In this month’s episode, we speak to Eryk Thurber, the sole proprietor of a small cable skidder operation in Etna, Maine. Eryk graduated from the University of Maine in Orono in 2020 and is just starting out in his career. We often hear about the current workforce challenges and the lack of “younger people” getting into logging and forestry. How can a young person get into timber harvesting without much backing or taking out millions of dollars in loans? In our conversation, Eryk describes his education, both formal and informal, how starting out small has helped him gain footing in this tough sector of the forest industry, and some of the differences between logging in Rhode Island and Maine.

You can read our companion article featuring more young professionals representing the next generation in the July 2024 issue of The Northern Logger.

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