Who We Are

Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. We offer transformative learning experiences to help educators and students create a better world.  Our home campus is a 1,400-acre working farm located on the traditional, unceded and contemporary homelands of the Winooskik band of the Abenaki.  

Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Shelburne Farms recognizes that justice, equity, and access are central to sustainability. We are committed to translating these values into action across the organization by improving equitable outcomes in our culture, programs, and services.  Shelburne Farms is working to create experiences of belonging for all, including BIPOC, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and people of all economic realities.

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Volunteer Tour Guides

Seasonal
|
Part Time
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Unpaid Volunteer

Calling all fans of Shelburne Farms!

Are you seeking more ways to get involved with your local community and local agriculture? Are you a kind and welcoming person who loves learning new things? Do you have an interest in or passion for Shelburne Farms that you’d love to share with our visitors? 

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you could become a Shelburne Farms Tour Guide!

Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. We believe that transformative learning experiences sow the seeds for a thriving and more just world. Our work seeks to create space, spark conversations, and share stories to inspire educators, students, and learners of all ages to build a better future for everyone. 

One of the ways we do this is by offering 3 daily tours (complete tour descriptions at link): 

  • Sun to Cheese Tours explore our dairy, cheesemaking, and many of our agricultural practices.
  • Shelburne Farms Tours showcase our beautiful land and give an overview of our work
  • House & Garden Tours offer a more behind-the-scenes experience to appreciate the intersectionality of our food system, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse

We are currently seeking motivated individuals to join our growing team of volunteer tour guides. In particular we are recruiting new guides for our Shelburne Farms Tours and Sun to Cheese Tours. 

The ideal tour guide candidate is excited about Shelburne Farms and its mission, capable of giving tours ranging from 90 minutes to 2 hours long, and willing to commit to at least one tour/week during the tour season. Tour guides will attend trainings to cover all the necessary material, and then twice a month enrichment classes, opportunities to get to know the other guides and dig deeper into exciting Shelburne Farms-related topics. Classes and trainings are recorded if you are unable to attend in person.

Interested? Please reach out to mgulliver@shelburnefarms.org (resume/CV completely optional) with answers to the following questions:

  • Please tell us about yourself and your experiences that would make you a good Tour Guide candidate.
  • What is your availability for tours? Our tours happen daily, 7 days a week, May to October. Please include your best day of the week & time if possible, and indicate which type of tour you would most like to do. (We will do our best to accommodate your preferences, but flexibility is much appreciated, and we will train all new guides on all the material.)
  • What draws you to Shelburne Farms? To this volunteer opportunity?
  • How would you describe your current familiarity with Shelburne Farms and our work?

Time commitment: Being a tour guide involves a lot of learning and behind-the-scenes experiences at Shelburne Farms. New Guides will be expected to lead at least one tour a week, and attend training classes:

  • Tuesdays & Thursdays in April
  • Every other Thursday, May through October

Shelburne Farms is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and we strongly stand against discrimination and harassment of any kind. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. 

If you need assistance at any time during the application process or have questions, please contact us at mgulliver@shelburnefarms.org or 802-985-8686 ext 323.

Date Posted: February 3