Fall 2023 Newsletter

Naomi Heindel, Executive Director of North Branch Nature Center, talking with kayakers at Lake Iroquois in Williston.

South Hero resident Cathy Webster has been helping people with physical disabilities get out on the water for the last 8 years. Inspired by one of her physical therapy clients, who dreamt of finding a way to return to paddling, Cathy created an Adaptive Kayaking Program that is now one of the programs of the Northeast Disabled Athletic Association (NDAA).

“People with physical limitations are only able to get so far out into nature… having the ability to paddle freely along the shore and into coves opens up a new world to them. Having someone paddle along and answer questions and point out wildlife, and patterns in birds’ behaviors is all new. The excitement it brings to so many was wonderful to see!!” - Cathy Webster

Over time, Cathy has built an impressive fleet of kayaks adapted with supportive seats, stabilizing outriggers, and specialty paddles that allow individuals with a diverse array of physical disabilities and neurodiversities to explore Vermont’s waterways independently and under their own power.

South Hero Land Trust and Cathy share the belief that nature is for everyone, which is foundational to the new partnership between SHLT, North Branch Nature Center (NBNC), and NDAA. Starting this year, we piloted a series of 4 naturalist-guided inclusive kayaking events, during which SHLT and NBNC staff joined kayakers to explore and learn about the plants, birds, turtles, and other animals spotted along the water.

“I really enjoyed hearing and learning about the different wildlife that was in the area, especially since it was a new area for me.” - Program Participant

We had so much fun exploring nature with these kayakers, and are grateful to Outdoor Gear Exchange, Vermont Community Foundation, and the Land Trust Alliance for helping to make this experience possible. And many thanks to the Cathy Webster, and the naturalists at North Branch Nature Center for your partnership!

“I really enjoyed connecting with folks on the water while sharing facts and ecological context about the plants, birds and habitats around us. I learned a great deal from the participants too. NBNC is committed to expanding our programs for those with disabilities, and this partnership has been a great step toward that growth.” - Catherine Griset, NBNC

To learn more about the Adaptive Kayaking program, go to disabledathletics.org/programs

Fall 2023 Newsletter

In September, Jenna sat down with Molly Varner, District Manager for Grand Isle County Natural Resources Conservation District, to talk water, action planning, and block parties.

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Jenna: For people who aren’t familiar with Natural Resources Conservation Districts, can you give a quick introduction to what they are and what they do?

Molly: Vermont’s Natural Resources Conservation Districts (NRCD) were created in 1939. Our mandate is to preserve the lands, water, forests, and wildlife of the state.

We’re really community-led. Each NRCD has a Board of Supervisors, who are all local landowners. We collaborate a lot with people and communities to encourage voluntary actions to keep our air, water, and soil healthy. We do everything from monitoring and assessing to education and outreach. I want to deliver and bring to people the knowledge and resources they need.

Jenna: How did Grand Isle County NRCD connect with South Hero Land Trust? Can you describe this partnership?

Molly: A lot of the work of the land trust and conservation district complements each other, and when we were brainstorming the idea for the Keeler Bay Action Plan in 2020, teaming up with the Land Trust felt like a no brainer. Your connections and insights have been a huge part of this plan's success. I really believe the Keeler Bay Action Plan wouldn’t have been as successful if we didn’t have this partnership.

Jenna: Let’s talk about that Keeler Bay Action Plan. What are the long-term goals, and what do you want to see in the next year?

Molly: Our long-term goals are simple, yet ambitious – we want to improve water quality.

It’s ambitious because this is not going to happen overnight. We’ve identified over 25 projects that will reduce runoff. But that’s just the first step. We are currently drafting designs for 6 of the projects we identified. Next steps will be to apply for funding but it could be 1-2 years before we “break ground.”

If folks want to learn more, vacd.org/KeelerBayActionPlan is a great resource.

Jenna: I know the Keeler Bay Action Plan is about to wrap up, but as you said, it’s the “first step” of this project. If folks want to get involved, what can they do?

Molly: Simply because this project is about to conclude doesn’t mean our work in Keeler Bay will end. We’ll always be looking for projects that further our goal of cleaning up the Bay. I hope the plan and the types of projects identified will inspire others to look differently at their land, what they’re doing well, and what could be enhanced. We had a ton of community involvement, including residents who attended our education events to learn about water quality or invited us onto their properties to identify projects. South Hero is made up of many private parcels and, if our work inspires even a fraction of them to make positive changes on their land, that’s a success in my book.

And we want to hear about it! I’d love to see this model take hold in other towns! In this small, 7-square mile watershed, we found 25 projects. There’s a lot of potential for expansion to other areas in the islands.

Jenna: There are a lot of other ways folks can protect water quality, right?

Molly: We have a wide scale of opportunities – from giant water quality projects that are really complex, to things as simple as planting a few trees in your yard or installing a rain barrel. That’s what we’ve been trying to communicate through the “Block Parties” that we’ve been working on with SHLT – fun community gatherings that will help us go “to the source” – the people in different communities – and we can deliver the resources solutions, stories, experiences, etc., that are unique to them.

Block Party in Grand Isle

This summer, we’ve had two Block Parties. Our first was in North Hero, and focused on strategies to enhance water quality through shoreline practices. In early September, we had a Block Party in Grand Isle, focused on identifying potential water quality issues on private roads and cost-effective solutions.

Jenna: And we’ll be holding a Block Party in South Hero next year, right?

Molly: Yes! Next spring or summer.

Jenna: If people have ideas for Block Parties in South Hero or have questions, how can they get in touch with you?

Molly: Please reach out! My email is molly.gicnrcd@gmail.com. I’m also happy to chat by phone at (845) 323-2153.

Fall 2023 Newsletter

If you ask one of our campers what they did at camp this summer, you might hear something like...

But if you dig a little deeper, you might also hear about…

… nature scavenger hunts, planting kale in the Folsom Learning Garden, and visits to local farms.

This summer, South Hero Land Trust led three summer camps for students from across Grand Isle County. In our Farmers & Foragers Camps, 7-9 year old children learned about wild and cultivated foods. They made tea from garden and woodland plants, filled nature journals with dried flowers and weather records, and went on farmer-led tours of local farms. In our Explorers Camp, 11-13 year old children biked around South Hero and beyond. These adventurous campers learned about water quality visiting Round Pond, saw farm conservation at work at Snow Farm Winery and Islandacres Farm, and learned bike safety skills.

“Thank you for organizing and implementing camps like this for our children. They are such an essential part in helping the children appreciate and take care of nature!!” - Parent of a camper

For the campers, each week was full of fun and adventure. From our perspective, we love to see the growth of these young and inspiring land stewards. Every day, we fostered appreciation for nature and community, building a foundation that will last the campers far beyond the end of the week.

It was also a lot of fun! At Explorers Camp, we held competitive games of “bike limbo” and “slow racing” (testing balance by going as slow as possible). We checked out the South Hero Bicentennial Museum, and Guy led a bike ride across the Island Line causeway to Burlington. For many, this was their longest bike ride ever!

In the two Farmers & Foragers Camps, we took full advantage of the Rec Park, following animal tracks into the woods, catching (and releasing) frogs in the marsh, and building bee hotels from reed grass.

We did taste tests of crops in the Folsom Learning Garden, and delivered produce to Food for Thought. Overall, we shared adventures with 40 children; connected with 10 local farms and organizations; and created countless memories for the campers. We’re so grateful to the volunteers who helped out along the way and made these camps such a success!

