Photo by Ali Kaukas
Prologue
Close your eyes for a second and picture a dairy farmer. Do you envision a tall, stocky, middle-aged man with a cowboy hat?
Well I sure as hell don't.
I picture a 28-year-old beauty in a mini-skirt with a huge smile and long dark hair. I picture a strong woman who cultivates her own land, raises her own pigs and is currently building her own creamery.
I picture Marisa Mauro.
Marisa is a visionary who cares deeply about high-quality, locally produced food. Through her work on farms all over the country she has become an advocate for healthy land and healthy people. Marisa is passionate about educating youth on the value of small farms and good food.
When Marisa and I first crossed paths she was living in her home-state of Vermont and recovering from a fire which destroyed the renowned cheese-making business she'd built at the age of 23. The fire was devastating to say the least but it didn't stop Marisa from acheiving her dream of one day owning and operating a dairy farm and creamery. Last year the Vermont Land Trust awarded Marisa the historic Bragg Farm in Fayston, Vermont. The beautiful 48-acre property is now home to Marisa and will soon be home to a crew of cows and her artisanal butter making business.
Last Spring I had the pleasure of collaborating with Marisa and thirteen 4th-graders to create a film about small dairy farms in central Vermont. By the end of our two-weeks together every kid in the class said something to the effect of... I want to be just like Marisa when I grow-up. To which I replied... Heck Yeah YOU DO!!
RUR: How did you create your current universe?
MM: Hard work, vision, passion, LUCK, and lots of Love.
MM: My utopia would include respectful stewards of the land, collaboration (collaboration is king!), big family dinners, LOTS of open land, more tolerance, and compassion.
MM: I've wanted to be a farmer when I was 15. That was my first job. I fell in love and have never really thought of another profession since.
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