STARKSBORO — A Memorial Day gathering at Sentinel Farms will honor those who have served our country, including the parents of local farmer Kerry Kurt, who runs the Starksboro farm.

Kurt’s parents both served in World War II — her father, Karl Kurt, was in the Navy and her mother, Margaret Hargrave Kurt, trained as a nurse during the war.

The lessons in service she learned from her parents are ones Kurt looks to carry on, in part through her work at Sentinel Farms, a beef operation that’s also home to the nonprofit Kurt founded in 2007, Unbound Grace.

“My life is a dedication to my parents, really,” she said.

Kurt noted her parents didn’t meet until after the war. Margaret had married a childhood friend, Hank Pimm, who was killed when a Kamikaze pilot struck the boat he was on while serving in the Pacific theater of World War II. Following his death, Margaret began pursuing her nursing degree as a member of the Women’s Army Corps.

Karl completed torpedo school at the U.S. Naval Training Station in Newport, R.I., in 1943. He served on a repair boat and was injured during his time doing so.

The pair met while attending New York University, later marrying and eventually moving to Vermont. Margaret was among those to complete the first nurse practitioner’s licensure course at the University of Vermont, going on to run the infirmary at UVM for many years.

Karl spent time in the minor league baseball system and also worked as a police officer and road builder, Kurt said. He went on to get his doctorate in education and joined UVM’s development team. Karl died in 1990.

Karl and Margaret’s acts of service continued well after World War II. Both were active in their community and dedicated time to volunteering. Kurt noted her mother was still serving at a local senior center and for the Salvation Army in her 80s. Margaret died in 2023 — her birthday coincides with Memorial Day this year.

“Them having to make it through the Depression as children and then serve in World War II gave them a strong foundational, love-centered, faith base and service orientation that they passed on to their four kids,” Kurt said. “So, there’s nothing more joyful for me than to utilize the gifts I’ve been passed along to serve a sense of healing.”

That’s something Kurt aims to do at Sentinel Farms. At the beef operation, Kurt uses a method she calls retro-regenerational farming — a blend of “retro” farming practices without the use of hormones or herbicides and with the use of “regenerative” practices that work with nature rather than adding to or damaging it.

The farm also hosts several farm-based educational programs for youth, including a week-long horse and farm arts camp that runs in July and August. Unbound Grace is in the process of completing the Phoenix Rising Mechanical Arts & Welding Studio, a four-season trades classroom at the farm.

The studio was first envisioned 21 years ago and will offer a space for youth to learn entry-level trade skills, Kurt said.

“I have kids who were here with me at 5 and 6 years old … who are now 15, who are trying to figure out what it is that they want to do,” she said. “Regardless of their socioeconomic background, people are called to different gifts and arts, and the trades are arts and skills that we all need.”

As of last week, the team was working to finish insulating the ceiling of the studio. A shop door had recently been installed, and Kurt credited Pomerleau Real Estate and Limoge & Sons Garage Doors with helping button up the studio’s north wall.

The team is also busy readying for the return of Love Hamburger Wednesdays — an offering that will serve up burgers made with Sentinel Farms beef for the community starting at noon. The gatherings will continue throughout the summer and fall, with donations collected through the events supporting completion of the welding studio.

Eventually, Kurt hopes to introduce “Sentinel Saturdays,” which will welcome community members to the farm’s arena to enjoy burgers and see what youth are working on.

Though it will take place on a Monday, the Memorial Day celebration will help kickoff the Wednesday gatherings to come at Sentinel Farms, as well as offer community members an opportunity to commemorate those who have served. Kurt noted hamburgers will be offered at the farm from noon-3 p.m. on Memorial Day.

“The event is definitely dedicated to my parents and everyone from the Greatest Generation and to all of our parents who do their best to provide the best opportunities for skill building experiential learning for their children,” Kurt said of the event. “Especially to all Americans who have served our country to protect our constitution, our freedoms and our God gifted inalienable rights. May we never forget or take them for granted.”