“My kids LOVED it and came home each day happy, and were more interested in eating veggies and telling me about plants to help their bug bites! They even showed me how to make chopsticks, and used them for dinner! What a great camp!” - Parent of a camper

We’re also very grateful to be partnering with the Grand Isle Supervisory Union, which has been using ARPA funding to cover the costs of these camps for the past three years. SHLT strongly believes that nature is for everyone. This year, given the camps’ popularity, we increased the number of camp weeks and made each a full day program (rather than half) so that more children could participate. And finally, we’re grateful for this opportunity to connect with our next generation of leaders and land stewards.

Summer 2023 Newsletter

This May, SHLT staff met local 3rd and 4th grade students in the Folsom Learning Garden and finally let them do the one thing they always ask to do: get some shovels and dig a bunch of holes. While fun is always a goal in the garden, we dug these holes for good reason: to assess the soil in different parts of the garden and determine the best spot for the Folsom Food Forest.

Last winter, SHLT staff worked with Folsom teachers Dani Holm and Megan Branon to apply for the Vermont Garden Network’s Fruit and Nut Tree Grant.

“Over the past few years our collaborative work with the SHLT has empowered the 3rd and 4th graders to take on leadership roles in Folsom’s Learning Garden. The interdisciplinary nature of working in the garden has allowed students’ learning to come to life. Students are able to witness first hand, the cyclical patterns of seasons, plants, and animals that we speak so much of in science class. They seamlessly integrate their math skills as they calculate spacing for native plants. They consider the history of the land on which they’ve been called to steward and pour over research to determine which plants will thrive best. These students are already thick as thieves with this little diversified slice of land so being deeply involved in the design and implementation of expanding the gardens to include a food forest has been very exciting work for all of us.”

- Dani Holm, Folsom 3rd/4th teacher

We envisioned a collaborative project in which students would be involved in the creation of a multi-level edible landscape in the garden, complete with dwarf fruit trees, berry bushes, grape vines, a shady seating area, and strawberries underneath - in other words, a food forest! We were thrilled to be awarded the grant by the Vermont Garden Network, and soon got to work preparing for the spring project.

After assessing the site conditions, students worked in groups to select species to plant, decide where they should go in the garden, think about how to keep them safe from deer, and perhaps most importantly, what should happen to the (literal) fruits of their labor! Then the groups presented their plans, debated the various aspects of each, and voted on their favorite elements to create an overall plan for the site.

Finally, the students joined us for two work parties in the garden, to “dig a bunch of holes” and plant the berry bushes, vines, and fruit trees. We can’t wait to see how their forest grows!

Summer 2023 Newsletter

If you’ve been following the news in South Hero, you may know that South Hero has a new Town Conservation Commission. The Commission is made up of South Hero residents who deeply care about the natural world and local farms, and want to find ways to steward them and connect people with them—just like we do at South Hero Land Trust. One of the first projects of the new Commission was a partnership effort with South Hero Land Trust and the Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife: developing a series of Community Values Maps.

What Do You Love About South Hero?

As a community based conservation organization, South Hero Land Trust is guided by our connection and commitment to the land and people of South Hero. Knowing what you value most about our Island home is vital as we develop projects and programs.

Together with the Conservation Commission, we reached out to South Hero residents and landowners of all ages, and asked them two questions. What places do you love in South Hero? And why? We hosted two community gatherings, (one in person and one online) and invited attendees to circle the places in South Hero they value, and explain why those places matter to them.

This Island is Our Home

It was a powerful experience to be at the table during these gatherings, hearing each person share why they love this place. There were many common themes, like valuing South Hero’s recreational trails and access to Lake Champlain (also called “The Blue Stuff”). And there were unique perspectives too, like appreciation for the bedrock geology of the Islands or the history of the Island Line railroad. There was no question that everyone in the room felt a deep sense of homecoming when crossing the Sandbar onto the Island.

Mapping our Values

Our colleagues at the Department of Fish & Wildlife used the data gathered to develop a series of maps of South Hero. These maps will help South Hero Land Trust and the Conservation Commission understand what land is most important to the community for recreation, farms, community gatherings, and other purposes. The final maps are under development, but soon we will be able to see which farm fields are vital to vibrant farm operations in South Hero, and feed our community. We will see see the walking routes and views of the lake that bring joy to our daily excursions. And we will see the places that are worthy of protection because they bring us a sense of peace and connection to the natural world.

At South Hero Land Trust, we plan to use the maps to guide our strategic conservation planning. What places in South Hero still need to be protected? Where should we focus on building trails or other public access areas? Do farms have access to the land base they need to be successful? Are there needs in the community that are not being met? How can land conservation help?

We look forward to engaging more with you and the entire South Hero community more as we enter this planning phase. You can check out the final report HERE>> and the final maps HERE>>. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please reach out to Emily at Emily@shlt.org

Summer 2023 Newsletter

Since the last ice age, South Hero’s landscapes have changed quite a lot. The land where we live now was once a seabed; then forests and meadows; then cleared for sheep and dairy farms. Most recently, some of the forests have grown back, alongside development of new houses and roads. And now, with the arrival of the invasive emerald ash borer, our landscape is poised to change dramatically again.

Ash trees make up an estimated 40-60% of all the trees in Grand Isle County, a higher percentage than any other county in Vermont. With 95-99% of all ash expected to succumb to this invasive insect, we are poised to lose half our County’s mature forests in the next 10-15 years. This will be a “landscape level ecological upheaval,” to borrow a phrase from Nancy Patch, Grand Isle County Forester. It will also have devestating cultural impact for the Abenaki people, whose lives have been entwined with the ash beginning with their creation story. But there is much we can do to save our forests.

South Hero Land Trust is working with volunteers on an ecological forest management project at the South Hero Recreation Park. By removing invasive species and planting climate-forward tree species that can thrive in the shade and wet conditions in the understory, we are hoping to protect the future of this forest for future generations. It all goes to plan, the tree plantings will fill the gaps left behind by the dying ash trees. This proactive approach allows us to maintain a healthy forest ecosystem in the face of climate change and invasive emerald ash borer, protecting the homes of many species of wild plant and animal life which call the Recreation Park home. It will also preserve the habitat of the ash trees, so that resistant varieties can be protected and one day re-planted.

With funding from the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program and the South Hero Congregational Church, we hope this small project can not only save the future of this public forest, but also act as a demonstration site and catalyst for inspiring forest landowners across the Islands to take up similar efforts.

Many other experimental projects like ours are being carried out across Vermont and the Northeast. Whether or not they are successful remains to be seen. But we can learn from them and work together to make sure our forests thrive and continue to provide the benefits like biodiversity, clean air, clean water, carbon sequestration, and natural beauty.

If you want to learn more about ecological forest management, or funding opportunities or support available to forest landowners, email Guy at Guy@shlt.org

Fall 2022 Newsletter

Underwater Forests

Margaret Murphy from Vermont Fish & Wildlife dipped her hand into the shallow water beneath her kayak, gently combing through the leaves of aquatic plants as her momentum carried her on. Unlike invasive Eurasion milfoil, these native plants actually benefit the lake, she explained to the group of paddlers gathered around her during the recent “Kayak the Bay” event at Keeler Bay with the Grand Isle County Natural Resources Conservation District (GICNRCD).

Not only do they clean the water by filtering pollutants and uptaking excess nutrients, they also provide habitat for many species of native fi sh, mussels, insects, amphibians and other aquatic life that call the lake home. Rather than look at underwater vegetation as “weeds”, Margaret encouraged us to see instead a thriving underwater forest, an ecosystem that is perhaps just as beautiful and important as any forest on land.

