To help us inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future, we work in active partnership with many organizations and agencies. We could not do our work without them. Collectively, we can more powerfully leverage change in education systems, food systems, and more, to build a healthy and just world. This page highlights some of our long-standing partners.
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Adventure Dinner
Adventure Dinner is a collaborative event company that dreams up and hosts unique food and drink experiences in unexpected places around Vermont.
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Ayiti Konsè Vèt
Ayiti Konsè Vèt (AKV) or “Keep Haiti Green.” Since 2008, Shelburne Farms has partnered with AKV with the shared goal of strengthening global networks to support agricultural literacy and sustainability education, mainly through learning exchanges.
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Black 2 Nature 802
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Burlington School District
Our partner in Burlington City and Lake Semester, an innovative program for Burlington High School juniors and seniors that utilizes the city as classroom. We also partner with the Sustainability Academy at Lawrence Barnes in Burlington in developing curricula and place-based connections for every grade level.
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Center for Environmental Farming Systems
CEFS envisions a future of vibrant farms, resilient ecosystems, strong communities, healthy people, and thriving local economies. It's one of the nation’s most important centers for research, extension, and education in sustainable agriculture and community-based food systems.
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Champlain Basin Education Initiative
The Watershed for Every Classroom Program is presented by the Champlain Basin Education Initiative, a community of organizations engaged in watershed education. Current partners include: The Lake Champlain Basin Program, Shelburne Farms, Lake Champlain Sea Grant, UVM Extension, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Lake Champlain Committee, and Community Sailing Center.
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EcoGather at Sterling College
EcoGather is a collaborative learning network dedicated to:
- place-based lifeways
- the vitality of agro-ecosystems
- the change-competence of communities
- the transition to well-being economies, and
- the pursuit of collective liberation.
EcoGather was initially founded to bring the work of late heterodox environmental economist David Fleming to a wider and activated audience, which we have done for several years via our distinctive Surviving the Future program.
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Farm-Based Education Network
Established in 2006, the Farm-Based Education Network (FBEN) is a free member network created to strengthen and support the work of farmers, educators, and community leaders who provide access and experiences of all kinds on working farms. The Network's mission is to inspire, nurture, and promote farm-based education because a sustainable future hinges on understanding and supporting healthy food systems. FBEN is administered by Shelburne Farms and supported by regional groups, advisers, and founding partners.
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Firefolk Arts
Founded in May of 2023, Firefolk Arts is an AAPI woman-owned, inclusive art space and gallery for collaboration and exploration, through hands-on, experiential learning and skill-sharing, which connects people of all ages and backgrounds.
Dedicated to curating culturally diverse art shows, pop-up markets, workshops and youth-led events, they uplift underrepresented artists and entrepreneurs in rural communities. This initiative is rooted in values of reciprocity, racial and economic equity, and environmental nurturance. In addition, they offer studio rental space for projects, events, office hours, and art material storage, based in Waitsfield's old firehouse on unceded Abenaki homelands.
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Gedakina
Gedakina is a multigenerational endeavor to strengthen and revitalize the cultural knowledge and identity of Native American women and their families from across New England.
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Green Mountain Draft Horse Association
The Green Mountain Draft Horse Association was formed to establish friendly communication and encourage the exchange of ideas for the purpose of assisting its members in the areas of breeding, exhibiting, buying, selling and promoting the varied uses of draft horses, mules, ponies and oxen.
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High School for Environmental Studies
A longtime partner school based in New York, NY whose mission is to promote environmental integrity, social equity and economic prosperity for all learners through challenging hands-on collaborative learning experiences that promote citizenship, scholarship and leadership within our community and the world at large. Read more about our collaboration.
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Lake Champlain Basin Program
The Lake Champlain Basin Program coordinates and funds efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources, in partnership with government agencies from New York, Vermont, and Québec, private organizations, local communities, and individuals.
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Lake Champlain Sea Grant
Lake Champlain Sea Grant develops and shares science-based knowledge to benefit the Lake Champlain basin.
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National Farm to School Network
National Farm to School Network increases access to local food and nutrition education to improve children’s health, strengthen family farms, and cultivate vibrant communities.
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National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout the country and world. NPS is a partner in programs including A Forest for Every Classroom. We work with Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and the National Park Service Stewardship Institute.
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Nature Connection Guide
Offering forest bathing walks in Vermont and global online programs with trained and certified nature and forest therapy guides.
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NOFA-VT
The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, our partners in the Vermont FEED project.
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North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".
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Northeast Farm to School Collaborative
A collective movement of Northeast educators, food providers, and policy advocates working collaboratively to catalyze food system change, starting with the school community.
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Outreach for Earth Stewardship
Outreach for Earth Stewardship (OFES) is a nonprofit wildlife organization whose mission is to strengthen respect and understanding for wildlife through education.
