WESTMINSTER-Roger Allbee will speak about his book, Turning the Soil: 250 Years of Vermont Agriculture at the Westminster Institute's Butterfield Library, 3534 US Route 5, at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8.
Allbee's is a historical book, examining changes in rural communities, farmers' activities, agricultural production, and farm policies over a period of more than 250 years. It comprehensively analyzes agriculture from the perspectives of grassroots, state, national, and global levels.
It also offers a bird's-eye view of the history of cultivation and marketing of farm products. Readers will learn how Vermont farmers have had to reinvent themselves to survive, as well as the important part Westminster farmers have played in this history.
Allbee, featured in a recent Commons article ["Changes in agriculture are nothing new in Vermont," News, Feb. 26] has a deep connection to Vermont's agricultural heritage. Growing up in Brookline on a hilltop dairy farm, he witnessed firsthand the resilience and dedication of his ancestors who have farmed the land since 1794. He has a comprehensive background in agricultural policies, international trade, and natural resource management.
Allbee served on the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture for the late Rep. Jim Jeffords, worked on the senior staff for the former Farm Credit Banks and Bank of Cooperatives, and served as the Vermont Secretary of Agriculture. Most recently, he was the CEO of Grace Cottage Hospital in Townshend.
The event is free. Light refreshments will be served.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.