Shelburne Farms 2016 Wall Calendar

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.