Current News

by Elodie Reed, UVM University of Vermont Extension has announced that Rail View Dairy in New Haven is the 2026 Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year. This annual award is presented by UVM Extension and the Vermont Dairy Industry Association, in cooperation with the New England Green Pastures Program. The winning farm is selected based on excellence in agronomic practices, herd management, quality milk production, land stewardship and innovation. At Rail View Dairy, excellence has come from four decades of the Livingston family's careful investment and hard work. In 1985, Phil and Diane Livingston and their two young sons settled at the farm, which they named for its overview of the railroad tracks. They started the operation in a tie stall barn with 40 cows. Phil said he built up that herd at the pace he could afford.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $4.12 per gallon, up 14.7 cents per gallon from last week's $3.97/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.90/g while the highest was $4.64/g, a difference of 74.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has risen 13.0 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.95/g today.

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Every day, livestock and poultry producers put time and effort into keeping their animals disease-free. It can be a monumental goal considering how many people, vehicles, and even animals enter and exit a farm daily. Some of the pathways for disease transmission are not so obvious. A new mapping tool called the Secure Ag Farm Emergency Mapping App (SAFE MApp) gives producers the ability to visualize the potential entry points for diseases to the farm, and then strategize methods to keep them out.

Vermont Business Magazine Registration is now open, and customers can sign up to tour Kingdom Community Wind in Lowell, VT. The summer tour offers dozens of visitors the chance to see turbines up close and learn about how wind power works. The tour is led by GMP experts and takes about 90 minutes. It starts at 10:00 a.m. on July 22nd and you can go here to sign up. Tickets are free, space is limited, and pre-registration is required.

Professional Logging Contractors of Maine The Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast (PLC) is disappointed by the announcement by Finch Paper, LLC that it will stop making its own pulp and therefore cease buying low-grade wood for that purpose.  This is a significant loss for the region’s logging and trucking industry with far reaching economic consequences as well as serious negative impacts on the ability to properly manage forest health.

Vermont Business Magazine FEMA has approved nearly $7 million in post-disaster funding for Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program projects in New England, including over $6 million for Vermont. These programs empower states, local communities, tribes and territories to recover to rebuild more resilient, safer communities and protect infrastructure from future events. With this funding, President Donald J. Trump is keeping his promise to reform federal disaster support and ensure that taxpayer money is spent only on projects that deliver safety and security to the American people.

Vermont Business Magazine In a luxury real estate market where many premier properties remain listed for months or even years, one of Vermont's most extraordinary private estates is taking a dramatically different approach. On Wednesday, July 22, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT), The Preserve at Wade Pasture, located at 1084 Wade Pasture Road in Stowe, Vermont, will be sold at a 100% Absolute Auction—Without Reserve. There is no list price, no minimum bid, and no reserve. When the auction begins, the property will sell to the highest bidder regardless of price.

Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of July 20, 2026. To learn more about the projects listed below, visit the AOT Construction Updates page. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.  

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Archives and Records Administration (VSARA), a division of the Secretary of State’s office, announced today a free summer speaker series to commemorate our nation’s 250th anniversary. VSARA holds records from pre-statehood to the present day that document the rights of citizens, the decisions of government, and the history of the State of Vermont. The speaker series, titled “Those Who Came Before: 250 Years of Vermont History,” will explore the quest for liberty, equality, justice, and acceptance in Vermont. Speakers will use archival records, including those held by VSARA, to tell the stories of individuals, communities, and our nation.

Vermont Business Magazine As Vermont employers continue to face workforce shortages and an aging labor force, Workforce in Motion (WIM) is bringing their proven hands-on career exploration model to the Champlain Valley Expo this fall. The Workforce in Motion Summit, presented by Title Sponsor Casella Waste Systems and hosted by the Lake Champlain Chamber, will welcome Vermont students on September 29 for a day of hands-on career exploration, connecting them directly with employers, industries, and opportunities through immersive experiences. Following the student Summit, the event will open to the community for an afternoon career fair, giving job seekers and community members an opportunity to connect directly with regional employers and training providers.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Bank, based in Dewitt, NY, with branches across Vermont, is celebrating a remarkable milestone in 2026: 160 years of serving customers, supporting local businesses and investing in communities across the Northeast. Founded in Canton, NY, as St. Lawrence National Bank in 1866, Community Bank has spent more than a century and a half helping individuals, families and businesses achieve their goals while remaining deeply connected to the communities it serves. Today, as part of parent company Community Financial System, Inc. (NYSE: CBU), the organization has grown to approximately $17 billion in assets, more than 200 branches, over 3,000 employees and a footprint spanning upstate New York, Northeastern Pennsylvania, Vermont, western Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.

Vermont Business Magazine Across the United States, dissent is being criminalized, voting protections are being gutted, and immigrant communities are being targeted. In response, Ben & Jerry's is launching Razz Up!, a campaign to mobilize communities across the US to use their voices and their votes in the 2026 midterm elections to stand against authoritarianism. Razz Up!, Ben & Jerry's latest limited batch flavor, is an indulgent black raspberry ice cream with swirls of raspberry and crackling fudge chunk pieces. Yes, it really does crackle. Razz Up! is available in Ben & Jerry's 200+ Scoop Shops now, just in time for National Ice Cream Day, with pints soon heading to grocery stores nationwide.