Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Philo Ridge Farm announced today that it has successfully completed its transition to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, establishing the farm as a permanent community asset dedicated to the future of food and agriculture in Vermont. The Philo Ridge Farm Foundation will focus on promoting organic regenerative agriculture through hands-on research, education, dining, and community engagement. This milestone marks the completion of a thoughtfully planned transition that began in November 2023, when Philo Ridge Farm first announced its intention to evolve from a for-profit business to a nonprofit organization. This change ensures Philo Ridge Farm will remain a multigenerational resource for farmers, researchers, and the community.

by Devon Green, VP of Government Relations, VAHHS I wouldn’t call last week light, but it offered a little bit of a breather from crossover as the health care committees wait for bills from the other chamber to land on their bulletin boards. The money committees, however, worked overtime on both the budget and BAA negotiations after the governor’s veto. We’ll have more information on those bills next week. Budget: One notable item for the FY 2026 budget is that the $1M towards paying down medical debt under S.27 is out for now. This could be a matter of crossed wires between the budget being in the House and the policy bill being in the Senate.

Vermont Business Magazine HomeShare Vermont has launched its 2025 Experience Vermont Raffle, with prizes including local getaways and unique experiences, to raise funds in support of the nonprofit's mission to create more opportunities for people to access homesharing in Vermont. For over 40 years, HomeShare Vermont has helped individuals stay in their homes, find affordable housing and strengthen local communities through shared living arrangements. In exchange for reasonable rent — an average of $360 per month — guests may provide services such as companionship, meal preparation or help getting to and from appointments.  

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.09 per gallon, unchanged from last week, as there has been little movement the last couple of weeks. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.82/g while the highest was $3.27/g, a difference of 45.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 6.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.08/g today. The national average is down 1.6 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 42.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine We are close to having all of the Spring workshops ready to be posted.  In the Meantime here are the workshops that are ready to go - Register online.  Registration for the Workshops will close two days before the Workshop Date, and a week before, the Game of Logging trainings. Still in the works is the Northern GOL Levels and the North and Southern "Maple - To Tap or Cut?" workshops. The State will be hosting its Forest Health Meeting as well.  

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) is hosting a series of listening sessions across the state to hear directly from dairy stakeholders, farmers, and processors. These sessions will allow those involved in Vermont's dairy industry to express their thoughts, concerns, and ideas about the future of Vermont dairy. VAAFM leadership looks forward to engaging in conversations with the dairy community that can lead to new, actionable ideas. Each meeting will include a working portion focused on putting ideas into short-term, near-term, and long-term priority levels. At the conclusion of these listening sessions, VAAFM will be using the anonymous ideas and data provided to develop a report that can support future dairy policy discussions, efforts, and initiatives.

by Maggie Lenz and Nick Charyk on behalf of Atlas Government Affairs Education reform in Montpelier is finally starting to take shape. After months of plans, counterplans, and more questions than answers, lawmakers have their hands in the clay. Governor Scott’s sweeping January proposal set the wheel in motion, calling for major district consolidation, a statewide school choice lottery, and a new funding formula. Since then, the House and Senate have each worked their own approach, and they are not exactly aligned with each other, or with the Administration. That raises the very real possibility of a contentious conference committee in the near future. And without a Democratic supermajority, there will be three parties at the table this time, not two. The House and Senate will have to hash out their differences while keeping an eye on whether the governor will sign or veto whatever deal they are able to land on.

by Helen Argraves, Vermont Business Magazine Industry leaders are calling the multitude of challenges Vermont developers face in 2025 a "perfect storm." Amid Vermont’s housing crisis, developers and lenders cite a combination of high interest rates, supply chain costs, labor shortages and tariffs on U.S. trading partners as reasons for concern that high costs will slow development. High interest rates are especially worrisome for commercial developers, who rely more heavily on traditional lenders like banks and credit unions. The Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain interest rates at the target range of 4.25% to 4.5% in January, aimed at curbing inflation, has further impacted the situation. Additionally, mortgage rates remain high, influenced by investors’ expectations of economic conditions including inflation and monetary policy.

by Ekaterina Raikhovski, Community News Service Donald Trump’s second term in the White House has been dominated by a flurry of executive orders, with the president signing 76 in his first six weeks back in office. Many are tied to his campaign promise to crack down on immigration, and the hardline approach so far has driven anxieties in schools nationwide — including in Vermont. In a memo from 2011, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement directed officers to avoid carrying out arrests, interviews, searches and surveillance in sensitive places such as schools and churches. U.S. Customs and Border Protection adopted a similar policy soon after. This January, the Department of Homeland Security rolled back those limits.

by Jaiel Pulskamp I want you to imagine standing in a field surrounded by 9,000 beautiful, healthy Brussels sprout plants—months of careful planning, hard work, and abundance growing from the soil. But then, in a matter of days, relentless rain pounds the earth, drowning the roots, rotting the harvest, and washing away not just my crops but also my livelihood. This was the reality for many farmers in the summer of 2023 when an otherwise ordinary storm swept through Vermont. It wasn’t a hurricane or some historic, once-in-a-lifetime storm—it was just another rainstorm in Vermont—except now, even "normal" storms are devastating.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Habitat for Humanity affiliates are excited to announce the 2nd annual Dome to Home event in the fight against Vermont's housing crisis. On Wednesday, May 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., the second annual wall raising ceremony will take place on the State House lawn in front of Vermont's iconic Golden Dome. The event will bring together volunteers, including elected representatives from across the state, to participate in a unique demonstration of community spirit and dedication to affordable housing. Under the guidance of Habitat for Humanity leaders, these volunteers will work in teams to build wall sections, which will then be assembled for a ceremonial wall raising.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT), in partnership with the Addison County Regional Planning Commission (ACRPC), has concluded the Vergennes Planning and Environment Linkages (PEL) Study and will hold a final in-person open house for the public to learn more about the resulting transportation alternatives that are being recommended. WHEN: Wednesday, April 2, 2025, 3-7 p.m. WHERE: American Legion, 100 Armory Lane, Vergennes, VT 05491.