EAST DUMMERSTON-Read and Malah Miller have been running the Dwight Miller Orchard for more than three decades, and they planned to start passing the operation on to his children this apple season.
"This was going be a transition year for us," said Malah Miller. "We didn't expect it to be this way."
A three-alarm fire on Aug. 16 destroyed the orchard's packing house building that was home to their cold storage and produce coolers, their cider press and apple packing facilities, their retail area, and their maple evaporator and sugaring equipment.
"Everything went up in this building," said Read. "Everything except for the orchard is gone. This building was the brain, heart, and soul of all our functions."
Also lost were 25,000 gallons of apple cider vinegar, 1,000 gallons of maple syrup, and 400 quart jars of pickles that they had just finished making for this season.
"You could hear the pickle jars exploding in the fire," said Read.
But within days of the fire, Malah began making another batch of pickles.
"When life gives you cucumbers, you make pickles," she said. "You have to keep moving."
When a fire destroys your business, you find a way to move forward. For the Miller family, they have an orchard full of apples to harvest, and they are finding a way to use this disaster not to mark the end of an eighth-generation Vermont farm, but as a new chapter in its long history.
Dividing up a big task
Standing in front of the ruins of the packing house three weeks after the fire, Read talked about how his family has divided the tasks.
His children, Will and Martha, are busy with running the business and shaping what it will be in future years.
Read said the family "has all been affected by the fire," and the challenge is "finding ways to stay together and be positive. The most important job for us is to come together."
Malah said that she and Read are making sure that the Miller children are being given "lots of room to make their own future."
Read said he is busy with the difficult task of dealing with the insurance companies and government regulators, cleaning up the debris, and documenting the damage.
"It's huge, the emergency stuff," Read said. "There are tractor-trailer loads of steel that need to be removed. I have to document and come up with the replacement value for every bit of the building, its contents, and what it was used for. And all that has to be perfect."
Read said the orchard's insurance will cover most, but not all, of the losses.
As for operations in the short term, Read said that "we're going to stick with doing what we are comfortable with doing."
That starts with the organic orchard's pick-your-own operation on Miller Road, which began on Sept. 6. It will be open every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., through out the autumn.
Apples will continue to show up at the Brattleboro Area Farmers Market, but it may be a while before the farm returns to making organic apple cider and apple cider vinegar.
Read said the family bought a complete cider making setup, which is expected to arrive at the farm this week.
The replacement for the destroyed packing building, which was built by Read's father, Dwight, in 1962 using timber harvested from the family's wood lots, will be constructed in a similar manner.
"We have a lot of resources here on the farm, and a lot of people who want to help us rebuild," Read said. "We have the opportunity to stand on our forefathers' shoulders to rebuild, but we will need the help of our neighbors to do so."
Gratitude for the help
The community stepped up for the Millers in a big way, donating nearly $97,000 to the orchard's GoFundMe appeal that was started by Martha. Contributions are still being accepted at gofundme.com/f/dwight-miller-orchards-fire-recovery.
"That was the kids' idea," Read said. "Reaching out for help is something I'm not totally comfortable with, but I'm past the age to be embarrassed. But my father always said that when someone offers to help, it's rude to not accept it."
Assistance has also been offered by Green Mountain Orchards in Putney and other neighboring farms.
Read said the family is committed to keeping the community informed about the recovery process and will keep people up to date through social media.
And, next Aug. 16, Read said the family hopes to have a gathering to mark the first anniversary of the fire and the progress that the farm has made.
"We're blown away by the support," said Malah. "It has been very humbling, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to pay all that support forward."
This News item by Randolph T. Holhut was written for The Commons.