Get a taste of the farm life at Kiss the Cow
Get a taste of farm life at Kiss the Cow Farm. The days are filled with chores, projects, customers and laughter! We take plenty of breaks, chatting, reading, and catching some vitamin D sunrays. However, we find the work enjoyable, lots of interesting folks to chat with, tons of things to laugh and giggle about, and very entertaining and often cute animals to distract us. This is really your experience, not ours. We'll try to incorporate your goals into your time with us.
We share a 500 acre, historic farm with other ag enterprises (veggies, beef cows, winery). Crews from all the farms share a weekly lunch together during the summer. Lots of farming activity and other younger and older, like-minded people to interact with. Near Silver Lake State Park and lots of hiking trails. And we co-host a weekly farmers' market with local vendors, awesome bands, tacos, hard cider, kombucha & ice cream for a few hundred people. It's a very cool time. This is a typical, rural Vermont experience. Life's great here. Come experience it yourself!
We welcome folks of all ages and backgrounds and accommodate different levels of commitment:
Volunteers
We are a community-oriented farm and welcome members of our community to help out on the farm. Whether a specific task, general offer to help out when needed or committing to do a weekly chore there is always plenty to do! A number of Vermont Law School students (especially in the Ag program) help us with chores each week, for example.
Do you like cows? Want to support your local farmers? Want to give back to your community? Then let us know! Please note that there are very few unskilled tasks on the farm. However, we’ll be glad to train you up!
WWOOFers
Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms is part of a worldwide effort to link visitors with organic farmers, promote an educational exchange, and build a global community conscious of ecological farming practices.
WWOOFers’ spend a few weeks helping out on a host farm, learn about the organic movement and sustainable agriculture, and receive room and board during their visit. Kiss the Cow Farm hosts WWOOFers each season. We’ve met some amazing young adults interested in this lifestyle.
Interns
Generally have some farming experience and make a longer commitment of a few months -usually from May to November although limited winter positions may be available. You are paid a stipend, given room and board, and are taught a working knowledge of how to run a grass-based dairy, dairy value-add enterprise, and pastured poultry operation. This is an immersion experience with hands-on training and plenty of practice to give you the confidence to pursue your own farm dream. Click here to read more.
We are currently seeking interns and WWOOFers for the 2024 season.
Please contact us via the form at the bottom of the page if you're interested in working with us.
We share a 500 acre, historic farm with other ag enterprises (veggies, beef cows, winery). Crews from all the farms share a weekly lunch together during the summer. Lots of farming activity and other younger and older, like-minded people to interact with. Near Silver Lake State Park and lots of hiking trails. And we co-host a weekly farmers' market with local vendors, awesome bands, tacos, hard cider, kombucha & ice cream for a few hundred people. It's a very cool time. This is a typical, rural Vermont experience. Life's great here. Come experience it yourself!
We welcome folks of all ages and backgrounds and accommodate different levels of commitment:
Volunteers
We are a community-oriented farm and welcome members of our community to help out on the farm. Whether a specific task, general offer to help out when needed or committing to do a weekly chore there is always plenty to do! A number of Vermont Law School students (especially in the Ag program) help us with chores each week, for example.
Do you like cows? Want to support your local farmers? Want to give back to your community? Then let us know! Please note that there are very few unskilled tasks on the farm. However, we’ll be glad to train you up!
WWOOFers
Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms is part of a worldwide effort to link visitors with organic farmers, promote an educational exchange, and build a global community conscious of ecological farming practices.
WWOOFers’ spend a few weeks helping out on a host farm, learn about the organic movement and sustainable agriculture, and receive room and board during their visit. Kiss the Cow Farm hosts WWOOFers each season. We’ve met some amazing young adults interested in this lifestyle.
Interns
Generally have some farming experience and make a longer commitment of a few months -usually from May to November although limited winter positions may be available. You are paid a stipend, given room and board, and are taught a working knowledge of how to run a grass-based dairy, dairy value-add enterprise, and pastured poultry operation. This is an immersion experience with hands-on training and plenty of practice to give you the confidence to pursue your own farm dream. Click here to read more.
We are currently seeking interns and WWOOFers for the 2024 season.
Please contact us via the form at the bottom of the page if you're interested in working with us.
Reviews from previous interns
"I cannot put into words how much of a wonderful experience this has been. I came into this uncertain, excited and nervous and came out of this summer with a better sense of self, new skills and amazing memories.
First, thank you Randy and Lisa for opening your house and farm to me...You have given so many people a new experience that they might never get. I have been wanting to work with dairy cows for years and your farm opened the door for me. I'm afraid I've caught the cowing farming bug, and the only cure is more cows.
