On June 27 the VYCC hosted Herbie and Henry, two (huge!) draft horses who work at Maple Wind Farm. Owner Bruce Hennessey presented a workshop on using draft horses in the field, after which folks big and small had the opportunity to give it a go. Check out the slideshow to see the fun!
Celebrate our crews’ accomplishments by attending open houses! Each session VYCC crews invite friends, family members, and supporters to visit their camp sites, learn about their work projects, and share crew stories. Most 4-week, first session open houses are July 7, but check out each crew’s plan below for specific details. (Hint: Crews love it when you bring food!)
If you have any questions, please call Cailie Burns at (802) 434 – 3969 x113.
Roving 1 Co-ed Leadership Development Crew (Crew Leaders: Marcus and Mo) – AUGUST 11 – 2:30 to 4:30pm at Seyon Lodge State Park, 2967 Seyon Pond Rd, Groton
Roving 2 All-female Leadership Development Crew (Crew Leaders: Heather and Briana) – AUGUST 21 – Closing weekend (time and day TBD) at the West Monitor Barn
Roving 3 LEAP (Crew Leaders: Elon and Heather) – JULY 11 – Potluck at 4-7 pm, West Monitor Barn
Roving 4 (Crew Leaders: Erin and Kateri) – JULY 7 – Potluck, 5:30pm at Moosalamoo Campground, sites 17 & 19, Goshen
Roving 5 (Crew Leaders: Cyndi and Brigitte) – JULY 7 – 4pm to 8pm at Silver Lake Campground, Leicester (next to Goshen, note this is NOT the Silver Lake State Park near Woodstock)
Roving 6 (Crew Leaders: Nikki and Dom) – JULY 7 – Potluck, 5:30 pm at Hapgood Pond in Peru, VT
Roving 7 (Crew Leaders: Katie and Matt M) – JULY 7 – Potluck, 5:30pm – 8:30pm; meet at the Manchester Ranger Station and we’ll caravan to Grout Pond Campground
Roving 8 (Chris and Elizabeth) – AUGUST 11 – Potluck and snacks, at 4266 VT Rt 14, South Royalton. Time TBD
Roving 9 (Crew Leaders: Ashley and Shane) – JULY 7 – 6pm at North Hero State Park
**UPDATED** Roving 10 (Crew Leaders: Emma and Pat) – July 13 – 7pm at the West Monitor Barn in Richmond, VT(either in the Hay Mow or outside on the deck)
Roving 11 (Crew Leaders: Cara and Dave) -JULY 7 – Dessert Potluck, 7pm at Valley Cares in Townshend, VT
Roving 12 (Crew Leaders: Vanessa and Pete) – JULY 7 – Potluck, 5:30pm at Montshire Museum, Norwich
Wild 1 (Crew Leaders: Carrie, Rick & Maureen) – JULY 7 – 5:00pm, Meet at the gate on Forest Service Rd 58 in Peru, Vt (off of Mad Tom Notch Road, toward Griffith Lake) Be prepared to hike! Festivities will start at the gate, but if people want to see the work or campsite, they should be expecting an hour hike over easy terrain
Wild 2 (Crew Leaders: Claudia and Lisa) – JULY 7 – Potluck at 5:30 – 8:30 pm. Meet where the crew parks their emergency vehicle on Lottery Rd, in Shrewsbury, VT. Be prepared to hike! Festivities will start on the road, but if people want to see the campsite, they should be expecting a twenty minute hike over moderate, wet, muddy terrain
Wild 3 (Crew Leaders: Meg and Thorin) – JULY 7 – Potluck at 6pm, Crew campsite off of Stony Brook Rd, Stockbridge. Look for a silver Honda Civic parked on the left side of the road about 15 minutes up the road. The crew campsite is beyond a meadow located directly behind a rickety footbridge going over a stream on the Appalachian Trail. Stony Brook Rd is gravel, and bumpy! Go slow! At some point you might think you haven’t gone far enough but keep going until you see the silver Honda on the left!
