Staff Articles
Loggers, Mountain Bikers and a Tiki Bar: Vermont’s New Working Landscape
By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Forest and recreation industries align on East Burke’s Kingdom Trails Sawmills were East Burke’s first industry, bringing brave and adventurous souls to the northern reaches of Vermont to work, establish farms and, eventually, build the local school, church and meeting house that would become the … Read More
Forests, Filtration and Farms, Vermont Company Bets on Biochar to Clean Up Lake Champlain
By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Luke Persons and Roger Pion wanted to start a business, preferably one that kept them connected to the forested working landscape in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. With backgrounds in logging, excavating and trucking, the friends had heard about an emerging market for biochar, but knew little … Read More
Farm to Plate: Vermont Food Co-ops Talk Local Food
It’s a safe bet that no matter where one finds themselves in Vermont, they’re not too far away from a Vermont food co-op. Boasting the highest number of stores per capita, Vermont’s 15 food co-ops have established themselves as pillars of their communities along with being drivers of the state’s local food movement. “Vermont’s food … Read More
2018 Emerging Woodworker of the Year, Towards Nightfall, Finds Home in Vermont
Neither Jared Williams nor Catherine Emil planned to stay in Vermont after graduation, but “felt it was impossible to leave…in a good way.” After completing a four-semester immersion program at Vermont Woodworking School, the two friends intended to part ways, returning to their respective homes in New York and San Antonio, Texas. As they considered … Read More
Ski the Trees, Protect the Forests
By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Skiing backcountry terrain in Vermont is hardly a new idea. Originally a mode of transportation for Vermonters stranded by unpassable, snow-covered roads, skiing in the woods dates back to the early 1900s when visitors from Norway introduced the novel idea of strapping long, wooden slats … Read More
Danielle Fitzko Named Vermont’s New Director of Forests
By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Meet Danielle Fitzko, the state’s new Director of Forests and the first woman to hold the position. Danielle, or Danny to her friends and colleagues, spent the last 15 years growing the Urban and Community Forestry Program, designed to help communities plan, plant and care … Read More
A Year in the Life of a Christmas Tree at Russell Farm
David Russell walks through 365 days on a Vermont choose-and-cut Christmas tree farm By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Most of us think about a Christmas tree for a few weeks in December, but David Russell, owner of Russell Christmas Tree Farm in Starksboro, Vermont thinks about them just about every … Read More
Wood: Vermont’s Locally Grown, Renewable Fuel
By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Vermonters have a long history of heating with wood, and most of us know there is nothing like the warmth of a well-stoked wood stove on a cold winter night. It is only in recent years, however, that advances in technology have made wood a … Read More
Fighting Climate Change One Rocking Chair at a Time: Vermont Woods Studios Makes a Case for Buying Local
By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund “Buy local” is a common refrain around Vermont, and many of us feel good about supporting small, independently-owned businesses, farms and restaurants around the state. For Peggy Farabaugh, owner of Vermont Woods Studios in Vernon, the idea has roots that are much deeper and farther … Read More
Realizing a Dream on a Small Dairy: Gammelgården Creamery
By Jake Claro, Farm to Plate Director Owning and operating a small dairy had long been a dream when Stina Kutzer received a beautiful Jersey calf named Babette for her birthday in 2004. Stina had worked with dairy cows throughout her adult life and with milk from Babette began to produce handmade butter and yogurt. … Read More
A Story of Respect and Resilience
By Jake Claro, Vermont Farm to Plate Director One of the first things you notice at Molly Brook Farm is that Rhonda and Myles Goodrich call every single one of their 77 cows by name. “Move along Clover,” or “this way Charlotte” is heard in the milking parlor during the daily milking sessions. The Goodrichs, … Read More
Snug Valley Farm Finds Success in its Story
By Jake Claro, Farm to Plate Director Vermont continues to lose dairy farms at a devastating rate – as of July the state had lost 66 this year alone. As dairy farmers struggle with whether or not they can survive in their current industry many look to what could be next. The Nottermann family, owners … Read More