Despite its beauty, the paddlers were also able to see up close some of the problems in Keeler Bay. As we crossed into deeper water, floating mats of detached Eurasion milfoil drifted by. This invasive plant thrives wherever native aquatic vegetation is disturbed or removed. It also grows where erosion from creeks causes rocky shallows to get covered in silt. Once it’s established, it can out-compete native vegetation, reducing diversity of aquatic plants, fish, and mollusks. When it gets dislodged, it can gather in huge floating mats that surround beaches, docks, and boat ramps, clogging access to the lake for everyone.

The good news is, by addressing streambank and shoreline erosion, we can not only keep invasive milfoil at bay, but also protect water quality. Throughout the paddle Margaret pointed out trees and shrubs along the shoreline and how they were anchoring the soil, preventing erosion that brings sedimentation and excess nutrients to the bay, such as phosphorus, the main culprit behind the cyanobacteria blooms of increasing frequency.

It Takes a Village

The “Kayak the Bay” event was an outreach component of a larger project by SHLT and GICNRCD. With funding and support from the Lake Champlain Basin Program, we are working together with state and regional water quality experts and local community members to assess water quality issues and identify potential solutions in Keeler Bay.

This past spring, GICNRCD & SHLT convened a local working group of residents, shoreline landowners, farmers, and business owners to lead the project. During the summer, the team hired Fitzgerald Environmental, a well-respected local water quality consulting firm, to begin gathering data and putting together a “Watershed Action Plan” for Keeler Bay. This plan will act as a guide as our community responds to the challenges facing the bay, including excess phosphorus and other issues.

During the fall the team is reaching out to local landowners who may be interested in doing a potential water quality project on their land. Projects may include wetland restoration, road drainage improvements, buffer plantings, and more. Once we assemble a handful of preliminary project designs with landowners who are willing to partner with us, we’ll have the necessary ingredients to seek grant funding to pursue some of these projects to clean up the bay. The great thing is that partnering landowners will not only benefit in terms of reducing property loss caused by erosion of streambanks or shorelines, but also know they are making a positive impact on the health of the lake.

We All Play a Part

Back at the paddle, Margaret stressed the importance of everyone getting involved. Whether you own land in the watershed or not, she explained, anyone who cares about the lake can make a difference. She shared some easy tips we all can do, such as “raising the blade” when we mow so our lawns can filter rainwater more efficiently, and picking up our pet waste to prevent excess nutrients and pathogens from getting into the lake.

For those interested in learning more about the challenges Keeler Bay and what you can do to help, project lead Molly Varner at GICNRCD, with help from SHLT, put together an interactive online Storymap of the project. This interactive resource will take you on a multimedia journey throughout the greater Lake Champlain watershed, with special focus on Keeler Bay in South Hero.

>> Check out the Keeler Bay Storymap at:

vacd.org/KeelerBayActionPlan

This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement (LC-00A00695-0) to NEIWPCC in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program.

Community Gleaning Garden Settles In

On a warm September afternoon, South Hero Land Trust staff, board members, and volunteers gathered at the South Hero Community Gleaning Garden for a good old fashioned barn raising. Or in this case, a shed raising.

As the work party got underway the garden buzzed with activity: measuring and cutting lumber, nailing and screwing together the framing, and even harvesting peppers and tomatoes bound for local food shelves. Pretty soon it was time to raise the last wall together. Construction of the shed was the final step in settling the Gleaning Garden into its new home at the Landon Farm.

Over the last three years the garden has grown into a core land trust program, thanks to the collaboration of many partners: Kelsey and Phelan O’Connor of Pigasus Meats provide land and water for the garden (adjacent to the Landon Community Trail); the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation funded the garden’s move to its new home; SHLT board member Bob Buermann was the lead engineer for shed construction; local volunteers Steve Robinson, Dave Hobbs and Ashley Williams have been essential in plowing, planting, and weeding this summer; Peter Jenkins from the Healthy Roots Collaborative coordinates distribution of the produce to regional food shelves, and the list goes on.

A Confluence on the Land

One of our goals at the land trust is to connect people to the land in ways that are meaningful to them, whether they enjoy recreating outdoors, working on a farm or in a woodlot, or eating local food. At a recent event at the garden, Emily Alger, SHLT Executive Director, opened her arms to encompass the land around her: “this is where all our programs come together.”

As she shared with the group, this place is a confluence of our programs and values. It is located on the conserved Landon Farm * (home of Pigasus Meats), next to the trailhead of the Landon Community Trail, with Round Pond State Park just across the road. The land here combines vital wildlife habitat, a thriving farm business, public access trails through the woods and to the shoreline, and a large wetland complex contributing to flood resilience and water protection in Lake Champlain.

Now home to our gleaning garden, it’s also a place where people come together to grow food for their neighbors and a lab space for outdoor education programs.

Community Conservation

Collaboration is a core value of SHLT, and the Gleaning Garden project is a great place to see that value in action. It’s a project that steps beyond a traditional conservation project, into what we call community conservation. As a community conservation organization, we work with diverse partners to address the most pressing issues facing our community (like climate change, racial and socioeconomic inequity, mental health, and barriers to accessing healthy food) with land based solutions.

This month the garden team, including volunteers, partners, and SHLT staff, are back to harvest the final rows of cabbage and fall greens, bound for the Grand Isle Food Shelf, C.I.D.E.R, and migrant farmworker food boxes assembled by the Healthy Roots Collaborative. The new home for the gleaning garden at Pigasus Meats, and shed for tools, are already making it possible for us to grow more food and take better care of our public access trails. It may only be 60 square feet of land and a small shed, but with the help of our partners and volunteers, it’s enough to make a difference in our community.

*The Landon Farm was originally conserved in 2003 by four partners: SHLT, Vermont Land Trust, Lake Champlain Land Trust, and the Nature Conservancy, with funding from the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (and many others).

Asking Hard Questions

Over the last year the staff and board at South Hero Land Trust have been asking some difficult questions. What role are we, as a land conservation organization, playing in upholding racist policies and systems? And what role can we play in dismantling those policies and systems? How are we acting as gatekeepers to public land and land in general? How can we work actively to ensure that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color have access to and feel welcome on our trails, beaches, parks? How can we ensure that farmers of color have access to farmland in our community? And how can we lift up the stories and experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color on the land and in our community so that we all feel seen, heard, and celebrated for who we are?

From Learning to Action

You may have read about the learning journey we have undertaken, and you may have joined us for one of our Winter Wednesday events with the Worthen Library. I feel incredibly grateful to our speakers and panelists, who so generously and bravely shared their stories and experiences with us—both the beautiful and the hard. While we still have a lot to learn as a white-led organization, we are also committed to taking action. This is why we are thrilled to have received funding from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets for a two year project with Folsom Educational and Community Center.

The focus of this project is exploring the integration of anti-racist education with our Farm to School and nature-based programs at the school. Using the lenses of storytelling, art, music, agriculture, food, and land stewardship, students and teachers will engage with the stories and experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in Vermont.

Additionally, we will be assessing and overhauling our own library of resources and farm to school lesson plans, field trip outlines, garden lessons, service projects, etc. to include voices and perspectives of BIPOC in our communities.

