Brave Little State
Vermont PublicBrave Little State
What if you could decide what stories Vermont Public should be covering, before they're even assigned? That's the idea behind Brave Little State.
Vermont Public
What if you could decide what stories Vermont Public should be covering, before they're even assigned? That's the idea behind Brave Little State.
Vermont Public
Vermont has among the weakest forms of county government in the United States, placing a big burden on towns. Is there a better way forward?You can find the web version of this story here.Thanks to…
This is a tale about what happens when a toxic industry booms and busts, the mess that’s left behind and the fight over how to clean it up.Thanks to Morgan Pratt, Ann Fano and Carol Fano for the g…
Fire departments across the country are struggling to find volunteers. But in Norwich, new recruits are lining up. We spent a weekend at the firehouse to find out why.You can find the web version …
Ice is unavoidable during winter on the Champlain Islands. Surrounded on all sides by an icy expanse, islanders embrace this seasonal terrain — as a place to walk the dog, to skate and to fish. One …
The Vermont National Guard usually takes orders from the state. But at the end of 2025, President Trump deployed the Vermont guard to the Caribbean — and Gov. Scott said he had no control over the p…
Today, the origin story of the Appalachian Trail, which stretches more than 2,000 miles from Maine to Georgia. But it was a peak in southern Vermont that inspired the idea of the trail in the first…
A few years ago, John Haffner was digging in his White River Junction backyard when his shovel hit a glass bottle buried underground. Then he found another, and another — all with words like “…
Question-asker Manny recently got out of prison. He wants to learn about his options for transitional housing — a place where he could stay sober while readjusting to life outside a prison cell. It …
Rutland — or, “RutVegas” — gets a pretty bad rap outside the city’s limits. But some of Rutland’s most passionate cheerleaders say there’s a side of the city people are missing.Thanks to Linda Mulli…
Leave your grocery store apples at home and join our search for this most unusual Vermont fruit.For photos from our journey, check out the web version of our story here. And if you want to read up…
For the 200th episode of the show, we set ourselves a challenge: take on 20 listener questions in a single episode.We went back to the very beginning of our archive — combing through thousands of q…
“There was this huge divide in, like, social grouping and connection … No one really talked to each other.”“Making friends at the high school wasn't really my priority because I felt like I had noth…
There are five Great Lakes: Superior, Ontario, Michigan, Huron and Erie. But for a few fleeting weeks in the late 1990s, Lake Champlain made six.How did this happen? To answer that question from…
We took a full-day detour to answer this question from Heather Channon of South Burlington: "Who is using all of the park-and-ride lots?"We spent 12 straight hours (yes, you read that …
Every summer, we add a new chapter to our favorite annual tradition: investigating the origins of Vermont’s strangest road names, as chosen by our listeners.This summer’s crop included Horn of the M…
Starting this summer, Vermont farmers are some of the first in the nation to face major restrictions on neonicotinoids — a kind of pesticide widely used to treat corn and soy plants. In part, t…
Today, we're sharing an episode of a podcast we really like. It's called Essential Salt, a show about connection, local storytelling and how getting to know your neighbors might change the way you…
July in Vermont means hot dogs and peanuts and Cracker Jacks… and summer baseball. A few summers ago, reporter Liam Elder-Connors joined question-asker Emma Ramirez-Richer in the stands at C…
Close your eyes and try to picture the Vermont flag…If you’re drawing a blank — you're not alone.Our flag defies almost all the flag design rules set out by the North American Vexillological Assoc…
Not being able to drive in this state can be isolating — especially for older Vermonters navigating the challenges of aging. Ninety-two-year-old Gerry Quinlan has found a way, with a network of fr…
Wanting children, and not being able to have them, is an experience people rarely discuss publicly. But it’s one that cuts close to the bone for many — like Gina Accorsi, of Milton. Gina is grie…
Do you know what rocker panels are? No? Well, one listener found out hers were rusted during her annual car inspection — and that they were in need of a pricey repair. Vermont is one of just nine s…
Vermont’s logging industry has changed a lot over the last several decades. But one thing remains true: We just can’t agree about how to manage our forests in the face of climate change.This raises …
What does it mean to be a Vermonter if you’ve left the Green Mountain State? Reporter Myra Flynn brings us on a sonic journey across the globe from Los Angeles to the Dominican Republic, to Ja…
South Royalton has something that no other Vermont town does: a law school. But for a long time, there’s been one rumor the town and the school can’t seem to shake — that Vermont Law & Gradu…
You can find the swoopy, stylized version of the word “Stowe” everywhere — police cruisers, store windows, a covered bridge. It’s as if the entire town is part of one giant marketing campaign. Quest…
Five mysterious disappearances were the talk of Bennington in the mid-20th century. Now, they’ve developed a cult following online. We revisit the initial cases and trace the rise of the “…
Cha-ching. Vermont health insurance is pricey, and getting more expensive really quickly. For one listener in Montpelier, it’s just not adding up.Rosie Krueger says sky-high health insurance costs w…
Inside Vermont's weird and wonderful town forests
New Hampshire has 6 landfills. Why does Vermont only have 1?
