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eBird Illustrated Checklists are here!

You can now view a digital bird guide for any hotspot or region in the world: an Illustrated Checklist. The best part? It’s all using sightings that you contributed! We take the highest-rated photo and sound from the Macaulay Library, combine with eBird data to show seasonal occurrence, and include the last date when a species was seen in that place. The result: a quick overview for the region that gives the most relevant information. Want your photo to be the best image for that region? Add them to your eBird checklists! To check out Illustrated Checklists, search for any region or search for any hotspot. At the top of the species list you’ll see a new tab titled “Illustrated Checklist”. Here’s Vermont as an example.

This functionality is another great example of the close connection between eBird and the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. We hope these Illustrated Checklists provide an exciting new way to visualize the contributions you’ve made to eBird and ML, an added incentive to add your top photos from your favorite spots, and a window through which you can explore the contributions of others. Have fun, and don’t forget to add star ratings for your images! Now we’re going to get back to uploading our photos to our favorite patches…

Looking for sounds and photos of the birds you might see on your next trip? Illustrated Checklists have everything you need to get prepared.

Source: eBird VT Birdwatching

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New UVM Study: Health Insurance Costs Threaten Farm Viability

According to a new U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded study, lack of access to affordable health insurance is one of the most significant concerns facing American farmers, an overlooked risk factor that affects their ability to run a successful enterprise.

“The rising cost of healthcare and the availability of affordable health insurance have joined more traditional risk factors like access to capital, credit and land as a major source of worry for farmers,” said principal investigator Shoshanah Inwood, a rural sociologist at the University of Vermont, who conducted the study with colleagues at the Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis at NORC at the University of Chicago.  

“The study found that health-related costs are a cross-sector risk for agriculture, tied to farm risk management, productivity, health, retirement, the need for off-farm income and land access for young and beginning farmers,” said Alana Knudson, co-director of the NORC Walsh Center.

Study results were based on a March 2017 mail survey of farmers and ranchers in 10 study states and interviews with farm families in each of the study states in 2016.

Three of four farmers and ranchers (73 percent) in the survey said that having affordable health insurance was an important or very important means of reducing their business risk. And just over half (52 percent) are not confident they could pay the costs of a major illness such as a heart attack, cancer or loss of limb without going into debt.   

Insights from the interviews supported the survey results. “During the course of interviews with farmers, many relayed stories about their family members or neighbors who had lost their farms or dairies due to catastrophic illness or injury when they were uninsured,” Knudson said.  

Sixty-four percent report having pre-existing conditions

To meet the needs of farmers, changes in current health insurance law will need to be carefully considered, the survey suggests.

Two out of three farmers and ranchers (64 percent) reported having a pre-existing health condition. With an average age of 58, farmers and ranchers are also vulnerable to higher insurance premiums due to age-rating bands. And among farmers and ranchers 18 to 64 years old, one out of four (24 percent) purchased a plan in their state’s insurance marketplace.

“A number of farmers in their 50s we spoke with said they had left off-farm employment in the last five years to commit to full-time farming because they and their families would not be denied health insurance in the individual market due to pre-existing conditions,” Knudson said.

Health insurance costs create barriers for young and beginning farmers

Health care costs also factor into farm succession issues, potentially denying young people access to land to farm.

Almost half (45 percent) of the farmers surveyed said they’re concerned they will have to sell some or all of their farm or ranch assets to address health related costs such as long-term care, nursing home or in-home health assistance.

“These findings indicated that many farmers will need to sell their land, their most valuable asset, to the highest bidder when they need cash to cover health-related costs,” Inwood said, “making it more difficult for young farmers to afford land and increasing the likelihood farmland is sold for commercial development.”

Lack of access to affordable health insurance could potentially drive young people away from farming, the research found. Young farmers who had taken advantage of the Medicaid expansion in their states  told the researchers in interviews that it allowed them to provide health insurance for their children and have time and energy to invest in the farm or ranch rather than having to seek a full-time off-farm or ranch job with benefits.

Most farm families have health insurance, over half through public sector employment

The vast majority of farmers and ranchers (92 percent) reported that they and their families had health insurance in 2016 but that it frequently came from off-farm employment.

Over half (59 percent) of farm and ranch families received benefits through public sector employers (health, education and government).

“Public sector jobs, especially in rural areas often offer the highest wages and most generous benefits,” Inwood said. “Changes in public and private sector employment options or benefits affect the financial stability and social well-being of farm families with impacts reverberating through rural communities.”

Nearly three quarters say USDA should represent farmer interests

Given the pressing nature of their health insurance concerns, farmers are also seeking help from the federal government. Nearly three quarters (73 percent) of farmers said USDA should represent farmers’ needs in national health policy discussions, particularly due to unique health needs of farmers and farm workers (e.g., coverage for blood tests to examine potential pesticide exposures).

The timing is right, Inwood said, as the five-year update of the U.S. Farm Bill is due in 2018.  The comprehensive Farm Bill deals with agriculture and all other issues under the jurisdiction of the USDA.

“We have a shrinking and aging farm population,” Inwood said. “The next Farm Bill is an opportunity to start thinking about how health insurance affects the trajectory of farms in the United States.”

Nothing is more important to the country’s food system than the viability of the farm sector, she said.

“It’s a matter of national security,” she said. 

