Billings Farm

Junior Farmer Camp: Session One
2021-06-29 09:00 - 16:00, 2021-06-28 09:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | VT
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a farmer? Junior Farmer Camp is designed to help kids, ages 7-10 (entering grades 2-5), discover for themselves by stepping into a farmer’s shoes for a week.
The majority of our camp activities will be held outside where campers can maintain social distance. This year we will offer outdoor animal chores with the sheep, goats, chickens, and heifers, tractor-drawn wagon rides, games, gardening, crafts, and cooking. We will take advantage of the adjacent National Historical Park for hiking and learn about Vermont’s natural history. We can’t wait to see you at Junior Farmer Camp!
Junior Farmer Camp: Session One runs from June 28-July 2. Learn more at Junior Farmer Camp.

Dairy Celebration Days
2021-06-27 10:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Billings Farm is celebrating Dairy Celebration Days and our 150th Anniversary as a Jersey cow dairy and you are invited to join in!
Saturday & Sunday Activities:

Enjoy a complimentary bite of birthday cake and pair it with our Dairy Bar Birthday Special: homemade Strawberry Rhubarb ice cream, made with Billings Farm milk, available for purchase at the Dairy Bar, 11AM-5PM.
Learn about Billings Farm’s most famous cows and view artifacts and images from the past 150 years.
View our “historic” Birthday Cake and miniature farm scene. Sign the giant Birthday Card and share your favorite Billings Farm memories!
Sample award-winning Billings Farm Cheddar Cheese.
Make a Jersey cow craft (Activity Barn)
Live demonstration on how to make Cheese Straws, enjoy a sample! Pick up some of our best dairy recipes and view a recorded demonstration featuring a historic Mac-n-cheese recipe. Learn all about the history of our dairy. (Learning Kitchen)
As our gift to you, take home a Billings Farm Dairy mini milk bottle.

Saturday Only

Step behind-the-scenes and visit with local youth in the Show Barn as they groom their cattle and prepare to compete in Sunday’s Youth Invitational Dairy Show.
11AM & 1PM Join the Farm staff for the Judging Dairy Cattle program and learn how to identify certain characteristics that make up a prize dairy cow. (Show Tent)
11AM-3PM Goat’s milk soap making demonstration with Tina Tuckerman of One Chicken at a Time Farm. (Wagon Barn)
12:00-12:45PM Take an Instagram-worthy picture with one of our prize-winning Jerseys (Outside the Horse Barn)
2PM Brush a Heifer! (Outside the Horse Barn)

Sunday Only

Watch local youth and their cattle compete in the Third Annual Youth Invitational Dairy Show. (Show Tent)
12:00-3:00PM Purchase a fresh Billings Farm Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Tomato Jam and a garden-fresh side salad prepared by the Woodstock Inn & Resort.

Billings Farm Celebrates 150 Years:
One hundred and fifty years ago, Frederick Billings imported Jersey cattle from the Isle of Jersey, building a prize herd and transforming his Woodstock estate into a model farm that employed the latest sustainable agricultural practices.
While the intervening years brought successes – as in 1893, when Billings Farm’s Jerseys garnered top honors at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago – and heartbreaking challenges, as when the herd was sold off during hard times in the 1930’s – the Billings family’s dedication to Frederick Billings’ vision held true.
Today, the Billings Farm & Museum breeds and milks a herd of nearly 50 blue ribbon Jerseys, producing more than 650,000 pounds of milk, some of which goes to Agri-Mark for Cabot products and some of which is used to craft award-winning artisan cheeses in partnership with Grafton Village Cheese. The Woodstock landmark is a Vermont destination which attracts thousands of visitors annually with its educational exhibits, engaging programs and special events that bring to life Vermont’s rural heritage.

"Foodie" Fridays
2021-06-25 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-06-18 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-06-11 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-06-04 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-05-28 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-05-21 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-05-14 10:00 - 17:00, 2021-05-07 10:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Discover how we use seasonal ingredients from our farm and gardens to make delicious recipes. Culinary demonstrations and interactive garden programs.
Fridays in June: Watch as we make Fannie Farmer’s Cream Cake with Cream Filling and Rhubarb Sauce. Enjoy a sample of this delicious treat!

