Valley (HCN, 12/8/08). When I climb to the top of our pasture and look towards the Blue Ridge mountains, I cannot see even one new house built after we moved here 30 years ago. Remarkable reprieve! Cropland, pastures and small forested patches still dot the sloping hillsides. Julene Bair’s poignant writing reminds me of the precious farming lifestyle, when you can still find it. I mull over selling this place because it’s a lot of work and it’s isolating and I’m the “end of the line”… maybe after reading this I can suck up a little more strength and resolve to keep going.
Lydia Dambekalns
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Down on the farm.
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