Everything You'll Ever Need To Know About Vermont From A To Z

Enjoy a fresh bounty of colorful fruits and vegetables grown right here in Vermont. Available at stores, farms, farmers markets or roadside stands.

Jake Burton is the founder and owner of the world’s leading snowboarding company, and whose name is synonymous with snowboarding. Jake’s influence on the sport of snowboarding is unrivaled. Since 1977, his company has supported the best riders in the world and created snowboarding gear that sets the standards for the rest of the industry.

Many people say there are more cows than people, but that isn’t true. Although per capita, Vermont does have the largest number of cows in the country (i.e. the ratio of cows to people). According to UVM, the state currently has 150,000 milk cows that produce some three billion pounds of milk per year.

Dairy remains at the heart of the Vermont economy, accounting for some 70% of all agricultural sales, providing thousands of jobs, and contributing to a vital working landscape.

In the state of Vermont there are 23 colleges and universities currently operating. This figure includes one research university, six master's universities, an art school, a culinary school, a law school and a number of undergraduate associates and baccalaureate colleges. Several institutions chartered in other states also offer degree programs at locations in Vermont.

We love our country fairs, and one of the most popular in Vermont is the Champlain Valley Fair. An entire summer of fun packed into 10 great days!

Vermont was nicknamed the "Green Mountain State" in October, 1761, by the Rev. Dr. Peters, the first clergyman who paid a visit to the 30,000 settlers of the time. When looking at the vast expanses of hills, mountains and valleys, it’s no wonder why we got this nickname. Beautiful scenery can be seen from the highways since billboards are illegal, providing unobstructed views.

Due to our active lifestyles and healthy eating, for the second year in a row, Vermont was ranked as the second healthiest state after Hawaii in the America’s Health Rankings 2014 report released today by the United Health Foundation.

Whether you love your creemees or have a passion for Ben & Jerry’s, Vermonters love their ice cream!

Junta is the first official studio release from the Vermont rock band Phish. A Picture of Nectar is the third official studio album and first on a major-label by the band. It is dedicated to Nector Rorris, the proprietor of Nectar's in Burlington, Vermont, where Phish played their first bar gig followed by a series of monthly three-night stands, saying that the experience "taught us how to play."

Every good idea starts with a seed. At least that's the thinking behind High Mowing Organic Seeds in Wolcott. The company sells hundreds of different vegetable, herb and flower seeds, including a ton of kale. The company sells 700 pounds of kale seeds a year; half are sold in Vermont. This may explain why the "Eat More Kale" bumper stickers and t-shirts are so popular here.

Champ is the name given to a reputed Lake Monster living in Lake Champlain, a 125-mile long body of fresh water. While there is no scientific evidence for Champ’s existence, there have been over 300 reported sightings on Lake Champlain. The legend of the monster is considered a draw for tourism, but it doesn’t stop us for looking for him.

It’s just plain sweeter here in Vermont, and that is especially true when it comes to maple syrup. We accept no substitutions.

The Northeast Kingdom is the northeast corner of Vermont, comprised of Essex, Orleans and Caledonia counties and having a population at the 2010 census of 64,764. In Vermont, the written term "NEK" is often used and the area is often referred to by Vermonters simply as "The Kingdom."

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The Coolidge Homestead was the childhood home of the thirtieth President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge, and the place where he took the presidential oath of office. Located in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, Coolidge lived there from age four in 1876 to 1887, when he departed for Black River Academy for education. He is buried in Plymouth Notch Cemetery not far from the home.

Enjoy one of the granite tours, swimming, jumping, and, at Rock of Ages Quarry in Barre, you can go bowling.

The back roads of southern Vermont are a driver’s dream. Lush with sugar maple, ash, beech, pine and white birch trees, the landscape reveals itself as the pavement dips and twists, cars gliding across asphalt as if on a gentle roller-coaster ride.

Vermont is an iconic state for New England skiers and snowboarders. It is often called the Ski Capital of the Eastern United States.

The Tunbridge World's Fair is held in mid-September in Tunbridge, Vermont. The annual fair continues to this day with demonstrations of farming and agricultural traditions and culture, working antique displays, horse and ox pulling, horse racing, cattle and horse shows, junior exhibits, floral and 4-H exhibits, contra dancing, gymkhana, and many free shows.

As of April 2015, the unemployment rate in Vermont was 3.6%, considerably lower than the national average of 5.5%.

According to the Vermont Dept. of Tourism and Marketing, visitors made an estimated 13.95 million trips to Vermont during 2011 for leisure, business or personal travel. Direct spending by visitors for goods and services totaled $1.7 billion. If I didn’t live here, I’d want to visit Vermont, too!

The X Games is an annual sports event, controlled and arranged by American sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on extreme sports. From 2000 to 2002 the Games were held in Mount Snow, Vermont with a then record attendance of 83,500 people.

As the old saying goes: If you don’t like the weather in Vermont, just wait 5 minutes. Yes, we have summer days in the 90s and winter days well below zero, but isn’t change the spice of life?

A traditional yurt is a portable, round tent covered with skins or felt and was used as a dwelling by nomads in in Central Asia. Yurts are available for rent throughout Vermont for camping all year round. Or should I say...glamping?

Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont with a summit that peaks at 4,393 feet above sea level. The summit is in Underhill, the ridgeline, including some secondary peaks, extends into the town of Stowe, and the mountain's flanks also reach into the town of Cambridge.