Who takes care of Vermont’s tiny cemeteries?
Brave Little State goes hunting
How has Vail’s acquisition of Vermont ski areas impacted locals?
Why is there such a problem with the U.S. Postal Service in Vermont?
Emelia's Thing
What does the state’s energy transition mean for Vermonters?
What invasive species in Vermont has done the most damage?
Why are there no strip clubs in Vermont?
Is Vermont’s motel program a ‘magnet’ for out-of-staters experiencing homelessness?
When the Space Race and arms dealing came to the NEK (encore)
Our 7th Annual Brief History of Vermont Road Names
Are Vermonters happy?
Jeezum crow!
What 'old streams' can teach us about flooding (encore)
What were Vermont’s ‘poor farms’ like?
Why is it so hard to get a primary care provider?
Why doesn't Chittenden County have better public transit options?
The Montpelier Molar Mystery
Mud Season Madness (encore)
What’s up with the Vermont wave?
‘Recognized’: An update
Investigating far-right extremism in northern New York
What impact does the VAST trail have on Vermont's economy?
What is the Upper Valley?
How do Vermont libraries stay alive and vibrant?
What relationships are possible between Burlington and her sister cities, Bethlehem and Arad?
Why do people like Phish? (Encore)
How are towns hit by summer floods doing?
What’s the deal with Act 250?
What effect has noncitizen voting had in the Vermont cities where it's legal?
Raising biracial kids — and preserving heritage — in Vermont
Recognized: Chapter Three
Recognized: Chapter Two
Recognized: Chapter One
Why are so few Hollywood movies and TV shows filmed in Vermont?
What’s the deal with Vermont’s fire towers?
What if Vermont were to buy motels for emergency housing?
Our 6th Annual Brief History Of Vermont Road Names
From gold mines to witch windows (Encore)
What is it like to be a rapper in Vermont?
What 'old streams' can teach us about flooding
What do families do when they're stuck on waitlists for child care?
How do you pronounce the name of the Waitsfield supermarket ‘Mehuron’s’?
Student Takeover
The nickname Barre would like you to stop using
5 Vermonters talk about guns
What’s the deal with intentional living communities in Vermont?
Where did all Vermont’s stone walls come from?
What has put Vermont on the pop culture map?
How many Airbnbs are 'taking away' from Vermonters? It's complicated
How much does Vermont's power grid depend on fossil fuels?
How has the geology of Vermont affected its character? (Encore)
The complexities of medical aid in dying in Vermont
Homegoings #7: Liza Phillip
Why doesn’t Vermont have freestanding birth centers?
What happened to all the restaurant workers?
How do Vermont breweries manage their wastewater?
What’s the Asian American experience like in Vermont?
What role did Vermont play during Prohibition?
What's the secret to downtown revitalization?
How did Vermont profit from slavery?
