Orange County Farmers
Sweep Statewide Awards
By Gus Howe Johnson

Dot Wathley of Randolph Center, Vermont's Farm Woman of the year, has a passion for dairy farming but also for vegetables. These enormous carrots she produced in her garden, all the while working on the neighboring Pinello dairy farm. (Herald / Tim Calabro)

Is there "something in the water" in Orange County?

Certainly, something special is happening on Orange County farms, and Vermont farmers are tipping their hats in congratulations.

The Vermont Farm Bureau annual awards presentation last Friday in Burlington honored local farmers across the state with nine awards. Orange County farmers won five of them.

Jackie Folsom, president of Farm Bureau, said, "the most important part of our annual meeting is the opportunity to come together and recognize the hard work that farmers do all year, and to celebrate the achievements of these exceptional farmers and farm organizations."

The following awards came to Orange County:

• The Wallace Award to Perry Hodgdon of Randolph;

• Young Farmers Award to Sam and Ashley Lincoln of Randolph Center;

• Farm Woman of the Year award to Dot Wathley of Randolph Center;

• Chamberlin Award for businesses to L. W. Greenwood & Sons of East Randolph;

• The President’s Award to the Orange County Farm Bureau chapter.

Wallace Award

Perry Hodgdon said he was "surprised" to hear he won the Wallace Award, the highest honor VFB bestows recognizing Vermont’s finest agriculturalists for distinguished lifetime service. The award is named after Keith Wallace, Vermont legislator and president of VFB from 1953-1974.

"Keith Wallace was president when I first started in Farm Bureau in 1968 and he served as a mentor for me, which made me think more highly of being involved in the Farm Bureau," Hodgdon said. "I was really pleased to win this award."

Hodgdon graduated from the Vermont School of Agriculture (now VTC) in 1955 and worked in the agriculture industry as a milk tester and in dairy farm livestock and equipment sales, until he joined the Vermont Army National Guard.

After marrying Carol in 1964 they purchased their farm in Randolph. Hodgdon was involved with many activities, including the central Vermont Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA); Holstein Friesian Association and the American Jersey Cattle Association; Jersey Breeders Club; UVM Extension Advisory Board; Orange County Farm Bureau (OCFB) board and local ASCS Soil Conservation.

In the dairy cooperative field, Hodgdon served as regional representative then board member for both Yankee Milk and AgriMark for nearly 18 years. He worked 10 years each on the New England Dairy Council and the Milk Promotion Services Board.

Hodgdon, who recently stepped aside as president of OCFB, said he is most proud of "always trying to work in organizations that keep agriculture strong and make it healthier, and it’s not just because I’m a farmer. It’s important."

"I think the only way to keep the programs going and maintain a strong support network for farmers, is to keep people involved and interested."

Farm Woman

Dorothy "Dot" Wathley of Randolph Center was honored with this VFB award for her involvement in farming and her strong commitment to caring for others.

"The most important part of farming is the neighbors," Wathley said, "You can’t do it without them. The key to anything is good working relationships."

In 1965 Dot’s family purchased a 197-acre dairy farm below the VTC orchard with a herd of 70 milking cows, 30 replacement heifers, and cropland of 25 acres of corn and 100 acres of grass for pasture, hay or silage. One year later Dot’s brother Buster was in a farm accident, costing him his left arm and leaving him a quadriplegic.

After eight years at the veterans’ hospital he was brought home to be cared for by Dot, her sister Alice and Alice’s husband Guy, who continued to build the dairy herd.

Over 35 years the family also took in more than 40 foster children for both long-term and short-term stays.

"I love the little ones in general, whether it’s the children or the calves on the farm," Wathley said.

"Most of the children we cared for had never seen a cow before and it was wonderful to see their eyes go wide open when you squirted milk from the cow. They learned where milk really comes from."

Dot’s sister Alice said, "Dot and Guy used to help the children with homework in the barn and during milking. They had quite the system going!"

Many of the family’s foster children continue to keep in touch and Dot calls them "our extended family".

Alice said the biggest challenge was too few hours in the day and that Dot is "a hard worker, dedicated to the farm. It was hard work but very rewarding."

