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Werner Tree Farm, a family-operated Christmas tree farm in Middlebury, has been selling cut-your-own trees and spreading holiday cheer since 1986. Over the past few years, the Werner family has worked to improve their sustainability practices and diversify the farm’s offerings.
Once the home of Middlebury’s gym, Wilson Hall was a fitting venue for Middlebury College Musical Theater’s production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a musical in the form of a spelling bee in a school gymnasium. Following a cast of quirky spellers in their quest for victory, the student-run show utilized four audience volunteers to round out the cast of spellers, spelling words ranging from “cow” to “lysergic acid diethylamide” in between musical numbers.
A mainstay of the Middlebury restaurant scene since 2002, American Flatbread launched a creative Sunday brunch this past March to complement its dinner menu of customizable flatbreads, salads and desserts. The brunch menu consists of not only flatbread pizzas, but also a range of brunch-specific pastries, yogurt and drinks available only on Sundays.
Dreamt up by two roommates sharing a passion for perfecting an energizing cold brew concentrate in 2016, Snowcap Cold Brew now produces a variety of canned brews stocked at over 100 locations across Vermont.
As a collaborative restaurant and retail business, 51 Main has brought a new energy to a long-vacant space in Middlebury’s downtown since opening last March. The space brings two businesses together under one roof: Everything Nice, a plant and home decor store which serves as a funding source for the Giving Fridge — a nonprofit founded by Bethanie Farrell — and Crooked Ladle Catering, a catering business owned by Jennifer and Loren Urban. The move to a shared space reflects the continuing evolution and growth of both businesses.
Liv, Love, Local is a column highlighting Vermont local businesses, especially cafés and restaurants in the Middlebury area. Through interviews with owners, I aim to highlight the specific successes and challenges that come with small business ownership in Vermont, the hard work owners and employees put into these businesses, and how these spots serve as places of community and connection building.
On a recent Saturday morning in Bristol, every bright-yellow chair in Minifactory was occupied as the brunch crowd queued up to order their weekend treats. Minifactory opened in the spring of 2022 as a market and café that also serves as a home for the jam manufacturing of owner V Smiley’s jam company, V Smiley Preserves. Two years in, Minifactory has become an acclaimed destination, recently featured in the New York Times’ 36 Hours series on Burlington, Vt.
Liv, Love, Local is a column highlighting Vermont local businesses, especially cafés and restaurants in the Middlebury area. Through interviews with owners, I aim to highlight the specific successes and challenges that come with small business ownership in Vermont, the hard work owners and employees put into these businesses, and how these spots serve as places of community and connection building.
Liv, Love, Local is a column highlighting local businesses of Vermont, especially cafés and restaurants in the Middlebury area. Through interviews with owners, I aim to highlight the specific successes and challenges that come with small business ownership in Vermont, the hard work owners and employees put into these businesses, and how these spots serve as places of community and connection building.
Back-to-school is always a busy time of year, especially at the mail center. It’s a guarantee that students will order larger items directly to school during move-in or have to place last-minute orders when they realize which dorm decorations they are missing. This year, however, on top of the typical early semester mail center commotion, there is a shortage of available mailboxes.
It is 8 a.m. on a Friday morning and the town of Middlebury is just waking up and making the pilgrimage to Royal Oak.
It has been an exciting year for coffee in Vermont, with several new cafés and bakeries popping up locally.
September has begun. The air is getting crisper, leaves are starting to change color and pumpkin spice is on the menu again. This can only mean one thing: Fall is here. Many first-years might be experiencing their very first New England fall, and with so many great ways to enjoy the season, it may begin to feel a bit overwhelming. Here’s a list of great fall activities for students to embrace the season, including recommendations from fellow Middlebury students.
Right from the get-go, On Tap’s Friday night performance brought energy to Wilson Hall with an opening number set to Elvis’s “Hound Dog” that featured the full company. With bright smiles and matching red scarves, the group of 14 looked upbeat, cohesive and confident. However, while the group used crisp arm movements and tap steps that felt classic, they also proved that tap can and will evolve with the times.
This past weekend marked the long-awaited opening of Minifactory, the location of V Smiley Preserves, an award-winning jam business. The business, located at 16 Main Street in Bristol, Vermont, also includes a coffee shop and eatery.
This past weekend, the Actors from the London Stage (AFTLS) visited Middlebury to put on a production of William Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” in Wright Memorial Theatre.
