Happy Vermont

Making Friends in Vershire

After moving to Vershire in 2020, Justin Willeau was eager to find ways to meet people in town and contribute to the community. 

Vershire, a hard-to-get-to place in Orange County, doesn't have a coffee house or a bar. So Justin decided to create weekly get-togethers revolving around coffee and beer.

Justin started a Coffee Bar on Saturday mornings and a Beer Exchange on Thursday nights at the Church Orr House on Route 113.

In this episode, host Erica Houskeeper talks to Justin about serving in the Navy, getting involved in the community, and finding a place like Vershire to call home.

 

VerShare and the Church Orr House
https://vershare.org

Happy Vermont
https://happyvermont.com

 

Maple Sugaring in Johnson is a Marvin Family Tradition

Butternut Mountain is the tallest peak that falls entirely within the town of Johnson. On the mountain's southern slope, the Marvin family owns 600 acres where they produce maple syrup for their business, Butternut Mountain Farm.

David Marvin started Butternut Mountain Farm in the early 1970s on land owned by his father, Dr. James Wallace Marvin, a botanist and the co-founder of UVM's Proctor Maple Research Center. 

In this podcast episode of Happy Vermont, Butternut Mountain Farm's David Marvin and his children, Emma and Ira, talk with host Erica Houskeeper about the history of maple sugaring, how Butternut Mountain Farm came to be, and their hopes for the future.

https://happyvermont.com/2023/03/23/butternut-mountain-farm-maple-syrup-podcast/

https://butternutmountainfarm.com

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The Magic of Blueberry Hill in Goshen

Tony Clark found his way to Vermont in the late 1960s. He bought an old farm in the middle of nowhere in Goshen and eventually turned it into an inn and cross-country ski center. One of his greatest legacies was helping to establish Vermont's 16,000-acre Moosalamoo National Recreation Area in 2007.

Tony died a year ago in March 2022. Host Erica Houskeeper met with his daughter, Britta, who grew up at the inn and is now working on her Ph.D. at Harvard. She is also helping to run the property’s Blueberry Hill Outdoor Center.

The center offers about 35 kilometers of trails for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, mountain biking, and trail running. There are no fees as the center is run with help from volunteers and donations to keep the trails accessible to the public.

https://happyvermont.com/2023/03/11/blueberry-hill-trails-goshen-podcast/

https://www.patreon.com/happyvermontpodcast

 

Vermont’s App Gap, Historic Routes and Dirt Roads

Johnathan Croft, who leads the mapping section at the Agency of Transportation, loves everything about Vermont roads. Johnathan met with host Erica Houskeeper to talk about the history of the McCullough Turnpike and the App Gap, as well as Vermont's toll roads, turnpikes, shunpikes, and the dirt roads of East Barnard.

Read more: https://happyvermont.com/2023/02/16/podcast-mccullough-turnpike-app-gap/

Signs and Archives at Stratton Mountain Resort

Stratton Mountain may not be Vermont’s oldest ski area, but its history is iconic. Tucked away at the resort is a collection of Stratton Mountain signs, photos, and posters that tell the story of this Southern Vermont ski area that opened in 1961.

Over the past 54 years, Kimet Hand has collected everything from a bronzed tennis ball served by Ivan Lendl at Stratton’s Volvo International Tennis Tournament to signs made by ski school director Henrich, who was also an artist and a musician who played in the Stratton Mountain Boys.

In this episode, Erica Houskeeper interviews Stratton volunteer archivist Kimet Hand, Stratton sign maker Mike Smith, and his colleague, Lauren Suriani. 

Read the story here: HappyVermont.com

Vermont Place Names Offer a Glimpse into Local History

If you spend enough time in any Vermont town, you'll likely come across Vermont place names like Maple Corner in Calais, Snowsville in Braintree, and Hortonville in Mount Holly. These places are not official villages but rather unincorporated areas that are deeply rooted in the fabric of these communities.

Jackson Evans, president of the Braintree Historical Society, has lived in Braintree for over a decade.

“Place names are a real part of the history of any town,” Evans says. “So, when you're able to talk about those places or remember events that happened or people who lived in those places, it's a way to connect yourself.”

Evans is a historian who also loves exploring Vermont Class 4 dirt roads on his bike. He talks about his love for the town of Braintree, its places, and history.

Learn more on Happy Vermont:

https://happyvermont.com/2022/11/18/vermont-place-names-podcast/

A Love for Restoring and Preserving Vermont’s Old Cemeteries

The Vermont Old Cemetery Association (VOCA), founded by the late Leon W. Dean in 1958, is a volunteer organization that restores and preserves public and private cemeteries that are neglected, abandoned, or in need of repair.

His granddaughter, Dianne Leary of Charlotte, is vice president of VOCA. She talks about her grandfather's legacy and what volunteering in cemeteries means to her.

https://happyvermont.com

https://voca58.org

 

Locals Sing, Strum and Find Harmony at the Dover Town Hall

Open Mic Night, held twice a month, was started in 2018 by East Dover resident Linda Sherman. A singer, songwriter, and guitar player, Sherman has been passionate about music since childhood. For years, she's wanted to create a performance space in the community.

In this episode of Happy Vermont, host Erica Houskeeper asks Linda Sherman about her lifelong passion for music, why she started Dover Open Mic Night, and the importance of performing in a safe, supportive space. 

Article and photos:

https://happyvermont.com/2022/10/19/dover-open-mic-night-podcast/

 

Fall Foliage, Big Trees, and the Future of Vermont’s Forests

Vermont is gearing up for another foliage season. If anyone can talk about fall foliage in Vermont, it's Mike Snyder, Commissioner of Forests, Parks, and Recreation.

Host Erica Houskeeper recently met with Mike in Mount Mansfield State Forest to discuss this year's fall foliage forecast. In this episode, Mike also shares the Vermont county with the most sugar maple trees, dives into details about big trees, and weighs in on private ownership of Vermont's forests. 

https://happyvermont.com

https://vtcommunityforestry.org/places/big-trees

https://fpr.vermont.gov

 

Main Street in Brattleboro

It’s tempting to describe Brattleboro as a mini-Burlington, but the town is very much its own place. Brattleboro’s Main Street is a vibrant place that's home to places like the Latchis Hotel and Theatre, which dates back to 1938, and Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters, a mainstay since the 1930s. A few doors down is the Brattleboro Food Co-op, which has been going strong since 1975.

There’s a big focus on local in Brattleboro—local food, local shops, local art.

Host Erica Houskeeper spent some time on Main Street to talk to people about why they love Brattleboro and what makes Main Street special. 

One of those people is Greg Worden, whose grandfather was raised in Brattleboro but moved away long before Greg was born. Growing up in the midwest, Greg had never met his grandfather or been to Brattleboro. But when a couple of college friends from the University of Missouri asked him to join them on a trip to their hometown of Brattleboro, Greg decided to tag along.

He never left. Fifty years later, he's still calling Brattleboro home. 

Read more:

https://happyvermont.com/2022/08/26/downtown-brattleboro-podcast/