Brown Swiss Cows graze in field against bright autumn foliage

Dear Farm-Based Educators,

This month, FBEN hosted its first in-person program since 2019, and what an experience it was! We took a Learning Journey to Western Massachusetts and were reminded of the beautiful ways people and agricultural systems find mutual support in one another. From the spacious garden rows in High Spirit Community Farm to the midday milking schedule at Gould Farm, to the careful kid-made compost at Hawthorne Valley and the bike-powered root washer at Greenagers — there are so many strategies for rekindling and tending a relationship with land. We'll share our photos and insights next month, but in the meantime, if you're interested in collaborating to host a learning journey in your region, please reach out — we'd love to work together!

This week at Shelburne Farms, our supporting organization, preschoolers in our forest enrichment program were ecstatic to find a curious group of heifers grazing near our path. The maples, oaks, birch, and other trees are radiant, and the last of our carrots and potatoes are coming out of the educational gardens — sweet and delicious.

Read on for opportunities to learn, connect, and grow this fall season. I hope to see you soon!

Vera Simon-Nobes

FBEN Coordinator

Upcoming Workshops

ABCs of Farm-Based Education (Spring 2023)

The Fall ABCs of Farm-Based Education at Shelburne Farms filled up quickly!

If you’d like to be notified when dates are set for the spring session of ABCs, add your name to our interest list.

Dig Into Farm to School

Thursday, October 27: Join the National Farm to School Network Movement meeting, "Who's at the Table? Building Power In Our Communities Through Farm to School and ECE." Discuss what it means to hold power and the mechanisms at our disposal to shift power, hear from farm to school and ECE partners, and reflect on what it means to build power within our own communities. Register for the meeting.

More farm to school webinars:

Thursday, Nove mber 3: Sea to School
Thursday, November 10: Farm to School in the Winter Months
Wednesday, January 18: Music in the Garden, a Growing School Gardens Summit webinar

October is National Farm to School Month, and Vermont students celebrated their connections to local farms with U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy. Watch a fun video recap!

Bee lands on a sunflower in summer garden

Telling the Bees: Honeybees as Oracle for Transformation

Thursday, October 27: What will you learn in this class? Apiculturist, bee tender, and queen breeder Ang Roell will facilitate this workshop where you'll listen to the bees and learn about their communication strategies, behaviors, and the rich ecology they draw upon. They'll share their own practice for Telling the Bees and will dive into intuition and its importance as a tool for transformation. Hosted by Herban Cura. Register for the workshop .

Member Spotlight

Food Fluency

Food Fluency is a partner-based community nutrition program bringing dietary guidelines to life with food skills education and training workshops. This year, Food Fluency is running a pilot program in Bong County, Liberia in collaboration with Women in Agriculture for Sustainable Development. The pilot will bring together local chefs and nutritionists to enhance the women farmers’ skills related to food safety, hygiene, cooking, herbal seasoning, preservation, storage, and nutrition.

Visit Food Fluency's website to learn more and support the pilot.

Want to feature your work in this block? Please reach out!

Grants and Jobs

Since 1982, the Youth Garden Grant has supported school and youth educational garden projects that enhance the quality of life for students and their communities. In 2023, fifty programs will receive award packages consisting of a cash prize and a variety of gardening tools and supplies. Application period October 17–December 2, award announcement January 6, 2023. Apply now.

Exciting openings farm-based organizations:

Arthur Morgan School - Teacher, Burnsville, NC
Billings Farm - Farm Director, Woodstock, VT
Appleton Farms - Youth & Schools Program Manager & Camp Director, Ipswich MA
Farm and Wilderness Farm Manager, Plymouth, VT
Shelburne Farms - Farm and Forest Based Educator , Shelburne, VT

Are you hiring? Post a job on FBEN's forum.

View All Jobs

News and Inspiration

At our visit to High Spirit Community Farm on September 30, Courtney Santasero, Co-Director of Development and Community Engagement, made this delicious fall soup, which we shared with residents and visitors.

Get the recipe from VegKitchen.com.

Young student harvests rhubarb in garden

The School Garden Support Organization Network launched a newsletter last month! This open peer-to-peer learning network has the goal of growing, sustaining, and elevating a movement of equitable garden-based education.

Subscribe to their newsletter.

FBEN member Shelby Geitner stands next to produce rack

What could Farm-Based Education mean for widening a farm community's reach? FBEN member Shelby Geitner discussed the highlights of her agroecology research on the REGAIN podcast.

The Farm-Based Education Network (FBEN) is a free member network established to strengthen and support the work of educators, farmers, and community leaders who provide access and experiences on working farms. Our mission is to inspire, nurture, and promote farm-based education. The FBEN is a project administered by Shelburne Farms and supported by regional groups, advisers, and founding partners.