Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, one of the oldest property and casualty insurers in the Northeast, has contributed more than $1,000,000 to local charities in 2023 through its Charitable Giving Fund. Since its founding in 2014, Vermont Mutual’s Charitable Giving Fund has donated over $4.6 Million to help support organizations in the communities where they do business. In 2023 the Fund contributed to more than 240 organizations throughout the northeast, including nearly $500,000 to assist individuals, business owners and farmers devastated by flooding in Vermont in July all while dealing with significant loss to their Montpelier home office.

University of Vermont, Gund Institute for Environment As New England winters get warmer, Vermont maple producers are innovating in the face of climate change. In the depths of winter, sugar on snow is a yearly treat many Vermonters eagerly anticipate. But with winters warming and snow barely on the ground in some parts of the state, climate change presents a host of challenges for Vermont’s iconic maple industry. Loss of suitable growing conditions, coupled with increasing pressure from invasive insects and plants, are creating “real threats,” says University of Vermont maple specialist Mark Isselhardt. But maple syrup has never been a predictable crop, he says, and producers are adopting new strategies, from improved technologies to boost production, to forest management practices to keep the sap flowing in our warmer, wetter future.

University of Vermont and University of Maine researchers found that both food insecurity and home and wild food production (HWFP) – gardening, hunting, fishing, foraging, and having “backyard” poultry or livestock – increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and those who undertook HWFP activities exhibited improved food security 9-12 months later. The paper, published in Scientific Reports, surveyed over 1,000 individuals in rural Vermont and Maine (the two most rural states in the country) to identify their food security and food sources. Researchers hope that policymakers will consider how HWFP might lead to a more resilient food system. 

Vermont Business Magazine Join Ethan Tapper, the Chittenden County Forester for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, for a walk of a "micro-scale" forest management project at the Maple Shade Town Forest in Westford on Saturday February 17. We will visit the project and talk about forests, forest ecology, natural history, and how to manage forests for wildlife, birds, carbon and climate change, old-growth characteristics and more!

The USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production has announced the FY24 Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production Competitive Grants Program Notice of Funding Opportunity. These competitive grants initiate or expand efforts of farmers, gardeners, citizens, government officials, schools, and other stakeholders in urban areas and suburbs. Projects may target areas of food access; education; business and start-up costs for new farmers; and development of policies related to zoning and other needs of urban production. The funding floor is $75,000, the ceiling is $350,000, and most types of applicants, with the exception of individuals and for-profit businesses, are eligible to apply. 

Vermont Business Magazine At his weekly press conference today, Governor Phil Scott reiterated his call for the Legislature to prioritize public safety this session. He highlighted proposals from his Administration currently being considered by the House and Senate Judiciary Committees. The Governor’s proposals include addressing accountability for repeat offenders, strengthening and modernizing our drug trafficking laws, investments in public safety and prevention measures, and more. In addition to policy changes, the Governor’s budget proposal also makes investments in the Judiciary for two new judges to address increased demand and backlogs, as well as making permanent 20 mental health workers embedded in our State Police barracks.

Vermont Business Magazine Breeze Airways, the U.S.’ only NLCC, or ‘Nice Low Cost Carrier,’ today inaugurates new service from Burlington to Orlando just two weeks after launching at Patrick Leahy International with service to Tampa. Fares for the new route start from just $69* one way, if purchased by February 19 for travel from February 26 to August 30.   Breeze will also start nonstop service to Raleigh-Durham along with one-stop BreezeThru service to Jacksonville in May.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced today the immediate availability of $1.2 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief (ER) funds for the Vermont Agency of Transportation. The funds will offset costs of emergency repair work to restore Bridge 129 on Vermont Route 14 in Irasburg, which was destroyed by a tanker truck fire in early December. On December 4, 2023, a tanker truck crashed into Bridge 129 on Vermont Route 14 in Irasburg, Vermont. The truck collided with the structure and then caught fire below, resulting in the total destruction of the bridge. VTrans has evaluated the bridge and determined it has extensive damage and must be replaced. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Federal Credit Union (VFCU) and WCAX-TV are proud to announce the conclusion of their first-ever Great Vermont Coat Drive, resulting in more than 1,000 coats collected to be distributed to community members in need. Hosted by both VFCU and WCAX, the Coat Drive saw major success, receiving a surplus of coats from community members that will not only be distributed through the Vermont Department of Children and Families, but also to regional donation centers. 

Vermont Business Magazine TD Bank, with branches across Vermont, has named Don Baker Commercial Market President of Northern New England. In this expanded role, Baker will lead the commercial and small business banking teams in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Baker has more than 30 years of banking experience. He most recently served as TD's Commercial Market President for Vermont, where he was responsible for the growth and expansion of commercial and small business lending and deposits in the state. Prior to assuming this role, Baker served in middle market and commercial leadership roles, including the Vermont Market President & Team Leader, Middle Market, at Key Bank.

Vermont Business Magazine Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Blue Cross) has selected Rutland Regional Medical Center as a Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care, part of the Blue Distinction Specialty Care program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated healthcare facilities shown to deliver improved patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies with input from the medical community. Rutland Regional Medical Center is currently the sole Blue Distinction Center for Maternity Care Program in the state of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Barr Hill Gin, the most awarded gin in the United States and #1 selling gin in Vermont, announces that the bar at its Gin Lane Distillery is a semifinalist for the prestigious James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar, a recognition of excellence in the culinary world. Barr Hill is one of only two distilleries nominated for the esteemed award and the only distillery nominated that boasts national distribution. Barr Hill Gin’s Distillery also becomes the first Vermont bar to receive a nomination in the Outstanding Bar category, underscoring the state's growing prominence in the culinary and spirits industries.