with photographs by Marshall Webb & others
2016 Calendar
Shelburne Farms
Shelburne Farms is a nonprofit organization educating for a sustainable future. Our campus is a 1,400-acre working farm, forest, and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain, eight miles south of Burlington, Vermont.
1611 Harbor Road • Shelburne, Vermont • www.shelburnefarms.org • 802-985-8686 Design by Oh!Suzannah
Printing by Queen City Printers Inc.
PHOTO: VERA CHANG
Shelburne Farms
Educating for a sustainable future
S
helburne Farms, a nonprofit education organization, is part of an international groundswell of people and organizations dedicated to shaping a better world. Our campus is a 1,400-acre working farm, forest, and National Historic Landmark on the shores of Lake Champlain. Each year more than 150,000 people — educators, students, families, guests — visit the Farm to connect with nature, agriculture, and each other, exploring pathways to build a more sustainable and just world. To extend our impact to classrooms and communities around the globe, we collaborate with networks of teachers, schools, and partners that are educating for a sustainable future. The Farm is supported by charitable contributions, as well as our grass-based dairy, farmstead cheese operation, organic market garden, and seasonal inn and restaurant. The property was established in 1886 as a model agricultural estate of William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb. In 1972, family descendants launched the nonprofit organization with the vision of using the property to inspire environmental
PHOTO: SEBASTIAN VENTRONE
stewardship. That vision endures.
Educational Opportunities
Cheese & Farm Products
Come Visit Us
• Family, adult, preschool programs • School field trips daily • Summer camps • Internships • Educator workshops
Award-winning farmstead cheddar handmade on the Farm from the milk of our Brown Swiss cows. Available online, through our catalog, or at our Welcome Center.
Current information on programs, events, and hours is on our website. Mid-May through mid-October: General Admission Miles of scenic walking trails, the Children’s Farmyard, and cheesemaking at the historic Farm Barn. • Property Tours • House & Formal Gardens Tour at the Inn • Tours of Our Historic Barns
Principal photographer:
Marshall Webb
Marshall grew up on Shelburne Farms and began taking photos with a brownie box camera in the 1950s. He knows every inch of the property, and exactly when sunlight will transform it into the best photograph. Marshall’s talent, vision, and love of this place brought this wall
Year-round:
calendar to life back in 2003, and his remarkable
• Welcome Center & Farm Store • Walking Trails
photography continues to enliven its pages — and inspire others.
We welcome new members! As a nonprofit education organization, Shelburne Farms relies on your contributions to help sustain our programs and maintain our historic buildings and landscape. Call 802-985-8686 or visit our website.
The Inn at Shelburne Farms Our 19th-century inn offers 24 bedrooms, spacious common rooms, two cottages, and a public farm-to-table restaurant. Open mid-May through mid-October. For reservations, call 802-985-8498.
For more information about Shelburne Farms: www.shelburnefarms.org, or call 802-985-8686
January
Jingle bells! Enjoy a horse-drawn sleigh ride on weekends and at our annual Winterfest celebration. (Rosalyn Graham)
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Saturday
Friday
1 New Year’s Day
2
last quarter
Thursday
Wednesday
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
first quarter
17
Martin Luther 18 King, Jr. Day
19
20
21
22
23
full moon
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
last quarter
Dec em ber 2 0 1 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Feb r u a r y 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
new moon
Shoreline snow sculpture The Farm has more than two miles of shoreline along Lake Champlain, much of it permanently protected by conservation easements. In winter, the shoreline becomes a jumble of snow-dusted ice. (Jay Lyon) Red fox breeding In early January, red foxes abandon their solitary wandering and begin traveling in breeding pairs, leaving behind braided trails in the snow.
February
Cheesemaking begins After a brief hiatus in December and January, we begin crafting our annual 170,000 pounds of cheddar.
J a nua r y 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
(Vera Chang)
Monday
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
Thursday
Ma rch 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Saturday
Friday
2 Groundhog Day
3
4
5
6
Sunday
7
8 Chinese New Year
new moon
9
10
11
12
13
14 Valentine’s Day
15 Presidents Day
first quarter
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
full moon
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Moon shadow A long camera exposure captures a tree’s intricate moon shadow and lights up the Breeding Barn during our “Lenses on the Land” photography program, whose participants explore the Farm’s buildings and landscape. (Paul Leible) Sap-tappers on alert! Red squirrels “tap” sugar maples in the spring by chewing away a tree’s outer bark and lapping up the sap.
