Happy Vermont

Chris Wilcox is vice president of Wilcox Ice Cream in Sunderland. Chris was my first friend when my family moved to Vermont in 1979.  Not only were we friends, we were neighbors, too. I would zig zag my way through a couple of fields and cross a dirt to get to her house. The farm you see just south of Equinox Valley nursery on Route 7A, where Chris spent her childhood. But 24 years ago, on May 7, 2001, a fire tore through the farm on Route 7A, destroying multiple buildings, including one that housed the ice cream business. The farm you see now on Route 7A is no longer part of Wilcox Ice Cream. It hasn't been for years. For the past decade, they've been making ice cream out of their facility in Sunderland.  In this episode, Chris talks about ice cream, hard work, perseverance, love and loss.   https://www.wilcox-ice-cream.com https://happyvermont.com  

Hotels used to stand at the top of some of Vermont's mountains, like Mount Mansfield, Camel's Hump, Snake Mountain and Mount Equinox.  Mary Skelton spent eight childhood summers at the Mount Mansfield Summit Hotel. It was a hotel her dad managed, and he served as the hotel's postmaster.  In this episode, Mary talks about the old hotel on Vermont's highest mountain, her joyful memories, and the end of an era.

Vermont has no shortage of offbeat place names. What is special about place names is that they come with a story, either a true story or one that's a mix of myth, folklore and fact.  In this episode, host Erica Houskeeper shares some of Vermont's interesting place names.  Support Happy Vermont on Patreon  Visit HappyVermont.com

The town of Stratton is best known for the popular ski area, Stratton Mountain Resort. But beyond the 3,000-acre ski area, the town has 30,000 acres and about 300 full-time residents. At one time in the 1930s, the population was so small that there were fears the town would go the same way as the unincorporated communities of Glastenbury and Somerset.  Town Clerk Kent Young talks about Stratton's tiny population, the fire tower on top of Stratton Mountain, the lack of post offices in town, and an old tragic tale from Kelley Stand Road. Support Happy Vermont on Patreon  Visit HappyVermont.com Subscribe to Happy Vermont's newsletter 

Cochran's Ski Area in Richmond is tiny but mighty.  The ski area was started in the early 1960s by Mickey and Ginny Cochran.  Their children, Bob, Barbara Ann, Marilyn and Lindy, came to be known as the “The Skiing Cochrans.” They represented the U.S. in the Winter Olympics, with Barbara Ann winning the gold in 1972. In this episode, Barbara Ann talks about the ski area's early days, her racing career and what makes Cochran's an extraordinary place.  Learn more about Cochran's Ski Area https://cochranskiarea.com Find more Vermont stories and event listings at HappyVermont.com https://happyvermont.com Help support Happy Vermont on Patreon  https://www.patreon.com/c/happyvermontpodcast  

You can learn a lot about a town and its history by visiting the local library. The Goodrich Memorial Library in Newport has a taxidermy collection that includes an alligator, bob cat, porcupine and birds. The Rutland Free Library originally served as a post office and courthouse. There are also jail cells in the basement. In this episode, Jessamyn West, a library technologist from Randolph, talks about what makes Vermont libraries fascinating places. She also shares what's she's learned on her quest to visit all of Vermont's libraries.  happyvermont.com patreon.com/c/happyvermontpodcast

Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley was the first person to ever photograph a single snowflake.  On January 15, 1885—at age 19—he used photographic plates to capture his first snowflake image at his family's farm in Jericho. His images of snowflakes are on permanent display at the historical society in the Old Red Mill in Jericho.   "He had the mind of a scientist and the soul of a poet," says Sue Richardson, Bentley's great-grand-niece, who manages the exhibit and gift shop at the Jericho Historical Society. "His dream was to share his images with the world," she says. In this episode, Sue shares stories about Snowflake Bentley and his lasting impact on the world. Jericho Historical Society  Subscribe to Happy Vermont  Happy Vermont Help support Happy Vermont on Patreon 

Host Erica Houskeeper talks about her brother, Matt, who died while kayaking in Southern Vermont last summer. It happened in a region of the state that Matt loved exploring. In honor of Matt, Erica highlights a bit of history and geography in this part of Vermont. 

Susan Leader is a well-known potter based in Andover, where she grew up at the base of Terrible Mountain.  In 1950, Susan's parents moved to Andover and settled at Popplewood Farm, where she spent her childhood.  Today, she lives on a piece of land her parents left her just up the road from her childhood home.  In this episode, we talk about Terrible Mountain, Susan's unconventional upbringing, and how she has found community in the small town of Andover.

