Harlow Farm

About the Farm

Harlow Farm has been rooted in family tradition since 1917, when Paul G. Harlow purchased the Westminster property after graduating from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture. The Harlows weren't newcomers to the area, having established themselves in Westminster since the mid-1700s. Paul G. and his wife Sarah operated as diversified farmers, milking cows, growing vegetables, and running the Log Cabin Market farmstand in the 1940s. Tragedy struck when Sarah died of scarlet fever at just 36, leaving Paul G. to raise eight children with help from the eldest daughter Dorothy and Sarah's mother.

The farm evolved through generations, with sons Roger and Hollis continuing the dairy operation after World War II, shipping milk to Bellows Falls Creamery. Today's generation is led by Paul Harlow, the third generation to farm the land, who purchased the property from his parents in 1975. Along with his wife Susan Edgar, Paul began organic farming on just a quarter-acre in 1976, recognizing that organic practices benefited both soil and crops. Within a decade, the entire farm achieved organic certification, becoming one of New England's earliest and largest organic vegetable operations.

Harlow Farm has grown into a comprehensive organic operation spanning multiple properties, all conserved through the Vermont Land Trust. The farm earned recognition as Vermont Sustainable Farm of the Year in 1998 and now cultivates approximately 150 acres of organic vegetables distributed throughout New England and along the East Coast to Florida. Beyond vegetables, the farm raises organically fed cattle, pigs, turkeys, and chickens, along with 800 free-range laying hens that forage on the property's diverse landscape. The operation represents not just agricultural success, but a commitment to sustainable farming practices that could significantly impact carbon sequestration and environmental stewardship.