Farm Discovery Camp: Session One
2021-06-25 09:00 - 16:00, 2021-06-24 09:00 - 16:00, 2021-06-23 09:00 - 16:00, 2021-06-22 09:00 - 16:00, 2021-06-21 09:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
What does it mean to be part of a farming community? Farm Discovery Camp is a hands-on program for young people, ages 11-14 (rising 6th-9th graders), who want a deeper understanding of farming and all that it encompasses.
At Farm Discovery Camp you will meet local professionals and farmers who are leaders in their fields — the Billings Dairy Farm Manager, local beekeepers, and a large animal veterinarian. Work alongside our farmers to learn the ins and outs of dairy production. Take part in a local service project — at Billings Farm or in the Woodstock community and make a lasting difference. Along the way, you will gain an awareness of the many ways our food systems and our ecosystems are interconnected. You will have the chance to:
• Experience the daily rhythms of farming and learn firsthand how farmers make decisions about caring for the herd and the land
• Make farm-fresh food including homemade ricotta cheese and ice cream with Billings Farm’s jersey cow milk
• Meet farmers in our community and learn how to care for a calf, raise bees, and more
• Try fiber arts such as felting wool from Billings Farm sheep
• Explore the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park with a park ranger
• Make an impact on the farm and in the community with organized service projects
Farm Discovery Camp: Session One runs from June 21-June 25. Learn more at Farm Discovery Camp.

Father's Day at the Farm
2021-06-20 10:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Happy Father’s Day! Fathers receive free admission!

Families can participate in the 3-legged races and egg races.
Join in a rousing game of historic base ball at 2PM.
Craft a handprint gift for dad featuring a rooster or a billy goat.
Woodstock Inn & Resort chefs will be grilling up burgers and hot dogs for purchase from 12:00-3:00.
Sample homemade barbecue sauces and take home the recipes in the Learning Kitchen from 11:00-4:00.
Stop by the Dairy Bar for a root beer float and delicious Vermont-made Wilcox ice cream from 11:00-5:00.

Special Member Event: Family Picnic
2021-06-17 17:30 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
Kick off the Billings Farm 150th Celebration with a Members Family Picnic!
~ Get a free scoop of our special birthday ice cream flavor: homemade strawberry rhubarb ice cream!
~ Bring your blanket and favorite picnic foods. The Dairy Bar will be open for ice cream and other treats as well.
~ Meet our farmers and calves! Kids will enjoy the Hobby Horse barrel races and making homemade butter!
RSVP to membership@162.241.240.79 by June 16th. There is no fee to attend. In gratitude to members, attendance is limited to members only.

Vermont’s Forest Birds: Who’s Singing in My Forest?
2021-06-08 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Co-hosted by Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and Billings Farm & Museum
Live on Zoom
12:00-1:00 PM
Interested in learning how to identify birds by their song? Join us for this one hour Zoom on June 8th, from 12:00-1:00pm, where Ed Sharron, National Park Service Science Communication Specialist will teach us how to identify the songs of common birds in Vermont forests. After this workshop, you’ll be able to impress your friends and family with this new skill!
Workshop is co-sponsored by Vermont Coverts and Vermont Woodlands Association. Live closed captioning available! To register, visit the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park website at https://www.nps.gov/mabi/learn/nature/working-woodlands-workshops.htm or use this link: https://bit.ly/3neqfCW

Billings Backyard: Backyard Goats
2021-06-05 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York)
Have you ever thought about adding a goat to your family? Join Tina Tuckerman, dairy goat farmer and owner of One Chicken at a Time farm, to learn the basics of caring for a goat of your own. Tina will discuss which breeds may be the best choices for your needs, daily care and space needs, and information about milking goats and uses for goat milk. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions, and for Tina to share all that she has learned over the years. For more information visit Billings Backyard: Backyard Goats.
A Q&A period with the presenter may continue for up to 30 minutes past the scheduled end time.
This workshop will be held in person at Billings Farm & Museum.
Billings Backyard is a series of workshops designed to teach sustainable living skills to adult participants and is underwritten by a generous grant from the SpringRiver Private Foundation Trust. Each workshop includes hands-on demonstrations and concrete steps for incorporating these skills into everyday life. Find more Billings Backyard Series workshops.

