"My husband and I married at Shelburne Farms, so you can imagine how happy we are to have our son go to camp there! Growing up, my family camped during the summers but I never had a traditional summer camp experience. I'm glad to make a donation to help provide that for a child."

— Carmelle Terborgh

photo: Carmelle with her son on his first visit to Shelburne Farms

They're Back!

Lambing season is upon us and we've got lambs and ewes in the Farmyard. Visit them starting this weekend at Maple Open House.

on the Farm Programs

New and upcoming programs are below. View full Calendar.

Early Childhood Forums:
Outdoor Play!

APRIL 4, Thursday | 6:30-8:30pm

Sawing Logs into Lumber

APRIL 6, Saturday | 10am-12pm

Leaping Lambs & Shear Delights!

APRIL 13, Saturday | 10am-1pm

Exploring the Ecology of Leadership, Learning, & Change

5-day residential experience
at Shelburne Farms
JULY 8-12, Monday-Friday

off the Farm Programs

Ahead of the Curd: A Celebration of Cheese, Food and Flavor

MARCH 24, Sunday | 4-6:30pm
Burlington, VT. As part of the Vermont cheese community, we're proud sponsors of this event.

Jan Poppendieck Lecture: "Universal Free School Meals: The Key to Better School Food"

MARCH 26, Tuesday | 4-6pm |
UVM Davis Center, Burlington, VT

We're sponsors of this event, too (and equally proud).

Hands-On Learning In and Out of the Classroom

MARCH 28, Thursday | 4:30pm |
Dana Hudson of Shelburne Farms will join this Google+ Hangout discussion. You can, too!

Transforming Education towards a more Sustainable Future: Green Teacher Webinar

MARCH 28, Thurs. | 7:30-8:30pm

with Sarah Kadden and Jen Cirillo of Shelburne Farms.

Courtyard Visitor

This Red-Tailed Hawk visited the Farm Cart this week (a little early for the May 11 opening!). It's one of many that have been hanging around the Farm, says Craig at OFES. Pairs could be laying eggs any time now.

What was it like to grow up on Shelburne Farms?

No, not during the Gilded Age. The daughter of long-time Market Gardener David Miskell recently shared what it was like to grow up here in this Burlington VT Mom's guest blog.

breaking News

Middlebury College honors Megan Camp

Megan Camp will receive a Doctoral Degree from Middlebury College at their commencement in May. As Shelburne Farms Vice President and Program Director, she is being honored for her leadership in building public-private partnerships to conduct research, influence policy, and build networks to strengthen education for sustainability efforts in Vermont and around the world. Megan's response: "This was a wonderful surprise and it makes me feel so grateful for the Farm's supporters and my colleagues. I think this honor really recognizes all that Shelburne Farms and its partners have accomplished over the last 40 years. It also means a lot because Middlebury is such a respected leader in higher education and sustainability."

Megan will be sharing the honor with Jonathan Safran Foer, Edward Burtynsky, Jacqueline Novograt, and Stuart Schwartz. Read Middlebury College press release.

for Your Calendar

Roaring 1920s Spring Soiree and Benefit

for Shelburne Farms' Education Programs

MAY 3, Friday | 7-10:30pm
The Inn at Shelburne Farms

Be the cat's meow and help support the Farm's education programs! Swing to the music of Stolen Moments. Nibble hors d'oeuvres. Imbibe (Prohibition's over!) at cash bar. Bid on silent and live auction items. Wear dapper attire (optional).

Tickets on sale now. $100/person; $75/person if purchased before April 15!

around The Farm

Sugaring

It's been a strong sugaring season thus far at the Farm, boosted by some good weather conditions. Last week, 50 gallons of new syrup were packed up to the Inn, ready to sweeten breakfast pancakes at the Inn restaurant this spring!

Explore our sugarbush at Vermont Maple Open House Weekend MARCH 23 & 24, Saturday & Sunday, or check out sites near you. Can't make it at all? Watch this CCTV video of sugaring here at the Farm, which will also air on CCTV Saturday March 23, 2013 at 6:30pm.

Want to learn a bit more ahead of time? Check out the info in this "Sweet Sugaring" activity from our forthcoming book, Cultivating Joy & Wonder: Educating for Sustainability in Early Childhood (more on this in our next enews.)

Teaching the teachers-to-be

UVM Professor Binta Colley brought her Elementary Education students to the sugarbush last week to create a lesson plan for a specific age and subject (e.g., 3rd grade math; 1st grade social studies). Our Director of Professional Development Jen Cirillo challenged them to "drill down" to spark discussions of resources, climate change, and the connections between the experience and the skills being taught. Jen explained that it was also an opportunity for these juniors and seniors to see how outdoor learning experiences can connect to the new Common Core standards.

And the farmer-teachers, too

Earlier in March we hosted 20 farmers and farm educators from across the country for our semi-annual "ABC's of Farm-Based Education" workshop. We love sharing this place, our ideas and practices, and learning from everyone else. Here's how some participants felt about it:

"I'd always heard Shelburne Farms referred to as a leader in farm-based education and teacher education. After this workshop, it was obvious why!"   

— Jen Schoeberlein  
Waltham Fields Community Farm & Lands Sake, Waltham, MA  

"I kept having to pinch myself. Experiencing the lessons of Project Seasons in the place that catalyzed them made them that much more powerful."   

— Alex Freedman, FoodCorps, Somerville, MA

"One of the most informative, fun, and creative workshops this side of the Mississippi."

— Scotty Stevens, Camp Korey, Carnation, WA

"I'm coming away from this workshop with fresh eyes, an open heart, and willing hands that will get me where I ultimately hope to be."   — Lily Joslin, FoodCorps, Gardiner, ME

Photos by Amanda Herzberger of Orchard Cove Photography. See more great photos from the weekend on her blog. Also check out the Farm-Based Education Network's Facebook page for photos. This 2,500+ member network is a program of Shelburne Farms.