Roland LeFebvre, a French-Canadian from South Barre, Vermont, started the smokehouse as “Roland’s” in 1962, just a mile from its current location. Roland based his now-famous recipes on traditional Vermont methods and ingredients. He brined his bacon and ham with Vermont maple syrup, then smoked them using natural and local smoke fuels, corncobs and maple wood. Under the leadership of Chris Bailey, Vermont Smoke & Cure now offers natural bacon, ham and sausages made from pork naturally grown in Vermont. Their Vermont-grown pigs live on pasture during much of the year and in barns with deep-bedded packs during the winter and early spring. Vermont Smoke & Cure also refrains from using farrowing crates. These pigs eat only grains and legumes, minerals and pasture or hay. By keeping happy, healthy pigs raised without any antibiotics, their practices are beyond the specs of Certified Humane by Humane Farm Animal Care.
