Charlene Phelps embodies the hardworking, resilient spirit that has defined Vermonters for generations.
For 44 years, she has been the heart and soul of the Clifford Farm in Starksboro, Vermont, happily juggling many roles.
“The Clifford family is my family,” Charlene said of her dedication to the farm.
She’s responsible for everything from managing the farm’s breeding program to calf care, scheduling, and mentoring new employees.
“I’ve done everything on the farm except pack the bunk,” Charlene said of her work supporting farm owners Jane and Eric Clifford. “That’s the one thing I told Eric I wouldn’t do because I don’t like being up there high.”
Like many dairy farmers, Charlene’s work doesn’t stop at the farm. A dedicated community member, she serves as the Emergency Management Director for Starksboro, a role that has been particularly demanding due to the recent flooding.
“It’s really challenging this year because we got hit badly by the flooding,” Charlene said, noting that the weather has been more erratic in recent years than she’s seen before.
On top of that, Charlene is also in charge of Starksboro First Response, runs first aid at the annual Champlain Valley Fair, and teaches EMT and CPR classes. When asked, ‘When do you sleep?’ she chuckled and said, “Not very much.”
But she wouldn’t want it any other way. Charlene’s lifelong connection to farming and hard work started early. Growing up on a farm in Richmond, Vermont, as one of 14 siblings, she quickly learned the value of hard work.
“I had to help a lot because I’m the oldest girl,” she said. That upbringing laid the foundation for her dedication to a life centered on farming, and she joined the Clifford Farm in 1980 at the age of 30, not long after her husband Norman also started working at the farm. It became clear that they were there to stay.
From Calf Raising to Crop Work
“I’ve raised every animal on the farm,” Charlene shared. “To see them grow up from these little babies and see how much milk they make and how they progress throughout their life…it’s very rewarding.”
Reflecting on the satisfaction of witnessing the cycles of life on the farm, Charlene says she’s glad her daughter and granddaughters were able to grow up visiting the farm because it’s a work ethic and way of life she wants to pass on.
“At that age, they ask a lot of questions, and Eric would explain everything to them. Kids do so well growing up on a farm; they really do, and we need more of that,” Charlene said. “We didn’t have all the cell phones and all that back then.”
Before the pandemic, Charlene helped the farm host elementary-age children and assigned them a calf to watch progress over a year.
“There are a lot of kids and young adults who have never been on a farm before, and unless they come to visit, they never get to experience it, and they’re so excited. It’s so much fun to watch them; it really is,” Charlene said.
Charlene’s connection to the land and animals is a testament to the values that have kept Vermont’s dairy farms going for generations. Even as farming becomes more challenging due to unpredictable weather and rising costs, Charlene says she will see it through.
In an era where convenience often trumps hard work, she is an example of the old-fashioned, never-stop-moving work ethic that has sustained Vermont’s dairy farms for generations.
“I don’t plan on retiring,” she says, “I’ll stay here as long as the farm is here. I couldn’t sit around. I’m not that type of person.”
