vermont and her indomitable people

solar panels and brussels sprouts

On Saturday, Batman and I attended the Vermont Land Trust Annual Celebration, which was hosted by The Putney School, in Putney, VT. We've known of the Putney School for years, but had never been to the campus. It is quite the place! They offer a "progressive education for a sustainable future".

After a fabulous, local lunch (the school is part of the Vermont Fresh Network), we settled in for the meeting. The speakers were inspirational, and the awards are always a delight to witness...hardworking folks,  working at the grassroots level to preserve the beauty of Vermont. Little did we know then what would unfold in the next few days...

Especially articulate was Emily Jones, the Director of the Putney School. She spoke of the school's mission and how the school can prepare young people for the huge challenges their generation is facing.

You can get a peek at her wisdom here.   

A few generous readers have asked about ways to help Vermont right now. I found a link, recommended by the VLT, to assist Vermont farmers. So many amazing farms were thriving in the river valleys and were destroyed by Irene. The tidy farmhouses, big old barns and sprawling fields are what Vermont is perhaps best known for. Many of them are washed out, or their crops are ruined by the runoff and silt from higher ground. If you are so moved, please consider lending them a hand.

A great place to read of the reality of the ongoing flooding situation is a newly launched blog, created by Vermont Public Radio. Bill McKibben also wrote an op ed piece in the Burlington Free Press that's worth a peek. 

Going back to 1928, here's a bit of sentiment that rings true today.

Vermont is a state I love. I could not look upon the peaks of Ascutney, Killington, Mansfield, and Equinox, without being moved in a way that no other scene could move me. It was here that I first saw the light of day; here I received my bride, here my dead lie pillowed on the loving breast of our eternal hills.

I love Vermont because of her hills and valleys, her scenery and invigorating climate, but most of all because of her indomitable people. They are a race of pioneers who have almost beggared themselves to serve others. If the spirit of liberty should vanish in other parts of the Union, and support of our institutions should languish, it could all be replenished from the generous store held by the people of this brave little state of Vermont.                                                              -Calvin Coolidge


Putney School flock