Field Day at Does’ Leap Farm: Exploring Innovation in Grazing and Soil Health

On Friday, August 8^th, 2025, Does’ Leap owners Kristan Doolan and George van Vlaanderen opened up their farm alongside the Franklin County Natural Resources Conservation District (FCNRCD) and UVM Extension for a field day focused on innovative on-farm practices that drew in 37 participants. Participants learned directly from farmers about soil health trials, grazing with virtual fencing, their experience with ripsowing and other field management changes, and more.  

Does’ Leap is a diversified and innovative farm in Bakersfield, Vermont, specializing in a variety of fresh and aged certified organic goat cheeses, as well as pastured, whey-fed pork. Farmers Kristan and George believe in building a resilient farm ecosystem where each element supports and enhances the others, creating a system that becomes more vibrant and sustainable over time. The farm emphasizes sustainable, regenerative agriculture and has become a model for ecological grazing and soil health experimentation. 

Kristan Doolan of Does‘ Leap Farm shows pasture area where goats graze.

The day began with a walk around the fields to see Does’ Leap pastures and goat herd, and to see a demonstration of the virtual fencing system they have been trialing for the past two seasons to manage grazing. With funding from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) and the Agritech Institute for Small Farms, Does' Leap started piloting NoFence virtual fencing collars for dairy goats in July 2024. Previously, George and Kristan manually moved fences to rotate the goats from pasture to pasture, ensuring even grazing and avoiding overuse of any area. With the introduction of virtual fencing and collars, they can now control where the goats graze using a mobile app. This technology allows for greater flexibility and efficiency while maintaining strong pasture management. It has also allowed them to graze in previously difficult-to-fence areas where the drought resilience vegetation allows for diverse forage opportunities. 

George van Vlaanderen of Does’ Leap Farm describes the virtual fencing system for their goats.

For the past three years, Does’ Leap has been an active member of the Farmer Soil Health Innovator Network (FSHIN) -- a collaboration of farmers and agricultural professionals supported by the USDA Vermont NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant. Through this network, they’ve worked to apply farmer-driven strategies for improving soil health based on lived experience and adaptive management. 

Kristan spoke about the ongoing soil health projects they have been working on at the farm, including showing examples of the soil and plants from different fields and pastures. She explained how soil, climate, and management conditions can influence and impact plant growth rates and plant diversity and help inform their management practices. 

Kristan Doolan of Does‘ Leap Farm presents soil health results and describes the trials being run.

Later, the group toured the fields where Does’ Leap has been trialing ripsowing and associated management practices using specialized equipment that simultaneously rips through the soil, applies bio-stimulants or biofertilizers, and interplants a diverse seed mix. The goal is to break up compacted soil, increase the presence of deep-rooted, resilient, plants, and support overall pasture improvement.  This equipment is used in tandem with a variety of whole system principles that have changed how they approach field management, including timing of grazing and haying and the application of nutrients.  

Kristan Doolan of Does’ Leap Farm shows pasture after ripsowing. 

Additionally, the farm demonstrated a trial application of Wollastonite, a finely crushed silicate rock, to try to understand its impact on a small field’s soil health and forage quality.  They evaluated the changes using pre-application soil health samples and forage samples in April 2024 and post-application samples in May 2025.  Does’ Leap is also exploring the effects of chicken litter and bedded pack manure at different stages of the composting process as fertilizers. 

Events like the Does’ Leap field day present farmers and community members with an opportunity to learn from each other and see new ideas in action. From using virtual fencing to better manage grazing, to experimenting with soil amendments and new planting techniques, Does’ Leap is exploring tools and practices that fit their land, animals, and management goals. The day highlighted the importance of experimentation on the farm, helping Does’ Leap identify what works for their operation and offering insights others can tailor and adapt to their own farms. 

This event was  funded by the Agricultural Clean Water Initiative Program from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets and the trials were performed using funding from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) and the Agritech Institute for Small Farms, and the Farmer Soil Health Innovator Network (FSHIN)—a collaboration of farmers and professionals supported by the USDA Vermont NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant.