It’s impossible to drive through Vermont’s Route 22A corridor without thinking about the hardworking farmers who call this part of the Green Mountain State home. Dairy farms line both sides of the scenic route, with Holsteins and Jerseys lining barns and spilling out into pastures. It is the quintessential Vermont.

Bridport, Vermont, is home to Sunderland Farm. They’ll be hosting Vermont Breakfast on the Farm on August 5. The town itself is just 46 square miles with a population of just over 1,200 people. In Bridport, there are more cows than people. The southern shores of Lake Champlain are in Bridport, which is why dairy farmers in this region make sustainability a top priority.

Sunderland Farm has been caring for the land since the mid-19th century, when sheep grazed their pastures. A sixth-generation dairy farm, Sunderland Farm was originally purchased in 1860 and was home to Merino sheep. The farm made the switch from sheep to dairy in the late 1800s.

The farm continued to pass through the generations until it reached Harold and Larry Sunderland’s parents, Lyle and Grace. Brothers Harold and Larry purchased the farm from their parents in 1977 and established Rolling Acres Farm. In 2015, after working on the farm for several years, Larry’s son, Robert (Bob), expressed interest in becoming an owner. He bought out his father’s half of the herd, and Robert and Bob formed a new corporation known as Sunderland Farm Inc. Sunderland Farm currently leases the land, buildings, and some of the machinery from Rolling Acres. This is just one example of how farmers are finding ways to transition farm ownership from one generation to the next, ensuring they’ll continue to produce nutritious milk for many years to come.

Like most small dairy farms, Sunderland Farm is a family affair. Larry still works as a employee of Sunderland Farm. Other family members who work on the farm include his twin sister, Linda Forbes, who has worked on the farm since her brothers formed their partnership in 1977. She does field work and calf barn chores daily. Harold’s wife, Margaret, milked twice a day with Harold for 25 years before stepping aside in 1991 when Bob became a member of the milking team. Today, she does the farm records and cleans the robot barn daily. Bob’s wife, Nancy – a former U.S. Marine truck driver – drives the tractor during harvest season. The seventh generation of Sunderland Farm, including Bob and Nancy’s daughter, Vanessa, are also stepping in to help on the farm, working with calves and the young stock. The Sunderland’s consider their longtime employees part of their farm family too. Herdsman Steve Norris has worked on the farm for 15 years. He also does field work during harvest time. Bryan Ashley Selleck has worked on the farm for 10 years doing field work and barn chores.

Sunderland Farm was named the 2020 Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year. They milk over 200 cows, shipping to the Dairy Farmers of America Cooperative in St. Albans, Vermont. The Sunderland’s have invested in ongoing measures to improve cow comfort, including computer-assisted robotic milkers, robotic barn cleaners and feed pushers, rotary brushes, cyclone fans, barn curtains, and more. Each robot can milk 60 cows each day, supporting Sunderland Farm’s 240-cow milking herd. The farm collects recycling from residents at the local transfer station, shreds it, and mixes it with bedding materials to provide a comfortable place for cows to rest.

The Sunderland’s take pride in caring for their more than 800 acres of land, planting no-till and low-till corn and seed winter rye as a fall cover crop in their cornfields. These practices improve soil health and prevent nutrient run-off into waterways. Learn more about how farmers are taking care of the environment.

Photo Credit: Peggy Manahan/UVM Extension