The opening of the 2023–24 school year brought great "moos" for hundreds of Vermont elementary and high school students in the Windham Northeast Supervisory Union: new organic milk dispensers in their cafeterias that will not only introduce them to the benefits and great taste of fresh organic milk, but also help the regional economy by providing milk sourced from a local certified organic dairy farm.
Miller Farm in Vernon was able to make equipment upgrades needed to provide bulk organic white and chocolate milk to the schools, thanks to grant funding.
According to a news release, the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership is spearheading this pilot program and its founder, former Stonyfield Farm CEO Gary Hirshberg, says it can provide the blueprint for similar local farm-to-school programs. The goal is not only to introduce youngsters to organic foods, but also help local economies by giving organic dairy farmers a financial boost through school sales.
The organic dairy sector in the Northeast has faced significant challenges due to consecutive crises - first, market disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, followed by contract terminations by a large national organic company in 2022. The impact is especially evident in Vermont, where (1)62 organic dairies were closed between January 2020 and August 2023.
Spring of Hope Church of God in Christ opened their new facility on Sept. 1 at the West Village Meeting House, 29 South St. From their Springfield, Massachusetts, location since 1980, Spring of Hope established a new church and began serving the Brattleboro area. After meeting in hotel spaces...
Youth Services is offering a restorative practices program, Circle Up, to provide community conflict support through circle facilitation and training in restorative practices, starting this month. In 2021, the Brattleboro Community Justice Center merged with Youth Services' Restorative Justice programs. "Over the years we frequently received requests for these...
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) has joined the Welcoming Network, a global network of local governments and nonprofits committed to making communities more welcoming. Led by the nonpartisan nonprofit organization, Welcoming America, the network provides BDCC access to research, technical assistance, webinars, and collaborative programs with other Welcoming Network organizations. "Joining Welcoming America has long been an aspiration for the BDCC," said Alex Beck, BDCC Welcoming Communities manager, in a news release. "The success of our own Welcoming Communities...
The town is in the process of striping bike lanes onto Western Avenue between its intersections with High Street and Allerton Avenue. The project is expected to be completed this fall. Drivers should pay attention to the lane shifts and are reminded that no parking is allowed in bicycle lanes, Department of Public Works personnel wrote in a news release. The department is marking bike lanes, installing signage, and adding new crosswalks on Western Avenue at Greenhill Parkway and on...
AARP Foundation has kicked off volunteer recruitment for its Tax-Aide program, the nation's largest volunteer-based tax preparation service, according to a news release. Volunteers may sign up to assist taxpayers either in person or virtually, with a number of roles available. In addition to tax preparers the program will train, Tax-Aide needs people who can provide technical and communications assistance, interpreters, and program leaders. Volunteers come from a variety of industries and range from retirees to university students. All levels...
Allbee discusses 260 years of Vermont agriculture at Athens Meetinghouse ATHENS - On Thursday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m., former Vermont State Secretary of Agriculture Roger Albee will be sharing research from his upcoming book Turning the Soil: 260 Years of Vermont Agriculture at the historic Athens Meetinghouse. He will speak about the major changes that have taken place in Vermont agriculture since the 1760s, why they have occurred, what is happening today, and why there is a renaissance. The...
A Brattleboro Rotary Club Gateway Foundation scholarship awarded to a Community College of Vermont (CCV) student each year aims to address the shortage of child-care workers in Windham County. Rheanna Pare received this year's $2,500 Jesse M. Corum IV Scholarship. In a news release, CCV promoters say it is deeply embedded in Vermont's early childhood education system, providing the educational foundation for students pursuing careers in the field through its child care certificate and early childhood education associate degree. The...