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...
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...
By Christine McGowan, forest program director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Like many trade occupations, woodworking was traditionally passed along from mentor to apprentice, one generation to the next. Young adults might have been introduced to the fundamentals of woodworking in high school shop class, producing the...
By Ellen Kahler The following is the first installment in Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund’s Face of Farming Series. The series will profile a variety of farmers throughout Vermont who are employing best practices, implementing innovative approaches and who together represent the evolving face of Vermont’s agricultural...
By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund People in the forest products industry find their way to wood in different ways. For some, it’s a part of their family DNA. For others, it’s a passion. For Lucas Jenson, owner of The Tree House...
By Christine McGowan In the hip city of Burlington, Creston Lea builds one of a kind electric guitars, while in southern Vermont, Douglas Cox turns out violins for classical musicians around the world. Creston Lea and Douglas Cox live about as far apart as two Vermonters can...
By Christine McGowan As development creeps into our rural landscapes and woodlot ownership changes hands, our forests face an uncertain future. Vermonters value working landscapes, but do they value the work it takes to keep these landscapes intact? Not unlike other Vermont business sectors, our forest...
By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund From urban forests to thousand-acre parcels, Vermonters own 80% of the state’s forested land. Vermont’s forests are one of our greatest natural resources, contributing to the economy through industry and recreation to the tune of $3.4 billion,...
This commentary is by Morgan Casella, who is the CEO of Dynamic Organics. It appeared on VTDigger.com on 5/16/18 Dynamic Organics is a small business headquartered in Putney that is dedicated to the design, development and operation of renewable energy and efficiency projects. When my business partner...
By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Northeast Kingdom logger models responsible forestry with small-scale, low-impact logging. “Good forestry equipment does not have to be big and heavy,” says Joel Currier, owner of Currier Forest Products in Danville, Vermont. “There are big operations doing...
By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Green Mountain Grain & Barrel producing locally-sourced, locally-made oak barrels. Woodworkers by hobby and Vermont National Guardsmen by training, Tony Fletcher, Josh Waterhouse and Mac Broich are finding their niche as coopers for Vermont’s craft spirits industry....
By Christine McGowan, Forest Program Director, Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund If you ask Malcolm Cooper Jr. how long he has been involved with J.K. Adams, he’ll tell you 68 years, or since the day he was born. His father, an engineer by training, bought a half...
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