Connecting community to the land that sustains us
Support the CampaignCare grounded in connection
Since 1986, the Vermont Land Trust has owned and managed King Farm in Woodstock, Vermont. In fact, it served as VLT’s original home. The farm’s 154 acres of conserved hillside farmland features a network of trails and 10+ historic buildings.
King Farm embodies VLT’s belief that the more connected people are to the land, the more committed people are to its care, and the more resilient a community becomes. This is why we welcome visitors to the land and form deep connections with community partners.
Photo of the farmstead taken in 1793. The land was conserved and gifted to VLT in 1986 by Francisca King Thomas (1898-1985), who wanted it to remain in use for agriculture and forestry while offering more educational opportunities to the surrounding community.
Planting a seed for Vermont's future
Today, King Farm hosts a community garden managed by Sustainable Woodstock, office space leased by the Two Rivers Ottauquechee Planning Commission, and public hiking trails that connect directly to Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park.
Educators from the Mountain View Supervisory Union’s CRAFT program bring high school students from 11 surrounding towns to King Farm for hands-on learning opportunities.
But this special place could be even more.
Photo courtesy of the CRAFT (Community and Climate Resilience through Agriculture, Forestry, and Technology) program of Woodstock Union High School.
Our vision for King Farm
Our vision is to create a regional hub of place-based learning to help people of all ages and abilities:
- deepen their understanding of the natural world;
- develop and apply new skills; and
- strengthen the resilience of the land and communities.
We will fully support place-based learning for students at Woodstock High School and create opportunities for all local residents and visitors to engage more deeply with King Farm’s homestead, trails, fields, and forests.
❝Imagine a place where the forest, meadows, and buildings are an extension of the school and community...
❝…with a mission to unite land, lives, and learning through innovative sustainable practices. The CRAFT program’s goals at the King Farm are to work collaboratively with the Vermont Land Trust to engage with and educate our school and community on being sustainable stewards of the land. CRAFT wants to create inclusive learning spaces inside and out for all to access the King Farm. CRAFT will use these spaces to experiment, conserve, and restore the King Farm across generations while honoring our natural wild places and the people that have shaped them.❞
-The CRAFT Student Vision for King Farm
Our plan to get there
The King Farm revitalization effort will expand ability to offer educational programming year-round and will include the following physical improvements:
- Transform the historic dairy barn into a state-of-the-art classroom and learning kitchen;
- Expand community gardens, and grow capacity for food production;
- Modernize the farmhouse (which hosts office space) and the caretakers apartment in accordance with historic preservation guidelines; and
- Improve parking, trails, and signage to accommodate more visitors with diverse abilities.
We have raised 78% of our $5,887,000 goal. This amount will cover infrastructure improvements and ongoing support of annual programming costs & capital upkeep.
“Buildings that are loved and used live on.”
– Jackson Evans, Preservation Trust of Vermont
How you can help
- Visit King Farm. The trails are open to the public free of charge. Come walk your dog, have a picnic, walk the trails. Bring a friend.
- Share the story. Something about letting people know about King Farm and what it can mean for the greater Woodstock community.
- Support the Campaign. Contact Sasha Vaut to learn more.