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Reflections
I learned a great deal from my landlord in the years that Karen
and I operated a dairy farm on Peaked Hill Road in Bristol. When
we took over the farm, we had already owned a Jersey milk cow and
raised several calves, but we had never had to, in his succinct
phrase "run it like a business." I can still remember the patience
with which he handled questions from customers about the process
of making and marketing milk. Persons of otherwise good sense and
manners would introduce themselves by throwing dozens of obtuse,
random, and often irrelevant questions his way, as if they could
intellectually corral the subject of farming by defining its negatives.
To each inquiry he'd direct a polite and good-natured answer. No,
the cows do not sleep standing up. Yes, they have to be milked,
every one of them, each and every day. Well, to tell the truth,
cattle don't "go to the bathroom." Sometimes I would watch him field
questions for twenty minutes in the process of making a twenty-five
cent milk sale. "It's not as complicated as it looks," he'd tell
me. "Start your work underfoot, do the most important things first,
and keep moving forward. Small profits make for steady sales; steady
sales make steady profits. Take care of the pennies and the dollars
will take care of themselves. " I've often had occasion to remember
Warren's advice in the course of our daily work at the Trust. Conservation
is as much a matter of due diligence as is dairy farming, or classroom
teaching, or, I suppose, managing a mutual fund responsibly. Our
work is gaining support and recognition. Interest in membership
continues to grow, and inquiries about preservation of Lakes Region
properties are now a daily occurrence. Our acquisition projects
are first class conservation efforts which will have lasting benefits
to wildlife and to generations to come. We have begun the campaign
to fund the Trust's operating budget for 1999; our ability to raise
our modest annual budget prior to years' end would be the greatest
operational milestone in the life of the Trust since our membership
lists moved from index cards on Carl Johnson's kitchen table to
a data base in the office. And we have for the first time secured
funding for a major project prior to signing a purchase and sale
agreement. We hope to share the details in the next issue of the
Legacy. This has been a good year in stewardship, despite the challenges
presented by the elements. Damage from the ice storm has been removed,
our trails held up in the June rains, and our easements have been
monitored. The public enjoyed our trails, the pogonia bloomed; the
fish were jumpin' and the cotton grew high. Thirty members of the
Trust and of the Appalachian Mountain Club worked together to build
a trail around Five Mile Island, erect a kiosk, clean up several
summers' worth of trash, and to dismantle the remains of a thirty
foot crib dock constructed of 6 x 6's and steel rods. I will never
forget the words of one of the volunteers that day, who introduced
himself simply by giving his name and saying "I'm here today because
I believe in what the Trust is doing." For me, that moment was the
high point of the year. We are committed to this work because we
believe in the outdoors, we love the region, and we enjoy the company
of like-minded individuals from all walks of life. When invited
to be conservationists, people very often choose to become deeply
involved: they enjoy themselves, the Trust prospers, and the community
gains. We are building a volunteer land trust which holds to simple
principles, produces tangible results, and operates on a modest,
balanced budget. Our thanks go to all of you who make our work possible.
Sincerely,
Thomas S. Curren
Executive Director
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