Current News

VermontBiz It is with great excitement that VermontBiz celebrates the remarkable achievements of all the individuals chosen as the second year of 91 Influencers here in Vermont. This prestigious honor highlights their unwavering dedication, innovation, and impact in their field and within the community, as they also inspire and lead those around them.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of retired Major General Greg Knight as a Special Advisor to the Governor, a temporary position focused on advancing several high-priority initiatives related to public safety, veterans, emergency preparedness, civic engagement, and intergovernmental affairs. Knight, who retired from the Vermont National Guard after more than four decades of military service, will provide strategic advice, coordinate projects, and work with state agencies, community organizations, and other stakeholders to help advance several of the Administration’s priorities.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont has recognized the ongoing flood exposure facing the state with the passing of July 10, a now-infamous date for Vermont. In the weeks that followed July 10, 2023, the Vermont Bond Bank collaborated with partners to develop the idea that would become the Municipal Climate Recovery Fund. To date, the program has lent more than $33 million to 27 municipalities to assist in recovery. The Vermont Bond Bank has now added to this track record of assistance with the release of the "Town Highway Disaster Reserve Benchmarks," a financial planning tool and online database that help municipalities estimate how much to set aside to withstand the cost of extreme weather to local roads and bridges.

Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles On July 17, 2026, at approximately 5:45 a.m. the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles responded to a commercial motor vehicle crash involving a single vehicle on Vermont Route 22A in Benson. A 2019 Mack truck operated by Karina M. Lava, 44, of New Hampton, NY, and owned by Lava Express Trucking Inc. in Cleveland, OH, left the roadway on VT 22A. The trailer, a 2026 Utility, followed along the ditch embankment on the west side of the roadway, while the truck drove off the east side of the roadway, pulling the empty trailer back up onto the roadway and blocking both lanes of travel. 

Vermont Business Magazine Common Good Vermont is now accepting applications for the 2026–2027 Nonprofit Management Certificate Program, a leading professional development experience tailored for Vermont’s nonprofit leaders, changemakers, and aspiring executives. Back for its seventh year as an independent, fully virtual program, the NPM Certificate dives deep into the essentials of nonprofit management—equipping participants with the tools, strategies, and connections needed to lead effectively in today’s ever-evolving nonprofit landscape.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) led Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Fairness for Small-Scale Farmers & Ranchers Act and Agricultural Worker Justice Act, a pair of bills to support workers in the agricultural industry and uplift small, family farms across the United States. The Fairness for Small-Scale Farmers & Ranchers Act aims to create a level playing field for farmers and consumers by weakening the hold consolidated interests have on the agricultural economy. The Agricultural Worker Justice Act would require major food companies to provide decent wages and safe working conditions to do business with the federal government. 

by Elodie Reed, UVM University of Vermont Extension has announced that Rail View Dairy in New Haven is the 2026 Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year. This annual award is presented by UVM Extension and the Vermont Dairy Industry Association, in cooperation with the New England Green Pastures Program. The winning farm is selected based on excellence in agronomic practices, herd management, quality milk production, land stewardship and innovation. At Rail View Dairy, excellence has come from four decades of the Livingston family's careful investment and hard work. In 1985, Phil and Diane Livingston and their two young sons settled at the farm, which they named for its overview of the railroad tracks. They started the operation in a tie stall barn with 40 cows. Phil said he built up that herd at the pace he could afford.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $4.12 per gallon, up 14.7 cents per gallon from last week's $3.97/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.90/g while the highest was $4.64/g, a difference of 74.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 13.0 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.95/g today.

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Every day, livestock and poultry producers put time and effort into keeping their animals disease-free. It can be a monumental goal considering how many people, vehicles, and even animals enter and exit a farm daily. Some of the pathways for disease transmission are not so obvious. A new mapping tool called the Secure Ag Farm Emergency Mapping App (SAFE MApp) gives producers the ability to visualize the potential entry points for diseases to the farm, and then strategize methods to keep them out.

Vermont Business Magazine Registration is now open, and customers can sign up to tour Kingdom Community Wind in Lowell, VT. The summer tour offers dozens of visitors the chance to see turbines up close and learn about how wind power works. The tour is led by GMP experts and takes about 90 minutes. It starts at 10:00 a.m. on July 22nd and you can go here to sign up. Tickets are free, space is limited, and pre-registration is required.

Professional Logging Contractors of Maine The Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast (PLC) is disappointed by the announcement by Finch Paper, LLC that it will stop making its own pulp and therefore cease buying low-grade wood for that purpose.  This is a significant loss for the region’s logging and trucking industry with far reaching economic consequences as well as serious negative impacts on the ability to properly manage forest health.

Vermont Business Magazine FEMA has approved nearly $7 million in post-disaster funding for Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program projects in New England, including over $6 million for Vermont. These programs empower states, local communities, tribes and territories to recover to rebuild more resilient, safer communities and protect infrastructure from future events. With this funding, President Donald J. Trump is keeping his promise to reform federal disaster support and ensure that taxpayer money is spent only on projects that deliver safety and security to the American people.