Two Folsom students eating ground cherries for the first time during the fall 2021 afterschool food and farm club with SHLT

On the path towards healing

One way we have already begun this work is through participating in the Abenaki Land Link Project, a partnership between the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, and the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT). The project started in 2020 when 15 Vermont growers were given seeds of traditional Abenaki crop varieties such as Algonquin squash, Calias flint corn, true cranberry, skunk and Mohawk beans, among others. Each partner grew and harvested their crops, then returned them to the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation. They in turn distribute it to Abenaki tribal members, especially to elders, those with disabilities, and those who are food insecure. They also collecting the seeds, to ensure these varieties don't go extinct.

In 2021, the project now has 40 growers, including South Hero Land Trust/Folsom School. This spring, Folsom students in the 3rd and 4th grade sowed a packet of true Abenaki cranberry beans, while also learning about the history and importance of these and other traditional foods.

Abenaki ‘true’ cranberry beans growing in the Folsom Learning Garden as part of the Abenaki Land link Project.

During a recent event organized by NOFA to celebrate the 2nd year of the project, Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation addressed the crowd, saying he doesn't view this project as a charity, but a way to reconcile the past injustices done to the Abenaki and other native peoples, who have survived despite wars, disease, theft of land, familial separation, and the eugenics movement. He then told the story of how the first European settlers were starving, until the Wampanaog taught them how to grow native crops such as corn, beans, and squash. So, this project, explained Chief Don, is a way for the descendants of the settlers to show gratitude for that gift, and start the process of reconciliation.

In the first week of October, students came back to the Folsom Learning Garden to harvest two large buckets of beans they'd planted earlier this year, dried and ready to give back to the Abenaki people. Now, just as these crops will nourish Abenaki people through the winter, they will also provide a gateway to help us begin this process of healing through education, connection, and partnership with the Black, Indigenous and People of Color who have been too often left out of the story of food and farms in Vermont.

We are looking forward to more to come! Those curious to learn more about the Abenaki Land Link Program can go here for a storymap of the project created by VT Farm to Plate.

Apples abound in fall at Allenholm Farm in South Hero. Image courtesy of Alenholm Farm.

by Emily Alger

A Year of Changes at Allenholm

I called on Ray C. Allen, fifth generation farmer at Allenholm Farm, on a blustery March day. Looking out at the bare branches of the apple trees, it was hard to imagine they would soon be covered in pink and white blossoms, then green leaves, and finally be laden with heavy fruit.

2020 was a year filled with change and challenge, even beyond the effects of the pandemic. The spring shutdown and ongoing restrictions impacted the business in many ways. But then Ray’s father, Ray W., was taken and moved to a nursing facility off-island. His stepmother, Pam, passed away on Christmas Day. Ray C. stepped in to keep the orchard open, and is now looking to the future of the farm. Allenholm Farm has a 150 year-old family legacy and an important spot in the heart of many Islanders.

151 Years on a South Hero Farm

Reuban Allen and his son Horace built Allenholm Farm in 1870, and it is the oldest commercial apple orchard still operating in Vermont. The Allen family grows 25 acres of apples, as well as tart cherries, blueberries, and raspberries. Many an Islander and visitor have picked their first apple at Allenholm Farm, during the busy pick-your-own season. The farm is both a historical gem in Vermont and a vibrant part of our community today.

Ray W Allen with his father Reuban. Image courtesy of Allehnolm Farm,

The Conservation Project that Started it All

The farm was conserved by Ray W. and Pam Allen in 1997, the first conservation project ever undertaken by South Hero Land Trust (in partnership with the Vermont Land Trust and Vermont Housing and Conservation Board). In fact, the conservation of Allenholm Farm was the impetus for the creation of the South Hero Land Trust. With a great location on South Street, good soils, and municipal water, the farm would have been a prime spot for development. But as the fourth generation of Allens to manage the farm, Ray W. and Pam were determined to protect the land and allow future generations of Allens to grow apples on the land. They were proud of their children, grandchildren, and even greatgrandchildren, many of whom grew up on or near the farm and might carry it into the future.

The Fifth Generation Looks to the Future

Ray C. grew up on the farm, and raised his own five children there. It was clear, as we sat overlooking the orchard, that Ray C. feels deeply connected to the land, and knows every inch of it. He also clearly feels a profound love for the community and has a strong sense of responsibility to South Hero and the Islands

(exemplified by his long career with the County Sheriff ’s office, which he now leads as Sheriff). His son Andy, from the sixth generation of Allens, is working at his side this year.

Two faces we will miss seeing this year: Ray W Allen and his wife Pam Allen. Image courtesy of Allenholm Farm.

2020 may have been a devastating year in many ways, but there were bright spots. When Ray C. mentioned the pick-your-own season last fall, I braced myself for a story of hardship. On the contrary, it was one of their best seasons yet. Ray C. brightened with the memory of visitors old and new, from across Vermont, coming to spend a day in the orchard: picking apples, savoring a maple creemee, and passing the time with the Allens. Ray C. set up a special science experiment for the kids, and was pleased to welcome the newest members of families who’ve been visiting for generations.

And this enthusiasm seems characteristic of Ray’s outlook on the future. He is looking forward to the growing season, and he and Andy are full of ideas. The orchard will be opening this summer, and local baker Julia Small will be keeping up with the handmade pies, as well as providing other treats for visitors. You’ll still be able to get the best maple creemee around at the farm store. Ray C. is also looking forward to bringing one of his favorite fair foods to the orchard, cotton candy. The animals in the petting paddock have all moved to good homes, but there will still be a friendly face to welcome you. Allenholm Farm, along with many local farm stands and farm stores will be opening for the summer season soon! You can get the latest updates on farm and food offerings, hours, etc... in the Northwest Vermont Grown Guide to Agriculture at www.northwestvermontgrown.com. And South Hero Land Trust will be printing an updated Champlain Islands Grown Map of Grand Isle County in late May, so stay tuned for that great resource too.

Come summertime, Alisha can often be found at local farmers’ markets serving snowcones sweetened using homegrown berries and fruits, made with hand-cranked ice-shaving machine.

Guy Maguire
November 2020

Driving through Grand Isle this fall, my wife and I stopped by Arbor Farmstead’s new farmstand. We didn’t expect to see anyone at the on-your-honor stand, but were pleasantly surprised to find farmer Alisha Utter stocking the shelves as we pulled in. As usual these days, we stood masked and six feet apart. Alisha happily showed us the great products they have to offer, from their farm and others in the area. We picked up some Arbor Farmstead veggies, pickled onions from Pitchfork Farm in Burlington, and mushrooms from FunJ  Shrooming Company in St. Albans. 

I followed up with Alisha and her husband Kyle Bowley over email, and they kindly shared more about getting started in farming; how they fell in love with the people and soils of the Islands; and eventually decided to settle down in Grand Isle. 

Alisha has been fascinated by the food system for as long as she can remember. Though she grew up in upstate New York, it was not until college studies and subsequent work in marine science in California that she began to consider a land-based livelihood. Connecting with charismatic members of the San Diego fishing community inspired her to get her hands dirty farming. 

She enrolled in the University of Vermont Farmer Training Program in 2014, the same year she met Kyle. Kyle is a farmer by association and a woodworker by choice. His love for woodcraft was inspired by his late grandfather, a talented hobbyist woodworker. He takes pride in using local wood as a slate for drawing on his generational knowledge and background in mechanical engineering to create one-of-a-kind pieces. 

Kyle applying 12,000 volts of electricity to create a Lichtenberg figure etching on one of his cutting boards, made of hard maple from Vermont.