Telling Indigenous stories through music
What did the sale of the Lake Monsters mean for Vermont baseball?
Why do people leave Vermont?
What’s Vermont’s small-town dating scene like?
Our 5th Annual Brief History of Vermont Road Names
What's the status of cannabis dispensaries in Vermont?
To answer this question from Eliza Keller, we go deep into the woods — and deep into a hiker hostel in downtown Rutland. We originally released this episode in 2018.
A chapter of Northeast Kingdom history that is most mysterious. A man whose talent and ambition led him down a perilous path. To answer a question from Eric Lucier of Jay, Henry Epp tells the story of the Space Research Corporation and its founder, Gerald Bull.
Vermont has been a popular destination for those who’ve relocated during the pandemic. But, how are they doing? We check in with some who made the move to see how they’re adjusting to their new lives.
Most older Vermonters would rather stay in their homes than move to a nursing home or assisted living facility. We survey the obstacles to — and strategies for — aging in place.
A question from Sam Leveston about a religion, and a people, who have often been overlooked. An answer in five chapters.
It’s a scary thought, to be sure. We discuss a few different apocalyptic scenarios, including some that have already begun. And, we test our social fitness: Just how neighborly would we be, really, if the world were ending?
This year’s mud season is full-on. So, we compiled your questions about dirt roads and put them to Keith Gadapee, road foreman in Danville — the town with the most “dirt mileage” in Vermont.
A conversation with three teenagers about history and hope, featuring your questions about being young, Black and new American in Vermont in 2022. These teens performed in “The Listen Up Project,” an original musical based on interviews with hundreds of teenagers across Vermont.
Amanda Calder of Winooski asked us what it would look like if we raised money for our schools in a totally different way. It’s a hypothetical some lawmakers want to turn into a reality.
A question from Dani Gagnon of Montpelier leads VPR’s Mikaela Lefrak to find out why Vermont’s housing crunch has become a crisis — and what people are doing about it.
When question-asker Kate Phillips moved to Vermont, she was surprised to find three different food co-ops within driving range. So, she started to wonder: What is the history of co-ops in Vermont? Why are they so successful here?
Food scraps have been banned from Vermonters’ trash since July of 2020. Question-asker Bella Fearn wants to know: How’s that going?
A conversation with poet Rajnii Eddins about using “courageous vulnerability” to navigate the darkness.
We journey into the weird world of Vermont's favorite jam band, to explore the culture of "phandom” and Phish’s early roots in our brave little state. (Warning: Profanity)
Question-asker Chris Jacobsen and reporter Myra Flynn team up for our first true crime episode, to explore the unusual circumstances surrounding the fire that burned down the landmark Eaton's Sugar House in Royalton.
A joint investigation into a growing rental empire finds a pattern of neglect — and reveals how ill-equipped Vermont is to oversee the quality and safety of some of the state's most affordable housing.
As we enter the darkest season of the year, you may be wondering: Why do we have to fall back and spring ahead? And is there anything that can be done about it?
That’s what Olga Ardova of Georgia asked us.
To answer this question from Dean Lehrke of Kansas, reporter Elodie Reed travels to the Northeast Kingdom to explore the ways that isolated Amish families have become fixtures in their Vermont community.
To answer this question from Robert Small of Stannard, we take stock of not one, not two, but three pharmaceuticals currently in development.
Call us rivals, or frenemies...But where does this half-serious tension come from? Ian Harding of Los Angeles asked us to break it down.
We explore the origins of unique Vermont road and place names. In this edition: Cow Path 40, Agony Hill Road, and Texas Falls.
A listener's request about the legacy of Tropical Storm Irene prompted us to tell three stories about resilience — personal, entrepreneurial and spiritual.
In honor of the show’s 5th birthday, we revisit our inaugural episode — about the past, present and future of the Vermont accent.
A question from Bobby Arnell of Winooski about the complex, controversial decision to base fighter jets in Vermont's most populous county.
