Supporting a Vermont Farm in Tragedy

A tragic barn fire offers an opportunity to express farmer support

On April 6, while the Nodes family was attending church, their barn caught fire with numerous pigs and sheep trapped inside. By the time the family rushed home, it was too late to extinguish the fire or even rescue the livestock.

I recently met this family, and Jacqui and I were scheduled to have dinner with them that very Sunday evening. Instead, this tragedy struck, all too familiar to farmers everywhere.

I visited with Eric Nodes on Tuesday afternoon, and the devastation is still being cleared. The family is in shock but also has been happily blessed with a huge outpouring from the Vermont community. Eric told me that neighbors he had never met had stopped by in support. While I was there delivering some maple syrup and pastoral support, a woman drove up and offered the family an envelope with cash, and soon, another woman arrived with food for dinner, including corn chowder made by her husband and a bottle of maple syrup.

I am proud to be part of a community of generations of farmers who understand this all-too-familiar trauma and who rallied quickly to support this young family who is new to the area. They will rebuild, as Vermonters always do after floods, fires, or other tragedies.

I share this Substack this morning to invite my readers to support this family also, either with a cash donation or simply a note of prayer, as permitted by a fundraiser. Please also consider sharing this post to inform others about this tragedy and the opportunity to support a rural Vermont farm family as they rebuild.