Help two first-generation Vermont farmers rebuild our flock and safely bring eggs back to our community.

We’re Justin and Vanessa, owners of Leaping Bear Farm, a small, certified Real Organic, pasture-based diverse farm in Reading, Vermont.

In September, we recalled our eggs after testing confirmed the presence of Salmonella enteritidis (SE). After working closely with the Department of Agriculture, health officials, poultry experts, and other advisors, we made the incredibly difficult decision to cull our entire laying flock of 1,600 chickens. As you can imagine, this was devastating because we care deeply about our animals, our land, and the food we provide to our community. But protecting everyone’s health and safety is our greatest priority.

Because the situation is too complex to recap, we’ve shared a full update on our website at https://www.leapingbearfarm.com/2026-egg-recall

Now, we are trying to rebuild.

Our eggs were an important source of cash flow for the farm, particularly through the winter. Losing our entire flock has created an enormous financial strain at a time when we have already invested heavily to obtain our farm last year and built over $100,000 in infrastructure to support our egg business after moving.

Over the past few weeks, our gracious and generous Leaping Bear community from Reading, Ludlow, Londonderry, Putney and Woodstock, friends, neighbors, small business owners and other farms have been asking us how they can help us. We are so incredibly grateful for the support of everyone who reached out to us.

To ask for help at this time is humbling, especially from a community that has also been affected by this experience. With your donation we will begin rebuilding our flock and continue providing fresh, pasture raised, organic eggs to our community.

To start again, we need to:

Our projected costs for these goals are more than $100,000.

Our goal is to raise $75,000 to help us rebuild.

We want the opportunity to come back from this experience safer, more knowledgeable, and better equipped to farm for many years to come. Your donation will help us get back on our feet and continue doing what we love: caring for our animals and land and providing fresh, organic food to our community, farming ethically, and being stewards of the land.

If you’re able to give, thank you. If you can’t, sharing this campaign is also a meaningful way to support us.

With so much gratitude,

Justin & Vanessa