At the heart of our farm, a stone’s throw from rolling pastures and grazing goats, stands a relic of days past. We're talking about the former headquarters of McDonald & Swan, a beautiful old building steeped in history, whispering stories of its former glory.
Rip Swan was a well-known architect, builder, and WWII veteran in Vermont and ran his thriving company from this very place. With time, however, the building's strength diminished, leaving it in a dilapidated state that most would shy away from. But at our farm, we embrace such challenges, determined to infuse new life into old structures and honor the rich history they hold.
Our property was bought by Rip and Lilian Swan in the 1940's, in the prime of their youth. The McDonald & Swan building became more than just a structure. It was a dream, a vision, a testament to the pursuit of success. As the years marched on, the building bore the brunt of time, gradually fading into a state of disrepair. But we’ve always believed that old is gold, and so, we decided to give this age-old structure a fresh lease of life.
Fast forward to the present: Our little commercial kitchen, where we craft our beloved goat milk fudge, has proven too small for our ambitions. You see, we have been pleasantly amazed by the avalanche of support from you lovely people. So much so, our brand has blossomed beyond our wildest dreams, leaving us in dire need of much more space.
And that's where our dear McDonald & Swan building steps into the picture. This renovation will expand our workspace to four times its current size, accommodating more fudge-making equipment and helping us keep up with your growing love for our products. But we're not stopping there! With more room at our disposal, we plan to tickle your taste buds with new confectionery delights, including tantalizing toffee, sugar free & no sugar added fudge options, and maybe some butterscotch candies.
It's not going to be an easy project. It's a long road ahead and Aden is taking on the task of the renovation which includes windows, doors, electrical, plumbing, flooring, painting, and even a new heating/cooling system. But come year-end, we hope to have the renovations done and dusted, and we will relocate the business over there once we receive regulatory approval from the Vermont DOH.
For those of you eager beavers wanting to catch a glimpse of what we're up to, we've included a "before" video right here in this blog post. Peek into the past and watch as we transform this relic into a thing of beauty.