Gilfeather Turnip Festival
The Gilfeather Turnip is the Vermont state vegetable, tough skinned with strong roots and sweeter after a hard challenge (in this case a hard frost) - an apt description of Vermonters! John Gilfeather of Wardsboro, VT, developed the turnip in the early 1900s. It is thought to be a cross between a turnip and a rutabaga, with a mild, sweet and creamy flavor and texture, and long storage life. Farmer John sold his turnips in the local markets, after first cutting off the tops and roots so that no one else could reproduce them. However, a neighbor was able to retain some seeds, and after John's death, the seeds were registered as an heirloom variety, trademarked with the Gilfeather name and are now sold at several local farm stands. The Town of Wardsboro hosts an annual Gilfeather Turnip Festival, with proceeds supporting the local library. Today's beautiful fall weather yielded any excellent festival turnout, where folks enjoyed delicious soup (recipe below), viewed...
