WHEN ONE THINKS of good farming in Vermont, several places come to mind, including the Champlain and Connecticut River Valleys, the lake islands and even the Mad River Valley. Roxbury is not on anyone's list of Top Places to Farm and locals have been heard joking about "Rocksbury" in reference to the abundance of large and small stone in the soil. The ubiquitous stone walls seen throughout the hillsides are evidence of the challenges of farming here.

On the same land since 1874, the Jerry family ran a dairy for many years in East Roxbury but today raises beef cattle. accommodate relatives bowls and plates as a business. By the late 1800s, lumber had Photo by Sue Nevins, The Northfield News However, individuals from the past and present have proven that the land is productive. In the 1882 History of Washington County, author Sarah Brigham Mansfield, in her chapter on Roxbury, wrote: "The surface is uneven, but the soil is fertile. There are some fine dairy farms along the river, and the hill farms are well-adapted to wheat raising" (p. 735). West Roxbury's first settler Samuel Richardson was said to have two strong and resourceful daughters who helped a neighbor:

"'Tim' Emmerson had a large amount of grain to be harvested, and no help to be had at any price; it was already over-ripe. Susan and Mary Richardson, who were noted for thrift and disliked to see anything go to waste, offered, if their brother would accompany them, to give the poor man a lift. The men folk smiled as the resolute damsels came into the field, but as the golden grain fell before their gleeming sickles, and was dexterously bound and place in stooks by their deft hands, the men hung their diminished heads, and the perspiration coursed down their brown cheeks as they vainly strove to keep pace with their fair reapers " (p. 737).

There were numerous grist mills in Roxbury in the early days, with the first one having been built on the Warren on his wife's side.) Mr. Webster is said to have been the first settler in Roxbury to plant fruit trees, and was known for his large apple orchard as well as for his pear and plum trees.

Samuel Robertson came up from Connecticut with his wife Persis in 1802 and settled on a plot of land on east Hill. As soon as they were able, they started sugaring and made 16 lbs in their first year.

While dairy farming was common, especially among subsistence farmers, beef cattle also had a place in Roxbury's history. become a big business and numerous mills to accommodate the demand for wood had sprung up. E.N. Spaulding's steam mills were on Broad Brook near the railroad track. In 1889, the mills were run by a fifty-horse power steam engine and were producing 1,000,000 feet of lumber annually. A.W. Tewksbury and Son's steam mills were situated in town, near the railroad crossing. Their lumber was sent to Randolph to be used in making chairs. Luke Tarbell's saw mill was located on the east branch of the Dog River.

While history is often forgotten as old timers pass on, there are written accounts of the importance of living off the land to Roxbury's early settlers that prove it really happened. And unlike other places, where garish homes are built on ancient homesteads and old farmlands, much of Vermont has been able to maintain a certain status quo while attracting back-to -the-land migrants. This deeply-rooted tradition in the land, though the memories of it fade as time passes, is being carried on by natives and newcomers alike.

The Jerry Farm,

East Roxbury

Ronald Jerry's family has been farming the same property since 1874. His great great grandfather Nelson Duphany, a Canadian citizen who eventually became naturalized around 1870, bought the original Northfield property for $9000 and the Roxbury tract for $9000. This property extended from South Northfield along the bottom of Shaw Mountain, abutting the tract in East Roxbury owned then by Aaron Webster.

As the years went on, Nelson divided the land among his grown children and their spouses, and part of it eventually ended up with his granddaughter Josephine Duphany and her husband George Jerry. Included in the 1917 sale of their property were 12 mix breed cows and 6 mixed breed calves, one 13-year old white horse and two brood sows. The Duphany-Jerry family, which included 12 children, produced butter and raised laying hens. George delivered the eggs and butter to regular customers in Barre and Montpelier on a weekly basis.

George and Josephine's son Joseph Jerry and his wife Netta Drown bought the farm from his parents in 1944 and continued making butter. In 1945, unable to live on this limited income, the family increased the number of cows from 12 to 25 and began selling their milk to a creamery. Joseph also supplemented the family income by working on the road crew and as a Selectman.

In 1983, the management of the farm was taken over by son Ron Jerry. By 1989, Ron had increased the milking herd to more than 80 animals and was selling 3000 lbs of milk to the creamery every other day. He continued as a dairy farmer until 1997. In 2005 he got into the beef business with the purchase of mixed breed Hereford-Angus cattle. He currently has 35 head of cattle and also adds to his income by tapping 250 maple trees on his property and selling eggs and hay.

Third Branch Flower Farm

Sullivan Hill is named for the six or so families that lived there in the early days of Roxbury. The old Sullivan house, currently occupied by the Pincus family, was built around 1895. The Sullivans who lived there during the early 1900s raised beef cattle, grew apples, and, some say, made moonshine.

