Monument Farms Dairy

Location Weybridge, VT
Acreage 1,008

Famed for its chocolate milk: this family farm is big on community and conservation

The picturesque barns and hayfields of Monument Farms help define the local landscape in Weybridge, Vermont. But the fourth-generation dairy, known for its chocolate milk, is also a household name outside the Middlebury region.

As the largest Vermont milk producer that bottles its own milk, you can find its products almost anywhere you find milk. And if you’re in the area, you can stop by at the ‘community cooler’ for a taste.

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Carrying on the Vermont dairy tradition

The Monument milk plant lies in the heart of Weybridge, just off Route 23.

The farm name comes from the monument to Weybridge native Silas Wright—who graduated from Middlebury College in 1815 and went on to become a Congressman, U.S. Senator, and governor of New York—that stands diagonally across from their entrance.

Monument Farms started in 1930 with milk being bottled in a home basement.

Across generations and decades, it’s grown to include more than 2,800 acres of prime farmland in the heart of the fertile Champlain Valley.

Monument Farms bottles and delivers its own milk

The milk Monument Farms produces—including its beloved chocolate milk—can be found at grocery and convenience stores in much of the state.

They deliver most of the milk themselves. They also supply restaurants and large institutions, including the University of Vermont and Middlebury College.

For those visiting Weybridge, the family-run operation also has a farm store in the heart of town, at their bottling facility.

Cultivating land and community

Monument Farms was started by Richard and Marjory James. Today, the family’s third and fourth generations oversee the farm, which has expanded significantly.

The company employs 45 people—running the farm, the office, processing, and delivery—and cares for up to 1,300 cows.

The James family values community off the farm as well. Third-generation farm manager Peter James (pictured in blue shirt) is Weybridge’s forest fire warden and coaches football at the local high school.

The family also stewards a portion of the Trail Around Middlebury (TAM) on behalf of the Middlebury Area Land Trust.

“Community? That’s what you do,” says Peter.

Conservation story

Monument stewards more than 1,000 acres of conserved Champlain Valley farmland. They started conserving land with us in 2008 and have protected 440 acres in Weybridge; they have also bought previously conserved land over the years.

“Our family, and our business, is very connected to the land,” says Peter.

They steward several wetlands and small forested lots. Doing so keeps nutrients out of the watershed and provides a place for local wildlife to shelter.

“I’d rather see wildlife running around than trying to manufacture cropland where it shouldn’t be,” Peter adds.

The farm uses field buffers, cover crops, and crop rotations to protect the soil and keep stream water clean. They have also installed an onsite biodigester that produces more electricity than it uses, while dramatically reducing their carbon ‘hoofprint’.

Visit the Monument Farms Community Cooler

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Monument Farms milk and cream products can be found in many grocery and convenience stores in the central and western portions of the state. And for those in the Weybridge area, check out their community milk cooler, which is open weekday afternoons, at 2107 James Road in Weybridge, VT.

Farm website