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Fireside Chats in Saxtons River

SAXTONS RIVER, Vt. – Main Street Arts and the Saxtons River Historical Society are again pairing for a series of Fireside Chats to highlight the area’s history Sundays in January from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. in the dining room of the Saxtons River Inn.
The series begins January 7 with The Back-to-the-Land Movement as told through the experiences of Peter Gould, author of Horse-Drawn Yogurt: Stories from Total Loss Farm.
Gould moved to Total Loss Farm in Guilford in the 1970s at the height of the desire of young people to get back to their roots and live a simpler life. With the help of locals, they learned forgotten skills as they struggled to balance their peaceful communal life with the chaos brought on the rest of the country by the Vietnam War.
Although they didn’t know it at the time, the new farmers were to have an impact on the future of agriculture on Vermont as they provided the early impetus to the rise of organic farming and sustainable food production in the state.
The second in the series is January 14, when the topic will be The Art of Timber Framing, with Jason Snell, owner of Old Timers Timber Frames in Saxtons River.
The series concludes January 21 with a topic close to home when Mike DeBonis, executive director of the Green Mountain Club, talks about James Taylor’s dream of founding a trail through Vermont for his Vermont Academy students.
Attendees are always invited to share their own experiences, photos, artifacts and stories related to the topic of the evening.
The series is offered at no charge, with donations accepted. Those attending are invited to bring their own memories and memorabilia to share in this informal setting.
The Inn’s dining room will be open for dinner after the presentation for further socializing. Reservation are appreciated by calling the Inn at (802) 869-2110. In case of inclement weather, cancellation information will be available by contacting Main Street Arts at (802) 869-2960.

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