Dinner at the Gladstone Farm this evening in June consists of super-sized pizzas, salad, iced tea and shortcake for dessert. Walter beams appreciatively at his three boys as Margaret serves slices all around. These fellows are broad from the shoulder all the way to the ground; they have big appetites and lots of enthusiasm.

After dinner they run out to the barn to shoot baskets, attacking the hoop with the same energy the whole family brings to farming here along the Connecticut River. The Gladstone's farm was judged the Outstanding Vermont Farm in 2004. Seeing these boys work at their play helps me understand why.

By Bob Eddy
Cabot/ Agrimark