About |  Our Work  |  Calendar  |  Support  |  Blog Visit  | Stay/Dine | Celebrate | Shop   
Last weekend was the final gathering of educators in our inaugural "Education for Sustainability Leadership Academy." If you're an educator, or know one who might be interested in this year-long program, we're enrolling our 2016-2017 Academy now! You'd be in for an "exciting, life changing and affirming experience," according to one of this year's participants.

Summing Up Sugaring Season 
In a word? Rollercoaster. Just when we thought the season was over (the sap had soured), a cold snap "reset" the trees and we got a final run, bringing our yield to 601 gallons of maple syrup. The season was a great opportunity to engage field trip students in discussions of climate change and sugaring. Find out how. Now we pull taps and clean up!

Be sure to pick up some of our 2016 crop of syrup at our Welcome Center and Farm Store. From woodland to waffle!
Cheddar News
On April 1, to honor a long cheesemaking tradition, we made one batch of orange cheddar. Watch this short, short video of how we did it. We'll unveil it for sale next April Fool's Day! April 16 is Raw Milk Cheese Appreciation Day. We're proud to have crafted a raw milk cheddar since 1981. We take the freshly-cut curds (photo at left), then drain, cheddar, mill, salt and press them into 40 lb blocks. Then we age the blocks for a minimum of six months.
Climate Change Education
What does successful education around climate change look like? We've been exploring this question with our partners at Vermont SWEEP (Statewide Environmental Education Programs) and VEEP (Vermont Energy Education Program). Together, we've identified four innovative Vermont schools where students are learning about climate resiliency and adaptation in ways that build understanding and encourage action around complex issues.
Congratulations to Members
Our members are such a generous bunch. And not just with us. Long-time members Jeanette Voss and Daniel Bean (and their team) recently received a Team Lifetime Achievement award for raising $500,000+ through the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk over the past twelve years. The Farm is one of their favorite places to walk and train for these events. Congratulations, Jeanette and Dan. We're happy to support your walking habit! 
In Brief
  • Vice President Megan Camp was recently appointed by Governor Shumlin to the Board of the Vermont Working Lands Enterprise Initiative.
  • Educator Ryan Morra is heading back to China to work with educators in Yunnan Province. He visited last October as part of a local sustainability project with Middlebury College and The Nature Conservancy. 
  • Check out the winning recipes from Jr Iron Chef. Try them at home. They're amazing! On Friday, teams will prepare their winning dishes for the Vermont legislature.
  • Introducing: North Porch Tastings! First in this series is Monday, May 9. Join some of our favorite producers and gastronomes for these once-a-month celebrations of traditions and trends in Vermont artisan food and libations, with a curated feast from our farm-to-table restaurant. 
  • Sheep & Shear Delights, Saturday, April 16
What We're Following