Tucked away in the middle of the Marbleworks, 11th Hour Botanical Wellness is a hidden gem. It is a cozy but quirky space with a lot going on; colorful Nicaraguan art lines the walls of the espresso bar area, and there is a spa section near the main windows displaying botanical skincare products. However, looking more closely at wares housed in the round-top display case reveals yet another aspect of the business –– CBD tinctures, edibles, and yes, (THC-free) joints. Passersby may wonder: what exactly is going on here at this “spa-fé?” “This is my pandemic pivot,” explained owner Jenn Buker from behind the espresso bar in her newly refurbished space. A marine-biologist-turned-aesthetician, Buker formerly operated Pro Skin Studio, the popular spa and skincare side of her business, out of the same space. “I was the person that would have people book [appointments] a year in advance, because if you want to guarantee a spot then you need to,” Buker said. Then, when the pandemic hit, she made the difficult decision to temporarily close due to the risk of offering in-person services. The time off gave her an unexpected opportunity to branch out into other business ventures, including growing hemp for CBD products at her Lincoln, Vt. home. Buker met fellow Lincoln residents and experienced hemp farmers Erica French and Todd Curtis around Memorial Day of 2020 and worked with them to grow her first seedlings. While Memorial Day is a typical planting time, due to the timing of only recently befriending French and Curtis, Buker did not get her plants into the ground until July — truly the eleventh hour for planting, and hence, the name of her new business was born. “We had some of [the cannabis] turned into our [CBD] tincture,” Buker said. “And the guys that processed the tincture for us were like, I've never seen anything this good.” Although she is not a smoker or consumer of THC cannabis products, Buker has been using CBD products for years as a means of managing chronic pain caused by a connective tissue disorder. Knowing she had a quality product on her hands that was safe to sell during a pandemic, Buker decided to expand her business model. Thus, out of Pro Skin Studio, 11th Hour Botanical Wellness was founded. “It was just this very organic thing that happened,” Buker said. When the Bristol coffee shop Almost Home closed last year, Buker was able to purchase a lot of their espresso equipment. She now serves local espresso from Earthback Coffee Roasters, a small-batch Vermont roaster, as well as CBD-infused blends from the Colorado-based brand Strava. The café side of the business adds to the friendly community environment Buker hopes to cultivate at 11th Hour. “I wanted to have a place where somebody like me could come in and ask questions,” Buker said. “I just wanted a place that was… accessible to the entire community. I guess that's really the heart.” Because it is a cannabinoid, CBD carries a certain stigma, but unlike THC products, CBD does not cause a “high.” Rather, CBD taps into the body’s endocannabinoid system, and many people use CBD without smoking to help manage pain, sleep better or reduce symptoms of anxiety as an alternative to prescription drugs. Along with slinging espresso and continuing to provide spa and wellness services, Buker hopes to be able to share her knowledge of CBD with the community. But opening in January 2021 in the thick of the pandemic brought its challenges. Unexpected plastic cup shortages, the nationwide staffing shortage and occasional customer grumbling about masking requirements have all been roadblocks along the way. These added to the existing challenges of opening a new business in a small town. “The hardest thing in the world is getting customers to know where you're at. I'm a one woman show,” Buker said. She added that she’s now more engaged with the community as a whole, compared to her previous days of only scheduled appointments. Buker noted that the community’s reception of her new business has been positive. Despite the challenges of the spa-fé’s location in Marble Works, Buker has made efforts to make 11th Hour attractive and apparent to the community, providing plenty of colorful outdoor seating to allow for safe gathering. Middlebury College students get a 10% discount if they show their student ID, and with the option to pick up a CBD-infused treat or add a few drops of tincture to their morning latte, curious customers can simply dip a toe into the world of CBD products before fully committing.
Midd Kids are big fans of coffee. Some brew it in their rooms or even roast their own coffee beans while others habitually head into town for a latte. Just a few weeks into the semester, you can always find students stationed in the college’s Crossroads Cafe or grabbing a second or third cup from the dining hall dispensers as they tackle their assignments. Taking the time to relax over coffee might seem paradoxical, but venturing off-campus in search of caffeination can actually offer a much-needed break from the daily grind. Fortunately, there is a wide variety of coffee shops in the Middlebury area that are well worth checking out. And if students can’t bring themselves to part with their schoolwork, studying at a cafe offers a great change of scenery. Among the dozens of coffee options in the area, here are four great spots to check out. Royal Oak Coffee Middlebury In the Venn diagram of third wave coffee snobs and Starbucks addicts, Royal Oak exists in the beautiful and elusive overlap that satisfies both. Located right in Middlebury, Royal Oak is about a mile away from campus on Seymour Street, and is beloved by many students. Co-owned by husband-and-wife team Matt and Aless Delia-Lobo, Royal Oak packs incredible quality into every drink they serve. Their latte flavors are unique and delicious. Cardamom vanilla and maple lattes are always on the menu, along with a rotating seasonal flavor. Whether you care deeply about the origin and processing of your beans or simply enjoy the pretty latte art, the cafe is the perfect place to try something new. Their shaken maple latte tastes like pure Vermont. Royal Oak’s sister shop, Lost Monarch, is located at the Stone Mill Public Market. If the weather permits, studying over a matcha latte on their terrace seating area is a great way to focus and relax. Olivia’s recommendation: hot cardamom vanilla latte with oat milk Vergennes Laundry Vergennes Vergennes Laundry strikes a perfect balance between authentic and