While in the Farmer Training Program, Alisha rented an apartment in South Hero and responded to a "help wanted" ad from Allenholm Farm. Pam and Ray Allen became employers, mentors, and dear friends. After completing the Training Program, Alisha began farming annual vegetables under "Utterly Fresh Produce" on land leased from Allenholm Farm. 

She and Kyle began dreaming of a place to call home and start their own farm. However, securing long-term land access proved to be a challenge. While the Islands have great access to markets, longer growing season, and supportive community, land is expensive here. But eventually they were able to buy and begin stewarding seven acres in Grand Isle.

There were other challenges in store. They were building a farm rooted in perennial fruits, which take several years to produce a harvest. In the meantime, Alisha and Kyle patchworked together several off-farm jobs to cover their expenses.  But they continued to build their dream, one step at a time. They worked with Carissa Stein from NRCS, who helped them navigate funding opportunities for beginning farmers, and offset the costs of new infrastructure like high tunnels.  They continued to stay in touch with their farming mentors Pam and Ray Allen, as well as Nancy and John Hayden of the Farm Between in Jeffersonville. 

Alisha and Kyle draw on a veganic stewardship approach, which minimizes reliance on off-farm inputs (like fertilizers) and excludes farmed animal inputs (like manure). Though they offer sanctuary to chickens, ducks, and rabbits in their on-site "retirement home", they do not use the manure produced in their production areas. Instead, they rely on strategies that strengthen naturally occurring on-farm biodiversity. 

While they prescribe to a veganic philosophy, Alisha emphasizes, "We appreciate the diversity of approaches across Vermont's working lands and are grateful to be part of the Islands farming community. The support of local farmers has been pivotal in our growth as individuals and as a business”

Alisha and Kyle grow a large diversity of perennial berries and fruits, including these elderberries, which are used in syrups and other products.

This past year has brought growth and change for Alisha and Kyle.  They were married, with their ceremony officiated by Ray and Pam Allen! And they’ve adapted and grown the farm to meet local demand. They built the new farmstand, added a full-season CSA, and during the early days of COVID-19 created their  “Community Basket” program, which allowed community members to donate local produce to families in need. As Alisha puts it, “keeping our businesses small-scale and deeply embedded in the community has allowed us to adapt quickly to the needs of our neighbors and ultimately remain viable through the challenges inherent to farming and unforeseen circumstances, such as pandemics!”

Recently, Alisha worked with South Hero Land Trust to set up the new Northwest Vermont Grown Growers listserv, an online forum where farmers can share ideas, tools, resources, ask questions, and more. Only a few months old, the listserve is already proving to be a useful resource for farmers, and they encourage other farmers to join as well! 

The farmstand is closed for the season, but you can learn more about Arbor Farmstead and browse their online holiday farm store by visiting arborfarmstead.com or in the Northwest Vermont Grown Guide to Agriculture at www.northwestvermontgrown.com.

When local community members and parents Regan Henry and Erin Morse reached out to South Hero Land Trust in March, they were worried about the families in our town who could be out of work and struggling to access food. Summertime is often a challenging time for families who access free or reduced price meals at school, as Kaight Althoff knows from her work with Food for Thought, a program of the South Hero Congregational Church, that provides weekly bags of food to families with children across Grand Isle County, to help fill in the gap during school breaks. Would more kids and families be at risk due to the economic backlash of the COVID-19 pandemic?

At the same time, we were hearing from local farmers whose markets were at risk. Many of them usually rely on selling their products to local restaurants and large employers who were closed indefinitely at the time. Our local farms are essential employers, and a critical source of fresh vegetables, eggs, and meat for our community. We needed to find a way to help keep them afloat during the tumultuous spring.

Was there a way we could help both? We decided to find out. We brought together these local parents with our partners at Food for Thought and the Healthy Roots Gleaning Program to create a new “Grow for your Neighbor” campaign.

With seed money from the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation and local donors, we worked with Regan, Erin, and other community volunteers to grow donation gardens at Health Hero Farm and the Folsom School & Community Garden. We created a free seed library at the Worthen Library. And we bought seedlings from local farmers and distributed them directly to families through local partners. Finally, we signed up volunteer gardeners to grow extra plants for local food shelves and meal programs. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve accomplished so far:

5 partnerships with local farms

7 community organizations and food shelves help distribute plants and food

15 volunteer gardeners growing extra food for local food shelves

85 packets of seeds distributed through the free Seed Library at the Worthen Library

180 seedlings donated by local gardeners to be raised in the community garden plots distributed directly to families in need and volunteer gardeners

350 packets of seeds sent home to elementary school students in the Islands through partnership with the Healthy Roots Collaborative

400 lbs of produce donated to local food shelves and meal programs so far

456 vegetable seedlings distributed directly to families in need and volunteer gardeners

It was exciting to see this program grow so quickly, and we hope that it will continue in years to come. If you’d like to learn more or participate, email guy@shlt.org.

October 2020

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I’d like to expand on some thoughts I first shared in June, in response to this moment of enormous social change, fed by the deep racial and class inequities that the pandemic has exposed, and to the uprising across our country for racial justice.

Since the initial shut-down in Vermont this spring, I’ve taken comfort in many walks in the woods. I have always thought of the outdoors as a place where everyone is welcome—I was devastated to realize that many people are not welcome or even safe in a place that brings me such peace. And my family has eating food from our garden and local farms daily, but I’m newly aware of how few farmers of color own land and farm businesses in our state. The protests against police brutality that have swept the county following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many others demonstrate the deep pain and inequity we are facing in the United States.

People of color are fighting for their lives, and it is past time that we all join the fight. Let’s listen to the stories of people of color. Let’s be open to change in our own lives and actively work to dismantle the systemic racism inherit in our institutions and policies. Let’s make sure that black and brown people are welcome and welcomed in our community. Let’s be anti-racist, as individuals and organizations.

Like many leaders of land conservation and community organization, I’m wrestling with how we address inequity in our community today and with the complicated history of land ownership and access in our country. Nick Richardson of Vermont Land Trust summarized this clearly in a letter earlier this year: “from the first land speculators who laid claim to the lands of the Abenaki people; to campaigns in the early 20th century that recruited white people of northern European descent to visit, settle, and farm in Vermont; to the Vermont Eugenics Program which targeted poor, disabled, and Abenaki people; white landed Vermonters have benefited from systems and structures that have long excluded people ‘unlike them’ from this land.” The land conservation movement has historically been led by a predominately white group of people, and is still today. The stories and vision of people of color are missing, and conservation projects often primarily benefit white people.

Addressing this history and the current disparities in our communities is challenging and ongoing work. South Hero Land Trust is committed to this work, beginning with learning and with reviewing our practices and activities through new eyes. We have always been committed to projects that serves our community, but if we want to serve those who need us most, we need to rethink how we do this work.

As I wrote in June, I am not an expert. I have no solutions. I will probably make many mistakes along the road, and I hope you will forgive me for them. I am committing to listening, to learning, and to responding with love. I am committed to standing in solidarity with people of color across our nation, as an individual, and as the leader of a community organization. I hope you will join me.

In Hope,

Emily Alger

Executive Director

The days are getting shorter and the nights colder as we settle into fall. But sunny skies herald one of the most special seasons in the Champlain Islands: apple season! Hall’s Orchard, Hackett’s Orchard, and Allenholm Farm are open for business, and we checked in with Ron Hackett and Allen Hall to see what is happening on their farms this year.

