A Sustainable, Ethical and Principled America

I am just dreaming about a future America….

Ethical Leadership, Intelligent Policy, and a Fact-Based Future to Create a Resilient, Respected, Prosperous, Strong, Sustainable, and Principled America

America remains a moral and strategic leader without overreach, balances security with economic sustainability, and promotes a society that values opportunity, responsibility, and innovation. Reinforces global stability, fiscal discipline, and national unity while avoiding ideological extremes.

America leads with strength, wisdom, and compassion—balancing global influence with responsible governance at home. 

  • Ethical Leadership: Acting with integrity, fairness, and respect for human dignity in domestic and international policy. 
  • Principled Governance: Upholding democracy, free markets, and the rule of law while avoiding ideological extremes. 
  • Compassionate Solutions: Supporting opportunity and economic mobility while ensuring a strong but limited safety net. 
  • Intelligent, Fact-Based Decision-Making: Using science, data, and economics—not ideology—to guide policy. 
  • Long-Term Sustainability: Ensuring national security, fiscal responsibility, and economic competitiveness for future generations.

The U.S. is a force for stability, innovation, and responsible leadership—both at home and abroad.

  1. Supporting Global Democracy Without Overextension
    1. Diplomatic & Economic Strength: Prioritize economic and institutional support for democratic allies rather than military intervention. 
    2. Strategic Foreign Aid: Focus on self-sufficiency programs—energy, infrastructure, and education—rather than dependency.
    3. Targeted Military Support: Provide defensive aid to key democracies but avoid unnecessary U.S. troop deployments.
  1. Strengthening Influence and Leadership in the Western Hemisphere
    1. Economic & Energy Integration: Strengthen trade and energy partnerships with Latin America and Canada to reduce external influence from China, Russia, and Iran.
    2. Countering Authoritarian Influence: Use economic, intelligence, and cyber tools to prevent adversarial encroachment in the region. 
    3. Migration Stabilization: Invest in Central American economic and security programs while securing the border and enforcing legal immigration.
  1. Avoiding Costly Conflicts While Deterring Adversaries
    1. Russia: Reinforce NATO without provocation; counteract Russian energy leverage. 
    2. China: Compete economically and militarily while avoiding an ideological Cold War. 
    3. North Korea: Strengthen regional defense while keeping diplomatic channels open. 
    4. Iran: Prevent nuclear proliferation through sanctions, counterterrorism, and strategic diplomacy.
  1. Military Strength Without Overreach
    1. High-Tech Defense Investment: Prioritize AI, cyber warfare, and autonomous weapons to maintain strategic superiority.
    2. Selective Force Projection: Maintain global naval and air power without excessive ground troop commitments.
    3. Nuclear & Missile Defense: Modernize nuclear deterrence and strengthen missile defense against emerging threats.
  1. Energy Independence & Strategic Resources
    1. Domestic Energy Security: Ensure long-term energy independence through a balanced mix of fossil fuels, nuclear, and renewables.
    2. Critical Resource Supply Chains: Reduce dependence on China for rare earth minerals, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals through domestic production and allied partnerships.
  1. Economic Competitiveness & Innovation
    1. Revitalizing U.S. Manufacturing: Incentivize reshoring of critical industries (e.g., semiconductors, defense, healthcare) to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains.
    2. AI & Technological Leadership: Lead in AI, quantum computing, and biotech to maintain global competitiveness.
  1. Efficient, Effective Government
    1. Regulatory & Bureaucratic Reform: Streamline government while maintaining necessary protections
    2. AI & Automation in Governance: Use technology to cut waste and improve service delivery
    3. Fiscal Responsibility: Control deficits through smarter spending, entitlement reform, and tax simplification.
  1. Entitlement & Social Security Reform
    1. Actuarial-Based Adjustments: Gradually raise the retirement age for younger generations, means-test benefits, and ensure long-term solvency.
    2. Healthcare Cost Control: Use market-based reforms to lower costs, increase transparency, and promote innovation.
    3. Workforce Participation Incentives: Reform welfare to encourage work while maintaining a safety net for those truly in need.
  1. A Balanced Social Model (Pragmatic, Not Ideological)
    1. Opportunity-Driven Social Policy: Promote economic mobility through strong education, job training, and business-friendly policies.
    2. Traditional Values with Flexibility: Support family stability, community responsibility, and self-sufficiency while respecting individual freedoms.
    3. No Ideological Overreach: Reject forced cultural engineering (left or right); focus on competence, merit, and personal responsibility.
  1. Border Security & Immigration Reform
    1. Strict Border Enforcement: Use technology, manpower, and streamlined policies to secure the border effectively.
    2. Path to Citizenship (For Those Who Follow the Rules): Offer a structured, merit-based path to legal status for long-term undocumented residents who meet criteria (e.g., no criminal record, tax contributions, language proficiency).
    3. Intelligent Guest Worker Program: Create a flexible, employer-driven system for legal guest workers, reducing illegal labor demand while protecting American workers. 
    4. End Exploitation Loopholes: Crack down on visa overstays and human trafficking while ensuring fair treatment of legal immigrants.
  1. Education & Workforce Development
    1. Education Reform for Competitiveness: Align education with economic needs by promoting STEM, vocational training, and apprenticeships.
    2. Higher Education Accountability: Address student debt inflation by tying loan programs to degree value and employability.
    3. National Service Incentives: Encourage civic or military service in exchange for educational benefits, fostering national unity and workforce readiness.
  1. Law & Order Without Overreach
    1. Smart Criminal Justice Reform: Balance law enforcement strength with judicial efficiency—prevent over-policing but maintain order.
    2. Cybersecurity & Digital Crime Prevention: Strengthen protections against cyber threats, digital espionage, and AI-driven fraud.
  1. Space & Strategic Global Presence
    1. Space Dominance & Commercialization: Ensure U.S. leadership in space exploration and commercial space industries to counter Chinese ambitions
    2. Arctic & Maritime Influence: Expand Arctic and Pacific naval capabilities to protect U.S. interests in contested waters.
  1. Strengthening the U.S. Dollar & Financial Leadership
    1. Debt & Inflation Control: Ensure sound monetary policy to maintain the dollar’s global reserve currency status.
    2. Blockchain & Digital Currency Strategy: Develop a U.S.-led digital currency framework to prevent authoritarian regimes from undermining the global financial system.

