The mountains of Vermont are filled with farms of every type. Part of the joy of living in the Green Mountain State is the bounty of farm-fresh food that is available. Although the land can be cold and unyielding for 6 months or more of the year, after mud season (an additional season between spring and summer that we Vermonters have) the farmers rally and the earth bursts forth with every imaginable crop.

Last weekend, Vermont held their 3^rd annual Cheesefest. As a prelude to covering this festival, I visited several cheese farms. And from there an idea sprung forth, Farm Friday! If Twitter followers can sprinkle the hastag #FF thru tweets on Fridays then surely I can introduce you to one Green Mountain State Farm every Friday (#farmfriday- @ramblingstump).

This week’s farm, Sage Farm Goat Dairy , (2248 West Hill Rd. Stowe, VT) is located on 26 acres of woodland and pasture in Stowe. A small production farm, Sage Farm Goat Dairy has a herd of less than 20 goats and yet they produce some of the best goat cheeses I’ve had the opportunity to try. The farm is open to visitors on Mondays and Saturdays from 12-4 (April-November). Visitors can see the cheesemaking space, barns, and the goats. If you have a large group, please contact them in advance at 802.760.0943. Also, please be respectful of the fact that the farm is also the owner’s home.

That’s right- Sage Farm Goat Dairy is a small family farm. Run by two sisters who grew up a stone’s throw away from my hometown (Wilton, NH) in Keene, NH – the farm is a family affair. The sisters, along with their husband and boyfriend, run the farm and the cheesemaking operations. I arrived at the farm with my 10 month old in tow and was greeted by Katie, who led us on a little tour. One of Katie’s nieces waved shyly at the baby as we walked out to the fields to see the goats.

The farm kept three of the babies this year. Bottle-fed, they are incredibly friendly, and have a taste for shoelaces! After oohing and aahing over their cuteness, we were off to the cheesemaking room. The cheesemaking room and barn are tied into the solar panels you’ll see next to them. The farm produces about ¾ of their power from these panels.

We were able to learn about their processes and see some of their Black Madonna cheese aging.

Cheese is available for sale on the farm. Little Y picked out some chive chevre for us to take home. She seemed to enjoy the cool cement floor after our time out in the 90 degree weather.

Sage Farm Goat Dairy is definitely worth a stop if you are in the Stowe area. It is located a short and beautiful 10 minute drive from Stowe’s downtown.

For more to do in Stowe VT check out these other Traveling Mom’s takes:

Vegetarian Traveling Mom – Stowe VT for a Family Holiday

SpecialKid Traveling Mom- Stowe, Vermont: A Winter Wonderland

Traveling with Babies Mom- 8 Free things to Do in the Burlington VT Area

What do you think of visiting farms? Is it something your family would do on a vacation or closer to home?

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