Vernal Pools: Wicked Big Puddles or Critical Wildlife Habitat?
2021-05-04 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Co-hosted by Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and Billings Farm & Museum
Live on Zoom
12:00-1:00 PM
It is a rite of spring often upstaged by the season’s first wildflowers or migrating birds. Yet it is no less dramatic than either. Scattered in woodlands across the Northeast, small wetlands erupt with life, notably the carnal adventures of frogs and salamanders, but also fairy shrimp and fingernail clams. These wetlands are vernal pools. Ecologists have come to realize these tiny wetlands are “keystone ecosystems” which have a much greater influence on the surrounding forest than would be expected based on their size alone.
Join us virtually on May 4th, from 12:00-1:00 for a presentation by Steve Faccio, Conservation Biologist at Vermont Center for Ecostudies, which will focus on the ecology of vernal pools with an emphasis on the wildlife that depend upon them to complete their life histories, especially salamanders and wood frogs. We will explore the characteristics of vernal pools, the life histories and ecology of the unique assemblage of wildlife (both amphibians and invertebrates) that utilize vernal pools, and the roles these small, inconspicuous wetlands play in our forest ecosystems. We will also discuss conservation issues around vernal pools, including best management practices.
Workshop is co-sponsored by Vermont Coverts and Vermont Woodlands Association. Live closed captioning available!
To register, visit the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park website at https://www.nps.gov/mabi/learn/nature/working-woodlands-workshops.htm or use this link: https://bit.ly/3neqfCW

Sheep Shearing & Herding
2021-04-25 10:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York)
Billings Farm’s annual Sheep Shearing & Herding takes place on Saturday and Sunday, April 24 & 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Reserve your entrance time to receive expedited entry!
Celebrate all things sheep and wool with a weekend of shear fun! Meet herdsman Jim McRae and his team of Border Collies and watch demonstrations of herding sheep in the farm fields during narrated programs at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. each day.
The farm’s Southdown sheep will receive their spring “wool cuts” by Craig & Philo Marcotte at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30, 2:30, and 4:30 p.m.
Spinning, and carding demonstrations will highlight the skills needed to turn fleece into yarn. Visitors are invited to help skirt a fleece (the process of preparing the wool for washing), try their hand at carding, and make a wool butterfly.
In the Learning Kitchen from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., see a cooking demonstration for Spanakopita made with sheep milk cheese and enjoy a sample!
Why reserve an entry time?
Every guest, regardless of age, must provide a name and phone number for contact tracing purposes. We require at least one phone number per group. By reserving the entrance time for you and each member of your party, you can save time when you arrive and help us ensure a safe flow of guests through the site during the day.
The reserved entry time is the window in which you should plan to arrive at Billings Farm & Museum. This reservation is not your admission ticket. You must still purchase a ticket when you arrive or proceed to the member table to check in if you are a member. The reservation does not reserve a spot at any of the timed demonstrations. Once you have completed a health screening and paid for your admission, you may stay and enjoy the demonstrations and programs for as long as you’d like.
Reservations must be made at least 24 hours before your selected entry time. Walk-ins are welcome, however advance reservations are strongly recommended.
Reserve your entrance time for Sheep Shearing & Herding
Visiting safely Billings Farm & Museum enforces safety standards in compliance with Vermont State guidelines. We take the safety of our staff, animals, and our guests seriously. Each person must answer health screening questions and follow the Vermont’s travel guidelines. Contact tracing information and temperatures are taken for each visitor. Face coverings must be worn by all guests over the age of 2 everywhere on the site, including the outdoors. For more about visiting Billings Farm safely, updates on our site capacity, and to learn which spaces are open, visit billingsfarm.org/safety.

Desert One, Woodstock Vermont Film Series Online
2021-04-15 00:00 - 2021-04-18 23:30 (America/New_York)
Two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple’s documentary thriller Desert One takes viewers inside the planning, execution and aftermath of Operation Eagle Claw, Jimmy Carter’s failed 1980 mission to free 52 U.S. hostages being held in Iran. The picture features hostages, soldiers – and Carter, himself, in an honest reflection of all that was planned – and failed. The Wall Street Journal calls the picture, “Superb.”
Purchase tickets and passes and view the complete list of films here.

