Agriculture Archives - Happy Vermont

Agriculture

  • Maple Sugaring in Johnson is a Marvin Family Tradition
    Maple Sugaring in Johnson is a Marvin Family Tradition

    Butternut Mountain is the tallest peak that falls entirely within the town of Johnson. On the mountain's southern slope, the Marvin family owns 600 acres where they produce maple syrup for their business, Butternut Mountain Farm. David Marvin started Butternut Mountain Farm in the early 1970s...

  • Where to Go During Vermont Maple Open House Weekends
    Where to Go During Vermont Maple Open House Weekends

    Vermont Maple Open House Weekends is a chance to visit sugarhouses around the state for tours, tastings, sugar-on-snow, and more. More than 75 sugarmakers around the state are opening their doors on March 25-26 and April 1-2, 2023. Find Maple Events on Happy Vermont  Vermont's maple syrup is...

  • Little-Known Vermont Winter Trails to Explore This Season
    Little-Known Vermont Winter Trails to Explore This Season

    For a small state, Vermont is big on trails. The Long Trail, Catamount Trail, and Kingdom Trails are among the state's most legendary areas for hiking, backcountry skiing, and mountain biking. Fortunately, access to Vermont winter trails can happen without going to a ski resort...

  • Best Orchards for Vermont Apple Picking
    Best Orchards for Vermont Apple Picking

    Vermont apple picking season is finally here in the Green Mountain State. Orchards around the state are ripe with McIntosh, Honeycrisp, Empire, and heirloom varieties that are ready for pick-your-own Vermont apple picking. Vermont apple orchards also host events—including live music, yoga, festivals, and cider tastings—and...

  • A Rare (and Adorable) Cattle Breed from Vermont Makes a Promising Comeback
    A Rare (and Adorable) Cattle Breed from Vermont Makes a Promising Comeback

    If you’ve ever been to the Dene Farm at Hildene in Manchester or explored Vermont’s backroads, perhaps you've come across Randall Lineback cattle. These beautiful, speckled creatures originated on a Sunderland farm formerly owned by Samuel Randall and his son, Everett Randall. When Everett Randall died...

  • Best Things to Do in Vermont in Summer: Soak Up the Outdoors, Arts and Culture
    Best Things to Do in Vermont in Summer: Soak Up the Outdoors, Arts and Culture

    Looking for things to do this summer in Vermont? Let's face it, summer in Vermont is short. Over the next three months, you can make the most of your Vermont summer by exploring swimming holes, hiking trails, bike paths, festivals, music, arts and culture. Things to Do...

  • Local, Quirky and Old School: Erskine’s Grain & Garden in Chester
    Local, Quirky and Old School: Erskine’s Grain & Garden in Chester

    Inside Erskine’s Grain & Garden, a fixture in Chester since 1952, customers will find flower seeds, chicken feed, farm tools, and everything in between. The store, started by the Erskine family, is now owned by Janessa Purney and her husband, Burleigh Sunflower. The couple, who live...

  • In Canaan, April’s Maple Embraces Food, Family and the Forest
    In Canaan, April’s Maple Embraces Food, Family and the Forest

    Vermont's maple sugaring season is short. But for April Lemay, running a maple business is a year-round, family affair. On 800 acres once owned by her grandparents, she operates April's Maple, a maple sugar farm and cafe in the small town of Canaan near the Canadian border....

  • A Family Affair at Russell Christmas Tree Farm in Starksboro
    A Family Affair at Russell Christmas Tree Farm in Starksboro

    Russell Christmas Tree Farm in Starksboro has been in business for 40 years. The family-owned farm is where visitors flock to every holiday season for Christmas trees. Dave and Janet Russell bought Russell Christmas Tree Farm from Janet’s parents in the 1970s. The farm was a...

  • The Roots of the Gilfeather Turnip Run Deep in Tiny Wardsboro 
    The Roots of the Gilfeather Turnip Run Deep in Tiny Wardsboro 

    Along a rugged dirt road in the southern Vermont town of Wardsboro is the old Gilfeather farm, where the famous Gilfeather turnip first sprouted in the early 1900s. The turnip, cultivated by farmer John Gilfeather, became the official Vermont State Vegetable in 2016. It’s celebrated every fall...