Cheesemaking, using natural dyes, maple syrup, cider, the list goes on and on. During Open Farm Week 2019, you'll have the opportunity to learn how our farmers and food producers grow food and make products from our working landscape. Go behind the scenes, join a workshop or take a class. Learning something new and seeing something for the first time is exciting and makes Vermont Open Farm week a can't miss event.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 9TH
von Trapp Farmstead - Fayston
Feeding Pastured Pigs at the von Trapp Farmstead
Does your family love animals? If so come join von Trapp Farmstead at our satellite pigville location on Marble Hill in Fayston, VT to meet our herd of 50 pasture raised, whey fed pigs! Visitors will have the opportunity to help us feed them organic Red Hen bread, veggies from the local market, "pasture bouquets." Selfies encouraged!
Our scenic pasture has a unique view of the Mad River Valley and we will be teaching guests about pasture management, regenerative agriculture and natural pig behaviors. While entering the paddock is not required to feed the pigs, all those who wish to enter will need to have long pants and hard shoes (our pigs are friendly but we want to make sure everyone stays clean and safe!)
Noon - 2:00pm
Rebop Farm - Brattleboro
Rebop Farm Chore Tour
Join Rebop Farm on their daily rounds to feed calves, chickens, turkeys, rabbits, pigs and more, move the fence for sheep, rotate cow pasture, watch bees collect pollen and nectar, and meet all the wonderful animals and farmers! Sturdy shoes, a hat, a water bottle, and a camera are suggested; footing can be uneven.
5:00pm - 6:00pm
Bread and Butter Farm - Shelburne
Mozzarella Making 101 at Bread and Butter Farm
Join City Market on Open Creamery Day for this special Mozzarella Making 101 class, Open Farm Week edition! This class is anything but cheesy. No, really, this class is the "whey" to go! This class will guide participants through a recipe for making traditional mozzarella cheese. Mozzarella is a "quick" cheese, meaning participants will get to enjoy tasty samples at the end of the evening! Zero previous experience or knowledge required. This class will take place at Bread and Butter Farm in Shelburne and will be led by Phoebe Tucker, an educator, artist, and enjoyer of all things dairy. Please bring appropriate layers, footwear and bug spray as we will be spending a portion of the class outside exploring the farm!
If you are interested in driving others to this workshop or are looking for a ride, please call or e-mail Elena Palermo at 802-861-9757 or [email protected].
5:30pm - 7:30pm
SATURDAY, AUGUST 10TH
Philo Ridge Farm - Charlotte
Bring Your Own Indigo Dying Class with artist Maggie Pate
Explore indigo, the most popular of natural dyes, with talented textile artist Maggie Pate. Bring up to three items to dye in the indigo dye vat and learn about indigo as a dye material. This is a great opportunity to get creative and repurpose old items into new pieces of functional art! Tickets can be purchased on Maggie's website.
10:00am - 11:00am
Philo Ridge Farm - Charlotte
Natural Dye Intensive Class with artist Maggie Pate
Learn how to turn food scraps and seasonal plants into magnificent colors in this unique dye class. Textile artist Maggie Pate will guide students in dyeing a cotton bandana, fabric swatches, silk ribbon, and wool yarn from Philo Ridge Farm sheep with everything from onion skins to fresh flowers. Students will also take home Maggie's Natural Dyeing E-Course so they can continue their art at home. This is an incredible opportunity to explore how waste can be turned into beautiful and functional art! Tickets can be purchased on Maggie's website.
2:00pm - 5:00pm
East Hill Tree Farm - Plainfield
Edible Landscaping Tour at East Hill Tree Farm
Ripe fruit, flowers, healthy soil. These are just a few of the benefits that come when we integrate fruit trees, berry plants, and even nut trees into our gardens and landscapes. Join Nicko Rubin for a tour of East Hill Tree Farm’s extensive edible landscape plantings including, pears, plums, chestnuts, hazelnuts, hardy kiwi, seaberry, blueberry, and lots more. We will discuss strategies for the establishment and ecological maintenance of our edible landscapes; building soil health and supporting pollinators and beneficial insects.
