On a Derby Dairy Farm, Dreams Do Come True
July 16, 2026
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Sheena Brown is a fourth-generation dairy farmer at Skyline Holsteins in Derby. Her great-grandfather bought the farm 81 years ago.
As a child, Brown spent her days bottle-feeding lambs, walking a pet pig down the road, and following her father through the barn. She was convinced that the farm was exactly where she belonged.
Then, when she was a teenager, the family sold the dairy herd. The barn went quiet, and it seemed like her dream of farming here might disappear. But fortunately, it didn’t.
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-A Jersey cow crosses a dirt road at Skyline Holsteins in Derby.
‘The beauty of farming’
In 2015, Brown reopened the hilltop dairy, where she milks Holsteins and Jerseys.
“I think that the beauty of farming is that you get to watch things grow, whether it’s the crops or the animals or your own kids,” she says.
Today, she and her partner, Ben, are raising their three young boys on the same farm where she grew up.
“I feel like that’s probably my sole purpose is to have (my children) on the farm with me,” she adds. “I feel like it just teaches them so many things like hard work and to be resilient and patient,” she says.
-Skyline Holsteins in Derby is transitioning from a conventional dairy to an organic one.
Working Toward a Sustainable Future
Eleven years after restarting the dairy business, Brown says she always knew there would be highs and lows.
“I’m the type of person that tries not to dwell on those things because I know what I want, and I want to keep the farm going,” she says. “I don’t see myself doing anything different.”
Now the couple is taking on perhaps their biggest challenge yet. They are transitioning from a conventional dairy farm to an organic one, in hopes of creating a more sustainable farm for the future.
“I feel like we’re really proud of what we do here,” she says. “We’re taking care of our animals, taking care of our land, and making sure everything is as healthy and happy as possible.”
Learn more about Skyline Holsteins on Facebook and Instagram.
-Brown’s sons playing in the barn during milking.
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This story and podcast episode are part of a new agriculture series with funding by Vermont Dairy Farmers. Over six episodes, you’ll hear stories about local dairy farmers, their families, and communities, plus cheese makers, ice cream makers, and milk producers who are dedicated to feeding us all.
For more information about Vermont’s dairy industry, visit vermontdairy.com.
-Photos by Erica Houskeeper and David Barron