Current News

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets From July 7-18, 2023, Vermont experienced historic and catastrophic severe weather and flooding. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) is requesting information from farms, agricultural businesses, and service and non-profit organizations to understand the overall impact of this natural disaster. The purpose of this survey is to, as accurately as possible, capture the type and scale of the damage agricultural producers suffered throughout the state. Survey data will be used to inform response efforts, effectively allocate resources, and advocate for future relief and recovery programs. 

Vermont Business Magazine If your home was damaged by Vermont’s recent floods but you can still live in it safely, FEMA may be able to provide up to $300 to help with cleanup. This Clean and Sanitize Assistance is intended to help homeowners and renters quickly address contamination from floodwaters to prevent additional losses and safety concerns.

Vermont Business Magazine A Disaster Recovery Center will open in Londonderry on July 28 to help Vermont residents affected by the floods kickstart their recovery. The joint DRC, a temporary facility established in partnership between Londonderry, the state of Vermont and FEMA, will help survivors apply for FEMA assistance, upload documents and answer questions in person.

Vermont Business Magazine Black adults in the US experience a disproportionate burden of heart disease but are typically underrepresented in cardiovascular disease-related clinical trials, a problem that could compromise their health outcomes. Major barriers to recruitment and participation of Black adults include distrust of the research community and persistent structural racism in medical research processes and systems. A new study at the University of Vermont is exploring whether inviting Black people to help design digital recruitment approaches will better engage Black adults and increase participation in trials. Clinical trials test the efficacy and safety of new medicines and interventions, but because effectiveness and safety may vary in different populations, the lack of diversity in clinical trial enrollment compromises the health care that can be delivered to those who are excluded. 

Vermont Business Magazine Former media and newspaper executive, Al Getler, has joined Community Heart & Soul as Vice President of Business Development. Created by Lyman Orton, a seventh-generation Vermonter and proprietor of The Vermont Country Store, Community Heart & Soul is premised on the notion that all small cities and towns have a distinct Heart & Soul. Developed and field-tested over a decade in partnership with over 100 small cities and towns across America, Community Heart & Soul is a proven process for engaging a community in shaping its future.

by Matthew Durkee With the recent flooding in our State, resulting financial and property losses, and the desire for normalcy, bad actors may see this as an opportunity to try to scam some of us. They will prey on our need for assistance and comfort by offering “easy ways” to receive assistance. Now is the time to be skeptical of people offering aid for a “small fee” or our personal financial information. Let us revisit what types of things these bad actors may attempt. As technology advances, cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and far too common. With the increasing use of technology in our daily lives, cybercrime is on the rise.

Vermont Business Magazine AM Best will participate in a number of sessions at the 2023 Vermont Captive Insurance Association’s (VCIA) Annual Conference, including a discussion on the potential opportunities parametric coverage presents for the captive insurance industry and a presentation on the rising use of captives to cover cyber exposures. The VCIA conference takes place Aug. 7-10, 2023.

by Lori Fisher, LCC Executive Director It has been three weeks since flooding devastated many communities in the Lake Champlain watershed and throughout the state of Vermont. The heavy rains lasted for days and sent rivers and streams over their banks, pouring into homes and businesses and carrying a swill of debris, nutrients, sediment, untreated wastewater, chemicals, and more into Lake Champlain. If you live in an area not directly affected, it may be hard to understand the monumental impact. In some areas nine inches of rain fell in less than 24 hours. 

Vermont Business Magazine Conservation organizations planted 5,500 trees and shrubs earlier this year in watersheds hit hard by the July storms, the Vermont Land Trust (VLT) and Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District announced Wednesday. The plantings will help restore streams and reduce flood damage, and also improve wildlife habitat. They took place along wetlands, Lewis Creek and tributaries of the New Haven River as well as the Lamoille River. These restoration projects were completed on farms in Middlebury, Hinesburg, Charlotte and Fletcher.   

The Vermont Chamber is steadfast in helping businesses recover from recent flooding. Businesses are already facing severe economic challenges with workforce shortages, ongoing pandemic recovery, and inflationary pressures. Right now, many business owners are being forced to consider if they can afford to reopen. Our sincere hope is that state and federal funding resources will be allocated with urgency to allow Vermont businesses to continue to be the cornerstones of their communities. 

by Grace Sherwood, Community News Service With the passage of Act 11 this past Statehouse session, legislators have cleared the way for survivors of sexual and domestic violence to take matters to a nearby community justice center. Before the act, those cases would have only been allowed to go through the traditional criminal justice system. In Vermont, sexual and domestic violence cases were the only cases outlawed from being referred to a community justice center. Act 11 updates the law governing the centers to give survivors an alternative to lengthy, taxing trials — or the chance to find closure by talking with the person who has harmed them.

Vermont Business Magazine Family-owned company Lake Champlain Chocolates (LCC), known for their award-winning chocolate confections and commitment to Fair Trade ingredients, is thrilled to announce it is opening a retail shop on Main Street in Stowe Village, in the former Laughing Moon Chocolates’ location.