The Vermont Sustainable Agriculture Council has announced their selection of Consider Bardwell and Wayward Goose Farms for their West Pawlet, Vermont, partnership. The award was presented by Philip Ackerman-Leist at the NOFA-VT Winter Conference on February 15 at UVM’s Davis Center.
According to Vermont Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets Chuck Ross, “The Council was impressed by the work that both partners have done to promote both sustainability and local agriculture in their area, and were glad for the opportunity to recognize some of the great local work going on in the Mettowee Valley. These farms are part of a network that also includes the Larson Farm in Wells, and are a central part of the area’s vibrant agricultural economy. ”
A nominator described Consider Bardwell’s operations:
“Spanning the rolling hills of Vermont's Champlain Valley and easternmost Washington County, New York, 300-acre Consider Bardwell Farm was the first cheese-making co-op in Vermont, founded in 1864 by Consider Stebbins Bardwell himself. A century and a half later, Angela Miller, Russell Glover, Chris Gray, and Leslie Goff are revitalizing the tradition. Angela and Russell purchased the farm in 2001 and set about restoring and improving buildings and the 300 acres of land that make up the farm. Their vision was to have a pesticide-free, environmentally friendly farm that produced cheese and meat. The accomplishments include rotational grazing on NOFA certified pesticide and fertilizer free pastures, wide buffer strips along the Indian River, livestock exclusion fencing to keep the animals out of the wetlands and streams on the property, wildlife habitat improvements including Indiana Bat summer foraging area, removed berms along the Indian River to allow access to historic floodplain for high water, organic and pesticide-free land management for water quality, and conserved 196 acres of farmland in perpetuity with NRCS.”
Another went on to talk about Wayward Goose Farm:
“Wayward (Goose) is run by Dan and Laurie Brooks and is Consider Bardwell’s "partner farm". They have Jersey and Brown Swiss cows that provide the majority of the milk for Consider Bardwell Farm cheese and they also sell raw milk. Dan is an eighth generation dairy farmer from central New York and has been farming his whole life. He is the most humble, generous, and hardest working farmer that I know. They have an incredible story of their move from their family farm in New York to West Pawlet. Their son Peter is the farm manager at Consider Bardwell and their daughter was the former manager and just started her own creamery in the Adirondacks. They are unique because they combine the new and the old … from a multi-generation conventional farm to a diversified raw milk dairy, and then passing along their passion and knowledge to their children.”
Past recipients of the Sustainable Farm of the Year award include: Harvest Hill Farm and the Northeast Regional Vermont Hospital, Post Oil Solutions, Does Leap Farm, Bakersfield; Shelburne Vineyards, Shelburne; Shelburne Orchards, Shelburne; Harlow Farm, Westminster; Intervale Community Farm, Burlington; Butterworks Farm, Westfield; Lilac Ridge Farm, West Brattleboro; and Adams Farm, Wilmington; Golden Russet Farm, Shoreham; Blue Spruce Farm, Bridport, Someday Farm in East Dorsett, La Platte River Angus, Shelburne and Choiniere Family Farm, Highgate.
The Vermont Sustainable Agriculture Council was established in 1990 by the Vermont legislature to promote research and education that will encourage the development and use of economically and ecologically sound sustainable agriculture practices. Members include the Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, and leaders from UVM’s Extension and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Green Mountain College, K-12 education, non-profit, and agriculture sectors.
Administrative support is provided by the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Established in 1994, the Center provides timely information to Vermont communities and the UVM campus. The Center cultivates partnerships, supports innovative research and practices, and informs policy to advance sustainable food and farming systems.