Our Story

Tucked away in Vermont’s Champlain Islands, Sunset Lake’s beginnings are rooted in Vermont dairy. The farm with which we share our name, Sunset Lake Farm, produces milk and cream for Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and is a long-standing member farm of their Caring Dairy program.

In 2018, Sam Bellavance saw an opportunity to diversify his family’s farm with its first hemp crop.

The next year, Bellavance approached Alex Frey, who’d previously grown medicinal cannabis in California, and together they planted their first CBD hemp crop in the Spring of 2019. Not long after, the two were joined by Bellavance’s childhood friend, Cy Kupersmith. Pursuing an MBA at the time, Kupersmith split his time between studying and helping Bellavance create Sunset Lake CBD in August 2019.

The trio soon learned that it would take a village to properly raise thousands of hemp plants— careful to preserve the CBD’s integrity without the use of harmful pesticides. The majority-farmer-owned business put out the call for help and set their starting minimum wage at $22/hour.

It’s these principles— farmer ownership, honest pay, and dignified work— that have seen Sunset Lake through three successful harvests and allowed the company to grow.

Today, Sunset Lake ships craft CBD products directly to your door, practices sustainable farming techniques, and uses its brand to help empower workers all over because of support from people like you!