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"Dear, Cheder, We were tickled to receive this letter last week from David in Huntington, VT. We've invited him to come see how we "get" our cheese.
Farm to School Awareness Day - Jan 20th Join us at the Statehouse Cafeteria in Montpelier from 4:00-5:30 pm on Thursday, January 20 to celebrate the 2010 Farm to School grantees and hear the announcement of the 2011 grantees. Taste tests and great guest speakers, too, including our new Secretary of Agriculture, Chuck Ross. See you at the Statehouse! More info.
Helping secure the future of Vermont's food systems: "This will help guide so much important work that needs to be done to help support sustainable food systems in our state." -- Megan Camp After 18 months and the voices of more than 1,200 Vermonters (including Shelburne Farms' Megan Camp, who was on the planning committee), a strategic plan to strengthen Vermont food systems was unveiled at the State House on January 12th. Legislated by the state, the Farm to Plate Initiative directed the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, the Sustainable Agriculture Council and other stakeholders to develop the 10-year plan. The plan focuses on job creation, greater economic output, and increased access for Vermont and regional consumers to healthy, fresh food. Learn more and find out how you can be involved.
A Waddler? Hopper? Bounder? Students on our "Active in Winter" field trip (currently showing in the Ed Center) discover how to tell who's leaving their tracks in the snow by the tell-tale pattern of the trail. They practice each walk themselves, then become Track Detectives! Become one yourself with this Track Card from Project Seasons.
In early February, male fishers begin preparing for breeding season by marking their territories with "rolls," using urine, feces, and scent gland excretions. They especially like to drag ("roll") their bodies over rotting stumps sticking up in the snow. You can check stumps for small underbelly hairs. Find out more at "Tracking and Trailing a Vermont Carnivore", Sun., JANUARY 30.
This December, birders David Hirth and Eric Lazarus recorded 36 bird species at Shelburne Farms (29 the year before), as part of the Audubon Society's annual Christmas Bird Count. "Shelburne Farms is great for water birds, raptors, and of course, turkeys," says Eric. The Common Loon, Common Goldeneye, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Short-eared Owl are among the species often recorded here. The Christmas Bird Count celebrated 111 years in 2010, and has occurred in the Burlington area for 63 years! It's quite a track record. Learn more about the Christmas Bird Count in Vermont, or nationally. (Photo by Georgi Baird).
Erica Curry will be a busy woman this winter sharing her passion for agriculture education. At the EcoFarm Annual Conference in Pacific Grove, California, January 26-29, she'll be a panel member discussing "Added Values: Farm Education to Benefit Farmers and Reconnect Kids with Food." In February, you can find her at the NOFA Winter Conference leading a workshop on the ABCs of Farm Education. So no matter which coast you're on, you can come learn how farmers can build education programs into their farms, and connect to local kids and schools.
The End of an Era - Vermont Mozart Festival Our out-of-state friends may not know that the Vermont Mozart Festival, a long-time partner that brought such beautiful music to the Inn lawn each summer, has closed its doors. The organization--and their music--will be sorely missed here at Shelburne Farms and across Vermont. Read their December press release here. |
The real 
Are You A Straight Walker?
A Vermont Carnivore in Winter
And a Partridge in a Pear Tree?
On the Road with Farm Education
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