Steve Farrow grew up in Holland, Vermont and now lives in Newport in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. Steve studied at UVM in the 1980s and his master's thesis focused on Vermont place names. He now teacher geography at Community College of Vermont. In this Happy Vermont podcast episode, Steve and host Erica Houskeeper talk about Vermont place names and lost names like Elysiana, Hurricane and Jefferson County. They also explore Vermont gores and grants, as well as town names like Eden, Troy and Athens. www.happyvermont.com

Mike Snyder of Stowe was Vermont's Commissioner of Forests, Parks and Recreation for over a decade before leaving his post in December 2022. He's now working as an independent consultant. Mike and host Erica Houskeeper met up at Brownsville Forest in Stowe to talk about fall foliage, forest health, and what it's like living in a popular tourist town. Visit my website Happy Vermont: https://happyvermont.com Support Happy Vermont on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/happyvermontpodcast/membership Subscribe to Happy Vermont: https://mailchi.mp/happyvermont/subscribe-to-happy-vermont  

Glenn Fay of Burlington is an author, historian and seventh-generation Vermonter. He's also a descendant of one of the Green Mountain Boys. Glenn wrote Hidden History of Burlington Vermont and has a new book out, Ambition of the Remarkable Family of Ethan Allen. On a sunny day in July, we met at the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum in Burlington, where Glenn serves as a board member. In this episode, Glenn shares how Ethan Allen is famous for capturing Fort Ticonderoga from the British and was also a complicated figure. We also talk about Burlington's history, old neighborhoods, and the city's waterfront, which was once a bustling lumber port.  https://ethanallenhomestead.org https://happyvermont.com  

Traveling east on Route 118 along the Trout River is a nostalgic scene with covered bridges, barns and mountain views. After a few bends in the road, a clear view of the Montgomery Center for the Arts unfolds. The Greek Revival building was empty the first time Sebastian Araujo saw it when he and his partner moved to town from Provincetown, Mass. The iconic building, perched at the intersection of Main Street and Mountain Road, is a former Baptist Church built in 1866. “These buildings deserve to be restored. They deserve to be cherished. They deserve to be protected,” says Araujo, founding director of the Montgomery Center for the Arts. “And it's really important, because if we don't know where we come from, we don't know who we are in the present.” Since opening six years ago, the Montgomery Center for the Arts has hosted art exhibits, performances, workshops and meditation sessions.  Araujo and others have tirelessly volunteered to help repair and preserve the building, organize events and get the word out.   https://www.montgomerycenterforthearts.com https://happyvermont.com https://www.patreon.com/happyvermontpodcast    

Artist and entrepreneur Stacy Harshman was living in New York and looking for a change. She Googled "nature, therapy, community, work and mountains" and landed in Vermont.  Seven years ago, she started the Sparkle Barn in Wallingford, which has become a wildly popular destination in this small town in Rutland County. The Sparkle Barn is a gift shop and art installation located in an old dairy barn on Route 7. In this episode of Happy Vermont, Stacy shares how she created this special place and how she's found healing, happiness and belonging in Vermont.

Adamant is an unincorporated Vermont village between Calais and East Montpelier.  Its geographical boundaries are hard to define. In this episode of Happy Vermont, Erica Houskeeper talks with three women about Adamant's history, the local co-op that's a community hub, and how Adamant is a state of mind.  https://happyvermont.com https://www.adamantcoop.org  

Mount Philo in Charlotte stands at 968 feet. It offers some of the most beautiful views, plus hiking trails, an auto road and campsites. It became Vermont's first state park 100 years ago in 1924. Judy Chaves is the author of Secrets of Mount Philo: A Guide to the History of Vermont's First State Park. In this episode, we talk about Mount Philo's significance, its history and why people love this small Vermont mountain.

Outdoor recreation is breathing new life into Poultney, which is home to Lake St. Catherine, the Poultney River, the Delaware and Hudson Rail Trail and Slate Valley Trails. James Johnson lives off the grid in a yurt on land once owned by his grandmother. He's also the founder of the Fifth Season Race and Ride, a quirky mud season ride where participants ride around to local sugarhouses.  In this episode of Happy Vermont, James Johnson and other locals talk about life in Poultney, exploring the outdoors in Poultney, and why they call this tight-knit community home.  Read more: https://happyvermont.com/2024/04/09/outdoor-recreation-renaissance-in-poultney/

Pete and Sandy Gebbie are farmers and skiers. They have three rope tows on their 400-acre property, which sits at an elevation of about 2,000 feet. When the snow is good, friends come over to ski. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the first rope tow, which opened in Woodstock in January 1934. In this episode, Pete and Sandy talk to host Erica Houskeeper about running a rope tow and what the tradition of rope tow skiing means to Vermonters. 

Vermont's skiing had a big year in 1934. Ninety years ago, the first rope tow opened in Woodstock. It's also when the Stowe Ski Patrol got its start, when the Civilian Conservation Corps were busy building trails in Vermont, and when the first purpose cut ski trail was completed on Mount Mansfield. Brian Lindner of Waterbury is a historian, ski patroller, and outdoor enthusiast. While hiking on Camel's Hump when he was a boy in the 1960s, he stumbled upon World War II plane wreckage, which sparked his lifelong interest in local history. In this episode, Brian talks with host Erica Houskeeper about the story of the plane that crashed into Camel's Hump, the early days of Stowe Mountain Resort, and the spot along Interstate 89 that goes over the top of the engine room of an old rope tow.

Jane Dorney of Richmond is a geographer who helps people connect to the Vermont landscape and understand how it evolved. She approaches her work with the geographer's question: Why are things where they are?  In this episode of Happy Vermont, host Erica Houskeeper talks to Jane about settlement patterns, maps, town centers, villages, covered bridges and old mill sites. https://janedorney.com https://happyvermont.com

Mount Tom in Woodstock isn't a particularly tall mountain. But its environmental legacy, easy public access and central place in the community are monumental. Mount Tom is where you'll find miles of trails, beautiful views, a shining mountain top star, and the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, the only national park in Vermont. It's also where the American environmental movement was essentially born 160 years ago. Host Erica Houskeeper talks with resident Randy Richardson about the mountain's legacy, hiking trails, and special place in the community. She also checks in with resident Norm Frates about replacing the wooden Woodstock Star on the south peak of Mount Tom, which was installed after World War II. For more Vermont stories, event listings and podcast episodes, visit www.happyvermont.com. 

John Lent, of Waltham, started volunteering many years ago at the Vergennes Community Foodshelf with his late wife, Mary Ann. She was the driving force behind the couple's volunteering efforts in the community. After Mary Ann died in 2020, John decided to keep volunteering in her honor.  John is not only an avid volunteer, he's also an accomplished marathon runner. He's completed marathons in all 50 states, all Canadian provinces, and all seven continents. In this episode of Happy Vermont, John shares what motivates him to volunteer and why getting out of your comfort zone is essential.  Learn more:  Vergennes Community Foodshelf Vermont Sports magazine interview with John Lent HappyVermont.com 

Alicia Taylor and Joanna Alpizar met at a pop-up roller-skating event in Burlington. The two BIPOC women became fast friends and are now on a mission to create a public, welcoming, year-round space for roller-skating in the Burlington, Vermont area. In this podcast episode of Happy Vermont, Alicia and Joanna talk about the joy of roller-skating, the history of roller-skating, and creating a welcoming skating space for the community. Read the story here on HappyVermont.com. Support Happy Vermont on Patreon.

Jamie Franklin opened an exhibition at Bennington Museum earlier this year called Haunted Vermont, which explores disappearances in the Bennington Triangle and the work of mystery writer Shirley Jackson. Jackson lived in North Bennington and some of her work was inspired by the strange happenings in this area of Southern Vermont. This episode of Happy Vermont highlights disappearances in Glastenbury, witches in Pownal, and vampires in Manchester and Shirley Jackson's work. https://benningtonmuseum.org https://happyvermont.com/2023/10/11/bennington-triangle-happy-vermont-podcast/    

Every fall, John Anderson of Dummerston and a group of volunteers monitor birds that are migrating south for the season. For decades, these volunteers, known as the Putney Mountain Hawk Watchers, have recorded the number and kinds of hawks they see and report the information to Hawk Migration of North America, which maintains an online hawk count database. Established in 1974, Putney Mountain Hawk Watch is the only autumn raptor watch in Vermont that is monitored daily between August and November. In this episode of Happy Vermont, John talks about hawk watching, what it brings to his life, and the time he saw more 6,000 birds fly over Putney Mountain in one day. https://happyvermont.com http://putneymountain.org  

