Winter Wonders, Maple and More

in February at Billings Farm & Museum

     WOODSTOCK, VERMONT… February at the farm is a time for celebrating the season and thinking towards spring! Visit Billings Farm & Museum on weekends in February and daily February 13-21 from 10 am – 4 pm.

Meet Our Farm Animals. The sheep, pigs, calves, chickens and goats are all cozy for the winter in the Small Animal Barn and ready to greet guests. Learn about our herd and our dairy operations in the Activity Barn and find the award-winning cheeses produced with Billings Farm milk in the Museum Gift Shop.

Outdoor Adventures Beckon. Venture through the picturesque snow-covered farm fields and along the Ottauquechee River on snowshoes – bring your own or rent from the nearby Woodstock Inn & Resort’s Nordic Center or Activity Center. Bring your sled to speed down the small hill next to the orchard. Gather round the fire pit and warm up with hot chocolate and s’mores.

Explore Vermont’s Rural History. Tour 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.

Maple Celebration ~ Special Events the week of Feb. 13-21

• Join us for our Maple Celebration including maple recipe demonstrations and learn about the maple sugaring process.
• Reserve a Sleigh Ride Conditions permitting, Billings Farm & Museum will offer horse-drawn sleigh rides to families (socially distanced). Reservations are required. Visit our website at www.billingsfarm.org or call 802-457-2355 for more information and to schedule your ride.
• Winter Wonders Camp, Feb. 15-19, 9 am-12:30 pm. “Fun”tastic winter activities for ages 7-10, including outdoor cooking, snow sculptures, winter crafts and a scavenger hunt at the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. Visit our website for more information and to register.

Torchlight Snowshoe, Feb. 20, 4 pm-6 pm. A special after-hours snowshoe by torchlight. Take a twilight trek along the Ottauquechee, warm up with hot drinks and s’mores by the fire pit and settle in for some Vermont folk stories told around the fire. Additional fee; reservations are required. Find more information at billingsfarm.org.

Woodstock Vermont Film Series.  Cozy up at home and watch these feature films: The Fight (Feb. 4-7), Life in Synchro (Feb. 11-14), and The Booksellers (Feb. 25-28). Each film is available for streaming over a four-day period. Tickets and additional information are available on our website at www.billingsfarm.org/film-series

Plan Your Garden with Master Gardener Ben Pauly. Saturday, Feb. 27, 10 – 11:30 am. 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! Registration required. Find more information at billingsfarm.org.

Virtual Education Programs. Students can learn about farming, conservation and Vermont’s rural history from anywhere! Teachers and schools register now for Virtual School Programs for students in grades K-5+. Slots available February 1-26. Draft Animal Power is also available as a Virtual Homeschool Program on Feb. 23 and 25.

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 including if they have quarantined according to Vermont 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.

The Billings Farm & Museum is owned and operated by The Woodstock Foundation Inc., a charitable non-profit institution. Billings Farm & Museum is committed to providing educational opportunities and experiences to our visitors, whether here in Woodstock, Vermont or at home wherever you are through our online resources at Billings Farm at Home. Visit us on billingsfarm.org, and find us on Facebook at facebook.com/BillingsFarmMuseum/ and Instagram at instagram.com/billingsfarm/.