For the study, a total of 1,062 farmers and ranchers were surveyed in March 2017 in Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nebraska, Mississippi, Kentucky, Washington, Utah and California. Study states were selected in each of the four Census regions and included a mix of those that had expanded or not expanded Medicaid. The study results were also based on interviews of up to 10 families in each of the study states.

The study was funded with a $500,000 grant from the USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) as part of a National Institute of Food and Agriculture initiative designed to increase prosperity in rural America.

Source: UVM News

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Open Farm Week 2017: Participating Farms and Farmers Markets

11 July 2017 – by Jasmyn Druge

Open Farm Week 2017: Participating Farms and Farmers Markets

Plan your schedule for this year’s Vermont Open Farm Week – get to know the places where your food comes from and the people that make it all happen. Enjoy a range of events from on-farm dinners to workshops and tours that will be uniquely crafted at every farm. Whether you stay close to home or travel to unknown corners of Vermont, you’re sure to have a fantastic experience!

Monday, August 14th

North

Devaney Farm, West Charleston
Tasting of Preserves | All Day | A tasting of their hot pepper jelly, pickles, and sheep feta cheese

Jed’s Maple Products, Derby
Maple Speciality Food Tasting | All Day | Taste maple specialty foods made right on the farm

Central

Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company, South Woodstock
Sampling & Tour | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Free samples of cheese and crackers
Sugarbush Maple & Cheese Farm, Woodstock
Junior Sugarmaking Learning & Quiz | 10:30 am – 3:30 pm | Children and adults can sample maple syrup, walk the maple trail, visit the sugar house and learn how maple syrup is made in the spring. Earn a Sugarmaker Certificate after finding the answers to a 10 question quiz

South

Meadow’s Bee Farm, Windham
Morning Chores and Garden Work | 8:00 am – 11:00 am | Milk cows, put sheep on pasture, feed chickens and weed the garden

Merck Forest and Farmland Center, Rupert
Children’s Garden Party | 10:00 am | Planting, Weeding, Harvesting, Storytime, and Games

Rebop Farm, Brattleboro
Evening Chores and Farm Tour | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm | Milking cows, bottle feeding calves, feeding pigs/turkeys/ducks/rabbits, moving sheep, collecting eggs

Trollhaugen Farm, Newfane
Felting Slippers (part 1) | 9:30 am – 1:30 pm | Make yourself a pair of 100% wool slippers using wool from our sheep. Wool is an amazing material that absorbs all odors, perfect for slippers!

Tuesday, August 15th

North

Devaney Farm, West Charleston
Tasting of Preserves | All Day | A tasting of their hot pepper jelly, pickles, and sheep feta cheese

Jed’s Maple Products, Derby
Paint and Sip at the Sugarhouse | 6:30 pm | Paint sap buckets with one of our local art teachers
North Williston Cattle Co., Williston

Farm Tours | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm | Visit the nursery and see how they raise their newborn Holstein calves and tour the robotic milkers to see how technology helps manage the farm. The cows are able to choose to be milked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Philo Ridge Farm, Charlotte
Grazing Research and Field Day & Pasture Walk with Jim Gerrish | 10:00 am – 3:30 pm | Join staff from the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture’s Pasture and Farming & Climate Change programs to spend a day on a diversified, grass-based farm in Charlotte 
Valley Dream Farm, Cambridge
Farmers Table Dinner and Tour | 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Family style Chef dinner and farm hayride tour

Central

Crossmolina Farm, Corinth
Poetry Themed Farm Tour | 6:00 pm | Join Crossmolia Farm for a group poetry reading as you tour the gardens and pastures of the farm

Sugarbush Maple & Cheese Farm, Woodstock
Junior Sugarmaking Learning & Quiz | 10:30 am – 3:30 pm | Children and adults can sample maple syrup, walk the maple trail, visit the sugar house and learn how maple syrup is made in the spring. Earn a Sugarmaker Certificate after finding the answers to a 10 question quiz

Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company, South Woodstock 
Sampling & Tour | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Free samples of cheese and crackers

South

Merck Forest and Farmland Center, Rupert 
Children’s Garden Party | 10:00 am | Planting, Weeding, Harvesting, Storytime, and Games

Merck Forest and Farmland Center, Rupert
Draft Horse Clinic for Teens | 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm | Visitors from 12 – 15 years old will learn how to care for horses, and may have an opportunity to harness & drive our draft horse team

Rebop Farm, Brattleboro
Evening Chores and Farm Tour | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm | Milking cows, bottle feeding calves, feeding pigs/turkeys/ducks/rabbits, moving sheep, collecting eggs

Trollhaugen Farm, Newfane
Felting Slippers (part 2) | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm | Finish making your slippers begun Monday

Wednesday, August 16th

North

Boston Post Dairy, LLC, Enosburg Falls
Family Fun Day | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm | Go and visit their farm and animals! There will be face-painting, and a chance to sample their award-winning cheeses while you learn how cheese is made. Visitors can pet the goats and calves, feed the ducks, goats and chickens, and participate in their Boston Post Dairy Quest
Devaney Farm, West Charleston
Tasting of Preserves | All Day | A tasting of their hot pepper jelly, pickles, and sheep feta cheese
Jed’s Maple Products, Derby

Tours with Sugarmaker Steve | 10:00 am, noon, 2:00 pm | Tour our woods, museum and sugarhouse

Last Resort Farm, Bristol
Learn To Make Garlic Braids | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm | Their expert braiders will share their skills and show you how to make a beautiful braid to enjoy all winter or give as a unique gift