Big enough to tap? Students answer this question and others in our maple sugaring school program.
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
last quarter
2
3
4
5
(Holly Brough)
Monday
Sunday
6
7
8
new moon
9
10
11
12
Saving 13 Daylight Time Begins
14
15
first quarter
16
17 St. Patrick’s Day
18
19
20 Vernal Equinox
21
22
23
24
25 Good Friday
26
27 Easter
28
29
30
full moon
31
last quarter
Febr ua r y 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
March
A pr il 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Slow spring thaw Against the snow-covered backdrop of Mount Mansfield, the Inn patiently awaits spring, when it will open for farm-fresh breakfasts and dinners, as well as informally elegant accommodations. (Marshall Webb) Amphibian migration On nights with a steady rain above 40°F, salamanders and frogs will cross roads and anything in their path to reach their breeding grounds.
M a rch 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
April
M ay 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Sunday
Tuesday
Monday
Saturday
Friday
1 April Fool’s Day
2
Thursday
Wednesday
3
4
5
6
7
new moon
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
first quarter
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Day 22 Earth Passover
full moon
23
begins at sunset
24
25
Aspiring Naturalist Teens Teens hone their naturalist skills in our year-round “ANT” program. (staff photo)
26
27
29
28
last quarter
30
Flocking lambs Spring welcomes the birth of more than 100 lambs at the Farm. Families can celebrate sheep and all that they provide us at our annual “Leaping Lambs and Shear Delights” program in April. (Vera Chang) Spring ephemerals Soil chemistry, hydrology, elevation, and slope are a few of many factors that determine which flower species you’re likely to see on a spring walk.
A pril 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
May
J un e 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Sunday
Monday
1
Tuesday
Dairy Day Families welcome new calves and explore the dairy at this annual event. (Marshall Webb)
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
2
3
4
5
6
new moon
7
9
10
11
12
13
first quarter
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
30 Memorial Day
31
8
Mother’s Day
29
last quarter
full moon
Green up days Our education programs run year-round, but May is always exciting because it marks the official opening of the Children’s Farmyard, property tours, and Inn and restaurant for the season. (Marshall Webb) Crescendo-ing dawn chorus The spring bird migration reaches its peak in mid-May, with more than 200 species either traveling through or staying in Vermont.
June Sunday
5
first quarter
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
10
11
13
14
15
16
17
18
full moon
21
22
23
24
25
last quarter
28
29
30
19 Father’s Day
20 Summer Solstice
26
27
Educator workshops Teachers get inspired about educating for sustainability and farm to school initiatives. (Holly Brough)
new moon
Tuesday
Monday
Ramadan begins at sunset
12
Wednesday
M ay 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Ju l y 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Brown-eyed beauties Purebred Brown Swiss cows feed on lush pastures at our Certified Humane dairy. Our cheesemakers transform the milk into award-winning cheddar, available at our Welcome Center, online, and at fine stores. (Marshall Webb) Flashing fireflies Male fireflies dance through the air, flashing, while females stay close to the ground, flashing responses. Different species of fireflies flash at different cadences.
July
Farm to table The Inn sources 75 percent of its food from Vermont; one-third from the Farm’s pastures, fields, and forest. (Vera Chang)
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
3
4 Independence Day
new moon
10
11
first quarter
17
18
19
24
25
26
31
Jun e 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Saturday
Friday
1
2
Thursday
Wednesday
5
6
7
8
9
12
13
14
15
16
full moon
20
21
22
23
last quarter
27
28
29
30
Au g u s t 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Sunset over the Adirondacks The overlook balustrade at the Inn offers unparalleled sunset views. With donor support, the ongoing Formal Gardens Restoration Project has given the gardens new life for visitors to enjoy. (Marshall Webb) Feeding fledglings The dawn bird chorus becomes more diverse and confusing as tailless fledglings abandon their nests and begin to beg for food in unrefined voices.
