The story behind Vermont’s Consider Bardwell could be the plot for a great movie. The lead characters are Russell and Angela, two New York City executives who decide in their fifties that they want to buy a farm, raise goats, and be artisan cheesemakers. The setting is a 300-acre dairy farm and cheese operation in West Pawlet, Vermont. And the twist…they had no previous farming experience.
What could have been a comedy is an inspiring story of dedication and perseverance. This is the true tale of an architect and a literary agent who pursue a dream to farm sustainably through a voluntary conservation approach, and create a unique farm-to-plate product. Their partnership with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is helping to ensure the health of the natural resources on their farm.
When the couple visited friends in Dorset, Vermont, in 2000, they were inspired to search for their own farmstead, and discovered a beautiful property straddling Vermont and their home state of New York. A short year later, they connected with local NRCS Soil Conservationist Sally Eugair to improve the farm through conservation supported by Farm Bill programs.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: USDA Blog