A three-year commitment supports trails, gardens, and public access at Newport’s beloved lakeside destination
We’re thrilled to share some wonderful news for our community: Community National Bank has made a three-year funding commitment to support Bluffside Farm, one of Newport’s most treasured outdoor spaces. This generous donation, announced by the Vermont Land Trust, will help maintain and improve the trails, community gardens, and public amenities that make Bluffside Farm such a special place.
What This Means for Bluffside Farm
The grant will directly support public access and maintenance across the 120-acre property on Lake Memphremagog. This includes upkeep of parking areas, the Bluffside Recreation Path, and the network of walking trails that wind through fields and forest to the sandy beach and scenic lake views.
The nearly one-mile ADA-accessible recreation path, added in 2021, features a beautiful boardwalk over Scott’s Cove and connects to seven miles of recreation trails stretching from the city all the way to the Canadian border.
More Than Just Trails
Bluffside Farm serves our community in so many ways. The community garden hosts around 20 plots where local gardeners grow food and flowers, with hundreds of pounds of produce donated to families in need each year. Local school groups regularly visit for outdoor classes and nature walks, connecting our youngest residents with the natural world.
A Partner from the Beginning
Community National Bank has been a steadfast supporter of Bluffside Farm since its earliest days. The bank played a key role in VLT’s acquisition of the former farm at the end of 2015, following a community-driven process that identified recreation, farming, and nature as local priorities.
“CNB is extremely proud that we contributed to this initiative in its earliest stages,” said CNB CEO and President Christopher Caldwell. “The Bluffside Farm project presented incredible opportunities for the Newport/Derby area to increase tourism, promote a walkable city, and encourage area residents to explore nature.”
Caldwell added, “Be it summer or winter months, there is something wonderful about being in town and yet feeling so connected to a natural area like Bluffside Farm when we are on its trails. Our community is a better place because of the gift that Bluffside offers us all.”
Part of Something Bigger
Bluffside Farm is a proud member of the Newport Outdoor Recreation Collaborative (NORC), a coalition of ten local recreation organizations working together to make Newport an outdoor recreation destination. By investing in local natural resources and improving public access, NORC is helping to build a vibrant future for our region.
“We want Bluffside Farm to be a community asset that serves as a place for people to get outside and connect to the land, supporting the vision of Newport as an outdoor recreation hub,” said Dan Kilborn, Lands Director with VLT. “CNB’s gift will allow us to maintain a high standard of public access to welcome visitors every time they come.”
Celebrating 10 Years
This December marks Bluffside Farm’s 10-year anniversary. A community celebration is planned for early 2026 to honor the many individuals and organizations that have supported the property over the years. Stay tuned for details!
Whether you’re hiking to the beach on a summer afternoon, snowshoeing through the winter woods, or tending a plot in the community garden, Bluffside Farm is here for you—thanks to partners like Community National Bank who believe in investing in our community’s natural spaces.