Meet Josh and Melinda Hardt

Listen to Josh and Melinda's Story

Childhood in the Forest

As Josh and Melinda discuss their connection to the land that they own and love in Salisbury, Vermont, their infant daughter, Daisy, happily jabbers away. Josh's parents had purchased this same parcel of land in the early 1980's and he recalls living with them and his brother in a teepee while the house was being built, of hauling water from the spring and handpicking the rocks that would become the foundation to this house. To listen, it sounds equally idyllic and exhausting but this is what love is all about; putting in the hard work to then be able to rest within that sense of security. In this case it is the love of land, and place and a way of life.

When asked what his favorite spot on the their land is, Josh gave an answer authentically true to someone who is raising a family on the land that he was also raised on

“Every nook and cranny I know intimately, every tree I know intimately and I have a story about every section of the land. I have good and bad memories about every area. I mean, I was cutting firewood a few years ago and I unearthed some old soda cans from the co-op. And I remember when I was five, we had a water refrigerator down to the spring and I remember sneaking that soda and hiding it in those roots.”

Extreme Weather and Climate Anxieties 

The biggest effects of climate change that Josh and Melinda are seeing on their property are excessive water and pests/non native plants. Josh has been able to successfully manage both Parsnip and Loosestrife by hand pulling them early in the season. They also, very intentionally, limit the amount of driving and machinery within the area where those plants grow (mainly along power lines), with the understanding that their seeds are spread through tire movement.

Weather events can take a major toll on landowners, both in terms of damage to infrastructure and the associated financial burden but in doing so they can also affect a landowners mental health. Josh openly acknowledges that he has anxiety related to water and rainfall. They have incorporated water bars into their driveway to slow the way that water moves over it, but they do also acknowledge that perhaps bigger infrastructure changes need to be made, when time and resources allow.

Wishes for Their Children's Futures

When asked what keeps them going in their management practice in the face of climate change and the associated anxieties, Melinda’s answer brings the interview right back to where it started, centered in a deep love for family

My kids, like 100% of the time, every day, I want to see them thrive…watching them outside playing and laughing and having a childhood free of stressors. If have to shoulder more of that burden to make it so that they can have a few more carefree days, that’s what drives me really.

Audio story produced by Charlotte King with support from Kelsey Kupferer. Music in the story is "Arboles" by Podington Bear. 

Josh and Melinda Hardt

Town: Salisbury, VT

Acreage: 40