The VMLS Celebrates a Gift of Land!

The Green Mountain Cold Spring Creamery, circa 1910. International dairy processor Saputo donates Starksboro property to Big Heavy World: Big Heavy World, a volunteer-staffed organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Vermont-made music, has received a donation of property in Starksboro. Saputo, one of the top twenty dairy processors in the world, offered the gift to help support Big Heavy World's effort to restore a century-old general store on a site overlooking the Lewis Creek Valley. The property sits on a stone ledge overlooking the oldest homestead in the village and an agricultural valley that's been farmed for over two hundred years. It adjoins the site of the L.S. Gordon Store, a general store constructed in 1907, presently undergoing restoration to become an archive space for the Vermont Music Library, a program of The Big Heavy World Foundation. The Saputo land will aid the project with an addition of safe parking and a beautiful natural setting. Saputo, founded in 1954, has 47 plants in five countries and is one of the top five producers of cheese in the United States. One of its plants is located in Hinesburg. "We are delighted to give this property to Big Heavy World," said Terry Brockman, President, Saputo Cheese USA Inc. "We find their vision compelling and are glad to contribute to the community by participating in a project that will bring people together." The Starksboro property is the site of the Green Mountain Cold Spring Creamery, founded in 1898 and in operation for almost 100 years as a major village industry. The creamery structures have all been gone for decades, but the old creamery is the inspiration to create a park with interpretive signage describing the historical stories of industry and agriculture in the Starksboro village center. The gift was facilitated by the Vermont Historical Society and Lisman, Webster & Leckerling, P.C. Site planning is being aided by the Addison County Regional Planning Commission, Freeman French Freeman, and architectural students at Norwich University. James Lockridge, Executive Director of the Burlington-based Big Heavy World Foundation, said, "The generosity of Saputo awes us; this gift is wonderful on many levels. And it's a pleasure to build friendships in other countries by sharing an idea - it's nice to know the world works that way."