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Vermont
Flack Family Farm in Vermont Changes Hands | Seven Days
Two rocking chairs rest angled toward each other on an east-facing porch, burnt sienna-colored sheepskins making their wooden slats inviting. A potted geranium sits below. A wind chime clinks gently overhead, and a patterned blanket draped over a cotton rope adds folk-art charm.
Flack Family Farm in Fairfield evokes a scene from a Wendell Berry novel — a portrait of pastoral bliss. The Berry vibes will deepen come September, when community volunteers arrive for the cabbage-chopping chaos of annual sauerkraut production.
I encountered this snapshot of rural life on a tour of the farm’s lacto-fermentation facility. Incidentally, it was also a tour of Doug and Barbara “Bobbie” Flack’s home, where the product is still made, though the business changed hands last October.
Doug, 82, started the organic, biodynamic farm in 1978, raising sheep and later adding raw milk and grass-fed beef. In the 1990s, he married Bobbie, now 74, and learned lactic acid fermentation techniques; he began selling cultured raw vegetables, sauerkraut and kimchi while she taught media arts at a local technical school and worked on the farm’s marketing. Now, after a 30-year run and a five-year transfer process, the Flacks have passed the baton to employees Zach Brandau, 47, and Julie Matranga, 44.
Currently, Flack Family Farm’s fermented products — sauerkraut, kimchi and a mix called the Pink Lady — are on shelves in 36 stores and served in three restaurants. Production has increased from 22 barrels annually in the 2000s to 100 barrels, or about 20 tons, today.
Cabbage, garlic, daikon radish and carrot crops spread across the farm’s 170 certified-organic acres, planted in small plots that rotate on a seven-year schedule to avoid overtaxing the soil and prevent pest and disease buildup. (This year’s cabbage patch, which contains 7,000 heads, is less than three-quarters of an acre.) Sheep and cows graze the fallow land, adding fertilizer and aeration, and the farm sells pasture-raised beef and lamb. Other areas are used to make organic hay for the animals.
Like most small farmers, Flack Family Farm’s new owners are juggling weighty and sometimes competing interests — including new requirements from the Vermont Department of Health, which reviewed their operation on the occasion of the business transfer. They also have to worry about being underfoot, literally: Their sauerkraut ferments in the basement of Doug and Bobbie’s farmhouse.
Still, Brandau and Matranga are determined to keep the business going. Fermenters gonna ferment.
The couple’s history with the Flacks began when they signed on separately as unpaid interns in the early 2000s. The two met and fell in love at the farm in 2005, when Brandau got Matranga’s attention by showing off an electric apple press. After a decade of pursuing other farm ventures and moving west to Bend, Ore., they returned in 2014 for the “pace of rural life” and a “connection to a food system,” Matranga said, adding, “I thought a lot about this farm and the dreams that got started back then.”
When Doug Flack suffered a stroke in 2019, Brandau became invaluable, leading both the vegetable and animal operations. (Matranga grazed the sheep and cows before leaving for a position at High Mowing Organic Seeds in Wolcott.) Doug recovered well and made it through another season, but a second stroke left him permanently unable to work.
“I think we always thought we would have more working-together time,” Matranga said.
Since then, Brandau and Matranga have embraced life in rural Vermont. They bought a house two miles from the Flacks’ and wove themselves into the fabric of the farm, taking on more responsibility and increasing production. They have contracted with distributor Pumpkin Village Foods to expand their reach into Chittenden, Addison and Lamoille counties and even to New York City.
An artist-activist with a theater background, Brandau finds satisfaction in drawing up intensive grazing plans and in the rhythm of the seasons. He compared the short window of sauerkraut production to putting on a show, with a team of paid seasonal workers and rotating volunteers filling out the cast.
“You get this tight-knit crew. And it’s two months of that intense flow of energy and life. Then it’s over, and you take it all down — set over; run is over,” he said. “All the barrels are in the basement, and you finally get that breather.”
While Doug’s production-season ensemble was entirely friends and community volunteers, Brandau and Matranga employ one year-round and one extended-season farmhand, plus a handful of temporary workers in September and October. Volunteers are still important to the farm’s ethos, the new owners said, and all are welcome to help with tasks such as cleaning and shredding vegetables while learning about the fermentation process and sharing meals.
