Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Rachel Schattman has experienced first-hand the impacts of climate change on Vermont farming. Schattman's areas of expertise include climate change in the northeastern United States, local agriculture and food insecurity in Vermont, and Spotted Wing Drosophila (fruit flies) management on organic farms.

Vermont Business Magazine For the fifth consecutive year, farmers across Vermont will once again open their barn doors and garden gates to welcome the public for a behind-the-scenes look at Vermont’s vibrant working landscapes. Vermont Open Farm Week 2019 will be held Friday, Aug. 9 through Thursday, Aug. 15, and feature over 72 events at over 40  farms across the state. Events are live and sorted by day and location on DigInVT.com.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott on Wednesday issued the following statement on the Trump Administration’s Safe Importation Action Plan: “Vermont was the first state in the nation to pass a prescription drug importation law, recognizing health care and pharmacy costs are too high for too many. For our policy to be viable, we knew we would need federal collaboration and approval and this announcement indicates we have both. It’s important to give credit where credit’s due: The Trump Administration has taken an important step toward making prescription drugs more affordable for Americans, and they should be acknowledged for doing so."

by Christine McGowan The story behind Randy Kay’s camp on Lake Iroquois began with an errant voicemail. Andy Harper, owner of Winterwood Timber Frames received a message that he wasn’t sure was meant for him, but he returned the call anyway and got to talking with Kay, who was looking to build a camp using materials sourced in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Small businesses are on the rise in the US, and according to MIT, they thrive or die based on location. Where you choose to start a business can be one of the most important decisions you make as an entrepreneur; location determines quality of life, cost/tax burdens, and the size of the consumer market. Vermont was among the five worst in this study, while Texas was rated best; West Virginia was worst.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), all members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today introduced legislation to immediately ban the use of the death penalty by the federal government.  The legislation comes after Attorney General (AG) William Barr’s announcement that federal executions will resume for the first time in more than 16 years.  While there have been only three federal executions in the last five decades, AG Barr has ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons to carry out five executions in less than two months in December 2019 and January 2020.

Vermont Business Magazine AARP Vermont State Director Greg Marchildon issued the following statement today after the Trump administration announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) concerning the importation of prescription drugs.

Targeted Vermonters with Deceptive Marketing, Conducted Business Without Authorization

Vermont Business Magazine On July 31, 2019 the Department of Financial Regulation issued a cease and desist order against four entities and one individual alleged to be violating state law by deceptively marketing and soliciting unlicensed health insurance to Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine If you want to see the future of Vermont’s economy, look no further than the state’s local food industry. With 50 percent growth from 2006-2016, Vermont entrepreneurs are starting new specialty food businesses and creating a name for Vermont products across the US and beyond. Specialty food manufacturers transform high-quality ingredients into products like chocolates, freshly prepared foods, and specialty meats. Increasingly, customers are demanding sustainability as well as fine craftsmanship and quality. Several Vermont businesses are stepping up to the challenge to increase the sustainability of their operations by participating in the new Green Specialty Foods Cohort.

The cohort is an initiative of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in partnership with Efficiency Vermont, to support environmental excellence in Green Mountain State businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine The Community Health Centers of Burlington (CHCB) announced today that Chief Executive Officer Alison Lyndes Calderara, MEd, has stepped down from her position after more than two decades of various leadership roles within the organization. Prior to her position as CEO, Calderara’s work with CHCB included policy development, patient relations and operations, community communications and collaborations, recruitment, federal programs management, and grant development.

A statement issued by the CHCB said Calderara has always been a committed spokesperson for the transformative Federally Qualified Health Center model of care and played an integral role in the growth and evolution of CHCB’s programs and services throughout her career.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Democratic Party announced today that it has hired a new executive director, Scott McNeil. McNeil previously led the North Dakota Democratic Party since July 2017. Before moving to North Dakota, McNeil successfully managed Suzanne Bump’s campaign for Massachusetts State Auditor and then served in her office as an external affairs assistant.

In edition to managing a statewide campaign, he has also worked on multiple congressional races around the country, serving in the roles of Regional Field Director and Field Director. McNeil is a Cum Laude graduate of George Washington University with a bachelor's in political science. 

VDP photo of Scott McNeil.