Local Dairy Processing Returns as Historic Creamery Reopens
Bakersfield, VT · October 18, 2026
Crisp morning frost is clinging to the fence posts along Route 108, but clear skies and sunshine make this an ideal Sunday for a stroll. Grab an extra layer before heading out to catch the last of the ridge foliage.
The Lead
The recent restart of dairy manufacturing at the historic creamery in neighboring Enosburg Falls brings welcome stability to farming families across our corner of Franklin County. Operating now as Franklin County Cheese, the Sampsonville Road plant was spared permanent shutdown when industry veteran John Ovitt and his wife Kathy purchased the site after previous operators halted production. Ovitt spent nearly four decades inside the facility and reassembled an experienced crew to revive specialty cream cheese lines.
Franklin County remains Vermont's top milk producer, making nearby processing infrastructure essential for area farms that face rising hauling costs when raw milk travels down-valley. The reopened floor currently handles daily intake with a streamlined team, providing local producers with a dependable nearby buyer. Equipment calibration and supplier agreements continue rolling out this month as production schedules expand toward full autumn capacity.
Local Pulse
- Town Office Closed Monday For Fall Break City Hall Municipal offices will shut tomorrow, so handle property records, taxes, and permit filings online or on Tuesday.
Today's Outlook
- High 52°F · Low 31°F — Clear
- Grab a heavy coat before heading outdoors into the crisp, sunlit morning air.
What's On Around Town
Today
Fall Mini Market and Wagon Tours Larry's Tree Farm (368 Route 108 S), 10:00 AM–4:00 PM Handmade local crafts, farm-baked treats, and tractor tours through the pines.
Winter Luminary Pottery Workshop Maple Glazed Pottery (45 Kingman St), St. Albans, 10:30 AM · $65 Paint ceramic lanterns while exploring creative wellness practices for winter.
Fall Foliage Cross Country Invite Hard'ack Recreation Area, St. Albans, 12:30 PM Cheer collegiate runners navigating scenic forest trails and open ridgelines.
Tomorrow
Mahjong Social Afternoon St. Albans Free Library (100 N Main St), St. Albans, 1:00–3:00 PM · Free
Documentary Screening: The State of Farming Welden Theatre (104 N Main St), St. Albans, 6:00–8:00 PM · Free
Tuesday
Music and Movement for Littles St. Albans Free Library (100 N Main St), St. Albans, 10:30–11:30 AM · Free
Conservation Commission Meeting Bakersfield Town Hall (40 East Bakersfield Rd), 3:30 PM · Free
Spotlight & Story
- Bakersfield
- Before bearing Joseph Baker’s surname, this land was chartered in 1791 as Knowlton’s Gore. Baker purchased the entire 10,000-acre wilderness tract for £500, prompting the Vermont Legislature in October 1792 to officially rechristen the rugged hill township in his honor.
Bakersfield Daily Digest — compiled from local sources every morning. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
Sent with care by MailerDot — your city, every morning.