The community that KTC creates and inhabits is something that I could never have expected...The pride and joy that I got from looking out [from the scoop tent during a Feast & Field event] and seeing everyone eating OUR ice cream and loving it. It was unreal. You all are doing an amazing thing for your community and those that pass through it."
- Gennie, Summer 2021
First, thank you Randy and Lisa for opening your house and farm to me...You have given so many people a new experience that they might never get. I have been wanting to work with dairy cows for years and your farm opened the door for me. I'm afraid I've caught the cowing farming bug, and the only cure is more cows.
The community that KTC creates and inhabits is something that I could never have expected...The pride and joy that I got from looking out [from the scoop tent during a Feast & Field event] and seeing everyone eating OUR ice cream and loving it. It was unreal. You all are doing an amazing thing for your community and those that pass through it."
- Gennie, Summer 2021
Thanks...for fostering such a lovely and irreplicable feeling of community and belonging. I truly can't believe how quickly I became comfortable here, and how bonded I feel to this place, you one-of-a-king people and this 'village.' From the moment I arrived I was dumbstruck, and I still am! River dips, Forrests, come cooked meals, baby cows, fresh vegetables, outdoor movies, live music, cremes, milkers, dirt roads, lightening shows, meters, bald eagles, hail storms, delicious cider, dance parties, strangers become friends become family. This place is magic!
Randy and Lisa, thank you beyond words for opening your home and making this experience possible for all of us... Thank you for sharing your knowledge on and off the farm. I am leaving here all the wiser, and with a belly full of ice cream!"
- Meg, Summer 2021
Randy and Lisa, thank you beyond words for opening your home and making this experience possible for all of us... Thank you for sharing your knowledge on and off the farm. I am leaving here all the wiser, and with a belly full of ice cream!"
- Meg, Summer 2021
"I can not express how grateful I am to you all for letting me in to your home and being so kind to me for the past nine months. Through your patient teaching you guys taught me that may life-long dream of becoming a farer is not only very attainable but that I am close to achieving it. I came here knowing dilly squat about everything and now feel that I can go into the world and declare that I, a city schumk, am in fact a farmer. You guys and the other interns have given me so many amazing memories."
- Alice, Winter to Summer 2021
- Alice, Winter to Summer 2021
"Thank you so much for the world of kindness you have shown me.... It has been an incredible experience, and I'm so thankful for all I've learned, and the fact that I was able to do it in such a loving and supportive environment. Thank you for your endless patience and kindness.... If I have one request, it's that you never stop teaching. I will see you soon."
- Alex, Summer 2020
- Alex, Summer 2020
"I came to the farm thinking I was going to learn to milk cows and make ice cream and I sure did, but I also learned something else. Home is not just a place but also a feeling. You welcomed eight strangers into your space to teach us the ins and outs of dairy farming. You have been patient and understanding as we learned and occasionally failed... Such caring, loving, fun, joyous people I have never before met. Living and working with you guys these past three months has been one of the best and most unforgettable experiences of my life. You guys are truly incredible and I can't thank you enough. I think I have definitely eaten my lifetime supply of ice cream, acquired some pretty decent construction skills, mastered the ability to identify a cow by the shape and size of her teats, and produce a perfectly clean milk filter (which better be hanging up on the wall of fame)!"
- Skizzi, Summer 2020
- Skizzi, Summer 2020
"Working at Kiss the Cow was a dream! Truly, it exceeded any and all expectations. I feel so lucky to have found you both and your farm because it came at a very uncertain period of my life. Though my plans are uncertain you both made me certain of this: there are good people everywhere and opportunities where you and those good people are. Kiss the Cow Farm helped me feel comfortable and respected and appreciated and I can't thank you enough for the opportunity. Hopefully I'll get back to you both sooner than later..... Thanks for making my summer so wonderful!"
- Abby, Summer 2019
- Abby, Summer 2019
"I want to thank you for giving me the most wonderful and immersive experience of my life You've taught me so much about the kind of life I want to have and the kind of person I want to become, and for that I truly can't thank you enough.... This summer I've felt the most myself in a lang time, and that's probably due to the fantastic farming community your folks helped foster and the home-like environment you've created in your own house -it is quite amazing how fast complete strangers can become like family.
At the farm I've had the most hilarious and interesting conversations with some of the most friendly and fascinating people I've ever met, and I'll never forget the countless late nights spend chatting, baking, or having stretching sessions with the other interns.... From when I first arrived in Vermont I knew it would be one of my homes, but now I know I specially have one in Barnard. Thank you endlessly for being the most kind, patient, and generous hosts and teachers. Keep fighting that good fight against the corporate ag machine - you folks have created something truly remarkable. You guys rock."