August
Adventures Program This year-round program encourages preschoolers’ curiosity and appreciation for the natural world.
Jul y 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
(staff photo)
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
1
2
7
8
9
10
14
15
16
17
21
22
23
24
28
29
30
31
new moon
3
Thursday
Se ptember 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Saturday
Friday
4
5
6
11
12
13
19
20
26
27
Sunday first quarter
18
last quarter
25
full moon
Landscape for learning The Farm’s working landscape is a year-round campus for learning for children, adults, and families. Each summer alone, more than 650 campers explore its fields, forests, and lakeshore. (Marshall Webb) The turtle hatch-out begins Young snapping turtles and painted turtles emerge from their upland nests and travel (sometimes up to one mile) toward the relative safety of wetland areas.
September Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Friday
Thursday
1
new moon
2
5 Labor Day
6
7
8
9
11
12
13
14
15
16
18
19
20
21
22 Autumnal Equinox 23
25
26
27
28
29
38th Harvest Festival This annual community event celebrates Vermont farm and food traditions. (Maureen Connors)
3
Wednesday
4
Au g u s t 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Saturday
O c to b er 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
30
first quarter
10
full moon
17
last quarter
24
new moon
A walker’s paradise Visitors find respite and renewal on more than ten miles of walking trails that wind through the Farm’s pastures, fields, and woodlands — a landscape originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. (Marshall Webb) Hawk migration With the arrival of a north-northwest wind, convection currents rise from rock outcrops to spirit hawks on their fall migration.
October
Children’s Farmyard Pigs enjoy “leftovers” from Harvest Festival at the end of the Farmyard’s season. (Holly Brough)
Sunday
Monday
Hashanah 2 Rosh begins at sunset
9
16
3
Wednesday
1
Thursday
Friday
4
5
6
7
8
Yom Kippur 11 begins at sunset
12
13
14
15
first quarter
10
full moon
17
18
19
20
21
22
24
25
26
27
28
29
23
30
Tuesday
Saturday
new moon
Columbus Day
31 Halloween
Se p t em b er 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
N ovem b er
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
last quarter
Framed foliage The magnificent Breeding Barn, once an arena and stables for Dr. Webb’s horses, has undergone restoration and stabilization to serve as a gathering hall for educational, agricultural, and community events. (Anne-Marie Littenberg) Fall foliage Red maples in wet soils are often the first trees to begin the color shift that signals fall foliage season. Beech and oak will be the last to drop their leaves, often hanging onto their leaves through the winter months.
November
Oc tober 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Tuesday
D ecember 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Sunday
6
Daylight Saving Time Ends
Wednesday
Forest field trip Visiting school students discover Red-Backed Salamanders still active in late fall. (staff photo)
Thursday
Saturday
Friday
1
2
3
4
5
8
9
10
11 Veterans Day
12
Monday
7
first quarter
13
14
full moon
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
last quarter
22
23
24 Thanksgiving Day 25
26
27
28
30
Moonrise in Vermont
29
new moon
As much of the Farm quiets down, the cheese department gears up for the holiday season, with weeks of carefully cutting, waxing, and wrapping our farmstead cheddar. School programs are also in full swing. (Marshall Webb) White-tailed deer rut Scrapes and antler rubs from bucks show their preparation for the breeding season, which tends to peak sometime around November 15.
December Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
5
6
11
12
13
full moon
18
19
20
last quarter
25 Christmas
26
Visting the coop More than 4,000 students a year join us for hands-on school programs. (Holly Brough)
Saturday
1
2
3
8
9
10
14
15
16
17
21 Winter Solstice
22
23
24 Hanukkah begins at sunset
28
29
30
31 New Year’s Eve
Wednesday
4
Kwanzaa begins
Friday
Thursday
7
27
N ovem b er 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
first quarter
Ja nu a r y 2 0 1 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
new moon
Winter wonderland An early winter snowfall transforms the Farm landscape into a hushed wonderland. Horse-drawn sleigh rides offered around the holidays give visitors a chance to enjoy magical scenes like this. (Marshall Webb) Wood frog hibernation Wood frogs burrow underneath leaf litter, where they survive subzero temperatures by producing glucose within their cells, which functions as a natural antifreeze.