Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) announces eleven grantees from a new competitive round of funding within the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program, referred to as LFPA Plus. Approximately $400,000 will be awarded to eleven organizations that have diverse projects to purchase from socially disadvantaged Vermont farmers and producers and distribute to underserved community members across the state. Projects will focus on increasing equity and cultivating new relationships between local growers and entities providing food to their neighbors. Some projects will involve continuation and/or expansion of previously funded LFPA projects. Projects will begin this spring and run for one year across 11 Vermont counties.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Biden administration finalized federal carbon pollution standards for new gas-fired power plants and – for the first time ever – existing coal-fired plants. These critically needed standards will slash carbon pollution and improve air quality for families and communities across the country. In March, the announced retirements of New England’s last coal-burning units marked the beginning of the end for coal in the region. However, the new carbon pollution standards announced today will serve as an additional hurdle for future gas projects, including Enbridge’s much-disputed, state-crossing Project Maple proposal gas pipeline. Notably, as action is taken to clean up new and existing fossil fuel plants, regional clean energy sources – especially New England's abundant offshore wind resources – are continuing to build momentum.

Vermont Business Magazine The Clean Water Initiative Program (CWIP) at the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the rest of the lineup for the 2024 Clean Water Conversation Series. These monthly webinars are free and open to the public. The series spotlights the collaborative endeavors of the state and its partners aimed at enhancing Vermont’s water quality.

Vermont Business Magazine Williston-based iSun, Inc. (NASDAQ: ISUN) on Wednesday announced that it will affect a 1-for-20 reverse stock split of its issued Common Stock, effective at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, April 26, 2024. Beginning Friday, April 26, 2024, the Company's Common Stock will trade on a split-adjusted basis. At the Company's Special Meeting of Stockholders held on February 27, 2024, the company's stockholders approved a proposal to authorize a reverse stock split of the Company’s Common Stock, at a ratio of not less than 1-for-6 and not more than 1-for-20 as to be determined by the Company's Board of Directors. The Board of Directors approved a 1-for-20 reverse split ratio, and on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, the company filed a Certificate of Amendment to its Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation to affect the reverse stock split effective as of 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, April 26, 2024.

Vermont Business Magazine Yesterday, US Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) spoke with Vermont Sugarmakers at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, Vermont, about the agricultural, cultural and economic benefits of Vermont’s maple industry. As the largest maple producer in the United States, Vermont’s maple industry provides employment opportunities and economic benefits for rural communities. 

Vermont Business Magazine Recently, the Vermont House passed S.209, a critical bill aimed at curbing the growth of unserialized firearms, also known as "ghost guns" in Vermont communities. The initial tri-partisan vote of 110-31 underscores the urgency and consensus surrounding the need for legislative action on this pressing issue, according to a statement from the Speaker of the House. S.209 represents a crucial step forward in safeguarding communities against the rising threat of untraceable homemade firearms, the statement said. With the exponential increase in the sales of ghost guns, stemming from kits or 3D printing, the need for robust measures to address this public safety risk cannot be overstated.

Vermont Business Magazine Chittenden County Forester Ethan Tapper is holding two events this Saturday (4/27). First, he's partnering with the Charlotte Conservation Commission to give a talk about forests, forestry and forest ecology with a special focus on habitat connectivity, conservation and responsible development as part of their Earth Month Celebration. His talk will be at the Charlotte Library (115 Ferry Road, Charlotte, VT) from 10:30 - 11:30 on Saturday, April 27. To join, just show up. No pre-registration is required. There will also be fun events, speakers and more from 10:00 AM through 1:00 PM. 

by Olivia Wilson, Community News Service After years of absence, the most patriotic bird in the sky returned to Vermont — but it might’ve come at another’s expense. Vermont finally took the bald eagle off of its endangered species list in 2022 following years of reintroduction efforts starting in the 2000s. Since that reintroduction, researchers have concerns about the relation between the bald eagles’ rise and a receding blue heron population in the state. “Much like many predator reintroductions, there are controversies and conflicting views in the bald eagle project,” said Allan Strong, dean of University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School and professor in the wildlife and fisheries biology program. "Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge has reported that their blue heron populations have dramatically dropped,” he said. “Bald eagles are not killing these birds, but rather they are bullying and harassing them out of their territories in Vermont.” 

Vermont Business Magazine A refreshing way for storytellers to change the narrative is coming to Burlington on May 2. Those seeking to tell stronger, truer stories will have an opportunity to attend a candid, uplifting free workshop presented by award-winning filmmaker Jay Austin on May 2 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at Generator 40 Sears Lane, Burlington. The workshop is hosted by the Community Navigator Pilot Program (CNPP). Non-extractive storytelling offers business writers, videographers, journalists, authors, filmmakers, documentarians, and others a way to center their subjects’ voices in an honest, unselfish format, without casting their own implicit biases on their writing. This process results in clearer authenticity, allowing the reader or viewer to understand the real story.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Electric Power Company (VELCO) will hold four public input sessions – May 1, 2, 14 and 15 – to share the findings and receive feedback on the public review draft of the 2024 Vermont Long-Range Transmission Plan. The Plan is required by law to identify where electric load growth over the next 20 years may drive the need for additional transmission line development or other alternatives in order ensure system reliability. This is the first long-range plan since 2015 where the need for new transmission lines have been identified as necessary to meet Vermont’s expected load growth. The 2024 Vermont Long-Range Transmission Plan examines several electricity use drivers, e.g., electric vehicle adoption, instate solar energy generation, battery storage, etc., and the potential future scenarios influenced by different rates of growth for these respective energy uses, as well as evolving state energy policy.

Vermont Business Magazine Watching wildlife is enjoyable, especially when young animals appear in the spring.  But it is best to keep your distance.  Picking up young wildlife can do more harm than good, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, and it is also against the law. When people see young animals alone, they often mistakenly assume these animals are helpless or lost, in trouble or needing to be rescued.  Bringing young wildlife into a human environment often results in permanent separation from their mothers and a sad ending for the animal. Handling wildlife could also pose a threat to the people involved.  Wild animals can transmit disease and angry wildlife mothers can pose significant dangers. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) stressed the importance of the arts and his recently introduced bill, the Supporting Theater and the Arts to Galvanize the Economy Act (STAGE Act) of 2024 at an event held Wednesday night at Burlington’s historic Flynn Performing Arts Center. Professional nonprofit theaters, which enrich communities and bolster local economies in every state, have experienced a lagging recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Theaters have been forced to reduce staff and productions, and many have closed permanently. The STAGE Act will establish a new grant program to support the industry. The bicameral bill is cosponsored in the Senate by Senators John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and in the House by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01).