WORTHINGTON — Residents of Worthington, visitors and those passing through town are likely to have seen the large newly constructed hoop barn on Old North Road, as its gleaming white presence stands out against the recently cleared green pasture making it hard to miss.
Shaped like a Quonset hut, the barn and the 50 acres upon which it sits, is owned by Donald Chase, a native of West Springfield, and will soon be the home of a herd of roughly 50 head of cattle and 10 yaks.
A banker by trade, Chase began farming about 20 years ago at a ranch he owned in South Dakota on which he raised angus beef cattle.
He currently has a haying operation on approximately 400 additional acres in Worthington. Purchased in 2007, all of the property that he now owns in town used to be part of the once prominent Albert potato farm.
Chase will soon be transporting his livestock to the Old North Road parcel from Pennel Hill Farm in Vermont.
“We have a farm in Halifax in Southern Vermont, where we raise belted Galloways Randall Linebacks,” he said. “We don’t quite have enough pasture for the amount of animals that we have, so we are consolidating, selling the farm in Vermont and moving to Worthington.”
As for the yaks, Chase said that his appreciation for them began after attending a livestock show out west. He then started his first yak herd on a ranch he owned in Montana.
“They are very cool. I have five heifers now and one bull and within the last 60 days, we had four babies,” he said. “The babies are so cute they look like tiny bison.”
Farm manager Rob McClintock of Halifax, Vermont, was on the property last week preparing for the move. He said the barn will likely house both the livestock and hay.
“This barn is like a giant erector set,” McClintock said of the structure whose curved metal skeleton supports a highly durable tarp-like fabric covering. “These are easy to set up, easy to maintain and less expensive than traditional wood and steel barns.”
According to Building Inspector Charlene Baiardi, the barn has an exceedingly sturdy structure and the covering can last decades. She says it is the only one of its kind in Worthington.
“I had a hoop barn like this in South Dakota and it was outstanding,” he said. “It sheds the rain and snow and is also very light inside, even at night if there is a bright moon out, it is light in the barn.”
Chase praised town officials saying that they have been welcoming and very helpful in making this endeavor a smooth process.
“I just love Worthington, the people are friendly and I also think it is one of the prettiest little towns in the area,” he said.
PLAINFIELD — Tickets are now on sale for the 48th Annual Plainfield Firefighter’s Barbecue that will take place on Sunday, September 2nd, behind the Shaw Memorial Library.
A town-wide favorite, this event features a great meal that includes items such as half a barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, baked potato, and homemade coleslaw.
Hosted by the Plainfield Volunteer Firefighter’s Association, the day also includes a traditional tug-of-war rope pull, a display of firefighting apparatus, and a silent auction.
Tickets for the barbecue are $12 for adult, and $6 for children under 12 and may be purchased from any Plainfield firefighter, EMT or Police officer.
We will be served starting at 1 p.m.
Other annual events taking place in conjunction with the barbecue are the Shaw Memorial Library book sale, Arts-Feast, and the 43rd running of the 1.1 mile Plainfield Road Race.
For more information, contact Asst. Fire Chief David Alvord at: 634-5470, Deputy Medical Officer Ellen DuPont at: 634-5343, or Firefighter/EMT Brian Hawthorne at: 634-5665.
GOSHEN — Full construction activity is expected to begin on West Street on August 24 and work taking place Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
During the day there will be one lane with alternating traffic flow and both lanes will be open in the evening and on weekends.
Ideas for this column on life in the hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at Fryan.gazette@gmail.com.