Current News

Twenty organic farm and consumer groups have filed a petition with US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to protect the authority and permanence of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The petitioners object to recent changes to the NOSB charter, renewed onMay 8, 2014, that undermine the mandatory and continuing duties of the Board as established by Congress under the Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990. The NOSB, intended to safeguard the integrity of the organic food label, was created by Congress with independent authorities that operate outside the discretion of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Petitioners maintain that in renewing the charter under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), USDA mistakenly re-categorized the NOSB as a time-limited Advisory Board subject to USDA's discretion and a narrowing of responsibilities.

A new program is available to help Vermont homeowners with the cost of repairing or replacing failed residential wastewater and drinking water systems. The program, established by the Vermont Legislature in 2012, assists Vermonters with limited financial resources to cope with increasingly expensive failed systems.

“The On-site Revolving Loan Program fills a critical need,” according to David Mears, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. “This is a program aimed at Vermont homeowners, one that provides low-cost financing to those faced with a failing residential wastewater or drinking water system. It is unique in that it provides a viable option to those who demonstrate need, but who have already been rejected by traditional financing in the commercial marketplace.”

Green Mountain College announced today that it will offer the nation's first online Master of Science degree in Resilient and Sustainable Communities (MRSC). This two-year program, accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, will begin in February 2015 with a residency featuring Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and climate-change activist.

FairPoint Communications, Inc (Nasdaq: FRP), a leading provider of advanced communications in northern New England, has expanded broadband to 50 homes and businesses in Stockbridge. FairPoint’s new fiber-based, high-capacity network offers customers a better, faster way to communicate.

“Our next-generation network allows us to expand broadband service into areas with no high-speed Internet access and provide enhanced services across the state,” said Beth Fastiggi, FairPoint state president for Vermont. “Broadband availability opens the doors to the world for the residents and businesses in Vermont and is fundamental to the state’s future economic growth.”

The ancestors to Burr Morse and his son Tom at Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks of East Montpelier, Vermont learned their trade from the Native Americas as they settled Central Vermont. Today, the eighth generation farm is tapping a 21st Century technology to support their maple sugaring operation. The farm recently installed a 30kW solar tracking system, which will produce more than 45,000 kWh of electricity per year. The new project will cover nearly 100 percent of the farm’s electric demand.

Vermont’s supply of home heating oil is poised to become cleaner and more efficient this summer. The Clean and Green Oilheat Initiative, which was signed into law as part of the 2011 Vermont Energy Act, establishes a timeline for low sulfur, biodiesel blended heating fuel. The first part of the law will be implemented on July 1, 2014, when Vermont requires all heating oil sold in the state to be nearly sulfur free. The Vermont clean fuel standard will become 500 parts-per-million at the end of the month and a mere 15 parts-per-million by 2018.

by Danny Monahan Twelve years ago a fledgling brewery in Burlington consisted only of a lone brewmaster crafting an unfiltered ale for a few select bars in the area. Today, Switchback Brewing Co. is one the most heralded breweries in Vermont selling its beer throughout the Northeast to restaurants, resorts and stores. The brewery’s owners, Bill Cherry and Jeff Neiblum, are awarded the Vermont Small Business Person of the Year, for growing their brewery, expanding the brand and increasing sales. Cherry and Neiblum were joined Tuesday evening by the Vermont SBA advocate winners (The Bees Knees, Grow Compost, Super Thin Saws, Sidehill Farm and Vermont Bean Crafters) to be recognized for their accomplishments by Governor Shumlin, friends, colleagues, family and business associates at the Shelburne Museum.

Opposed by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted 12-10 for the construction of the Keystone Pipeline which would transport oil from the tar sands region in Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. Sanders said extracting and refining “the dirtiest oil imaginable” would spew more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and worsen global warming. Completing the Keystone XL pipeline, he added, would send a signal that the United States is unwilling to lead the way toward reversing global warming.

“The scientific community has overwhelmingly concluded that global warming is occurring, that it is caused by human activity and that it is already causing devastating problems in terms of drought, wild fires, flooding and extreme weather disturbances,” Sanders said in a prepared statement.

The East Central Vermont Community Fiber Optic Network (ECFiber) today announced dramatic increases in the Internet speeds it provides to its customers. ECFiber subscribers currently using 5, 10 or 20 Mbps symmetrical connections will be automatically upgraded to 7, 20 or 50 Mbps, respectively at no additional charge. “This speed increase will help our subscribers handle the increasing bandwidth load being created by richer Internet content and by multiple devices in each home,” said Stan Williams, CEO.

The Working Lands Enterprise Board announces this year’s grant recipients - 37 projects for $1.1 million in grants reaching every county in Vermont (8 forestry projects, 28 agriculture projects, 1 ag and forestry project) and leveraging $1.8 million in matching funds, building upon last year’s initial investment of $1 million. This year, the program further invests in job creation, innovation, sustainability, and increased income. An event to recognize the recipients was held at Grow Compost in Moretown.

“We recognize the tremendous economic and environmental impact that our Working Lands businesses have across the state of Vermont,” said Governor Shumlin. “By investing in technical assistance and infrastructure for our ag and forest economies, we are creating jobs and supporting a quality of life that will attract Vermonters and out-of-stater’s for generations to come.”

Dr Richard Galbraith has been appointed vice president for research at the University of Vermont. He is currently a professor of medicine and interim senior associate dean for research in the College of Medicine and director of the Vermont Center for Clinical and Translational Science.

The Town of Hartford has broken ground for renovations to the Hartford Municipal Building, located at 171 Bridge Street in White River Junction. Bread Loaf Corporation of Middlebury, Vermont is providing Integrated Project Management services for design and construction of a complete renovation of existing Town offices housed in the19th century school building.