Ron & Celia Hackett know the apple business and have a gift for looking to the future. They’ve navigated changing markets and customer preferences over their 50+ years at the orchard, and are now adapting for a changing climate. Through it all, they’ve learned that it’s best to make changes before they’re needed. Apple trees are long-lived, and take years to mature before bearing fruit. While they can’t see the future, Ron and Celia do stay on top of market trends and make decisions early. Ron gives an example: as soon as they saw that the Honeycrisp apple was beginning to gain popularity, they planted a block of the new variety. Years later the Honeycrisp is a favorite of many eaters, and Ron and Celia are able to meet the local demand.

This skill in adapting to changes is perhaps why Ron and Celia have met the challenges of selling apples during a pandemic without a hitch. From navigating new procedures and paperwork for hiring to creating a safe space for customers, they are ready for apple season!

While Pick-Your-Own at Hackett’s is done for the season, their farm store is fully stocked and open daily. Please wear a face mask and follow all the Vermont state guidelines for safety. Alongside fresh apples, offerings include cider donuts, fresh-pressed cider, pumpkins, decorative gourds, mums, and more!

You can learn more about Hackett’s Orchard on the NW Vermont Grown Guide to Agriculture: www.northwestvermontgrown.com/business/hacketts-orchard

At the northern end of the county, in Isle la Motte, Allen Hall of Hall’s Orchard is weathering the same challenges. The farm has been in the Hall family since the late 1700’s, and seen many changes over the centuries. But the pandemic has been one of the biggest challenges that Allen has faced during his stewardship of the orchard. The closure of the Canada/Vermont border has made the biggest difference to his orchard, which depends on visitors from the province of Quebec. Allen estimates that Canadians account for about 90% of his retail sales in a normal year, but 0% this year. He is hoping that locals and folks from across Vermont make the trip to Isle la Motte this year.

Hall’s Orchard is open and offering pick-your-own through mid-late October, Like Hackett’s, they have a number of COVID-19 related safety rules for visitors. Besides a wide variety of apples that includes Honeycrisp, Empire, Macintosh, and Cortland, the farmstand has sweet pears, products from neighboring farms like honey, pickles, and maple syrup. Cider is not available at the moment, but will be again soon.

You can learn more about Hall’s Orchard on the NW Vermont Grown Guide to Agriculture: www.northwestvermontgrown.com/business/halls-orchard

Farmer Amanda Gervais give a tour of the farm to local students.

“I’m mad about peas,” says Amanda Gervais, who is co-owner of Savage Gardens with her husband, Hugo. “I also love growing kale, and lettuce that’s not bitter.” While they are well known for their delicious eggs (including their infamously large “jumbos”), I wanted to know what else Amanda and Hugo are proud of from their diversified organic farm. The list is long: their veggies, fruits, farmer’s cheese, milk, pickles, crafts, and cut flowers…

Growing up, Amanda learned the value of hard work helping her parents run their family B&B in Isle la Motte. When the Gervais family from Quebec brought the old dairy farm down the road, the two families became friends. Little did they know they would become more than friends a few years later! Amanda and Hugo found common ground in a shared love of food and farming. Having grown up working at family businesses, they wanted to start their own. So in 2001 they bought 10 acres of land in North Hero, and took the first steps towards their dream.

Amanda remembers those early years as particularly special, but also difficult. She and Hugo both had off-farm jobs, and they soon had two young children. They started raising vegetables, and became early vendors at the Champlain Islands Farmers’ Market. They built an inviting farmstand on Savage Point, which became a favorite stop for neighbors and the Islands community. In 2007 they started selling eggs, opening up wholesale markets in Burlington, and eventually Hugo left his off-farm job to farm full time.

Right around the time Hugo and Amanda were getting started, Christine and Adam at Blue Heron Farm in Grand Isle were starting their own diversified farm. I wondered if Amanda and Hugo had worried about competition, but Amanda laughed when I asked. “We didn’t see ourselves that way at all; they were another farm family like us, people to share ideas with, support each other, and help build community. The Islands are small, but there is plenty of room for all of us!” In fact, another farm family, the Pomykalas, gave Amanda her first job away from the family B&B, and her first experience in farming.

These days at the market, you are just as likely to meet their kids behind the tent as you are Amanda and Hugo. Just like they dreamed, they built a real family business– all four spending time together, growing vegetables, collecting eggs, swimming, making jewelry, or cooking and eating great farm meals.

Free range chickens at Savage Gardens.

A Favorite Recipe (or two!)

One of the benefits of growing a diversified range of products means you can make almost anything from scratch. Amanda shared a favorite frittata recipe with us, one that they make using mostly products from their farm!

Connect with Savage Gardens

You can find Savage Gardens’ products at the Champlain Islands Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays and at their farmstand on Savage Point Road in North Hero. Their eggs can be found at many local stores across the Islands and around Burlington. You can also sign up for a Savage Gardens CSA e- share! Learn more about Savage Gardens in the Northwest Vermont Grown Guide to Agriculture, a guide to local food and farms, published every year by South Hero Land Trust.

Patrick holds up braided red onions, photo by Mary Catherine Graziano

Patrick Helman got his start in farming in the Hudson Valley of New York. He was initially interested in dairy, but when he moved to the Islands and began working at Pomykala Farm, he discovered he preferred vegetable farming, not least because vegetables don’t need to be milked in the winter.

After meeting Mary Catherine, who has roots in North Hero, the two settled in Isle la Motte, where, as Patrick says: “The land was cheap!”

At the farmers’ market, their farmstand, or out and about the Islands, Patrick is always ready with a witty remark. When asked why he got into farming, given how difficult it can be, he simply replied:“Why not?”

While Patrick comes across as humble and easygoing, that doesn’t mean that these two aren’t serious about their farm business.  In getting started, Patrick and Mary Catherine (who works at Local Motion as Senior Manager of Education and Safety Programs) decided to not take out loans. Instead, they bought and built everything as they went. The first few years weren’t easy. Patrick credits “sheer stubbornness” in how they managed to build a barn, a greenhouse, two hoop houses, a walk-in farmstand, cultivate 1 acre of sod without a tractor, while also completing a total renovation and remodel of their house, all with a new baby!

Now, their hard work is paying off, and their business is growing in leaps and bounds. This year they have added a delivery-available vegetable CSA with 29 members, all but one of whom are Island residents. They are a vendor at the Champlain Islands Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Their farmstand is a popular stop for locals and visitors to Isle la Motte, they are doing more and more business with restaurants, and their farm was recently certified organic by NOFA-VT. 

We asked Patrick what it was like farming in the Islands. The first thing he said was that he appreciated the support from the farming community, especially the help and advice he got from other farmers. Besides learning “all my commercial vegetable production skills” from Bob and Jane Pomykala, local farmers Christine Bourque & Adam Ferris of Blue Heron Farm and Amanda & Hugo Gervais of Savage Gardens have become mentors, openly sharing their knowledge with the new kid on the block. Plus, Patrick credits other Isle la Motte businesses for supporting them, especially Ember and Stacey at Happy Bird Poultry, who send lots of people down the island to their stand.

Sandy Bottom Farm at the Champlain Islands Farmers’ Market

Favorite Recipe Right now:

“Our favorite way to eat asparagus, other than fresh and raw, is to snap the spears into bite size pieces, then roast with a little olive oil and salt and pepper, cook some eggs sunny side up and serve them on a bed of asparagus drizzled with dijon mustard.”

Connect with Sandy Bottom Farm

Visit Sandy Bottom's page on the Northwest Vermont Guide to Agriculture to learn all about where to get their produce, as well as tons of other great, Islands-made products! Visit the main site at: www.nwvtgrown.com

Harvesting beans in the Folsom School & Community Garden

South Hero kids got outside in all kinds of ways this summer. Check it out!

