By Bob Audette, Vermont Maturity.
In a crowded and fast‑evolving cannabis marketplace, it’s not always easy for consumers to know where their products come from — or what values guide the people who grow them.
That’s one reason many shoppers are turning toward farmer‑owned, Vermont‑grown cannabis brands like Sunset Lake Cannabis, a Champlain Islands cultivator whose sungrown approach is reshaping expectations of quality, sustainability, and affordability.
Sunset Lake Cannabis began not as a cannabis company, but as a dairy farm.
Sunset Lake Farm, based in South Hero and Alburgh, has supplied milk and cream to Ben & Jerry’s for years and is a long‑standing member of the Caring Dairy program.
After Vermont legalized hemp in 2018, the farm diversified into CBD production. And when adult‑use cannabis became legal in 2021, the same team of farmers launched Sunset Lake Cannabis with a clear mission: grow premium cannabis outdoors, under the Vermont sun, using regenerative practices that protect the land for future generations.
“We grow our plants outdoors under the Vermont sun,” says Sam Bellavance, founder and CEO. “Using natural light reduces our need for costly artificial lighting. Growing indoors under lights is costly to the environment and it increases the end cost for consumers.”
That commitment to sustainability is more than a talking point.
Sunset Lake’s cultivation relies on living soil, cover cropping, crop rotation, and Integrated Pest Management, using beneficial insects instead of chemical pesticides.
The farm partners with a local dairy and a nearby craft brewery to fertilize fields with nutrient‑rich manure and spent brewing ingredients, reducing the need for trucked‑in fertilizers.
At the end of 2025, the farm earned Sun + Earth Certification, a rigorous standard recognizing regenerative, organic‑equivalent cultivation practices.
“We’re not just focused on our plants; we also care a lot about ensuring the sustainability of our local communities,” says Rev Baker, Director of Marketing. “That’s why we support local and national groups like the Vermont Foodbank, the Last Prisoner Project, and Vermont Public.”
For consumers, the benefits of sungrown cannabis go beyond sustainability. Outdoor cultivation produces what winemakers call terroir, or a sense of place shaped by climate, soil, and sun. The Champlain Islands’ unique microclimate gives Sunset Lake’s flower a chemical profile that can’t be replicated indoors.
Research has shown that sungrown cannabis contains a broader range of cannabinoids and terpenes than indoor-grown flower, resulting in richer aromas, fuller flavors, and more robust effects thanks to the “entourage effect.”
Baker says the stigma around outdoor cannabis is outdated.
“There’s still some consumer prejudice against outdoor cannabis that is a hangover from when most illicit outdoor weed came pressed into bricks and was poorly treated. But modern outdoor cannabis really sings the song of where it was grown.”
Sunset Lake’s vertically integrated model, cultivating, harvesting, and manufacturing its own products, also keeps prices accessible.
Their lineup includes hand‑trimmed flower, pre‑ground flower, prerolls, vape cartridges, gummies, drinks, tinctures, topicals, and a line of high‑potency products for registered medical cannabis patients.
The company’s retail presence, Lake Effect Vermont, in South Hero, showcases not only Sunset Lake Cannabis and Sunset Lake CBD products but also offerings from other small Vermont cultivators.
The store regularly hosts “Meet the Maker” events and highlights local collaborations, such as High Branch Sparkling Cannabis Cider made with apples from Hackett’s Orchard just down the road.
“High Branch Cider is unique because it’s born out of collaboration between two neighboring farms which embody the past, present, and future of Vermont agriculture,” Bellavance says. “We want to weave cannabis into our existing notions of what it means to be a Vermont farm.”
For Vermonters, Sunset Lake Cannabis offers something increasingly rare: a direct connection to the people who grow their products.
“It’s deeply rewarding to talk with customers and learn how our products are improving their lives,” Bellavance says. “It’s an honor and privilege to see how our work here on the farm is having a positive impact on so many people.”
Company Contact Info
Website: sunsetlakecannabis.com
Social Media Links:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunsetlakevermont/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunsetlakevermont
- BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/sunsetlakecannabis.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sunset-lake-cannabis/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SunsetLakeCannabis
Health Warning:
Cannabis has not been analyzed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). For use by individuals 21 years of age and older or registered qualifying patient only. KEEP THIS PRODUCT AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND PETS. DO NOT USE IF PREGNANT OR BREASTFEEDING.Possession or use of cannabis may carry significant legal penalties in some jurisdictions and under federal law. It may not be transported outside of the state of Vermont. The effects of edible cannabis may be delayed by two hours or more.Cannabis may be habit forming and can impair concentration, coordination,and judgment. Persons 25 years and younger may be more likely to experience harm to the developing brain. It is against the law to drive or operate machinery when under the influence of this product. National Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.
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