I recently shared a conversation with my good friend Dick Goldthwaite about life, land, and the farm that has been part of the Goldthwaite family for well over 100 years. The emotions on his face said it all as he spoke of old times, family members and friends no longer here, and stories, from the thousands stored away in his memory, of farm life in Shelburne.
Remembering things like this can be difficult, especially when you begin to realize that you no longer can do all that you once did. Those memories can also become painful. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The Goldthwaite family has been farming in Shelburne all their lives, pulling what they could from the land through the hard work of farm life in rural New England. Dickie was one of six children that has now dwindled down to three, as he has lost his brothers, Robert and Junior, along with his sister Catherine. Dick and his two remaining sisters, Arlene and Beverly, now continue as best they can, with Father Time creeping deeper into their lives every day.
I first met the Goldthwaites about 45 years ago when I first arrived in Shelburne. As you might expect, those first conversations revolved around hunting. They were quick to tell me I could hunt their land so long as I followed the rules. Therefore, the next 40-plus years often found me either on Goldthwaite property or adjoining land whenever I hunted in Shelburne. I had some of the best times of my life hunting this beautiful tract of land.
Throughout this region and beyond, New England farmers are growing older and physically unable to continue doing what they have done for decades. They face a serious dilemma, wanting to see their farms continue but, in many cases, having no one to maintain the operations. The average age of farm-land ownership increased from 50 in 1985 to 59 in 2013, according to the Noble Research Institute.
They’re not alone in this predicament as farmers nationwide are aging. Generational farming – the traditional practice of passing farms down to one’s children – is just not happening, either because farmers are childless or because young people choose not to assume their parents’ role. In some cases, children are interested in helping but, for many reasons, simply cannot manage the operation on a full-time basis.
Startup costs for young people pursuing agriculture can be insurmountable. The greatest cost is land and equipment. Assuming you have the land, the question then becomes, do you have the equipment – and knowledge – to succeed, especially if there is no one around to pass along your knowledge and skills. And they can’t afford to make the mistakes that accompany the learning process.
“That is a ton of pressure on a young person just starting out,” says Dickie Goldthwaite. “What they can afford is so small that it’s almost impossible to make a living off it.
“While, historically, land has passed from parents to their children, which keeps the startup costs down, this doesn’t always happen anymore,” he continued. “The number of people wanting to get into farming has just bottomed out.”
If all the stars don’t align, farmers like the Goldthwaites wake up one day and decide they can no longer keep struggling to continue. That means the farm is probably going on the market at some point. New ownership usually means change, which is their right, of course. But it very well may mean that the access for recreational use we all just assumed would never change, suddenly has. In the case of the Goldthwaites, they’re hoping the farm can somehow remain as it is now. They’re doing all they can to make that happen, but in the end, only time will tell.
For people like me who don’t own enough property to really hunt on, it’s time to ante up and say thank you to families like the Goldthwaites for the incredible gift they’ve given me for so many years. I owe this to them, along with so many other farmers all over this county and state, who have allowed me to roam their property freely while they work to keep their land open for countless people to enjoy.
Most private landowners are happy to let people participate in all types of outdoor recreation, so long as their property is treated with respect. It’s important to remember that privately owned land that offers access still belongs to someone else, just as you own your car or home. Being allowed to use it is a privilege, not a right.
Take a moment and say thank you for this precious gift. Show them that you recognize and appreciate their generosity, and the sacrifices they made to keep the beauty available for all of us to see, enjoy, and cherish. Believe me, they always love hearing it.
Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and outdoorsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, consultant and active member of the New England Outdoor Writers Assoc. Joe is also a member of the Quaker Boy Game Calls, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Pro-Staff.