We get comfortable — or uncomfortable — and talk about living in Vermont with, or as, a Black kid.
What factors go into placing those yellow road signs? A question from Jocelyn Hebert gets to the heart of a tension between the natural world and human infrastructure.
A conversation with DonnCherie about compassion, artistic authenticity and taking Blackness back. This is the fourth installment of Homegoings, a special series from Brave Little State that features conversations with musicians of color who live in Vermont. (Warning: Profanity)
A conversation with Rivan Calderin about BIPOC exhaustion, safety and music as a platform for consciousness. This is the third installment of Homegoings, a special series from Brave Little State that features conversations with musicians of color who live in Vermont.
(Warning: Profanity) A conversation with Senayit Tomlinson about Black trauma, music and getting through. This is the second installment of Homegoings, a special series from Brave Little State that features conversations with musicians of color who live in Vermont.
A conversation with Bobby Hackney Jr. about Black grief, resilience and music. This is the first installment of Homegoings, a special series from Brave Little State that features conversations with musicians of color who live in Vermont.
(Warning: Profanity) Vermont's underfunded pension system has forced an awkward question: If the state makes a promise to its workers, does it have to keep its word? And just how urgent is the problem, anyway?
Normally you hear a mixture of VPR reporters on this show, and that’s not gonna change -- but you’ll also be hearing a lot from our new producers, Myra Flynn and Josh Crane.
What if you had to choose between working full time and keeping your benefits? We take on a question from Matthew LeFluer of Alburgh about the conundrum facing some Vermonters with disabilities who rely on federal benefits.
It's an aspect of Vermont history that some say is overlooked.
More than 200 Vermonters have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began. How did they live?
How did Vermont end up with so many small, one-room schools? And why don’t we use them anymore?
This one goes out to our future neighbors. With your help, we answer a question from soon-to-be Vermonter Samantha Spano, of South Florida.
Not sure how to say Calais, or Topsham, or Beebe Plain? With your help, we've built a guide for all those tricky names on the Vermont map.
The Senate impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump is set to begin on Feb. 9. And Vermont’s own Sen. Patrick Leahy will preside.
The small town of Fletcher did notably well during the 1918 flu pandemic. How did they manage that, and how are they managing COVID?
A listener question with some local implications. We pass the mic to our friends at New Hampshire Public Radio's Outside/In.
A question about blatant stereotypes, and the Green Mountain lingo we use for them.
Super-short bonus episode! Who are Vermont's three Electoral College members, and how were they chosen?
Gabrielle Coburn of Kingston, Ontario, asked us to examine this cross-border quandary.
The pandemic has shifted even more of our lives online. So what's being done to address Vermont's internet inequities?
Burned out on election news? We've got you. Revisit our 2019 episode about the fuel that warms you twice.
Is our population growing because of the pandemic? And what impact are COVID transplants having on their new communities?
What are your options for returning your mail-in ballot? What should you do if you lose it? And how can you track your ballot to make sure it’s received?
With mail-in voting already underway and a president who has COVID-19 — and who has not pledged to accept the results if he loses — we talk to some of his supporters.
And how do Vermonters characterize their beliefs? That's what Sue Leroux wants to know.
Every summer, we drive across Green Mountain creation to find the origins of the strange road names you're wondering about.
When a vaccine becomes available for COVID-19, who gets it first?
How can a state that is 94% white do better? BIPOC Vermonters weigh in to answer this listener question.
What's a symbol from the South doing in the Green Mountain State? Jason Broughton and Megan Bellavance (both, as it turns out, librarians) asked us to investigate.
Michael and Stacy Lee have had a really tough year. So why do they feel so positive?
How did these communities form, and how are they being remembered? That's what Gale Harris wanted to know.
Everyone loves to grouse about our cost of living. Bruce Post wonders: How bad is it really?
If people — particularly elderly people — don't want doctors to take extreme measures to potentially save their lives, does that increase Vermont's COVID-19 death rate?