3499 E Hill Rd
Plainfield, VT 05667
10:00am - 12:30pm
Scott Farm Orchard - Dummerston
Orchard Stroll at Scott Farm Orchard and Market
Join Orchardist Zeke Goodband for an informative and entertaining stroll through our heirloom orchards, otherwise not open to the public, to learn about the history of Scott Farm’s heirloom fruits, orchard ecology, how grafting was used to create the orchard, and to scout for pests and discuss how we manage them. The Orchard Strolls are part of Vermont’s 5th Annual Open Farm Week, a celebration of Vermont farms offering visitors a backstage pass to learn more about local food origins, authentic agritourism experiences, and the chance to build relationships with farmers. No charge and no need to register for the strolls, please plan to gather in the parking area near the farm market. The guided tour starts at 10:00am and lasts about an hour.
707 Kipling Rd
Dummerston, VT 05301
10:00am - 11:00am
Brookfield Bees - Brookfield
Honey Tasting at Brookfield Bees
Brookfield Bees honey is unprocessed, with no heating or filtering so you get all the good things honey can provide. The farm boasts a collection of honey from across the United States and around the world, from Maine to California and Iceland to New Zealand. Visitors have an opportunity to sample honey from various locations and various floral sources. Meet the beekeeper, see an observation hive, and find out why honey from the supermarket just cannot compete.
1148 Kibbee Road
Brookfield, VT 05036
11:00am - 3:00pm
Sterling College - Craftsbury
Sterling College Farm Tour
A climate emergency is among us. Founded in 1958, Sterling College is the leading voice in higher education for environmental stewardship. Sterling College is among the very first colleges in the world to focus exclusively on sustainability. Join their tour to meet the draft animals that power the farm and learn about their sustainable educational model that prepares students of all ages to address the critical issues associated with climate change.
16 Sterling Dr
Craftsbury, VT 05826
2:00pm
Free Verse Farm - Chelsea
Natural Dye Workshop at Free Verse Farm
In this outdoor class, Susannah Taylor, owner of the natural dye textile company Earthen Warrior, will introduce you to the basics of natural dyes in a beautiful mountainside setting. Experiment with an assortment of dyes, many of them grown and harvested at Free Verse Farm, as we have recently begun a partnership with Earthen Warrior to grow natural dye plants for their ever-expanding line of sleepwear and bedding. Dye over a fire pit amongst the flowers, herbs, butterflies, and bees, and learn all about which fibers you can use to dye and how to make a bright, saturated color that lasts. You will use flowers and dye grown on the farm, as well as exotic natural dyes, medicinal plants, and food waste. You will leave class with your own color swatches, a silk scarf, and a cotton tote.
34 Baraw Hill Rd
Chelsea, VT 05038
2:30pm - 7:00pm
SUNDAY, AUGUST 11TH
Hi Vue Maples - Richford
Slow Birding With the Bird Diva at Hi Vue Maples
Bird Diva Bridget Butler will share the practice of Slow Birding and how you can awaken your innate birding skills and reconnect with nature. She’ll share a variety of techniques that will help you look at birds, listen to them, and interpret their behavior that will not only build your skills as a naturalist but will provide you with a practice that will allow you to slow down and reconnect with the natural world. This field session will include a mini-workshop on skill-building to improve your observational skills followed by a group sit-spot session and debrief. The group will capture observations during the sit and then regroup to map experiences and share stories of what was observed. Slow Birding will wrap up with a discussion about how the sit-spot practice can be used at home and how to continue creating a deeper connection with birds and place.
The event host, Jessica Boone, owner of Hi Vue Maples, will provide coffee and an early morning treat. Her family has been working with their land for over 100 years and 5 generations. Jessica was one of the first sugarmakers to obtain Audubon Vermont's Bird-Friendly Maple Certification and is a part of the Cold Hollow to Canada Woodlots program focused on keeping working forests healthy and connected.
Space is limited and registration is required. Participants are encouraged to dress for the weather and for being still for a period of time, to bring a notebook, water, and a comfortable, portable chair or pad to sit on. Participants should be prepared for slightly hilly terrain at a slow nature lover's pace and should bring a water bottle and binoculars. Bridget will have binoculars for participants without them.