Why Not?

John Gebbie – Ayrshire, Scotland

The following excerpt from “The History of Greensboro The First Two Hundred Years” reveals some of the history of the Bayley-Hazen Farm. “M. Stone” below refers to Mary Rhodes Stone, wife of Sydney Stone who purchased this land and built the current home.

The Gebbie and McLellan families were among the more prominent citizens of Greensboro and closely in-tertwined through marriage. John Gebbie came from Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1832, locating in the western part of town [now M. Stone]. Five of his children continued to live in Greensboro. John McLellan came in 1850 and settled on what is now [1990] the Gebbie farm. He had six children. One daughter, Mary Anne, married Thomas Gebbie, son of John Gebbie, and another daughter, Martha, married Thomas’s brother, James. Thomas and Mary Annesettled on the McClellan farm and had two sons, Foster and Alpha.

Sterling College Sheep Grazing Plan

The team from Sterling College developed a sheep plan for the property. We are now looking for farming partners.

Summary

The current land status has several beneficial qualities as well as some drawbacks. A majority of the land is open on rolling hills, while another portion of the land is situated across East Craftsbury Road and is mostly wooded. The site includes multiple water sources; a pond located to the east of the road, and a stream cutting through the edge of the property, just to the south of the pond and east of the road. The land has been brush hogged regularly in the past several years, making its quick utility relatively easy. However, the land does present several challenges, all of which can be overcome. The challenges include poorly drained soil areas, and lower fertility, as conifer seedlings were heavily abundant. The plan includes sections that thoroughly address specific strategies for overcoming each issue.

upper-section-BHF lower-section-BHF

Recommendation Summary

During the initial period, complete a grazing system and implement a small sheep operation on farm pastures.  All head would be sold live to limit processing costs and transportation expenses.  The lambs could be sold to competitors or at live meat markets in the area.

The team suggested that the amount of management at the recommended level would suit the desired time and resource inputs. If Bayley Hazen, through market changes or ownership, wishes to seek out a different product, the team also recommends a wool production system to sell fiber.  In that event, we would recommend purchase of a different breed of sheep, such as American Blackbelly or American Jacob. Within a different production setting, another option available for consideration is to add in a breeding program to sustain flock numbers.

Field Survey

Below is a listing of the principal plant species that were identified in the field found on the west side of east Craftsbury Road. The order listed below does not reflect density, nor is it exhaustive.

  • White clover
  • Red clover
  • Bedstraw
  • Kentucky bluegrass
  • Meadow foxtail
  • Dandelion
  • Hairy vetch
  • Orchard grass
  • Conifer seedlings
  • Galinsoga

 

Species identification also took place in field 2, an open area on the east side of East Craftsbury Road. The order listed below does not reflect density, nor is it exhaustive.

  • Meadow foxtail
  • Red clover
  • White clover
  • Queen Anne’s lace
  • Conifer seedlings
  • Orchard grass
  • Fescue
  • Perennial ryegrass
  • Dandelion
  • Bedstraw
  • Lambsquarter
  • Mustard

Analysis

Many of the species collected and identified were indicators of low soil fertility and high acid content in soils. With the implementation of a rotational grazing system however, soil fertility will slowly begin to improve as organic matter and soil microbiology levels will increase as long as grazing is practiced. Additionally, high moisture levels were found in many of the farm pastures, which can be directly correlated to several of the species present, and to the highly acidic soil conditions. 

Grazing Plan

In order for the proposed Bayley Hazen Farm project to be successful a detailed grazing plan must be in place. The plan calls for utilizing the pastures nearest to the guesthouse, primarily because of the soil conditions. The total piece of land that is useable for grazing is six acres and primarily on hill slopes. Despite several contours that could present difficulties in infrastructure installation, the selected land presents the highest potential for high quality forage production, leading to the highest quality meat.

The plan calls for lambs to be bought in and for the operation to primarily take the form of a meat finishing business. Sheep will be bought in during the month of May at six months old and 80 lbs. and will be taken to slaughter in November, with a targeted weight of 125 lbs. The goal is for sheep to maintain a modest average daily gain (ADG) in lbs. throughout the grazing season. Several factors play into the exact science of how this will be achieved, such as weight gain targets, forage species and production, time of the summer, grazing habits, and pasture management. But each of these factors is easily overcome able, and are outlined in depth throughout the grazing plan.