The Farm Team
Adam Wilson and Corie Pierce are the farm owners and operators. They met in 2005 when they were both attending the UC Santa Cruz Organic Farm & Garden Apprenticeship. Right away, they knew they could work together to create a working farm that served the land, the plants and animals, and the community as a whole. Over the next several years, they stayed in touch while pursuing different farming endeavors, and when the time was right, they came back together in 2009 to buy the former Leduc Farm in Shelburne/South Burlington to create their dream farm together! Each with their own family, the Bread & Butter Farm team consists of Adam and his partner Erik Weil and Corie and her partner Chris Dorman, son Henry, and now Samantha born in April 2011.
Videos
April 15, 2011Just moments after the birth of Annette.
The Bread and Butter Story - Episode 1
This is a collage of pics and videos from out first few months on the farm.
About Us
We are two families who have come together to create a community farm. We grow and raise a diverse selection of products that we believe are our staples for ourselves and the customers we serve. We are committed to raising and growing animals and plants in the most natural way we know, focusing on health from the soil up. We produce for sale whole grain, naturally fermented German breads (baked on farm in our wood-fired oven), fresh, creamy raw milk, 100% grass-fed beef, a diverse array of nutrient packed greens (year round), and pasture-raised pork.Our farm store is open daily, year round and many of our customers enjoy coming for our products but also to visit with the animals, walk around the gardens, and just enjoy being on a working farm. We encourage customers to truly get to know the land, animals, plants, and farmers responsible for producing the healthy food they are eating!
In addition to running a productive, diverse farm, we are beginning to host community events. Corie’s partner, Chris Dorman, hosts a monthly concert series called Silo Sessions in the bakery. These concerts create an intimate “listening room” where local and regional musicians bring music and culture to our farm. The Silo Sessions have allowed us, the farmers, to consciously pause, connect, and celebrate our vibrant local music culture. We love bringing our community together for reasons other than just food! We also have plans to host more workshops and activities in the future. Stay tuned!
Farm History
Bread & Butter Farm was started in October 2009. Corie and Adam purchased the farm from the Leduc Family who had put the farm into a conservation easement through the Vermont Land Trust. Corie and Adam’s proposal to purchase the farm was chosen by the Land Trust in August of 2009 and they closed on the farm in September 2009.
The Leduc Family owned the farm for over 100 years prior to Corie and Adam. Until 2004, Maurice Leduc operated a dairy business at the farm. He had taken over the business from his father. Maurice and his 4 siblings all still live on Cheesefactory Road and provide Corie and Adam with constant support and guidance as they have taken over operations at the farm. You’ll likely see Maurice on his tractor helping Adam with projects around the farm. Any excuse to get Maurice on the tractor and he is usually up for it!
When Corie and Adam purchased the Leduc Farm, they knew they needed to get the bakery and farm store up and running as quickly as possible. That fall and winter, they quickly put together plans to convert a portion of the barn into the bakery and farm store. The first step was to convert part of the old dairy barn cow stalls into a clean, insulated bakery space. That winter, they ripped out the old stalls, pulled out the old concrete floor, and transformed a 36x30ft space into the future bakery and farm store. They worked with mason William Davenport to design and build the bread oven. The bread oven at Bread & Butter Farm has a hearth that is 6ftx9ft and is surrounded by up to 2 ½ ft of insulation. William and Adam worked from March – April to build the oven. Simultaneously, Erik was leading the renovation of the rest of the bakery and farm store – new windows, wiring, plumbing, insulation, etc. Since early May, we have been open for business!
Adam Wilson
Adam decided few years back that he had to focus his farming and food interests on cows and bread. With four years of farming apprenticeship training and three years of bread baking experience under his belt, he traveled to Germany in the winter of 2007, where he studied traditional bread baking techniques, dairy cow husbandry, and cheese making. Returning home, he built two bread ovens in two years, selling bread first at the Norwich Farmer’s Market, and then the Burlington Farmer’s Market. He began to build his herd, starting with his first Jersey Cow, Marilyn and heifer calf Rachel.
Corie Pierce
Corie began farming as a teenager in New Hampshire on Barker’s Farm in Stratham, NH. It was supposed to be just a summer job, but she fell in love with the work – growing food, being outdoors, running a family business, interacting with the community, the teamwork to run a successful farm, etc. She knew it would become part of her livelihood eventually! She also loved teaching and working with kids and people. So, the vision of a community farm that also engaged people by sharing with them where food comes from and connecting people back to the food they are eating and how it is produced became a goal for her. In 2005, Corie and Adam met in California at the UC Santa Cruz Farm and Garden Apprenticeship. It was there where the two began discussing ideas of this “community farm” and combining their passions and vision for a farm. After a wonderful stint in Michigan co-managing the Michigan State University Student Organic Farm and developing and teaching in their Apprenticeship, Corie moved back home to New England with her partner, Chris Dorman, and their son Henry, to collaborate with Adam to begin their farm.Corie and Adam found out about the Leduc Farm preservation led by the Vermont Land Trust and submitted their proposal to buy the farm. In August of 2009, they were selected to buy the farm and in September 2009 they purchased the farm and launched their dream. Corie continues to teach for another year and a half at Sterling College while working on the farm on weekends. As of January 2011, Corie joined Adam full time on the farm helping to grow the vegetable production on the farm and to expand the dairy operation. Together, Corie and Adam are building all production areas of the farm – the bakery, the meat, the dairy, and the veggies and are excited to grow their dream of creating their family farm and community farm!
Chris Dorman
Corie’s partner, Chris Dorman, is a folk musician and he will be bringing music to the farm! His work is rooted in community building. Starting with The Silo Sessions, our monthly concert series in the Winter and Fall, and continuing with music at Burger night through the Summer, Chris will work to facilitate events at the farm that support the growth of culture and connection on the farm. Since the birth of Corie and Chris’s son Henry, Chris has taken on the daytime caregiver role for him and is continuing to do so with their daughter born in April. He fills naptimes and late nights with music rehearsals, and concerts, as well as odds and ends for the farm. He organizes Bread and Butter Farm’s monthly publication, The Moosletter, and will be working on the farm more and more so both Corie and he can spend more time with their family. Long term ideas include the development of Kid’s Music Classes, private lessons, workshops, and day camps.Visit Chris' official web site
Please join us for a special evening with Jazz/Blues slide guitarist and songwriter, Luke Winslow King, on tour from New Orleans.
