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. |