Two Sundays ago, an odd looking parade formed on the eastern edge of the temporary walking bridge spanning the White River in Rochester.
Led by Betsy Greene, a UVM Extension and Department of Animal Science faculty member and equine specialist, a group of mostly UVM-connected volunteers carted 50-pound bags of horse feed across the narrow bridge to a waiting John Deere mini-tractor.
Greene and her colleagues were delivering the feed to a group of horse owners on the Rochester “island,” stranded when the bridge connecting Routes 100 and 73 was swept away by Tropical Storm Irene. The group also provided the feed to horse owners in the eastern, non-stranded part of town.
The bags of feed, seven tons in all, came to Rochester through the wiles, connections and hard work of Greene and the generosity of two Vermont businesses.
In the days after the tropical storm hit, Greene got a call from the U.S. Equine Disaster Relief Fund, managed by the Kentucky Horse Council, informing her that grants were available to horse owners in need.
Because of UVM Extension’s work in hard-hit Rochester immediately following the flood – and Greene’s own efforts with a number of UVM colleagues to clear fields of debris in the town – she knew that horses there were at risk. Many hayfields in Rochester, ready for the second cut that would carry horses through the winter, had been destroyed by the flood before haying could begin.
Partnering with the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets and with Guy’s Farm and Yard, a garden, farm and outdoor supply store with locations around Vermont, Greene successfully obtained a $1,000 grant from the disaster fund to buy feed.
Then Greene got busy finding partners to leverage the grant.
Guy’s agreed to donate a truck and driver, owner Sam Guy himself, to get the feed to Rochester at no cost. The company also connected Green with one of its main suppliers – Vermont-based Poulin Grain, which had dealers around the state.
Greene contacted Poulin executive vice president Mike Tetreault to see if the company could help. Poulin agreed to more than match the funds Greene had secured.
“It was an incredible example of how much Vermonters were willing to go the extra mile to help out fellow Vermonters,” Greene said. “Neither of those companies was local to Rochester, but they were ready, willing and eager to give a helping hand. They deserve a lot of credit.”
In the coup de grace, Greene then called the disaster fund, told them of her partnering success and said the truck delivering the feed wasn’t full and had room for more. The fund gave her an additional $1,000 grant.
The collaboration netted about 285 50-pound bags of feed in all. Sixty-three were ferried across the bridge.
Leslie Carlson, owner of Cobble Hill Stable in Rochester, who was instrumental in organizing the event, couldn’t have been more grateful for Greene’s efforts, which she said were only the latest chapter in the support the university, through its extension service, had provided Rochester after the flood.
“I was totally amazed at how much support we got from UVM, right from the beginning,” Carlson said, who was also appreciative of the contribution Guy’s and Poulin made.
What about the feed and foot brigade, specifically?
“It was amazing, truly amazing,” Carlson said.
In addition to Greene, volunteers who delivered the grain included Jana Kraft, an assistant professor in the Department of Animal Science, Tom and Sam Kitsos, sons of Tony Kitsos, an outreach professional in UVM Extension, and non-UVMer Larry Rowe, who learned of the event through the VT Response website. A temporary bridge that can accommodate traffic just opened in Rochester.