School Tours
Our farms offer teachers an opportunity to expand student knowledge of agriculture in Vermont. Agriculture remains the vital link to health and nutrition, and meeting the cows, sheep and goats who produce the milk used in cheese and other products, visiting the orchards, vineyards and sugar houses, inspecting the fiber and fleece from llamas and alpacas, and even having fun in a corn maze will help students gain a better understanding of our place on earth.
North
Couture’s Maple Shop/B&B
560 VT Rte. 100
Westfield, VT 05874
Tour Contact: Jacques or Pauline Couture
802-744-2733 or 800-845-2733
Email: jcouture@together.net
Web: www.maplesyrupvermont.com
Tours offered: Year around
Cost: No charge
Size of Group: up to 50. Must have adequate adult supervision.
Program: (1) Tour of sugarhouse during the sugaring season, most of March to about April 15. Maple store open year round. (2) Tour of dairy barn anytime year round. Please note that we require prior scheduling for tours so that we can schedule someone to guide the group. This is an operating farm and there is always something that needs to be done!
Length of Program: 45 min. to 1 hour, tailored to fit your schedule.
Meals available: Sugar on snow parties during the sugaring season or anytime by prior appointment.
Comp: Driver/Escort (not if local)
The Great Vermont Corn Maze
1404 Wheelock Road
Danville, VT 05828
Tour Contact: Michael & Dayna Bourdreau
1-802-748-1399
Email: info@vermontcornmaze.com
Web: www.vermontcornmaze.com
Tours offered: August – October
Cost: $4 pp
Size of group: No limit
Program: 10 acres of “amaizingly confusing” fun! 7+ acre cornfield maze with bridges, emergency exit, flower garden, kids maze, petting animals, underground tunnels, pedal tractors and more.
Length of Program: 2 hours +
Meals available: No
Comp: Driver
Vermont Maple Outlet
3929 Vermont Rte. 15
Jeffersonville, VT 05464
Tour contact: Diane & Rick Marsh
802-644-5482
Fax: 802-644-5038
Email: info@vermontmapleoutlet.com
Web: www.vermontmapleoutlet.com
Tours offered: Spring
Cost: $1 pp
Size of group: up to 25 children at one time with adult chaperones
Program: Tour of onsite sugarhouse explaining the process from start to finish – examples of how maple trees have been tapped over the generations and sugaring antiques on display. Time permitting and size of group, a tour of the canning facility and kitchen where maple candy and cream are made.
Length of tour: 20 – 25 minutes
Meals: No
Comp: teacher
Central
Billings Farm & Museum
Route 12 N & River Road
Woodstock, VT 05091
Tour contact: Marge Wakefield
802-457-2355
Fax: 802-457-4663
Email: billings.farm@valley.net
Web: www.billingsfarm.org
Tours offered: Year around
Cost: $5 per student. Children of BF&M members are free.
Size of group: Groups of any size welcome.
Program: 40 different educational programs depending on the season. Call for a catalog. Home Schooler Days in the fall & sMay 4, 2005pring.
Length of tour: 3-4 hours.
Meals: Dairy Bar for snacks. We provide area to eat lunch brought from home.
Comp: Driver – 1 adult free for every 7 students, additional adults $5.
Cabot Creamery Visitors Center
2878 Main Street, Rte. 215
Cabot, VT 05647
Tour contact: Deb Maxwell
1-800-837-4261
Fax: 802-371-1200
Email: vctr@cabotcheese.com
Web: www.cabotcheese.com
Tours offered: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Cost: $2, children under 12 free
Size of group: maximum two coaches at once
Program: Informative video, history of Cabot Creamery and agricultural history of VT. Guided walking tour down the hall to view our award-winning cheeses being made. Free nibbles! World’s best cheddar!
Length of tour: Approximately 30 minutes.
Meals: No
Comp: Driver/Escort (Free drink or 8 oz. cheese bar)
Champlain Orchards, Inc.
2955 Route 74 West
Shoreham, VT 05770
Tour contact: Bill Suhr
802-897-2777
Fax: 1-802-897-2778
Email: suhr@shoreham.net
Web: www.champlainorchards.com
Tours offered: Fall
Cost: $5 per person
Size of group: Unlimited
Program: Tour of the 60 acre orchard (apples, raspberries, plums, peaches, cherries, pumpkins), or tour of the cider mill and apple packing facility.
Length of Program: one hour
Meals available: No
Comp: Driver/Escort
Hathaway Farm, Ltd.
741 Prospect Hill Road
Rutland Town, VT 05701
Tour contact: Irene Hathaway
802-775-2624
Email: hathawayfarm@adelphia.net
Web: www.hathawayfarm.com
Tour offered: late Summer & Fall (July 30 – Oct. 30)
Cost:Ages 12 & over $7; ages 5-11 $5. Groups with 20 or more students or more receive group discount. Must have one responsible chaperone per 5 students.
Size of group: unlimited
Program: Seven acre corn maze challenge. Find the hidden clues & surprises while learning about farming in Vermont. From mid-Sept. on – PYO pumpkins for $5 each, free hay wagon ride to and from the pumpkin patch.
Length of Program: about 2 hours
Meals available: Snacks & drinks for sale. Picnic area
Comp: Driver/Teacher/Chaperones
Maple View Farm Alpacas
185 Adams Road
Brandon, VT 05733-8904
Tour contact: Deb Bratton
802-247-5412
Fax: 802-247-5412
Email: info@mapleviewfarmalpacas.com
Web: www.mapleviewfarmalpacas.com
Tour offered: Year around
Cost: no charge
Size of group: up to 20
Program: See a well managed alpaca farm, lovable animals and products crafted from luxurious alpaca fiber. Discussion on the origin, habits and market value for an understanding of the history and breeding. Interact with the alpacas, feed and handle the fleese.
Length of program: 45 min.
Meals: No
Comp: No
Sugarbush Farm Cheese & Maple Farm
591 Sugarbush Farm Rd.
Woodstock, VT 05091
Tour contact: Betsy Luce
1-800-281-1757
Fax: 802-457-3269
Email: sugarbsh@sover.net
Web: www.sugarbushfarm.com
Tours offered: May, early June. Camp Tours, June – August
Cost: ranges from $4 per child to $100 per bus load, depending on services needed (like meeting at main highway, a product to wrap and take home, etc.)
Size of group: We will discuss any sized group
Program: a tour of the maple sugar house and an escorted walk on our nature trail to see where the maple trees are tapped. The rest of the tour can be customized depending on ages and interests of the children. Call for more details.
Length of tour: approximately 1 hour.
Meals: Snacks available, picnic area available.
Comp: Driver/Teacher (depends on group size).
South
Green Mountain Orchards, Inc.
130 West Hill Road
Putney, VT 05346
Tour contact: Andrea Darrow
802-387-5851
Fax: 802-387-4513
Email: gmo@sover.net
Web: www.greenmountainorchards.com
Tours offered: Summer, Fall, Winter
Cost: Max. $1.50 (all activities in fall) Individual activities available.
Size of group: up to 30
Program: Summer – blueberry picking, Fall – wagon ride, cider making, apple picking, feed the reindeer, hay maze, pumpkins, coloring books, honey stick. Winter – feed the reindeer, make a centerpiece with greens.
Length of program: 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
Meals available: Cider and doughnut snack
Comp: Driver/Teacher/chaperones and younger siblings