Vermont Cranberry Company
Vermont Cranberry Company in East Fairfield, VT is one of Vermont’s only cranberry growers. VCC came to the VFF for three previous loans to build a commercial kitchen space, install a freezer, and purchase equipment for producing cranberry juice.
But by 2018, Vermont Cranberry had seen a slow down in the sale of bulk cranberry juice. Many of the value-added producers they had worked with to create kombucha, natural sodas, and fresh cider had grown so large that VCC could no longer provide the volume of cranberry juice they required. So Cranberry Bob decided to take his 20+ years of experience making wines to develop a cranberry sparkling wine which he can sell year-round at the Farmers’ Market in Burlington. Since wine and spirits are the fastest growing sector of farmers’ market sales, investing in a small winery on site is a logical next step for Vermont Cranberry Company. Their latest $15,000 loan will allow them to create a 12’x50’ winery in the downstairs of their barn by building out washable walls and ceilings and installing water supply to that part of the building.
“We are proud to be part of the Vermont Farm Fund community. In this network of growers every loan payment goes right back to Vermont farmers in times of crisis and in times of opportunity.”