224 Stevens Mills Slide Rd
Richford, VT 05476
7:00am
Scott Farm Orchard - Dummerston
Orchard Stroll at Scott Farm Orchard and Market
Join Orchardist Zeke Goodband for an informative and entertaining stroll through our heirloom orchards, otherwise not open to the public, to learn about the history of Scott Farm’s heirloom fruits, orchard ecology, how grafting was used to create the orchard, and to scout for pests and discuss how we manage them. The Orchard Strolls are part of Vermont’s 5th Annual Open Farm Week, a celebration of Vermont farms offering visitors a backstage pass to learn more about local food origins, authentic agritourism experiences, and the chance to build relationships with farmers. No charge and no need to register for the strolls, please plan to gather in the parking area near the farm market. The guided tour starts at 10:00am and lasts about an hour.
707 Kipling Rd
Dummerston, VT 05301
10:00am - 11:00am
Pigasus Meats - South Hero
Pigasus Meats Farm Tour
Pigasus Meats is a diversified pork and laying hen operation run by Kelsey and Phelan O'Connor. Pigasus sells their pork and eggs from an on-farm stand, at the Wednesday South Hero Farmers Market, the Burlington Farmers Market, and through wholesale channels. They raise animals in a way that benefits the ecosystem of their farm, in addition to providing a natural and humane environment.
Join them for a farmer-led tour showcasing their unique hog grazing style and mobile layer hen operations. They will discuss forage management, animal husbandry, and any other topics guests may wish to discuss. Tours will be hosted at 11:00am and 3:00pm and will last about an hour.
20 E Shore Rd
South Hero, VT 05486
11am - noon
Brookfield Bees - Brookfield
Honey Tasting at Brookfield Bees
Brookfield Bees honey is unprocessed, with no heating or filtering so you get all the good things honey can provide. The farm boasts a collection of honey from across the United States and around the world, from Maine to California and Iceland to New Zealand. Visitors have an opportunity to sample honey from various locations and various floral sources. Meet the beekeeper, see an observation hive, and find out why honey from the supermarket just cannot compete.
1148 Kibbee Road
Brookfield, VT 05036
11am - 3pm
Earthwise Farm - Bethel
Earthwise Farm & Forest Diversified Farm Tour
Enjoy a tour of Earthwise Farm and Forest, a certified organic, draft-animal powered homestead farm located in Bethel, Vermont and hear stories about the life and love of building a relationship with the land and livestock, and providing a place where kids can interact with nature, eat healthy food, and thrive.
As a diversified, (partially) off-grid homestead farm, the farmers of Earthwise produce the meat, milk, eggs, vegetables and maple syrup that they need to sustain themselves while also feeding the broader community. By keeping their enterprises small, they are able to maintain an intimate connection to the land and animals in a way that nurtures the whole farm organism, providing a landscape that is vibrant, abundant and inviting for all to enjoy.
As part of Vermont Open Farm Week enjoy a farm tour and see their many enterprises from pastured livestock operations (cows, oxen, horses, chickens, turkeys, pigs), vegetable and flower gardens, a walking labyrinth, and the off-grid home. The tour will conclude with a farm-fresh snack at their farm store, where other farm products will be for sale. This is a walking tour; some hills included.
In-depth farm tour (2 hours, includes farm-fresh snack). Please register ahead of time (by August 9th) by calling 802-234-5524 or emailing [email protected]. $25 per person, $75 minimum.
341 McIntosh Hill Rd
Bethel, VT 05032
1-3pm
MONDAY, AUGUST 12TH
Lavender Essentials of Vermont - Derby
Lavender Tea Blending Class at Lavender Essentials of Vermont
Create your own tea blend from the native plants you will collect around the lavender farm. Explore the lavender fields, hilly meadows, and woodland areas collecting lavender and other herbs to blend into your own tea! Learn about the edible trees, bushes, and plants that are native to our area.
