Before Sterling Hollow Farm became our home, it was just a dream. A quiet hope we carried with us during long walks on Cape Cod, conversations around the dinner table, and weekends spent wondering what might come next after raising our family.
We always knew we wanted to come back to Vermont.
Both of us went to college here, at Saint Michael’s, and Jim’s roots run deep. His family is from Springfield, and over the years, this state has always felt like home. There’s something grounding about the landscape, the people, and the pace of life. We wanted to return to that. We wanted to reconnect.
Finding Sterling Hollow Farm
In 2022, after months of searching, we found it. A 270-acre hillside property in Rupert, Vermont, with open pastures, wooded trails, old stone walls, and a long farming history that deserved to be honored. Sterling Hollow wasn’t just beautiful. It had potential. It felt like the kind of place where something could grow again.
We didn’t move here with a full plan. What we had was a feeling. A desire to create a space for our family, to care for animals, and to be part of something lasting. We wanted to live closer to the land, to give back to it, and maybe even inspire others to do the same.
Rebuilding, Restoring, Reimagining
We spent our first year focused on restoration. Rehabbing outbuildings. Repairing fences. Breathing life back into barns that hadn’t seen animals in years. One by one, the pieces began to come together.
One of our first priorities was to rehab the equine facilities on the farm. We restored the barn, built out new stalls, and added a small riding arena where we now spend time training, working, and connecting with our horses.
In August 2025, we welcomed our first herd of Randall Cattle, a critically endangered breed native to Vermont. Just a few months earlier, we planted the first rows in our vineyard, beginning a new chapter we’re excited to nurture over the coming years.
Each step has deepened our connection to the land and reminded us what brought us here in the first place.
A Farm with a Future
Now that the foundation is in place, we’re looking ahead with a clearer vision. We’re working to establish Sterling Hollow as a fully operating farm guided by regenerative practices and a deep respect for both history and future potential.
We have many ideas in motion. Conservation breeding, educational workshops, expanded growing spaces, and more. Some will take time. Others are already taking shape.
What matters most is that everything we do is guided by intention. We believe farming should be thoughtful, not rushed. And that the way we care for the land should reflect the way we want to live.
Building Something Bigger Than Ourselves
This land has been shaped by generations before us. We feel honored to be its current stewards. Our goal isn’t just to run a farm. It’s to build a place where people can slow down, reconnect with nature, and learn alongside us.
Thank you for following along with our journey. There’s so much more to come.
Michele & Jim
Sterling Hollow Farm
