The 9th annual Vermont Open Farm Week has a range of experiences that are special tuned for families. Take the kids to meet the cows, hear stories, make flower crowns, or simply walk around your local farm on a self guided tour. So many of our favorite Vermont farms take care to be family friendly. And, there's nothing like getting some fresh air and smelling the cows with the kiddos (or is it the roses?)
Check out the events below to find activities that suit both you and your family. Some events are more interactive than others, so it's up to you how the family dives into the many options offered by this year's Vermont Open Farm Week!
Sunday, August 6th
Meet & Feed at Merck Forest & Farmland Center
Rupert
9am-10am
Join Merck staff as they go about morning chores feeding our animals. Get to know our sheep, horses, chickens, and pigs during our daily routine. Limited to 12 people.$5 per person. Registration is required. Please visit the shop page on the website to register:
Meet the Cows Tour at Trapp Family Lodge
Stowe
9:30am-10:30am
Join our farmers on a property hike to meet our Scottish Highlander herd. We have an extensive history with this herd. Come hear about how we raise our cattle. Please bring proper footwear and weather-permitting clothing. Adults - $20 Children $5(6-12) Under 5 Free. Please call the Outdoor Center at 802-253-5719 for reservations.
Tuesday, August 8th
Art of the Farm at Adam’s Berry Farm
Charlotte
10:00am-12:00pm
Join us for a berry inspired art project on Friday from 10-noon. $5-10 suggested donation.
Wednesday, August 9th
Meet the Cows Tour at Trapp Family Lodge
Stowe
9:30am-10:30am
Join our farmers on a property hike to meet our Scottish Highlander herd. We have an extensive history with this herd. Come hear about how we raise our cattle. Please bring proper footwear and weather-permitting clothing. Adults - $20 Children $5(6-12) Under 5 Free. Please call the Outdoor Center at 802-253-5719 for reservations.
Self-Guided Farm Tours at Golden Apple Family Farm
Charlotte
10:00am-4:00pm
Join Golden Apple Family Farm at your leisure to walk their farm and perennial gardens. Illustrated maps will be provided to help visitors on their self-guided tour. While guests walk down the aisles of the apple orchard, they will see hives of pollinators, heritage chicken layers and their many-colored eggs. Cooling down in the mud, the Mangalitsa pigs, will welcome everyone with snorts. The Finnsheep and lambs will be in the fields helping to regenerate the soil and clearing the grasses. In the perennial beds, there will be new colors at every turn. Chicken, fruit, honey, eggs and other organic products will be available for purchase at the farm stand.
Kids’ Day at the Champlain Island Farmers Market
South Hero
3:00-6:00pm
Come join the Champlain Island Farmers' Market for Kids' Day! In addition to 25+ local vendors and live music from Tin Penny, there will be the young entrepreneur Kids Market vendors, fun games and activities to encourage kids to learn about local food and agriculture including a scavenger hunt, the ever-popular watershed model, coloring pages, easy kid-friendly recipe ideas to make at home with local seasonal produce, and more! Find the freshest picked produce including seasonal veggies, fruits, herbs, and flowers. Vendors offer locally crafted pasta, breads, sweet treats, crepes, eggs, maple, honey, craft spirits, wine, and canned delights, not to mention a range of local pastured meats including beef, pork, chicken, and rabbit. Talented craftspeople offer their unique talents in pottery, leather work, woodcraft, glass, jewelry, sweaters, handcrafted herbal soaps, and more! Note: The Wednesday market is located at St. Rose of Lima Church, 501 US-2, South Hero, VT. The Saturday market is located at St. Joseph's Church, 185 US-2 in Grand Isle.
Thursday, August 10th
Story Hour on the Farm at Adam’s Berry Farm
Charlotte
10:00am
Join us for stories about farms, food and pollinators. No need to register; just show up!
Meet the Sheep at Trapp Family Lodge
Stowe
11:30am-12:30pm
Guests will be able to meet our flock of Katahdin sheep named after Mount Katahdin in Maine. You will learn about the history of sheep on our farm and how we raise them. Please bring proper footwear and weather-permitting clothing. Adults - $20 Children $5(6-12) Under 5 Free
EF! Sneak Preview at Feast & Field at White River Natural Resources Conservation District / Fable Farm / Yellowbud Farm / Dartmouth Organic Farm
Barnard
7:00pm
EF! is a new immersive musical experience inspired by the 40-year old Earth First! (EF!) movement and direct action environmental activism. Performances of EF! are held outdoors at natural sites that are identified as threatened or important for protection. Here, the invitation to the theater is also an invitation to act in a time and place that actually matter. On Thursday, 8/10, we will be previewing a few songs from the play at Feast & Field in Barnard, VT.