Food & Fun: Kids in the Garden

Kids from the Champlain Islands Parent Child Center summer camp grew tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, and peas in the Folsom School & Community Garden this summer. After learning about planning, planting, and caring for the garden with SHLT staff Guy Maguire, the kids visited the garden almost every day—watering, weeding, and harvesting! They made meals from the produce they harvested, and used the garden space for art, music, and other activities.

Volunteers cared for the rest of the summertime garden, growing and donating 60 lbs of vegetables to Food for Thought and 15 lbs to the Grand Isle Food Shelf. Fall harvests are going to students at the school for snacks and school lunches.

Up in the Garden, Down in the Woods: Story Walk at Round Pond

For the second summer in a row, we partnered with the South Hero’s Worthen Library to create a pop-up “storybook walk,” this year at the conserved Round Pond Natural Area. “Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt,” (written by local author Kate Messner and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal) was divided up into individual pages placed along the trail with the help of volunteers. Visitors made their way through the book as they walked from the trailhead to the lake.

In May, we hosted a story walk at Round Pond to coincided with the kickoff of the Library’s Summer Reading Program. Kids enjoyed taking turns reading the pages aloud to their friends and families at each stop, rushing between each one and waiting (almost) patiently for the adults to arrive. As they walked down to the lake through the meadows and forests, the book took them on a journey through 4 seasons in a garden, ending as they rounded a corner with a sunny view of the lake.

Reading “Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt” at Round Pond Natural Area with the Worthen Library

Exploring the World Together: Backpack Toolkits Make it Possible!

While the great outdoors isn’t far away in South Hero, many barriers can get in the way of kids exploring the natural world. From increased pressure of homework and screens, to a lack of adult companionship outdoors, kids often spend the majority of their time inside. South Hero Land Trust is working with two new partners to change that for kids in Grand Isle County.

The Grand Isle County Mentoring Program pairs students with community mentors in all five County towns. The pairs meet weekly at their local schools to read, play games, work on projects, and learn together. The Champlain Islands Parent Child Center provides early education for young children and an after-school/summer program for school-aged children. Both programs were looking for ways to lead more hand-on activities outside, and were excited to join our Young Explorers Project this summer.

Young Explorer backpacks make it possible for every family to access binoculars, water nets, and other explorer tools. You can borrow a toolkit at the Worthen Library!

The collaboration with Land Trust began when some of our mentors expressed a desire for more hands-on outdoor activity choices during the school year. With South Hero Land Trust’s long history of getting students outside, active, and exploring the natural world it seemed like a perfect partnership for our program.

~Liese Reagan, GIC Mentoring Program Coordinator

As part of our Young Explorers Project, SHLT built special backpack toolkits for each program (with partial funding from RiseVT). Themes range from pond or forest exploration to gardening and healthy eating, and the kits include books and tools specific to those themes. We developed trainings to empower teachers and mentors in each town to enjoy outdoor activities in learning, play, and exploration.

Exploring the outdoors with a parent, teacher, or mentor is often the first step is a child’s lifelong enjoyment of the natural world. We are excited to see local children and their adult companions on many adventures outside. If you are interested in your own outdoor adventure, visit the Worthen Library and check out one of their Young Explorer kits!

Farmer Kelsey O’Connor looks across the fields to the movable chicken tractors with dogs Potato and Jenny nearby

Farm dogs Potato and Jenny greet visitors arriving at Pigasus Meats, Potato barking to alert the farmers that company is here. Two other dogs, Hank and Malia, are hard at work in the fields, guarding chickens. It’s been three growing seasons since farmers Phelan and Kelsey O’Connor moved to the conserved Landon Farm, as part of South Hero Land Trust and Vermont Land Trust’s efforts to match young and innovative farmers with affordable farm land. We thought it was time to check in and hear their latest news. Guy visited the farm in September, where Phelan was hard at work washing 1,800 fresh eggs, despite a newly broken foot. With 2,000 laying hens, 58 pigs, 4 dogs, and a herd of visiting cattle to care for, nothing is slowing down these young farmers!

Putting Animal Welfare First

As Kelsey and Phelan put it, “the health of the livestock is our first, second, and third priority on the farm. We want to give them a wonderful life, make sure they are happy, comfortable, and free throughout their life.” As former vegans and vegetarians, Phelan and Kelsey didn’t expect to be raising pigs and laying hens one day. But when they learned about sustainable meat production and howagriculture can be regenerative for the earth, they were excited to explore new models of farming that included raising animals.

They make sure their animals enjoy happy lives and have a net positive impact on the health of the land, water, and climate. Slaughtering time is always difficult, but they see this as a good thing. In fact, they’ve said from the beginning that if they ever stop feeling uncomfortable with the end of their animals’ lives, they’d stop raising them.

Farmer Phelan O’Connor washes eggs. Pigasus Meats has about 2,000 laying hens.

Their commitment to animal welfare also influences their decision not be certified organic. As they say, “we care about the health of our animals, the soil, the plants, but it comes to a head when it comes at the cost of animal welfare. We want to be able to give antibiotics to an animal if it’s sick.” Phelan and Kelsey think that giving a sick animal antibiotics is a far cry from treating them continuously and preventively, as some factory-style farms do. But it can be difficult to explain this. They say, “the important thing is that you know your farmer and talk to them about their methods.”

Phelan added that they name the largest pig each year Henry, so this year they have Henry the 5th roaming the fields.

Looking Out for the Environment Too

Phelan and Kelsey see their farm as part of a larger ecological system. As they put it, “one of our main goals for the farm is to manage animal manure so that it gets incorporated into the soil, which keeps runoff from going into the lake, and sequestes the carbon in the manure into the soil, rather than letting it escape into the air and contribute to climate change. These actions help the environment and our bottom line, because they contribute to soil fertility. When the soil is more fertile, it grows back faster, and we are able to have more animals on the same land base. The animals get more value per bite of forage, and the consumer also get a more nutritious and tasty meal from it. The more life we generate on the farm, in terms of grasses and then animals, and then sequester back into the soil, the better the health of the farm and the planet.”

One of their big upcoming projects is building a compost barn. This barn will store solid manure rather than liquid, and any runoff will be captured in a big tank. The liquids can be incorporated into the soil. The dry manure can be used as bedding to keep the animals warm in winter and then become fertilizer in the spring.

The focus on soil and water has already begun to pay off. As the chickens and pigs have been grazing the land, Kelsey and Phelan have seen an uptick in soil fertility and forage species.

The pigs happily root and dig in the fields, turning over the soil.

Essential Support for Young Farmers

As young farmers, one of their biggest challenges has been access to capital. They need infrastructure and specialized equipment to grow a sustainable business. As first generation farmers, they’ve started from scratch when it comes to land, equipment, experience, and knowledge. They’ve also had to learn a lot of business skills. Help from local service providers, like Sam Smith from the Intervale Center, has been a huge help, as was the Farm & Forest Viability Program at the VT Housing and Conservation Board, and Vermont Land Trust’s Farmland Access Program. South Hero Land Trust regularly partners with each of these organizations to provide land access and business planning tools to farmers.

Not only are Kelsey and Phelan caring for this beautiful land and growing a strong business, they are providing food for our community and have just hired their first year round staff. Looking for great local pork or eggs? Visit Pigasus Meats at the Burlington Farmers’ Market or check them out online!

