Current News

VermontBiz The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) is now accepting applications for the Farm to Institution Market Development Grant. Vermont farm or food businesses, Vermont producer associations, and supply chain facilitators (non-profits, economic development authorities, food hubs, food brokers, etc.) may apply for grants of $10,000 to $30,000. 

VermontBiz The Vermont Congressional Delegation, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Representative Becca Balint (VT-At-Large) introduced the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park Establishment Act Amendments Act, legislation that extends the boundary of the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park to include the neighboring King Farm, which is currently owned by the Vermont Land Trust.  

VermontBiz Temperature, precipitation, wind speed—the U.S. government has plenty of ways to measure our climate. But how do we measure the impacts of climate on our communities, economies, and ecosystems? The new Climate Measurements Center of Excellence (CMeC) at the University of Vermont (UVM) will answer this need, thanks to a $2.7M investment from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology.

VermontBiz Vermont Smoke & Cure, a rural smokehouse maker of premium meat products, and WhistlePig Whiskey, acclaimed for its exceptional rye whiskey, announce their groundbreaking collaboration: Maple Old Fashioned Smoked Meat Sticks, a limited time offering. This innovative product marks a creative partnership in the premium meat sticks category, combining Vermont's rich culinary traditions with the artistry of craft cocktails.

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Grant funds are available through the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) to provide business support services to Vermont agriculture, food, and forestry businesses, and to strengthen Vermont producer associations in these sectors. The Service Provider & Producer Association Grant has $370,000 available to award to service providers and producer associations. Service provider grant projects should provide direct or indirect services to support Vermont-based working lands businesses. Producer association grant projects may also provide these services to their members, or the project can support association governance and operations. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) is opening applications for the Service Provider & Producer Association Grant, which aims to provide business support services to Vermont agriculture, food, and forestry businesses, and to strengthen Vermont producer associations in these sectors. The application portal is open from September 20th through November 7th, 2024.   

Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies In 1998, Mike Lane co-founded Dealer.com, a digital marketing company for the automotive industry. He served as the COO for 16 years before Dealer.com sold for $1.1B in 2014. Now, Mike is CEO/Co-Founder of Fluency, a tech automation platform which is nearing 100 employees. In this Q&A, Lane discusses his entrepreneurial spirit, his close ties to VCET, and his love for Vermont. 

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine The more you learn about Janice St. Onge, the president of the Flexible Capital Fund, the more you understand why some Vermont things are truly unique and special: It's the people. St. Onge, 61, is a true pioneer in the investment community, one who has been working quietly to improve the economy for several decades. She created the for profit Flex Fund, as it is called, in 2011, at the request of the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF). Its specialty: providing flexible risk capital, including revenue-based financing, for young companies in Vermont's food system, forestry and clean technology spaces.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his cabinet will be in Orleans County on Wednesday, September 25 for its Capital for a Day 14-county tour. Governor Scott first launched this initiative in June 2018, and he and his cabinet visited all 14 counties over the following 10 months. Capital for a Day gives local constituents, municipal government leaders and other partners the opportunity to connect directly with state leadership and staff. In addition to the public schedule listed below, Governor Scott and members of his cabinet will participate in meetings to discuss municipal flood response and recovery, public safety, and challenges business owners are facing which are not open to the general public.

Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of September 24, 2024. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation is pleased to share that the Addison Community Athletics Foundation and Middlebury Indoor Tennis have been named 2024 Organization of the Year by the U.S. Tennis Association of New England. The award recognizes the quality and diversity of youth programs at the nonprofit facility and its commitment to making programs accessible and affordable to the local community. David and Eleanor Ignat of Ripton opened Middlebury Indoor Tennis in 2001. It’s now owned and operated by the Addison Community Athletics Foundation, which they established at the Vermont Community Foundation. Its mission complements the Vermont Community Foundation’s commitment to build philanthropic resources that sustain healthy and vital Vermont communities now and into the future.  

Vermont Business Magazine Lawson’s Finest Liquids announces the release of Deaf Glow IPA (7.2% ABV). Part of the brewery’s Good Brews for a Cause program, Deaf Glow will be released during the month of September, Deaf Awareness Month, a time to advocate for inclusion, accessibility, and promoting the rights of Deaf people. Join us on Sept. 21 for a party at Lawson’s Finest’s destination brewery and taproom in Waitsfield to celebrate the release of Deaf Glow. Dry-hopped with Mosaic, Galaxy and Simcoe, this IPA has a golden hue, brimming with dank, fruity character. Deaf Glow was crafted to benefit two local organizations, the Vermont Association of the Deaf and the Yolande Henry Community Foundation, which provides interpretive services that are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act.