We recently visited the Green Mountain State, Vermont: a state of billboard-free roads, gorgeous scenery, great skiing, and long winters.

Carolyn and I loved the beauty of Vermont during our trip, but the most memorable part was a simple visit to a family business: Sugarbush Farm.

A beautiful country drive down a gravel road brought us to the farm, and while we were there for the cheese, we stayed for the story.

Sugarbush Farm is located just outside Woodstock, a place many might refer to as the most charming town in Vermont. As we toured the farm property, it felt like a step back in time, much needed in our fast-moving, social-media-driven world.

The farm was founded in 1945 by Jack and Marion Ayres and is now run by the second, third, and fourth generations. We had the privilege of meeting and talking with Liz, an enthusiastic member of the fourth generation.

She was unabashed in her love for the farm, the family, and the business, to which she had returned about 15 years ago. We could sense her pride and enthusiasm as she answered our questions about the different cheeses and the Vermont Maple Syrup.

Did you know that it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of pure Vermont maple syrup? Or that, when properly packaged, delicious Vermont cheese can be shipped around the world?

We learned all this and more from Liz. Before we left, we watched a short video about the farm that ended with the line “So God made a farmer.” Indeed He did.

After our visit, one question stuck with me: How do you run a 550-acre farm and keep a family together for four generations, maybe five?

At North Group, we help family businesses work through questions like this every day. There’s no simple answer, but Sugarbush shows what it looks like in practice: a family that chooses the business generation after generation and does the work to keep it going.

Sugarbush Farm is just one of many family owned and operated hidden gems throughout our great country that remain the heart of our economy. When family-owned businesses like Sugarbush Farm make the challenging decisions to keep the business in the family, work hard on it each day, and commit to its growth, we all benefit.

We left Vermont believing even more strongly what we’ve always known: As the heart of the American economy, family-owned businesses deserve to be supported, served, and celebrated!

North Group’s goal is to put all three of these things into practice as we provide family business advisory services in succession planning, leadership transitions, and more.

Is your family’s business planning for the next generation? We’d love to help you move forward with confidence! Reach out to ​potential@northgroupconsultants.com​ to start a conversation.