Virtual Baby Farm Animal Celebration on Zoom
2021-04-09 12:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York)
Take a virtual tour with our staff and meet our cute calves, lambs, bunnies, chicks, and frisky kid goats! Live on Zoom. $5 fee. Purchase here.

Member Only Baby Farm Animal Virtual Preview
2021-04-08 16:00 - 16:20 (America/New_York)
Billings Farm & Museum Members are invited to join us for a 20-minute virtual visit with the farm’s newest additions on Zoom, on Thursday, April 8th at 4:00 pm. Members are free! RSVP by April 7.
Not a member? Join now.
Can’t make it on Thursday? Join us for a Virtual Baby Farm Animal Celebration with our baby animals on Friday, April 9th at 12:00 pm on Zoom. $5/person. Purchase here.

River City Drumbeat, Woodstock Vermont Film Series Online
2021-04-08 00:00 - 2021-04-11 23:30 (America/New_York)
River City Drumbeat directed by Anne Flatte and Marlon Johnson, tells the story of indefatigable Nardie White who has, for 30 years, offered a path to empowerment for African American youth through music and drumming. The film provides a powerful testament to all that one person can accomplish by offering children compassion, opportunity, and a place to explore their creativity.
Purchase tickets and passes and view the complete list of films here.

Advocate, Woodstock Vermont Film Series Online
2021-03-18 00:00 - 2021-03-21 23:30 (America/New_York)
Directed by Phillipe Bellaiche and Rachel Leah Jones. For decades and against the odds, tenacious Israeli human rights lawyer Lea Tsemel has steadfastly defended Palestinians against an array of charges, never betraying her core principles for justice. With political tensions on all sides, the film becomes a portrait of courage and faith.
Purchase tickets and passes and view the complete list of films here.

Ernie and Joe: Crisis Cops, Woodstock Vermont Film Series Online
2021-03-04 00:00 - 2021-03-07 23:30 (America/New_York)
Few films have had the impact and been more timely than Jen McShane’s police documentary Ernie and Joe: Crisis Cops that answers the question that many are asking: isn’t it possible for police to de-escalate tensions, especially with people in crisis. The film follows two extraordinary police officers in highly-charged situations – where we witness their work, firsthand. The Los Angeles Times wrote that the film is “Moving in its humanity and forceful in its pragmatism. Essential viewing.”
Purchase tickets and passes and view the complete list of films here.

Winter Weekends at the Farm
2021-02-28 10:00 - 16:00 UTC
February is a Winter Wonderland at Billings Farm!
Enjoy scenic winter landscapes among the barns and pastures of Billings Farm & Museum in February. Open each Saturday & Sunday from 10am-4pm, plus the week of President’s Day with engaging activities indoors and out for visitors of all ages.
Farm Animals & Winter Fun Visit the sheep, chickens and goats all cozy in the Small Animal Barn.
Don snowshoes – bring your own or rent from the nearby Woodstock Inn & Resort Nordic Center – and venture through the picturesque snow-covered farm fields and along the Ottauquechee River.
Bring your sled to speed down the small hill next to the orchard. Gather round the fire pit and warm up with hot cider and s’mores. Families can enjoy a poetic stroll along the Story Walk pasture fence featuring “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost.
Dip a candle to take home.
Vermont’s Rural History Explore the Farm Life Exhibits to see what life on the farm was like in the 1890’s and find the snowpeople hidden within the exhibits. Learn about the families and history of Billings Farm in our Upon This Land Exhibit. A Place in the Land, the Academy Award® – nominee film which chronicles the development of Billings Farm is shown throughout the day in the Visitor Center Theater. Guests are invited to view re-creations of both the Sitting and Dining Rooms from the 1890 Farm Manager’s House within the Activity Barn.

Planning Your Garden with Master Gardener Ben Pauly
2021-02-27 10:00 - 23:30 (America/New_York)
Join Woodstock Inn & Resort’s Master Gardener Ben Pauly live by Zoom and get motivated to plan an awesome garden using sustainable practices and a holistic gardening approach. Known for his creations at Kelly Way Gardens and for Billings Farm’s Sunflower House, Ben will share ideas for plotting out gardens, attracting pollinators and beneficial insects, and how and when to start seeds and seedlings. Questions are encouraged! Learn more and register here.