North Williston Cattle Co., Williston

Farm Tours | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm | Visit the nursery and see how they raise their newborn Holstein calves and tour the robotic milkers to see how technology helps manage the farm. The cows are able to choose to be milked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Sandiwood Farm, Wolcott
Sandiwood Farm to Fork Dinner with Movie and Optional Workshops | 3:00 pm | A unique, tasty dinner with local sides featuring farm-grown produce and of course dessert. Complimentary bar beverage for advanced reservations.
Shelburne Farms, Shelburne
Garden Party at the Children’s Farmyard | 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm | The garden in the Children’s Farmyard at Shelburne Farms is full of possibilities. Join farmyard educators for a harvesting adventure, then concoct tasty kitchen creations! 
Thompson Family Farm, Craftsbury
Maple Syrup Tasting | 11:00 am – 1:00 pm | Try different grades of maple syrup, learn how to use maple syrup and maple sugar in your recipes. Leave with some recipe cards

Trillium Hill Farm, Hinesburg
Pizza Supper | 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Join farmers Sara, James, and Ruby from Trillium Hill Farm for an evening of wood-fired pizza, music, drinks, and farm tours. This casual dinner is rain or shine

Central

Sugarbush Maple & Cheese Farm, Woodstock
Junior Sugarmaking Learning & Quiz | 10:30 am – 3:30 pm | Children and adults can sample maple syrup, walk the maple trail, visit the sugarhouse and learn how maple syrup is made in the spring. Earn a Sugarmaker Certificate after finding the answers to a 10 question quiz

Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company, South Woodstock
Sampling & Tour | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Free samples of cheese and crackers

South

Meadow’s Bee Farm, Windham
Morning Chores and Garden Work | 8:00 am – 11:00 am | Milk cows, put sheep on pasture, feed chickens and weed the garden

Merck Forest and Farmland Center, Rupert
Children’s Garden Party | 10:00 am | Planting, Weeding, Harvesting, Storytime, and Games

Rebop Farm, Brattleboro
Cheesemaking in the Farm Kitchen | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm | Hands-on cheesemaking class using their own raw cow milk. Designed to be useful for adventurous home cooks and folks that want to play with milk science! You will likely make butter, ricotta, mozzarella, creme fraiche, and/or sour cream. You’ll also have a tour of the milking facilities.
Smokey House Center, Danby
Community Farm Field Tour | 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm | Their Community Farm Educator will tour the 2017 Community Farm Project engaging participants in an in-depth discussion about the crops they choose to grow, and how they grow on a limited budget in order to be able to give the food away for free

Trollhaugen Farm, Newfane
Making The Perfect Crêpe and Galette | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm | We will practice mixing up and cooking crepes

Thursday, August 17th

North

Devaney Farm, West Charleston
Tasting of Preserves | All Day | A tasting of their hot pepper jelly, pickles, and sheep feta cheese

Jed’s Maple Products, Derby
Maple Speciality Food Tasting | All Day | Taste maple specialty foods made right on the farm

Maple Wind Farm, Huntington

Fried Chicken Dinner | 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm | Maple Wind Farm has the best chicken in town, and on August 17, you can enjoy it battered and fried with all the fixins’ right on the farm. Gather your family and friends, bring a picnic blanket and your favorite lawn games, and indulge in an unforgettable meal. (Bibs included!) Desserts and drinks provided by Richmond Community Kitchen

North Williston Cattle Co., Williston

Farm Tours | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm | Visit the nursery and see how they raise their newborn Holstein calves and tour the robotic milkers to see how technology helps manage the farm. The cows are able to choose to be milked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Central

Champlain Orchards, Shoreham
Cider Tasting and Sunset Walk | 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Join head cidermaker Jeren Stoneman at their brand new tasting room for a guided cider tasting. You’ll head on up to the Pinnacle at sunset for early apples, fresh peaches, and a killer sunset
Green Mountain Girls, Northfield
Scarecrow Making, Pick-Your-Own Herbs and Farm Tours | 3:30 pm – 6:00 pm | Tour will include pigs and poultry on pasture, sampling your way through the gardens and the herbs and edible flowers of the orchard understory and getting up close to the 3 Sisters — their field of corn, beans, and squash grown using traditional Native American companion planting. Farmers will help you sample edible flowers and herbs in our pick-your-own herb garden. And there will be a scarecrow workshop, (bring your own shirt and pants, hat optional!) *Please bring worn out clothes no longer useful to people to lessen ecological waste. Stick skeleton will be provided to those who rsvp

Sugarbush Maple & Cheese Farm, Woodstock
Junior Sugarmaking Learning & Quiz | 10:30 am – 3:30 pm | Children and adults can sample maple syrup, walk the maple trail, visit the sugarhouse and learn how maple syrup is made in the spring. Earn a Sugarmaker Certificate after finding the answers to a 10 question quiz

Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company, South Woodstock
Sampling & Tour | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Free samples of cheese and crackers

South

Merck Forest and Farmland Center, Rupert
Children’s Garden Party | 10:00 am | Planting, Weeding, Harvesting, Storytime, and Games

Merck Forest and Farmland Center, Rupert
Farm Chores for Children | 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm | Join the farm staff for daily chores. Ages 3 years old and up. This “workshop” is designed to introduce children to simple farm routines & products and to meet the animals under expert supervision

Rebop Farm, Brattleboro
Evening Chores and Farm Tour | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm | Milking cows, bottle feeding calves, feeding pigs/turkeys/ducks/rabbits, moving sheep, collecting eggs

