Vermont Travel Notes

When I was in college I worked at a pharmacy. One of the funniest (to a 20 year old) products at the store was something called Bag Balm . The pharmacist told me it was developed to keep the skin on cow udders moist so they would not become so dry and chapped that the cow would find milking painful. And the pharmacist also told me it was the best skin moisturizing product even though it cost far less than the upscale cosmetic creams the pharmacy also carried.

Bag Balm was not that well known back then but it is today, and it is still made in Lyndonville Vermont by The Dairy Association. The Dairy Association founded the business in 1889. Bag Balm became known nationally when famous reporter Charles Kuralt featured it on his television news series “On the Road” and in his 1985 book.

Bag Balm is great for hands dried by winter weather and it helps year around for cuts, scratches, skin irritations. Dog owners, groomers, and veterinarians use it on paw abrasions, and you will usually find it on farms where it is used on all types of animals.

The Dairy Association also makes products for horse hooves and leather goods but they will always be best know for that funny-sounding but great-working product called Bag Balm.

Interesting side note: The Dairy Association has been headed by only three people in its 118 year history and only four secretaries (or administrative assistants, as they are called today).

The Dairy Association's town of Lyndonville is a nice place to visit. It is located in the Northeast section of the state known as the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont's most rural and least populated area.

Lyndonville is one of three villages that comprise Lyndon. The other two are Lyndon and Lyndon Center. Yes, I know it's goofy but that type of arrangement is common in Vermont.

The town of Lyndon had already been organized 75 years before Lyndonville was built in 1866 to serve as a major railroad center, making it Vermont's only railroad-built town. Today the population is about 5,500, not one of whom has dry skin.

Vermont's best known brand? Ben & Jerry's ice cream, naturally!

(c) 2007 Jeff Connor