High Ledge Farm Relief Effort

On April 9th, in a devastating fire, Kate Camilletti and Paul Betz lost their home in Woodbury, VT, along with personal belongings and their farming business.  High Ledge Farm is well known in the area as producers of wonderful organic produce.  There has been a great outpouring of support for them since the fire, and this web page will provide everyone with updated information and ways in which people can help. 

Latest Updates:

Note From Paul & Kate (6/1)

Greetings friends,  we are blessed by your ongoing support.  As we remain in temporary housing we cannot use the numerous offerings of furniture, appliances, etc.  We are waiting for the permitting process to run its course.  As soon as we can, we will build an apartment in my pottery studio.  We will live there  for a year or so, while we rebuild the house and other farm buildings.  So eventually, we will respond to your generous offers individually.  I am making notes on what we will need, and have read many offers of such items. Thank you for being patient.  The wheel turns.  Somehow it manages to turn slowly and with lightening speed simultaneously.  Go figure…

Kate and Paul

(5/27) Note from Paul & Kate:

We are getting caught up on field work, and are beginning to site some greenhouses. Our plan of having a tomato house up by June 1 was optimistic, but we will hopefully have one up soon.

It feels good to be getting dirty with the field work, and soon we will be planted out, even tho there will be some gaps this season in our successions. We have plants to sell at the market, and that has helped a lot with my wanting to be there.  Thanks for your ongoing support.

Paul and Kate

(5/12) Note from Paul & Kate:

We have removed the house and remains of the out buildings. The site looks really different; the original layout of the barnyard made the place feel much smaller than it is. I feel in the middle of a big opening now. We are hoping to begin construction of our apartment soon. We are waiting on a septic design and permit approval for that project.

VOF approved my plan for the greenhouse area, and we will begin working on removing soil this week. My hope is to have a greenhouse for tomatoes back up by June 1^st. We will see how realistic that is as the time goes on. I have a few things going on in the field, but am hoping to get back on track this week. The potatoes are still in the barn, finishing their greensprouting, and they will get planted in the second half of May. We should have some plants to bring to market soon; I am also hoping to get plastic on a greenhouse that survived by the end of this week. There is still lots to do, and chances are not everything will get done this season the way I would hope, but we have accomplished a lot in the week since the property was released from the investigation. Thank you for your ongoing support. We continue to be humbled by the outpouring of our community. Take good care.

Paul and Kate

(4/29) Note from Paul & Kate: 
"We are awaiting the final day of investigation, April 29, and then we will be able to begin clean up. I have submitted a proposal to VOF, my certifier, about cleaning up the greenhouse area and getting recertified for in ground production. I should know soon if the plan is approved. Our plans for building an apartment have been put on hold until we can figure out the impact of permitting; it may ultimately prove impractical. I have found a van for my market vehicle, and will be making a new table and display this week. Market starts on Saturday, which still blows my mind.

Time is very slippery for me these days, and I have no real sense of its passing. It seems like the fire happened five months ago. Thanks for all your support. We are truly blessed, and are being carried by your good thoughts and prayers. All our best."

 Paul & Kate

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Donate money:

The following locations are collecting monetary donations for Paul and Kate: Plainfield Coop, Plainfield Hunger Mountain Coop, Montpelier Buffalo Mountain Coop, Hardwick East Calais General Store Woodbury General Store Maple Corner Store, Calais Food Works, Montpelier

You can also donate securely online to the High Ledge Farm Fund via PayPal:

For those who would like to make tax deductible contributions to NOFA Vermont’s Farmer Emergency Fund, a fund established in 1997 to assist farmers affected by natural and unnatural disasters, please contact Kirsten Bower at NOFA VT, 802-434-4122 ext 16 or kirsten@nofavt.org.