October 24, 2024
From forest to small farm, Yvette Lanneaux has been hard at work establishing her new organic enterprise in Pomfret, VT. Five acres of cleared land, with the help of cover cropping, mowing, and grazing sheep, has become Sajima Farm in just a few short months. Yvette purchased the property in December of 2020 when a pandemic dream took hold. She’s only been on the land full-time since May 2024 and has already established her flock of sheep, chickens, a guard llama, and achieved organic certification!
Yvette has worked with an organic mentor, Nick Zigelbaum, of Longest Acres Farm in Chelsea, as part of the Transition to Organic Partnership Program this past year. They established goals, met regularly, visited each other’s farms, and generally found that they were a good match, personality-wise. "Nick’s insights and experience have been very valuable. He is a thoughtful sounding board and offers practical solutions. Our discussions always lead to related topics and ideas I had not considered," Yvette shared. Nick gave her helpful advice, got back to her quickly when the need arose to problem-solve, and recommended several books detailing natural farming methods. This included a book outlining non-chemical parasite management, which understandably, is one of Yvette’s main concerns when raising sheep organically. She practices rotational grazing as a key way to manage parasites, moving the sheep to fresh paddocks every two to three days.
Organic certification is important to Yvette; she feels it’s better for people, animals, and the planet. “Organic practices contribute to the vitality and resilience of natural systems, anchor local economies, and can even mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events,” she says. With an understanding that it all starts with the soil, Yvette chose to focus her initial efforts on the health of the pastures. Because the land had been untouched for so long, she wouldn’t have to wait three years to transition it to organic, making it possible to pursue certification right away.
Nick has really enjoyed working with Yvette and being in touch at least monthly this past year. He says, “I think I added the most value in simply lending my experience to her early-stage organic farm development.” He helped with fencing, water, pasture quality, and soil inputs, and assisted with sourcing animals, organic hay, and other supplies. He talked her through the certification application process and some of the bigger “pitfalls,” like having an organic certificate for purchased hay, and the importance of taking soil samples. Nick is excited to see how the next few years go and what organic products Yvette develops.
In addition to working with a mentor, Yvette has pursued many forms of learning. She has been busy meeting other sheep farmers, connecting with a local wool mill for processing, taking a pasture fencing course, a parasite management class, and soil health classes. She has also been attending various workshops at Shelburne Farms, and accessing information from UVM Extension, the Cornell Small Farms Program, and the University of Michigan. She plans to volunteer on a sheep farm this coming lambing season to build experience and confidence before breeding her own sheep.
Her future plans are developing and may include various ideas. She aims to breed her Merino and Babydoll Southdown sheep in 2026 to grow her flock. She has an interest in agroforestry and wants to implement some potential forest crops, like maple, shiitake mushrooms, and wasabi, which she explored as part of Dartmouth’s 2024 Agroforestry Cohort. She hopes to plant an orchard, perhaps with cherries and apples. She shared a bit about the Japanese apple-growing technique of mojie ringo, using a sun-blocking stencil to create an artistic design on the fruit’s skin. With her Japanese roots, she is considering a Japanese theme for her farm. Indeed, it is named after Sajima, a town in Japan that is her mother’s happy place; aptly named considering that this budding farm is now Yvette’s happy place!
Creating a farm from the ground up has been an incredibly empowering experience for Yvette. She’s excited to share her journey and encourages others to be bold!
Would you benefit from working with an experienced organic grower, visiting their farm, and having their help with the certification process? We’re recruiting for new mentees and mentors now to start mentorships in December or early 2025. Learn more and fill out the short application to be paired with an organic mentor!