Nikolai Pughe, CVU grad, receives award from VT Land Trust
Nikolai Pughe, “can’t be cooped up all day,” so he works outside. Courtesy photo.
A strong connection and love of farming has always been second nature to Nikolai Pughe of Charlotte. The Vermont Land Trust noticed this and chose him, among a handful of others, for the Land Stewards Award this year, along with a check for $250.
Pughe recently graduated from Champlain Valley Union High School and is continuing to work on a nearby hay farm.
Pughe was honored to be recognized, saying, “I like doing the work, and people are actually seeing what I do and appreciating it. It makes me feel really good.”
Ever since he was a little kid, Pughe would miss being outside and staying active. The thought of having a desk job never appealed to the hands-on approach Pughe had learned to love.
He said, “I can’t be cooped up inside all day, I can’t stay in an office; just hanging out outside makes me feel like I’m at home.”
Pughe was put to work at The Center for Technology with his instructor and mentor Brian Japp. When describing his duties, Pughe said, “I was out in the woods cutting down trees, I was doing anything outside; I was doing logging, mowing, you name it.”
Pughe takes great pride in his job – “I think the most rewarding thing out of it is the amount of respect we get from all the work we do. We’re out there working hard, and people respect that we do it. And we’re doing everything we can to get it right.”
Farming isn’t something the average person can pick up and do on a whim. A foundation for the career must be slowly built and cultivated. Pughe knows this better than anyone, and he even had some advice for anyone thinking about going into a career in agriculture.
He said, “don’t rush into things. Just take your time. You know, you may not want to wait, but waiting and doing it right the first time, so you’re not wasting your time, is key.”
Pughe is an advocate for local farming and is proud to be a part of the industry. He has worked at his local hay farm for about 3 years now, and with time comes experience and wisdom:
“Farming is an opportunity to save a lot of land, to actually make sure it’s being used, so it’s not getting burnt down and cut for no reason,” he said.
A strong support system has allowed Pughe to pursue his dreams and attack his goals. Pughe has the most important people he needs in his corner: his parents. He said, “my parents certainly have encouraged me, they think I’ve done a great job at the farm.”
Pughe also credited Brian Japp as one of his main influences and role models. Pughe said, “my boss, he knows that I know what I’m doing. He wants all of us out there as brothers.”
Pughe has many hobbies and passions, one of which got him second place in a tractor driving competition. During his junior year, he placed over 13 different schools.
“I’m proud of myself, it went a lot better than I thought it would. I’m used to backing in wagons now, because I work at a farm. All I did was take my time.”
Planning for the future can be a stressful process for new high school graduates, but Pughe isn’t worried. He admitted that he always wanted to be a truck driver, but as of now his plans are geared towards building his own business.
“For now, I think I’m just going to work for someone else, just until I get the hang of things, and then I might be able to own my own business soon,” he said.
