Sugar Top Farm, LLC

06/18/2026

2018 nearly totalled our family. The stress we all endured was immense, and Mallory often got the s**t end of the stick when it came to my attention because she was the least demanding & most understanding.

So when my broken-hearted girl looked me in the eyes and told me she had most of the money to purchase a puppy, and would build a website to sell prints of her photography to earn the rest, I didn't have a leg of dissuasion to stand on.

Dakota & Mallory were energetically bonded in a way I haven't seen many dog-human pairs. She could be having a rough time in Texas & he knew it here in Vermont.

He was one of those dogs who didn't totally grow up until he was about 5 years old. We grand-folks were just getting to the point that we enjoyed his company because a touch of the exuberance had mellowed.

Mallory did her best to train Dakota but I swear he considered her a littermate more than someone exuding leadership. He knew who he could play dumb with & who he needed to mind depending upon who was holding the leash.

While Dakota couldn't be trusted with poultry or small animals, and could demolish a tennis ball or towel in seconds, he has the softest mouth when accepting treats or giving kisses.

He loved playing in the snow & eating creemees. He hated cars that drove too fast or too close to his human girl. And he despised goodbyes... oh, how he would howl, scream & carry on.

We were not emotionally prepared to say goodbye to Dakota yesterday. An acute internal bleeding episode from a splenic tumor dictated that it was time to let him go. We're so grateful he is no longer suffering.

Huge thanks to Tom & Carole Younkman for helping Mallory's dream come true by selling Dakota to her. Thanks to Marie Thomas for the training direction. Thanks to Steve DiCicco, and to Kara Shaum, for the care they gave Dakota over the years when Mallory needed to be away. And big thanks to Stowe Veterinary Clinic for getting us in so quickly, Dr. Ryan Flannery for diagnosing what we feared & providing a peaceful death, and Dawn VanDerWerf for helping keep Kota comfortable & supporting Mallory while I attended to Sully.

Rest in peace, Kota boy!
7/12/2018 - 6/17/2026

06/17/2026

Father's Day Fishing Derby
Sunday, June 21, 9am-Noon

Will YOU catch a BIG ONE? Bring your fishing gear and go for it! All youths up through age 14 are invited.

The event will be held at the Marble pond at 212 Beacon Hill Road in Morrisville. Watch for signs at the north end of Randolph Road and Cottage Street.

For more information, call Roy and Marcia Marble at 802-279-6703 or 802-888-3418.

06/16/2026

I am jealous of the woman who can be a passenger princess, relaxing and taking in the scenery while her man drives the car.

I can't do it! Heck, I can't even ride with my daughter without extreme anxiety.

Were you also the terrified little girl in the passenger seat as her parent screamed a lecture while speeding down the road? If so, I see you!

(I couldn't tell you what the lectures were about. I learned in therapy that is because I likely dissociated.)

I'm highly committed to doing better by my children, even if that means I sometimes go too far in the other direction of leniency in parenting.

06/16/2026

Officially introducing Dewey. He is a juvenile Muscovy drake, hatched in July 2025, and acquired over the winter from NEK Sheep & Goat Farm.

Dewey is about the same age as our juvenile hens and he will join them once they're finished hatching their first clutches of the year.
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06/15/2026

What is on your summer bucket list?

Now that our homeschooling year is finished, we are working on building our summer bucket list. Here's what we have so far:

☆ fishing
☆ mini golf
☆ make a fire pit and roast hot dogs
☆ attend a play
☆ visit ECHO
☆ visit Monstshire Museum
☆ shop a used bookstore
☆ fly a falcon
☆ see a wolf in person
☆ splash in the ocean
☆ pause for more sunsets

I'm sure we'll add more. That was just last night's brainstorm.

06/14/2026

Call me old fashioned but I don't feel like death announcements should arrive via text.

(Yes, I do realize that letters were common ways to communicate news like this prior to telephones but hand written letters are much more personal than a text message.)
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06/14/2026

First spinach harvest of 2026. 💚
We grow Space and Corvair varieties very reliably here on our northern Vermont farm.

Organic seed is from but it doesn't look like they carry Corvair variety any longer.
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06/13/2026

This Lilac is loaded with Swallowtail butterflies. Thought I'd share. 💜💛🖤

06/13/2026

06/12/2026

Sully's second grade homeschooling year is finished! 😊 What a year it's been!

Sully read over 180 books independently. Most of those were chapters books & non-fiction. He participated in a Red Clover program at the and created art to help raise money for a local homeless shelter.

Math was mostly contained within an IXL workbook & online practice, with additions of real world math in cooking, banking, and making purchases.

Sully attended several History for Homeschoolers classes through the . He also joined StoryKeepers II with VT author, Natalie Kinsey, to learn more about the history of transportation, technology, communications & the industrial revolution. He joined 1st Amendment by the fireside at our local library and exercised his right to free speech by reading Matilda aloud to the audience. Workbooks covered Ancient Civilizations and Geography.

Science was largely focused on STEM projects & wildlife studies. Sully enjoyed private tours at and . He attended presentations on mustelids & eastern coyotes. He witnessed Saw-whet owl banding at . Sully completed the Mystery Ingredient Challenge hosted by our library, creating a delicious carrot muffin with pretzel topping. He also participated in a S**t & Tracks program hosted by .

Sully continued lessons on drawing with . He also attended a play at .

Physical education/health included things like climbing walls, basketball, kite flying, frisbee, hiking, gun safety, intro to power tools & safe equipment use. The biggest accomplishment in PE was Sully's mastering to swim without a flotation device after years of PT.

We visited museums & played educational games to support all subjects.

There are so many more things I don't have room to include here but it was an amazing year, partially made possible by such terrific organizations & programs available to us which helped supplement the learning.

Our family makes big sacrifices to be able to homeschool... me giving up my career as a CVT and Mark working his tail off to compensate for it. We're grateful & blessed.