and roughly one week to fully
assemble the structure on the building
site. Our business is all word of mouth,
and we’re really taking off now.”
Working Together,
Staying Together
The Aakjars are a refreshing throwback
to another era, embracing traditional
practices and skills learned from their
forebears. Canning and preserving.
Hand-joined timber-frame construction.
Raising heritage livestock and living
together as three generations on one fam-
ily homestead. “It took a long time for us
to get where we are,” Melissa reflects. “It
was a real struggle at first because all the
capital went into the land. We’re finally at
a sustainable level and making a living.
Fortunately, we all love manual work, and
in turn, we can enjoy the benefits of this
rural lifestyle and economy. My brothers
and I definitely butt heads at times, but
we all have the same vision, work ethic,
and dedication to family.”
All in the Family: Melissa and brothers, Lucas (center) and Dylan, pose with
her after working on a project. They started their construction company in 2016.
Fred Aakjar would be pleased.
Oak Summit Farm
(802) 325-2774
oaksummitfarmvt.weebly.com
To learn more about
Pitchfork Preserves:
pitchforkpreserves.com
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