Our Family Farm's History

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1 st Generation: Harold Dresser began the tradition of family farming on our land with his

heifer boarding operation.

2 nd Generation: Pauline Dresser and her husband, Lloyd “Pat” Patterson, established the

Four Town Acres dairy farm. At its peak, Four Town Acres milked 120 holstein cows. Pat

was a major advocate for local farming families as the president of Cabot Creamery. He

traveled the country for many years aiming to improve the dairy industry.

3 rd Generation: Roy Patterson and his wife, Brenda, continued the dairy farm while raising

their own family.

4 th Generation: Dayna Patterson married Mike Boudreau, and together they brainstormed

other ways to ensure that the farm stayed family- and agriculture-oriented. In 1999, Mike

and Dayna started a little 5 acre corn maze. They grew the Great Vermont Corn Maze into a

24 acre attraction that is renowned as the largest corn maze in New England and

frequented by travelers from around the country and globe. 

With Pat and Polly, Roy and Brenda, and Mike and Dayna all living and working on the land,

the farm was productive and busy. However, after many market crashes, Roy and Brenda

decided that the price of milk was becoming too volatile and sold their dairy herd in

February of 2015. Many neighboring farms did the same, and the landscape of Vermont’s

agriculture changed drastically.

5 th Generation: Jake Boudreau was graduating from high school intending on taking over

his grandparent’s dairy in 2015 when they sold the herd. Jake decided to look into other

options, and after months of research, he discovered a distinct breed of cattle that he

believed could make a difference for the next generation of farming. By July of 2015, the

farm welcomed its first two Australian Lowline Angus cows (known in the US as American

Aberdeens), and Four Town Lowlines was born. Jake spent 3 years at the University of

Vermont tailoring his education to benefit his new beef business. He graduated with a B.S.

in Animal Science and a greater understanding of community

development/entrepreneurship, pasture management, nutrition, and animal biology. He

also met his wife, Ali, in UVM’s animal science program. When she's not helping with chores around the farm, Ali is a practicing large animal Veterinarian in Vermont! 

Over the last few years, we have been converting corn fields to productive grass/pasture

lands to feed the growing herd of lowlines/American Aberdeens and improve the sustainability of our practices.

Three generations of our family still call this farm their home and work tirelessly to ensure

its longevity. Agriculture is deeply rooted in our family, and we are promoting the kind of

agriculture that we believe in-- good for the consumer, the animals, and the environment.