Learning from the Garden

Last spring the fifth and sixth grade science classes at Folsom school studied root vegetables as part of a project on plant growth and scientific experiments. At the end of the unit, they decorated three raised beds in the school garden and planted carrots, beets, and potatoes with South Hero Land Trust. The third and forth grade learned about pollinators and planted a salad garden with us.

The vegetables harvested in the summer were donated to Food for Thought, a program of the South Hero Congregational Church that provides boxes of healthy food to low income families during school vacations. The vegetables harvested by the students in the fall- boxes of tomatoes, peppers, and basil- were used by the school meal program.

South Hero Land Trust staff and teachers at the school are excited to use this community garden as a learning space as well as a food production space. Students do math while building beds and planting seeds, they learn about the role of pollinators by watching the bees and other insects, and they learn history and geography from planting vegetables from around the world.

Beyond the Garden

Weeding strawberries in the Folsom School & Community Garden

The garden is not the only way South Hero students are learning from the land and community. They participate in field trips to local farms and natural areas, often hosted in partnership with South Hero Land Trust. From maple sugar walks at Crescent Bay Farm, to visiting the dairy barns at Islandacres Farm, to harvesting apples at Hackett’s Orchard and Allenholm Farm- students are learning real world skills from local community members. All of these activities are part of Farm to School, a national movement to incorporate local food, farms, and community into our schools.

What is Farm to School Anyway?

As the National Farm to School Network puts it, “farm to school enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools.” Students at schools with strong programs have increased access to healthy, local foods as well as learning opportunities through school gardens, cooking lessons, field trips, and more. Each school program is a little different, but in Vermont, schools are working in three areas. In the cafeteria we are increasing purchases of local foods and supporting healthy meal choices. In the classroom we are using farms, gardens, and other outside spaces to enhance education. And in the community we are building connections to local farmers and community members who can help teach our kids.

A New Partnership in Farm to School

South Hero Land Trust is excited to be expanding our Farm to School program in the upcoming year through our partnership with the Healthy Roots Collaborative. The Collaborative has been doing farm to school work with several Franklin County Schools, and by working together we hope to reach more schools across Grand Isle and Franklin County.

We will be working with schools across our two counties to get more local foods into the cafeterias, engage students in taste tests and cooking lessons, plan farm field trips, plant school gardens, set up farm mentor programs, develop lesson plans based on using the farm and natural resources in each community, and more. We’ll also provide training for teachers, staff, and community volunteers.

This new partnership will allow us to reach more schools and more students, to support more local farms, and to support strong school-community connections in our region.

If you are excited about Farm to School in your community, please get in touch. We’d love to help you become a volunteer!

Exploring the woods on Fox Hill at Crescent Bay Farm

I’ve shared some stories of my own childhood in the Champlain Islands over the years. Running around in the woods, playing in the brook, gardening with my mother, climbing trees with my brother. Those years spent outdoors taught me so much about the natural world and myself, and set me on the path to doing the work I do today: working with the South Hero community to protect the land that makes our community so special and helping folks get outside to enjoy it.

I received a delightful email last spring after our “Meet the Lambs” event at Paradise Bay Farm. Upon receiving an invitation to the event, South Hero Land Trust member Martha Cushman was flooded with memories of summers spent on Paradise Bay when she was a young child. She wrote to me to share some of those memories.

Between 1938 and 1984, Mrs. Cushman’s family rented a cottage from the McConnell family on the southeastern tip of Cedar Cliff, high above Lake Champlain. One of the memories she shared with me was of going to collect their mail and milk. She wrote that she would “walk from the camp across the beach on the low end of the bay, turn left at Mr. Richards’ house, head up the hill through a wooded area and finally come out into the meadow and sunshine. We would then walk to the road… on the north corner was an old barn with silo, and on the south corner [of the barn] was the mailbox holding the milk.” Mrs. Cushman then wrote, “I would very often take this walk with Mrs. McConnell, who had kindly consented to introduce me to the wildflowers along the way so that I could earn one of my Girl Scout merit badges.”

There was something magical about this memory, eliciting for me hot summer days, dusty roads, and wildflowers along the verge. It is the magic of childhood, and more specifically, of a childhood spent outdoors.

Having read this lovely memory, I wondered if other South Hero Land Trust members would be willing to share their own stories with me. Over the next several months I was lucky enough to collect some wonderful memories.

Two girls have fun and learn to “see” trees in a new way on Fox Hill at Crescent Bay Farm.

Richard Bingham and his family began coming to South Hero in 1938, at the end of the Great Depression. They rented a cottage next door to Martha Cushman’s family. He says that “life at Camp Cedar Cliffs was just wonderful.” There were three families who came every summer for many years. The Binghams would arrive around Memorial Day, when the lake was still cold. It would be a big event to get into the water right away.

The McConnells had two boathouses and two outboard motorboats, as well as a big inboard boat called the ‘Merrimack.’” Each summer the three families would make an event of taking a boat to Cedar Island or Savage Island for a picnic. Savage Island had a sandy beach where they would hunt for “moonstones,” gathering all the “little polished quartz pebbles tumbled by the sand.” They would go fishing and catch huge buckets of perch, clean them, roll them in cornmeal, and have a big fish dinner.

Thirty years later, Steve Robinson was a farm boy in South Hero. “We’d bike to White’s Beach and swim all summer long. We’d take a piece of driftwood and float far out into the bay.” Steve also remembers playing Little League baseball, camping on Fox Hill with the Boy Scouts in winter to earn his Polar Bear merit badge, and duck hunting with the principal of Folsom School.

And in another thirty years, Silva Warren was growing up in the South Hero woods and fields. Silva wrote to me from Mount Holyoke College, where she is in her senior year. “I loved being a kid in South Hero. I spent a lot of time playing outside all year in our yard, playing games, building snow forts and creatures, playing in the sprinkler, and eating food out of our garden.” In the winter she would build tiny homes for animals and have snowball fights with her sister and dad. Summers were spent at White’s Beach with other South Hero families. “I remember playing in the water until I literally turned purple, getting out, and then getting back in as soon as I could stand it.”

Silva was one of the first students to participate in “the Land, the Farms, and Me,” a place-based agriculture and nature education program that South Hero Land Trust helped create at Folsom Community & Education Center. For nine years she and her classmates spent time at local farms and natural areas, learning from farmers, foresters, and community members. “The best part of being a kid in South Hero was all of my access to the outdoors. I feel very lucky to have had the lake and a wonderful backyard, as well as all the other natural spaces.”

Time to be wild and explore the woods and other natural places is an important part of childhood in a rural community like South Hero.

The Land, the Farms, and Me is one way that South Hero Land Trust has helped make sure that children in South Hero are still experiencing the magic of a childhood outdoors. The community trails we have protected and built help ensure that children and their families have access to outdoor spaces near home for exploration, recreation, and learning.

Beginning with the Round Pond Natural Area in 2001, and looking forward to the opening of the Tracy Woods Trails soon- we work hard to make sure that these spaces are protected for generations to come. Through our Naturalist Walks and other programs, we encourage community members to get outside and explore the land with us. We are proud to work with the local community to protect the places where children and community members of all ages get outdoors, and experience the magic of exploration and play in the woods.

These stories from Martha Cushman, Richard Bingham, Steve Robinson, and Silva Warren show how access to nature- whether in your own backyard or to the beautiful lake surrounding us- is an essential part of childhood in South Hero, and something well worth protecting. Thank you for being a part of this journey, and protecting these special places with South Hero Land Trust.

What are your favorite memories of childhood, whether in South Hero or another special place? I would love to hear your stories. Email me at emily@shlt.org.