Sunset Lake CBD is a farmer-owned hemp farm and brand in South Hero. “Our roots are in Vermont dairy,” said Founder and Executive Director Sam Bellavance. “My family’s farm was producing milk and cream for Ben and Jerry’s. In 2019 I decided to diversify and started growing hemp for CBD.” Today Sunset Lake CBD grows, harvests, and ships its Vermont-grown CBD products nationwide, serving customers in all 50 states and US territories. They are proud of the fact that Vermonters can get locally made, non-pharmaceutical, plant-based relief with their CBD products.
According to Director of Marketing, Rev Baker, Sunset Lake CBD is unique because they are both the farm and the product manufacturer, which gives them control over the entire process from seed to sale. This helps the company keep costs down, allowing them to offer their products at affordable prices. “CBD shouldn’t be a luxury,” said Baker. “Sunset Lake CBD is a vertically integrated farm that aims to provide affordable CBD products to everyone by cutting out the middleman and shipping our products from our farm to your door.”
“Since we’re a farm run by real people, folks can trust that our products are authentic,” said Baker. Biographies of staff members are published on the website to help build trust with customers. The company prides itself on their customer service with live representatives who are available Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4 pm. Calls and emails are responded to by people who understand the products they sell and can make recommendations, rather than AI.
In contrast to CBD brands which are run by marketing firms and sell what they refer to as hemp seed oil, but which does not contain CBD, Sunset Lake produces a wide variety of CBD products which contain the full suite of cannabinoids and terpenes from the hemp plant. Baker said many consumers report that full-spectrum products are more effective than products made using CBD isolate. All of Sunset Lake’s products are tested by third-party labs to ensure potency and purity. That paperwork is provided with every order.
“We are farmers,” Bellavance said. “We’re not an investment banker saying, ‘CBD is a hot product right now, so let’s buy some isolate from a lab and slap a label on it.’ We are actually growing these plants. In fact, we hand-plant the seeds, so we have an emotional connection with each plant. And that passion carries over to the products. I think that’s something that makes our brand stand out in a crowded market.”
Sunset Lake CBD describes a range of uses for their products. They have gummies and tinctures to help with sleep, topicals for relieving sore muscles and rehydrating dry skin, and products which promote relaxation, as well as CBD-infused coffee, chocolate fudge, and new Lifted Tea drinks in cans. They even have products designed for pets with anxiety, pain, or mobility issues.
Sunset Lake states that studies including those performed by the World Health Organization have shown that CBD does not create any dependence issues and will not make users feel intoxicated. Sunset Lake’s customer surveys have shown that the most common uses of their products are for sore muscles and joints, sleep assistance, and relaxation. Others have said they use it for anxiety and depression. Sunset Lake strongly suggests that customers check with their doctor and/or pharmacist before starting CBD since there can be interactions with other medications.
Older Vermonters can benefit from Sunset Lake’s line of topical products. These include body lotions, salve sticks, and muscle rubs. Some of the muscle rubs include Lidocaine and the salve sticks include Arnica. Baker said many older customers tell the company that they use CBD to help with mobility issues, aches and pains, getting better rest, and finding natural calm.
Sunset Lake touts its tinctures and gummies as offering convenient, customizable ways to enjoy the overall, systemic benefits of CBD. Using tinctures allows people to customize their exact dose which provides the best value in terms of cost per milligram. Topical products allow for targeted, localized relief: acting only where they are spread without entering the bloodstream.
Sunset Lake also carries a line of Functional Mushroom Gummies. The Focus Gummies include Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps while the Relax Gummies are infused with Reishi mushrooms and Ashwagandha root. They are described as convenient, pre-dosed, and tasty.
Since there is no middleman, buying directly from the Sunset Lake farm helps keep Vermont agriculture alive and ensures that money stays in the community. The company’s farmers start work at a minimum wage of $22 per hour and most of the business is employee owned. In addition, the farm is committed to helping the community and in just five years of operation they have contributed over $100,000 to non-profit organizations such as Vermont Public, Vermont Community Foundation, Vermont Businesses For Social Responsibility, the Green Mountain Club, Green Up Vermont, Alburgh Family Clubhouse, Humane Society of Chittenden County, and a variety of organizations providing food relief, supporting equal rights for all, criminal justice reform, refugee assistance, and worker solidarity.
Sunset Lake CBD uses sustainable farming techniques like cover cropping, low-till, organic fertilizer, and hand-harvesting to ensure the long-term health of their soil and minimize their environmental footprint. All hemp is grown outdoors which helps to reduce stress on Vermont’s electrical grid. Instead of using pesticides, Sunset Lake protects their crops with predatory insects like assassin bugs, Trichogramma wasps, and lady bugs. Additionally, Sunset Lake CBD works with local businesses to repurpose waste-stream products as natural fertilizers. Spent brewing ingredients from a South Hero craft brewery and manure from a family dairy farm reduce their need to truck in fertilizers.
Sunset Lake offers lots of ways to save on their CBD products. Customers starting an account on the Sunset Lake website (SunsetLakeCBD.com) can earn rewards points on all purchases which they can use for discounts on future orders. Referrals to family and friends can earn customers store credits. Also, with a Subscribe & Safe option, customers can save up to 25% off each recurring order. There is free shipping for orders over $75.
“It’s really rewarding when we hear from our customers how our products have improved their quality of life,” Bellavance said. “Folks will tell us how they’ve been able to restart an old hobby like gardening or playing pickleball, and it means the world to us to know that we’re able to help people get back to enjoying life again.”
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