- Erin, Summer 2019
At the farm I've had the most hilarious and interesting conversations with some of the most friendly and fascinating people I've ever met, and I'll never forget the countless late nights spend chatting, baking, or having stretching sessions with the other interns.... From when I first arrived in Vermont I knew it would be one of my homes, but now I know I specially have one in Barnard. Thank you endlessly for being the most kind, patient, and generous hosts and teachers. Keep fighting that good fight against the corporate ag machine - you folks have created something truly remarkable. You guys rock."
- Erin, Summer 2019
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"Words fail to describe the privilege and joy it has been to work for and with you. I learned everything I was hoping to learn and so much more. It has been wonderful to get to know a new side of myself. Working with you has given me confidence and new abilities. Thank you for welcoming me into your home, your work and your lives. Thank you for loving me so well. This has been a defining season of my life and I'm so blessed to have had you both for guides. I leave with a full heart and lots of (more realistic!) visions of my own farm some day. My work at Kiss the Cow has given me the hands-on experience I craved and allowed me to actually think about realizing my dreams. That is a powerful gift!"
- Joanna, fall 2018 |
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"If you love drinking tea, eating ice cream, and hanging out with cows, Kiss the Cow farm might just be for you! I spent the months of September and October on KTC farm this past fall and had a great experience. Randy and Lisa are very knowledgeable about what they do and love having wwoofers stay with them. I think the thing that makes this place really special is how you quickly become part of the 'farmily'. Randy and Lisa welcome you into their home and almost every meal is shared, making it a very personal experience. I never felt lonely or isolated despite being 45 minutes away from the nearest big city. Living in such a rural and beautiful part of Vermont was very peaceful and relaxing for me. My favorite parts of my stay were making ice cream with Jo, the other intern, playing with Toast, a 3 month old calf, manning the booth at a farmers market, and cooking dinner for the family. I would highly recommend this farm for anyone who wants to learn about taking care of animals, making food or is looking to meet some wonderful people."
- Jane, Fall 2018 |
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"Thank you for opening not only your house to me, but also letting me be a part of your lives. Thank you for facilitating an environment that is so conducive to learning, for teaching by example, and for having the wisdom (not to mention patience) to know that experience is also a amazing teacher. This summer on the farm has been such a balm for the soul. It pains me so much to leave..."
- Anneke, Summer 2018
- Anneke, Summer 2018
"I feel so incredibly lucky to have my experience working at Kiss the Cow! I have found a new passion for farm animals that I didn't know existed, but more importantly, I feel lucky to have met, worked with, and live with such wonderful people. I have never felt more welcome into a place than I have here. The warm smiles, silly dinner conversations, and love we have for our animals and each other make Kiss the Cow Farm something very special and I am so thankful to be a part of it!"
- Hannah, Summer 2016-Spring 2017
- Hannah, Summer 2016-Spring 2017
"In a very real way, my internship at KTC has been a path-altering experience. The guidance, support, and knowledge gained was instrumental in starting a career in farming. Randy has a teacher’s spirit. I was able to work alongside him, as a respected equal, while I learned all I possibly could about dairying. I drilled him with questions every chance I could and he patiently and earnestly would answer each concern, idea, whim. If there was an idea that could work, he was always open to try it out and learn from the experiment. The workload was always reasonable and the pace sustainable. We also had more than our fair share of laughs. I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed working at KTC or how much this learning experience has set me up for future farming success.
Randy and Lisa are passionate about the slow food movement, without being judgmental or radical. They recognize what a special opportunity they’ve been given on the land and cherish the weighty responsibility of being stewards of the land, feeding their community and teaching the upcoming generation a thing or two about cows.
Randy and Lisa are generous and welcoming hosts. Do yourself a favor and choose KTC for your internship or wwoofing adventure!"
- Ashley, 2016 intern
Randy and Lisa are passionate about the slow food movement, without being judgmental or radical. They recognize what a special opportunity they’ve been given on the land and cherish the weighty responsibility of being stewards of the land, feeding their community and teaching the upcoming generation a thing or two about cows.
Randy and Lisa are generous and welcoming hosts. Do yourself a favor and choose KTC for your internship or wwoofing adventure!"
- Ashley, 2016 intern
"I spent 3 weeks with Randy and Lisa at Kiss the Cow last fall, and loved the varied nature of the stay. From milking, to moving livestock, setting up fences, building work and even shovelling sawdust - I got a taste of everything! Yes, you will work hard while staying here, but this is balanced well by staying in a very comfortable, warm house and having friendly, generous hosts. Randy and Lisa went out of their way to accommodate me, introduced me to other local farmers and recommend things to do in the local area. To get the most out of your time at Kiss the Cow, I would suggest you come with an open mind, big smile and willingness to contribute to every aspect of the diversified farm. A car is definitely a plus too, so you can take advantage of the stunning rural delights that surround you. (Oh, their ice-cream is to die for too!)"
- Jessie, fall 2015 intern
- Jessie, fall 2015 intern