Happy Vermont

Johnathan Croft, who leads the mapping section at the Agency of Transportation, loves everything about Vermont roads. Johnathan met with host Erica Houskeeper to talk about the history of the McCullough Turnpike and the App Gap, as well as Vermont's toll roads, turnpikes, shunpikes, and the dirt roads of East Barnard. Read more: https://happyvermont.com/2023/02/16/podcast-mccullough-turnpike-app-g...

Stratton Mountain may not be Vermont’s oldest ski area, but its history is iconic. Tucked away at the resort is a collection of Stratton Mountain signs, photos, and posters that tell the story of this Southern Vermont ski area that opened in 1961. Over the past 54 years, Kimet Hand has collected everything from a bronzed tennis ball served by Ivan Lendl at Stratton’s Volvo International Tennis Tou...

If you spend enough time in any Vermont town, you'll likely come across Vermont place names like Maple Corner in Calais, Snowsville in Braintree, and Hortonville in Mount Holly . These places are not official villages but rather unincorporated areas that are deeply rooted in the fabric of these communities. Jackson Evans, president of the Braintree Historical Society, has lived in Braintree for ov...

The Vermont Old Cemetery Association (VOCA), founded by the late Leon W. Dean in 1958, is a volunteer organization that restores and preserves public and private cemeteries that are neglected, abandoned, or in need of repair. His granddaughter, Dianne Leary of Charlotte, is vice president of VOCA. She talks about her grandfather's legacy and what volunteering in cemeteries means to her. https://ha...

Open Mic Night, held twice a month, was started in 2018 by East Dover resident Linda Sherman. A singer, songwriter, and guitar player, Sherman has been passionate about music since childhood. For years, she's wanted to create a performance space in the community. In this episode of Happy Vermont, host Erica Houskeeper asks Linda Sherman about her lifelong passion for music, why she started Dover O...

Vermont is gearing up for another foliage season. If anyone can talk about fall foliage in Vermont, it's Mike Snyder, Commissioner of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. Host Erica Houskeeper recently met with Mike in Mount Mansfield State Forest to discuss this year's fall foliage forecast. In this episode, Mike also shares the Vermont county with the most sugar maple trees, dives into details about...

It’s tempting to describe Brattleboro as a mini-Burlington, but the town is very much its own place. Brattleboro’s Main Street is a vibrant place that's home to places like the Latchis Hotel and Theatre, which dates back to 1938, and Sam’s Outdoor Outfitters, a mainstay since the 1930s. A few doors down is the Brattleboro Food Co-op, which has been going strong since 1975. There’s a big focus on l...

Along the Canadian border in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom is Lake Wallace, a small international lake in Canaan. There’s an area known as the slash–a treeless zone of land–that runs along the entire US-Canadian border. You can see the slash from the southeastern shore of Lake Wallace, where Jackson’s Lodge is located. Jackson’s Lodge is a family-owned vacation spot that’s been in the Jackson family...

If you’ve ever visited the Dene Farm at Hildene in Manchester or driven by a small farm in Vermont, perhaps you've come across some unusual black and white cattle that look a bit different from Holsteins or Jerseys. These beautiful, speckled creatures are Randall Lineback cattle. Randalls originated decades ago on a farm owned by Samuel Randall and his son Everett in Sunderland.  When Everett Rand...

Basin Harbor along Lake Champlain is a family-owned resort that’s been around since the 1880s. The resort has weathered the Great Depression, wars, pandemics, and recessions, and through it all managed to thrive. Descendant Sarah Morris grew up at Basin Harbor, where she made lifelong friends and developed a strong work ethic under the guidance of her parents, Pennie Beach and the late Peter Morri...

Inside Erskine’s Grain & Garden , a fixture in Chester since 1952, customers will find flower seeds, chicken feed, farm tools, and everything in between. The store, started by the Erskine family, is now owned by Janessa Purney and her husband, Burleigh Sunflower. The building, located in Chester Depot, is a reason alone to visit. With its creaky floors and sliding wooden doors overlooking the rail...

