Questions? Call us at (802) 785-4737 or send us an email   |   Current weather on the farm: 34°F (1°C), clear below 12,000 ft.   |   Eye on the Sky forecast

Education Center

Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center:
Active organic farm with a public education mission

Our mission is to raise public awareness about the importance of local organic agriculture, increase access to quality organic produce for low-income people, and establish models for farm-appropriate alternative energy strategies, and train next-generation farmers.

Raise public awareness about the importance of local, organic agriculture

The public is becoming increasingly aware of potential health hazards from conventionally produced foods. Concerns are growing about pesticides, hormones, genetically modified organisms (GMO), antibiotic resistance, mad-cow disease, and other adverse consequences of industrial farming. As a result, organic is the fastest growing sector in the food economy.

Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center aspires to be a source for healthy organic produce, as well as a source for information about organic food and farming for the local community through:

Increase access to organic produce

One of the common criticisms of organic farming is that organic food is only affordable for the wealthy. Because organic production costs are higher, the price of organic food is generally higher. In addition, health problems that result from a diet of fast food and poor nutritional quality of school lunches are becoming increasingly common in the general public and especially among low-income people.

Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center aspires to find ways to create more opportunities for low-income people to have increased access to quality, organic produce through the following programs:

Create models for farm-appropriate alternative energy strategies

It has become increasingly clear to farmers that they must develop alternative energy strategies in the face of rising oil prices and diminishing supplies and the impact of the energy use on the environment. Farmers are experimenting with using biodeisel, used vegetable oil, woodchips, corn, geothermal heat, solar and wind as alternatives to propane, conventionally produced electricity and oil. Additionally, the use of draft animals in place of, or as a compliment to, tractors, has been reinvigorated by the rising financial and environmental costs of petroleum-based fuels.

Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center has made a commitment to explore alternative sources of energy so that other farms can learn from our experiences. Visit On-farm energy for details.

Training for next generation farmers

It is difficult for aspiring farmers and students to find a facility that provides them with the skills necessary to start a farming business or to participate creatively on organic farms. The long-standing opposition to organic techniques and the demise of technical agricultural education at universities has created a vacuum that farms like Cedar Circle Farm can help fill.

Our aim is to create educational and practical programs on the farm and in the community to address this heightened interest. We partner with community groups, schools, and universities to create opportunities for students to engage in agriculture through hands-on production and field work, farm administration, management, and involvement in community education programs.

We do not offer farm apprenticeships or regular internship opportunities; we do welcome aspiring farmers to return to work on the farm each season and offer guidance to many beginning farmers.

Our staff is encouraged to implement new ideas and to further their knowledge through research, practice, and professional development opportunities. Our farm managers, Kate Duesterberg and Will Allen have participated as farmer mentors in the University of Vermont Extension New Farmer Project. Each year, many of our veteran staff present at agriculture and farm based education conferences and workshops throughout New England.

Opportunities for aspiring farmers at Cedar Circle Farm


  • Each winter we usually hire a few new hands. Apply to be a part of our farm crew.
  • Volunteer on the farm! We have a range of opportunities to choose from. We’ll try to match your skills and your interests with our need. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
  • Attend a class on the farm.
  • Each year we host workshops and events for aspiring farmers to share our knowledge, experience, and systems. We often co-sponsor the events with like-minded organizations such as Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont (NOFA-VT), University of Vermont (UVM), Women’s Agricultural Network (WAGN), and the Farm Based Education Association (FBEA). Learn more.
  • Make an .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for a farm tour.
  • Check out our resources page.
  • Need advice? Send us an .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to get started. We’ll do our best to connect you with helpful resources.


~.,.~*” ’ ” *~.,.~*” ’ ” *~.,.~*” ’ ” *~.,.~*” ’ ” *~.,.~

Education and Outreach Programs

Vermont Farm to Family Program

The Vermont Farm to Family Program allows qualifying families to receive coupons for fresh foods, redeemable at participating farmers’ markets. The program states two goals: to get nutritionally at-risk people to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables; and to expand the use of farmers’ markets. Learn more. We regularly attend the farmers’ markets in Norwich, VT and Lebanon, NH, both of which are participating markets in the program.

NOFA-VT’s Farm Share Program

NOFA-VT’s, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, Farm Share Program assists low-income Vermonters in obtaining farm fresh foods. Farm Share participants receive partially subsidized shares from Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms. Each year, the Farm Share Program assists over 1,400 individuals participating in CSA programs, including an increasing number of families local to Cedar Circle Farm. Any one can donate to the program. Learn more about the Farm Share Program.

Willing Hands Garden

Each year, our staff works with Willing Hands community volunteers to prepare, plant, maintain, and harvest a 1 acre plot of fresh nutritious food. Crops are harvested and distributed free by Willing Hands, to our neighbors in need. The Willing Hands Garden is a productive model that can be replicated by other farms. Each year, with minimal inputs from the farm, volunteer labor, more than 6000 lbs. of fresh foods are distributed locally. In 2011, combined labor of more than 800 volunteer hours by 62 different volunteers, yielded 6630 total pounds harvested from the Willing Hands Garden. In addition to our garden plot, Willing Hands recovers food, primarily fruits and vegetables, that would have otherwise been wasted from more than 25 food donors and delivers to at least 55 organizations every week.

