Biting the hand that feeds you

Maureen Blais, Blais Produce
Springfield, Vt.
To the editor,

After Town of Springfield, Vt. officials removed the Blais Produce sign placed on the island by the plaza on June 21, we got no reply to a hand-delivered letter to town officials on Monday morning June 24. The town once again removed my sign for a second time Friday, June 28 (that sign was not returned to us). So I feel the need to let the taxpayers of this town and the surrounding communities know what is going on and share the letter I wrote to town:

Town manager, town clerk, select board and planning commission,

On Friday morning, June 21 a lady from the Springfield Planning Commission came into Blais Farm stand on Route 106 North Springfield, Vermont with my strawberry sign, which I had placed the day before on the island by the plaza. She didn’t give her name and informed me that we couldn’t have a sign there. I asked her if she returned Crown Point Country Club fish fry sign to them. She told me ,“No, they are nonprofit.” I asked, since when? The yard sale sign at North School? She said she has a job to do and sorry. (Me too, times three.) At 5:30 p.m. both of their signs were still there. So was Blais Produce Strawberry sign that was replaced later in the day.

We are not some yard sale sign left behind from last week. We are a community service to this town and nonprofit till September, if Mother Nature is on your side (not the last two years). Our sign lets people know we are open for the season and when Blais’s famous sweet corn is ready; it is for people who may not travel Route 106 or may be visiting this town and want to buy fresh local produce.

We are a struggling fourth-generation farm that was been selling produce in this town since 1915. My father Bernard Bernie Blais (third generation) was a founder of Springfield Farmers Market in the 1970s with 15 farmers selling “real produce,” where I first started selling my family produce in town at age 12 at Riverside School. But today’s “Springfield Farmers Market” gets nice permanent sign in two locations in town that are up year round, more than likely paid by us taxpayers (I do want to know what that costs). It’s open a few months a year, one day a week for a few hours. You got vendors selling hot dogs, hats etc. and not much produce.

So, out of three you allow Crown Point Country Club and a yard sale sign, and the farmer in this town gets the trash can after 104 years. That’s a little hard for me to take, folks. That is the biggest insult and disrespect to me, my family and the American farmer. Anyone at the town office that removes or tells me to take down my sign needs to get their head examined because something is wrong with this picture. How “unAmerican” is that? This town should be embarrassed and ashamed of itself. You also need to buy your produce on Saturdays at “your Springfield Farmers Market” and the rest of the year at Shaw’s (wherever that stuff is grown). You don’t deserve anything from my family’s fourth generation farm. This town office has nothing better to do with my taxpayers’ dollars than take down a farmer’s sign. Wow. What is next in this town?

So, why doesn’t this town buy us, make us, grant us permission to put a permanent sign in town. We can place it right under the nice farmers market [sign]. I will put it up in the spring when I open and take it down in the fall when I close. I am sure we wouldn’t get “approved,” but some guy selling hot dogs, hats, etc. on Clinton Street at “your Springfield Farmers Market” gets the town blessing. Yes those vendors are making a profit! This town should be honored and be thankful for what you’ve got before it’s gone. Better yet please give me the fine; I would gladly place it on the counter at my stand so the community can see how this town treats their farmer!

Not a happy farmer or taxpayer,

Maureen Blais, Blais Produce

Springfield, Vt.

Editor’s note: A check of listed nonprofits for Springfield, Vt. did not include Crown Point Country Club.