Stonyfield Farm Tour

Type, type, type. Delete. Type, type. Delete.

That's how writing this post has gone every time I've tried to verbalize my experience touring several of Stonyfield's organic dairy farms in breathtaking Vermont. No words seem to do it justice, but I'm hoping that between the images and descriptions, I can give you just a little {novel-length} glimpse of how spectacular this trip turned out to be.

Maybe it was the familiarity in the work ethic, family values and core beliefs of the people I met throughout the weekend that made me feel so comfortable, or maybe it was a sense of relief that there are still brands and businesses that are trying to do the right thing when everything else we hear in the media often tells us otherwise. Either way, this trip was something that I won't soon forget!

Vermont: She's a Beaut!

After flying into the Burlington airport {which currently tops the list as my favorite airport ever, so tiny and cute} on Friday afternoon, I shared a ride with a few other bloggers to our destination in Stowe, Vermont. We arrived at the charming Stoweflake Mountain Resort and Spa and I knew right then and there that there was something magical about this area. For this South Florida girl, the mountains and farmhouses along the way were enough to pique my interest since we have nothing of the like around these parts. I couldn't help myself from taking pictures every few steps!

It was such a relief to meet the others who would be sharing in this experience with me and find that they were all so sweet and friendly! I bonded right away with a few of the girls and we all went to lunch down the road from the resort at The Blue Donkey, where we chatted about our blogs, our families and of course... food! It was a great way to kick off the weekend. Before we knew it, it was time to head to our first farm stop of the tour.

Florida Girl on the Farm

Now, listen: I'm not the type to roll up my sleeves and get dirty {metaphorically maybe, but not literally}, and I'm definitely more "flipflops and frou-frou" than "farmhouse and fieldwork." So you can imagine my surprise when I found myself surrounded by cows, flies and dirt... and loving every second of it! Our tour covered 3 dairy farms, all very different from one another in terms of size, ownership and operation; but ultimately, sharing the common goal of creating a healthy, happy environment for their animals {and the land}, resulting in a superior product for market.

It was on these farms that I had my very first look at how much goes into getting Stonyfield's high quality yogurt on the shelves, and how invested the company is in making sure that they support these farms so that they never have to sacrifice their product or mission.

Kimball Brook Farm  -- North Ferrisburgh, Vermont

As I stepped off the bus and onto Kimball Brook Farm for their community Summer Supper, I felt like I had walked into a scene from a book or movie. Kids of all ages sat on hay bales, played duck-duck-goose and giggled while live music played in the distance. Families gathered around tables and enjoyed heaping helpings of hot, home-cooked meals with a farm house and milking parlor serving as the backdrop. I just stood there thinking, "Is this real life?!"

For the DeVos family, it is real life; a life they've built over the past 5 decades. Kimball Brook Farm, now owned and operated by JD & Cheryl DeVos, began its transition to an organic dairy farm in 2003, with 220 cows -- a mixture of Holsteins and Jerseys. {All equally adorable.} In an effort to financially support the farm, they opened their own creamery where they now bottle their own milk and create products to sell such as flavored milks, butter and cream.

Their Summer Suppers have become a way of inviting the surrounding community and visitors to come see their farm up close, creating a sense of kinship and a connection with their food.

Ice Cream Dreams at THE Ben & Jerry's

Each of the stops on our tour were quite a ways from our hotel, so Mairead and Liza {who were the most fantastic "tour moms" ever, by the way} kept us on a pretty strict schedule to make sure that we could squeeze everything in that was planned. It was a true surprise when we were able to make a quick pit stop at a Vermont landmark: Ben & Jerry's!

I was so full from all the nibbling I had been doing, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity for a scoop! I picked Bourbon Brown Butter because I had never seen that flavor in a store before. {Plus, bourbon.} The ice cream itself was a delight, though I wished there were less chunks {I like my ice cream on the plain side}. Sweet dreams were had that evening, for sure!

Green Wind Farm -- Enosburg Falls, Vermont

Early Saturday morning, we headed about an hour north of Stowe to Enosburg Falls {just a hop and a skip from the Canadian border.. thank you, Verizon, for reminding me with a text regarding international data charges!} for our second stop on the farm tour: Green Wind Farm.

We were greeted by farmers Julie Wolcott, Stephen MacCausland and their family {including two precious little ones who hung around and let us city folk make fools of ourselves with their cows, and a few country pups who also tolerated our presence}. Stonyfield's Kyle Thygesen {Farmer Relationship Manager} and Britt Lundgren {Director of Organic and Sustainable Agriculture} were also there to help give us the rundown on why and how they were in the process of transitioning their 25 cow farm from conventional to organic.

But while I found that the process and paperwork may be quite methodical, the care and emotion that goes into tending to the land and the animals is nothing short of a labor of love.

Julie and her family {both the human members and the bovine ones, too!} did such an amazing job of making us feel comfortable and welcome on their farm. From answering our many, many questions, {"They're all girl cows... where do the babies come from??", "Is this maple syrup or bourbon?", etc.} to indulging our curiosities by letting us come face to face with the stars of the show, there wasn't a moment when they didn't seem truly happy to teach us a little bit about what they do.

Did I mention that they invited allll of us into their home and around their table to enjoy a from-scratch breakfast made with ingredients from their very own farm?

There are really no words to explain the warmth of this family, or the simple beauty of Green Wind Farm. I think pictures do a better job, anyway.

