IT ALL STARTS WITH A DREAM…

In the 2nd grade Joe told his class that when he grew up he was going to be a farmer.   In high school that dream became a reality as he raised his first herd of dairy and beef cows in Andover, MA.  When he and Annie met they worked and managed many farms in the Northern Massachusetts area before deciding that they wanted a place of their own.  As they began to explore what the northeast had to offer, they ventured into the aptly named Pleasant Valley area of Cambridge and Underhill VT.  They had just found the farm of their dreams. In the summer of 1992, with four children in tow, they began their adventure at what they appropriately named “Valley Dream Farm”.

While things have evolved quite a bit, from a dairy farm to the organic vegetable farm we are today, we still have that same love for working the land and breathing in the beauty of the valley. The Dairy barns are now used for food storage and processing, from planting seedlings and storing root crops to washing, packaging, and shipping our produce. Some of our children still work on the farm today, and others love to visit, hoping to give their children the amazing experience of being on a farm.

Where are the kids now?

Jay the oldest son, graduated from VTC with a horticultural degree and passion for designing flowers. He works at the farm and can be seen usually in the greenhouses and at farm dinners. Jay designs all of our hanging basket arrangements as well as the town planter arrangements, shown above.

Ashley, a year younger than jay, lives with her husband Craig and their daughter Chloe in Southern NH. Chloe, our first of three wonderful granddaughters, loves to visit her Grammy and Tonto on the farm, digging in the soil, jumping in puddles, and visiting the cows and chickens. While Ashley and Craig work in the technology field, they are both huge supporters of the farm and visit often.

Becky, and her partner Sean, live next door with their two daughters Norah and Georgie. Norah and Georgie, our youngest Farmettes are Farmer Joe’s right hand gals. They love helping with planting, picking and going on lots of tractor rides! Becky is part of our farm management team and in 2021, with her best friend Lucy Higgins, started a floral business called “Snaps and Sunflowers”.  We love the beauty, energy and excitement their flowers bring to the farm.  We are so excited to see them, their families & their business grow here!  Becky also helps manage our website and is our event coordinator for weddings and all other special events. Click on the picture below to be connected to their Snaps and Sunflowers website. Sean, our jack of all trades works in the graphic design field and helps with all of our brand management, labeling and signage.

Jon, our youngest, lives in Jericho, VT just a quick 15 minutes down the road. He has the best laugh and sense of humor, but definitely wishes we would stop calling him our “baby” (he’s in his 30’s). Jonny has a successful career in Auto sales but loves to come back to the farm to work and help whenever he can. He currently has chickens and provides us with fresh eggs for our farm stand. (Yumm!) He is a huge help when we need to get a big order out or need an extra hand. Jonny is a huge part of our farm family’s success.

We enjoy life on the farm and are very lucky that our growing family still likes to come together as often as our busy lives allow.

When our children came home to visit we fell in love with family dinners outside at the farm stand. We enjoyed the picturesque views, the warm breezes and most of all the laughter and company of the whole family plus any friends who were able to join. Annie shared that she wished everyone could experience this kind of happy, so she came up with a plan to make it happen, Farm to Table Dinners.

Come enjoy their farming knowledge and tales of farming life in Vermont at the farm to table dinners and events. Guests can choose to partake in activities from cutting flowers to harvesting fresh produce while enjoying this delicious agricultural experience like no other.