Selling the taste of happiness at Lilac Ridge

Lilac Ridge Farm in Brattleboro offers Vermont’s first organic certified creemee, certified by the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA-VT). They reopened their trailer-side window this year to serve creemees in time for Mother’s Day – and for the arrival of hot weather.

Since 2007, they had been supplying certified organic milk to Londonderry, NH-based Stonyfield Organic to be made into organic yogurt. Their Stonyfield Organic connection changed in February 2026, when Lilac Ridge owners Ross Thurber and Amanda Ellis-Thurber sold their milking herd of 42 Holsteins to Clinton Cattle Company in Attica, NY.

They pivoted in a new direction to custom-raise Holstein heifers for Peter Miller of Miller Farm, a four-family certified organic farm in Vernon, VT. They raise hay to feed the heifers on their 600-acre farm that is protected by the Vermont Land Trust, as well as hay to sell and for the herd at Miller Farm.

“It’s a collaboration,” said Ross, a third-generation farmer. “It was the right time. The organic market makes a strong demand for organically raised cows. It was moving in the right direction – our daughter was coming back to the farm. It gives us more flexibility in life. We are increasing our sugaring operation as well.” They’re currently at 2,000 taps.

“Raising their heifers is a really good fit. We are staying within the organic community. We use the manure for fertilizing the fields,” he said, following sustainable practices.

“There have been milking cows on this farm since 1946. I really like dairy animals, their personalities,” Ross added. He found a way to continue working with them.

They currently have 60 heifers that they’re raising for Miller Farm, ages 11 to 23 months. Lilac Ridge Farm will raise the heifers to be bred and at 24 months; then they’ll be transported to Miller Farm, to transition into milking cows.

“Miller Farm has been raising registered Holsteins since the inception of Holsteins in Brattleboro – over a century,” said Ross.

One of the ways that they further collaborate is sending their Lilac Hedge Farm-produced maple syrup to be added to the milk that is sold at Miller Farm as maple milk.

Miller Farm also produces the maple creemee mix that they use for their organic creemees. Finding the right creemee recipe was trial and error (and a lot of taste testing).

According to Peter Miller, in 2023, he received a $10,000 grant from NOFA-VT Family Farmer of the Month to cover the creemee mix trials.

“We made 22 to 24 iterations of the soft serve mix. Making ice cream is very expensive,” explained Peter. He purchased the soft serve creemee machine from Brattleboro Retreat Farm and put it to use developing the right mix.

“Ross’s dad Stuart and my dad Paul grew up together during their careers. They were lifelong friends. Ross and I are lifelong friends,” Peter said. Their solid friendship helped cement the success of their collaborations.

Amanda said, “Someone said, ‘Pete Miller is a magician’ to make this, the only frozen dessert like it in the world.”

According to Amanda, the first recipe had a butterfat content of 10%, but when frozen, the butterfat turned into little butter balls, lacking the smooth texture that was sought. The end result was 5% butterfat content mix.

“It was smooth, perfect. Pete has continued to refine his recipes. He’s also made a chocolate creemee mix. People say it’s the best chocolate ice cream they’ve ever had,” Amanda said.

The mixes are non-homogenized to maintain their smooth texture. They use a single vat processing machine.

It is Lilac Ridge’s fourth year selling creemees at their farm.

They’re just beginning their collaborative heifer raising.

“The amazing thing about it is Ross made the decision to change from milking cows to a different strategy in the end of January. It just went,” said Amanda.

Throughout the years they have been helped by a dairy apprentice, Calvin Gould, now a graduate of the University of Vermont. He worked every summer since he was 13.

Most exciting is their recent generational transition. Their daughter, fourth generation Bella Thurber, has returned to the farm. She and her boyfriend Grant Marols are planting permanent low-till beds to plant organic vegetables to raise and sell at the operation’s farmstand. Erecting greenhouses is also in the works. They will be getting married in August.

For the past two years, Bella and Grant had been working at different farms in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.

Lilac Ridge Farm currently sells vegetables grown on eight acres as well as cut flowers at the farm’s farmstand and farmers markets. They used to sell Christmas trees. With Bella back home, they plan to rejuvenate their Christmas tree business.

What does Bella think about working on the farm? “It’s the best thing ever,” she answered.

For more information, access lilacridgefarm.com.

by Laura Rodley.