Producer: Back Roads Granola
Location: Brattleboro, VT
Found at the Littleton Co-op: Bulk granola
Website: backroadsgranola.com
“From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.” (President Jimmy Carter’s message designating March 2-8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week; a celebration that was soon expanded to National Women’s History Month). We’re taking the month of March to highlight and celebrate just some of the great women who have made an impact on our modern-day food system. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.
Back Roads Granola started with an idea…that barely had anything to do with granola. Virginia and Peter Vogel opened a bed & breakfast in Vermont (down a “back road”), and then decided that their breakfast needed some homemade granola. Once guests had a taste of their creations, they let the Vogels know they had to sell their granola so more people could experience what was then a back road secret. Back Roads Granola became a dedicated kitchen space producing 1,000 lbs of granola a week within the first year. As the business expanded, they brought on more family members and employees until they reached 100% women ownership in 2024 from a transfer to daughters Coral and Liv. Based in Brattleboro, VT, they distribute crunchy granola made from ethically sourced ingredients, made by a close knit family team, made to be Organic, non-GMO, Glyphosate free.
We’re glad that this yummy granola made it beyond Vermont’s back roads; the drive to get Back Roads Granola in the Littleton Co-op Bulk Department is far less treacherous! The Back Roads Granola story also exemplifies the changing landscape for women business owners who have the opportunity to grow and expand their family business and second-generation owners.
Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.
