By Joan Robbio
This periodic series of three images and responses to questions tells the stories of people of the Valley who love what they do. As Confucius once said, “Choose a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.”
This article features Suzanne Slomin, artisan baker and owner, Green Rabbit Bakery, Waitsfield, Vermont.
How long have you lived in Vermont and where did you grow up?
I’ve lived in Vermont for 16 years and grew up in Rockville Centre, New York.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
An illustrator.
What was your first job and how did you get it?
As a kid, I worked after school in a local ski shop and Sunday brunch making Belgian waffles at a local café. After college, my first job was being a “preparator” at the Museum of Natural History in NYC (part of a team of artists who installed and maintained exhibits).
Who was the biggest influence in your decision to choose the work you now do?
I don’t have a who? but I can answer what. The desire to work with my hands and make things start to finish.
What steps did you take to get where you are today/what sacrifices have you made to get to this point in the work you do?
The steps are too long a story. The sacrifices include many years of not taking time off to play and quite a lot of physical strain/pain on the body: hands, elbows, shoulders, hips.
What is the best job advice that you’ve ever received?
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
What are you most grateful for in your life?
Being able to produce wholesome food for myself and many others. Living in a place where I can disappear into the woods or up a mountain if I have a few free hours.
How do you give back?
I sponsor a Little League team each year. I sponsor the Blizzard Packs for Meals On Wheels each year. I recently joined the board of Salvation Farms.
What do you do in your free time?
Garden intensively, hike/ski in the woods with my dog, tend to my little home.
Do you have a favorite quote that you live by?
I don’t think I do.
Robbio offered thanks to Slomin’s baker’s assistant, Cam Sox, who allowed her to photograph him while he was working with Slomin.
To suggest someone who “Loves What They Do…”, email