Dot and Alice kept the farm going for two years after Guy’s death, but sold the farm in 1998 to meet the increased care needs for Buster and their 95-year-old mother.

This amazing woman has worked for Frank and Jane Pinello on their dairy farm for seven years and tends to the calves, manages the breeding program and keeps herd records upated.

In addition, Dot has served as Farm Woman chair for Orange County Farm Bureau, a delegate to the Central Vermont Holstein Club, and on the farmers panel for the 2007 Fiddlehead Festival.

Young Farmers Award

Sam and Ashley Lincoln of Randolph Center were presented with this award in honor of their diverse farming operation and outlook for the future.

The Lincolns’ operation consists of cash crops, timber harvesting, a growing roadside vegetable stand, and selling used farm implements.

"We’ve been able to progress our business the way we have due to the support of a lot of people, including my parents and Ashley’s parents, who have modeled for us the way we’d like to support our own boys when they are grown," Lincoln said.

A key in the development of this diverse farm operation has been a strategic business plan, which has given them a great sense of direction and invaluable decision-making skills.

One of the things driving the Lincolns in their endeavors is the desire to "make the business strong long-term and be positioned so that 20 years from now, if the kids want to be involved they have the foundation of a strong agriculture business to stand on."

At the moment, Sam and Ashley’s sons, ages 16 months and three years, just love everything about equipment, animals, and being outdoors.

The family owns 13 acres and operates on 225, increasing crop production each year and recently yielding 17 tons of corn per acre on 117 acres, eight tons of pumpkins per acre on two acres, and 750 dozen ears of sweet corn per acre.

Timber harvesting has increased from 76,000 board feet the first year to 364,000 board feet currently.

Plans are being made for a switchgrass and reed canarygrass test plot with UVM to explore grass pellet production.

In addition, the Lincolns recently received a grant from the USDA to conduct a feasibility study for a small-scale biomass gasification system, which would convert wood chips or other biomass fuel into combustible gas to be used to generate electricity.

The Lincolns have been involved in a variety of community and agricultural organizations, including serving as president of the county Farm Bureau.

President’s Award

VFB president Jackie Folsom selected Orange County Farm Bureau as the recipient of the President’s Award because she "sensed a new energy and enthusiasm."

The OCFB board has seen some big, recent changes, Folsom said, with the stepping down of some long-time board members, and the taking on of new initiatives.

"The plan OCFB came up with, to place ads in local newspapers reminding people of the importance of agriculture, was an inspiration."

Three months after Sam Lincoln expressed concern with negative coverage of farming in the media, the board had solicited over $3500 in donations, contacted four local newspapers, investigated some ag facts for presentation, and set up the program to promote the positives in farming.

"In addition," Folsom said, "the board has elected young farmer Sam Lincoln as their new president, and voted onto the board a representative from VTC, Joe Angell," who will more closely connect VTC with the Farm Bureau and hopefully draw more young energy into the organization.

Folsom said she expects continued great things from Orange County Farm Bureau and is proud of the way they have "opted for change while honoring tradition".

Chamberlin Award

L.W. Greenwood & Sons in East Randolph received the Chamberlin Award for their Safemark program, which provides farmers and rural customers service, parts, supplies, and used and new equipment on the farms and forests.

Each year the Vermont Farm Bureau recognizes a successful business for its Safemark program which offers tires, tubes, baler twine, plastic wrap and tire chains, among other items, to Farm Bureau members at competitive rates.

Established 78 years ago by Leon Greenwood, L.W. Greenwood’s is now owned by his sons, Ron and Butch. They have participated in the Safemark program for 18 years with a 2006 sales volume of $36,000, and won this award in 1994.

"We’ve seen a lot of changes in our business as the agriculture industry changes," Ron said. "As farms decline, the cost of equipment increases. Years ago nearly 100% of our business was farm equipment to local dairy farms. Now we sell more small farm equipment than we ever have, mostly to diverse farming operations within a 40-mile radius."

The Greenwoods belong to the Randolph Chamber of Commerce as well as the New England Eqiupment Dealers Association, and they are proud to claim they are the longest running Vermont agri-business to participate and exhibit in the Vermont Farm Show.