challenges, Vermont's forest and wood products industry still represents a significant economic driver in our state, generating $1.4 billion in economic activity and providing 10,500 Vermont jobs. When you add forest-based recreation to the mix, you add another 10,000 jobs and $1.9 billion in economic activity. Take our wood heat sector. When verminers heat with wood, 78 cents of every dollar is retained in the local economy. Compare that to only 22 cents retained when we use fossil fuels like heating oil and propane. Some people worry that increasing the use of wood heat means we'll cut down too many trees, but the fact is we're harvesting less than half the net growth in our forests. The reality is, Vermont is losing more than 2,000 acres of forest land per year to rural and suburban development, not forest products. Some worry that wood heat is bad for our climate. Yet a recent life-cycle analysis of pellets made and used in the Northern Forest region shows that from day one, using wood pellets for heat reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 54% compared to oil and 15,000.


Despite the anticipation of effective vaccines for COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy is widespread worldwide, with declining acceptance observed among certain demographics and socio-economic groups. Survey results vary and are influenced by factors such as perceived risk, concerns over safety and effectiveness, doctor recommendations, and inoculation history. Unique COVID-19 factors include political party orientation, doubts about expedited development slash approval process, and perceived political interference. To achieve herd immunity, communication campaigns focusing on transparency and restoring trust in health authorities are immediately needed. This article was authored by Cheryl Lynn, PQEI 2, and Leslie M. Beech.


Hi YouTube! It's Monkey, Shaber, and Bruno. What's going on? Bruno has a boo-boo. Bruno has a boo-boo? Yeah. What happened? He did. He did. Yeah, it's opened up the wound. Yeah. It's raw. Aw. I think because he goes underneath the sofa. Yeah. He crawls underneath there. Like a staple or something? Might be. Yeah. Oh, now he's hurt himself. You put a little bandage on him there? Yeah. Aw. Poor little thing. He keeps trying to... Yeah. Yeah. And he'll have to wear the comb. Yeah. Because it's open sore, huh? Yeah. It wasn't like it this morning, was it? No. Yeah. Whoops.  Right. Well, we don't know if that's what it was. If he got caught on a staple or if he got bitten by a spider. We don't know, but we know it's pretty raw. So he's been like maybe chewing on it or something. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, he's got a little boo-boo. Poor thing. Yeah. Anybody tonight? Yeah, there's two on here. Oh, is there? Yeah. Is there Nancy on there? I don't know. It just shows two. It doesn't say who's on there. Unless they call me. See? Yeah, I see it. Yeah. So whoever's watching, Bruno says hi. Hi. And we know Nancy. Do that again. We know... What happened to Bruno? There's Nancy. Bruno got a boo-boo on his paw. I don't really know how it happened. We just noticed it. Yeah. So I think he's just been... Well, it wasn't like that this morning. No, I don't. It's first boo-boo. Yeah, Bruno's first boo-boo. So we got to try to get him a protective collar. One of them lampshades. So that way we can keep it covered and keep his ointment on there. Yeah, so I call Walmart. So I didn't have to drive all the way down there to see if they have one. Yeah, dang. Trying to answer that phone. Nobody answers the phones at Walmart. What's the deal? Bruno. Nancy says she's sorry, honey. Yeah, she's sorry, Bruno. Oh, real thing. That's you, Bruno. Yeah, you see yourself, Bruno? Bruno, that's you. Hi. See? That's you. Yeah. But we just want to give an update. So we hope everyone has a good weekend. Thanks for coming at Nancy. Thanks for watching. Aw. You got called Sweet Boy. That's Nancy. She's got hearts. She gave you hearts, Bruno. She gave you hearts, Bruno. Aw. Bruno. YouTube sensation. YouTube Bruno. Yup. Yeah. All right. I'll tell them bye, Bruno. Hi. You too, Nancy. Have a great weekend as well. All right. Bye, guys. Say bye. Bye. Hi, Monkeys Out. Nancy said bye, Bruno. All right, Monkeys Out. Bruno's out. Shae Bear, I'm gone. Bye-bye, guys. Have a good weekend.  It's X and L. How? It's X and L. How's it going with you? How's it going with you? Well, it's great. It's great. It's great. We'll see you next time.