On Monday July 18, 2005 the B.L.A.S.T interns went on a tour called the dig-in. We went to many farms all over New England and Vermont. On Wednesday July 20, 2005 at about two o’clock in the afternoon we arrived in Burlington Vermont at Intervale Farms with our big white cow manure smelling van. I, Diaman-Victoria Wood, interviewed one of the farmers present named Hilary Martin.

Hilary Martin is a farmer at the Intervale Farm in Burlington, Vermont. She has been farming / gardening for about seven or eight years in total. She was farming for about three or four years before joining the Intervale Farm called Digger’s Mirth four years ago.

I asked her what her motivation was to continue farming. She told me that she enjoys the physical work needed on a farm and working with food. She also said she wanted to recreate the history of American farming in the community. She was referring to previous years when the community revolved around the community farm or garden. When asked how she got into Intervale, Martin told me that she was interested in bringing communities together and also creating economic fairness in Burlington. She also revealed to me that she feels that the easiest thing about the farm is the luck they have been having with the food markets because she’s seen other farms struggling (there are twelve other farms under the Intervale name). The hardest thing for Martin about the farm is balancing everyone’s needs outside of the farm with the needs of the farm itself. For example a good friend of hers and a partner at Digger’s Mirth has a husband that doesn’t live in the United States and her boyfriend lives in New York City. I asked her what were her three wishes for the farm. She said to 1) continue to focus but maintain the diversity as a whole, .2) be better at record keeping and, 3) Maintain getting food for those who are unfortunate and unable to get food. At the end of our interview for fun I asked her what was her favorite farming quote. She replied quickly and loud saying, “PLANTS GROW!!!!”

What intrigued me about Hilary Martin was the fact that I could sense her passion for farming and helping others through farming. I could tell by working beside her while harvesting beets.