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Lunch with a Leader

It was hard to leave Green Wind Farm and all its charm, but we had plans to meet up with someone pretty important at Positive Pie -- Stonyfield's co-founder, Gary Hirshberg. Gary pulled up a chair and chatted with our group about Stonyfield's humble beginnings as a farming school, and the growing pains they experienced before the company became what it is today. {Did you know it took 9 years for them to become profitable??}

Over a few slices of pizza, we learned about the foundations of Stonyfield's mission straight from the very impassioned co-founder, whose life's work has become a combination of entrepreneurship and ecological stewardship, along with educating the public about the importance of maintaining your rights to know what's in your food. We could have listened to Gary all day -- he had a lot to say! -- but we still had one more farm to visit... and this one was a doozy.

Wonder Why Farm -- Cabot, Vermont

If the word "farm" brings to mind pictures of old, overall-clad farmers hunched over on a milking stool, it's time to refresh your connection. Morgan and Jen Churchill are the young, technologically-advanced generation of farmers who are ushering in a new era for the future of the industry. For their family, investing in the use of a robotic milker was one way to create more "downtime", ensuring more precious moments with their young children, Nora and Sam.

In the past, milking could eat up many hours of a farmers day, hours that could be better spent tending to hundreds of other important tasks on the seemingly endless list of things to do to properly run a farm. With the use of a robotic milking system, farmers are not only able to save time, but are also better able to serve the herd.

Though you might think of robotic milking as "factory-like" or "automated", the end result is actually a more personalized experience for each cow, even allowing them to be milked at will! {I mean, they're just shy of getting hoof-icures and a personal masseuse.} When a cow enters the milking stall, a scanner identifies the cow by reading it's tag, and takes her weight, etc. as the robotic milking arm begins to search for the "target" with a camera. Once it's correctly positioned, the teats are sanitized and then the suction cups {"beakers"} attach to the cow {it doesn't hurt, I stuck my finger in one to check!} and begin milking.

Here's the cool part {as if the rest of this isn't cool enough!}: the milk from each cow is "read" by a sensor, creating a log of sorts documenting how much milk she gave, the amount of fat in the milk, etc. and is able to detect any contaminants. If something isn't right, the computer will text or email the farmer to update him about the issue {!!!}, allowing him to call on a vet if needed or monitor a cow that might not be well. This is integral in heading off any possible complications for a cow, especially in organic dairy farming where cows cannot be given antibiotics to treat illnesses.

As a reward for being milked, the cows get a little bit of {organic!} grain, which keeps them wanting to come back. Wish my washing machine would offer me a cookie every time I did a load of laundry.

Wonder Why Farm was amazing for so many reasons, starting with the obvious. I could not get over how the cows form a line and casually saunter in to be milked when they feel the need! {In case you were wondering, it kicks them out if they come back too often.} But beyond the jaw-dropping gadgetry, there is also a sense of humble, old-fashioned hard work that is clearly being instilled in the Churchill's children, who were eager to show us around or flip a switch on the milking machine when needed. Thanks to technological advances, they also have time to form friendships with their favorite cows, roll down hills and just be kids while their parents look on, knowing that their cows are in good "hands."

And as for growing the business, Morgan expressed contentment in the size and quality of their operation as it is, noting that "more" is overrated.

We Clean Up Real Nice

It is an understatement to say that we needed some freshening up after a day spent cuddling with cows. The smell of a barn really sticks! So we headed back to the hotel to get gussied up for a beautiful dinner at Michael's on the Hill.

The food was fantastic {specifically the Watermelon Panzanella and Grand Marnier ice cream atop the Rhubarb Crisp. Mmm.}, but it was bittersweet knowing that this dinner would conclude our time together. We all talked about our favorite parts of the day and shared our "aha!" moments, and then headed back for a good night's rest before going our separate ways.

One Name, Many Faces

Before this trip, I naturally reached for the Stonyfield yogurt at the grocery store because of my familiarity with the brand, but I never really thought about what that name stood for or where it came from for that matter. Now, when I see "Stonyfield", I see so much more than a brand.

I see the DeVos family inviting the community into their lives so they can understand more about their food. I see Julie and her family loving on their cows and tending to them with care. I see The Churchills watching their kids grow up and leading the way into the future of organic dairy. I see Gary, Mairead, Liza, Kyle and Britt and their commitment to this name and its mission. I see New England's beautiful landscape and warm people.

I know it may sound a bit cheesy, but this trip gave me such perspective on so many things; things that are too deep to talk about on a food blog! It's easy to get wrapped up in life and get into autopilot without taking time to think about why we choose one thing over another, but I urge you to take a moment and consider where your food comes from, who is making it, how and why. I think you'll be surprised at the connection you feel when you look beyond the exterior.

As for me, I'll still reach for Stonyfield, not because I know the label, but because I know them personally. Thanks for that opportunity, Stonyfield!

I'd love for you to "meet" my new farm tour friends! From left to right: Ann Fulton – Fountain Avenue Kitchen, Joanna Murnan – Making Mine, Jessica Morrison – 30 Something Mother Runner, Lynda McMillen – Me and My Pink Mixer, Sarah Bates – The Chef Next Door, Erin Huiatt – Midwest Mom and Wife, Ashley Covelli – Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen, Michelle Palin – My Gluten-Free Kitchen, Calley Pate – Back to Calley, Me!, Leah Segedie – Mamavation, Angela Bekkala – Happy Fit Mama, and Nicky Omohundro – Little Family Adventure

Disclosure: I was invited to participate in this all-expense paid trip as a member of Stonyfield's Clean Plate Club. As always, all opinions here are my own.