It's time to sign up to be in the 2014/2015 Buy Local Book!

NEW THIS YEAR -- Professional services and online businesses will have their own devoted section. This area will be great for designers, accountants, consultants and many others to introduce new customers to their business.

VBSR's annual award ceremony honors an outstanding member of the VBSR community with the Terry Ehrich Award. Named for the late owner of Hemmings Motor News and founder of the First Day Foundation, the Terry Ehrich Award is given annually to a person who exemplifies Terry's commitment to the environment, workplace and community. Nominations will be judged on four criteria: Workplace Environment, Political Environment, Social Environment and Natural Environment.

 

Any VBSR member at a for-profit business is eligible to be nominated. Self-nominations are accepted and encouraged. The award will be presented at the Terry Ehrich Award Ceremony and Dinner in mid-September 2014. For more information, please call VBSR at (802) 862-8347.

 

Nomination deadline: Friday, May 30, 2014.

 

Please click here to fill out the nomination form. 

After three years of work, Vermont is close to becoming the first state to require the labeling of genetically engineered food.

The Vermont Senate voted 28-2 Wednesday to give final approval to H.112, which will require GMO foods sold in the state to be labeled as such starting in 2016. The House approved the bill last year and while there are still some more hurdles to clear - working out the differences between the two bills and sending it to the Governor for his signature - we are very close to celebrating this victory.

VBSR worked on this bill for the last three years because we heard from our members that they believe that Vermonters have a right to know what is in the food they eat. Vermonters have a special relationship with food - we like shopping at farmer's markets and food co-ops, and knowing the person who grew or prepared our food is important to us. This bill will help Vermonters make the right choices and bring more transparency to our food system.

Vermont is standing up to some powerful interests by passing this bill and the law may be challenged in court. But thanks to the good work done by the Legislature, including members of the House and Senate judiciary committees, and an analysis developed by the Vermont Law School, we believe Vermont can prevail and show the rest of the country how to lead.

Click here to read our testimony on GMO labeling. (From March 19.)

As the snow melts and the sun warms, the Intern Program kicks into high gear. We are on the road getting the word out to Vermont's colleges and universities (we attended 5 career fairs at five institutions in 5 days!), helping employers create high-quality internships that move Vermont's economy forward (nearly 60 PAID positions have been posted as of March 30) and reviewing a continuous stream of applications (we've read over 600 to date). As always, we are available to you for direct support.  

 

While we are letting the world know that PAID internships make a difference in Vermont, we need your help! If we have helped you find an intern, please let us know! Successful placement of interns helps to demonstrate our value to our funders (thank you, Vermont Department of Labor and UVM Continuing and Distance Education!).  

 

If we've helped you, you want our help, contact Roxanne today at roxannev@vbsr.org or (802) 862-8347.  

Upcoming VBSR Events

Thank you to everyone who helped make this a great event!!!

 

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Member Jobs

Vermont Creamery Earns B Corp Status

Vermont Creamery, one of the country's premier producers of goat cheese and cultured butter, has earned certification as a B Corporation, an acknowledgment of the company's commitment to social and environmental ethics, transparency and accountability. Vermont Creamery joins nearly 1000 Certified B Corporations globally - including 17 others in Vermont - that have met the rigorous standards that measure a company's impact on its employees, suppliers, community, and the environment. "For 30 years, our mission has been to produce the highest quality cheese and butter available," said Vermont Creamery co-founder Allison Hooper. "But right from the start, it has been equally important that our company be socially responsible and an upstanding member of the Vermont community. Becoming a Certified B Corporation validates our commitment to our employees and farmers, our local community, and Vermont's working landscape." Congrats! 

 
Villanti Printers Re-Invests

Villanti Printers is excited to announce the addition of a new digital press to the family. On December 30, just in time to start the new year off right, they installed a fresh-from-the-factory Xerox Color 1000 Digital Press in their ever-evolving Milton, Vermont, facility. The Xerox 1000 produces remarkably crisp, immersive, and high-impact images for both high-volume and short-run jobs. Which sounds really good. But to further expand their digital printing capabilities and whet your creative appetite, they added an optional clear dry ink (varnish) station to apply eye-catching spot or flood effects, resulting in prints that burst with life and pop from the page! Nice job Villanti!  

 

Goodwill Introduces 100% Neighbor-Made 

Now at Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, you can shop for locally-made products: small wooden furniture, jewelry, pet supplies, crafts, gifts and more. This full new collection -100% Neighbor-Made- will be made available in 15 stores. The new partnerships with manufacturers of high quality, locally-made products helps them build their business and grow their workforce. In the big picture, Goodwill of NNE continues to invest in our regional workforce, ensuring jobs and support in communities across ME, NH, and northern VT. Click here for more info!  

   

New slaughterhouse opening in North Springfield 

From WCAX: A new federally-regulated slaughterhouse is opening in southern Vermont. Vermont has seen a shortage of these facilities, but it's now the animals that are in high demand. "Fortunately, we have this network of 150 farms already established in the state of Vermont. Farms we have been working with for 30 years plus," said Mark Curran from Black River Meats. Governor Peter Shumlin (D-Vermont) toured Black River Meat's 43,000 square foot plant Monday morning. Black River started as a produce company, but then purchased this plant which used to house Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Black River Meat employees say it now represents the future of agriculture in the state. Outside a new slaughterhouse is under construction. Black River is partnering with Vermont Packaging House, a newly formed company with meat processing expertise in Minnesota. "They are producing a product that is not only USDA certified but they will also be third party certified which will help them and their products get into marketplaces that have not been penetrated by Vermont products so well yet," said Vermont Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross. Check out the full story here! 

     

MBA in Sustainability at AUNE is Now More Accessible 

Students spoke and Antioch University New England listened. As a result, the MBA in Sustainability Program has streamlined its structure to make it more accessible to students who want to earn their MBA degree while continuing to work. As a hybrid program that combines on site engagement with online components, this unique two-year MBA continues to rely on dynamic student interaction. Major changes, starting fall 2014, can be found here. 

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is to foster a business ethic in Vermont that recognizes the opportunity and responsibility of the business community to set a high standard for protecting the natural, human, and economic environments of our citizens. We are committed to a multiple bottom line approach to business that values people, planet and profit.

Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility

255 South Champlain Street, Suite 11

Burlington, Vermont 05401

(802) 862-8347