BUSINESS
‘Fantastic Farmer’
HARTLAND — Kerry Gawalt’s Cedar Mountain Farm and Cobb Hill Cheese in Hartland received the 2023 “Fantastic Farmer” title and award of $5,000 from the A. Pizzagalli Family Farm Fund. On the centuries-old agricultural land in Windsor County, Cedar Mountain Farm and Gawalt manage draft horses, maintain a dairy cow herd of 60 Jerseys, manage 72 acres with 26 varieties of vegetables and herbs on a 1-acre plot. Additionally, the property hosts a 1,000-tap maple sugaring operation, and supplies milk for Cobb Hill Cheese, an award-winning artisan cheese brand owned and operated by Gawalt and the farm.
Including the Vermont Barn Painting Project and the High-Quality Milk Awards, the mission of A. Pizzagalli Family Farm Fund is to support farmers’ efforts to grow their business, cultivate and deliver their products to the consumer, in a way that respects heritage, culture and stewardship.
In March, the Vermont Dairy Industry Association announced the 2022 Vermont High-Quality Milk Awards: 1st, $2,500, Howmars Farm, the Gates family; 2nd, $1,500, Essex Farm LLC, the Essex family; 3rd, $1,000, Dubois Farm Inc., the Dubois family.
Also this summer, four barns around the state received a fresh coat of paint through the Vermont Barn Painting Project, with two more approved. These barns were painted by their owners, who then received an $8,000 micro-grant from the fund.
Sugarbush upgrades
WARREN — Kingsbury Cos., LLC, and Sugarbush Resorts have concluded two major projects, a new wastewater facility and an upgraded snowmaking pond, at the resort. Kingsbury is a general contractor with over 40 years of experience in construction management, design and build services featuring projects throughout Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts and upstate New York.
Pharmacy opens
BURLINGTON — Community Health Centers has opened an onsite pharmacy at its Riverside practice accessibly located at 617 Riverside Ave. in Burlington’s Old North End. The CHC–Pharmacy accepts all major insurances, including Medicaid and Medicare.
BIRTHS
Copley Hospital
A son, Atraeus Lea Paquin, was born Oct. 17, 2023, to Brandon Paquin and Leiah Devenger, of Hardwick.
A son, Cade Ryan Tetreault, was born Oct. 17, 2023, to Riley Tetreault and Logan Greene, of Elmore.
AROUND TOWN
Tires reminder
Wheels for Warmth tire donations can be made Friday, Oct. 27:
Barre — from 2 to 6 p.m. at Vermont Granite Museum, 7 Jones Brothers Way.
Mendon — from 2 to 6 p.m. at Casella Construction, Route 4.
Stowe — from 1 to 5 p.m. Stowe Events Field, 80 Weeks Hill Road.
Williston — from 2 to 6 p.m. Casella Waste Systems, 220 Avenue B.
Tire sales will be from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 28, at Barre and Mendon locations.
Flood recovery
MONTPELIER — The Montpelier Commission on Recovery and Resilience has begun meeting biweekly to work on the priorities established by the community to accelerate recovery from the July flooding and improve its ability to withstand future disasters. In addition to electing Ben Doyle as chair and Richarda Ericson as vice-chair, the commission prioritized action into categories: watershed management; infrastructure; adaptive downtown and critical functions; immediate response and alerts; housing and land use; fundraising.
Initial efforts in support of a resilient downtown have included outreach to the General Services Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, and the congressional delegation about the future of the Montpelier federal building and post office. Commission members have also reached out to the Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services to understand current plans for state-owned buildings downtown. Finally, the commission is coordinating with community members in the creation of a long-term recovery group to support individuals and households affected by the flood.
In the coming months, the commission will gather additional community input on proposed actions as well as welcome volunteers. It is also working to secure funding to enable the hiring of an executive director. Email montpelierfloodcommission@gmail.com for questions and interest in volunteering.
AROUND VT
Candidate training
Emerge Vermont announced several dates for its Emerge Vermont Local, a half-day training that provides skills and tools to enable Democratic women to run campaigns for school boards, select boards, city councils and village trustee boards on Town Meeting Day.
The first three training sessions are from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nov. 4, in Woodstock; from 1 to 5 p.m., Nov. 18, in Essex Junction and Dec. 16 in Manchester. The cost of participation is $35 per person. Registration is open for all three sessions. Visit vt.emergeamerica.org/emerge-vermont-local for more information.
Board member
MONTPELIER — Ed Paquin, former state representative and recently retired executive director of Disability Rights Vermont, has joined the board of the Public Assets Institute, a nonprofit research organization for state budget, tax and economic issues and the source for timely and in-depth state fiscal and policy analysis. His work in the Vermont House of Representatives contributed to expansions of health insurance coverage to low-income Vermonters, equalizing entitlements to home care and nursing home care, and protecting the state’s community-based Medicaid Long-term Care system for people with disabilities.
VTF&W
Deer processing
Making the most of the meals provided by deer taken in hunting seasons starts with processing them quickly and correctly. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has three online videos demonstrating how to process deer titled Field Dressing, Skinning a Deer and Butchering a Deer. Visit www.vtfishandwildlife.com and click on “Hunt” and then “From Field to Freezer.”
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