Current News

by Maia Segura Leveraging funds from outdoor recreation and economic development grants, the Town of Rockingham and Bellows Falls Downtown Development Alliance (BFDDA) recently launched “Walk the Rock,” a Bellows Falls town and trail promotion where local hikers, visitors, and urban adventurers discover some of the area’s hidden gems, earning a collection of prizes while they explore. Driven by a map featuring five trails around downtown Bellows Falls highlighting some of the town’s most treasured views and local retailers, hikers are offered two ways to play: hiking designated trails to earn stickers and a stainless-steel water bottle; or by filling a passport with signatures from retailers to receive a gift certificate to a participating business of their choosing. 

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Do you want to learn how crop producers, pesticide applicators, and beekeepers can work together to reduce accidental pesticide exposure to honey bees and sensitive crops?Join the Vermont Bee Lab and UVM Extension on December 15th at 1pm to learn about FieldWatch, a free-to-use mapping tool that can enable easy communication and collaboration as required by Vermont’s new rule for the protection of bees. The Bee Lab will introduce the different FieldWatch registries, including DriftWatch, BeeCheck, and CropCheck, and request feedback. Your interest and engagement will help determine how this program operates in Vermont! This program qualifies for 1.0 Vermont pesticide recertification credits, just enter your Pesticide Applicator ID Number at registration.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) is urging customers to stay safe and be alert to changing weather conditions as forecasters call for a storm to hit Vermont starting Sunday afternoon, bringing the possibility of heavy wet snow, especially in higher elevations, tonight into Monday. When waterlogged snow accumulates, it can weigh down trees and damage lines, causing outages.

Vermont Business Magazine  Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) released the following statement in response to the end of the short-term ceasefire and resumption of bombing in Gaza: “The resumption of bombing is having immediate and devastating impacts on the civilian population in south Gaza: People who were ordered to evacuate from the north to the south are now under fire. "An estimated 193 civilians, including children, have already been killed. There are no safe places for the 1.8 million civilians displaced in south Gaza today. No humanitarian aid trucks entered from Egypt on Friday. The medical system in the Gaza Strip is decimated and infectious disease is surging.On Tuesday, November 28th, Sen. Welch called for an indefinite ceasefire, to stop the bombing, prevent further loss of civilian life, extend access to humanitarian relief to those who have been displaced, and continue negotiations to secure hostages. Read his full statement on the need for a ceasefire and a strong recommitment to two-state solution."

by Emily Bradbury What do goat’s milk caramel, ginger cashew granola, maple hot sauce, and raspberry almond cookies all have in common? Aside from the fact that they’re all made at Butterfly Bakery of Vermont, there is a common thread. “Everything we make is inspired by Vermont’s working landscape,” said Butterfly Bakery of Vermont owner, Claire Georges. “Whether that’s peppers and onions grown in a field, goats grazing down the road, or maple from the trees.” On a mission to bring the flavors of Vermont to customers around the globe, Butterfly Bakery of Vermont makes shelf stable products using simple ingredients. 

Vermont Business Magazine Girls on the Run Vermont, a nonprofit organization that uses a research and physical activity-based curriculum to inspire girls in 3rd through 8th grade to be joyful, healthy, and confident, is excited to announce that coach registration for GOTRVT’s 25th anniversary spring season is now open statewide. Utilizing a fully updated and refreshed curriculum, GOTRVT coaches will empower participants to develop critical life skills, build confidence, cultivate positive connections with peers, and stand up for themselves and others. The ten-week season begins March 18, with teams meeting twice a week for 90 minutes. The twenty-lesson curriculum covers topics such as positive self-talk, friendship, managing emotions and more, all created to nourish participants’ social, emotional, and physical well-being. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) welcomes applications from Vermont agricultural and forestry businesses for Trade Show Assistance Grants (TSAG). These grants provide businesses with funds to exhibit and sell their Vermont products at trade shows targeting out-of-state buyers. These matching grants can partially offset the expenses associated with exhibiting at trade shows. Trade shows provide excellent opportunities to network with wholesale buyers and expand into new domestic and international markets. The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative has allocated $50,000 to support Vermont businesses through these Trade Show Assistance Grants

Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies Today we sit down with Jed Kalkstein, President and CFO of VCET portfolio company GPMS International whose hardware and software keeps high value aircraft and industrial engines operating safely and reliably.

Vermont Business Magazine On Monday, December 4th, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) will join the United States Institute of Peace’s Congressional Newsmaker Series for a conversation exploring his views on critical foreign policy issues, including stability in the Western Balkans, rising authoritarianism in Central and South America, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the conflict in the Middle East.

Northeastern Vermont Development Association The Twin States Clean Energy Link, proposed by National Grid, will deliver clean affordable energy connecting Quebec with the New England grid. The proposed transmission line would be buried along state roadways from Canaan to Lunenburg then cross under the Connecticut River into Dalton and continue through Littleton into Monroe. From there it would join an existing overhead transmission line upgraded to deliver power to the wide New England energy grid. Governor Phil Scott said, "This project represents a great opportunity for Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom." 

Vermont Business Magazine Ben & Jerry’s Waffle Lotta Good was a two-week scoop shop social activism program launched on October 3, 2023. Fans were encouraged to help Ben & Jerry’s do a ‘Waffle Lotta Good’ by purchasing a waffle cone with Waffle Lotta Good cone wrappers at local scoop shops. Frozen Solutions provided custom cone wrappers for the inaugural scoop shop program. For every waffle cone that fans purchased in a Ben & Jerry's scoop shop from October 3 to 17, Ben & Jerry’s donated $1 to this year’s recipient, Advancement Project. Advancement Project is a long-standing partner of Ben & Jerry's, working together to promote racial justice and reform the criminal legal system. The initiative raised $100,000 for Advancement Project, to support their work to end systemic racism and ensure a just and equitable future for everyone.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Foundation announced today that it has granted or committed $11.8 million of the nearly $12.4 million in flood relief funds it has raised so far to help the state recover from one of the worst weather events in Vermont history. The VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund 2023, created by the Foundation immediately after torrential flooding walloped the state on July 10, has now awarded $6.2 million in grants and committed another $5.6 million to assist Vermont through the next phases of recovery, with more to come.