Happy Vermont

Mike Snyder is the go-to guy for Vermont fall foliage updates. As commissioner of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, Mike is known as Vermont’s Chief Foliage Forecaster, providing weekly foliage reports to the media and state tourism office. 

In this episode, Mike chats with host Erica Houskeeper about the 2020 fall foliage season, the science behind why the leaves change, and what makes autumn in Vermont so special. 

Baker and musician Heather Lynne runs The Wild Fern on Route 100 in Stockbridge, Vermont. She spends part of her week baking, cooking, and filling to-go orders for sourdough bread, sesame bagels, locally sourced beef burgers, and pesto pizza.

On other days, she is lining up musicians for drive-in concerts at the café’s outdoor pop-up stage or playing bass with her band, Rick Redington & The Luv.

She opened The Wild Fern after Tropical Storm Irene upended the state, causing widespread damage to many Route 100 towns in 2011. After the storm, Lynne realized that Stockbridge needed some sort of community gathering place.  

Fast forward to 2020, and Lynne’s bread and bagel business has quadrupled during the pandemic. Her cafe's drive-in concerts, available by reservation only, are also drawing new customers.

“The Wild Fern is attracting good humans, and I am super lucky,” she says.

Bob Blanchard, who grew up in Burlington, Vermont, started a Facebook group last year that highlights the history of his hometown.

With more than 10,000 followers, the popular Facebook page features old photos of Church Street, Battery Park, the Waterfront, local grocery stores, and neighborhoods around the city. Several times a week, Bob shares historic information that he has meticulously researched.

In this episode, Bob shares historic details about Burlington, including stories about a ravine that ran through the middle of the city, a radio tower that stood behind a building on College Street, and how land along the waterfront was reshaped with mud and sand to accommodate the lumber industry. 

You can learn more by following the Burlington Area History page on Facebook. 

When you think of Vermont, what comes to mind? Ben & Jerry's? Maple syrup? Host Erica Houskeeper shares entertaining details about Vermont and recommends unusual, beautiful places to visit in the Green Mountain State. 

Tara Schatz of Bennington is an avid hiker, camper, and outdoor enthusiast who writes about her adventures on BackRoadRambers.com. Tara's travel blog offers tips about kayaking, camping, hiking, visiting state parks, and road trips around Vermont.

In this episode of Happy Vermont, Tara talks about camping at off-the-beaten path locations, exploring swimming holes, waterfalls, and hiking trails, and her favorite places in Vermont.

Artist Kathryn Wiegers is brightening up Vermont's downtowns with her giant, vibrant murals. Stroll along the streets of Rutland and you'll come across murals of elephants, giraffes, or even one that's a take on Rosie the Riveter as a COVID-19 essential worker.

In Burlington, her colorful flower mural can be seen at Green State Gardener on Pine Street, while two new murals by Kathryn will be installed at the Hilton Hotel and the UVM Medical Center.

In this episode, the mother of five and Rutland resident talks about the challenges and rewards of creating murals in public places, and why she loves Vermont.

Roy MacNeil of Greensboro, Vermont, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2014. The diagnosis changed everything about his life, except for his love to create music.

While growing up on her family's dairy farm in Whitingham, Vermont, Abbie Corse couldn't wait to leave and do something else with her life. But when faced with a choice about her future, she realized she couldn't walk away. 

Vermont baker Charlie Emers has been a professional bread baker since 2001. The former lamp maker and veggie farmer talks about becoming a baker and making a life for himself in rural Vermont.

Angela Miller of Consider Bardwell Farm in West Pawlet, Vermont, was on track to re-launch her cheesemaking operation, which had closed last fall. Then the COVID-19 outbreak happened, and the world changed.