Editor’s note: This commentary is by Paul Doton, who is a third generation farmer in Barnard. His son, Bryan, is the fourth generation to run Doton Farm.
[F]arming has been in my family for generations and it’s my hope that I have done a good enough job and have been a good enough steward of this wonderful farm, so that it will stay in my family for many more generations to come. This is not the easiest of jobs and, at times, many wonder why we stick it out. But this life and business has offered my family so much that I have never regretted my choice.
But challenges do exist. Weather runs our schedules, and thus our lives — making it tough to plan family events. In order for family farms to be profitable, they need to be creative and innovative. The science is always changing on how to best use our land in ways that both supply our animals with high quality, nutritious feed and improve our environment.
Some newer innovations include no-till planting, GMO seeds, new lighting in barns, energy efficient heating and cooling systems, methane digesters, which turn manure into power, buffer zone construction and barn design for cow comfort and wellness.
Another challenge to the sustainability of farms today is the age of their operators. Encouraging the next generation is critical, but it’s tough to compare the hours and challenges of farming versus other employment options, and passing it down to the next generation isn’t always possible. When it is, it’s a long, complicated process. We’re fortunate that our son shares our passion and lives across the field from us.
One of the things that allowed our family to pass it from generation to generation is having a transition plan. My father started it in the 1980s and, in 2005, I began the process by setting up our farm as an LLC with my son. Transition plans allow farming families to plan ahead by examining the challenges, implementing protections, and determining best practices and solutions.
The vast majority (86 percent) of farms in Vermont are dairy farms. The ever-present variety of challenges whether they be milk pricing, climate change or regulatory, continue to test us and are mostly beyond our control.
My grandfather started our farm. When I was young, and my father took it over, there were 12 to 15 farms in the area. Today there are just two. Without that drive to make not only our farm, but our community and our state better, there will be no next generation for many current farmers.
Something else that could help make farming attractive to our younger generations would be to look for innovative ownership structures, so that those who work the land for a living can have normal family time, including vacations.
Knowledge and innovation are keys to the survival and prosperity of Vermont’s family farms. Science is offering the farming community amazing opportunities to improve their herds, their land and their lives. That makes a big difference in terms of making this life attractive to younger people. No young person is interested in doing things the way their parents did, whether that’s running a hardware store, operating a manufacturing business or farming. We’ve made great strides and as more research takes place, we’ll continue to implement newer best practices.
Farmers strive to be good neighbors. At our farm, we are acutely cognizant of the fact that we mow late into the night and that manure spreading can be fragrant. Vermont farmers make every effort to thank their neighbors for their patience in a variety of ways. Some use their large equipment to move snowbanks in heavy snow years. Others offer corn roasts or host tours. On our farm every year we have a picnic for our neighbors. We usually get a crowd of 70-90 people.
Nothing makes me prouder than leaving our farm in good shape for the next generation and we are thrilled that our son wants to stay in the business. Perhaps our grandson, who was born in May, will be the fifth generation of our family to do so. Farms are so important to the fabric of Vermont and the future looks bright.