For generations, Vermonters have used their knowledge and skills to find edible plants used for food and medicine. Come learn what is edible in your own backyard!
Finish the class with a cup of your own hand-made custom creation!
Please pre-register on the Vermont Lavender Essentials website, or message us for a registration form. $20 per person
2103 Herrick Rd
Derby, VT 05829
5:30pm
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13TH
Smokey House Center - Danby
Community Work Day and Tour Featuring Children’s Education Garden Activities at Smokey House Center
Smokey House Center Community Farm Project is growing food with and for the local community. Join them for their weekly scheduled Community Work Day from 9-11am for cultivation fun in the fields. In addition to Community Work Day hours, they will have garden activities planned for children in their Education Garden from 9:30-11am. Explore veggie life, hold a chicken, practice garden yoga and explore plant wonders. An informal tour of Smokey House Center will begin at 11 am. Visit their 5,000-acre land-base and learn about their Community Farm Project. No pre-registration is necessary. Gloves, tools and instruction will be provided for Community Work Hours. For more information please contact Jamie Lombardo- [email protected].
426 Danby Mountain Rd
Danby, VT 05739
9am - Noon
High Mowing Organic Seeds - Wolcott
Variety Trials & Seed Production Field Tour
High Mowing will be opening the farm for an evening walk through the trials gardens and seed production farm, giving participants a behind the scenes look at what it takes to identify new varieties and produce seed for an organic seed company.
High Mowing Organic Seeds began in 1996 with just 28 varieties, many of which originated in founder Tom Stearns’ backyard in northern Vermont. Since then, the company has grown exponentially, and what started as a one-man operation is now a thriving business making available to home gardeners and commercial growers over 600 heirloom, open-pollinated and hybrid varieties of vegetable, fruit, herb, and flower seed. True to their roots, High Mowing Organic Seeds continues to source many of the varieties they sell directly from independent, passionate organic seed farmers, including from the 40-acre working farm owned and operated by Tom Stearns in Hyde Park, Vermont.
567 McFarlane Rd
Hyde Park, VT 05655
4-6:30 pm
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14TH
Rebop Farm - Brattleboro
Cheesemaking in the Farm Kitchen
This hands-on cheese making class using Rebop Farm's raw cow's milk is designed to be useful for adventurous home cooks and folks that want to buy directly from farmers! You'll make butter, ricotta, and mozzarella, and crème fraîche or yogurt if time permits.
Please register by emailing the farm ([email protected]), by 12:00pm on Wednesday, August 14th. $30.00 - $35.00 per person sliding scale.
1320 Sunset Lake Rd
Brattleboro, VT 05301
4-6pm
Free Verse Farm - Chelsea
Herb Farm Tour and Arepas at Free Verse Farm
Enjoy a sensory tour of the fields of culinary, medicinal, and tea herbs at Free Verse Farm & Apothecary. This small hill farm grows 60 varieties of herbs that serve as the main ingredients for their line of culinary blends, herbal tea blends, and herbal remedies and body care products. On the tour, you'll wind your way up the hillside (which features an amazing view of the village of Chelsea!) to tour the perennial and annual herb beds and learn about the farm's ethos, growing practices, history, collaborations, and more.
After the tour, you'll head back down the hill for iced tea (free) and homemade arepas made using locally-grown organic corn (for purchase) from the Moon & Stars Food Cart. Moon and Stars Farm is a project that connects communities through the Arepa-making process while bringing native, heritage, open-pollinated corn back to the VT landscape.
$5.00 suggested donation per person. All ages welcome!
34 Baraw Hill Rd
Chelsea, VT 05038
5-7:30pm
THURSDAY, AUGUST 15TH
Smokey House Center - Danby
Fundamentals of Herbalism with Bruce Ketcham
Have you ever wondered what a tincture is or a decoction or what the difference is between an essential oil and an infused oil? If so, come and join us as we explore the fundamentals of herbalism at Smokey House Center. We’ll learn how to identify some common medicinal plants that grow abundantly in our backyard and how to make them into tinctures, infused oils, and decoctions!
No pre-registration required. For more information, email [email protected]. Sliding scale suggested donation of $5-15.
