People may see a few postcards of Vermont and think they know everything. But I assure you, we are more than foliage, cows and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Usually we can laugh off their less than accurate perceptions, but it’s time that we set the record straight about a few things. The following are common stereotypes about Vermonters and the state itself that we feel need to be put into perspective and are intended to be entertaining. So grab your flannel, make yourself a bowl of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (topped with maple syrup), get cozy in your barn, and listen to the cows moo in the pasture while you read this. Let’s have a little fun, shall we?
- We don’t all know how to ski or snowboard.
Flickr/Eliya Selhub But those who do are usually excellent.
- We drive more things than tractors.
Flickr/Matt Zaske In addition to John Deere, Vermonters are partial to Subarus, Jeeps and pickup trucks.
- We don’t all live on dirt roads.
Flickr/Jay Parker But we sure do have a lot of them, which makes mud season that much more challenging.
- Vermont was never part of Canada.
Flickr/Axel Drainville But it was part of New Hampshire!
- We’re not all “Woodchucks.”
Flickr/Lew (tomswift) Holzman You’ll also find hipsters, flatlanders, hippies, athletes, students, yuppies, ski bums, Quebecers, snow birds, artists and farmers.
- Hippies aren’t the only type of people who live in Vermont.
Flickr/Roel Wijnants While we embrace the peace and love movement, we are definitely not all hippies.
- We weren’t all raised in a barn…
Flickr/Don Shall But some of us were! We’ve also used them for weddings, dances, animals, dairy industry, and shelter.
- Bernie Sanders is NOT a native Vermonter.
Flickr/DonkeyHotey Nowadays, people across the country associate Bernie Sanders with Vermont. But let’s remember that he was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and moved to Vermont in 1965. Which technically makes him a flatlander… Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
- We wear things other than red plaid coats.
Flickr/Ace Armstrong We may be fond of fleece and plaid, but we don’t dress like lumberjacks all the time.
- Wood burning stoves are not the only way we heat our homes.
Flickr/Riccardo Cuppini Believe it or not, Vermont has all the modern amenities you’ll find in every other state. We’re not completely rustic!
- Not everyone drops the “T.”
memegenerator.com Sure, some Vermonters have an accent, and the most commonly used example is the way we pronounce the word “mountain.” Specifically, that we make the “T” silent. Not everyone does this, but some definitely do.
- There are NOT more cows than people.
Flickr/Peter O’Connor Although per capita, Vermont does have the largest number of cows in the country (i.e. the ratio of cows to people).
- Ben & Jerry are NOT Vermonters
Flickr/Mike Mozart They started their ice cream enterprise in Vermont, but they are from New York. And they sold Ben & Jerry’s in 2000 to the British-Dutch company, Unilever.
- We don’t go cow tipping.
Flickr/Tracy Not only do we NOT do this, it’s physically impossible to tip over a sleeping cow. You’d have better luck trying to tip your Subaru. And if you don’t believe me, try tipping a 1400 pound cow and tell me what happens.
What stereotypes would you like to set straight? Let us know! Be sure to like and share and see if your friends agree.
Flickr/Eliya Selhub
But those who do are usually excellent.
Flickr/Matt Zaske
In addition to John Deere, Vermonters are partial to Subarus, Jeeps and pickup trucks.
Flickr/Jay Parker
But we sure do have a lot of them, which makes mud season that much more challenging.
Flickr/Axel Drainville
But it was part of New Hampshire!
Flickr/Lew (tomswift) Holzman
You’ll also find hipsters, flatlanders, hippies, athletes, students, yuppies, ski bums, Quebecers, snow birds, artists and farmers.
Flickr/Roel Wijnants
While we embrace the peace and love movement, we are definitely not all hippies.
Flickr/Don Shall
But some of us were! We’ve also used them for weddings, dances, animals, dairy industry, and shelter.
Flickr/DonkeyHotey
Nowadays, people across the country associate Bernie Sanders with Vermont. But let’s remember that he was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY and moved to Vermont in 1965. Which technically makes him a flatlander… Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
Flickr/Ace Armstrong
We may be fond of fleece and plaid, but we don’t dress like lumberjacks all the time.
Flickr/Riccardo Cuppini
Believe it or not, Vermont has all the modern amenities you’ll find in every other state. We’re not completely rustic!
memegenerator.com
Sure, some Vermonters have an accent, and the most commonly used example is the way we pronounce the word “mountain.” Specifically, that we make the “T” silent. Not everyone does this, but some definitely do.
Flickr/Peter O’Connor
Although per capita, Vermont does have the largest number of cows in the country (i.e. the ratio of cows to people).
Flickr/Mike Mozart
They started their ice cream enterprise in Vermont, but they are from New York. And they sold Ben & Jerry’s in 2000 to the British-Dutch company, Unilever.
Flickr/Tracy
Not only do we NOT do this, it’s physically impossible to tip over a sleeping cow. You’d have better luck trying to tip your Subaru. And if you don’t believe me, try tipping a 1400 pound cow and tell me what happens.
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