30th Annual Harvest Festival & Energy Fair by Green Mountain Power
Saturday, September 20
TIME: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm - FEE: $6/adult; $4/child. Free to members
Celebrate the autumn traditions of Vermont’s farms and forests with musical entertainment, hay rides, demonstrations, farm-fresh food from Shelburne Farms and neighboring farmers, antique farm machinery and farm animals. An exciting addition this year is the Green Mountain Power Energy Fair with demonstrations and exhibits. Fun for the whole family. Volunteers needed: call 985-8686. Please no pets. Schedule of Performers

6th Annual Choral Celebration of The Earth: World Peace & Healing
Sunday, September 21
TIME: 4:00 pm - Freewill donation at the door - Information: 802-985-3819
All Souls Interfaith Gathering welcomes the community to a celebration of beautiful music and an inspiring talk about Lake Champlain—a spiritual and cultural icon. The combined voices of the All Souls Choir, In Accord vocal ensemble and the Essex Children’s Choir will fill the soaring space of the historic Breeding Barn. Guest speaker, Buzz Hoerr of the Vermont Citizen’s Advisory Committee on the Future of Lake Champlain, will share the 11,000-year history of Lake Champlain on the eve of the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain’s visit to the lake that bears his name.

21st Annual Art Exhibition & Sale
Fri., September 26 – Sun., October 19
TIME: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm daily FEE: Free to members; $5/nonmembers Tickets at Welcome Center
Enjoy the work of 35 artists in watercolor, oil, wood, stone, pastel and other mediums. Proceeds support Shelburne Farms’ education programs.
AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS: A Monumental Vision
An exhibition of black and white photography by American artist & environmentalist Clyde Butcher.

13th Annual “Share the Harvest”
Thursday, October 2
BREAKFAST RESERVATIONS: Call the Inn at 802-985-8498 INFORMATION: about other participating sites: 802-434-4122
Enjoy breakfast at The Inn at Shelburne Farms and the Inn will contribute a percentage of its sales to help low-income families afford a summer of fresh produce from local farms. A statewide event sponsored by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont: www.nofavt.org
 

Terrific Tractors (and other cool farm machines)
Sunday, October 5
Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm - Free with admission to property.
Come to the farmyard courtyard to check out our big farm machines that help to get the jobs done. From John Deere Tractors to some of the trucks we drive, climb aboard and pretend you are the farmer for a day!

Protecting the Lake Lake Champlain Land Trust / Shelburne Farms Partnership
Wednesday, October 8
Time: 10:00 am - Free - Registration: Call Lake Champlain Land Trust 802-862-4150, or chris@lclt.org
Join us to celebrate the Lake Champlain Land Trust’s 30 years of protecting Lake Champlain’s islands, lakeshore, and natural areas. Shelburne Farms’ naturalist Matt Kolan will lead an easy walk along the hidden, southwest shoreline of Shelburne Farms, exploring the rare shoreline forest protected by a conservation agreement with LCLT. Space is limited, so register early.
 

Family Programs focus on age-appropriate activities designed for children and an accompanying adult. 
Registration begins SEPTEMBER 11 members; SEPTEMBER 12 nonmembers. Call 802-985-8686 x341. Cancellation Policy
TIMES: Ages 4 & 5: 9:30-11:30 am  •  Ages 6+: 12:30-2:30 pm (except where indicated)
FEE: Member: $10 parent & child, $5 each additional child. Nonmember: $12/$6.
 

“Story Walk”
Saturday, Sept. 13 – Sunday, Oct. 12
Free with admission to property
Young and old are invited to experience Story Walk! Stroll the beautiful Lone Tree Hill trail and read a wonderful children’s book as you go. The book is posted one page at a time along the trail. Story Walk is a joint project of Montpelier’s Kellogg Hubbard library and the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition, a nonprofit that promotes bicycling, walking, and running through education and advocacy.

