Thornhill Farm

“Get right back up on your pony when you fall off.”  These enduring words from my grandmother Agnes have changed a life and the generations that follow.

They describe the life of Jack. Lazor.  Jack and Anne Lazor have been farming at Butterworks Farm for close to 40 years.  Their organic yogurt has been beloved and appreciated for years throughout Vermont and beyond.  The Lazors were early pioneers in growing organic grains on the farm.  What began as a way to provide quality feed for the dairy cows grew into a desire to perfect and encourage the growing of organic grain in Vermont and our region, and to supply quality grain to co-ops, stores, bakeries, and those who make beverages.

I met Jack years ago at our first Food Fair that Northeast Cooperatives sponsored every Spring. The Vermont guys were put together at a table, the young farmers, he with yogurt, me with honey. His inspiration to our work was as important as the Butterworks Farm yogurt, which is most always in our refrigerator at home. For years, Jack has encouraged countless farmers to have courage, innovate, develop value added products, and keep at it. He has been very important in NOFA and the Northern Grain Growers Association.

The history of distilling is agriculture: how to get a return on your crop, how to preserve it, and how to move the crop to the market in a cost effective way. With the revival of craft spirits, we are now seeing a broad support for family farming, with fair prices paid for grains, a higher quality of crops in the shift from conventional to organic farming, and a market demand that is changing grain farming.

Recently I had the privilege of sitting with Jack while he was on his daily kidney dialysis in the living room. With patience and love, Anne went through a lengthy prep process to hook her husband’s chest up to this machine. I had come late to get the truckload of organic corn that we are using at Caledonia Spirits to make corn whiskey and bourbon. The flow of Jack’s life continued and the conversation about corn, how much was in storage from the last crop and available now for milling, went on for hours as we sat together, the machine beeping away and his rugged body, red and scarred from needles and operations, filling the room with courage and the most humble strength you could imagine.

Jack is a gentle giant, who has changed the face of Vermont forever. Without medical insurance, he has some big bills to pay. I hope that you will consider of being a part of this benefit and celebration for Jack on May 24. We would like to make a serious dent in paying off these medical bills.

For a cost of $140.00 we will share a box containing:
• Caledonia Spirits Early Riser corn whiskey, 200 mL flask
• Jasper Hill Farm, 1/2 lb. piece of Alpha Tolman cheese
• Pete’s Greens, 1 lb. of organic carrots and 1 lb. organic potatoes
• Vermont Soy, a 14 ounce box of fresh organic tofu
• High Mowing Organic Seeds, a packet of Mesclun Mix
• Butterworks Farm, a bag of farm grown cornmeal, with a recipe for cornbread from Anne & Christine Lazor
Jack will be available at the benefit to sign and share copies of his book, The Organic Grain Grower.

Saturday, May 24, 1:00 pm, at Caledonia Spirits in Hardwick, Vermont

To reserve your box contact: todd@caledoniaspirits.com. Please make checks payable to Vermont Jack Lazor Fund and mail to: Vermont Jack Lazor Fund, P.O. Box 1249, Hardwick, VT 05843. All proceeds after actual costs of goods and advertising in the newspapers will be given to Jack Lazor to pay his medical bills. You can reserve your box to be picked up at Caledonia Spirits in Hardwick, Burlington, Caledonia Spirits’ retail location in Ferrisburgh, and other locations around the state and region. Please pass this on to your friends in New York City, Boston, and Washington, DC. This limited edition of Early Riser corn whiskey will only be available through the purchase of this special box for Jack.

thank you for your interest in and support of our work with organic honey, grains, and elderberry,

Todd D. Hardie

Live from the Hive: The gift of the dandelion

May is such an important and busy month for the honey bees. The colony is rearing brood, and many plants are flowering, providing food for the growing population. Ground ivy and dandelions are everywhere. Dandelions are such an important food source for bees. Many people consider them pest plants and spend hours trying to dig them out or pour toxic chemicals on the lawn to kill them. But the bees really need the dandelion’s nectar and pollen to support the colony. Besides, what’s more cheerful than a bright yellow dandelion flower with a bee on it?
Annie Watson, Thistle Hill Studio
Wine Warehouse is now distributing our full line of products to the northern and southern regions of California. The accounts that carry Caledonia are starting to appear on our Store Locator.