upscale. Named for the laundromat that once operated out of the same storefront, Vergennes Laundry is about twenty minutes from campus in the center of Vergennes’ downtown. The highlight of Vergennes Laundry is their lattes. They are some of the creamiest and most well-balanced around. The coffee shop’s aesthetic is simultaneously minimalist and rustic, and its neutral color scheme and natural light are instantly relaxing. Local products and fresh produce dot the shelves, and the smell of freshly baked baguettes wafts through the room. Step up to the counter and order a drink (and maybe something tempting from the pastry case as well), and then head outside to sit and sip at one of the cheerful orange tables along Main Street. Olivia’s recommendation: iced oat milk latte Bristol Cliffs Café Bristol As the name suggests, Bristol Cliffs Cafe is located in downtown Bristol, making it a perfect pit stop on the way back from a cliff jumping trip at Bristol Falls. The interior is cozy, with warm wood tables and sunlight streaming in through the front windows, and an unpretentious menu contains all the classic cafe staples you might want. The coffee alone is decent, but not mind-blowing; Bristol Cliffs is definitely more of a spot to grab a meal. Think a gooey bacon egg and cheese wrapped in tin foil, moist baked goods or Sunday brunch. But if you’re simply looking for a quick and basic iced coffee, they’ve got you covered. Olivia’s recommendation: iced coffee with almond milk Brio Coffeeworks Burlington Brio Coffeeworks is a female-co-owned coffee shop just a few minutes walk away from Burlington’s Church Street. The interior is calming, with polished concrete floors and plants dotting the floor — definitely a little hipster. The baristas are knowledgeable and friendly, ensuring Brio doesn’t feel like an exclusive space. In addition to a full espresso bar menu, Brio has an abundance of coffee bags available for retail with some of the coolest packaging around. For a dorm-friendly option, you can purchase cans of nitro flash-chilled iced coffee to bring back to campus. If you can’t make the drive to Burlington but would still like to try the coffee, Brio espresso is served right in Middlebury at Haymaker Bun Co. Olivia’s recommendation: cold brew with a splash of milk if ordering in the cafe, or the flash chilled Costa Rica cold brew can to go
Midd students are always busy. They participate in clubs and sports, grab meals with friends and spend hours in the library studying. So it makes sense that when there aren’t enough hours in the day to sleep, the caffeine boost that comes from chugging coffee is a quick fix for many. Dining hall coffee is fine, but there is more to coffee culture at Middlebury than just getting energy — coffee is also a way to connect with other students and the local community. While many Midd kids love a good cup of coffee, a particular passion for it brews in a few. “I usually get coffee in either the dining halls or make some in my dorm room,” said Pia Contreras Balbuena ’22. Contreras Balbuena and her family are big coffee fans, and she has positive associations with the beverage as a result. “Coffee was a huge part of my daily routine when I was back home for quarantine. It felt like that was the only thing giving my day any structure,” she said. While she’s not the biggest fan of dining hall coffee, it has grown on her. “Recently, I've been trying to switch things up by getting dining hall coffee with a splash of oat milk. Now it's becoming part of my routine.” There are limited cafe options in Middlebury for students to get their fix, but each has its own unique charm. “I’m really a fan of Crossroads,” said Abby Wilner ’23. “I think it's such a nice place to go if you're in more of a mode of ‘I need to get some work done, but I don't want to be surrounded by stress.’” Her go-to order at the student-run cafe is a dirty chai. “It has the chai and the sweetness but then espresso… very necessary.” For more of a treat, Wilner also recommended Royal Oak Coffee. Co-owned by husband-and-wife team Matt and Aless Delia-Lobo, the cafe just celebrated its two-year anniversary of opening. “My suite loves Royal Oak,” agreed Jordan Kramarsky ’23. “[It] has such a nice atmosphere during non-Covid times when you can work inside.” Kramarsky’s usual order is an iced latte with oat milk. Otter Creek Bakery is another perennial student favorite. A convenient option since it’s such a short walk from campus, it’s a perfect spot to pick up a pastry to go along with your caffeine of choice. Meanwhile, Haymaker Bun Co. recently opened its patio seating for a more lingering, sit-down experience. “I haven't had that in so long; A real [ceramic] cup,” Wilner said. For the adventurous, brand-new “spa-fe,” 11th Hour Botanicals in Marbleworks offers CBD-infused coffee. “Getting coffee as an activity can be a great way to catch up with friends and have some lovely conversations in a more lighthearted/casual setting,” Kramarsky said. “If I'm buying coffee, I love having a little conversation with whoever is working.” Many Middlebury Coffee shops also work with local Vermont roasters. Haymaker partners with woman-owned roaster Brio Coffee Works. Otter Creek serves coffee from Middlebury micro-roaster Bud’s Beans and features a monthly rotating selection of guest roasters. Royal Oak and its sister shop Lost Monarch serve Vivid Coffee and occasionally also host beans from Woodstock’s Abracadabra Coffee Roasters. Both Lost Monarch and Crossroads Cafe also serve coffee roasted by a Middlebury student. Daniel Gutierrez ’22 founded Iluminar Coffee Roasters in January 2020, meeting an immediate and unexpectedly high demand. While he temporarily closed operations when the pandemic hit, he was able to reopen over the summer to sell beans wholesale to local cafes. Recently, he relaunched Iluminar’s online store where coffee lovers can purchase beans for retail sale. In addition to roasting his own coffee, Gutierrez is a barista at Royal Oak, which is understandably his Middlebury cafe of choice. He shared his perspective as a barista, saying, “I feel more connected to Middlebury as I have been consistently interacting with members of the community for the past two years.” Especially during the pandemic, coffee has been a way for Middlebury students to connect with each other and the town. “I think that, besides meals, getting coffee with people has been one of the main ways people have gotten together to socialize,” said Gutierrez.
