The Groundwork of Grace.

From the Soil to the Ceremony: The Steward of White Doe Farm

When I first stepped onto the grounds of White Doe Farm in Rupert, I didn't see a backdrop—I saw a living system. My journey here didn't begin with a clipboard, but with a spade in the dirt. I was brought in to install the gardens, tracing the line where the manicured lawn meets the wild Vermont treeline. In those early days of planting and pruning, I realized I wasn’t just here to tend to the blooms; I was here for the unseen choreography and the steady, grounded planning that makes an estate legendary.

When the world shifted in 2020, my relationship with the farm deepened into a quiet, 24-hour stewardship. Amidst the uncertainty of COVID-19, I stepped in to manage the property as a private rental. This period was my masterclass; I lived with the land, learning the silent workflow of the farmhouse and the shifting temperament of the mountain air. I spent those solitary months preparing the soil for the celebrations to come, refining the intentional rhythm required to keep a sanctuary running when the rest of the world felt chaotic.

The true test of that preparation arrived on a specific September afternoon, during one of our first hosted weddings. The wind was kicking up off the mountains, threatening to upend a carefully styled outdoor cocktail hour. While guests leaned into the breeze with bourbon ciders—drawn toward the warmth of fire pits that had become the heart of the party—I stepped into "Alchemist" mode. Because I had spent the previous years learning every inch of the land, I wasn't panicked; I was simply calculating the drainage of the soil, the timing of the light hitting the Rupert Valley, and the subtle movements between the farmhouse and the barn so the couple never felt a single gust of stress.

In that barn, under the glow of the rafters, I’ve watched a groom take a breath as his bride turned the corner. It’s in those "unwatched" moments that my twenty years as a landscaper and my future as a planner finally met. I realized that the mission is always the same: to provide the quiet strength it takes to make grace look effortless.

White Doe isn’t just a destination; it’s where the elements finally aligned. I’ve found my place right here in the Vermont air, ensuring that even when the wind kicks up, the land holds firm and the only thing the world feels is the warmth of the fire.