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PEER Associates
Our partners in program evaluation. PEER serves place-based, environmental, and informal science education organizations by helping them measure what matters, think critically about data, and take action to support their mission.
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Pride Center of Vermont
The mission of Pride Center of Vermont is to celebrate, educate, and advocate with and for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Vermonters.
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Rich Earth Institute
The Rich Earth Institute engages in research, education and technological innovation to advance the use of human waste as a resource.
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Shelburne Craft School
Since 1945, Shelburne Craft School has been offering hands-on education in artisanal crafts—helping individuals experience the joys of making, while cultivating confidence, character, and community.
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Spoonful Herbals
A non-profit organization with mission to share joyful, hands-on education and wellness through plant medicine while honoring all our herbal traditions.
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SubjectToClimate
SubjectToClimate is a nonprofit online connector for K–12 educators of all subjects to find credible and engaging materials on climate change at no cost.
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Sustainability Academy
Sustainability Academy opened in 2009 as the nation’s first K-5 magnet school with a sustainability theme. Shelburne Farms works closely with teachers and staff to use sustainability as a whole-school theme.
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The Root Social Justice Center
The Root Social Justice Center is a Vermont based, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) led racial justice organization centering blackness. The Root prioritizes BIPOC people and their communities by shifting resources to BIPOC for leadership, connection, healing, education and the arts and supports BIPOC led racial justice movement work.
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U.S. Department of Agriculture
The USDA provides leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy, the best available science, and effective management.
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U.S. Forest Service
The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The Green Mountain National Forest is a partner of programs including A Forest for Every Classroom.
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University of Vermont
Founded in 1791, the University of Vermont (UVM) is a flagship public research university. We partner with UVM to offer programs at the undergraduate and graduate level.
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University of Vermont College of Education and Social Services
UVM's College of Education and Social Services provides experiential and supportive learning environments inspiring students to create a more humane, just and equitable society—for people and planet.
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UP for Learning
UP for Learning helps educational institutions across the country fully engage youth in their own learning and in reimagining and transforming education. Our partners in programs including Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability.
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UVM Extension
UVM Extension integrates higher education, research, and outreach to help Vermonters put knowledge to work in their families and homes, farms and businesses, towns, and the natural environment. Faculty and staff, located in offices around the state, help improve the quality of life of Vermonters through research-based educational programs and practical information.
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Vermont Bat Center
The mission of the Vermont Bat Center, Inc. is to provide information and educational programs about bats to individuals, schools and other groups and to provide for the rescue and rehabilitation of bats from throughout Vermont.
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Vermont Cheese Council
We are founding members of the Vermont Cheese Council and continue to partner with them in programming to foster and promote the community of great Vermont cheese producers!
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Vermont Farm to School & Early Childhood Network
We're a statewide Network providing leadership, coordination, and advocacy to advance new and existing farm to school efforts in Vermont classrooms, cafeterias, and communities. We're farm to school advocates, practitioners, and educators across the state.
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Vermont FEED
Started in 2000, Vermont FEED (Food Education Every Day) is a collaborative farm to school project of two organizations: the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), and Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools.
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Vermont Fresh Network
The Vermont Fresh Network is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1996 with the mission of advancing relationships among farmers, chefs, and consumers to grow markets and eat more locally grown food.
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Vermont Land Trust
Rooted in Vermont since 1977, they have protected more than 620,000 acres of farmland, forestland, and community lands, covering over 11% of the state. Much of this land is privately owned and contributes to our abundance of local food, maple and timber products, tourism and recreation, and the vitality of our towns and villages.
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Vermont Sheep & Goat Association
The Vermont Sheep and Goat Association represents producers of meat, dairy, fiber sheep, goats, and other species of fiber animals such as rabbits, alpacas, and llamas. They aim to promote the humane treatment of animals, a high level of animal health, and sustainable farmland stewardship.
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Other Affiliates
These organizations help us care for our working farm and forest in support of healthy local food systems.
- American Tree Farm System: They currently certify our sustainable woodlands management plan.
- Heritage Landscapes has developed long-term management plans for some of the property’s cultural resources, including the landscape and formal gardens.
- Humane Farm Animal Care: Through HFAC, our dairy is certified humane, a certification that is renewed annually.
- Lake Champlain Land Trust: LCLT holds shoreline easements along Shelburne Farms, and we jointly offer programming on the natural history of Lake Champlain.
- Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont: They certify our Market Garden as organic.
- Preservation Trust of Vermont: PTV holds façade easements on several of our historic buildings.
- Vermont Family Forests: We’ve been members since 1998 and continue to follow their strict sustainable forest management guidelines, although they’ve discontinued their certification program.
- Vermont Farm to Plate Network: We are proud sponsors and members of the Network.
- Vermont Fresh Network: As a member of VFN, we promote locally grown produce in our restaurant, and we collaborate on VFN’s farm-to-table programs.
- Vermont Land Trust: VLT holds agricultural easements on most of our prime ag land.