On an unusually warm and sunny, mid-October morning, the Cornwall Conservation Commission hosted a visit to Shelburne Farms, an education nonprofit founded in 1972 by the great grandchildren of Lila and Seward Webb. The mission of Shelburne Farm is “to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future through its programs, place and product” using the 1400 acre farm campus as a “living classroom”.
The private guided tour was open to twenty interested Cornwall residents and was organized and led by Tre McCarney, Director of Community Programs at Shelburne Farms. The visit began at the Farm Barn with an informal conversation with Alec Webb, President and founder, who described how their concept developed in the early days and evolved over time building relationships with community. Next, after a short walk up into the neighboring woods, Dana Bishop, Woodlands Manager, gave an overview of the farm’s forest management strategies on 400 acres of woodlands focusing on a recent reforestation project that is merging some less productive hay field into the adjacent forest. Afterwards, Rob Hunter, Special Projects Manager, described the farm’s Climate Action Plan and its ambitious goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2028 and used the current construction of a geothermal heat pump system underway at the Coach Barn as an example. The tour ended with a visit to the Dairy where Sam Dixon, Dairy Farm Manager, described managing their herd of 110 milking Brown Swiss cows that provide the milk for the farm’s cheesemaking business.
Overall, the tour and Shelburne Farms’ commitment to a sustainable future was truly inspiring. The Shelburne Farms website https://shelburnefarms.org/ offers a wealth of information regarding their history, current activities and vision for the future. We hope to be able to return to Shelburne Farms next year and make this tour an annual event.