A Fine Furniture Store in the Middle of the Woods?

People often ask me why on earth we located our new sustainable furniture store in the middle of Vermont's woodlands. The truth is that I don't see Vermont Woods Studios as a furniture store. Yes we have IMHO a beautiful showcase of the best quality handmade furniture Vermont has to offer. But our business was built first and foremost, out of my passion for wildlife & forest conservation. I wanted to show people where their furniture comes from. And I wanted to appeal to them to buy furniture and flooring that come from forests that are re-planted and professionally managed for wildlife & sustainability.
We located Stonehurst in the foothills of the Green Mountain National Forest...

• so customers could enjoy the 100 acre woodland we're on and experience the beauty of the forest
• so we could raise awareness about forest conservation and the fact that much of the wood furniture and flooring in America is made from imported rainforest timber that's being mowed down at the mind-boggling rate of over 1 acre/second
• so we could persuade people to buy American made furniture and flooring-- a healthier, more sustainable choice for both people & planet
• so we could inspire people to change the world

For the first 7 years our Vermont Woods Studios was an online furniture store. Our staff worked out of a spare bedroom in my house. When customers wanted to visit us we would invite them to Ken's tiny workshop in the back of the house. But as business grew and more people wanted to visit, we figured maybe it was safe to set up shop in a more suitable location. From the very beginning we knew it had to be in the woods.
Next post: Learning to manage our 100 acre woodland for wildlife conservation.