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by Lauryn Katz, Community News Service For Maple Flower owners Cory and Liz Krieg, last week was the first time they’d opened their sliding sugarhouse doors to participate in the weekend since starting their syrup operation four years ago. But the couple have been making syrup and selling goods for much longer than that. In 2020 Cory started Maple Farmers, a collective of six small farms in central Vermont that make sugar independently but sell under the same label. Their goal: to give traditional techniques a fighting chance to compete with big businesses and provide customers with the best tasting maple syrup around. They are all farmers in different industries — dairy, sawmilling, stonework, beef raising — who rely on maple syrup revenue to support their small businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine 802 Credit Union made a significant contribution to Project Feed the Thousands' 2022 fundraising campaign, presenting a $6,000 donation towards the organization's goal of $100,000. On March 8, 2023, Project Feed the Thousands announced that it had exceeded its target, raising a total of $138,748 plus 369,839 meals. The donation and support from 802 Credit Union played a key role in helping the organization achieve this extraordinary success. In addition to financial support, 802 Credit Union also provided administrative services to Project Feed. This included processing donations, maintaining detailed documentation, hosting committee meetings, and acting as the primary location for the non-profit. This support helped to organize operations and enhance the overall effectiveness of the 2022 campaign.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Transportation (AOT), the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD), and the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) today announced that $258,000 in funding has been awarded to Brattleboro, East Hardwick, and West Windsor through the Better Connections Grant Program, which seeks to towns build stronger communities that are more livable and walkable.

Vermont State Police on Thursday, March 30, 2023, cited a suspect on a manslaughter charge arising from an assault in November 2022 at a road construction site in Bolton that resulted in the death of the victim, David Cheney, 72, of East Montpelier. Thursday afternoon, Whitney Grady, 42, of Middlebury turned himself in at the Williston Barracks, where he was processed and released on a citation. On Nov. 10, 2022, Cheney and Grady were working on a road construction project on U.S. Route 2 near Notch Road in Bolton, Cheney as a dump truck driver and Grady as a traffic flagger. According to the findings of the investigation, an ongoing dispute between the men that day escalated into a physical confrontation at about 1:15 p.m. in which Grady repeatedly punched and kicked Cheney. After the assault, Cheney was able to return home, but he subsequently suffered medical complications related to his injuries and died later that day at the University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on March 23, 2023, Michael Ulrich, 32, of Morristown, Vermont, was charged in an indictment with knowingly allowing his residence to be a drug-involved premises at which controlled substances were stored and distributed. The defendant was arraigned on the indictment on March 30, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, and is being held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings. According to court records, on February 28, 2023, law enforcement executed a state search warrant at Ulrich’s residence in Morristown, Vermont. Inside of the house, investigators found glassine bags intended for the packaging of controlled substances, a digital scale used to weigh quantities of controlled substances, more than 50 grams of cocaine, and a firearm.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), US Senators Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today introduced the Accountability for Endless Wars Act, legislation to terminate the Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMFs) and declarations of war no later than 10 years after the enactment of such authorizations or declarations. AUMFs set the legal framework, parameters, and constitutional basis for the United States’ military engagements. Yesterday, the Senate voted to repeal both the 1991 and 2002 AUMFs against Iraq by a bipartisan vote of 66-30. Durbin was one of 23 Senators to vote against the 2002 Iraq War AUMF.

Vermont Business Magazine Six candidates are vying for three seats up for election this year on the board of directors of Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC). Three districts – District 1, 6 and West Zone – each have one seat up for election.

VermontBiz and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce revealed the ranking of the top 57 Best Places to Work in Vermont 2023, at a ceremony on March 29th at the DoubleTree Hotel. There were over 450 people in attendance. “With Vermont’s tight labor market, businesses are finding it difficult to fill open positions. These businesses can say to prospective employees that their company has been chosen as a best place to work in Vermont. This will give them a leg up on recruitment,” said John Boutin, publisher, Vermontbiz. The number 1 companies in each category are: Small (15-99 employees) – Instrumart; Medium (100-249 employees) – NuHarbor; Large (250+ employees) - Stantec.

Vermont Business Magazine Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP) Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) today requested answers from Packers Sanitation Services, Inc. (PSSI) following reports that the company had employed more than 102 children between 13 to 17 years of age in hazardous conditions. This comes after the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) fined PSSI $1.5 million for employing children to work with “hazardous chemicals and cleaning meat processing equipment,” which reportedly led to the injuries of at least three minors. The violations took place at facilities located in Nebraska and Minnesota.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are unchanged in the last week to $3.37/g today, according to GasBuddy. Prices are down 5 cents from a month ago and down 84 cents/g from the same time last year. The cheapest price in the state is $2.99 in Middlebury and the most expensive is $3.59 in Westminster. The national average price of gasoline rose 4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.46/g today. The national average is up 14 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 78 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, as the national average is now higher than in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont's traditional trout fishing season is set to open on Saturday, April 8, and despite extended cold weather across the state in recent weeks, officials from Vermont Fish & Wildlife say anglers can be successful early in the season by following a few basic tips."Just like any other time of the year, anglers fishing early in the spring should adjust their tactics based on the conditions," said Brett Ladago, fisheries biologist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. "Given the cold weather and runoff from recent storms and snow melt, water levels will be high, flows will be faster than normal, and water temperatures will be cold.

"As a result, anglers may want to target small to medium, low-elevation rivers and streams where flows slow and waters warm more quickly," added Ladago. "Finding water that isn't too muddy can be key, and slowing your lure or bait retrieval will help tempt sluggish trout into biting."

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) on Wednesday voted in support of legislation led by Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Todd Young (R-IND) to repeal the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq. These authorizations grant broad power to the President of the United States to deploy military force in Iraq without further consultation with Congress. The Senate voted to repeal the authorization and the measure now goes to the House.