The season for thanks

By Anson Tebbetts

Editor’s note: Tebbetts is the secretary of the Vermont agency of agriculture, food and markets. 

This season, we gather with friends and family. Perhaps you’re getting together for a home cooked meal, a potluck, or a special holiday celebration at the office or workplace. Maybe it’s to visit your favorite restaurant. We are fortunate in Vermont to have extraordinary food and beverages in every corner of our state. This time of year, we enjoy feasts with fresh local veggies, meat, dairy, and specialty food and beverages made right here in Vermont.

Your local farmer works many long hours to produce a harvest that all of us may enjoy. You might find this season’s bounty at the farm at the farmstand, farmers’ market, CSA, retail store or co-op, or maybe delivered to your home. Many of our producers can ship your favorite “Taste of Vermont” right to your kitchen, and Vermonters may efficiently order online to support Vermont farmers.

As we close out 2024, it’s also time to think of our Christmas tree growers. They provide us with the experience of getting that “perfect” tree for our family. Memories of a lifetime can be found, and made, at choose-and-cut farms across our 14 counties. If you have a friend or family member that misses Vermont this time of year, some growers will even box up trees, wreaths, or garlands and ship them to a home or office. Décor from fresh Vermont trees is as beautiful to smell, as it is to see.

The holidays are also a time for giving and remembering those who are less fortunate. The year 2024 was a difficult time for many. Once again, floods and severe weather destroyed homes, businesses and crops this summer.  The flooding is gone from the headlines, but the emotional and economic impact is still with countless Vermonters. You can still support them by checking on them, volunteering to help with chores or bringing them a home cooked meal or treat during the holidays. These acts of kindness often make the world of difference during the hardest of times.

Thank you for all you do to support your neighbors. We are grateful to have the privilege to enjoy the finest foods in the world. And thank you, farmers, producers and all those who make a living off the land. Your work, and the community we find together here in our brave little state of Vermont, is unmatched.