Once upon a time there were farms, farmers and farming families on this dirt road. They are long gone and all that is left of a thriving community are cellar holes, stone walls and earthen ramps that lead into barns.
Today I had lunch with a friend that I call 'farmgirl'. She is married to a dairy farmer and she comes from dairy farming stock. She is sort of a rare breed nowadays. Not many people would opt for living the life of a dairy farmer or for that matter just a farmer. It's a hard life that requires a certain level of commitment not found in most people today.
It is surprising in a way to see the joy in her face when she talks about her life. You just don't expect people to be happy about having to do hard work. And being a farmer is damn hard work. But she is happy. I am sure its not 100% of the time and some days it probably isn't 50%. But she has made a choice in her life and she is happy with that. How many people out there in their 9-5 jobs can say they are happy doing what they do? Not many I am sure.
Anyway back to the dirt road part of this. I noticed today in my ride up to Wilmington all the roads. The road I was on and the roads I passed. The road I was on was paved and like a long black ribbon wove itself in and out of towns. Athens, Townshend, Harmonyville, Newfane, Williamsville, Dover and finally into Wilmington. Then there were the dirt roads branching off of the paved road. There was Parrish, Grimes Hill, Higley Hill, Steep Way, Back Rd. and so many others. Some lead to other places and some are dead ends. And maybe some have the same history of my road. Once farmland, clear cut a 100 or so years ago, but now filled with tree and homes and cellar holes as long forgotten as are the people who originally settled and farmed there.
I love to watch the seasons in Vermont along this road. Anticipating tapping our maple bush in hopes of getting a couple of gallons of syrup for our efforts. Starting seed in the greenhouse for tomatoes, squash, pumpkins and gourds. Going into my gardens and being rewarded for my efforts by seeing my perennials pushing up through the soil in the spring. And later in the season picking spinach, lettuce and eventually sun ripen tomatoes. But these are all benefits of living on this road. This is not my livelihood. I am not a farmer. But my friend is, she is a farmgirl. This is what she does for a living. What her husband's family has done for a living on this farm since the 1930's. You don't need to live on a dirt road to be a farmer but you definitely have to have that dirt road heart to be one.
Today I had lunch with a friend that I call 'farmgirl'. She is married to a dairy farmer and she comes from dairy farming stock. She is sort of a rare breed nowadays. Not many people would opt for living the life of a dairy farmer or for that matter just a farmer. It's a hard life that requires a certain level of commitment not found in most people today.
It is surprising in a way to see the joy in her face when she talks about her life. You just don't expect people to be happy about having to do hard work. And being a farmer is damn hard work. But she is happy. I am sure its not 100% of the time and some days it probably isn't 50%. But she has made a choice in her life and she is happy with that. How many people out there in their 9-5 jobs can say they are happy doing what they do? Not many I am sure.
Anyway back to the dirt road part of this. I noticed today in my ride up to Wilmington all the roads. The road I was on and the roads I passed. The road I was on was paved and like a long black ribbon wove itself in and out of towns. Athens, Townshend, Harmonyville, Newfane, Williamsville, Dover and finally into Wilmington. Then there were the dirt roads branching off of the paved road. There was Parrish, Grimes Hill, Higley Hill, Steep Way, Back Rd. and so many others. Some lead to other places and some are dead ends. And maybe some have the same history of my road. Once farmland, clear cut a 100 or so years ago, but now filled with tree and homes and cellar holes as long forgotten as are the people who originally settled and farmed there.
I love to watch the seasons in Vermont along this road. Anticipating tapping our maple bush in hopes of getting a couple of gallons of syrup for our efforts. Starting seed in the greenhouse for tomatoes, squash, pumpkins and gourds. Going into my gardens and being rewarded for my efforts by seeing my perennials pushing up through the soil in the spring. And later in the season picking spinach, lettuce and eventually sun ripen tomatoes. But these are all benefits of living on this road. This is not my livelihood. I am not a farmer. But my friend is, she is a farmgirl. This is what she does for a living. What her husband's family has done for a living on this farm since the 1930's. You don't need to live on a dirt road to be a farmer but you definitely have to have that dirt road heart to be one.
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