Orienteering
Saturday, October 11
Clinic: 9:00–10:00 am - Courses: 10:00 am–12:00 noon (beginner, intermediate, advanced). Children <10 must be accompanied by an adult.
FEE: Member: $10/parent & child, $5/additional child; Nonmember $12/6
Use a map and compass to find your way from point to point across the farm. Presented in partnership with the Green Mountain Orienteering Club.

Moonlit Wagon Rides
Saturday, October 11
Time: 6:00 pm, 6:45 pm, 7:30 pm - Fee: $10 adults, $7 children under 12
Information: 802-985-0326
Enjoy a moonlit evening at Shelburne Farms tucked in a horse-drawn wagon ride. Celebrate this magical time of year with harvest treats and activities back at the education center. Presented in partnership with Thornapple Farm.

Farmyard Work Party!
Sunday, October 12
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm - Free to all
A farmer’s work is never done, and with many hands it’s much more fun! Come lend a helping hand at the Children’s Farmyard. Farmer Sam will have some fall projects for everyone to help out with.

Spirit and Nature Retreat
For information on 2009 dates, fees and application procedures, contact Hilary Sunderland, 802-985-0342 or hsunderland@shelburnefarms.org
Shelburne Farms is collaborating with All Souls Interfaith Gathering, a neighboring spiritual center with a shared commitment to environmental stewardship, to offer this retreat. Participants of diverse faiths, scientific perspectives and environmental backgrounds are invited to explore nature as a pathway to spirit, the motivation of stewardship, and common ground between environmentalism and spirituality. Enrollment is limited.

Vermont Fresh Network Farmers Dinner
Thursday, September 4
Time: 6:00 pm cocktails; 6:30 pm seating - FEE: $75
(excludes alcohol, tax, gratuity) - Location: Marble Dining Room, The Inn at Shelburne Farms REGISTRATION required: 802-985-8498
Sample the best of the season’s offerings during this evening dedicated to chef-farmer partnerships. Inn chef Rick Gencarelli will craft a meal using food grown, raised and produced by Shelburne Farms and neighboring Vermont farmers. Diners will have the opportunity to meet local farmers and producers and to deepen their understanding of Vermont’s edible landscape.

Hawk Watching 101
Friday, September 12
Time: 7:00–9:00 pm - FEE: $5/Member; $6/Nonmember - Ages:12+
An introduction to hawkwatching. Get prepared for observing hawks during the autumn migration. A slide presentation will illustrate the fundamentals of identifying raptors on the wing with discussion of where and when to watch and equipment to use.
 

Outdoor Oil Painting Methods: An Historical Approach with the Shelburne Art Center
Saturday, Sept. 27, October 4, 11, 18
Time: 10:00 am–1:00 pm s Fee: $280 - materials list - INSTRUCTOR: Tad Spurgeon
Registration: www.shelburneartcenter.org, or 802-985-3648
Learn about the history and development of outdoor painting methods and then apply these in the context of the varied landscape at Shelburne Farms. Each class will begin with a brief talk on a style of outdoor painting: Camille Corot, Claude Monet, Contemporary, and finally Tad’s variation on the Corot method. Students will need a portable easel.
 

Armchair Migration
Saturday, October 4 (Rain date: Oct. 18)
Time: 8:00 am–12:00 noon - Fee: $5/Member or $6/Nonmember - Ages: 7+ - Location: OFES Kennel
A leisurely, low-key hawk/bird migration watch. Hiking to a mountaintop is not necessary to observe birds on their way south. We will observe, share ID techniques, and see what passes over the Farm in this annual event. Live raptor visitor. Bring binoculars, a chair and a brown bag snack.

Preserving Summer’s Sweet Harvest
Saturday, October 4
Time: 9:00 am–12:00 noon - Fee: $25
Nothing tastes quite as sweet as homemade jams and preserves. We’ve preserved the summer berry harvest in the freezer and now it’s time to can! Learn the basics of canning jams, jellies and preserves in this morning workshop. If time allows we’ll also look at infusing beverages and cooking oils with fresh herbs from your garden.

