NOW RECRUITING FOR THE Fall 2025 Linchpin Course (we start on October 16th). There are a limited number of slots available for key employees in this course that will meet 10 times over three months.If you are a key employee of a forest products firm, other rural enterprise or a public agency, our new LINCHPIN program is meant for you. We are distilling the business owner program to develop instruction in key mindsets and accountability for top employees. Need a career boost? This might be just the program for you. Register Here.
If you have questions, send email to FBS@northeastforests.comand include a few details about your business, work situation and background.
The Vermont Forest Business School serves mid-career working landscape professionals with instruction and peer support to advance their businesses, agencies and work life. We offer a formal six-month session, with weekly hour-long evening remote sessions, a periodic creator’s workshops for people who have completed the six-month program and want to keep in touch, and occasional one-time workshops and other resources. We are currently recruiting for a Vermont-only session and a regional session (Northeast , Lake States & Intermountain) of the Essential program that will begin in October 2024. Key employee participants in the new Linchpin program are needed as well.
The six-month FBS Essential program features periodic live meetings and weekly remote conferences to discuss theory, strategy and tactics for continuously improving work results. The school is tailored to the needs of working people, with audiobooks, Socratic discussions and a supportive peer environment. We use proven business and professional development concepts and relate them to work in the forest products industry and related fields.
Successful completion of the program allows participants to leverage the ideas and methods used in class and obtain better financial results. This improvements might be higher revenue in their business (even in the absence of substantial new investment), elevated performance by key employees or better use of public resources in agencies. The FBS program itself leverages public funding into a 10-50x financial improvement in businesses.
The forest business school has attracted a diverse range of individuals, including consulting foresters, WTH, CTL, and TL loggers, procurement foresters, and watershed foresters. The ranks also include U&M, state, county, and certified foresters, as well as ecologists, herbalists, and midwives. Among the enrollees are pilots, mechanics, welders, and invasive species warriors, along with a variety of farmers—pig, beef, stock, sheep herders, dairy, poultry, tree, and Christmas tree farmers. Sawmillers, wood products specialists, helicopter loggers, hand fellers, engineers, sugar makers, low-impact loggers, hazardous fuel reducers, and mobile app developers are also part of the community. The school has welcomed artists, fire starters, organic healers, spiritual guides, hot saucers, hunting and fishing guides, food truck merchants, loan officers, selectmen, town supervisors, military officers, wildlife foresters, sugarbush suppliers, lumber salespersons, extension specialists, and enablers. Even ballet dancers, forest products leaders, educators, housing professionals, aspiring loggers, researchers, ice skaters, speakers, disc jockeys, writers, musicians, readers, operations directors, craftsmen, music lovers, introverts, extroverts, ambiverts, crew leaders, persuaders, thinkers, doers, planners, entrepreneurs, business managers, gardeners, authors, deputies, industry leaders, firewood processors, kiln operators, licensed foresters, travelers, pesticide applicators, wildfire fighters, technicians, mothers, fathers, and stock farmers have all found their place in this unique educational environment.
The school is directed and taught by Dr. Steven Bick, CF. Bick is a small business owner, land steward, writer and researcher and has a long history of providing continuous education materials for the working landscape. Contact him at FBS@northeastforests.com to learn more about the program or discuss the possibilities of customized resources (training, apps, evaluations, strategic plans) for your enterprise.
Please reach us at Steve@northeastforests.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Who should enroll in this program?
Mid-career professionals and small business owners who know there is more out there but need some direction, support and motivation to learn new ideas and make improvements. If you are good at what you do and know that you can do more, earn more, have greater influence or growth your organization, this program is for you.
How do I enroll ?
Send an email to FBS@northeastforests.com, telling a bit about yourself in your work. Steve Bick will get back to you and arrange for a phone call to help gauge if this is right for you.
What does this program cost?
The six month Essential sessions and 3-month Linchpin session are FREE to accepted applicants (pending funding from outside sources). Participants are responsible for obtaining required reading or listening material, usually through Audible or local libraries. All assigned podcasts are free.
How long is the FBS Essentials program?
About six months, with a one-hour live video session almost every week for a group discussion of assigned readings or audiobooks, or podcasts. There are occasional bye weeks around holidays.
What if I sometimes have to miss a weekly session?
Mid-career people lead full lives and this is bound to come up now and then. Each weekly session is recorded so any participants who have to miss it can view or listen to it later. Those who miss an occasional session are encouraged to be in touch with the instructor or other group members to discuss aspects of the most recent study topics.
Are there tests in this program?
No. There is no emphasis on assessing how much you learn or what you are good at memorizing. Instead, there are occasional participant evaluation surveys about the program, along with internal feedback between participants and the instructor about what is working or what additional resources might be helpful to individuals. Participants test themselves by applying the concepts we discussed in their work.
I never liked classes in school or at college. Will this be like a typical school situation?
No.
How is this program different from other continuing education or adult learning programs?
FBS emphasizes learning for professional growth and for financial gains in your business. We do not follow the traditional model of trading your time for credits or other proof of attendance. This is about learning.
What will I get out of this?
Past participants have experienced improvements in their work and life, along with an increased network of similar professionals. If you want these things, active participation in this program will bring them to you.
Do I have to be a business owner?
While much of the material focuses on business ownership, FBS participants include key employees, aspiring business owners and public agency professionals.
Are the reports or other assignments?
You will never be asked to write a paper or report or fill out a worksheet. There are regular reading and/or audio assignments (books and podcasts) that inform our group discussions. There is an expectation that you will participate in group discussions and that you will do some thinking - quite a bit of thinking.
Will I get a grade?
No, but you will get a handsome certificate for completing the program.
Are continuing education credits available?
Yes. Credits are not emphasized or used as a selling point for the program, but they CFE credits are arranged with SAF and and a certificate with program details will be supplied to if you need to apply for credits with other groups.
Who should not enroll in this program?
If you are just a few years into your career or are close to retiring, there are other programs out there better suited to your needs. If you a preparing to run a hobby business in your retirement, this isn't a good fit for you. If you tend to think most things are a good idea, but they don't really apply to you, there isn't much point in enrolling.