Current News

Vermont Business Magazine More than 100 Vermonters and representatives of agricultural organizations gathered at the West Monitor Barn in Richmond on Saturday to thank US Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) for his years of advocacy on behalf of farms and farmers. Leahy, who announced last November that he will not seek re-election to a ninth term in the Senate, said, “I am honored and humbled. I’ve been saying that a lot lately, but that’s because it’s true. Marcelle and I deeply appreciate the kind words of the speakers and the chance to visit with old friends.” The event was organized by Organic Valley, a dairy cooperative, in partnership with 13 other agricultural businesses and organizations.

Vermont Business Magazine Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean has endorsed Brenda Siegel to be Vermont’s next governor. Incumbent Republican Governor Phil Scott announced in May that he would seek a fourth term. Brenda Siegel, from Newfane, is a housing and drug policy advocate, small business owner and founded a large ongoing project in response to Tropical Storm Irene to help rebuild the local economy. She teaches leadership, civic engagement and social justice in schools.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Every year the Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Farm to School Program helps hundreds of students, children, educators and care professionals through its three unique grant programs: the Farm to School and Early Childhood Grant, the Community Supported Agriculture Grant, and the Farm to School Vision Grant. These programs provide a variety of financial and technical support to help advance goals related to food access and nutrition security, agricultural literacy, economic development and community engagement. This past winter and spring, VAAFM awarded over $190,000 in grants to 37 organizations throughout the state.

Vermont Business Magazine The Community College of Vermont (CCV) held its graduation ceremony Saturday at Norwich University’s Shapiro Field House. More than 450 students received associate degrees. Students representing all 14 Vermont counties graduated, along with students from 14 states and 13 countries. The youngest graduate is 17 and the oldest is 69. Also among the graduates are 43 veteran and military-connected students.

by Auditor of Accounts Doug Hoffer Imagine how you’d react if someone told you a state economic development program created 815 new jobs in Montpelier and Bennington in just a few short years. Sounds good, right? And what if, on top of that, you heard that the same program generated $20.2 million in economic development activity in those two communities? The news keeps getting better, you’d say. The Governor and the Legislature were presented with these very numbers (in April) by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) to press them to greatly expand the state program. There was just one problem, though – neither Montpelier’s nor Bennington’s projects have even begun! So, the actual job and economic activity numbers are the same – zero.

by Haley Seymour, Vermont Business Magazine What did the board take into account when bringing on Alex Hernandez as the college’s next president? What are your hopes for Hernandez in upcoming years? "We really wanted someone who had a track record of innovation and financial acumen and experience leading through change. A career focus and ability to reach a diverse student population were also very important to us, as well as an ability to partner with businesses. Alex has deep experience in a number of these areas, and he also has a strong development and fundraising background. We thought that his strengths aligned very well with our 2030 strategic plan."

Vermont Agency of Transportation This weekly report for the week starting June 6 is a list of planned construction activities that will have traffic impacts on state highways throughout Vermont. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.

Vermont Business Magazine In the wake of a recent spate of hateful, anti-trans legislation in states across the nation, Ben & Jerry's has launched a billboard campaign to stand in solidarity with trans youth and their families who have been targeted by the latest wave of attempted new laws. In partnership with the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), the billboards are targeting four states: Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Virginia, all of which have introduced anti-trans legislation in recent months. The message on the billboards, placed within each state's capital, reads "We Stand with Trans Youth and Those Who Love Them."

Vermont Business Magazine Facing an urgent need to recruit more foster parents to provide safe and loving homes for children and youth, the Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) is expanding its recruitment efforts by partnering with the Pride Center of Vermont and RaiseAChild, the nationwide leader in the recruitment and support of LGBTQ+ and all prospective parents interested in building safe and loving families for children and youth in foster care.

Recruitment of foster parents from a diverse cross-section of the state will include multi-media campaigns, events, and monthly virtual information/orientation sessions.

“To support placement stability and overall wellbeing, recruitment, retention, and support of more foster families will help ensure that children and youth who experience abuse, neglect, or abandonment can remain in, or near, their own communities and schools,” stated Aryka Radke, Deputy Commissioner of DCF.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Bank will support local food pantries and food banks in honor of National Hunger Awareness month by collecting non-perishable food items and donations. Community Bank holds food donations annually to support local food banks and food pantries in its four-state footprint which includes New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Massachusetts.

Vermont Business Magazine This year, celebrate the arrival of summer during Vermont Days, an annual event designed to connect Vermonters and visitors to the state’s history and outdoor activities. Vermont Days will be held Saturday, June 11, and Sunday, June 12, 2022. The weekend celebration includes free entrance to Vermont State Parks and Vermont State Historic Sites, Free Fishing Day on June 11, several family-friendly events, and a special bus service between Rutland to Bomoseen State Park.

Vermont Business Magazine Bennington College announced that it has received a major gift of art from renowned television and film writer and producer Norman Lear to benefit its Art for Access program. Lear has gifted The Breakers, an important Abstract Expressionist painting from 1962 by Hans Hofmann, a key figure of postwar American art. The donation advances the dual aims of the Art for Access program: to invite gifts of art to enrich and enhance the campus and teaching, and to generate scholarship funds for talented students through the sale of select works at regular intervals. Known for his exuberant, color-filled canvases, and renowned as an influential teacher for generations of artists—first in his native Germany, then in New York and Provincetown—Hans Hofmann (1880-1966) played a pivotal role in the development of Abstract Expressionism.