• Vermont’s Smokey House Center Offers a “Living Laboratory” for Fields, Forests and Climate Change

    [caption id="attachment_7312" align="alignleft" width="287"] Smokey House Center encompasses 4,000-acres of forestland and 1,000-acres of working farmland that are part of a "living laboratory" exploring farming and forestry in the context of climate change. Photo by Emily Bradbury.[/caption] Can local wood help solve affordable housing? How will...

  • Applications Open for ‘Tools of the Trade’ Business Coaching Program for Vermont Weatherization Contractors

    The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF), in collaboration with Efficiency Vermont and its Efficiency Excellence Network, is excited to announce that applications are now open for the next cohort of Tools of the Trade – Business Coaching for Energy Pros. This nine-month, in-person business training...

  • Forest Business Accelerator announces 2025 cohort of innovative wood and forest product startups

    The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) is proud to announce the selection of eight innovative companies to participate in the 2025 Forest Business Accelerator. Hosted by VSJF in partnership with Vermont State University and supported by funding from the Northern Border Regional Commission, the program...

  • Scratch Builders Goes Out on a Limb

    An early adopter among Vermont builders, the company is advocating for mass timber. By Christine McGowan, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Evan Taubes, owner of Scratch Builders in Williston, Vt., is among a few builders working to advance the mass timber industry in Vermont. “If no one is...

  • RioNadi wins Vermont-based DeltaClimeVT Energy 2025 business accelerator and secures pilot project with Burlington Electric Department

    [caption id="attachment_7250" align="alignleft" width="300"] Syeed Siddique and Hong Durandal of RioNadi were announced as the peer-selected winners of DeltaClimeVT Energy 2025, and they were awarded a pilot project with Burlington Electric Department. Photo by Kelly Nottermann.[/caption] Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) proudly announces RioNadi as the...

  • The Forest Business Accelerator Seeks Entrepreneurs for 2025 Cohort

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2025 Contact: forestaccelerator@vsjf.org MONTPELIER, VT – The Forest Business Accelerator is seeking innovative start-up and seed stage ventures that are focused on commercializing new and improved products, services, and technology in the forest and wood products industry. During the 2025 program, entrepreneurs will connect...

  • Vermont-based DeltaClimeVT business accelerator selects Energy 2025 cohort

    The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund (VSJF) announces the selection of the Energy 2025 cohort of the Vermont-based DeltaClimeVT business accelerator.  Seven early-stage energy companies from across the U.S. will work directly with Vermont utilities to contribute to Vermont’s and Burlington’s energy goals over four months of...

  • The Forest for the Cheese

    Jasper Hill brings Vermont’s forested and pastoral landscapes together in its award-winning cheeses [caption id="attachment_7205" align="alignleft" width="253"] Dave DuCharme always wanted to work in the woods, following his parents, grandparents, and brothers into careers in the forest economy. Photo by Hannah Natalya.[/caption] For a few months out...

  • New England Feeding New England Project (NEFNE)

    VSJF continues to provide important leadership for the New England Food System Planners Partnership, a collaboration between seven state-level organizations, six state agricultural, economic and environmental department representatives and Food Solutions New England (FSNE).   NOTE: This story originally appeared in the VSJF Impact Report 2024. Click...

  • Reimagining a forest products industry that solves problems for people and planet

    Vermont’s forest products industry generates $2.1B in annual economic output in forestry, logging, processing, construction, woodworking, and wood energy. Source: Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation   NOTE: This story originally appeared in the VSJF Impact Report 2024. Click here to read the entire report. The forest...

  • DeltaClimeVT Business Accelerator: Vermont—a great place to test new technology

    Vermont is a leader in the nation with its aggressive goals, including requiring utility companies to use only clean energy by 2035. But the system isn’t set up to make the energy transition easy. Adopting new technologies is expensive and requires deep analysis while startup...

  • Business Coaching: Supporting Vermont’s small businesses for a wellbeing economy

    The vast majority of businesses (93%) in Vermont have fewer than 20 employees, many of which fall into VSJF’s sectors of food and agriculture, forest products, climate technology, and waste management. Supporting these businesses is crucial—they are the backbone of Vermont’s economy, providing a significant...