One out of every six Middlebury students has contacted the Disabilities Resources Center (DRC) for disability-related accommodations, according to its website. ADA coordinator Jodi Litchfield says that half of these students have a learning disability or attention disorders, and a further 30% have psychological disabilities. But the campus rarely talks about the academic, social and emotional issues neurodivergent students face — nor takes notice of their presence, according to Isaac Byrne ’21. He is attempting to bring this “ghost community” to life through the creation of the Divergent Learners Collective (DLC), a new student club focused on supporting and advocating for neurodivergent students — a category that includes students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD and other divergences. “Mentally, I at least felt like I was going through the experience [of being a divergent learner] alone,” Byrne said. “It felt necessary to bring people together around a sort of common space.” The DLC hopes to fill a hole in activism on a campus that does not often acknowledge the experience of people with a disability or adjacent conditions, according to Byrne. Through meetings and initiatives, the Divergent Learners Collective aims to support divergent learners in the same way that other student organizations focused around identity groups do — and to create a dialogue about accessibility. One such initiative the club is working on is the creation of a handbook for neurodivergent students. “[The handbook will be] part map for the new generation, and part microscope for the wider community. A lot of people I imagine have no idea what it is like to be a divergent learner,” Byrne said. The DLC aims to create a living document that older students can use to pass on advice and knowledge from their experience to incoming generations of students. This includes both academic strategies and advice for navigating the emotional and social difficulties that come from being a divergent learner at a school with a neurotypical culture. The handbook is meant to complement the work done by the Disabilities Resource Center and guide neurodivergent students in how they can best take advantage of those resources. Middlebury does provide formal accommodations to academically support divergent learners. Extended time, note-taking assistance, assignment extensions and testing environments with reduced distractions can all be approved by the DRC for students who require it, sometimes in just a day with appropriate documentation. The DRC does not offer specific programming for students with disabilities, but the ADA coordinators are willing to help. “We’re more than willing to answer any questions that students may have about qualifications or additional support,” Litchfield said in an email to The Campus. For students who identify as having a disability but who may not want formal accommodations, Litchfield suggests contacting the student group Middlebury Students with Disabilities. The CTLR is another resource Litchfield recommends for all students. Still, the Disability Resource Center primarily works with individual students, and changes are happening on a by-class level rather than institutionally. Furthermore, the DRC works to review and approve accommodations as efficiently as possible, but issues with paperwork can make getting accommodations challenging. “One of our members was denied accommodations,” Byrne said. “They have a doctor's note about their divergent learning status that was too old.” Making testing for divergent conditions more accessible is one of Byrne’s suggestions.“For things like ADHD, if you present female, it's significantly harder to get testing when you're younger, because those symptoms present differently,” he said. Accommodations can also be outright denied. “A professor can say, I don't think this is fair … those conditions can be taken away,” Byrne said. While Byrne appreciates the work of the Disability Resource Center (DRC), he believes having a supportive, student-created space on campus is incredibly necessary. Some members of the club, such as Alex Dobin ’22, have also worked with the DRC to update some of the language used on their site in regards to ADHD. Byrne said he wants divergent learners to know to feel that they are not alone and have someone advocating for them. “Equally, I hope that people who don't have any of those conditions understand how what's normal to them could be a horrendously difficult and emotionally taxing experience for others,” he said. The DLC is currently going through the process of securing official club approval. Interested students can find more information at go/DLC or via the group’s Instagram or Facebook accounts. Editor’s Note: News Editor Sophia McDermott-Hughes contributed reporting.