The forest and fiber products industry could soon be at the forefront of innovation, resilience, and the circular economy. New, innovative products, such as utilizing wood fiber for prepared foods packaging or wool fiber for insulation, present myriad opportunities rooted in natural resources that cultivate a resilient, thriving regional economy.
We are evolving our program to focus on innovators in our rural communities who are developing or expanding markets for natural wood, wool, hemp and other plant and animal-based fibers easily grown or raised in Vermont’s rugged landscape. VSJF is supporting this industry through network development, supply chain coordination, and strategic communications.
Our Impact
Participants and facilitators of VSJF’s 2025 Forest Business Accelerator gather to celebrate innovation in the forest sector, from sustainable materials to advanced technologies. Photo by Kelly Nottermann.
Just as the northern forest is regional, so is our impact. Our annual Vermont Forest Industry Summit has evolved to include more regional partners who strengthen our forest economy. And our work with the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, UNH Extension, Vermont Green Building Network, Smokey House Center and others is aimed at bringing together supply and demand partners who can address bottlenecks in the supply chain, and expand the use of locally-sourced wood in mass timber construction, packaging, energy production and other valuable products.
Introducing the Forest Business Accelerator
Bullfinch Earth receives the $15,000 peer-selected award in VSJF’s 2025 Forest Business Accelerator for its innovative wearable sensor technology for foresters. Photo by Kelly Nottermann.
In 2025, VSJF re-launched the Forest Business Accelerator, in collaboration with Vermont State University and ecosVC, to provide forest business startups and seed stage businesses
with a comprehensive commercialization curriculum and connections to industry experts, customers, suppliers, partners, and investors.
This four-month intensive program provides forest-based business startups with the tools they need to build and validate their business case, business model and go-to-market strategy. It is tailored to the needs of ‘hard tech’ advanced wood manufacturing and precision forest technology companies. The program culminated with a $15,000 award to peer-selected Bullfinch Earth.
Cohort Companies
- Bullfinch Earth, Maryland and British Columbia
- Carbion, New York
- Fable Forestry, Maine
- Fox Forestry, Maine
- Home Grown Fuels, Maine
- Pachyderm Industries, Iowa
- PK Wood Pellets, Vermont
“The Forest Business Accelerator curriculum forced us to think rigorously about critical parts of our business sooner and trained us to communicate key concepts clearly and succinctly. The mentors gave us the data we needed to move forward confidently and led us to several potential customers.” -Seth Sternberg, CEO, Bullfinch Earth
Forest & Fiber
Junction Fiber Mill founders Peggy Allen and Amanda Kievet sort Vermont-grown wool as part of efforts to build a regional fiber value chain and explore sustainable alternatives to plastics. Photo by Erica Houskeeper.
Wool fiber has the potential to disrupt the use of oil-based materials in clothing, construction, and soil amendments. We explored this potential by partnering with a graduate of the University of Vermont’s Sustainable Innovation MBA program to assess the quantity and quality of Vermont-grown wool and its potential markets. In 2026 we will share the data with stakeholders who are interested in growing a local and regional wool fiber value chain.
Vermont Forest Industry Summit 2025
We continue to support the Vermont Forest Future Strategic Roadmap by facilitating a marquee annual event aimed at bringing together stakeholders in Vermont’s forest economy to explore innovation with speakers from across the region. Nearly 130 attendees joined us for a full day of thought-provoking discussions and networking.
Regional partners gathered Thursday, June 19, at Bolton Valley Resort for the 2025 Forest Summit to strengthen Vermont’s forest economy: Program Director Christine McGowan interviewing forester and author Ethan Tapper. Photo by Kelly Nottermann.
“I enjoy these summits. I always learn something new and connect with people with shared interests. I had a hard time deciding which breakout session to pick for the afternoon. I would have liked to have heard them all.” -2025 Forest Industry Summit Attendee