A college buddy of Matranga’s, Jessica Smith, 44, recalled by phone what the volunteer experience meant to her. Now a program coordinator at the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, Smith was a “burnt-out social worker” in 2016, when she first found herself prepping veggies at Flack. “What I really like about volunteering, maybe also after being in a pretty overwhelming professional setting, was, I just get to focus on one thing at a time,” she said. “My job is cleaning these carrots or this daikon — I’m not thinking about anything else.”
Smith also found the farm-fresh food and communal lunches “very impactful.” “When I spent that first fall on production, I was like, ‘I want this to be my home; this is the community I want to be a part of.’ And the farm really feels like it’s a hub, it’s the center point,” she said.
The past and present farmers think of each other as family. “They’re the elder part of our family structure,” Brandau said of Doug and Bobbie. “We love each other like family,” Matranga added, “and we also have our differences that we’re trying to communicate and work through and still share space.”
Those differences account for the protracted nature of the business transfer, for which the parties enlisted the help of Burlington’s Intervale Center and its partner, the Vermont Forest & Farm Viability Program.
Perhaps the least troubling issue was the physical space. The Intervale Center helped split the assets so that Brandau and Matranga could buy the business and a small portion of land that contains barns for the animals, while the Flacks retain the home they built. A stone’s throw from the main barnyard, it contains the farm’s production facility (a tented patio used as an outdoor kitchen) and a basement room for fermenting, storage and packaging.
The Flacks enjoy their proximity to the action. “It’s great for food, camaraderie, friendships, stimulation — and it’s fun,” Doug said.
But bucolic farmland is expensive. The difficulty of the transition lay in distributing the financial burden fairly between the founders with a vision and the successors with a dream.
“We had so many conversations, and people wanted so many different things,” Matranga said, adding that it was clear “that this business could not continue to support multiple households. It was a really hard process for the four of us to come to consensus, but we did, I think because we all want to see this land continue to be in farming.”
Matranga declined to give the purchase price but noted that she and Brandau “paid as much as we could pay” for the business and 36 acres of land, financed with a bank loan and a personal loan from the Flacks. Bobbie said her teacher’s pension allowed them to arrive at a number that was affordable for the new owners.
These days, Bobbie has art in a gallery in St. Albans and is developing new business ventures: selling medicinal plants from her garden, such as Solomon’s seal and echinacea, and launching a camping/farm stay experience, complete with farm tours. She said Doug is doing all the reading he never had time for while farming.
On the farm, Brandau still heads the vegetable and animal programs. Besides being the primary caregiver for their 6-year-old daughter, Simone, Matranga deals with the administration and accounting. “I can handle looking at the finances without going into a tailspin,” she said lightly. She also helps Brandau with the grazing strategy, leads the packaging team, makes deliveries within northern Vermont and prepares meals for the crew. She teased the future possibilities of an on-farm store, farm dinners and bringing “really good coffee” to rural Vermont.
After touring the farm, the basement fermentation facility and the sauerkraut-prep space, I headed out to the cabbage patch. The only volunteer for the day, I worked alongside Brandau, Matranga and their two hired farmhands, Brian Doucette and Nate Brigham.
Before we could plant, we used our fingers to make holes in the six- to eight-inch-thick hay mulch, clearing six-inch circles and putting large rocks aside in neat piles, like eggs in a nest. The hay mulch prickled my bare knees, and the sun heated my skin, but clouds drifting lazily across the azure sky provided some respite. Tucking the baby cabbages in their craters was immensely satisfying, and the afternoon passed pleasantly in the patch, but I was happy enough to head home when the day’s 600 plants were securely in the dirt.
I was free to go, but the work of a true farmer is never done. Brandau and Matranga’s first season as owners has been as rocky as that mountain soil. The Department of Health is requiring changes to the outdoor space where the farmers have prepared their ferments for the past 30 years.
Less than a month from go-time, the couple have been granted approval to use the space once they enclose it with mesh screens and obtain a wastewater permit. (The latter is still pending a visit from an engineer.) Matranga said they plan to make their ferments as usual, even if it means renting a commercial kitchen.
Wendell Berry would be disappointed. But the sheepskin-laden rocking chairs will be waiting on the Flacks’ porch, come what may.
MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Most Vermont school budgets passed Tuesday, but 19 districts and supervisory unions saw their spending plans rejected — an uptick from the nine that failed in 2025, though well below the 29 that failed in 2024.
Some education leaders say the results show communities are largely supportive of their schools.
“We’re starting to kind of equalize out again towards the normal trend of passage of school budgets each year,” said Chelsea Meyers of the Vermont Superintendents Association.
Sue Ceglowski of the Vermont School Boards Association said the results send a clear message. “Vermont taxpayers support Vermont’s public schools,” she said.
Meyers said the results also raise questions about the scope of education reform being considered in Montpelier. “If we are going to reform the system, it might not require sweeping broad changes as are being considered right now, but a more concise approach to consider that inequity,” she said.
But in districts where budgets failed, officials say structural changes are still needed. In Barre, where the budget failed, Barre Unified Union School District Board Chair Michael Boutin said the Legislature must, at a minimum, create a new funding formula. “We have to have that in order to avoid the huge increases and decreases — the huge increases that we’ve seen in the last couple years,” Boutin said.
He said the rise in school budgets is separate from why property owners are seeing sharp tax increases. The average state increase in school budgets is 4%, but the average property tax increase is 10%, driven by cost factors including health care. “There’s a complete disconnect, and that’s a product of the terrible system that we have in Vermont with our funding formula,” Boutin said.
Ceglowski says the state should address health care costs before moving forward with rapid education policy changes. “Addressing the rapid rise in the cost of school employees’ health benefits by ensuring a fair and balanced statewide bargaining process for those benefits,” she said.
The 19 districts that did not pass their budgets will need to draft new spending plans to present to voters, which often requires cuts. Twelve school districts are scheduled to vote at a later date.
Copyright 2026 WCAX. All rights reserved.
Vermont is, for many visitors, the postcard-perfect New England state. A part of the United States since 1791, the first to join the Union after the Thirteen Original Colonies, Vermont has many unique, and sometimes quirky, features. The place has attracted artists and other creative geniuses, some of them decidedly eccentric, from its earliest days. The natural parts of Vermont, like the famous Lake Champlain, offer unusual points of interest for visitors and locals alike. With a state as rich in traveling attractions, it should be little wonder that some of them come with a quirk or two.
Montpelier
Montpelier, while being Vermont’s charming capital, is the tiniest among all US state capitals with just around 8,000 residents. For comparison, the second-smallest, Pierre in South Dakota, has a population of about 14,000. Established in 1787, this historic town warmly welcomes visitors with a variety of landmarks, including the Vermont History Museum and the sprawling 200-acre Hubbard Park. The State House is also open to the public for tours. Just a short drive west, less than an hour away, lies Lake Champlain, one of the Northeast’s most beloved watersides.
The town’s name pays homage to Montpellier, a beautiful city in southern France. This naming reflected the high regard for France at the time, especially for their support during the US War of Independence. Interestingly, Montpelier has experienced its share of flooding, with significant damage occurring in the years 1927, 1992, and most recently in 2023.
Elmore
Elmore, a charming small town in Lamoille County with fewer than 900 residents, is a favorite spot for autumn leaf-peepers. Located north of Montpelier, this peaceful town has its own unique charm, including several local landmarks sharing the name ‘Elmore,’ which adds to its character. It’s important to note that Elmore town is separate from East Elmore. To the west, Elmore Mountain overlooks the area, while Elmore State Park lies just north of the town itself. Enjoying waterside beauty, Elmore Lake is often listed among Vermont’s most picturesque lakes, with its waters flowing into the Lamoille River through Elmore Pond Brook. Like Montpelier, Elmore is situated east of Lake Champlain. For those seeking a more bustling scene or a change of pace, the vibrant city of Burlington, just an hour’s drive west, makes for a perfect day trip or weekend getaway.
Stowe
Stowe, with a lively population of 5,300, is Vermont’s top spot for adrenaline seekers and the eccentrics among us, earning its reputation as the state’s premier ski and snowboard destination. The Stowe Mountain Resort proudly calls itself the “ski capital of the east”—that’s the eastern United States. Nestled near the breathtaking Mount Mansfield, Stowe offers more than just winter fun; warmer months bring plenty of activities like hiking and mountain biking in the beautiful Cady Hill Forest.