426 Danby Mountain Rd
Danby, VT 05739
5:30pm
Green Mountain Girls Farm - Northfield
Renew & Restore: Regenerative Farm Pick-Your-Own Herbs & Tour
What if I could get just the amount of culinary herbs I need? Would my cooking and health benefit if I knew more about herbs? How do herbs benefit garden crops and the orchard understory? What if we farmed and ate with renewal, restoration, and resilience as our bottom line?
Whether you are trying to strengthen your connection between farmer and cook, garden and plate, or just learn more about how regenerative farms tap and enhance interconnectedness, join Green Mountain Girls Farm for an herb-focused farm tour ($10/person, launching at 4:00pm and 5:00pm) and/or enjoy the pick your own herb garden ($2/bunch). Shop, compare recipes, and converse with farmers, regenetarians, and others in the farmstand, filled with products grown in ways that are both good for us and the planet. Be part of the regenerative farming and eating movement. Create change while you learn and make memories as well as stock up for the week!
There is no advanced registration required for this event.
923 Loop Rd
Northfield, VT 05663
3:30-6pm
Black Dirt Farm - Stannard
Worm Castings and Compost Tea Workshops
Join us at Black Dirt Farm for an afternoon of educational workshops and a farm tour. Come at 3:00pm for a Worm Castings 101 Workshop, led by Tom Gilbert, owner of Black Dirt Farm and Brenden Beer, co-owner of Wilson Herb Farm and Cannabis Consultant at Ecopoesis LLC. At 4:00pm, get your hands dirty at a Compost Tea Workshop, led by Brenden. At 5:00pm, take an evening stroll on our Farm Tour with Tom and learn about our approach to resources conservation and regenerative agriculture! After the tour, join us in the backyard for live music and good eats. BYOB.
RSVP to [email protected] appreciated but not required. Bring your own container if you'd like to take some worm casting tea home with you at the end of the night.
3:30-8pm
Last Resort Farm - Monkton
Pizza Dinner and Garlic Braiding Workshop
Visit Last Resort Farm for a Garlic Braiding Workshop and Pizza Dinner! Learn to create your own beautiful garlic braid for yourself or to give as a gift. A local pizza maker will provide a yummy flatbread dinner made with Last Resort veggies. Visitors may also take an informal tour of the farm.
Pizza dinner costs to be determined. Braiding workshop cost is $30.00 per person, which includes instruction and materials for full-sized braid.; $15.00 for kid’s size. Farm tours are free.
5-7pm
Green Mountain Girls Farm - Northfield
Secret Ingredients Community Film Screening
As part of Open Farm Week, enjoy a free screening of the amazing documentary Secret Ingredients, a film by Jeffrey Smith and Amy Hart. It provides incredible motivation for why Green Mountain Girls farms the way they do, focused on healthy, clean food to support people's desires for wellness, nutrition, and environmental healing. Come be inspired to eat healthy, local food and cook from great, known ingredients. Green Mountain Girls will provide the film complementary to the community. Their organically managed popcorn, popped in our pasture-raised, organically managed lard will be available and the farmstand will be stocked with easy picnic-style dinner options for before or during the film.
RSVP is great but not required. You may RSVP to either: [email protected] or on the event registration page: https://green-mountain-girls-farm.square.site/
923 Loop Rd
Northfield, VT 05663
7pm
Crossmolina Farm - Corinth
Full Moon Farmer Yoga
Join Anne Bergeron of Crossmolina Farm under the full August moon for an all levels Outdoor Yoga Practice in celebration of Vermont Open Farm Week! The class is free and open to adults, teens, and children of all ages and ranges of experience with Yoga. The practice will place a special emphasis on poses for farmers and gardeners that soothe the lower back and open the upper body, shoulders, and neck.
Crossmolina Farm is a diversified, family-run farm located in West Corinth, Vermont that raises pastured poultry, Icelandic Sheep, and a wide variety of vegetables using intensive market-gardening techniques. On Saturday evenings in the summer they offer pizza and local acoustic music in a beautiful setting.
8:30pm
