2018 Highlights of a Small Green Business | VT Woods Studios Furniture

Last updated on January 31st, 2019 at 10:34 am

New Furniture Collections | Brighton | Handmade with Love in VT — We added many new fine furniture collections in 2018, including the Brighton Dining Set. Our green business is growing and we have you to thank.

Thank You

Dear Customers, Partners & Friends,

Thank you for your ongoing support of our small green business. Because of you, we were able to grow Vermont Woods Studios this year, even as we struggled to compete with online giants. Your customer reviews & word of mouth are our secret sauce and we are grateful. Here are some highlights of your impact at Vermont Woods Studios in 2018.

We Planted Over 5000 Trees

Forest Conservation at Vermont Woods Studios — Being wood furniture makers, we find an important mission in planting trees for future generations. Through our partners, including Forests for Monarchs, we’ve planted almost 58,000 trees since our start in 2005.

Social & Environmental Mission Progress

Most customers choose VWS because they want to know their purchase is helping a good cause. Besides keeping Vermont’s tradition of fine furniture-making alive, we also have a commitment to environmental conservation & community support. Here’s what we did to demonstrate that:

We Cleaned Up the Local Beach

VWS Green Team Cleans Up the Local Beach — You just never know what you’re going to find at our annual Vernon Beach Clean Up. From left to right: Jake Checani, Riley Farabaugh, Geoff Strawbridge, Sean Henry, Ken Farabaugh, Mike Jenkins, Martin Corbin, Liz Francese, “Jerbo” and Peggy Farabaugh. We volunteer as part of a state-wide Green Up Day.

We Fed the Homeless

Volunteering to Cook & Serve Dinner at the Homeless Shelter — Liz and Michelle are making American Chop Suey for a shelter in neighboring Brattleboro, VT. Liz is leading this project where we provide dinner for the homeless on cold winter nights.

We Sponsored a Forest Field Trip for 3rd Graders

BEEC 3rd Grade Field Trip | Teaching Forest Conservation — Our annual 3rd grade field trip gives local kids an appreciation for the biodiversity of the forest ecosystem- one that is very near & dear to the heart of every Vermont woodworker.

We Adopted Local Children & Seniors for Christmas

Christmas Angel Project | Vermont Woods Studios — Every year we adopt local children and seniors & provide gifts to cheer them during the holidays.

We Collaborated with “One Tree Planted”

Our operations manager Liz is planting a tree on her birthday — as part of the inaugural Plant a Tree Day in East Burke, VT.

We Donated to Local Charities

These are the good people at Families First in neighboring Brattleboro, VT. They’re gathered around a maple conference table we donated. Our team also sponsored the 43rd Annual Brattleboro Rotary Charity Golf Tournament, and made donations to the River Arts Gallery, our local humane society and numerous other environmental and social non-profits.

We Helped “Feed the Thousands”

Project Feed the Thousands Donation — We donated food to Project Feed the Thousands which provides over 200,000 meals/year to people in Vermont and NH.

We Delivered Almost 1000 Meals on Wheels

Meals On Wheels | Vermont Woods Studios — Every Friday we deliver meals to seniors in the Vernon community. We’ve been serving meals on wheels since we opened our doors in 2005.

We Got Noticed by the Media

UpCountry Magazine Article

Press Coverage | UpCountry Magazine | Vermont Woods Studios Craftspeople — UpCountry Magazine published a story about VWS and the master craftsmen we collaborate with. Chad Woodruff (Woodruff Custom Furniture), Alex Dunklee (Wrought ‘N Wood) and Ken Farabaugh were featured.

Story Exchange Article

Vermont Made Furniture | Forest Conservation | The Story Exchange — The editors at The Story Exchange featured our green business in a story about Vermont’s eco-friendly furniture.

VSJF Climate Change Article

The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund VSJF featured VWS in an article about how your buying choices affect climate change.

Socially Conscious Living Article

Green Matters Article

Green Matters | Ethically Sourced Furniture | Vermont Woods Studios — Green Matters featured VWS in an article about ethically sourced furniture.

Environmental Science Textbook

My Beautiful Home Radio Show

We Added New Furniture Collections to Our Website

New Furniture Collections | Kipling, Sutton, Invigo, Statements, Essentials — We added several new furniture styles to our collection, including Kipling, Sutton, Invigo, Statements, Essentials and Brighton.

We Turned a Greater Profit than Wayfair

It may only last a brief and fleeting moment but for now it is true. As a small business we have to turn a profit. Wayfair does not. They will post about a $500 Million dollar loss this year. In spite of our struggles to compete with them, Wayfair has forced us to improve & be the very best we can. For that we are grateful.

We Kept Focusing on Customer Love

We know how fortunate we are to have customers like you, who share our values. From our start, customer happiness has always been our top priority. Unlike many other online furniture stores, we can honestly say our customer reviews are excellent. You don’t have to rely on our own Reviews page. Check out independent 3rd party review sites like Google, Facebook, Yelp and Sitejabber.

We Welcomed Jake Friend & Sophie Rabe to the VWS Team

VWS Green Team | We Love Serving You! — Here’s the whole VWS Green Team, including Jake and Sophie. From left, 1st row: Michelle Rooks, Ken Farabaugh, “Jerbo”, Peggy Farabaugh, Riley Farabaugh. From left, 2nd row: Jacob Friend, Dennis Shanoff, Geoff Strawbridge, Sophia Rabe, Martin Corbin, Liz Francese, Neville Kerr, Jake Checani, Sean Henry & Nina Markiw.

Once again, thank you for your continued support of our small green business. We wish you a happy & prosperous 2019. Please come visit us at our Stonehurst showroom one day. We’d love to meet you.

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This blog is written by your friends at Vermont Woods Studios. Check out our Vermont made furniture and home decor online and visit our showroom and art gallery at Stonehurst, the newly restored 1800s farmhouse nestled in the foothills of the Green Mountains.

Peggy Farabaugh

She is a CEO who brakes for salamanders, has bottle-fed rescued squirrels and spent her vacation building furniture for a rural school in Costa Rica. She believes in the future and in the people who will build it. A former distance-learning professor at Tulane University with a master’s in environmental health & safety, she turned an interest in forest conservation and endangered species into a growing, local business. She delivers rainforest statistics at breakneck speed, but knows how to slow down and appreciate the beauty of a newly finished piece of heirloom furniture.