Smokey House Center, Danby
Community Farm Public Volunteer Hours | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm | Every Friday they host open farm hours where the Farm Educator leads volunteers in a community farm project. This could be harvesting and preparing a CSA share for the Community Members, cultivating or transplanting into the fields, making compost tea for young seedlings or repairing garden carts. Join them during their open farm hours and they will give you a tour of the Community Farm project and engage you in a short day-in-the-life of a farmer
Trollhaugen Farm, Newfane
Making The Perfect Crêpe and Galette | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm | You will practice mixing up and cooking crepes and gluten-free galettes

Friday, August 18th

North 

Devaney Farm, West Charleston
Tasting of Preserves | All Day | A tasting of their hot pepper jelly, pickles, and sheep feta cheese

East Hill Tree Farm, Plainfield
Edible Landscaping Soils and Sites: Farm Tour | 10:30 am – 12:00 pm | Come tour East Hill Tree Farm with owner Nicko Rubin and learn how to work with challenging sites and improve soil to ensure your plantings thrive
Jed’s Maple Products, Derby
Maple Speciality Food Tasting | All Day | Taste maple specialty foods made right on the farm

Quarry Hill Farm, Jeffersonville
Quarry Hill Farmival | 11:00 am – 8:00 pm | A family friendly farm themed carnival with food, games, music, market, farm tours, & demos!
Thompson Family Farm, Craftsbury
Beef Tasting Trials | 11:00 am – 1:00 pm | Get a jump on lunch! See if you can tell the difference between their American-Style Kobe beef and their Hereford breed meat. Both are exceptional. Come develop your taste!

Central

Brookfield Bees, Brookfield
Honey Tasting and Open House | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm | Choose honey to taste from their worldwide collection and compare to their wildflower honey. There will also be a brief tour of the maple sugar set-up and honey extraction process (not actively doing these). A woods walk to bee hive location option as well

Champlain Orchards, Shoreham
Cider Tasting and Sunset Walk | 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Join head cidermaker Jeren Stoneman at their brand new tasting room for a guided cider tasting. You’ll head on up to the Pinnacle at sunset for early apples, fresh peaches, and a killer sunset

Free Verse Farm & Apothecary, Chelsea
Farm Tour and Herbal Tea Party | 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Enjoy a tour of their beautiful hillside herb farm, which boasts stunning views, wildflower meadows, grazing livestock, and a great sensory experience! Once the tour ends, you’ll be treated to a tea party, where you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of their farm-grown herbal tea blends, plus delicious locally-sourced snacks. Visitors will also have the opportunity to peruse their full line of herbal products for sale

Silloway Maple, Randolph Center
Pancake Supper | 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm | It’s breakfast for dinner! Join Silloway Maple sugarmakers for a pancake supper in their Randolph, Vermont sugarhouse. Enjoy watermelon, pancakes, sausage, and their award-winning maple syrup from their wood-fired evaporator. Serving dinner from 5-7 pm. Come early for a maple candy making demonstration at 4:30! 

Sugarbush Maple & Cheese Farm, Woodstock
Junior Sugarmaking Learning & Quiz | 10:30 am – 3:30 pm | Children and adults can sample maple syrup, walk the maple trail, visit the sugarhouse and learn how maple syrup is made in the spring. Earn a Sugarmaker Certificate after finding the answers to a 10 question quiz

Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company, South Woodstock
Sampling & Tour | 9:00 am – 4:00 pm | Free samples of cheese and crackers

South

Meadow’s Bee Farm, Windham
Morning Chores and Garden Work | 8:00 am – 11:00 am | Milk cows, put sheep on pasture, feed chickens and weed the garden

Merck Forest and Farmland Center, Rupert
Children’s Garden Party | 10:00 am | Planting, Weeding, Harvesting, Storytime, and Games

Merck Forest and Farmland Center, Rupert
Wagon Tour of the Farm | Afternoon (call for time) | Fern & Arch provide 2-horsepower transportation for an extended tour. As you ride, a member of the farm staff will describe their farming operations and will discuss larger issues & current trends in sustainable agriculture

Rebop Farm, Brattleboro
Dinner on the Farm | 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm | Enjoy the views from their hill-top and a multi-course dinner showcasing the abundance of the own farm raised meats, veggies, fruits, and dairy
Trollhaugen Farm, Newfane
Crêpe and Galette Dinner, then local fresh fruit and ice cream dessert | 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm | Savory gluten free galette dinner and crêpe dessert, served in the middle of the garden

Saturday, August 19th

North

Berry Creek Farm, Westfield
Celebrating 25 years of Growing | 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Farm tour followed by NOFA-VT Pizza Oven fresh pizza
Capital City Farmers Market, Montpelier
9:00 am – 1:00 pm | Market, workshops, and demonstrations. Enjoy food and music, learn something new at one of their workshops and demonstrations and pick up your produce and unique handcrafted products
Clyde River Farm, East Charleston
On-Farm Community Lunch | 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm | Enjoy a free lunch served by the Green Mountain Farm-to-School Lunchbox food truck 
Devaney Farm, West Charleston
Tasting of Preserves | All Day | A tasting of their hot pepper jelly, pickles, and sheep feta cheese

East Hill Tree Farm, Plainfield
100 Varieties of Fruit: Farm Tour | 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm | Enjoy a walk through the super diverse plantings of East Hill Tree Farm. Discussion will focus on the wide range of fruits and companion plants from currants to kiwi growing at the farm
Jed’s Maple Products, Derby
Maple Speciality Food Tasting | All Day | Taste maple specialty foods made right on the farm
Philo Ridge Farm, Charlotte
Morning Music for Little Farmers | 9:30 am – 11:30 am | Explore farm animals, vegetables, soil, and more through song and play. Bring your little farmers to the Livestock Barn at Philo Ridge Farm for a fun morning of exploration, featuring music with Julia Wayne of Mayfly 

Pitchfork Farm, Burlington
Crop Mob | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm | Join Pitchfork Farm for a volunteer work party on the farm! City Market members can get member worker hours for this event. Please come prepared for the weather with appropriate layers, sturdy shoes, work gloves, and water.

