Armstrong Farm

Location Pownal, VT
Acreage 272
Protected Since 2004

Stop in, stock up, and savor the spirit of Vermont

The historic, family-run Armstrong Farm has been a fixture of the Bennington area since 1868, thanks to a generational farming legacy and fertile cropland. Swing by the farmstand on Route 7 for fresh vegetables, sweet corn, maple syrup, and pumpkins of every shape and size. It’s always worth the time to stop in for a warm welcome and a delicious slice of Vermont’s working landscape.

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A taste of Vermont

Pumpkins, produce, and a roadside tradition

Come fall, Armstrong Farm is hard to miss. Drive along Route 7 in Pownal and you’ll see pumpkins spelling out “VERMONT” in front of a classic farmhouse — a cheerful invitation to stop and explore. The farmstand is a seasonal favorite, offering pumpkins of every shape and size: tiny gourds, multicolored beauties, pie pumpkins, and jack-o-lantern-ready giants.

The bounty doesn’t end with pumpkins. Throughout the growing season, the farmstand is stocked with fresh vegetables, sweet corn, squashes, local honey, and maple syrup.

From fire pits to sugarhouses: a sugaring legacy

When the last pumpkin is sold and winter begins to settle in, the Armstrong Farm family turns their attention to maple sugaring. Toward the end of winter, look for smoke rising from the sugarhouse and breathe deep — you might catch the sweet scent of syrup.

Keith Armstrong remembers boiling sap over an open fire as a boy. He started selling syrup in 1975, and today, the farm’s sugarbush includes 3,000 maple trees whose sap flows into the sugarhouse in Pownal. Each March, Armstrong Farm opens its doors for Maple Open House Weekend, inviting visitors to see (and taste!) the sugaring process firsthand.

Visit the farmstand

Parking

Visit the Armstrong Farm farmstand on Route 7 in Pownal, just a few miles south of Bennington. In the fall, look for the iconic “VERMONT” spelled out in pumpkins on the hill.

The farmstand is open from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm from mid-July through mid-October. Check the farm’s Facebook page for more details during the growing season.

Visit the Farm

Rooted in community

A legacy of resilience and family

Keith Armstrong credits the strength of his community for the enduring success of his family’s farm. In 1868, his great-grandfather passed away at just 37, leaving behind his wife and five children. Neighbors rallied to support the young family, gifting them 65 acres in Pownal. That act of kindness planted the seeds of a farm that has remained in the Armstrong family for over 150 years.

The Armstrong family grew and raised new generations immersed in the rhythms of farm life and the community of neighboring farms. Outside of tending his own land — and a brief, successful chapter as a snowmobile racer — Keith built a career in cow breeding. He often worked long hours on nearby farms, becoming part of their extended families.

Today, the Armstrongs continue that tradition of community and family. Keith runs the farm alongside his grandsons, Connor, Evan, and Emma, with help from Connor’s wife, Haley, Keith’s daughter Sarah, and son-in-law Scott.

Photo: Keith Armstrong with his grandson, Connor, standing in front of the farmstand.

Growing to fill a farmstand

Armstrong Farm’s location on Route 7 is perfect for a bustling farmstand. Visitors from all over New England stop in for a taste of Vermont’s bounty. But for years, the original 65-acre parcel couldn’t produce enough to meet demand.

In 1995, Keith’s grandfather offered him a deal on a parcel of fertile land along the river in Bennington. The rich soil there proved ideal for growing the pumpkins and sweet corn that have become staples of the farmstand. With the addition of this cropland, Armstrong Farm was able to expand its offerings and keep shelves full throughout the season.

Conservation close to home

The hills and valleys around Pownal are known for their fertile soil, and Keith has long championed their protection. As a member of the local planning board, he advocated for conserving agricultural lands well before he conserved his own. In 2004, Keith partnered with the Vermont Land Trust to conserve more than 270 acres of cropland and sugarbush in Pownal and Bennington. The Bennington parcel, nestled along the Walloomsac River, is a prime example of floodplain farmland. It is nutrient-rich and well-drained, perfect for growing vegetables.