A big thank you to our hosts for taking time out of their busy day to show us around! Also, a big thanks to the staff in our St. Albans office for arranging an interesting tour.
Our first stop was Lamell Lumber in Essex, VT. The company was formed in 1965 by Richard Lamell, and is now operated by son Ronald and his sons Ron Jr. and Keith. It is a pine and hemlock mill with dry kilns. They also sell bagged shavings, processed bark mulch and storage sheds. They were selected as Outstanding Sawmill Operator of the year in 2008 by the Northeast Lumberman's Association.
Next we travelled to Sam Mazza's Farmstand and Greenhouse in Colchester, VT. Sam operates the wholesale business and several members of the next generation operate the retail business. We toured some of the 155,000 sq. ft. of greenhouses and 400+ acres of vegetables. It is the largest vegetable business in Vermont. There is also a retail stand open year around which includes a bakery and gift shop. They host several festivals each year and have a corn maze. Our group enjoyed eating lunch beside the petting zoo under cover of the pavilion building.
Our third stop on the tour was Green Mountain Dairy in Sheldon. This 1,000 cow dairy farm is operated by Brian and Tammy Rowell with assistance from their children Matthew and Megan and Brian's brother Bill Rowell. They were the 2008 Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year - Green Pastures Award. The farm includes a methane digester which powers a 300 kW electric generator. They are a CVPS Cow Power producer of renewable energy.
Our last stop was the Bourbeau and Sons farm in Swanton, VT. Alan and Kim Bourbeau own and operate the 225 cow dairy and 12,000 tap maple operation with the help of their two sons Justin and Eric. The maple operation has grown from selling sap to a modern sugarhouse built in 2006. Our group had the luxury of sampling some of the syrup — delicious!The farm tour was a great opportunity to see some of the variety of farms and businesses that keeps agriculture in Yankee's territory thriving.
