A female-helmed goat microdairy that prioritizes animal health and welfare and delicious things.
Vermont
Nestled in the Delectable Mountains, this farm was launched in 2019 with five French Alpine goats and dreams of crafting the most unique and delicious goatsmilk products on the market. That all starts with the health and happiness of our small herd of working girls, who browse and graze in newly established silvopasture and are milked twice a day during our milking season.
I am looking for someone gentle, reliable, patient and hardworking to help with all aspects of the farm business. The basic duties on the farm evolve over the season, with early spring devoted to feeding and caring for new baby goats and their sweet mothers, mucking pens and generally giving our herd members the best and most attentive care possible to set them up for success. As spring turns to summer, focus shifts to pasture work, milking and helping to process skyr (depending on WWOOFers area of interest). It is a full-immersion opportunity to be a part of a small, female run farm.
Days are long and equally as demanding as they are rewarding. Those seeking a "farm vacation" should look elsewhere. An authentic window into the requirements of running a small farm in an ethical way is what is on offer, and for those who view it as the privilege it is, the workload will be not just manageable but edifying and gratifying. Every effort will be made to accommodate each individual WWOOFer based on their areas of interest as well as their physical capacities and preferences. This internship is designed with extreme intention and care to be an equitable exchange. Respect, communication and transparency is key to ensure everyone's needs are being met, and expectations will be explicitly laid out in advance of each visit to ensure there is no confusion or discomfort.
I require a two week minimum commitment from WWOOFers, as there is significant training that goes into a farm stay and constant turn-around is simply not sustainable for me.
The demands of each day vary depending upon the season and the specific task that are needed for the day, but a typical schedule looks like this:
6 am - 7:30 am: morning chores
10am - 11 am: mucking pens or pasture work/midday feeding
2:30-4pm: dairy processing
5pm - 6 pm: evening chores
The ideal candidate is attentive, meticulous, curious and engaged. Once you have mastered the basics of the daily non-negotiables, it's up to you whether you want to level up and dig deeper to further your agricultural education or not. The most successful interns are ones who go above and beyond what is asked of them. It's not just about crossing things off a to-do list; it's about wringing out every opportunity you can from this experience.
The area around the farm is a vibrant community of young farmers doing interesting things. The town of Barnard boasts the beautiful Silver Lake, picturesque Woodstock is a 15 minute drive, and South Royalton is a 20 minute drive and has a great coffee shop, brewery and burger spot. White River Junction and Montpelier are both a 45 minute drive, and Dartmouth College is not far. It's the perfect mix of quiet rural tranquility and opportunity for community engagement and recreation. Gorgeous natural beauty is everywhere - hiking, swimming, pondering the mysteries of the universe. .. everything! A little slice of paradise.
This internship is unpaid but in exchange you are provided with a comfortable, private living space, a modest weekly grocery stipend and shared meals multiple times per week. These communal meals are vegetarian.
No smokers or device addicts. References required. Must have own mode of transportation and be comfortable driving on dirt roads in all weather.
**IF YOUR PLANS CHANGE ONCE YOU HAVE COMMITTED TO A VISIT, YOU MUST GIVE AT LEAST TWO WEEKS NOTICE.** Scheduling intern support takes an enormous amount of time and effort and being left in the lurch without warning throws the farm's daily operation into grave imbalance. Please be respectful and do your part to consider the impact of last minute changes of plans/heart. This is a one person show.
Certifications: Organic feed, sick animals are treated with antibiotics with a mandatory milk withhold
Current projects: Milking, pasture management, kid care.
Internet access available
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Learning opportunities
Sheep or goat farming
Dairy farming
Cheesemaking
Methods or systems
Holistic management
Regenerative agriculture
Mentoring opportunities
Woman-operated
Host type
Production farm
10.9
Hectares
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27
Acres
Lauren
Member since 2019
Languages spoken:
English
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 1 day
Vermont
Randolph Amtrak or Dartmouth Coach (Lebanon, NH); Burlington or Hanover Airports
Reviews
Valeria
United States
•
December 2025
I cannot say enough wonderful things about this magical place. Lauren was so so kind, welcoming, and accommodating and made sure I had everything I needed while I was there. She’s excellent at communicating expectations and upcoming plans for the day/week and made sure I had plenty of time for breaks. Lauren is an encyclopedia of knowledge on all things goats and cheese making and had such valuable insights on the realities of owning and operating a dairy farm. I am forever grateful for Laurens mentorship and will continue learning from her for as long as I can. I was inspired by her everyday. And the GOATS. The goats steal your heart in every possible way. Even the ones that are extra hard to win over (Puku). In just two weeks I had learned so much about each of their unique and complex personalities that left me with a new appreciation for animals and a new perspective on what it really takes to work with animals in an ethical way. Lauren takes the time to make sure each goat feels loved and appreciated and is well taken care of. All of these amazing takeaways for me were only made possible because of how much I was willing to submit myself to the experience. There are long days, and early mornings, and stinky times, but the amount of knowledge and perspective I gained from this experience was truly priceless. I cant wait to come back! ❤️❤️❤️
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Zoe
United States
•
November 2025
Great stay at the farm!
