Green Acres Farm & Creamery

The Land

A turn-key operation as partner in a value-added, 96 acre, rotational grazing & purchased-feed dairy farm & creamery, producing unique yogurt from a herd of 20 Jerseys, selling in seven Upper Valley markets. Rt.14 farm store also sells raw milk.

This landowner is a

Private non-farming landowner

Quality of land

The farm includes approximately 20 acres of prime ag soils along Second Branch below barn (largely Winooski very fine sandy loam floodplain) and approximately 25 acres of statewide soils (largely Buckland loam of various slopes). All wetland and riparian acres have been fenced off. All currently used pastures have high tensile perimeter fence through a USDA grant, which in future years will include restoring former, poorer quality pastures. This grant, and a state grant for water system (tubs and temporary fencing to create paddocks), requires high intensity rotational grazing management. No chemicals applied for > 5 years, but the prime soil pastures are heavily infested w Canadian thistle.

Enrolled in Current Use

Yes

Protected with conservation easement

Conservation easement with OPAV

Conservation easement details

Vermont Land Trust (with VHCB involved) holds an OPAV level conservation easement on the property. There are no reserved housing rights and the majority of the farmstead complex land not built upon is actually pasture and not flat land easily available for building expansion. The easement includes a significant-habitat, fenced, Riparian Buffer through the flats and one unfenced one on the small stream descending the west parcel. The major stream cutting through the farm must be allowed to flow wherever floods take it over time. Farm also subject to 10 year CREP grant for intensive grazing and has started a 20-year grant for high tensile fencing and pasture reclamation, not yet all installed.

Current forest management plan

Yes

Certified or qualified organic

No

External map links

View Location on Google Maps • View Soil Info on VT Natural Resources Atlas • View Atlas Tutorial

Farm Information

Farmer housing

Yes

Farmer housing details

The farmhouse is a three unit apartment which needs extensive renovation, which the landowner will be undertaking. One apartment is in fair condition in terms of repair, painting and quality but heating is currently inadequate as the wood stove would have to be removed if non-family used the apartment. It is currently used by my daughter, and has traditionally been the farm operator's housing. One upstair apartment, also of fair condition, will be rented on September 1. The third apartment is only in poor condition even though it is the largest of the apartments. The expectation is that the new operator will live in one of the apartments, but details determined once operator needs are known.

Water source for farm use

Available

Type of water source

Shallow well or spring reservoir, River/stream

Water source details

There are two developed springs on the property; all water to the intensive rotational grazing pastures, house and barn are high-pressure, gravity-fed from the main spring. This is located at the eastern end of the property in the stream along Dug Out road. All piping, up to a distribution system of valves just before the farmstead complex, was replaced in the early 2000s. A secondary poor yield spring serves the upper pastures on the east. During the driest years water from the Second Branch flowing through farm is pumped into the lower pasture water tanks to save spring water for the main pasture, barn, creamery, house and cattle waterer on the western parcel.

Farm infrastructure

Barn/farm buildings
Fencing
Roadways
Electricity/power

Description of farm infrastructure

A 50 cow tie-stall barn with functioning gutter chain and gravity flow into concrete manure tank. Operational milk pipeline with new 60 gal. and old, not operating 500 gal. bulk tanks. Barn exterior newly repaired & painted. 2500 sq. ft. metal machinery shed is across the highway, as is an old milk house that is a farm store with display cooler. Near the barn is a compost bin, sawdust shed and the creamery, which is a 20 ft. shipping container with entry structure for storage, refrigerator, and a new walk in cooler (needs paint and shelving). Creamery is state inspected; includes vat pasteurizer, chiller, sinks, butter churn, food warming cabinet and possibly a separator. Calf hutches.

Access to equipment

Available

Equipment details

For Lease: Old but functional PTO emergency generator. 6X6 Ranger. Trash pump and piping for stream water removal. All creamery equipment. Barn front-load washing machine, not yet installed. All milk house equipment. Feed wagons.

Expectation is new operator will have their own small tools and tractor, though barn will have some non-machine tools and items normally associated with dairy herd like halters/collars, scrapers, birthing chain, fencing supplies etc. Negotiation will clarify what is included and what is not. Landowner has additional equipment which under some conditions might be available, but no commitment is being made now.

Tenure Arrangement

Business partnership

Tenure arrangement details

Looking for couple w/7+ yrs dairy experience who will immediately step into a turn-key, operating business that my daughter has been running for the past 5 years. This is a value-added on-farm operation, currently producing plain and cardamom ginger yogurt under the Green Acres Farm and Creamery brand, with placement in 7 area markets and a successful farm store outlet that includes raw milk. New operator would purchase the current Jersey herd of 8 milkers, 4 dry cows, and 8 heifers and a 50% partner position in the existing operating LLC; with low monthly lease of real estate and infrastructure, not including house, from me, as owner of the real estate. Business covers electricity costs.

Additional Information

My daughter and I, along with early help from my son and a willing prior landowner, built an operating dairy farm and a small business selling yogurt, butter and raw milk. While circumstances changed I am still committed to help young people stay in Vermont dairy, and will continue support of the farm with a new operator (2 people needed). Stable sales not yet profitable, but with marketing & rapid expansion should create income for operator. Excess milk currently produced so no herd expansion needed at outset. New operator will need VT Milk Handler License and start October 15, 2026 (& overlap with my daughter from October 1). Separator & creamery floor repair & winter feed first priority.