Author: 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.

Investing in Our Future: Kids & Nature

June 8, 2020June 8, 2020 Peggy Farabaugh

Investing in our future: Kids and Nature — Every year Vermont Woods Studios sponsors an environmental field trip for the 3rd graders at our local Vernon Elementary School VES. We think it’s important to pass along our love of nature to the people who own our planet’s future. Our new friend, Keelin agrees!

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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.

Vermont Made Furniture: A History

March 15, 2020March 16, 2020 Peggy Farabaugh 4 Comments

Last updated on March 16th, 2020 at 07:30 am

250 Years of Woodworking and Furniture Making in Vermont

Last year we had so much interest from customers about the history of Vermont made furniture, we started an encyclopedia of sorts. Did you know that Vermont furniture making history can be traced back to the 17th century? And by the 18th century almost every town in Vermont had woodworkers making furniture, tools and utensils.

Wood products became the single most important manufacturing industry in Vermont during the 19th century. It was then that Vermont made furniture and wood products began their long history of export to customers all over the U.S. and abroad. Wood furniture, wooden cutting boards and bowls, bowling pins, baskets, drumsticks, toys, musical instruments, golf tees, cheese boxes, wooden dolls, gun racks, Scrabble tiles, snowshoes, clothes pins, and wooden shipping boxes were (and continue to be) all products of a thriving Vermont woodworking industry.

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How to Help Save the Monarchs

March 10, 2020March 10, 2020 Peggy Farabaugh

Why Do We Even Care About Monarchs?

How to Help Save the Monarchs | Vermont Woods Studios — If you visit us at Stonehurst you’ll notice our commitment to forest conservation. As wood furniture makers we’re mindful of our impact on nature. Since we all love monarchs (our state butterfly) we work to conserve their habitat both here in VT and in the Mexican forest where they over-winter (above). We’ve partnered with the non-profit, Forests for Monarchs FFM to plant trees & restore monarch habitat in Mexico. So far we’ve planted over 60,000 trees! Photo by Sue Sill.

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Outdoor Furniture: Wood or Recycled Plastic?

March 5, 2020March 16, 2020 Peggy Farabaugh Leave a comment

Last updated on March 16th, 2020 at 07:31 am

Recycled Plastic Outdoor Furniture | Polywood — If you’re shopping for wooden outdoor furniture this season, you’ve probably noticed there are a lot of new faux wood furniture sets, made from recycled plastic. Shown here is the POLYWOOD Euro dining set. It has the look and weight of wood but lasts longer and doesn’t require any maintenance.

Why Recycled Plastic Instead of Wood?

When customers asked us to start carrying outdoor furniture naturally we searched for a real wood product. However, while there are weather resistant species such as cedar, teak, eucalyptus and redwood that make fine outdoor furniture, we still worried about the longevity of the furniture, maintenance, and the environmental impact. While researching high end outdoor wood furniture we discovered recycled plastic lumber (RPL) made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Also known as Poly-Wood, it looks like real wood & has the heavy weight of real wood plus it’s durable, versatile and environmentally friendly.

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