FSC stands for The Forest Stewardship Council, an international organization "established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests." They are a non-governmental and not-for-profit created in 1993 to address global deforestation. Read more about the mission of FSC and their certification.

In addition to individual business, the Sustainable Woods Network has member organizations that represent several businesses as well.Northwest Certified Forestry represents several small woodland owners throughout the Northwest. Members meet FSC Pacific Coast Standards and provide a wide-range of products. The Evergreen Ecoforestry program of Evergreen Land Trust in Deming, Wash. is featured in this NCF profile.

New Sustainable Woods Network member Chris Littlefield has had a lot to be thankful for in the past year. Chris's business, Littlefield's Wood Products, tripled in sales volume in 2011, despite a tough economy. Although Littlefield's Wood Parts has had a prosperous 2011, there are a few things Chris values above its success. The two things he is most proud of is he can say he lives in the same town he grew up in and built his own business. Littlefield’s Wood Products is a member of the Maine Wood Products association and Chris is proud to say all of his products are "Made in Maine."

The folks at Vermont Woods Studios are following up their "Buy American-Made" holiday shopping challenge with a new "Green-Up Your Workplace Challenge" in time for Earth Day 2012. Read all about it, think about what you can do to make your workplace a little greener, and join them on Facebook for the virtual event!

I haven't been able to find a definition for organic furniture yet but I do think Vermont would logically be the place to start. The organic food movement has been around for over a century but has picked up more steam in the last 20 years as people become more aware of where their food comes from. I think the next step for the organic movement is into the world of organic furniture.