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. Bonus content: See photos of a day in the life of preschool teacher Nicole L'Esperance, featured in our episode. Love Brave Little State ? Support Vermont Public Radio! And remember: Be brave. Ask questions. Submit your question about Vermont at bravelittlestate.org , and vote on the question you want us to tackle next...
Nov 08, 2019•28 min
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. Looking for more? See paintings of Star Pudding Farm by Susan Abbott, and return to our original piece about the road , which includes Robert Coffin's poem "Star Pudding." Love Brave Little State ? Support Vermont Public Radio! And remember: Be brave. Ask questions. Submit your question about Vermont at bravelittlestate...
Oct 18, 2019•10 min
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.
Oct 04, 2019•35 min
We take on more of your questions about mysterious Green Mountain byways in our Second Annual Brief History of Vermont Road Names. Love Brave Little State ? Support Vermont Public Radio!
Sep 06, 2019•38 min
We celebrate three years of people-powered journalism with a listen back to some memorable moments from our archive.
Aug 02, 2019•43 min
A development project gone wrong. A community living with the fallout. And an uncertain path forward.
Jul 05, 2019•28 min
A question about Vermont's most elderly woods, from Andrew Wild of Burlington.
Jun 07, 2019•25 min
This month on the podcast: Exploring the literary luminaries of Vermont, and why so many writers seem to thrive in the Green Mountain State.
May 03, 2019•25 min
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.
Apr 05, 2019•35 min
What are the causes of Vermont’s tight housing market — and why aren’t things getting better?
Mar 08, 2019•33 min
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.
Feb 01, 2019•29 min
Who doesn't love a cozy fire? There are benefits to heating with wood — but some drawbacks, too.
Jan 11, 2019•32 min
To answer this listener question, we collect entrepreneurial wisdom from self-starters all over the state.
Dec 07, 2018•31 min
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?
Nov 02, 2018•34 min
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?
Oct 05, 2018•30 min
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.
Sep 06, 2018•19 min
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.
Aug 03, 2018•31 min
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?
Jul 06, 2018•38 min
The past may be obscured in a cloud of … wood … smoke. But what does the present look like?
Jun 08, 2018•35 min
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.
May 04, 2018•35 min
Since we started this show, there's a question we've gotten a lot: Why are so many young people leaving the state?
Apr 06, 2018•25 min
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?
Mar 09, 2018•32 min
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?
Feb 02, 2018•31 min
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.
Jan 05, 2018•32 min
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.
Dec 08, 2017•32 min
We aren't endorsing it, but ... if Vermont did manage to secede from the United States, how would we fare?
Nov 03, 2017•28 min
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.
Oct 06, 2017•29 min
If you've lived in a state for a long time, or grew up there, you probably have this feeling - when you drive into or out of it, you feel like you can tell the difference. For many people, this is very true for crossings in and out of Vermont.
Sep 08, 2017•28 min
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."
Aug 04, 2017•24 min
This month, we're doing things a little differently. Instead of taking on one of your questions about Vermont, we're taking on three. We've got a question about those crooked windows you see on Vermont farmhouses, a question about Vermont's defunct gold mines and one about the history of Burlington's Church Street.
Jul 07, 2017•22 min