Quarry Hill Farm, Jeffersonville
Quarry Hill Farmival | 11:00 am – 8:00 pm | A family friendly farm themed carnival with food, games, music, market, farm tours, & demos!

Valley Dream Farm, Cambridge
Farmers Table Dinner and Tour | 5:00 pm – 8:30 pm | Family style Chef dinner and farm hayride tour
Central

Brookfield Bees, Brookfield
Honey Tasting and Open House | 11:00 am – 3:00 pm | Choose honey to taste from their worldwide collection and compare to their wildflower honey. There will also be a brief tour of the maple sugar set-up and honey extraction process (not actively doing these). A woods walk to bee hive location option as well

Champlain Orchards, Shoreham
Wagon Rides, Pick-Your-Own Peaches, and Solar Tours | 12:00 am – 2:00 pm | Ride around the orchard in a wagon with a stop at their solar trackers, finishing with pick-your-own organic and eco-certified peaches

Crossmolina Farm, Corinth
Pickle Making Workshop | 1:00 pm | Learn to make and preserve your own pickles from scratch
Lester Farm & Market, New Haven
Meet the Animals, Taste the Tomatoes, and Tour the Farm | 10:00 am – 4:00 pm | Petting zoo (dwarf goats, sheep, chickens, geese). Samplings of tomatoes and other produce. Wagon ride around the farm (weather permitting)
Sugarbush Maple & Cheese Farm, Woodstock
Junior Sugarmaking Learning & Quiz | 10:30 am – 3:30 pm | Children and adults can sample maple syrup, walk the maple trail, visit the sugarhouse and learn how maple syrup is made in the spring. Earn a Sugarmaker Certificate after finding the answers to a 10 question quiz

South

Meadow’s Bee Farm, Windham
Morning Chores and Garden Work | 8:00 am – 11:00 am | Milk cows, put sheep on pasture, feed chickens and weed the garden

Parris Hill Farm Alpacas and the AlpacArt Studio, Brownsville
Meet the Parris Hill Farm Alpacas & Shop at the AlpacArt Studio | 11:00 am – 4:00 pm | “Alpaca 101” – Learn all about the Alpaca

Rebop Farm, Brattleboro
Evening Chores and Farm Tour | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm | Milking cows, bottle feeding calves, feeding pigs/turkeys/ducks/rabbits, moving sheep, collecting eggs

Scott Farm, Dummerston
Orchard Stroll | 10:00 am | Join Orchardist Zeke Goodband to learn about the history of their heirloom fruits. You’ll discuss orchard ecology, how grafting was used to create the orchard, scout for pests and discuss how they manage them

Trollhaugen Farm, Newfane
Felting Slippers (part 1) | 9:30 am – 1:30 pm | Make yourself a pair of 100% wool slippers using wool from our sheep. Wool is an amazing material that absorbs all odors, perfect for slippers!

Sunday, August 20th

North

Devaney Farm, West Charleston
Tasting of Preserves | All Day | A tasting of their hot pepper jelly, pickles, and sheep feta cheese

Quarry Hill Farm, Jeffersonville
Quarry Hill Farmival | 11:00 am – 8:00 pm | A family friendly farm themed carnival with food, games, music, market, farm tours, & demos!

Central

Champlain Orchards, Shoreham
Wagon Rides, Pick-Your-Own Peaches, and Solar Tours | 12:00 am – 2:00 pm | Ride around the orchard in a wagon with a stop at their solar trackers, finishing with pick-your-own organic and eco-certified peaches

Green Mountain Girls, Northfield
Farm to Table Dinner at Ariel’s Restaurant | 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm | Green Mountain Girls Farm meats, fruit, herbs, and veggies together with contributions from others in the Floating Bridge Food and Farms Cooperative will be prepared and served by Chef Lee Duberman and Richard Fink who will host the dinner in their backyard, overlooking Sunset Lake in Brookfield, a quintessential Vermont village
Greenfield Highland Beef, Plainfield
Picnic by the Pasture at Shat Acres Farm | 10:00 am – 2:00 pm | Enjoy the peace of a Vermont hill farm and the majesty of Highland Cattle when you visit award-winning Shat Acres Farm in Plainfield, Vermont. Open Farm Week guests are invited to enjoy the farm and, depending on good weather, bring a picnic and blanket, a book or crossword puzzle, and of course your camera! Take in the sweeping mountain and valley views while learning how Janet and Ray respectfully provide customers with healthy, locally, and humanely raised meat. Beef will be available to sample and purchase. Rain or shine. No tickets required.
Root 5 Farm, Fairlee
Farm Tours | 10:00 am – 1:00 pm | Farm-led tours
Sugarbush Maple & Cheese Farm, Woodstock
Junior Sugarmaking Learning & Quiz | 10:30 am – 3:30 pm | Children and adults can sample maple syrup, walk the maple trail, visit the sugarhouse and learn how maple syrup is made in the spring. Earn a Sugarmaker Certificate after finding the answers to a 10 question quiz

