A certified organic farm, small-batch cidery,
and wood-fired kitchen on the Vermont hillside.
1000 Stone Farm is a certified organic homestead farm tucked into the rocky, rolling hills of Brookfield, Vermont — just north of the town's famous floating bridge on Sunset Lake, and twenty miles south of Montpelier.
What began as a commitment to growing clean, nourishing food has grown into one of Vermont's most integrated farm experiences. Today the farm produces vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, pastured meat, fruit, and small-batch cider — all within a single working landscape governed by regenerative practices designed to farm for the future.
That vision found a new home when The Farmers Hand Cider House & Kitchen opened in the farm's Blue Barn — a seasonal restaurant and tasting room where everything on your plate and in your glass traces back to this hillside in Brookfield.
Products reach neighbors and food lovers through the on-farm store, the Burlington Farmers Market, a robust CSA program, and local co-ops and restaurants across Vermont.
Born in Virginia, Kyle moved to Vermont in 2012 to be closer to the mountains and a community that believes in sustainable food, clean water, and a healthy climate. He chose organic farming to care for the land that feeds him — and finds joy in discovering innovative ways to grow nutritious, high-quality food on a small piece of land.
"One of our main goals for this new adventure is to feed the community food that we have grown & raised right here on our farm. All the vegetables and mushrooms are certified organic; all the meat has been raised on pasture. Ingredients that aren't directly from our own farm are sourced from our fellow Vermont producers."— Kyle Doda, 1000 Stone Farm
Betsy Simpson — a Culinary Institute of America graduate — leads a kitchen that begins with what the farm grows that morning. Every dish reflects the season, the soil, and the community around it.
The heart of The Farmers Hand is its wood-fired oven — turning farm-grown ingredients into something elemental and unforgettable. Expect blistered crusts and deep, smoky flavor in everything it touches.
Classic Neapolitan-style pies and the panuozzo — an Italian-style sandwich baked in the wood-fired oven — made with toppings sourced from the farm and fellow Vermont growers.
Fresh salads and soups built around certified organic vegetables and herbs harvested from the farm. The menu changes with the season — because the field does too.
Thoughtful, satisfying plates for every appetite: pastured meats raised on the farm alongside inventive vegetarian dishes that celebrate what Vermont's soil produces.
Grazing plates featuring charcuterie, house ferments, cheese, and pickles — perfect alongside a poured cider while you settle in at the bar or the patio.
A dedicated grow space on the farm yields specialty mushrooms that appear throughout the menu — shiitake, oyster, chestnut, and lion's mane — grown right here, handled with care.
Grown at 1,400–1,700 feet on Vermont's central plateau, the orchard's 60+ heritage varieties are fermented on-site with minimal intervention — neutral and spirit oak barrels, minimal sulfites, and a commitment to clean, honest fruit character.
Over 60 apple varieties grow alongside plums, peaches, cherries, and Perry pears — interplanted with herbs and vegetables, tended without synthetic inputs. The cidery prioritizes clean expressions of fruit and soil, fermented on-site and finished with restraint. Fruit is everything here. The land does the heavy lifting.
The Cider House at The Farmers Hand is located in the Blue Barn, past the farm store. Seating available at the bar and on the brand-new outdoor patio.
We're tucked into the rolling hills just north of Brookfield's famous floating bridge on Sunset Lake — about 20 miles south of Montpelier. Carpooling is strongly encouraged!
Head east on Route 66 toward Vermont State University. Take a left continuing on Route 66, then bear slightly left onto Ridge Road. Follow Ridge Road to its end (8.5 miles). At the intersection of Ridge and Route 65, turn left into Pond Village. Continue straight on Stone Road up the hill — the driveway is on the right about 1 mile up from the floating bridge. First right after a few hundred feet of pavement. The 1000 Stone Farm sign is visible from the road. Follow the driveway around the pond toward the farm store; signs will guide you to the Cider House parking lot.
Turn left off the ramp, then take the next right onto Stone Road. Continue 4 miles; the farm driveway is on the left — look for the 1000 Stone Farm sign. Follow the driveway toward the Farm Store and park in the Cider House & Kitchen lot. The Farmers Hand is past the farm store in the Blue Barn.
Our country road setting makes carpooling the ideal way to arrive. It's better for the farm, better for the road, and better for the planet.
We are a working farm with animals and certified organic produce. Pets are not permitted at the farm or restaurant — thank you for understanding.
The farm store and Cider House are the only areas open to the public. Please do not wander the farm — we appreciate your respect for our working land and animals.
Hear Kyle and Betsy tell the full story of 1000 Stone Farm — from first apple trees to building The Farmers Hand Cider House & Kitchen — on the Cider Chat podcast.