Members of the community are rallying together after a devastating storm killed two-dozen animals on a dairy farm in Clarendon, Vermont.Fern Hill Farm was established in 1972. The farm sits on the Clarendon/Wallingford line in Vermont.“It’s God’s country, it’s home,” says one of the family owners, Bridget Bowen. The dairy farm is home to 131 animals. The Bromley family also consider the farm home.They are spending the weekend counting their blessings no people were hurt after a devastating storm collapsed their milking barn. The storm killed 24 of their animals. “This is a tragic situation where the family lost their historic barn built in 1938. Classic Vermont barn with hay in the upper lofts and then the cows in the first floor where they were being milked,” said Anson Tebbetts, Vermont’s Secretary of Agriculture. Farmer Stephen Bromley was in the barn on Friday evening when the storm came through. His son Cecil, daughter-in-law Sarah, and four of his grandchildren were also in the barn with him at the time. “It was loud, something told me to bring the kids to the vestibule. I counted four heads, I put them in the vestibule,” Sarah Bromley remembers. Sarah, her husband Cecile and their kids found shelter in a secluded part of the barn as the rest of it suddenly fell in front of them.Stephen was safe as well, having been in the corn feeding station.The family notes it’s a miracle Stephen was in the corn feeding area, considering he normally wouldn’t be there at that time in the evening.“We lost part of our heard, but we’ll rebuild, we’ll make it just as strong again for this next generation,” says Bridget Bowen. To help them rebuild, neighbors along with members of the Army Reserve have been showing up to lend a helping hand.Clarendon fire responded and called for mutual aid on the scene Friday night as well.“We are so overwhelmed by all the support and love we have gotten from this community from farmers across New England, people came from Highgate, up in Maine, these reserve kids are friends of Calista’s from her friends in the reserve. I can’t say the words, just overwhelmed with all the support we have gotten. We thank everyone who has given to our cause,” said the family on the farm.Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture hopes to see the barn back up and running.The family is looking forward to re-building a barn more suitable for the next generation to take on the family business.
Members of the community are rallying together after a devastating storm killed two-dozen animals on a dairy farm in Clarendon, Vermont.
Fern Hill Farm was established in 1972.
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The farm sits on the Clarendon/Wallingford line in Vermont.
“It’s God’s country, it’s home,” says one of the family owners, Bridget Bowen.
The dairy farm is home to 131 animals.
The Bromley family also consider the farm home.
They are spending the weekend counting their blessings no people were hurt after a devastating storm collapsed their milking barn. The storm killed 24 of their animals.
“This is a tragic situation where the family lost their historic barn built in 1938. Classic Vermont barn with hay in the upper lofts and then the cows in the first floor where they were being milked,” said Anson Tebbetts, Vermont’s Secretary of Agriculture.
Farmer Stephen Bromley was in the barn on Friday evening when the storm came through.
His son Cecil, daughter-in-law Sarah, and four of his grandchildren were also in the barn with him at the time.
“It was loud, something told me to bring the kids to the vestibule. I counted four heads, I put them in the vestibule,” Sarah Bromley remembers.
Sarah, her husband Cecile and their kids found shelter in a secluded part of the barn as the rest of it suddenly fell in front of them.
Stephen was safe as well, having been in the corn feeding station.
The family notes it’s a miracle Stephen was in the corn feeding area, considering he normally wouldn’t be there at that time in the evening.
“We lost part of our heard, but we’ll rebuild, we’ll make it just as strong again for this next generation,” says Bridget Bowen.
To help them rebuild, neighbors along with members of the Army Reserve have been showing up to lend a helping hand.
Clarendon fire responded and called for mutual aid on the scene Friday night as well.
“We are so overwhelmed by all the support and love we have gotten from this community from farmers across New England, people came from Highgate, up in Maine, these reserve kids are friends of Calista’s from her friends in the reserve. I can’t say the words, just overwhelmed with all the support we have gotten. We thank everyone who has given to our cause,” said the family on the farm.
Vermont’s Agency of Agriculture hopes to see the barn back up and running.
The family is looking forward to re-building a barn more suitable for the next generation to take on the family business.