This hypothetical listener question has gotten a little more real. Love our show? Support Vermont Public Radio with a gift, sign up for our newsletter, and share your curiosity at bravelittlestate.org.
Bonus episode: Our current president, and his presumptive opponent, are in an age group vulnerable to the coronavirus. What happens if...?
Parole officers doling out hand sanitizer. Inmates cooking for those in quarantine. At the Department of Corrections, it's all hands on deck.
Dispatches from our fellow Vermonters, including a nurse on the front lines and an expectant dad. Plus, some essay and poetry for our times.
With Vermont schools now closed, many parents are facing a daunting reality. Today, a conversation between two moms — one is a veteran home-schooler and remote worker. The other is new to all of this.
A question about a popular camel won in one of our recent public voting rounds. Sadly, our reporting did not go as planned.
It's "Ask Bob" on Brave Little State! VPR's senior political reporter Bob Kinzel takes on your questions about Town Meeting, the location of Vermont's capital, the limited functions of our county governments and more.
Vermont is the only state in the country that's never sent a woman to D.C. We dig into the disparity, and poll Vermonters on whether they think it's a problem.
Low enrollment and financial troubles have caused a slew of Vermont’s small, independent colleges to shut their doors. What’s causing the problem — and is there a solution?
Tanya Ocker of Burlington wonders about businesses that emphasize Vermont's "brand." Do they help our economy?
There are 37 Dollar General stores in Vermont. And what Danielle Drogalis of Swanton wants to know is: How did that happen?
What's the history and function of town constables in Vermont? That's what Richard Dumughn wants to know.
For a state that calls itself green, Vermont sure has a lot of drivers. So what can be done?
That's what Eve Jacobs-Carnahan of Montpelier wants to know. Eve's question about public transportation forces us to confront some difficult truths about life — and travel — in Vermont.
The highway project has been tangled in red tape for so long that there's a monument to bureaucracy in Burlington’s South End. What's the status?
The typical angle for stories about child care is about how expensive it is for parents. But the professionals who educate and care for Vermont's youngest kids are struggling too.
Podcast extra! After we aired our story about Marshfield's Star Pudding Farm Road, former longtime resident Laura Johnson got in touch to tell us more about the special property.
Are people following Vermont's new recycling laws, and where does our recycling end up? That’s what Julie Ste. Marie of Troy wants to know.
We take on more of your questions about mysterious Green Mountain byways in our Second Annual Brief History of Vermont Road Names.
We celebrate three years of people-powered journalism with a listen back to some memorable moments from our archive.
A development project gone wrong. A community living with the fallout. And an uncertain path forward.
A question about Vermont's most elderly woods, from Andrew Wild of Burlington.
This month on the podcast: Exploring the literary luminaries of Vermont, and why so many writers seem to thrive in the Green Mountain State.
We know the predictions are dire; we know there are urgent conversations to be had about policy. But to answer this listener question, we stay focused on the present.
What are the causes of Vermont’s tight housing market — and why aren’t things getting better?
Now that Democrats control the U.S. House, we head to Capitol Hill to get a sense of how Vermont's Congressman is approaching things.
Who doesn't love a cozy fire? There are benefits to heating with wood — but some drawbacks, too.
To answer this listener question, we collect entrepreneurial wisdom from self-starters all over the state.
Overall, Vermont has one of the lowest incarceration rates in the country — but one of the highest rates of African-American incarceration. So why is that?
The 272-mile trail follows Green Mountain ridgelines from one end of Vermont to another. So what’s it like to hike the whole thing?
A story about a school shooting that didn’t happen, and the surprising things that did. This month we’re sharing Part 1 of JOLTED. Hear more at joltedpodcast.org.
You know the feeling. You’re driving along, and you turn onto a road with an intriguing name. And you wonder where it came from.
This month’s question led us straight into an unfolding story — about an outsider with deep pockets and big ideas, and the towns that banded together to reject those ideas. And now that their efforts have paid off, what happens next?
