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Spring is waiting just around the corner - I got my first newsletter from Bob Labrie who manages the Ice-Out Contest down in Goshen, Massachusetts. I think he mentioned this is their eights year. They set up their contest like ours at Joe's Pond, and seem to be selling more tickets each year. He sent a photo of their flag and it looks as if they don't have much snow, either.
We won't be getting our flag out for a while. We need to wait for the ice fishing traffic to cease.
This picture was taken the last week in January, and since then there have been more fishing shacks added - some further up the lake, too - all of which creates lots of truck and snowmobile traffic which doesn't mix well with the ropes we have tethering the block to Homer Fitts's cottage - the yellow one in the picture. As soon as the fishing folks have departed, we'll get the flag out. We just hope that Mother Nature doesn't pull an early spring out of her bag of tricks . . .
Every time the temperatures get down into the below-zero range, it's a good bet the ice is getting thicker, so that will happen for the next couple of days, and then we'll have a warmer spell again. It's hard to say how much that impacts the ice, but we've noticed there's a lot more warmth in the sun now it's getting higher in the sky every day.
That's what makes our Ice-Out Contest so much fun. It's anybody's guess when the pond will open up and swallow the flag.
We've been getting lots more on-line ticket sale activity this year. I think the tickets are easier to fill out on line since Fred redesigned them. If you haven't seen how it works, go to www.joespondvermont.com and then click on Joe's Pond Assn. and you'll see IceOut Tickets
It's easy from there: fill 'em out on line, print, and mail the paper ticket with $1 for each and you're in the game! Or, you can print a sheet or two of tickets and fill them in with a pen and send them. Whatever works best for you.
Of course, either Diane Rossi or I will send regular tickets to you, too. Just ask or send a check to us in the mail and we'll get the tickets out to you right away. If you want to give them as tuck-in gifts, we have a neat little red "PAID" stamp that we can use. I've stamped as many as 75. No big problem, just takes a little time, but it's more fun to give the tickets away if they are clearly marked paid.
We have business owners who give tickets to their employees. One year a company in Georgia, Vermont, gave a ticket to each of their 300 employees. They said their employees loved it. If you think about it, for a dollar, you are giving someone a chance to win maybe $5,000. Who wouldn't be excited to be in the contest and have a chance to win? That employer made points with their employees, for sure.
Speaking of employees, here's something that came to me this morning:
VTFARMS! Association is seeking an energetic individual to provide leadership with a new Best Management Practices (BMP) Initiative for agritourism and to provide technical assistance to members. Please see the attached job description.
We won't be getting our flag out for a while. We need to wait for the ice fishing traffic to cease.
This picture was taken the last week in January, and since then there have been more fishing shacks added - some further up the lake, too - all of which creates lots of truck and snowmobile traffic which doesn't mix well with the ropes we have tethering the block to Homer Fitts's cottage - the yellow one in the picture. As soon as the fishing folks have departed, we'll get the flag out. We just hope that Mother Nature doesn't pull an early spring out of her bag of tricks . . .Every time the temperatures get down into the below-zero range, it's a good bet the ice is getting thicker, so that will happen for the next couple of days, and then we'll have a warmer spell again. It's hard to say how much that impacts the ice, but we've noticed there's a lot more warmth in the sun now it's getting higher in the sky every day.
That's what makes our Ice-Out Contest so much fun. It's anybody's guess when the pond will open up and swallow the flag.
We've been getting lots more on-line ticket sale activity this year. I think the tickets are easier to fill out on line since Fred redesigned them. If you haven't seen how it works, go to www.joespondvermont.com and then click on Joe's Pond Assn. and you'll see IceOut Tickets
It's easy from there: fill 'em out on line, print, and mail the paper ticket with $1 for each and you're in the game! Or, you can print a sheet or two of tickets and fill them in with a pen and send them. Whatever works best for you.
Of course, either Diane Rossi or I will send regular tickets to you, too. Just ask or send a check to us in the mail and we'll get the tickets out to you right away. If you want to give them as tuck-in gifts, we have a neat little red "PAID" stamp that we can use. I've stamped as many as 75. No big problem, just takes a little time, but it's more fun to give the tickets away if they are clearly marked paid.
We have business owners who give tickets to their employees. One year a company in Georgia, Vermont, gave a ticket to each of their 300 employees. They said their employees loved it. If you think about it, for a dollar, you are giving someone a chance to win maybe $5,000. Who wouldn't be excited to be in the contest and have a chance to win? That employer made points with their employees, for sure.
Speaking of employees, here's something that came to me this morning:
VTFARMS! Association is seeking an energetic individual to provide leadership with a new Best Management Practices (BMP) Initiative for agritourism and to provide technical assistance to members. Please see the attached job description.
Sherry L. Paige | Business & Cooperative Programs Specialist VT & NH &
Special Emphasis Program Manager for VT & NH
U.S. Department of Agriculture | Rural Development
89 Main St, 3rd Floor City Center | Montpelier VT 05602
802-828-6034 phone | 802-828-6037 fax | 802-223-6365 tty
www.rurdev.usda.gov/vt/
"Committed to the future of rural communities"
"Estamos dedicados al futuro de las comunidades rurales"
Special Emphasis Program Manager for VT & NH
U.S. Department of Agriculture | Rural Development
89 Main St, 3rd Floor City Center | Montpelier VT 05602
802-828-6034 phone | 802-828-6037 fax | 802-223-6365 tty
www.rurdev.usda.gov/vt/
"Committed to the future of rural communities"
"Estamos dedicados al futuro de las comunidades rurales"
Notice to Hispanic or Women Farmers:
If you believe USDA improperly denied you farm loan benefits during 1981-2000, see farmerclaims.gov for information
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