May 132008
 

WOODSTOCK, VERMONT – Billings Farm & Museum, celebrating its 25th Anniversary year, announces its spring farm programs for children ages 3 and up. Programs for Preschoolers will be offered in May on Tuesday mornings: 9:00 — 10:30 a.m. Each program will feature a different farm theme with a story, special visit to the farm, hands-on activity, and snack. The cost is $3.00 per person for Billings Farm & Museum members, and $5.00 per person for non-members (includes admission to the Farm & Museum).
Upcoming:
The Cows Are Going to Paris. Tuesday, May 13. “Bonjour! Bonjour!” The cows have grown tired of the French countryside and decide to board a train for Paris. They dress up royally to tour the city sites but are happy when they return to their tranquil life in the country. We’ll learn a few French words, enjoy a treat français, and roll hoops like the les vaches (cows) in Paris!
When Pigasso Met Mootisse. Tuesday, May 20. See the farm as a colorful painting, after reading this wonderful book about a painterly pig and an artsy cow who create an artistic masterpiece and a close friendship. We’ll talk about what we see in the pictures; make our own “moosterpiece,” and share a creative snack with friends.

Weaving the Rainbow. Tuesday, May 27. You and I might see white wool on the sheep, but the weaver sees rainbow sheep. Enjoy this beautifully illustrated journey through the seasons to the spring shearing, then visit our Southdown sheep and lambs. Discover how wool is carded, spun, dyed, and woven and weave your own creation to take home.

To register for Programs for Preschoolers, please call 802/457-2355, weekdays, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Each program has limited enrollment, and advance registration is required.

Contact Information:
Susan Plump, Diane Konrady
Public Relations, Agritourism Coordinator
Billings Farm & Museum, Vermont Farms! Association
802-457-2355, 866-348-FARM (3276)
splump@billingsfarm.org,info@vtfarms.org

May 072008
 
Farmer's Workshop

Beth Kennett of Liberty Hill Farm in Rochester, right, and Katherine Sims of Northwood Apiaries in Westfield. Shelburne Farms Photo

SHELBURNE- When a field trip of young school children arrives at a farm, the farmer often finds him or herself acting as a teacher to explain and educate about farm life. April 20 – 21, twenty farmers got the chance to be students again at the Shelburne Farms “Digging Deeper into Farm Education” workshop, focused on helping seasoned farmers improve their teaching skills for their own farm’s frequent visitors, both young and old. Farmers gathered at Shelburne Farms to learn new, exciting methods of educating about farms while sharing their own experiences and successes as farmer/educators. Vermont Farms! Association Board Chair Beth Kennett of Liberty Hill Farm in Rochester brought knowledge gained as a farm owner who has hosted farm stays and raised the agricultural IQ of many guests who had never before understood the importance of farming to their lives, and learned some ideas, many from “Project Seasons,” Shelburne Farms’ collection of curriculum ideas and hands-on activities for educating children on science, agriculture, and the environment. With its conservation ethic and more than 20 years of experience in educating the public, young and old, with these techniques, “Shelburne Farms is a snapshot of hope for a sustainable future,” said one attendee from Ontario, “It teaches with the heart and compassion.”
Shelburne Farms will hold a similar program, “The ABC’s of Farm Education,” on Oct. 19 and 20 for farmers just beginning to explore the possibilities of opening their farm for education. As one of the participants in the “Digging Deeper” workshop, said, “Educating our youth is the key to our future and the future of the earth.”
Shelburne Farms is a 1,400 acre working farm, nonprofit environmental organization and National Historic Landmark. The mission of Shelburne Farms is to cultivate a conservation ethic by teaching and demonstrating the stewardship of natural and agricultural resources.

Photo: Beth Kennett of Liberty Hill Farm in Rochester, right, and Katherine Sims of Northwood Apiaries in Westfield
Shelburne Farms photo

Contact Information:
Rosalyn Graham, Diane Konrady

Shelburne Farms, Vermont Farms! Assocation
802-985-0328, 866-348-3276