Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) has announced that the Farm Service Agency (FSA) of the USDA has awarded $577,325 to the State of Vermont as a part of the Organic Certification Cost Share Program.  The application is now open for certified operations to apply for these funds. Certified organic operations may receive reimbursement of up to 75% of their direct certification costs paid between October 1 and September 30 annually, not to exceed $750 per certification scope. There are up to four eligible certification scopes (crops, livestock, wild crops, and handling), which must be individually inspected for organic certification to be eligible for reimbursement. 

Vermont Business Magazine This exciting initiative is dedicated to identifying and recognizing Vermont's best employers. If you think your organization has what it takes to be honored at the 17th annual "Best Places to Work in Vermont", visit www.bestplacestoworkvermont.com to register or for more information. An employee assessment will determine the Best Places to Work in Vermont. Winning companies will be highlighted in VermontBiz and will be recognized in Spring 2024. All companies will receive their own Assessment Findings Report at the end of the process.

Vermont State Police The office of Bennington County State’s Attorney Erica Marthage has completed its review of the June 12, 2023, vehicle crash that resulted in the death of Richard Treat Williams of Manchester Center. On Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2023, the prosecutor’s office requested that the Vermont State Police issue a citation on a charge of grossly negligent operation with death resulting to Ryan Koss, 35, of Dorset, who was driving the Honda Element SUV that turned into the path of Mr. Williams’ motorcycle. Mr. Williams suffered critical injuries in the crash and subsequently was pronounced dead at Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of Administration Kristin Clouser released Vermont’s revenue results for June 2023 and fiscal year-end today. June was an underperforming month for the Transportation Fund, however, both the General Fund and the Education Fund exceeded their respective monthly targets. Revenue collections for the month of June 2023 show the state’s General Fund, Transportation Fund, and Education Fund receipts were a combined $304.1 million, exceeding the $294.9 million monthly consensus target by $9.2 million, or +3.1%. The cumulative fiscal year-end annual results closed $39.3 million, or +1.2%, above the $3,209.2 million consensus target set back in January following the January 2023 Emergency Board meeting. 

Vermont Business Magazine The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont will join community organizers, neighbors, and law enforcement partners to participate in National Night Out events on August 1, 2023. During this year’s National Night Out, US Attorney Nikolas P Kerest will attend National Night Out events at Essex High School and Law Enforcement Coordinator Tony Facos will attend events in Swanton on the Village Green and in St Albans at Taylor Park. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes partnerships and camaraderie between law enforcement and the communities they serve to make our neighborhoods safer places to live. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) announced the start of the statewide community engagement project to support hospital transformation. Guided by the legislature’s directive in Act 167 of 2022, this project will identify community-informed opportunities to improve the sustainability of Vermont’s health care system. In 2022, the legislature allocated funding for GMCB to review data and solicit local input to develop options that ensure Vermonters have sustained access to affordable care. Community meetings are slated to begin in the fall.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) New England regional office recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Landmark College of Putney, Vermont, a global leader in educating neurodivergent students, to work together to increase national employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The five-year, non-binding agreement outlines four areas where the partners can collaborate to achieve this goal, including a neurodiversity training program for EPA supervisors, hiring managers and other staff; EPA’s participation in college fairs; and specialized workshops that advance environmental education for Landmark College students.

Vermont Business Magazine Last Saturday afternoon, more than 100 UVMMC support staff rallied, despite consistent rain, six months after winning a landslide union election for support staff at the University of Vermont Medical Center, the region's only level one trauma center. The union said they are pushing the UVMMC administration to come to terms that would create livable wages for all staff, would reduce consistent staffing challenges and improve patient care as a result.  

Vermont Business Magazine The REPLANT Act provides money for the US Forest Service to plant more than a billion trees in the next nine years. The World Economic Forum aims to help plant a trillion trees around the world by 2030. Many US cities have plans to shade their streets with millions of trees. Major government and private funding is being invested in planting trees as a powerful tool to fight climate change, protect water, clean air, and cool cities. In short, trees are hot. But new research shows a troubling bottleneck that could threaten these efforts: U.S. tree nurseries don’t grow close to enough trees—nor have the species diversity needed—to meet ambitious plans.

by Bill Schubart During my long life, I’ve chaired 13 statewide nonprofit organizations, including the former Fletcher Allen Hospital, and served as a trustee on nine others. The first was the Vermont Arts Council when I was 25 years old. I know and understand nonprofits and feel strongly about their governance and oversight responsibilities. I’ve expressed my ideas and concerns about Vermont’s 6000-odd nonprofits often.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Bar Association has just launched the “Vermont Flood Relief Legal Assistance Project.”  The project is designed to help flood victims get no-cost legal advice related to flood recovery. The VBA has recruited attorneys (and is working on recruiting more) to provide pro bono advice over the phone for up to half an hour to answer pressing questions from flood victims.  Victims with more complex issues may also be eligible for help from an attorney who has agreed to work on a low bono or pro bono basis for up to five hours.  Any payment to an attorney engaged through the low bono aspect of project will be paid through a $20,000 grant provided by the Vermont Bar Foundation. (I.e., at no cost to the client).   

Vermont Business Magazine NBT Bancorp Inc (NASDAQ: NBTB), parent of NBT Bank with branches in Vermont, has reported net income and diluted earnings per share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023. Net income for the three months ended June 30, 2023 was $30.1 million, or $0.70 per diluted common share, compared to $37.8 million, or $0.88 per diluted share, for the three months ended June 30, 2022, and $33.7 million, or $0.78 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2023.