Food Connects in Brattleboro, Vt. is among a group of New England food hubs that are building a sustainable, regional supply chain. Richard Berkfield, executive director of Food Connects, has a vision that someday soon, Vermont farmers and food producers will be able to supply more...
Tapping into excess renewable energy, Medley Thermal (acquired by Antora Energy) reduces carbon emissions and energy costs at the Northern Vermont ski resort. Even as an engineering undergrad, Jordan Kearns, founder of Medley Thermal, knew he wanted to build something “big, new, and good” in the...
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!...
In 2018, Sullivan had an idea. A working shepherd and fiber enthusiast, she saw an opportunity to solve two problems. On the one hand, she received more calls from yarn shops looking to buy her product that she could fulfill. ...
Scott Sparks always knew he wanted to open a cannabis business, but it was not until he was in his 60s, ready to retire from his decades long career in food service, that his dream began to take shape....
The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) released the first set of modules of its new Business Sense series, next level tools for entrepreneurs and small business owners. Business Sense is a no-fluff source of information that gets right to the heart of what small business...
“If you look online, you can find Chinese food, Italian food, and so many ethnic cuisines, but not African,” said Damaris Hall, cofounder of Global Village Foods. “So we thought, ‘why not?’ We will be the pioneers of African cuisine and we’ll do it from...
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...
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