Farewell, Mr. Vermont...

There are days when I can get a little melancholy, but I guess I should not have to apologize for that. You see, we have had this customer from Vermont for many, many years. For the sake of his privacy, I will call him Mr. Vermont. We‘ve got to know him pretty well over the long haul, and he’s been a wonderful man to deal with. All of the ladies in Customer Care know him by his first name, and I have spoken with him many times as well.

Well, it seems that Mr. Vermont no longer can farm, and he has been relegated to the nursing home. His wife informed us by phone this morning that he probably will not be able to leave. What a sad day it is when men like this, the true salt of the earth, have to lay down their shovels and give up the one thing that has meant the most to them… farming.

I say to Mr. Vermont... God Bless you, and to all of the other good men in our country like Mr. Vermont. Farmers are good folks and they do good things for our society. This agricultural community we are blessed to work within has brought many good people to my door. I have gotten to know many of these folks on a personal level, and when the time comes for me to lay down my shovel, I will truly be sad.