Growing Up on a Dairy Farm in 1940s South Hero

Dear Fellow Vermonter,

The world is changing very rapidly, and not always for the better.

To my mind, it’s extremely important that we not forget the long-standing values that have shaped Vermont and made this state special to us: honesty, hard work, respect for the land, love of community, and providing a helping hand when needed.

There is no group of people who have lived by those values more than Vermont family farmers – the men and women who have defined our economy and way of life since the early days of this country. Milking cows seven days a week at 5 o’clock in the morning, sometimes in 20-degrees-below-zero weather, is not easy work. But that’s what they did.

Some of you may be lucky enough to know John Roy of South Hero. If you haven’t had that chance, I hope you’ll take a moment to read on and watch the video below. John was kind enough to welcome the Bernie Buzz into his home and share some of his remarkable story with us.

A lifelong farmer, John remembers a time in Vermont when daily life was very different than it is today. In 1939, John was born on a farm in Grand Isle. Not too long after that, his family moved to South Hero where they would settle and run their dairy farm. Growing up, John worked with his family milking cows, haying, and helping out his neighbors. He remembers a time when there was no TV, and when horses were an important part of farm life. Back then, there were thousands of dairy farms in the state and some 30 in South Hero. Today, there are only a handful in South Hero that ship milk. 

After serving in the military, John came home in the 1960s and ended up taking over the farm, getting married, and raising children there. He also served for decades as a volunteer firefighter, Town Road Commissioner, Select Board Chair, and many other roles in South Hero. Throughout his life, John has been an irreplaceable part of his community.

I have long been inspired and encouraged by the incredible dedication, work ethic, and sense of community of Vermonters like John. The hard work. The resilience. The trying to do right by our families, the land, and our communities. In these difficult times, we should remember with pride the values that the older generations bestowed upon us, and do our best to carry them into the future.  

John. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

Sincerely,