Dairy cows graze on Churchill’s farm. Melvin keeps a herd of 75 cows, mostly Holsteins; 42 of them currently provide milk for the organic market, a more stable hedge against frequent fluctuations in conventional milk prices
Photo Credit : Peter Miller
Photographer Peter Miller has spent a lifetime capturing Vermont and her people. In this slide show, he turns his lens on dairy farmer Melvin Churchill as he struggles to keep his family farm in Cabot, Vermont afloat in these turbulent financial times.
See more of Peter Miller’s work — including his books Vermont People and Vermont Farm Women — at www.petermillerphotography.com.
Read the Story: Vermont Dairy Farmers Cling to LandDairy farmer Melvin Churchill seen here haying a section of his 110 acres in Cabot, Vermont. For many farmers facing economic uncertainty, the pressure to sell becomes insurmountable Photo Credit : Peter MillerDairy cows graze on Churchill’s farm. Melvin keeps a herd of 75 cows, mostly Holsteins; 42 of them currently provide milk for the organic market, a more stable hedge against frequent fluctuations in conventional milk prices Photo Credit : Peter MillerMelvin Churchill with his partner Janet Whitlock and his son Matt, who is working the farm with his father Photo Credit : Peter MillerKeeping the farm afloat is a constant struggle Photo Credit : Peter MillerMelvin’s son Matt is working with his father to keep the family’s farming tradition alive Photo Credit : Peter MillerMelvin working his land to put up hay for the winter. The work of a dairy farmer is constant Photo Credit : Peter MillerMelvin with his grandson, Zach, on the farm Photo Credit : Peter MillerZach runs to keep up with his grandfather Photo Credit : Peter MillerGrandson Zach takes a break in the hayfield Photo Credit : Peter MillerA freshly rolled bale of hay ready to be wrapped and stored for the winter Photo Credit : Peter MillerStacks of freshly wrapped hay Photo Credit : Peter MillerThe workday often begins at 5:00 a.m. and doesn’t end until late in the evening Photo Credit : Peter MillerMelvin is shown holding a cherished photo of his Uncle Willis plowing the land. There is a deep ancestral tie to the land through many generations in his family Photo Credit : Peter MillerThe timeless-and often uncontrollable-pressures of weather and market weigh heavily on Melvin’s shoulders. He acknowledges that he doesn’t know what the future will bring Photo Credit : Peter Miller
