The history of the Lake Champlain and St. Lawrence River valleys is the history of the French farmers who settled the region. Nearly 400 years ago, the Bouchers received several allotments (seigniories) in New France, which eventually became Quebec, Canada. Wealth, respect, and additional land were the reward for supporting the community, but the risk was very high. During the French and Indian Wars one ancestor, Pierre Boucher, saved a besieged Fort Trois Rivieres by making peace with the Iroquois - a pivotal event in the history of the province. Boucherville was named in his honor and his statue stands on the grounds of the National Assembly Building in Quebec City. The French legacy remains in the religion, language, culture, and cuisine of the province.
For 14 generations the Boucher family has passed the farm from father to son. Rene moved the farm to Vermont in the 1940’s. His son Gilbert (the youngest of 11 brothers and sisters) took over at age 14, increasing the milk herd from 16 to 180 cows. Today, two of Gilbert’s four sons, Daniel and Denis, perform the daily operations and currently milk 120 animals.