If you've ever been to Shelburne Orchards, chances are you've seen or been lucky enough to meet owner Nick Cowles. Nick has spent most of his life at the orchard, which his father purchased in the 1950s. Nick loved growing up there, and when you visit, it's easy to see why. Host Erica Houskeeper met up with Nick to talk about apples, brandy, and how running the orchard changed his life for the better. www.happyvermont.com  www.shelburneorchards.com  

The summer she turned seven years old, Charity Clark's first outing on Vermont's Long Trail was at Little Rock Pond in Mount Tabor. Years later, she completed the 272-mile footpath across the Green Mountains, the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States. Today, Charity is Vermont's first female attorney general. Even with a busy schedule in Vermont's highest law enforcement office, she spends as much time as she can outside—hiking, skiing or exploring the woods. In this episode of Happy Vermont, Charity shares her love for hiking and the outdoors and why Vermont is her forever home.  Read the story: https://happyvermont.com/2023/08/29/hiking-the-long-trail-charity-clark-podcast/

Happy Vermont podcast host Erica Houskeeper shares ways to explore Vermont this summer and fall. She also weighs in on why we can't take Vermont communities for granted.  happyvermont.com

Terry Armata of Bennington is one of Vermont's most dedicated butterfly watchers. A retired hospital employee, Terry has seen about 100 species in Vermont, nearly every kind ever found in the state.  Host Erica Houskeeper met with Terry at Merck Forest in Rupert to talk about good places to find butterflies, her passion for butterfly watching, and Vermont's second Butterfly Atlas Project survey. happyvermont.com vermont-butterfly-atlas merckforest.org patreon.com/happyvermontpodcast  

Spencer Potter created Woodchuck Golf in his backyard in Waitsfield in 2004. The six-hole course, which runs on donations, attracts golfers from near and far looking for an offbeat and challenging experience. Happy Vermont podcast host Erica Houskeeper met up with Spencer to find out what motivates him about running a public backyard golf course in Vermont's Mad River Valley. www.woodchuckgolf.com happyvermont.com

Most of Vermont's forests and hillsides were clear-cut in the late 1800s. But in a few places, like Gifford Woods State Park in Killington, old trees were spared and continue to stand tall today. Host Erica Houskeeper talks to Vermont State Parks regional manager Rebecca Roy about ancient trees—some more than 300 years old—that visitors can see up close at Gifford Woods State Park.    Visit Happy Vermont: happyvermont.com Learn more about Gifford Woods State Park: vtstateparks.com/gifford Become a Happy Vermont Patreon member

A question host Erica Houskeeper often asks people is, how did you end up in Vermont?  As she gets older, Erica thinks more and more about how she ended up in the Green Mountains more than 40 years ago. In this solo episode, she shares some personal memories of her family's early days in southern Vermont (a bittersweet, challenging time), and answers a few lighthearted questions from Happy Vermont readers and listeners.    Find Vermont stories: https://happyvermont.com Find Vermont events: https://happyvermont.com/events/ Support Happy Vermont on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/happyvermontpodcast

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  

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 Help support Happy Vermont's storytelling on Patreon

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  

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/

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

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/

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  

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/  

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  

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/

Along the Canadian border in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom is Lake Wallace, a small international lake in Canaan. There's an area known as the slash–a treeless zone of land–that runs along the entire US-Canadian border. You can see the slash from the southeastern shore of Lake Wallace, where Jackson's Lodge is located. Jackson's Lodge is a family-owned vacation spot that's been in the Jackson family since the 1950s.  Gloria Jackson purchased the lodge and cabins from her parents in the 1980s.  One of the cabins at Jackson's Lodge is located less than a dozen feet from the Canadian border. In the summer, you can swim, paddle or go boating into Canada, as long as you don't set foot on Canadian land. Gloria grew up in Canaan and worked at Jackson's Lodge in the summers as a child. She now runs the business with her partner, Mark Leveillee.  Learn more at www.jacksonslodgevt.net Visit www.happyvermont.com for stories and podcast episodes. 