South


Deer Ridge Farm, Guilford
Flower Identification and Tour | 10:00 am | Walk the flower gardens and learn about different types of flowers from Jerry Smith, who has been growing flowers for over 30 years
Parris Hill Farm Alpacas and the AlpacArt Studio, Brownsville
Meet the Parris Hill Farm Alpacas & Shop at the AlpacArt Studio | 11:00 am – 4:00 pm | “Alpaca 101” – Learn all about the Alpaca

Rebop Farm, Brattleboro
Evening Chores and Farm Tour | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm | Milking cows, bottle feeding calves, feeding pigs/turkeys/ducks/rabbits, moving sheep, collecting eggs

Scott Farm, Dummerston
Orchard Stroll | 10:00 am | Join Orchardist Zeke Goodband to learn about the history of their heirloom fruits. You’ll discuss orchard ecology, how grafting was used to create the orchard, scout for pests and discuss how they manage them

Trollhaugen Farm, Newfane
Felting Slippers (part 2) | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm | Finish making your slippers begun Saturday

Source: Dig in VT Trails

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Vermont Beer, Wine & Cider Love Vermont Cheese

10 July 2017 – by DigInVT

Vermont Beer, Wine & Cider Love Vermont Cheese

Two of the summer’s most anticipated food and beverage events happen within one week of each other! On July 16th the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival comes to Shelburne Farms bringing Vermont’s world-famous cheesemakers together under one roof (or tent, rather) to sample hundreds of new and classic styles surrounded by beverage and specialty food artisans to complement. The following weekend, July 21st and 22nd, is the Vermont Brewers Festival in Burlington where thousands of beer lovers pilgrimage to the craft beer mecca that is the Green Mountain State. 

Come for the festivals, stay for the tasting trails.
Whatever your preference, we have a trail for you!

Vermont Beer, Wine & Cider ♥ Vermont Cheese

These tasting rooms are featuring Vermont cheeses to pair with their artisan beverages July 15th – 23rd.    

♦♦♦

Follow: The Burlington Trail featuring Citizen Cider

Taste: Citizen Cider + Champlain Triple Creme, Grafton 2 year Cheddar & Jasper Hill’s Bayley Hazen Blue 

In Burlington for the Brewers Fest – lucky you! Drink. All. The. Beer. Don’t sleep, however, on Vermont’s incredible trail-blazing craft cider movement. Citizen Cider has been leading the American cider revolution since 2011 and their tasting room in Burlington is the best hang. Eat cheese, drink cider and explore Burlington’s Pine Street on this trail. 

Follow: The Shelburne Trail 

Taste: Four Shelburne Vineyard Wines paired exquisitely with a rotating selection of Vermont Cheeses 

Shelburne, Vermont – it’s unbelievable that a town so small could be packed with so much to do. Shelburne Farms (home of the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival) and Shelburne Museum are extraordinary destinations but Shelburne Vineyard and across the street neighbor Fiddlehead Brewery attract droves of their own. Visit to drink wine paired with exceptional Vermont cheeses, surrounded by the vineyards where the grapes were grown. 

Follow: The Middlebury Trail featuring Drop-In Brewery

Taste: Drop-In Brewery Beer + Taylor Farms Maple Smoked Gouda

Headed North on Route 7 on your way to Shelburne or Burlington? Don’t miss a stop at Drop-In Brewery on your way! Middlebury is a scenic town full of flavor and Drop-In Brewery is a leader in the craft beer movement, after-all it’s the permanent home of the American Brewers Guild – the nation’s premier brewing school for the craft brewing industry.

Follow: The Scenic Vermont Trail

Taste: Boyden Valley Wines + Gourmet Vermont Cheese Board featuring a rotating selection of cheeses including Vermont Creamery, Cabot, Blythedale Farm, Bridport Creamery, Sweet Rowan Farmstead, Hildene Farm, Sage Farm Goat Dairy, Cellar at Jasper Hill, Green Mountain Blue Cheese & Von Trapp

Here in Vermont, we highly encourage you to take the scenic route. Escape for an afternoon, or even tack an extra day on your trip and head to Boyden Winery in Cambridge. Less than an hours drive from Burlington, Cambridge boasts some of the most beautiful views in the state — and you can drive over Smugglers Notch and through Stowe on your way back to town.

 

Source: Dig in VT Trails

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Severe Weather Statement issued July 08 at 2:41PM EDT until July 08 at 3:00PM EDT by NWS

