Not long after I moved to Vermont , I began to realize what being in Vermont meant .
Not just cows and quiet , syrup and lots of trees , but an embrace of community . And accessibility . I could ask a neighbor for a jump start on my snow-covered car . I could call the Governor and ask for advice . I had a cocoon of help and support and kindness .
As we considered this series - about people who thrive , grow and succeed in Vermont - we knew the stories are not just about business or money , but a love story . The interweaving of a person with an idea , a mission , and how Vermont plays such a vital role in the process .
— Margot Zalkind Mayor
I
had never noticed this narrow dirt road before . I climbed the steep hill , through deep woods and not much else , and suddenly many soulful big eyes were sizing me up as I came upon the goats crowding the fence to see who was arriving . Some were more interested than others , a few plainly didn ’ t care . The grass held much more promise than I .
As soon as I entered the multi-level , huge , old barn , the smell washed over me , quietly nostalgic and sweet : Old hay , animals , and floorboards worn down over many years by hooves and boots . The dark ( now-empty ) horse stalls open up to a pristine white office at the back of the barn , the hub of the business of Big Picture Farm .
Big Picture Farm is a small goat dairy and farmstead / confectionery / creamery in Southern Vermont , started in 2010 by Louisa Conrad and Lucas Farrell . Their award-winning caramels and farmstead cheeses are made with goat ’ s milk from their visibly happy and healthy herd . These goats smile .
Weaving their art into everything they do was evident the minute I started to learn about Big Picture Farm . The website has lively , playful goat drawings by Louisa and heart-wrenching tear-filled odes to beloved , bygone goats by Luke .
There are luminescent museum-quality photographs of shimmering goats . And of course , every goat has a personality and a name . June Bug and Queens , Brooklyn and Annabelle , their names as diverse as the goats ’ personalities themselves .
The creativity is evident in their lives , their environment , and their business . Mixing business and farming , life and community and generosity all take energy and time and good hearts . That shows everywhere here .
These two magical , gifted artists run a business with a skill that would put many air traffic controllers to shame . Posted just inside the barn ’ s wagon-size doors , is a daily whiteboard to-do list that made me dizzy .
As they put it , “ Feed the animals , shlep the water , set up new pastures , milk , make the caramel , age the cheese , muck , clean forever , hurry up , repeat . Then repeat again before going to bed .”
They noted , “ If it wasn ’ t for YouTube videos , a shared pastoral romanticism , and online goat forums , I ’ m quite sure we would have folded long ago . The stress of it all — the sheer physical and emotional exhaustion it dished out — was real . By afternoon / evening chores , one felt damn weary .”
VTMAG . COM FALL 2021 17