Burlington Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Catsey and Ryan) – JULY 28 – 5pm at Starr Farm Park, Burlington
Richmond Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Nate and Marissa) – July 28 – 5pm at the West Monitor Barn, Richmond
Rutland Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Nigel and Tyler) – July 28 – 2pm; Elfin Lake Recreation Area. Meet at the beach by the new rain garden that the Rutland Community crew built!
Woodstock Community Crew (Crew Leaders: Marie and Erik) – July 28 – 1pm – 7pm, Forest Center at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park in Woodstock
Montpelier Community Crew: (Crew Leaders: Carly and Brit) – July 28 – Time and location TBD. Details coming soon!
Join the VYCC for a discussion led by Bruce Hennessey of Maple Wind Farm about “Grass, the Animals that Eat it, and the Vegetables they Help Grow: An Integrated Approach to Conserving the Working Landscape.” The walk and talk will be held at the VYCC’s Monitor Barns Farm (off Rte 2, two miles east of Richmond, VT) on Sunday June 6, from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Free and open to the public, the interactive workshop will explore how diversified farmers at Maple Wind Farm and the VYCC use cover cropping, legume seeding, and high density grazing to add organic matter and fertility to conventional corn ground in preparation for high quality organic (after transition) vegetable production.
Participants will meet at the VYCC Headquarters Monitor Barn Parking Lot and proceed to the field from there.
VYCC and Maple Wind entered into a cooperative partnership to form the Monitor Barns Farm CSA in 2009 and are in their second season of vegetable and poultry production this spring. For more information, visit our Farm and Food Program website.
Join Beth and Bruce of Maple Wind Farm for their 11th annual Farm Open House this Sunday, May 23rd from 10am – 2pm. During the event, you can visit with the farm’s animals (cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and horses), take horse-drawn wagon rides, play farm trivia, or just stroll around! Tasty farm hamburgers and sausages will be available from the grill and frozen and maple products will be for sale. The event is free and family friendly!
1340 Carse Rd in Huntington.
Please keep dogs at home. Rain or shine. Appropriate footwear suggested.
For more information: http://www.maplewindfarm.com
The VYCC and Maple Wind Farm joined together to form the Monitor Barns Farm. Together, the partners combine the conservation and education mission of the VYCC with the experience and high-quality food production of MWF. Through this dynamic collaboration, we offer CSA shares in vegetables and meat.
To learn more about the Monitor Barns Farm CSA, view our CSA brochure.
Watch 48 hardy skiers tackle 11 miles of winding backcountry trail in our first annual Bolton to the Barns Ski Tour! Thanks to all the skiers, volunteers, and friends who came out and supported the VYCC on March 6. The weather was gorgeous and we had a great time skiing through the woods and hills of Vermont. After a hard ski, we relaxed and enjoyed a VYCC après ski party at the West Monitor Barn with delicious food from The Skinny Pancake, The Spot, and Great Harvest Bread. Check out the slideshow below for a recap of the day!
The Drive to 25
Bolton Valley Resort is partnering with the the VYCC to celebrate the Corps’ 25th anniversary by launching a food drive for the Vermont Foodbank and Richmond’s local food shelf. Participating skiers and riders can purchase lift tickets for $25 on each of three food drive days at Bolton Valley.
“The Drive To 25” has a goal of raising 2,500 pounds of food for the Richmond Food Shelf during three fundraising and food drive events at Bolton Valley. On the 25th of January, February, and March those who bring two nonperishable items of food will receive a half-price lift ticket – $25 when it’s usually $49. A portion of each lift ticket will be donated to the VYCC and food will be distributed to the Foodbank and the Richmond Food Shelf.
For more information, please contact Breck at (802) 434 – 3969 x110 or breck.knauft@vycc.org.
See you at the mountain!
