Vermont Forest Business School · Est. 2020
Building Better Businesses Across Vermont's Working Forests
Vermont Forest Business School helps working landscape professionals strengthen the business side of their work. From forestry, logging, sawmilling and firewood to maple sugaring, invasive species control and trail building, FBS offers practical education, useful resources and opportunities to improve how businesses are managed.
Since 2020, its Vermont programs have brought together working professionals to consider the decisions that shape profitability, resilience and long-term viability. With the last Vermont-only six-month Essentials cohort now underway, the work continues through upcoming short courses, resources, applied projects and evolving forms of business assistance.
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- Forestry
- Logging
- Sawmilling
- Firewood
- Maple Sugaring
- Invasive Species Control
- Trail Building & Maintenance
Upcoming short courses
Short courses from the Forest Business School
Details forthcoming. Current course information is on the main Forest Business School website.
FBS Tech
Details forthcomingRural Entrepreneurship
Details forthcomingHigh Agency Intensive
Details forthcomingOur Vermont track record
Since 2020, in Vermont
The Vermont Forest Business School began in 2020 with a simple format: a Vermont-only, six-month Winter Essentials program for working lands business owners. Each year, a small cohort of serious people gathered weekly to sharpen the business side of their work.
It worked. So well, in fact, that it grew into regional programs and now a national version.
Weekly sessions were real working conversations — Socratic discussions that force you to think and apply, not just listen — supported by audiobooks, podcasts, and notes.
The final Vermont-only six-month Essentials cohort is underway, October 2026 through March 2027.
2020Vermont Forest Business School established
6 monthsWeekly working sessions, October through March
~12People in each cohort
100+Person national alumni network
Essentials study topics
- Entrepreneurship
- Analysis
- Continuous Improvement
- Project Management
- Wealth Building
- Work Personalities
- Sales & Persuasion
- Game Theory
- Productive Habits
- Integration
The kind of people who do this
Over the years, the Forest Business School has brought together people whose work is rooted in the real world — dealing with margins, labor, land, weather, and uncertainty. Past participants have included:
- Loggers
- Foresters
- Sawmillers
- Firewood processors
- Kiln operators
- Dairy farmers
- Beef farmers
- Christmas tree farmers
- Herbalists
- Trail builders
- Land stewards
- Planners
- Engineers
- Welders
- Mechanics
- Sugarbush suppliers
- Consulting foresters
- County foresters
- State foresters
- Procurement foresters
- Property managers
- Educators
- Researchers
- Midwives
- Wood products specialists
- Hot saucers
- Hunting guides
- Fishing guides
- Poultry farmers
- Tree farmers
- Hand fellers
- Helicopter loggers
- GOL instructors
- Wildland fire fighters
- Bio-energy specialists
- Authors
- Lumber salespersons
- Yooper entrepreneurs
- Organic healers
- Fire starters
- Ballet dancers
- Ice skaters
Who we serve
The businesses and people we serve
Seven sectors of Vermont's working forests, each with its own work — and the same business decisions underneath.
Forestry
Forest inventory and planning
Logging
Harvesting and timber operations
Sawmilling
Primary wood processing
Firewood
Processing and delivery
Maple Sugaring
Sugarbush operations and production
Invasive Species Control
Vegetation management and restoration
Trail Building and Maintenance
Recreation infrastructure services
Cross-cutting business challenges
Whatever the sector, the business side comes down to the same decisions.
- Estimating
- Pricing
- Job costing
- Cash flow
- Marketing
- Personnel
- Succession
- Project flow
- Client relationships
- Technology
- Operations
What FBS does
Practical education and business assistance
Individualized work on concrete business decisions, alongside curriculum delivery, short courses and technology.
- Business analysis
- Decision-making
- Financial and operational planning
- Project flow
- Technology and website assistance
- Individualized support
Listen, read, follow
Stay connected to the Forest Business School
The FBS Podcast, a daily news digest, and the latest from FBS on social media.
Podcast
The FBS Podcast
Discussions of topics from the Forest Business School's programs and publications — practical ideas that working lands small business owners and professionals have already put to use.
Daily digest
Woods Run Digest
The Forest Business School's daily digest of forestry and forest products news.
Sign upFollow
Follow FBS
Follow the Forest Business School on X and Instagram.
Connected sites and resources
Educational resources from FBS
Research, guides and calculators connected to the Vermont Forest Business School, and the main Forest Business School website.
- Business Website GuideNo-cost guide to creating a small business website.build.vtfbs.com →
- Low-Grade Wood Market ResponsesFBS applied research and downloadable papers.pivot.vtfbs.com →
- Vermont Disaster AssistanceThe Vermont Agriculture & Timber Disaster Assistance Block Grant program.disaster.vtfbs.com →
- Log in Vermont (LiVT)Vermont logging business calculator.loginvt.com →
- iSaw Vermontisawvt.com →
- Forest Business SchoolNational programs, short courses, application and program information.forestenterprise.org →