I’m puzzled by the obvious.
We travel down a snow covered dirt road.
5 miles to be exact.
Rural.
The landscape is beautiful.
A virtual white pallet.
Open land where ever you look.
Remote.
Yet we’re on a mission.
We have a destination.
A Brewery.
In the middle of nowhere.
And much to my surprise. we come to a knoll and there before us is a sea of cars.
A gentleman is directing traffic.
Yes, this brewery has doubled the size of the town’s population at their establishment.
The view is breathtaking.
I don’t drink beer, so there is nothing to impress me there.
Except. . .
The people.
Lots of them.
Kind.
Drinking beer.
The place is clean.
The noise level is actually pretty good.
Numbers are hollered out as growlers are filled.
Organized chaos.
There seems to be calm order with that number of people in one place.
No one seems in a hurry.
It’s nice.
And I am puzzled by the obvious.
What attracts people to this place; in droves.
Money being spent.
Yet, here we are in an economic crisis in the dairy industry.
Why?
It’s not an easy fix.
We make way too much milk.
A surplus doesn’t help any product.
How do we make milk as popular as hops?
Why do hops sell more than milk?
Every day consumption, high demand should make a level market place.
I am puzzled by the obvious.
I glance around the room and I want this.
This kind of gathering.
My mind swirls with ideas.
What can make a farm attractive?
Milk tastings?
Ha!
Snuggling a cow?
How about a spa, with a milk bath?
I don’t know.
But much of our economic struggle would dissipate if this many people were gathering around our product.
I love this place we call home.
The vastly different seasons.
These things I love and I want to continue to enjoy.
You can book a stay in our Guest House and enjoy a week in the Green Mountains.
Explore Burlington, hike Mount Mansfield or any number of hiking trails.
Yes, of course you can tour one of the many breweries!
You can also tour our 200 acre Dairy Farm.
A stay in our Guest Suite, for two, may be more your style.
It’s a start to show people this beautiful place.
I enjoy the time away from the farm.
My mind is a sea of ideas.
I never know how to put those ideas into practice though.
For now, I’ll just dream . . .
of ways to make milk as popular as hops. . .
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
