History of Cloudland Farm

Cloudland Farm was originally a 2,000 acre dairy farm purchased by the Emmons family in 1908.  At that time, the farm raised Jersey cattle, Southdown sheep, Berkshire pigs, and produced maple syrup.   Milk, eggs, potatoes, and apples were sold locally.  Butter was shipped to Woodstock in a horse-drawn wagon, loaded onto a rail car, and taken to Boston where it was sold.  Ice was harvested from the farm’s pond during the winter and was used as “refrigeration” throughout the year.  The farm employed as many as 30 workers during the summer and one photo of its sawmill in winter shows 10 men.

Now a 1,000 acre farm, Cloudland is home to Black Angus beef cattle, pastured chickens and turkeys, pigs, horses, a certified tree farm, the Cloudland Farm Country Market, and a farm-to-table dining establishment.   The farm is operated by Bill and Cathy Emmons.  Their daughter Meg lives and works part-time on the farm and in the restaurant. Her twin sister, Abby is a nurse in Virginia but helps on the farm when home for visits in the summer.  Son, Will, works full time off the farm but is back on the weekends and helps with farm projects as time allows.