NOAA-NWS-ALERTS-VT12585BE56C24.SevereWeatherStatement.12585BE58330VT.BTVSVSBTV.4fcb4d04761b84215361f2fd728db3e2 w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov 2017-07-08T14:41:00-04:00 Actual Alert Public Alert for Caledonia; Lamoille; Orange; Washington (Vermont) Issued by the National Weather Service Met Severe Weather Statement Immediate Severe Observed SAME 2017-07-08T14:41:00-04:00 2017-07-08T15:00:00-04:00 NWS Burlington (Northern Vermont and New York) Severe Weather Statement issued July 08 at 2:41PM EDT until July 08 at 3:00PM EDT by NWS Burlington …A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 PM EDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN LAMOILLE…NORTHEASTERN ORANGE…SOUTHERN CALEDONIA AND EASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES… At 240 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Marshfield, moving east at 40 mph. HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE…Radar indicated. IMPACT…Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect wind damage to trees and powerlines. Locations impacted include… Barre, St. Johnsbury, Montpelier, Lyndon, Calais, Plainfield, Orange, Websterville, East Montpelier, Marshfield Village, Topsham, Berlin, Groton, Worcester, Marshfield, Cabot Village, Barre Town, Northfield Village, Topsham Four Corners and Wells River Village. HAIL…1.00IN WIND…60MPH For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. WMOHEADER UGC VTC005-015-017-023 VTEC /O.CON.KBTV.SV.W.0040.000000T0000Z-170708T1900Z/ TIME…MOT…LOC 1840Z 259DEG 36KT 4432 7236

Caledonia; Lamoille; Orange; Washington 44.34,-71.98 44.32,-72.03 44.3,-72.04 44.28,-72.07 44.24,-72.05 44.19,-72.07 44.13,-72.03 44.11,-72.06 44.1,-72.03 44.07,-72.05 44.12,-72.69 44.49,-72.57 44.52,-71.93 44.34,-71.98 FIPS6 050005 FIPS6 050015 FIPS6 050017 FIPS6 050023 UGC VTC005 UGC VTC015 UGC VTC017 UGC VTC023

Source: National Weather Service Alerts for Vermont

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Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 08 at 2:41PM EDT until July 08 at 3:00PM EDT by NWS

NOAA-NWS-ALERTS-VT12585BE56C24.SevereThunderstormWarning.12585BE58330VT.BTVSVSBTV.57173f369ddf2123d7a9564233425b7e w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov 2017-07-08T14:41:00-04:00 Actual Alert Public Alert for Caledonia; Lamoille; Orange; Washington (Vermont) Issued by the National Weather Service Met Severe Thunderstorm Warning Immediate Severe Observed SAME SVR 2017-07-08T14:41:00-04:00 2017-07-08T15:00:00-04:00 NWS Burlington (Northern Vermont and New York) Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued July 08 at 2:41PM EDT until July 08 at 3:00PM EDT by NWS Burlington …A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 300 PM EDT FOR SOUTHEASTERN LAMOILLE…NORTHEASTERN ORANGE…SOUTHERN CALEDONIA AND EASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES… At 240 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Marshfield, moving east at 40 mph. HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. SOURCE…Radar indicated. IMPACT…Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect wind damage to trees and powerlines. Locations impacted include… Barre, St. Johnsbury, Montpelier, Lyndon, Calais, Plainfield, Orange, Websterville, East Montpelier, Marshfield Village, Topsham, Berlin, Groton, Worcester, Marshfield, Cabot Village, Barre Town, Northfield Village, Topsham Four Corners and Wells River Village. HAIL…1.00IN WIND…60MPH For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. WMOHEADER UGC VTC005-015-017-023 VTEC /O.CON.KBTV.SV.W.0040.000000T0000Z-170708T1900Z/ TIME…MOT…LOC 1840Z 259DEG 36KT 4432 7236

Caledonia; Lamoille; Orange; Washington 44.34,-71.98 44.32,-72.03 44.3,-72.04 44.28,-72.07 44.24,-72.05 44.19,-72.07 44.13,-72.03 44.11,-72.06 44.1,-72.03 44.07,-72.05 44.12,-72.69 44.49,-72.57 44.52,-71.93 44.34,-71.98 FIPS6 050005 FIPS6 050015 FIPS6 050017 FIPS6 050023 UGC VTC005 UGC VTC015 UGC VTC017 UGC VTC023

Source: National Weather Service Alerts for Vermont

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Special Weather Statement issued July 08 at 9:20AM EDT by NWS

NOAA-NWS-ALERTS-VT12585BE4A0A0.SpecialWeatherStatement.12585BE4C5BCVT.BTVSPSBTV.ab6befc9e94786968fbf0c6dae2fc390 w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov 2017-07-08T09:20:00-04:00 Actual Alert Public Alert for Caledonia; Essex; Orleans; Washington (Vermont) Issued by the National Weather Service Met Special Weather Statement Expected Minor Observed SAME SPS 2017-07-08T09:20:00-04:00 2017-07-08T10:15:00-04:00 NWS Burlington (Northern Vermont and New York) Special Weather Statement issued July 08 at 9:20AM EDT by NWS Burlington …A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT CALEDONIA…EASTERN ORLEANS…ESSEX AND NORTHEASTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES… At 917 AM EDT, radar indicated strong thunderstorms were located along a line extending from near Derby Line to near Sheffield to Calais. Movement was east at 35 mph. Winds in excess of 30 mph are possible with these storms, along with dangerous cloud to ground lightning. Locations impacted include… Newport, St. Johnsbury, Island Pond, Lyndon, Montpelier, Derby Center, Charleston, Brunswick, Burke, Greensboro Bend, Averill, Marshfield, Newark, Cabot, Brownington, Canaan, West Burke and Derby Line. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may cause localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. WMOHEADER UGC VTZ003-004-007-008 VTEC TIME…MOT…LOC 1317Z 255DEG 31KT 4502 7219 4465 7218 4438 7250