Friday, August 11th
Meet the Cows Tour at Trapp Family Lodge
Stowe
9:30am-10:30am
Join our farmers on a property hike to meet our Scottish Highlander herd. We have an extensive history with this herd. Come hear about how we raise our cattle. Please bring proper footwear and weather-permitting clothing. Adults - $20 Children $5(6-12) Under 5 Free. Please call the Outdoor Center at 802-253-5719 for reservations.
Self-Guided Farm Tours at Golden Apple Family Farm
Charlotte
10:00am-4:00pm
Join Golden Apple Family Farm at your leisure to walk their farm and perennial gardens. Illustrated maps will be provided to help visitors on their self-guided tour. While guests walk down the aisles of the apple orchard, they will see hives of pollinators, heritage chicken layers and their many-colored eggs. Cooling down in the mud, the Mangalitsa pigs, will welcome everyone with snorts. The Finnsheep and lambs will be in the fields helping to regenerate the soil and clearing the grasses. In the perennial beds, there will be new colors at every turn. Chicken, fruit, honey, eggs and other organic products will be available for purchase at the farm stand.
Flower Crown Friday at West Lane Flowers
Colchester
3:00-7:00pm
Visit our farm, and make your own high summer flower crown! We’ll provide all materials, tools, and a riot of flowers to choose from. Price is per crown (not per person). Sign up for a 30 minute time slot to arrive and receive instructions, but stay until the end of the event if you’d like. Flowers will be fresh, but dry great naturally so you can hang your crown in a dark, dry place after the event and enjoy it indefinitely! $30 per crown. Please sign up for a time slot before arriving https://westlanevt.com/events/
Fairy Garden Creations at Lavender Essentials of Vermont
Derby
4:00-6:00PM
Do believe in Fairy's? We do! Come build your own enchanted fairy garden! This will be a fun class for all ages. We will go for a walk in the woods, gathering moss, sticks, mushrooms, dried foliage, and rocks for your garden. Keep your eyes open, you might even see a woodland fairy in the forest! We will build your garden together, step by step, until it is perfect for the fairies to live in! All supplies will be provided, containers, dirt, plants, and ornaments. Need a great gift idea, Fairy Garden Creations would the perfect gift! Everyone goes home with their very own fairy garden! Do you have a favorite pot, container or fairy house? Bring it! Class will held outside, dress accordingly. Ground may be uneven, and up to a mile walk. {A walk in the woods is optional, for those who are not able to walk in the woods. Don’t worry, we collect lots of nature’s goodies before class, so you will have everything you need. ] BYOB $40.00
Living Lab Open House at Smokey House Center
Danby
5:30-8:30pm
Join the folks at Smokey House Center to learn about the launch of their new keystone program the Living Lab! Bring the whole family to enjoy live music by David Wax Museum, dinner cooked with ingredients provided by our wonderful partner farms, and all sorts of Smokey House themed farm activities.
Schedule:
5:30-6:00pm: Explore Main Campus & Farm Activities (Flax fiber demo, forest botanical propagation, maple tasting, blueberry picking, lambs and pasture health, and much more!)
6:00-7:00pm: Dinner (Bring a picnic or RSVP for a farm dinner)
7:00-7:30pm: Welcome & Introduction to the Living Lab
7:30-8:30pm: - Music - David Wax Museum
Those wanting a farm dinner must RSVP using this link or by emailing [email protected]. Dinner is limited.
Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets.
EF! Live Performance at White River Natural Resources Conservation District / Fable Farm / Yellowbud Farm / Dartmouth Organic Farm
Hanover, NH
8:00pm
EF! is a new immersive musical experience inspired by the 40-year old Earth First! (EF!) movement and direct action environmental activism. Performances of EF! are held outdoors at natural sites that are identified as threatened or important for protection. Here, the invitation to the theater is also an invitation to act in a time and place that actually matter. Following these performances, guests are invited to camp out on site to participate in a workday where we will clean up the understory of hickory trees, to prepare them for fall harvest for nut oil production. Guests will also have the opportunity to learn about how to participate in rulemaking, permitting, and local decision making processes! This event is taking place at the Dartmouth Organic Farm.Tickets are free but donations are accepted. Registration requested but not required: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_j05zwfpeDNlx5f8LcEjtU2Dy8OuWsndPMmj67IloYaQZIQ/viewform
Saturday, August 12th
Self-Guided Farm Tours at Golden Apple Family Farm
Charlotte
10:00am-4:00pm
Join Golden Apple Family Farm at your leisure to walk their farm and perennial gardens. Illustrated maps will be provided to help visitors on their self-guided tour. While guests walk down the aisles of the apple orchard, they will see hives of pollinators, heritage chicken layers and their many-colored eggs. Cooling down in the mud, the Mangalitsa pigs, will welcome everyone with snorts. The Finnsheep and lambs will be in the fields helping to regenerate the soil and clearing the grasses. In the perennial beds, there will be new colors at every turn. Chicken, fruit, honey, eggs and other organic products will be available for purchase at the farm stand.
