Northern New England has an opportunity to develop a new bioeconomy that will transform forest management, and commercialize products made with sustainably harvested wood that will contribute to the rapid reduction of single-use plastics in demand by consumers worldwide. The 2024 Vermont Forest Industry Summit offered...
Jared Reynolds at the Vermont Forestry Accelerator thinks so, and he has a plan. By Christine McGowan, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund One of our country’s great legacy industries, the forest products industry hasn’t changed much in the past century. But that’s something Jared Reynolds, manager of the...
An alternative to importing fuel for heat, Richford VT sawmill produces clean burning, locally sourced wood pellets. Christine McGowan, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Efficiency is the lens through which Phil Gervais sees business. After 15 years working with multinational corporations around the world to find greater efficiency...
The potential for wood to replace plastic in woven and nonwoven textiles is progressing rapidly, offering new market development opportunities across the Northern Forest region, according to a new Market Opportunity Assessment commissioned by the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF). Forest to Fiber: Next-Generation Pathways for...
Do you love to work outdoors? Enjoy making things with your hands? Love to drive big machines, or want to use technology to solve environmental problems? A career in Vermont’s forest economy could be a great fit for you!...
Aligned with the Fairbank’s commitment to decarbonization, the new addition is the first in the world to use regional hemlock in cross-laminated timber construction....
By Christine McGowan, Vermont Forest Industry Network Gathered under an old pine tree at her husband’s family camp in Chelsea Vermont, Katie Babic had a moment of inspiration that would change her life. The family had come together for a celebration of life, which concluded with sending...
By Christine McGowan, Vermont Forest Industry Network Dave Nelson is on a mission to bring sauna culture to the United States. With his partner, Nicole Sweeney, Nelson founded SAVU in Cambridge, Vermont with the construction of a contemporary sauna nestled in the woods overlooking Smugglers’ Notch. “We...
By Christine McGowan, Vermont Forest Industry Network Charlie Shackleton has a pretty interesting story to tell. The renowned Vermont furniture maker does not, however, start his story with his connection to Sir Ernest Shackleton of Endurance fame, or with meeting his wife and business partner, Miranda...
By Christine McGowan, Vermont Forest Industry Network With an integrated approach to forestry and logging, Bell prioritizes forest health, workforce. “Most of Vermont’s forested land is privately owned and fragmented into relatively small parcels,” said Jack Bell, co-founder of Long View Forest. “One of our goals is...
By Christine McGowan, Vermont Forest Industry Network Journals of early explorers indicate that Native Americans had a process for making maple syrup as early as the 1600s. But surely, none of them made Sparkle Syrup. Tapping into a tradition as old as Vermont, Runamok Maple founders Laura...
With a mindset of staying small, a sawmill in Fletcher sees wood products as the next “go local” movement. By Christine McGowan, Vermont Forest Industry Network Tucker Riggs, owner of Laughing Stock Farm (LSF) Forest Products in Fletcher, is busier than he’s ever been. As the pandemic...
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