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...
Brattleboro startup, Grid Fruit, provides tools for grocers to optimize energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 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,...
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...
Back in 1991 when Francie Caccavo 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. A self-described foodie who loves to cook, Caccavo noticed that...
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...
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...
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...
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...
WexEnergy brings new technology to old windows, improving efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. As Ron Wexler sat in his office one cold winter day back in 2014, he got to thinking about windows. The seven large casement windows in his office allowed natural...
By Christine McGowan, Forest Products Program Director at Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Ten years ago this summer, Hurricane Irene tore through Vermont, leaving massive destruction and flooding in its wake. Among the hardest hit were mobile home parks, where many residents lost everything they owned—including the...
By Christine McGowan, Forest Products Program Director at Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund It’s often said in business that “bigger is better,” but for Josh Seidman, steward of Rugged Ridge Forest, “better” is making the highest-quality maple syrup sustainably. A 2010 University of Vermont graduate, Seidman became interested...
By Christine McGowan, Forest Products Program Director at Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund When the water pump on Allard Lumber’s boiler went a few years back, Trevor Allard finally had the excuse he needed to begin building the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system that he had...
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