How does our (solar) garden grow?

Green Mountain Power's 530 photovoltaic panels near the Coach Barn will begin generating clean, renewable electricity September 28. Over the course of a year, these panels will generate about 180,000 kilowatt hours of energy — enough for 25 houses. We provided the land and GMP built the facility. All of the power generated here goes to the GMP grid. Watch a time-lapse slideshow of the installation.

Now you can track the performance of our Farm Barn solar roof panels at this web page, which will soon be displayed on a computer kiosk in the Barn. To date, the panels have been generating almost 15% of the Barn's energy needs.

American Cheese Society - Reflections

By Ellen Fox, Cheese & Catalog Manager

America has such a tremendous community of artisan cheesemakers. I am grateful to those here who put in sweat equity every day to make our cheddar, and I see how the Farm’s cheesemaking has influenced and nurtured budding farmers and cheesemakers over the years. At the American Cheese Society Conference and Competition in August, I spoke with a woman who is milking goats and making a cheese in the basque tradition. This was her first year at ACS. She told me how Jaime Yturriondobeitia (who was head cheesemaker when I first arrived at Shelburne Farms) had inspired and encouraged her to pursue her dream of cheesemaking.

A few days later as we were leaving the award ceremony, our head cheesemaker Nat was chatting with Mariano Gonzalez, a well known cheesemaker at Fiscalini who started as a cheddar maker here at Shelburne Farms. I didn’t hear a word of the conversation, but the sense of it was unmistakable. It was a moment of gratitude shared between two cheesemakers. Mariano got his start here, and Nat initially trained under him years ago. Now as our head cheesemaker, Nat honors many traditions and carries an accumulation of knowledge and experience that includes ideas planted by Mariano. It was an honor to represent Shelburne Farms at ACS, and to be part of the entire ACS community.

Shelburne Farms won 3rd place for our smoked cheddar at ACS. All competition results.

Reason for hope: Sustainability Academy, Year 1

"We’re learning how to make the world a better place for everyone."

-- Abi Sessions, Principal, Sustainability Academy
from "Teaching Sessions" Seven Days Magazine

Abi Sessions, principal at the Sustainability Academy in Burlington, was just interviewed in Seven Days about the Academy's inaugural year. She's clearly seen a lot in the curriculum and the kids to inspire her. And she's not alone. In the Burlington Free Press series "I Believe", Shelburne Farms Program Director Megan Camp recently wrote, "Teachers in all kinds of communities throughout the world report again and again that students 'feel disconnected' and 'have no hope.' ...Yet schools such as the Sustainability Academy are good reason for hope." Read Megan's essay.

Shelburne Farms' Sustainable Schools Project is a partner with the Sustainability Academy.

Chipping away at garden restoration

Masons from Olde World Masonry are now chipping away excess concrete from the newly restored steps and balustrade. Tedious work, but the crew says they're happy to be where they can chat with the public -- it makes the time move along.

You can watch a short movie clip of the summer's Formal Garden work, thanks to Farm friend and film-maker Art Bell. Just click on "works in progress" at lower right.

Rep. Peter Welch introduces farm-to-school bill

U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., has just proposed federal legislation that could enable Vermont schools to replace federal commodity foods with up to $90,000 worth of local produce. H.R. 5812 would select three states for this pilot program. Because of the strength of Vermont's farm-to-school networks (partly due to the work of VT-FEED— Shelburne Farms, NOFA-VT, and Food Works at Two Rivers Center), Vermont may well be one of them. Read his press release.

Sustainability Nomination

Megan Camp and Alec Webb have been nominated for a "Pathfinder Award" from Chefs Collaborative. Established this year, the award honors a visionary who has been "a catalyst for positive change within the food system through efforts beyond the kitchen." Winners announced October 4. More on Award and nominees.

How do you drive a tractor?

Slowly, carefully, and above all, safely. That was the lesson VPR intern Dylan Schlossberg recently received from Sam Smith, as part of Vermont Edition's Summer School series. Listen to the 3-minute lesson, as Sam introduces Dylan to tractor driving. It turns out, Dylan is a former volunteer at the Farmyard, and was also a Steward in Training one summer. “It was a big part of my high school years,” he said. "I felt like I'd never left.”

Let your child run a farm(stand)

This new farmstand in the Farmyard, stocked with "let's pretend" garden produce, will let your kids play farmer on your next visit. Thanks to farm friends Wally Stein, Mati Toom, and Mark Thermansen for the construction. Kale, anyone?

Shelburne Farms cultivates a conservation ethic by teaching and demonstrating the stewardship of natural and agricultural resources. We are a nonprofit environmental education center, 1,400-acre working farm, and National Historic Landmark.
1611 Harbor Road • Shelburne, Vermont • 05482 • www.shelburnefarms.org • 802-985-8686