After working here for almost 16 years, what has changed and what has stayed the same since you started?

To me, just about everything is different. We started in a small building, expanded to a taproom. We used to do everything by hand (labeling bottles, writing our own growler tags). Our wall in the original space was all filled with growler bottles that we had to constantly stock. It doesn’t feel like 15 years have passed. This journey feels like it started yesterday. I remember the first building going up when Shaun was still in Denmark vividly. I loved it when the taproom was built, and we added a bathroom!

Back in the day, there was always so much to do! We had two kegs of beer, and that’s all we could use each week. No bottle options to start, that was all we had to get by. It felt so good to get to help out with anything at all. I remember the pallets laid down for people to walk across in the driveway when everything turned to mud, Clover roaming the space and laying on pallets and barrels, and cars lining up way past our driveway for a bottle release. There was a swimming pool we used on top of the hot liquor tank, which used to make me laugh and laugh. I miss some of the old items; it felt like I was accomplishing a lot because there was so much to do.

At what point could you sense that Shaun and Hill Farmstead could be successful at brewing? 

Probably at first sight of expansion. So many people were here doing projects all the time. But I like that what we’ve done makes people come here to fill growlers and drink our beer, and not need too many cans. It was exciting in the beginning to see all these small changes where a brewery saw kegs and lumber piled up on old farmland.

From your childhood to now, how has Greensboro changed? What about the Hill family land has changed?

I remember this place just as farmland, one of the nicest barns and most beautiful farms in Greensboro. I couldn’t see [Shaun’s] vision at first, but what I liked most was that he wanted to honor his grandfather. Edward would be beside himself in awe if he saw that our first beer was named after him. He’d be so proud.

How have you evolved from the person you were when Shaun first brewed a batch of homebrew on your kitchen stove more than 30 years ago?

There have been a lot of changes for the brewery, but for me, I feel like I’ve slowed down. There isn’t all that much hustle and bustle that I used to have, which I really liked.

What are your strongest memories from the first years of selling bottles and growlers out of Edward’s shed?

I remember changing my first keg in the first building—nobody showed me how to do it, and the coupler blew off and exploded in my face. A customer had to guide me how to hook the new keg up. 

It blows my mind that [Shaun] was able to build all this (while brewing!) in such a short period of time.

I remember wild weather, before we had a generator backing us up. We didn’t have a floor or heat in the office, so people wore coats all the time, kept gloves nearby, ran to everything, and often used Edward’s room in the old house for work.

Back in the early days, we used to keep the garage door of the bottle shop open, and one girl tripped over her own feet because she was excited to finally be here. I often wish and wonder if she would come back to meet her again. I love former customers returning to share stories and pictures from the early days. That’s still dear to me—getting to share in fond memories.

What is your favorite part about living in the NEK of Vermont?

I’ve always lived in Greensboro, and I think for years, I took it for granted. But I see people coming from other parts of the world, and I now wonder why I’d ever want to leave. Summers are hot, and winters are cold, but you learn how to prepare—and then it just quickly becomes home.

What brings you the most joy outside of the taproom?

I would have to say just being outside, watching things grow. I’m always amazed at how tiny seeds become plants and flowers. It’s a privilege to be out here and see the beautiful spaces around us. On Sundays, I used to just walk the dirt roads here and admire the surroundings. It gave me a great peace of mind. You might call me, The Garden Queen.

Is there a particular Hill Farmstead beer that you love more than others?

Flora: Cherry is my favorite. There are a few fruited beers over the years as well that I loved (Anna: Montmorency and Flora: Raspberry), and also Vera Mae. Once I’m not here anymore, I’d really like to have a say in my beer… it should be a Farmstead® ale, preferably with cherries.

What in the brewery’s history are you proudest of?

Shaun’s accomplishments here. I’m happy that his father and I get to be involved. To see your child create such a well-known establishment. It’s amazing.