The Bolton to the Barns 11-mile Backcountry Tour is this Saturday, March 6! We’ll ski our hearts out and then head to the West Monitor Barn for an après ski party featuring food by the Skinny Pancake, the Spot, and Great Harvest Bread!Update: 17-Mile Route CancelledLast night the Bolton to the Barns planning group decided to cancel the 17-mile route option. In the morning, before the sun and March temperatures have a chance to warm the snowpack, the upper sections of the Bolton terrain are bullet proof. Ordinarily, it would be a hard decision to scrap a portion of the route that many of us wanted to include – given the conditions, this was not a hard decision. This will mean that all skiers will start from the Bolton Nordic Center at 9:30. Because skiers will start at 9:30, this will allow the snow to soften before tackling the steeper descents on the course.Registration and FeesIf you haven’t already registered, please do so now. This will really help with our planning. For those who have yet to send in the $50 registration fee, you may pay with a check (or cash) on Saturday. We will have extra waiver forms on hand, but it will speed things up if you arrive with your form filled out. Remember, if you raise $125 in sponsorships, we will waive your registration fees. Thanks to all those who have already done such great work on this front!ShuttlesWe will be shuttling people from the West Monitor Barn (directions to barn here) up to the Bolton Nordic Center. Vans will be leaving the Barn at 8:45. Please plan on arriving a few minutes before the van departure time. For those not needing a shuttle, please arrive at the Bolton Nordic Center at 9:15. This will give you time to check in, etc.Current Snow ConditionsFor all but the last approach to the barn, the coverage is very good. As is the case with spring skiing, there may be a bare spot or two, but nothing one can’t step around. Volunteers have worked hard to mark the trail over the past few days and they have all been encouraged with the amount of snow in the hills. In the morning, the snow might be a bit hard, but by 11:00 or so it really begins to soften up. Skiers may need to walk the final hundred yards or so to the barn, but if this is the hand mother nature deals in early March, so be it. We are figuring Vermonters are a hardy bunch and won’t be too fazed by a short walk.A small amount of Maxi Glide might help gain a bit of traction on the trail. If you don’t have Maxi Glide, the Bolton Nordic Center sells tins for $12. We’ll also have a communal tin available on Saturday morning.Rental EquipmentThe Bolton Nordic Center (434-6876) has a bit of rental equipment left. Also, the Catamount Trail Association (864-5794) also rents gear. If you rent from Bolton, you will be able to return your gear here at the barn, saving you a trip back up to Bolton.Après Ski• The Skinny Pancake and the Spot are catering our Après Ski party. The Great Harvest Bread Company has also donated rolls. Entry fees include a crepe, a bowl of chili (and roll), and a cold brew or non-alcoholic beverage. If you’re still hungry, you’ll be able to purchase crepes for $6.50. We will not be taking credit cards – cash or checks only.• We will begin serving food at 1:30.• Friends and family who don’t ski are also welcome. $15 for adults and kids under 12 are free – spread the word!• After a bonfire, a ski movie, a slide show from the day, and a raffle drawing, we’ll wrap things up around 5:30 – 6:00.Raffle PrizesAll skiers are automatically entered into a raffle drawing which will be held around 3:45. Prizes include a pair of Asnes Sondre Nordheim X-C skis, 3 Black Diamond Headlamps, a framed picture from Ember photography, a snow shoe tour from Umiak Outfitters, t-shirts, pint glasses from Outdoor Gear Exchange and more!!Additional raffle tickets can be purchased for $5.For additional information, email Breck at breck.knauft@vycc.org or give him a call at 802.434.3969 ext. 110.
Join the VYCC and Maple Wind Farm on March 11 from 6-7 pm for an informational session about the Monitor Barns Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. This dynamic partnership combines the conservation and education mission of the VYCC with the experience and high-quality food production of Maple Wind Farm. Together, we are passionate about bringing good, healthy, delicious food to every table in our community – regardless of one’s income.
How our CSA Works:
Purchasing a CSA share supports the Monitor Barns Farm mission to produce food for local families, area schools, and food shelves. Thank you!
For more information, download the Monitor Barns CSA Brochure.
To order a Monitor Barns CSA Share, fill out our Membership Form or contact Beth at (802) 434 – 7257. Meat shares are also available from Maple Wind Farm.
Monitor Barns CSA Informational Session
March 11, 6-7 pm
Meet at the VYCC’s West Monitor Barn in Richmond, VT
*Refreshments will be provided.