The past may be obscured in a cloud of … wood … smoke. But what does the present look like?
There was a time when it was totally normal to hear French spoken in some of Vermont's smallest towns and biggest cities. This month on 'Brave Little State,' we delve into the history of French Canadian immigration in Vermont.
Since we started this show, there's a question we've gotten a lot: Why are so many young people leaving the state?
Just how culturally different is the Northeast Kingdom from the rest of the state? Can it be quantified in any way, or is it largely legend?
If Vermont's county sheriffs are accountable to their voters, but most of their voters don't pay much attention to them, what happens when they do something wrong?
From our friends at the podcast Outside/In, the story of how a massive, state-owned utility company came to be a symbol of the French-Canadian people.
There's a joke about the employment scene in Vermont: "What do you call a Vermonter with two jobs? Lazy." In other words, it can take three or more jobs to make a living in Vermont.
We aren't endorsing it, but ... if Vermont did manage to secede from the United States, how would we fare?
When it comes to Vermont's history with the Underground Railroad, where's the line between myth and truth? And whose voices are missing from the story? Those are the questions 'Brave Little State' set out to answer.
How Has The Geology Of Vermont Affected Its Character?
Vermont's citizen legislators get paid about $12,700 for five months of work. So, if you have a career and/or a family, how do you pull it off? This is the question recently brought to "Brave Little State."
Your Vermont History Fix, From Gold Mines To Witch Windows
If you drink Vermont milk, or eat Vermont apples or vegetables, it's likely that you have foreign workers to thank. But do you know any? This month, we spend time with some of the members of the work force that keeps many of Vermont's farms running.
This month on "Brave Little State," a subterranean question about wastewater treatment in Vermont.
This month on "Brave Little State," a question about the many barns in Vermont that are left in a suspended state of disrepair.
The history of Vermont's whiteness - both racial and cultural - and stories from people of color about what it's like to live here.
What's The Deal With Coydogs?
On Election Day, nearly one in three Vermont voters cast ballots for Donald J. Trump - and VPR reporters teamed up with "Brave Little State" to hear from a few of them.
A question about the descendants of this region's first residents.
In this Halloween special from "Brave Little State," a terrifying compendium of spine-tingling Vermont ghost stories, as told to us by ... you.
This month on "Brave Little State," a question about utility bills in Vermont - and a small sampling of Vermont ghost stories.
This month on "Brave Little State," VPR's people-powered journalism podcast, a question about embezzlement in Vermont - and a myth about stone walls and woodland fairies.
In the inaugural episode of 'Brave Little State,' VPR's new, people-powered journalism podcast, we tackle a question about the history of the Vermont accent, and a question about a strange "thing" at the Waterbury rest area.
Be brave. Ask questions. Brave Little State is podcast for Vermonters and Vermonters-at-heart, powered by your curiosity. Every episode answers a question that's been asked and voted on by you, our audience — because we think our journalism is better when you're a part of it. From Vermont Public.
What do Vermont counties actually do?
February 5, 202621min 50sec
Vermont has among the weakest forms of county government in the United States, placing a big burden on towns. Is there a better way forward?
You can find the web version of this story here.
Thanks to everyone who submitted questions about counties, including Gary Novosel of Addison County, Paul Hochanadel of Chittenden County and Michael Moser of Lamoille County.
This episode was reported by Howard Weiss-Tisman and produced by Burgess Brown. Editing and additional production from Josh Crane and Sabine Poux. Angela Evancie is our executive producer. Ty Gibbons composed our theme music; other music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Special thanks to Becca Golden, Alicia Freese, Catherine Hurley, Ted Brady, Cheryl Morse, Dona Brown, Chris Campany, Austin Davis, Carolyn Partridge, Grant Reynolds, Joyce McKeema and Peter Gregory.
As always, our journalism is better when you’re a part of it:
- Ask a question about Vermont
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- Drop us an email: hello@bravelittlestate.org
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Brave Little State is a production of Vermont Public and a proud member of the NPR Network.