If you've ever visited the Dene Farm at Hildene in Manchester or driven by a small farm in Vermont, perhaps you've come across some unusual black and white cattle that look a bit different from Holsteins or Jerseys. These beautiful, speckled creatures are Randall Lineback cattle. Randalls originated decades ago on a farm owned by Samuel Randall and his son Everett in Sunderland.  When Everett Randall died in the 1980s, the cattle were sold to other farms, where they lived in less-than-ideal conditions and nearly disappeared. Today, the cattle are considered critically endangered. But efforts to protect and preserve Randall Linebacks are well underway and making progress. Cynthia Creech rescued the breed in 1987—when only about 15 Randalls were left in existence. Together with farmers Phil and Dianne Lang, Cynthia Creech started the Randall Cattle Registry in 2001. Kim Pinsonneault, who works at the Dene Farm at Hildene and lives at the original Randall farm in Sunderland, now maintains the Randall Cattle registry.  Host Erica Houskeeper spent some time in southern Vermont meeting with a few Randall Lineback owners, including Kim Pinsonneault and Michelle Porter, to find out what makes these cattle so special. https://hildene.org/visiting/estate/dene_farm https://happyvermont.com/    

Basin Harbor along Lake Champlain is a family-owned resort that's been around since the 1880s. The resort has weathered the Great Depression, wars, pandemics, and recessions, and through it all managed to thrive. Descendant Sarah Morris grew up at Basin Harbor, where she made lifelong friends and developed a strong work ethic under the guidance of her parents, Pennie Beach and the late Peter Morris. Now a fifth-generation host at the resort, Sarah can be found helping guests in the dining room, answering questions in the main lobby, and everything in between. As the resort gears up for another busy season, Sarah reflects on her time at Basin Harbor, what the future holds, and what she loves most about the place she calls home. www.basinharbor.com www.happyvermont.com  

Inside Erskine's Grain & Garden, a fixture in Chester since 1952, customers will find flower seeds, chicken feed, farm tools, and everything in between. The store, started by the Erskine family, is now owned by Janessa Purney and her husband, Burleigh Sunflower. The building, located in Chester Depot, is a reason alone to visit. With its creaky floors and sliding wooden doors overlooking the railroad tracks, Erskine's is one of the more quirky, old-time grain and garden stores you'll find in Vermont.  https://erskinesgrain.com/ www.happyvermont.com  

April's Maple in the small town of Canaan is located on the Canadian border in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. April Lemay grew up in Canaan, left home for college, and worked in the corporate world before deciding to return to her hometown. She now owns and operates April's Maple, a Vermont maple farm and cafe along Route 114.  "I was anything but a farmer. I always thought I was destined to live in Boston or New York or somewhere a little less remote or rural," she says. "But the land was calling me back, and I didn't even realize it." https://aprilsmaple.com https://www.happyvermont.com    

In Vermont's Champlain Islands, where the land is flat and surrounded by water, ice fishing is a big deal this time of year. For Vermonter Bruce Batchelder, ice fishing has been an important part of his life for as long as he can remember. A former educator and school administrator, Bruce and his wife Joanne have owned Holiday Harbor Lodge in North Hero for the past 16 years. On a recent mid-February weekend, Bruce was particularly busy hosting a group of ice fishing enthusiasts for the 42nd annual Islands Ice Fishing Derby in northern Vermont.   In this episode of Happy Vermont, Bruce talks about what he loves most about this traditional sport that has deep roots in Vermont. www.happyvermont.com  holidayharborlodge.com

Town meeting has been the basic system of governance for Vermont towns since the 1760s. But participation has been on the decline for several decades. Former Governor Jim Douglas talks about the importance of town meeting, and shares why he is worried that this powerful local tradition might fade away. www.happyvermont.com

Duncan Murdoch, a former actor, is a certified nature and forest therapy guide. He started forest bathing workshops in Central Park before returning to his home state of Vermont in 2015. Forest bathing, which first originated in Japan, is a research-based practice for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests and other natural areas. In this episode, Duncan talks about leaving acting behind, the beauty of nature, and how being a forest therapy guide changed his life. Learn more about Duncan: https://natureconnectionguide.com or visit www.happyvermont.com   

Russell Farm in Starksboro has been in the Christmas tree business for 40 years. Located off Route 116 in Addison County, the family-owned former dairy farm is where locals and visitors flock to every November and December to cut their own Christmas trees. A visit to Russell Farm includes a horse-drawn wagon ride, hot chocolate, homemade cookies, and lots of holiday cheer.  Host Erica Houskeeper talks with Russell Farm owner Dave Russell and his grandson Brandon about Christmas trees, the importance of tradition, and the future of the farm. Learn more at www.happyvermont.com