Fisher Brothers Farm & Sisters of Anarchy Ice Cream
Fisher Brothers Farm/Sisters of Anarchy Ice Cream, Flavors That Will Freeze You in Your Tracks
Sandra Yerges
Even as non-dairy farmers themselves, Bob Clark and Becky Castle of Fisher Brothers Farm sure know how to milk what is positive from every available opportunity. The husband-and-wife duo have been working together in the agriculture industry for around a decade while specializing in growing fruit and peppermint. Despite having no cows of their own, they are most well-known for their ice cream products made with produce from their Vermont farm.
The introduction of frozen treats into their product offerings was a calculated decision the pair made at their initial planting in 2015. They were only growing fruit at that time, which brought about some concerns about financial longevity.
“We knew that in order to be successful, we needed to have a value-added product,” Becky remembered. “I think it’s possible to be successful without one, but I think the likelihood of success and profitability is higher with a value-added product.”
Choosing which value-added offering to move forward with required a look into what not only could be enhanced with fruit but also something Bob and Becky had experience making. Ice cream checked both of those boxes, especially with Bob’s background growing up in a dairy-producing family. It was then they added an entirely new brand, Sisters of Anarchy Ice Cream, to their business that shared the same sweetness of their existing fruit with an extra dash of spunk.
While sporting a name that refers to Bob and Becky’s three children and including each of their voices in the business’ theme song, the core of Sisters of Anarchy from the very beginning has been family. Extending beyond their genetics, the brand also celebrates womanhood and the role female minds play in our world. Because they look to hardworking women to provide additional ingredients for their ice cream, it only makes sense they showcase talented individuals like these on their website’s “Sister Resisters” blog.
“What we can’t grow, we’re going to source from the best place we can find,” Becky explained.
With this mindset, they rely on a fellow dairy producer in the state who creates the base they need to convert their existing inputs into ice cream. For sweetness and flavor, there are many different natural sources they consult, including honey, maple syrup, coffee, and vanilla, from both regional and out-of-state producers.
Becky indicated that their ice creams stand out from others in the market due to the flavors created from these extra ingredients and the names associated with them. Many of these flavor names catch people by surprise as they nod to their favorite songs, such as the blueberry-based “Crystal Blue Persuasion” and coffee-based “Nine to Five” flavors. Referring to these choices, Becky expressed, “For us, ice cream is all about fun, and it shouldn’t be boring.”
Sharing that positivity with others is key to what Sisters of Anarchy stands for and is best represented in their willingness to connect with the public. In the warmer season, the farm encourages anyone from the community to stop by for a sweet treat to cool off. On top of the outdoor activities available for the guests, there are also extra staff members on-site to keep the camaraderie and scoops going.
Throughout the year, Sisters of Anarchy Ice Cream also transports the fun to off-site customers, both figuratively and literally, with their catering trailer. They have shown up for concerts, weddings, funerals, and many occasions in between. Maxing out at around 200 events every year, they are well-versed in how to share their passion for ice cream with other dessert enthusiasts.
Those outside of Vermont who may not be able to book or attend these events can still enjoy Sisters of Anarchy products through national delivery right to their doorstep. No matter which state they live in, customers can receive their ice cream orders as cold as when they were packed with the help of the farm’s self-produced dry ice. In addition to their frozen fruit and wellness syrup products offered as wholesale and direct-to-consumer options, dry ice is a commodity they sell that sustains companies in their area.
In 2020, the audiences of these bigger and more direct orders posed a growth opportunity for the farm, one that was perfect for the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG). However, instead of applying for the grant prematurely, Becky heeded the guidance of Rose Wilson, a consultant who would end up writing her first application the following year. Rose knew the grant would be beneficial for the farm, but it would be most helpful to them later on in their journey.
When the time was right for the Fisher Brothers Farm to apply for the VAPG in 2021, Becky reached back out to Rose for help. An external grant writer can come with additional costs, but Becky found a way around these fees with a grant funded by the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. This diminished out-of-pocket expense and Rose’s expertise were true determinants of the farm’s successful VAPG application.
The $250,000 of the grant was used primarily for garnering more online traffic and awareness from their mail order and wholesale audience. In today’s virtually driven sales environment, every move toward visibility makes a difference. That is why their investments in Google Ads and search engine optimization were top priorities in reaching their funding goals.
At the time of receiving this first VAPG, the farm was only a few years old. Having a platform to compete with others in the industry and a significant amount of funds to do so was important for them in making seasoned business decisions at this young stage.
“In the consumer packaged goods world, there are so many big players out there, like the huge multinationals that have an unlimited budget,” Becky shared. “The Value-Added Producer Grant is amazing because it allows producer owners to punch above their weight in terms of promoting their brand.”
This was a finding that developed not just from the company’s first VAPG but also from the second one they received in 2023. Focusing less on online sales and more on in-person promotion and product development, Becky wrote this grant with a new expansion focus for the brand. With ongoing plans to supply more free samples to brick-and-mortar shoppers and invest in additional distribution channels, Bob and Becky have set their eyes on a broader product reach.
On top of these objectives in the works, the grant has already helped increase the number of ways their ice cream can be enjoyed with two additions to their product lineup: ice cream sandwiches and vegan sorbets. The sorbets are a value-added product like nothing else the business has produced as they are made entirely from Fisher Brothers Farm fruits. Without the extra cost of working with other producers, this product has been profit-heavy for the brand.
By trying something new and choosing to apply for the VAPG years ago, Becky opened the door for consumers near and far to try something new as well. She credited this grant program for aiding the development of the ice cream brand and the incoming customer base associated with it. As an experienced VAPG recipient, her thoughts surrounding the grant showed the impact it can have on start-up producers: “The Value-Added Producer Grant, to me, is one of the best grant opportunities that exists.”