21st Annual Art Exhibition: Tour and Tea at the Inn
Wednesday, October 8
Time: 2:45–4:30 pm - Fee: $15/member $20/nonmember
Join exhibiting artists to discover the creativity, craft, and inspiration behind the artwork at our 21st Annual Art Exhibition. Afterwards, enjoy afternoon tea and further discussion with the artists at The Inn at Shelburne Farms.

Maple Magic
Tuesday., October 7
Time: 7:00 pm (art exhibition open 6:00 pm) - Fee: $7/person
Do you have a favorite maple syrup? Bring a cup of it along to an evening with Montserrat Almena-Aliste, Amy Trubek and other members of the Terroir Working Group from The University of Vermont and Middlebury College to evaluate why maple syrup tastes so good! Through guided tastings, help identify the unique tastes of Vermont maple syrup and learn more about our state’s most treasured food. Following the program, enjoy maple gingersnap cookies and hot beverages.

Ladderback Chairmaking Using Green Wood with the Shelburne Art Center
Monday–Saturday, October 13–18
Time: 9:00 am–4:00 pm - Fee: $630; materials $40
INSTRUCTOR: Mark Krawczyk
Registration: www.shelburneartcenter.org, or 802-985-3648
In this intermediate woodworking course, students will make a two-slat ladderback chair from a Shelburne Farms oak log using centuries-old tools and techniques. Working with a drawing knife and shaving horse, students will shape fresh green wood and steam bend back posts and slats. Mortise and tenon joints will be carefully sized and kiln dried. Students will complete the project by weaving the chair seat using shaker tape.

The Alchemy of Fermentation
Wednesday, October 15
Time: 5:00 pm Art show & cash bar; 6:00 pm dinner - Fee: $45 Moderator: Jeff Roberts - Location: Coach Barn
Many of Vermont’s wonderful handmade foods are rooted in a complex series of microbial interactions. These processes transform milk into cheese, grain into beer, and flour into bread. Journey into the microscopic world of good microbes, and enjoy a vast array of locally produced foods that depend upon them. Speakers include Doug Flack of Flack Family Farm, Chuck Conway, co-founder and owner of O Bread, Steve Parke, brewmaster at Otter Creek/Wolaver’s Brewing Company, and Catherine Donnelly, Professor of Microbiology at the University of Vermont.

The Whole Beast
Monday, October 20
Time: 6:00 pm cocktails; 6:30 pm seating - Fee: $85 (excludes alcohol, tax, gratuity) - Reservations required: 802-985-8498
Back by popular demand! Join us for the second annual Whole Beast dinner at The Inn at Shelburne Farms. At this unique and special evening, guests are seated family style and served a variety of dishes that showcase the entire animal, above and beyond well-known cuts and preparations. Chef Rick Gencarelli and his team will prepare an entire pig, from nose to tail, in a variety of courses and preparations. Dishes will be served with seasonal Market Garden vegetables

Introduction to Carving Birds
Saturday, November 1
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm - Fee: $5/member or $6/monmember - Ages 6+
Learn the fundamentals of carving with award-winning carver Peter Stern. Using soap as your medium and a live kestrel as your model, you will gain carving skills that are easily transferable to wood.
 

Kestrel Box Building
Saturday, November 22
Time: 10:00 am –12:00 noon - Fee: $5/member; $6/nonmember - Ages: 7+
Build a Kestrel nest box for Vermont’s small, cavity nesting falcon. Construct your box from sustainably harvested material and it will be put up on the farm in early spring. Attendees may also build a box of their own (additional $20). Bring a hammer or cordless screwdriver. Visit by live Kestrel.

Seasonal Field Excursions
January – May (Dates TBD)
Times & Locations: TBD - Free - TO BE PUT ON EMAIL ALERT LIST: 802-985-8686 x341
A phenology series targeting exciting natural events unfolding through the seasons. Naturalist Matt Kolan will lead field walks that attempt to capture some of Shelburne’s seasonal signposts: a full-moon snowshoe, amphibian migration, broad-winged hawk migration, and blooming spring ephemerals. Programs will be scheduled throughout the season.