The von Trapp Farmstead

Three generations of sustainable agriculture

Our family has run the von Trapp Farmstead since 1959, when Werner and Erika von Trapp moved to Waitsfield, Vermont to grow crops and raise livestock, and to build a sustainable future for their children. Today, we make award winning cheese, organic yogurt, and pastured meat from our regeneratively raised cows and pigs. We believe that wholesome, flavorful food begins with healthy soil and animals. Our products are infused with a deep appreciation & desire to honor the land and cows that allow us to practice our craft.

Sebastian von Trapp grew up on the family farm, with his Opa and Oma (Werner and Erika) living just down the road. His parents, Martin and Kelly, ran the farm and dairy, selling their milk to local buyers at whatever price was set by the whims of the global dairy market. In 2007, he began construction on a creamery for making cheese out of the farm’s milk, with the goal of creating more sustainable income for the farm. The von Trapp Farmstead started making cheese in 2009.

Molly Semler grew up in Middlesex, Vermont and returned to the state to follow her passion for making cheese. She started working on the farm over a decade ago, and over the course of making cheese together, she and Sebastian fell in love. (Cheesy, but true!) Sebastian currently runs the farm while Molly operates the creamery. In 2020, we opened a farm store to sell our products directly to locals and visitors.

Each of our cheeses draws on the von Trapp family’s Austrian roots, with distinctive flavors born from traditional cheesemaking techniques. They’re made literally from the ground up, with respect for the soil that grows the grass that feeds our cows. As farmstead cheesemakers, we can look out the window and see the cows that produced the milk we are turning into cheese or yogurt.

We proudly practice regenerative farming methods that go above and beyond organic standards to cultivate a diverse ecosystem on our farm. Come visit our farm store, or try our products online; we think you’ll taste the difference.