Vermont Breakfast on the Farm returned on July 12, welcoming over 800 people to Sprague Ranch in Brookfield. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the event, guests enjoyed dairy dishes from Vermont food trucks Wagyu Wagon and Chez Poutine, and embarked on a self-guided tour of the dairy farm. The event was hosted in collaboration with Art on the Farm and included live music, the World Cow, and The Arts Bus.
Since 2015, Vermont Breakfast on the Farm has connected over 16,000 people with hard-working dairy farming families who produce wholesome dairy, care deeply for their cows, and work to protect the working landscapes of Vermont.
Ten educational stations throughout the farm tour helped visitors to learn about daily life on the farm. Those stations included a look at how calves are raised, what cows eat, and what goes into producing milk before it is transported 12 miles north to Barre, where it’s processed by Booth Brothers, a subsidiary of HP HOOD. Guests also learned how farmers safeguard local waters, like the White River, with protective cover crops and toured the free-stall-barns.
“With less than 2% of the population involved in agriculture now, our consumers are more unaware of what really happens to get food from farm to tables,” said Dairy Farmer Courtney Banach, who also serves as Breakfast on the Farm Committee Co-Chair.
The Sprague Family has been dairy farming in Vermont since 1864. Today, Keith and Chelsea Sprague, Gordon Sprague, and the farm’s newest partner, Ethan Pratt, work together to make healthy and nutritious milk. Keith, Chelsea, Ethan, and Gordon have worked together over the years to grow the farm, create opportunities for future partners, and ensuring the Sprague Ranch will be a viable Dairy for generations to come.
Breakfast on the Farm is made possible with the help of over 75 volunteers and by the generous donations of agricultural businesses and organizations including Vermont Dairy Farmers, Farm Credit East, and New England Dairy.
vermontbreakfastonthefarm.com 