EBT (Electronic Balance Transfer) Cards

In 2012, our farmstand became eligible to accept EBT cards as payment for all farm fresh produce, groceries, vegetable seedlings, and seeds. EBT cards replaced the federal food stamp program, now called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Every state has a food stamp and cash assistance program, in Vermont it referred to as 3SquaresVT and is intended to assist families in meeting a food budget that will put three square meals a day on your table. To inquire about EBT in NH, contact New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Community Networking and Regional Planning

Kate, Will, and Cat are involved with many farming and food advocacy groups, internationally, nationally, and locally including: The Valley Food Council; The Pompanoosuc Agriculture Society; Thetford Community Garden; Upper Valley Farm To School; Vermont Farm-to-School Network; Farm Based Education Association; Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA-VT); Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG); Willing Hands; and Rural Vermont. For a complete list of organizations we support and are involved with visit our staff page and resources page.

Community Gardens

We believe it is important that people know how to grow food and care for soil. We are committed to helping our neighbors start community gardens and to help build the organizational systems and structure to keep them going.


If you have a plot at a community garden, you may be eligible for a discount on bedding plants at our farmstand. Ask us about it when you come by the farmstand.


The Free Community Gardening Clinic Series
Our education director Cat Buxton, works with two area community garden committee’s to develop sustainable systems and educational components to the gardens. She offers a series of free gardening clinics at both community gardens throughout the growing season. The clinics are open to the public. Cat also runs a series of advanced gardening classes at the farm: learn more.

2012 At the White River Community Garden at Ratcliffe Park
Select Wednesday’s from 5:30-6:30

May 16  Plot to Plant
Topics include: Design logic, planning for succession crops, preparing soil, crop rotation, frost and sun protection, hardening plants, seeding tips, timing and temperature, thinning, using mulch.
July 18  Garden Guests and Pests
Topics include: Attracting beneficial insects, common insects, assessing plant health, companion plants, knowing and eating weeds
August 8  Planning the Harvest and Curing for Storage
Topics include:Harvesting tips, planting garlic, protecting the soil, overwintering crops, season extension, pest management, and more.

2012 At the Thetford Garden on the Town Common
Wednesdays from 5:30-6:30 pm

May 23  Plot to Plant
Topics include: Design logic, planning for succession crops, preparing soil, crop rotation, frost and sun protection, hardening plants, seeding tips, timing and temperature, thinning, using mulch.
June 13  Staking, Training, and Pruning
Topics include: Basic staking, training, pruning and pinching techniques for better fruit and stronger plants.
July 11  Garden Guests and Pests
Topics include: Attracting beneficial insects, common insects, assessing plant health, companion plants, knowing and eating weeds
August 15  Planning the Harvest and Curing for Storage
Topics include:Harvesting tips, planting garlic, protecting the soil, overwintering crops, season extension.

Farm-to-School Program

As a part of our mission of educating the public about the importance of local, organic production, Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center conducts outreach to local schools to establish self-sustaining farm-to-school programs to:

  • promote a school-wide culture of health and nutrition;
  • expand and deepen connections between classrooms, cafeteria, and community; and
  • establish methods of assessing the success and value of these programs.

Cat Buxton works locally with Thetford Elementary School as their school garden manager, leads tours of Cedar Circle Farm with students from all over the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire, and works with citizens’ groups to promote a farm-based education system and economy.

She is a member of the Valley Food Council, NOFA-VT’s Farmer Correspondence Program, and a steering committee member of Upper Valley Farm To School. She is happy to advise and inspire new farm-to-school endeavors. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Promoting School Gardens

Our Education Programs include outreach to schools who want to develop a school gardening program. Cat is passionate about the many uses of a school garden to promote childhood nutrition, encourage making healthy food choices, and to enhance learning opportunities in an outdoor classroom in nearly every subject. She can assist schools in growing a program and designing a garden or composting program unique to the needs of the school, cafeteria staff, students, and faculty. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for a consultation.

Thetford Elementary School. Since 2007, Cat has helped the Thetford Elementary School integrate garden-derived and local foods into its cafeteria. Each spring she helps the K-2 schoolchildren start seeds and plant their theme gardens in six raised beds, and then harvest in the fall. Cat hosts each class for curriculum-related farm tours each spring and fall.  She also works with volunteer parents, students, and community members to maintain the garden over the summer. In the Spring of 2011, seven raised beds were added to the gardens to house the “School Lunch Beds” which are grown to order from the food service staff. In the fall of 2011, the school built a custom on-site composting facilty, completing the food cycle. The students are now involved in the food cycle from seed to lunch to soil.

Thetford Academy. Grade 7-12: Cat helped Thetford Academy faculty to coordinate a farm-to-school program and increase the use of local foods in the school cafeteria. She has taken students on farm tours focusing on annuals and perennial plants, alternative energy on the farm, and types of jobs on a farm. The school was one of many Vermont schools to receive grant funding for the planning and implementation of farm-to-school programs in 2007 and 2008. She currently works as an advisor to students and faculty to implement a composting progam at the school.

