Sugaring Maverick Protects Maple Stand, Forest Habitat
Arthur Berndt not only descends from mavericks, but has blazed a trail with his sugaring operation. Arthur conserved his maple stand and forest with VLT.
Giant-Leaved Invasive Spotted in Woodstock
Japanese Butterbur can grow leaves the size of a small child. Also known as Swamp Rhubarb and Giant Coltsfoot, Japanese butterbur can grow leaves to an impressive four feet in diameter. The huge leaves shade out other plants, leaving bare ground, which can lead to erosion. Its exotic foliage is the reason this plant was […]
King Farm: Letting the Land Teach Us
By Pieter van Loon, VLT forester — Nineteen years ago, I drove up the hill to King Farm, in Woodstock, for my first day of work at VLT. I went past the sprawling white farmhouse and parked next to the main barn, its shingle siding aged to the color of dark amber maple syrup. I […]
The Old Tappers: On the Baird Farm in Chittenden
Writing and photographs by David Middleton, member of VLT Board of Trustees — High up in a southward opening valley in the rolling hills around Chittenden, Bob and Bonnie Baird own and operate the 300-acre Baird Farm. Bob is the third generation of the Baird family to run this farm; his daughter Jenna, now working […]
Learning on the Land: Connecting a New Generation to Conserved Land
Morning chores start at 7:30 at the Farms for City Kids program at Spring Brook Farm in Reading. The kids on “team 3” from East Harlem’s Central Park East 2 elementary school clump in the corner of a barn while herd manager Sarah Lewis shows them how to unclip a cow from her stall. At […]
