One Vermont cemetery is helping grieving loved ones

One Vermont cemetery is helping grieving loved ones find growth beyond the grave. Vermont Forest Cemetery in Roxbury is the state’s first fully natural burial business. Families carry their loved ones to the grave and bury them by hand in biodegradable containers, or shrouds made of natural materials. That allows for natural decomposition which leaves a smaller impact on the earth. Since opening last October, 21 people have come to rest at the cemetery. VFC founder Michelle Hogle Acciavatti says many find peace in the process. In a state where over 70% of residents choose cremation, natural burials go against the grain. However, some trailblazers want to decompose naturally without environmentally harmful materials and become part of the forest. Acciavatti says one mother told her it made her child’s death feel less like a goodbye. Acciavatti says the cemetery community has been instrumental in fundraising and helping to build out roads and quadruple the number of trails, paving the way for even more plots.