Current News

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets Save the date for this year's Open Farm Week, taking place August 7-14, 2022. Open Farm week creates an opportunity for folks to visit farms and connect with Vermont's working landscape. This event has proven to be a great way for farmers to meet their customers and community! For seven years, farmers have been inviting the public behind the scenes to experience and celebrate Vermont’s agricultural heritage. During Open Farm Week, farms across the state will offer a range of events from on-farm dinners and workshops to tours and tastings that are uniquely crafted at every farm. This is a great opportunity to show people the places where their food comes from and the farmers who make it happen.

Vermont Business Magazine Middlesex-based Kingsbury Companies was recently awarded the Royalton Fire District #1 Water Treatment Facility Improvements Project in South Royalton.

The work of this project includes the construction of a new 220,700-gallon water storage tank, a new third clarifier/filter treatment unit and appurtenances, upgrades to existing filters, building additions, new generator, mechanical, electrical/instrumentation and other upgrades to the existing facilities, and site work.

Chair of the Royalton Prudential Committee Theron Manning commented, “The Royalton Fire District represents most of the village structures within the boundaries of South Royalton Village. We are a small community of approximately 200 connections and currently provide service for about 470 units of either single family dwellings, a variety of residential apartments, a K-12 School, Vermont Law School and small businesses within the Royalton Fire District.

Vermont Business Magazine No winter was in sight on a balmy high 50 degree day as the crowds enjoyed the 5th Annual Winter Homebrew Festival in downtown Bennington, Vermont. The festival was once again organized by the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Hopridge Farms and topped out at over 500 attendees. The Saturday festival opened its doors at noon to exclusive VIP ticket holders for a private tasting of both regional food and brews. The general ticket holders were able to attend from 1pm - 4pm.

by Christine McGowan, Vermont Forest Industry Network “Most of Vermont’s forested land is privately owned and fragmented into relatively small parcels,” said Jack Bell, co-founder of Long View Forest. “One of our goals is to provide continuity and professionalism over time so that the long-term health and composition of the forest is always the priority, even if the land changes hands.” Founded in 1999, Long View’s model is unconventional in Vermont. First, the company offers logging, forestry consulting, and woodland services—including invasive species management and young forest tending—under one roof. Second, Bell’s vision is for the company to be around for at least a couple of centuries, and he has a plan for that.

Vermont Business Magazine Citizens announced today that the national Citizens Business Conditions Index fell five points in Vermont in the most recent quarter, but remains over the crucial 50 mark. Meanwhile, the CBCI nationally reached 59.5 for the first quarter of 2022, up markedly from 54.4 at the end of 2021 and reaching its highest level since Citizens began tracking the data in 2014, suggesting that lessons learned by businesses during the pandemic coupled with strong consumer demand were a potent combination. The CBCI has been in expansionary territory (above 50) for six consecutive quarters, but the latest value exceeds even the first “reopening rebounds” that emerged in early 2021 and signals that resilient businesses that streamlined operations during early waves of the pandemic were able to benefit from a super-charged post-Omicron bounce.

Leonine Public Affairs At the beginning of the week the legislature appeared to be well on the way to adjournment. The FY2023 budget bill passed the Senate last week and the budget conference committee had been appointed and already met once before this week started. Historically (not counting the COVID-19 era) the legislature would adjourn two to three weeks after the budget conference committee was formed. For a while now there has been the specter of a gubernatorial veto, but in terms of the budget passing the legislature, things seemed to be on track for an early May adjournment.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University celebrated commencement and commissioning with April 30 ceremonies in Shapiro Field House in which 531 students graduated from 32 undergraduate programs and one master’s program and 134 graduates commissioned into the U.S. armed services. The 10 am commencement ceremony included graduates from the classes of 2020 and 2021, who joined members of the Class of 2022, which graduated 518 bachelor’s degree recipients and 13 master’s degree recipients.

Vermont Business Magazine The tenth annual Vermont’s Greenest Building Awards, hosted by the Vermont Green Building Network (VGBN), recognized three projects and design/build teams. The projects received awards for achieving the highest standard of demonstrated building energy performance for commercial and residential buildings and documentation of green building strategies including health, transportation, water and affordability. The 2021 winners were celebrated during the Vermont Green Building Celebration webinar event hosted by VGBN on April 13, 2022.

Vermont Business Magazine Stowe Area Association (SAA) is saluting local hospitality from May 1 - 7 during National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), an annual celebration of the contributions of the U.S. travel industry. This year’s theme, “The Future of Travel,” spotlights the critical role that travel plays in helping to restore the workforce, facilitate recovery, foster sustainability, and reconnect travelers in the U.S. and around the world.

​Vermont Business Magazine The Lake Champlain Chamber announced that they will be operating the State of Vermont’s Alburgh Welcome Center beginning May 1, 2022. The Center will operate Thursday to Monday from 9am to 5pm through October. The Alburgh Welcome Center is well positioned to engage with visitors in the region and provide them with information on events, things to do, and places to stay. The Lake Champlain Chamber looks forward to ensuring a warm welcome for all travelers.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 417 cases of COVID-19 for Thursday (399 Wednesday). There were three additional deaths from the virus. The total death toll is now 637 lives lost. April, with 16 to date, one short of March's total. March saw the fewest COVID deaths since last July. The VDH today reported the death of someone in the 50-59 age range, this is the first fatality from COVID-19 of anyone under 60 in Vermont in over two months.

Vermont State Police As part of the ongoing investigation into a shooting in Grand Isle that occurred Friday, April 22, 2022, the Vermont State Police is releasing photos showing a person of interest detectives are trying to locate. The individual is a black man believed to be in his 20s and described as having small dreadlocks, a slim build, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, and known by the nickname “Taye.” The attached photos were taken from a bank ATM surveillance camera in the Burlington area in the hours after the shooting. This is the same individual who was pictured in an initial surveillance photo taken in Grand Isle and released last week.