Kids’ Day at the Champlain Island Farmers Market
Grand Isle
10am-2pm
Come join the Champlain Island Farmers' Market for Kids' Day! In addition to 25+ local vendors and live music from Tin Penny, there will be the young entrepreneur Kids Market vendors, fun games and activities to encourage kids to learn about local food and agriculture including a scavenger hunt, the ever-popular watershed model, coloring pages, easy kid-friendly recipe ideas to make at home with local seasonal produce, and more! Find the freshest picked produce including seasonal veggies, fruits, herbs, and flowers. Vendors offer locally crafted pasta, breads, sweet treats, crepes, eggs, maple, honey, craft spirits, wine, and canned delights, not to mention a range of local pastured meats including beef, pork, chicken, and rabbit. Talented craftspeople offer their unique talents in pottery, leather work, woodcraft, glass, jewelry, sweaters, handcrafted herbal soaps, and more! Note: The Wednesday market is located at St. Rose of Lima Church, 501 US-2, South Hero, VT. The Saturday market is located at St. Joseph's Church, 185 US-2 in Grand Isle.
Moooove the Cows & Picnic in the Field at Snug Valley Farm
East Hardwick
12-1pm
Bring your picnic basket and blanket along to join Ben Nottermann at Snug Valley Farm as he moves his herd of grass-fed cattle. Field TBD. He'll explain the art of grazing animals and carbon sequestration while you enjoy your picnic lunch in the field. $5 per family. Tickets available at https://snugvalleyfarm.com/
Firefolk Arts Summer Celebration: Photography, Ferments, Filipino Stories & More at the Market Garden at Shelburne Farms
Shelburne
2-5pm
Join this Vermont Open Farm Week event, an art-filled celebration of summer traditions! Based at the Shelburne Farms Market Garden, local artists and makers will share the joy of seasonal plant harvest, creating, and making with you! Get ready to muddle mint and share a mocktail, take in a photography exhibit and youth-led original poetry, enjoy a reading of the Filipino children’s book, When Lola Visits, and check out a plant cyanotype and botanical dye demo. Best for adults of all ages and families with kids ages 4+. This event is a collaboration between Shelburne Farms and Firefolk Arts, a woman-owned, inclusive art space, dedicated to curating culturally diverse art shows, pop-up markets, workshops & youth-led events, to uplift underrepresented artists, entrepreneurs & creators in rural communities.
Education stations will be set up throughout the Market Garden, with a variety of creative (and tasty!) demos. Tickets are timed to assist with parking, but you can visit the stations at your own pace. $15 vehicle or family. The fee should not stop you from joining! Free tickets are available, too.
EF! Live Performance at White River Natural Resources Conservation District / Fable Farm / Yellowbud Farm / Dartmouth Organic Farm
Hanover, NH
8:00pm
EF! is a new immersive musical experience inspired by the 40-year old Earth First! (EF!) movement and direct action environmental activism. Performances of EF! are held outdoors at natural sites that are identified as threatened or important for protection. Here, the invitation to the theater is also an invitation to act in a time and place that actually matter. Following these performances, guests are invited to camp out on site to participate in a workday where we will clean up the understory of hickory trees, to prepare them for fall harvest for nut oil production. Guests will also have the opportunity to learn about how to participate in rulemaking, permitting, and local decision making processes! This event is taking place at the Dartmouth Organic Farm.Tickets are free but donations are accepted. Registration requested but not required.
Sunday, August 13th
Meet the Cows Tour at Trapp Family Lodge
Stowe
9:30am-10:30am
Join our farmers on a property hike to meet our Scottish Highlander herd. We have an extensive history with this herd. Come hear about how we raise our cattle. Please bring proper footwear and weather-permitting clothing. Adults - $20 Children $5(6-12) Under 5 Free. Please call the Outdoor Center at 802-253-5719 for reservations.
GROW Prenatal and Family Yoga at Adam’s Berry Farm
Charlotte
10am
Join Emily as she leads kids through farm and food inspired postures. And of course stay for berry picking and popsicles Register: https://growfamilyvt.com/kidsyoga/
Bandwagon Celtic Music Minifest at Scott Farm
4:00pm
Dummerston
Bandwagon Celtic Music Minifest featuring Cantrip, House of Hamill, and Hildaland. $20 per person. Please purchase tickets here https://www.nextstagearts.org/bandwagon-23.html.
Photo thanks to the Champlain Islands Farmers Market