April’s Maple in the small town of Canaan is located on the Canadian border in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. April Lemay grew up in Canaan, left home for college, and worked in the corporate world before deciding to return to her hometown. She now owns and operates April's Maple, a Vermont maple farm and cafe along Route 114.  "I was anything but a farmer. I always thought I was destined to live in...

In Vermont's Champlain Islands, where the land is flat and surrounded by water, ice fishing is a big deal this time of year. For Vermonter Bruce Batchelder, ice fishing has been an important part of his life for as long as he can remember. A former educator and school administrator, Bruce and his wife Joanne have owned Holiday Harbor Lodge in North Hero for the past 16 years. On a recent mid-Febru...

Town meeting has been the basic system of governance for Vermont towns since the 1760s. But participation has been on the decline for several decades. Former Governor Jim Douglas talks about the importance of town meeting, and shares why he is worried that this powerful local tradition might fade away. www.happyvermont.com

Duncan Murdoch, a former actor, is a certified nature and forest therapy guide. He started forest bathing workshops in Central Park before returning to his home state of Vermont in 2015. Forest bathing, which first originated in Japan, is a research-based practice for supporting healing and wellness through immersion in forests and other natural areas. In this episode, Duncan talks about leaving a...

Russell Farm in Starksboro has been in the Christmas tree business for 40 years. Located off Route 116 in Addison County, the family-owned former dairy farm is where locals and visitors flock to every November and December to cut their own Christmas trees. A visit to Russell Farm includes a horse-drawn wagon ride, hot chocolate, homemade cookies, and lots of holiday cheer.  Host Erica Houskeeper t...

Host Erica Houskeeper returned to her home state of Vermont in November 2006. In this episode, she shares some of her favorite areas of Vermont and talks about a few places she's come across and fallen in love with in recent years.  You can find more Vermont stories by Erica on www.happyvermont.com.

Host Erica Houskeeper attended the annual Stellafane Convention of Amateur Telescope Makers in Springfield to see telescope makers in action. She also picked up some stargazing tips along the way.     

Host Erica Houskeeper meets up with Mike Snyder, Vermont's Commissioner of Forests, Parks, and Recreation to talk about how Vermont's fall foliage season is shaping up.  They also compare notes about scenic Vermont state lands to explore this season and why fall foliage in the Green Mountain State is better than the rest. 

Patrick Fultz and Leslie Browne intended to buy a house in Woodstock, Vermont. Instead, they end up purchasing and renovating a motel outside the center of town. Host Erica Houskeeper interviews the couple about why they decided to move to Vermont and what advice they give to guests who are visiting the area. 

The small town of Wardsboro is where you’ll find a country store, local library, post office, and town hall. High on a hill just outside of the center of town is the farm where John Gilfeather developed the Gilfeather turnip, which is now the official Vermont State Vegetable.  In this episode, host Erica Houskeeper talks with Wardsboro residents about John Gilfeather, the tight-lipped farmer behin...

Not only is Susan Shashok an environmentally conscious entrepreneur, she’s also civic-minded. Susan served on the Middlebury selectboard for seven years and is the town moderator for Middlebury’s annual Town Meeting—a position vacated a few years ago by former Vermont Governor Jim Douglas. In this episode, host Erica Houskeeper talks to Susan about Caroline's Dream , the skincare company she found...

If you’ve ever driven down Route 100 through the town of Rochester, you’ve likely noticed the Rochester Café. Constructed in the 1880s, the building has been used over the years as a drug store, a bank, a dentist office, a barber shop, and even a funeral parlor. For the past 30 years, the building has been home to the Rochester Café. Last year, Rochester native Stephanie Lary returned to her homet...

Paulette Staats and Paul Shriver of Braintree have explored more than 40 Vermont dirt roads by foot ever since they became empty nesters. The retired couple share some of their favorite dirt roads and what they've learned about each other and themselves on their walks. 

Winemaker Kendra Knapik spent part of her childhood in Vermont's Champlain Islands, where her grandfather operated a dairy farm and later a golf course.  Kendra is a veterinary oncologist, and her husband Rob is a full-time professor and chair of the physics department at Norwich University. The vineyard is located in Grand Isle, while their winery – where they produce natural wine – is at their h...