Notes from the Road
A weekend of sizzling hot weather, even in the higher elevation of Vermont, called for an air-conditioned Sunday drive around the small towns of Orange County, Vermont. An abandoned, mold-covered vacation camper with a faded decal crying “Save Family Farms!” comfortably sits among weeds in an expansive, overgrown meadow. This sad sight greets new visitors upon entering the small town of Chelsea.
Having spent most of my career in the farming industries, this abandoned camper with the faded decal struck an eerie chord in my heart. The decaying camper blends into an old hay field filled with so many weeds, its hay isn’t even fit for horses. The message transcends beyond the faded letters. It’s as if the entire scene says, “you’re too late, family farms are already ruined.”
How I wish it was a clean, modern sign in a lush, green field surrounded by happy cows…I’d feel more hopeful. However, this drive around Vermont was a reminder that many small family farms are still fading. Would calling my local legislator still help? What do I even say?
Moving on, thick deciduous forests create dark and dusty dirt roads circling throughout the hills that occasionally opened up to nature’s breathtaking views of a harsh, setting sun illuminating the age of retired farm equipment. The untouchable, rusty tractor no longer serves a purpose in this world, good for nothing, besides existing as fashionable landscaping decor in an old New England town.