Caledonia; Essex; Orleans; Washington 45,-71.54 44.91,-71.49 44.86,-71.55 44.79,-71.57 44.75,-71.63 44.58,-71.54 44.56,-71.6 44.5,-71.58 44.47,-71.65 44.44,-71.66 44.4,-71.79 44.35,-71.81 44.34,-71.85 44.32,-72.03 44.26,-72.06 44.25,-72.57 44.62,-72.21 45.01,-72.21 45.01,-71.47 45,-71.54 FIPS6 050005 FIPS6 050009 FIPS6 050019 FIPS6 050023 UGC VTZ003 UGC VTZ004 UGC VTZ007 UGC VTZ008

Source: National Weather Service Alerts for Vermont

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Special Weather Statement issued July 08 at 8:37AM EDT by NWS

NOAA-NWS-ALERTS-VT12585BE48034.SpecialWeatherStatement.12585BE4C5BCVT.BTVSPSBTV.ff553b05cd9affc5829b77fa52754a2d w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov 2017-07-08T08:37:00-04:00 Actual Alert Public Alert for Eastern Franklin; Lamoille (Vermont) Issued by the National Weather Service Met Special Weather Statement Expected Minor Observed SAME SPS 2017-07-08T08:37:00-04:00 2017-07-08T10:15:00-04:00 NWS Burlington (Northern Vermont and New York) Special Weather Statement issued July 08 at 8:37AM EDT by NWS Burlington …A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT LAMOILLE…CALEDONIA… ORLEANS…WESTERN ESSEX…NORTHERN WASHINGTON AND NORTHEASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTIES… At 836 AM EDT, radar indicated strong thunderstorms were located along a line extending from Richford to Morristown to Duxbury. Movement was east at 30 mph. Winds in excess of 30 mph are possible with these storms, in addition to dangerous cloud to ground lightning. Locations impacted include… Newport City, St. Johnsbury, Island Pond, Lyndon, Montpelier, Morrisville, Orleans, Derby Center, Charleston, Johnson Village, Jay, Calais, Newport Town, Glover, Waterbury Village, Montgomery Center, Albany, Burke and Hyde Park. Torrential rainfall is also occurring with these storms, and may cause localized flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways. WMOHEADER UGC VTZ003-004-006>008-016 VTEC TIME…MOT…LOC 1236Z 266DEG 27KT 4499 7263 4454 7263 4430 7283

Eastern Franklin; Lamoille 44.57,-71.79 44.34,-71.95 44.32,-72.03 44.28,-72.07 44.26,-72.06 44.26,-72.9 44.54,-72.69 45.02,-72.7 45,-72.24 45.01,-71.78 44.57,-71.79 FIPS6 050011 FIPS6 050015 UGC VTZ006 UGC VTZ016

Source: National Weather Service Alerts for Vermont

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The Chris Robinson Brotherhood at Higher Ground Ballroom on 11/05/2017 08:00 PM EST

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Higher Ground Ballroom

11/05/2017 08:00 PM EST

$23 advance | $25 day of show

buy tickets

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood are on the road in 2017 supporting their fourth studio album, ‘Anyway You Love, We Know How You Feel,’ and its follow up companion EP, ‘If You Lived Here, You Would Be Home By Now,’ both out via Robinson’s Silver Arrow Records. Tracks have already been laid for another new studio album and ‘Betty’s Blends, Vol. 3’ live release later this year. 

Gathering in northern California on the side of a mountain overlooking the foggy Pacific Ocean to capture what would become their latest studio offerings, the band channeled the natural majesty of their surroundings into the recordings. Having spent the prior two years touring relentlessly, the CRB were road-tested and in peak form to capture their kinetic chemistry and immersive sound, which Uncut Magazine called, “…a celebration of how American musical traditions can be at once honored and psychedelically expanded.”

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood emerged in 2011 by playing close to 50 shows over nine weeks in California before ever leaving the Golden State or officially releasing music. Their introduction on the national stage came in 2012 when they’d release not one, but two acclaimed full-length albums within a few months of each other. Critics hailed their sprawling debut, ‘Big Moon Ritual,’ as a revelation, with The Independent raving that Robinson had “finally found the ideal vehicle to indulge his taste for ‘Cosmic California Music.'” The reviews were similarly ecstatic for its immediate follow-up, ‘The Magic Door,’ which was praised by Relix as “classic rock in the finest sense.” The band’s epic tour schedule brought their shimmering acid-Americana around the world for a staggering 118-date tour, firmly establishing the CRB as the new standard-bearers of the psychedelic roots torch. In 2014, they returned to the studio for ‘Phosphorescent Harvest,’ a masterful collection that showcased the blossoming songwriting partnership between Robinson and Neal Casal. Rolling Stone raved that the album was “electrifying…boast[ing] a vintage rock vibe that’s at once quirky, trippy, soulful and downright magnetic,” and Guitar World called it “a treasure trove of soul that advances the band’s bluesy, kaleidoscopic sound.”

Writing, recording and creating at a compelling clip, while performing an ever growing number of sold out shows across the U.S., Robinson is as energized as he’s ever been in what’s already been a long and historic career as one of rock music’s most prolific and successful songwriters and frontmen. Joined by guitarist Neal Casal, keyboardist Adam MacDougall, bassist Jeff Hill and drummer Tony Leone, The CRB (as they are affectionally known to fans), are on the verge of their most inspired and prolific year yet.

Venue Information

Higher Ground Ballroom

1214 Williston Road

South Burlington, VT 05403

http://www.highergroundmusic.com/

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