A farming operation in East Hardwick is reviving two historic Vermont products: hops and merino wool. Kevin and Karen Broderick run Green Mountain Merino and Whitefield Hop Yard, a farm on Center Road that began in 2012.
Mr. Broderick, a former teacher at Hardwick Elementary, became interested in hops after a history lesson on maps. Students compared local maps from 1855 and 1875, on which he noticed hop yards were labeled. He soon learned Vermont once produced more than 8 percent of the nation's hops in the mid-19th century.
The farm also raises merino sheep for wool. The property's wooden sign reads "Whitefield," after the land's first owner.
Originally reported by Barton Chronicle.
Photo: Michael Morse via Pexels. Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
Log in as a subscriber to comment, or become a member.