What Do Vermont Organic Farms and Selling Vermont Real Estate Have in Common?
Vermont has been at the center of the back to the land and organic food movement since Helen & Scott Nearing wrote “Living the Good Life: How to live simply and sanely in a troubled world.” at Winhall, Vermont in 1954.
Their book lays out the details of the Nearing’s self-reliant, no nonsense, homesteading lifestyle as they practiced it for over 2 decades in southern Vermont. The back to the land movement caught on in towns and hamlets all over Vermont and these homesteads became the roots of organic farming in Vermont.
The Northeast Organic Farming Association was formed in 1971 and has grown through the years and now certifies over 575 diverse farms in Vermont. From organic dairy to hops and medicinal herbs, you can find it all in this small state.
Like many people in Vermont, I have more than 1 job. Part time during the summer months, I inspect organic farms for certification and with the rest of my time, I help people buy and sell real estate. It might not appear that there is much overlap between the two and yet, at the core, they are very much the same. Both have to do with the land and how it is used.
My inspection job takes me all over the state to many unique and wondrous farms where people work hard to protect and enhance the land while feeding us too. Organic farming is a win-win-win proposition. It is good for the environment, good for the people it feeds and hopefully, good for the farmer. Our small family farms keep Vermont’s stunning views open and the land neat and cleared. They help keep Vermont a place that visitors want to come see and often times, to stay. Our small farms are a part of what gives Vermont its unique sense of place- what so many of us love so deeply about Vermont; it’s agrarian roots.
13.7 million Folks visit Vermont every year and many of them are drawn here by our open vistas, green values and extensive outdoor recreational opportunities. Inevitably, some of these visitors decide that they would like to live in Vermont or at least own a piece of it. That’s where my second job comes in; I put my knowledge of the area and real estate to work to help people find their dream home in Vermont.
How we use our land is important; whether it be in keeping open green spaces or in assuring that we strive for a beautiful aesthetic and the highest use of our built spaces. The land and its use is what organic farming and real estate have in common.
If you are interested in chasing the Vermont Organic Farm dream here are a few properties from Pall Spera Company Realtors that may meet you needs. Please feel free to call me about these properties or any other properties on this site 802-760-3118 or via email at brenda.hedges@pallspera.com. Want to learn a little more about Brenda and see some of her listings?