ORLEANS, Vt. (WCAX) – A farm that’s been operating in Orleans County for decades has been found in violation of town zoning laws. It comes after residents have expressed concern over the smell and alleged mistreatment of dozens of animals. But the owner says he’s doing nothing wrong.
Tom Wood has operated a farm in Orleans since 2016 — the owners live in Massachusetts.
The property is home to hundreds of animals, from goats, to chickens, to pigs. But the town says the property is operating in violation of local zoning laws.
“As the old saying is, I’m 72, this is my last hurrah. The harassment has got to stop,” Wood said.
The property used to be a commission sales barn, where animals would be brought in and sold. But in its current use, Barton Zoning Administrator Sarah Bailey says it’s out of compliance. “His property is not zoned as agricultural. He is saying it’s a farm. It is not zoned for any of that,” she said.
Beyond the violation, neighbors complain about the odor and say the property is a mess. “Depending on which way the wind blows and how warm a day it is, the stink will keep you inside. We quite often don’t use our deck and don’t use our pool. It’s nasty,” said Randy Smith, a neighbor. He took photos showing damage to his property from when pigs escaped. “I’m in my 70s now, too, and I’ve been here for 44 years and I don’t feel that I deserve that.”
Wood says despite what the town says, he feels he’s not doing anything wrong and says he’s being attacked. “They’re trying to shut me down and force me from earning a living at my chosen profession, which is protected by federal law,” he said.
“He can think whatever he wants to think. He’s going to come up with his own narrative and I understand that, just like the narrative that he thinks this is a witch hunt for farmers and for what people like to think of is ‘the way of Vermont.’ That’s not the way of Vermont,” Bailey said.
A violation hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday and is open to the public.