Happy Vermont

By happyvermontSociety & Culture Places & Travel

Happy Vermont episodes

September 25 The Stone Chapel at von Trapp Family Lodge
In the woods behind the von Trapp Family Lodge is a tiny stone chapel.
The chapel was built more than 75 years ago by Werner von Trapp. He was the second son of Capt. Georg von Trapp and his first wife, Agathe Whitehead.
In the movie The Sound of Music, Werner is depicted by the character named Kurt.
Bob Stafford is a history buff and is the activities director at the von Trapp Family Lodge and resort.
Bob grew up in Stowe and first started working for the resort in 1994. In this episode of Happy Vermont, Bob talks about the von Trapp's escape from Austria, why the family came to Vermont, and Werner’s decision to build the stone chapel.
www.vontrappresort.com
https://happyvermont.com
18 min
September 18 Main Street in Jamaica: Small Town, Big Heart
On Main Street in the southern Vermont town of Jamaica, there’s an old inn that’s been part of the village for more than 200 years. Painted yellow with purple shutters, the Jamaica Haus is run by Benzi Ross, who returned to Vermont after many years out west.
Her sister, Tini Hamilton, operates a bakery at the Jamaica Haus called The Skinny Goose. The sisters grew up at Stratton Mountain Resort, where their parents, Emo and Ann Henrich, were beloved in the Stratton community and beyond.
Old photographs, artwork and furniture from the early years of Stratton fill the Jamaica Haus. The sisters are embracing their parents legacy while also finding their own way to bring people together in the place they call home.

To learn more:
www.jamaicahaus.com
instagram.com/skinnygoosebakery
happyvermont.com
32 min
August 13 Grit, Gratitude and Ice Cream at Kiss the Cow Farm
At Kiss the Cow Farm in Barnard, Lisa and Randy Robar have built a life centered around hard work, sustainability, and a love for real food.

The couple shares how it all began with a cow named Sophie living in their garage, and how their farmstead eventually grew into an organic dairy, ice cream business, and farm store.

Learn more about Kiss the Cow Farm at kissthecowfarm.com
happyvermont.com
vermontdairy.com

29 min
July 31 A Personal Touch at Good Hands Creamery in Windsor
Liz Bleakley traded her career in medicine for a new adventure: becoming an artisan cheesemaker in Windsor, Vermont.

In this episode of Happy Vermont, Liz shares how she left her busy job as a physician assistant in Atlanta and, together with her family, moved to a small Vermont town, where she discovered a passion for making cheese.

Liz also talks about what resilience means and the power of community.

goodhandscreamery.com

happyvermont.com

This episode was made possible with funding from Vermont Dairy Farmers.
31 min
July 16 Bringing a Vermont Dairy Farm Back to Life
Sheena Brown is a fourth-generation dairy farmer at Skyline Holsteins in Derby. Her great-grandfather bought this farm 81 years ago. As a child, she spent her days bottle-feeding lambs, walking a pet pig down the road, and following her father through the barn, convinced this was exactly where she belonged.
Then, when she was in middle school, the family sold the dairy herd. The barn went quiet, and it seemed like her dream of farming here might disappear.
Fortunately, it didn't.
In 2015, Sheena reopened the family dairy. Today, she and her partner, Ben, are raising three young boys on the same farm where she grew up.
Now they're taking on perhaps their biggest challenge yet: transitioning from conventional dairy farming to organic in hopes of creating a more sustainable future for the farm, and for the next generation.
This episode was made possible with funding from Vermont Dairy Farmers.
Visit HappyVermont.com
Subscribe to my newsletter
Find Skyline Holsteins on Facebook
Learn more about Vermont's dairy industry
24 min
June 25 The Call of the Loon
In this episode of Happy Vermont, host Erica Houskeeper explores the story of the common loon's recovery in Vermont.

Inspired by a personal encounter with a loon call after her brother’s passing on Sherman Reservoir, Erica meets experts Eric Hanson and Eloise Girard of the Vermont Center for Ecostudies to talk about the conservation successes and ongoing challenges facing these iconic birds.

Tune in to hear about loons’ unique calls, the threats they’ve overcome, and their presence on Vermont’s lakes, ponds and and reservoirs.

Visit Happy Vermont
https://happyvermont.com

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Support Happy Vermont on Patreon
https://www.patreon.com/c/happyvermontpodcast/membership
31 min
April 17 In Rochester, Books, Community, and Cats
Sandy Lincoln owns The Bookery in Rochester, a cozy small-town shop that focuses on antiquarian and used books.

It's also a place where visitors can slow down, browse, and feel at home. With resident cats, quirky displays, and a friendly atmosphere, The Bookery is just as much about community as it is about books.

facebook.com/thebookeryvt

happyvermont.com

Book Fair Details
27 min
April 02 In Sharon, a Beloved Music Center Looks to the Future
The Seven Stars Arts Center is one of those rare places that blends history, community, reinvention, and a touch of quirkiness.
What began as a Baptist church later became a grange hall, then a garage, and eventually a healing arts center. Now the building is an education and performing arts venue run by volunteers.
Located a few doors from the Sharon Post Office on Route 14, the building still resembles an old church. But the steeple and an exterior clock from its earlier days are long gone. Today, the top of the building is flat, and musical notes are etched in a framed circle once told you the time.
The center gets its name from a 1990s creation. On the yellow front doors are two stained-glass windows hand-painted with seven stars.
Yet, despite its whimsical exterior, the inside the building is where the magic happens.
“There’s a great extended community that like to come to Seven Stars. They love the hall, and they love the music,” says Anne Mapplebeck of Sharon, a visual artist who volunteers regularly at Seven Stars with her husband, Michael Barsanti.
27 min
March 12 The Magic of Maple Season in Vermont
Maple sugaring in Vermont is a tradition built on hard work, risk, and reward. When it comes to sugaring, the days are long, but the season is short.

At Judd's Wayeeses Farms in Morgan, fourth generation Vermonter Jim Judd and his wife Donna Young have spent years perfecting their craft.

“People look at our place, and what they don’t always consider is that I’ve been doing this for 50 years. This didn’t happen overnight,” says Judd, whose maple farm is five miles from the Canadian border.

In this episode, we talk about maple season, why sap can taste different from place to place, and what it takes to make a living as a Vermont sugar maker.

Buy Vermont Maple Syrup from Judd's Wayeeses Farms

Visit HappyVermont.com

Help Support Happy Vermont on Patreon
29 min
January 23 Vermont General Stores: Past, Present and Future
There’s a lot to love about Vermont general stores.
This episode includes an interview with Ben Doyle, the president of the Preservation Trust of Vermont in Montpelier. The organization has helped many Vermont towns save or reopen general stores.
I also chat with Dan and Alison Singleton of Singleton’s Store in Cavendish, which opened 80 years ago.

https://happyvermont.com
https://www.patreon.com/cw/happyvermontpodcast

22 min