Farmer Correspondence Program

Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center is a proud participant in this free program that matches classrooms with farmers based on interests and grade levels. As farmer pen pals, Cat and Megan Baxter, correspond with students during the winter and spring educating students about life and work on the farm. To get your school involved, contact nofavt.org.

Selling Crops to School Cafeterias

As with many institutions, especially those with any government affiliation, schools have deeply set systems concerning where cafeteria food is sourced, usually to do with money and politics. It can be difficult but not impossible to develop a sales relationship between farms, food service, and school administration. Every school and every community have different needs as this Civil Eats article -Asking the Right Questions About School Food covers well. To find farms in our area of VT and NH that sell crops to schools, Valley Food and Farm is an excellent resource. To learn more about navigating schools and how to affect food purchases, the experts at VT FEED have provided great guidance.

Schools To Farms

In 2011, we welcomed over 1000 students to the farm. Every year a growing number of students from schools all over the Upper Valley and Vermont visit the farm for an educational tour with Cat or other farm staff. Our tours and activities are catered to your curricular needs, interests, and age group. K-12 and University students are welcome to make an appointment in advance with .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Farm Tours

Self-guided tour. From May through October Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center has a self-guided tour so that visitors can learn more about organic agriculture and sustainable farming systems while strolling about the farm with the kids and a cup of coffee or tea from the Hello Café. The tour takes you through our gardens and greenhouses, by our solar panels, draft horses, and bees, and gives you an overview of our farming systems, marketing techniques, education programs, and alternative energy strategies.

Seasonal Guided Farm Tours. Our farm tours do more than just show you around our beautiful spread. You’ll learn how we have incorporated food and farm education into our mission, how we use the farm as a tool for educating the public about sustainability, and you’ll see the farm in action. As is the way with farming, our tours change with the rhythm of the seasons- highlighting jobs, systems, crops, and visits to the fields, teaching gardens, root cellar, draft horses, alternative energy components and more.

Our guided or self-guided farm tours are a popular stop for travelers, New England bus tours, or the White River Flyer train. Our tours are also a great experience for teachers or administrators wanting to start a Farm To School program, university students studying agriculture or political science, garden groups, community groups, and famillies who want to learn more or get inspired about the possibilities of sustainable agriculture.

Each 1-hour visit includes a guided walking tour and a short activity engaging in agriculture. Tours with custom or themed topics are available on request.

Fees: $6/person. Students/seniors: $5/person. Minimum $30. Classroom fee $75. Children under 3 are free. Larger groups and visits longer than 1 hour are negotiated on an individual basis.

Guided tours by horse-drawn wagon! Add $50 (Maximum capacity 20 people) Our horses are busy working in our fields throughout the season, so we’ll have to schedule an appointment in advance with them.

Add an educational activity or customize your farm tour! Add an extra activity with our Education Director, Cat Buxton. Our activities are designed to engage you and your students in agriculture, to cultivate thought, and to gain an understanding of our connection to health and the world around us through food and the food system. It is best to allow 1.5 hours for a combination of a tour and an activity.

Popular activities to engage in agriculture on the farm

  • Watch it Grow  Visit our greenhouses or fields and see plants growing in all the stages from seed to production. We’ll plant a seed. learn how to care for it, and your students can take it home to watch it grow
  • Flower Search  Visit our greenhouses, fields, or gardens and discover flowers, their parts, and their pollinators.
  • Insect Safari  Weather dependent we’ll search for live or fake insects and discuss our findings.
  • Grow Your Mind  Activies for all ages to engage in agriculture and cultivate thought.
  • Seed Safari  Learn about the many forms of seed and how they travel. We’ll search for seeds in the fields or gardens and observe them through a looking glass
  • Dig, Pluck, and Process  Depending on the season we’ll harvest berries, carrots, potatoes, flowers, or an order for your school cafeteria. We’ll wash and pack the order together and either enjoy a snack or send the order back to school with the group.
  • Harvest Activities  These seasonally dependent activities include pressing cider, making carrot juice, or threshing, winnowing and sorting dry beans or small grains.

.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for more information or to schedule a date.


~.,.~*” ’ ” *~.,.~*” ’ ” *~.,.~*” ’ ” *~.,.~*” ’ ” *~.,.~

Fall 2012 Pumpkin Patch Tours — FOR KIDS!

Wednesday thru Friday, October 10-12 AND October Tuesday thru Friday October 16-19 ONLY

Tractor Ride to the Pumpkin Patch: Bring your daycare, school, or youth group for a tractor driven ride through our fields to the pumpkin patch. Our Education Director, Cat Buxton will welcome your group to the farm. There will be time for each child to choose a pumpkin as large as they can carry and one for the classroom. Leave extra time to visit the horses and gardens, play in the sand box, or have a picnic. $5 per person.

Pumpkin Patch tours are limited and fill up quickly so register as early as September 1. Add on farm tours and activities are available.

 

Photos by

Join our email list