Ross and Amanda Thurber (continued)

Ross graduated in 1996, and he and Amanda married that same year. At the reception, the newlyweds served food and displayed flowers grown on the 3/4-acre area that Amanda had cultivated using organic methods. The guests responded enthusiastically, and soon Amanda was selling her greens and vegetables to a local caterer. At about the same time, more and more people were asking for locally grown vegetables and fruits. Amanda expanded her production and began selling directly, at the nearby farmers' market in downtown Brattleboro.

By 2005, Amanda was a mother of two, and her customer base for organic produce was large enough for her to open a farm stand on the property. "Selling at the farm stand brings you closer to your customers," says Amanda, whose sunny and engaging personality adds to the reasons people come to buy her beautiful cut flowers and delicious vegetables. Devoted to the lifestyle, Amanda shares her knowledge about organic growing methods through local school programs, and mentors high school students who work on the farm. "We're fortunate to be surrounded by a supportive, conscious community that's very pro-farmer," she says.

While Amanda was expanding her produce operation, Ross—who was co-managing the farm with his father—began exploring the idea of transitioning the dairy operation to organic. He felt the property was well suited for it and knew he would be able to compete better in the marketplace. "The more I learned about it, the more I believed that organic could do better than any other production model," he said.

There were obstacles. His father, Stuart, was initially skeptical, but as he and Ross discussed the option, Stuart grew interested. "My Dad had always managed the pastures," recalls Ross. "So that part was already in place." Stuart suggested that he and Ross create an economic model. Together, they worked through ideas, making sure there was a marriage of sound business practices, sustainable agriculture, and organic methods.

The transition took three years, and in the spring of 2007, Lilac Ridge Farm was certified organic. By summer, the Organic Valley truck was stopping at the Lilac Ridge Farm to collect milk, which is processed locally and sold under the Organic Valley New England Pastures label. Ross, who has named all 50 cows and knows each one's temperaments, tastes, and productivity levels, feels that organic has been a positive move. "Not only are my cows healthier, so are the calves— and we're producing good milk."

Ross is optimistic about his future as a farmer and the prospects that lie ahead for his family. "Everyone has a common goal on a farm," says Ross, as he watches his one-year-old race back and forth across the front porch to play with the Riff, the family dog, then stoop down to peek under the stairs at the new litter of kittens. "Family farm kids understand things; they have a sense of the benefits and the drawbacks, whether it's the hay getting wet in a freak rain storm or an extra warm fall that produces peppers by the bushel full." He also thinks the freedom and spontaneous sense of discovery is a great way for children to learn.

Ultimately, however, it is the farm and its possibilities that have captured Ross's imagination. "I like how all the systems of the farm fit together, and I think it's reflected in how I go about my work," he explains, sharing the sense of achievement he feels when plans for the property, such as a new milking barn with its windowed cupola, become a reality. "I love the contribution I'm making to the landscape," says Ross, who looks out over the rolling pastures to his parents' house on the top of the hill, and then down to his white clapboard home by the new barn. "I see projects that I want to do, and what my father has done, and what his father did. I'm adding to a family tapestry. To be able to contribute to it is rewarding. It's my life's work."