Professional photographer and philosopher Ed Pincus and activist and writer Jane Pincus bought the house at the top of Sullivan Hill Road in 1973 and moved there full time in 1975. (Between the Sullivans and the Pincuses, the property had been used as the short-lived home of a New Jersey family, and as a "summer camp," owned by a well-todo family with several other houses, including one in town.) After getting a taste of the flower business with Andre Frazier by forcing daffodil bulbs to bloom, Ed started Third Branch Flower Farm in 1988. He and Jane initially began with French tulips, which they sold as buds to wholesalers who would retail them as cut flowers. Over the years, the Pincuses have grown and sold numerous types of plants for use as cut flowers, including winter berries, hosta, red dogwood, crabapples, curly willow, and lilacs, though their specialty is peonies. They currently have 20 acres under cultivation and sell their cut flowers to wholesalers throughout the United States. Recently they've begun selling plants, and have sold some to companies as far away as Holland.

The Twomblys

High up on Ordway Road, adjacent to the State Forest is a rocky tract of land that has been worked off and on since around 1830. Being an inhospitable piece of land, it was among the last pieces to be sold in town, and the old adage, "last in, first out" seemed to apply. The first buyer was a man named Gunnison, who lasted there some 20 years and sold out to one Edwards in the 1850s. Finally it was bought by Flint, who was also unable to make it work and went broke during the Depression. He sold it to a shrewd banker from Northfield who had been making a profitable living by purchasing land from bankrupt individuals and stripping it of goods, structures and timber, and then selling it at a higher price. After he took everything available, it was purchased by a woman from Delaware, Hazel Maris, who did little with it but pay the taxes every year. The cleared land, which had mostly been used for subsistence farming and had been hayed in the 1940s, returned to nature.

Steve and Robin Twombly had been looking to purchase land in the area and had written to dozens of people, hoping that someone would want to sell their property. They contacted Ms. Maris who was now in her 80s, and she agreed to the sale the Ordway Road tract. A real estate company in Waitsfield had offered $7500 but Steve, as a lister, knew the property was worth at least $10,000. Ms. Maris wanted it to go to someone who would appreciate it and not subdivide it, so she sold it to Steve for his suggested price of $10,000 and generously gave the young couple a mortgage for half of the amount. When the Twomblys, both in their 20s, bought the much overgrown property, there was no electricity or phone service. Little evidence remained of the previous inhabitants, except for stone walls. The couple spent many weekends clearing the land for the second time and were finally able to build a house and barn.

The Twomblys have been raising beef cattle for around 20 years, but don't make a living off it. Like the former owners, they are subsistence farmers, and keep chickens and laying hens and grow a large garden every year. Unlike their predecessors, however, they may be the last in, but will also be the last out.

Raven Meadow Tea House - The McShanes

At the end of Tillou Road, the former Richardson house looks out on what was once an orchard. The Richardsons grew apples, pears and a unique type of peach, known for being small, sweet and delicious, and able to survive the long and cold winters in this area.

While this special variety of peach apparently no longer graces their property, the current owners, David and Nancy McShane, grow vegetables and herbs for their own use. Nancy specializes in flowers, and has a tea house open to the public nestled among her beautifully cultivated flower gardens.

Misse Doe and Josh Axelrod herb and vegetable farm (Flavors from the Field)

The “old Tintle place,” (curiously named for restoration specialist Rick Tintle who lived there for 15 years or so) had been a farm at one point in time. When Rick moved there in 1979, the foundation of an old barn remained, as well as numerous apple trees suggesting a large orchard. The original house was still intact and was renovated.

Vegetable farmer and restaurant manager Misse Doe and husband, photographer Josh Axelrod, moved there about 2 years ago. "Flavors from the Field" is a line of organic cous cous and rice meals, made with herbs and vegetables that are grown by the couple. Misse sells her products at the Waitsfield Farmer's Market and at food co-ops throughout Vermont. She practices organic and sustainable farming methods, with a focus on producing healthy food from healthy soil. She is currently building a greenhouse behind the huge garlic field on the back of the property.

There are numerous additional examples of people in Roxbury who are living, at least partially, off the land. Vegetable gardens can be seen more often than not, and fruit trees and bushes, laying hens and bees are becoming increasingly part of the reality of residents. Several people use land belonging to others to garden and people who are able to work the land extensively share their harvest with others or set up small stands with vegetables for sale. Roxbury Roots is a local group that formed more than a year ago to advocate for local food cultivation. There is also a Sunday Farmer's Market at the village school parking lot from 3-6pm where people sell what extra produce they may have, as well as crafts. Roxbury is indeed continuing the tradition of its early settlers.

Sources used:

Netta Jerry, "The Duphany-Jerry Farm 1874- 1989," for A Century Farm Award in 1990

sources:

Adams, William, ed. (1889) Part First Gazetteer of Washington County, VT. 1783-1889, Syracuse, NY; p. 444-462.

Mansfield, Sarah Brigham (1882) chapter on Roxbury, The History of Washington County. Montpelier, VT; p. 735-768.

Beer's Atlas of 1873 Oral accounts from Stephen Twombly, Jane and