Staff Articles
Humanity, Connection at Heart of ShackletonThomas
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 Thomas, in art school. Rather, he begins in the … Read More
DeltaClimeVT Founder Story: InfiSense Works to Decarbonize Buildings
Using wireless sensors, InfiSense provides easy-to-use data about building operations to help slow climate change. By Geoff Robertson, DeltaClimeVT The founders of InfiSense believe that generating better data will help save the planet. In the commercial building space, for example, cofounder Tim Guiterman says that real-time, accurate data points from buildings will help inform good … Read More
Jack Bell Takes a Long View on Vermont’s Forests
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 to provide continuity and professionalism over time so … Read More
Runamok Maple Adds Sparkle to Vermont’s Working Landscape
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 and Eric Sorkin are bringing creativity and innovation … Read More
Making a Case for Community-Scale Forestry
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 and resulting supply chain issues more than doubled … Read More
DeltaClimeVT Founder Story: Refrigeration to Help Cool the Planet
Brattleboro startup, Grid Fruit, provides tools for grocers to optimize energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By Kelly Nottermann, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Passionate about climate change and sustainability, Jesse Thornburg and Javad Mohammadi met in Pennsylvania through their respective research on ways to reduce energy demand on the power grid—the key, they felt, … Read More
Connecting People to Place, Middlebury Grads Return to VT to Start Woodworking Business
By Christine McGowan, Vermont Forest Industry Network When three friends at Middlebury College couldn’t find the perfect gift for their boss, they decided to make something special. Nathaniel Klein, Jacob Freedman, and Alex Gemme wanted to thank their supervisor at the Middlebury Snow Bowl for helping them establish a scholarship program. “We had such a … Read More
For Olivia’s Croutons Founder, Coaching is the Best Thing Since Sliced Bread
By Kelly Nottermann, Communications Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Francie Caccavo was a female founder before the term became trendy. Back in 1991 when she started Olivia’s Croutons, she was simply a young mother looking for a creative way to work from home and be present for her children, then two and three years old. … Read More
Third Branch Horse Logging Finds Niche for Low-Impact, Sustainable Horse Logging in Vermont
By Christine McGowan, Vermont Forest Industry Network Brad Johnson would like to see wood products valued for the stand that’s left behind in the forest, not just the dollar value of the wood removed. “The lumber industry is sort of where the food industry was in the seventies in terms of connecting the end product … Read More
Slowing Down to Go Fast: Luce Farm Wellness Rides the CBD Wave
By Kelly Nottermann, Communications Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund When Rebecca and Joe Pimentel moved to Vermont, they envisioned a life of organic farming and raising their family close to the land. “We’ve always been passionate about the food movement and about what we put into our bodies,” said Joe, who began farming commercially in … Read More
COVID, Culverts, Climate Change and Vermont’s Future Forests
How Okemo State Forest is using one-time COVID-19 relief money to improve public access and forest resilience. By Christine McGowan, Forest Products Program Director at Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund There is just one road up the backside of Mt. Holly in Okemo State Forest. Originally built in the 1980s for forest management, the road now … Read More
Vermont Tree Wardens: A Voice for the Forest
By Christine McGowan, Forest Products Program Director at Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Updates to Vermont’s 100-year old tree warden statutes provide clarity, opportunity for collaboration. According to Elise Schadler, a program manager with Vermont Urban and Community Forestry, a tree warden is a modern day local lorax—a community spokesperson for the trees. Appointed by local … Read More