The town also has a rich history, being the home of Jake Burton Carpenter (1954-2019), the visionary behind Burton Snowboards and a trailblazer in making snowboarding an international sport. While some might have called him eccentric when he launched his company in 1977, today he’s celebrated as a true pioneer whose legacy keeps inspiring young snow sports enthusiasts, like those at Mount Mansfield Winter Academy, a special school dedicated to nurturing the next generation of champions.
Manchester
Manchester, a town with 4,500 residents located in southwest Vermont, is popular among art and architecture enthusiasts. It features Hildene, the estate of Abraham Lincoln’s son Robert, which boasts an impressive Georgian Revival house and grounds. The town’s American Museum of Fly Fishing showcases numerous rods, flies, and related gear, attracting many superstitious anglers. Manchester is also home to Orvis, a renowned fishing and clothing company. The Southern Vermont Arts Center hosts exhibitions, and includes a sculpture garden and performance space. Nature lovers should visit Mount Equinox, west of town, or explore the Green Mountain National Forest to the south.
Eccentric fact: Jonathan Goldsmith, known for portraying “The World’s Most Interesting Man” in Dos Equis commercials, resides in Manchester. Stay quirky, my friends.
Brattleboro
Brattleboro, with a population of 12,100, sits along the Connecticut River and features a variety of attractions and oddities. Located just west of New Hampshire—in which the Connecticut River forms the border—and just north of Massachusetts, the town is an ideal midpoint for exploring the wider New England region. Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate Fort Dummer State Park, welcoming hikers, bikers, and campers alike. Among the more renowned eccentric figures in history, British writer Rudyard Kipling moved to Brattleboro after marrying a Vermont woman in 1892. Their home, Naulakha, references his birth and childhood in India. Kipling believed that Brattleboro’s conservative small-town culture created an
Woodstock
Woodstock, a town with 3,000 residents located in upstate New York, is separate from the famous 1969 cultural event. This southeastern town attracts architecture enthusiasts, particularly for the First Congregational Church, built in 1807 and featuring a bell cast by American revolutionary Paul Revere, and the Norman Williams Public Library, completed in 1884. For outdoor activities, visitors can walk in Woodstock Town Forest, located south of the town, or enjoy panoramic views from the Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park, the only part of the US National Park system in Vermont besides the Appalachian Trail. Recently, Woodstock has modernized its infrastructure with digital technology, launching the “Wireless Woodstock” initiative in 2011, which provides free Wi-Fi across the entire town. It’s not quirky; it’s just cool.
Vermont’s Quirky Small Towns May Also Be Its Best
These small Vermont towns show the state’s sometimes quirky, but never boring character. Architecture fans will find unusual, beautiful examples state-wide. Montpelier is an oddly pint-sized capital with heavyweight history. Brattleboro has long attracted strange, sometimes brilliant types, whether foreign or domestic. Manchester is interesting enough for the World’s Most Interesting Man. And with abundant natural parks, the Green Mountains, and the majesty of Lake Elmore and Lake Champlain, the quirks of Vermont’s best features should attract even the most straight-laced visitors.
Crime
During a search of a dumpster where the worker allegedly discarded the mail, police found several packages and holiday cards.
A Vermont postal worker was cited and suspended for allegedly throwing away mail that was supposed to be delivered to other people, according to police.
Natasha Morisseau, 34, of North Troy, was cited on nine counts of petty larceny and five counts of unlawful mischief, Vermont State Police said in a statement. She works as a mail carrier for the town’s United States Postal Service (USPS) office.
Officers were first alerted to the discarded mail on the afternoon of Jan. 23, according to police. Upon finding the mail in a dumpster on Elm Street in North Troy, they determined that none of it was for that address.
Police identified Morisseau as a person of interest and learned that she was a postal employee. They confirmed that she had regularly been throwing away a small amount of mail under her care since at least October 2025, according to the statement.
After searching the dumpster and Morisseau’s mail vehicle, officers found opened and unopened packages, along with several holiday cards, one of which contained money. Morisseau was later cited Feb. 14 and is due to appear March 17 in Vermont Superior Court, police said.
Since Jan. 23, Morisseau has been suspended by USPS, and all recovered mail has been given back to them for delivery, according to the statement. The case has been forwarded to the USPS’ Inspector General for further review.
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