Blue Heron Farm

A healthy home for livestock and wildlife

Blue Heron Farm is surrounded by scenic views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks beyond.

The farm is a favorite spot for birds and wildlife and is home to a crew of sheep, cows, chickens, pigs, cats, and a rescue dog named Daisy.

The family manages their farm’s soil health, using organic growing practices, and techniques like cover cropping, crop rotation, and rotational grazing. They also use raised beds and pay careful attention to water levels to avoid compacting the bugs and worms that help aerate the island’s heavy clay soils.

In addition to the farmstand, Blue Heron sells its products at the Arbor Farm Market in South Hero, the Champlain Islands Farmers’ Market, the UVM Medical Center Farmers’ Market, which takes place year round in Burlington.

Yarn lovers can also find Christine’s organic wool at her Etsy shop.

A farm born through hard work, generous neighbors, conservation, and supportive community

Christine and Adam started the business in 2004, in part due to the generosity of Roy Newton and his late wife, Ev, who gave the couple free access to their farmland. Blue Heron was certified organic by NOFA-VT’s Vermont Organic Farmers right from the start.

When a second parcel that Blue Heron leased went on the market, we bought it on a temporary basis and joined with the South Hero Land Trust to help Christine and Adam buy the land they farmed.

Donations from 140 community members plus a grant from the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board helped make it all happen. Christine and Adam were able to buy the first parcel from Roy plus the land they leased. Grant money to for permanently conserving the land helped to make the purchase more affordable.

Owning the land has allowed Adam and Christine to expand the farm and add infrastructure.

Sharing the bounty by making local, organic food more affordable

Christine and Adam have made a sustained commitment to their community, offering a pay-what-you-can CSA since 2004. They also co-created the robust and successful Champlain Islands Farmers’ Market with area farmers in 2005.

The farm accepts electronic payments through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and provides subsidized CSA shares funded by community members and by NOFA Vermont through its Farm Share Program and the Senior Farm Share Program through a NOFA partnership with the USDA.

Christine also partners with the Vermont Foodbank; the Grand Isle Food Shelf; Healthy Roots; Food for Thought, a local summer food program; farm-to-school programs; and health programs to make their products available to more people.

“We don’t come from money, we don’t come from resources,” said Christine. “It makes it more meaningful that we’re helping feed anybody who needs it. We’re trying to make food accessible to all.”