Spring Break Farm Stay

Sitting in the hay loft window

Two weeks ago today we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of 5 high school aged home schoolers and 3 moms. All five students have become friends with my daughter through an online school which we have been a part of for the past 7 years. We decided to invite them all to our farm for a Spring Break farm field trip. Most of these students had never been around farm life, mud boots, or farm animals. While they were here we scheduled workdays and  tours of farms in our area to give them a broad picture of what farming in Vermont entailed.
Through the course of the week they had delved into an assortment of farming experiences-

Greenhouse repairs

maple sugaring
greenhouse maintenance
caring for baby goats
putting hay up in the barn
getting sugar wood for next year’s season
feeding animals and mucking the barn

They quickly found out what mud boots were and why they do not have shoe laces on them. They learned that pumpkin can actually be edible or at least easily disguised, and that baby goats really are cute. The moms left with hopes of garden boxes in their yards and new recipes to try.

A Lesson in Weeding at Fat Rooster Farm

Capturing the moment on camera

Visiting the goats at Fat Toad Farm

Learning about cheese making at Neighborly Farms

Cleaning Sap Buckets

By the end of their visit with us, we were all exhausted from late nights and busy days. We had taken hundreds of photographs, eaten tons of food, laughed much, and played hard. Friendship bonds were strengthened, lives were connected, and we were quite sad to see them all have to go back home at the end of the week.

Many thanks to Fat Toad Farm, Fat Rooster Farm, Neighborly Farm, and Hampton Fiber Mill for their time and enthusiasm as they shared their lives and farms with us during our week and many thanks to the families who sacrificed much in order for their child to visit with us.