This was my first time wwoofing and it was an incredible experience! Lauren goes above and beyond to be welcoming and make the learning process fun. Her knowledge of goat care, running a small business, and the production process is amazing. I loved being able to hear about future projects and plans for the business as well. While getting used to the daily routines, she was always patient and happy to answer any questions as they came up.
The apartment was comfortable and well-stocked with everything I needed. There are books hanging around each room to get even more in-depth info on specifics of cheese making, local farming, animal care, etc. Definitely try some of the local recommendations listed out - the homemade dinners were delicious too!
It was a lot of fun to hang out with the goats and see each of their personalities. I'm gonna miss you Tate and Embla! Would definitely recommend to any WWOOFers out there.
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Danielle
United States
•
October 2025
My stay with Lauren and the goats was amazing! Lauren is incredibly acknowledgeable about artisan cheese, holistic goat care, and the intricacies of terroir. She always made time to share her extensive knowledge of her craft. She runs a tight ship, with meticulous protocols for the care and maintenance of her goats/dairy/cheesemaking operation to keep her animals healthy and her facility operating up to the highest health and safety standards. My experience taught me so much about setting up and running a farmstead dairy. I enjoyed my conversations with Lauren and Teo about their local community and farming in Vermont--especially cheeses!! Their suggestions on the best local cheeses made for amazing tasting experiences. The goats were, hands-down, the highlight of my visit. I spent many happy hours in the kid shed and the main barn socializing and getting to know their personalities. Lauren's care and devotion for her animals is truly remarkable. The accommodations--wow! Nestled above the creamery amid spectacular fall foliage, this cozy little loft was quiet, comfortable, and had an incredible library. I had plenty of time to read and explore the local area, with great recommendations for places to explore: the logging road/trails around Silver Lake, Kiss the Cow farm store, "creamees" at Silver Lake Syrups, and Fable Farm for concerts and great pizza/wine/cider/tastings are absolute musts. THANK YOU, Lauren, Teo, and all my new caprine friends for being such gracious hosts!
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Faith
United States
•
September 2025
Working with Lauren and the goats was truly the most enriching experience that I could ask for. Lauren is an incredibly intelligent and welcoming person. I learned so much working with her, and she is more than happy to answer questions and share her knowledge with you. In addition to information about goats and general farm life, she provides a wealth of knowledge about the area, places to eat, shop, hike, etc. The town and surrounding area are gorgeous, so if you have a car, you can truly see a lot.
The goats are just as amazing, and there was plenty of time to forge great relationships with all of them. The slogan "Hand Hugged Goats" is truly so much more than a tag line. It is clear that Lauren puts her soul into her work, you will feel it when you go. You can't help but put your heart into it too.
Many thanks to Lauren, Teo, and all 51 of the lovely goats for making me feel like family for my stay. I can't wait to visit again!
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Jordan
United States
•
August 2025
I spent a short and sweet 10 days on the farm and had an incredible experience!
WWOOFing with Lauren was very pleasant! She is extremely passionate about her animals, throws her whole heart into everything she does, and is a great teacher. She was always willing to dive deeper into my areas of interest and made an effort to provide me with the experiences I wanted to gain from my time there.
The work can be tough, but only in short bursts of 1-3 hour periods, and it is very rewarding. It won't take long for you to fall in love with the goats! Especially the babies. Lauren is very clear, fair, and instructive about what her expectations are, and she is accommodating to anything you might need during your stay. She was so generous about driving me into town for groceries and hiking excursions, as I had visited without a car. She is an amazing cook and was so generous about having me over for dinner and sharing stories.
I am so happy to have had the opportunity to stay at this farm. I would highly recommend a visit to anybody interested in working with goats and learning more about Skyr production!
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Brynna
United States
•
July 2025
Got to spend two wonderful weeks here!
Lauren is a fantastic host and teacher and made me feel welcome from the moment I arrived.
It's very clear just how much she loves her goats and loves teaching other people about them. I came in with a million questions and she had detailed answers to all of them. Every time we were going over a new task- feeding, hoof trimming, cleaning milking equipment - she explained why things were done a certain way and had so much background knowledge to share about goat nutrition, medical issues, dairy processing, the logistics of running a small no kill dairy business, the local food scene, and more!
The daily schedule is fairly rigid, due to the nature of dairy farming, but there is a bunch of down time in between tasks, and I found plenty of time to explore the area in the afternoons and evenings – there are some great hiking and swimming spots nearby and I recommend checking out Feast and Field – a cool weekly outdoor music event right down the road. And of course spend some time just hanging out with the goats – they're affectionate and mischievous and it's really fun getting to know their unique personalities! I hope to come back someday to see Embla, Gizmo and the rest of the kids all grown up!
If you're looking for sweet goats, great people and a beautiful place, I definitely recommend this place!
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