This story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public.

FAIRLEE – Not so long ago, Jonah Richard spent his days working for a white-collar consulting firm in New York City. Now, he fills his time bopping between construction sites in the corner of Vermont where he grew up.

On a crisp fall morning, 34-year-old Richard checked in with his crew. They were putting the finishing touches on six apartments carved out of an old barn behind a general store in Fairlee, which has been in Richard’s family since the 19th century and is now owned by his cousins. To fit a bonus apartment in the basement, Richard’s crew had lifted up the barn where his uncle used to run an antique shop.

“We jacked it up a little bit and then d

See Full Page