Join the VYCC and Bolton Nordic Center for our First Annual Bolton to the Barns Backcountry Ski Tour! On Saturday, March 6th, ski enthusiasts will have the opportunity to spend a day in the hills of Vermont and to help the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps create opportunities for young Vermonters wishing to play an active role in conserving the Vermont landscape.
For more information, visit the Bolton to the Barns website.
What: EPIC Backcountry Ski Tour
Where: Bolton Valley Nordic Center to the VYCC’s Monitor Barns
When: Saturday March 6, 2010
Transportation: Participants will meet at the West Monitor Barn in Richmond, VT. From there, the VYCC will provide a shuttle to the trail head at the Bolton Valley Nordic Center. Shuttles will leave at 7:15 am and 8:45 am.
Route: Skiers will have two options: a 17-mile route (the Crew Leader Route) or an 11-mile route (the Crew Member Route). Both routes will begin at the Bolton Nordic Center and finish at the Monitor Barns.
Start Time: Shuttles will leave from the VYCC West Monitor Barn 45 minutes before each tour’s starting time. For the Crew Leader tour, the shuttle will leave at 7:15 am. For the Crew Member tour, the shuttle will leave at 8:45 am.
Après Ski: Upon arrival at the Monitor Barns, warm food will await hungry, triumphant, and deserving skiers. Other festivities will include the showing of classic ski movies, a warm bonfire, and libations. Spend a day skiing new terrain and then relax amongst friends, new and old!
Poster: Help make our First Annual Bolton to the Barns Backcountry Ski Tour a success! Spread the word by printing out a Bolton to the Barns Ski Poster and posting it at your office, local grocery store, favorite diner…wherever!
For additional information, email Breck at breck.knauft@vycc.org or give him a call at 802.434.3969 ext. 110.
The VYCC’s annual Online Holiday Auction is quickly approaching and we need your help! The VYCC is poised to receive $400,000 in stimulus funding. However, to receive the funding, we must first provide a matching $100,000. Without the matching funds, the VYCC will not receive the stimulus funding. You can help us achieve this goal by making a donation to the VYCC’s statewide Online Holiday Auction.Click here to make a donation!
Donations can be as simple or creative as you want. Here are some examples of great past gifts:• Gift certificates• Artwork• Gift baskets• Oil changes• Financial or legal services• Cooking classes• Weekend getaways• Ski passes…and everything in between!We are partnering with the Vermont Mountain Bike Association,the Catamount Trail Association, and the Moosalamoo Association to create our largest auction yet. Combined, our mailing lists have over 10,000 names. Making a donation is simple, it’s tax deductible, and it’s a great way to get your business’s name in front of thousands of eyes as they do their holiday shopping.Your donation will support the VYCC’s efforts to create jobs and change lives. Each year, we complete priority conservation projects in nearly every county in Vermont. In 2009, we enrolled over 540 Crew Members and provided them with meaningful jobs during a time when employment opportunities are scarce. With your help, we can continue this important work.For more information or to make a donation, contact Kristin Smith at kristin.smith@vycc.org or 802.434.3969 x122.Thank you, from all of us at the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps!
On Friday, September 18th the VYCC invites you to a showing of Ken Burns’ “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” at the West Monitor Barn. The film will begin at 7:00pm, it is free of charge, and light refreshments will be served. Please join us as we watch and celebrate the breathtaking scenes from America’s National Parks in Ken Burns’ newest film.Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature’s most spectacular locales — from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska — The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is nonetheless a story of people: people from every conceivable background — rich and poor; famous and unknown; soldiers and scientists; natives and newcomers; idealists, artists and entrepreneurs; people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy. (Text taken from PBS website)This event is an extension of the VYCC’s and Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Park’s on-going partnership which now includes traditional trail crews, a summer camp for local youth, internships, and of course the VermontFutures school program in Woodstock. The only thing more extraordinary than Vermont’s only national park is the staff who work there – I hope you can join us!Additional information about the evening can be found online at www.vycc.org or by contacting Cailie Burns at 802.434.3969 x113.
