48 hours at the 2026 FBEN Fall Gathering

This fall, for the first time since 2019, FBEN hosted a large Gathering designed to inspire, nurture, and promote farm-based education, and the peer connections that sustain us. This blog offers a window into the power of connecting and the rich learning that happens when we gather and create opportunities to learn on the land, care for each other, and share stories, tools, and ideas. Follow along with moments from Sunday, October 18–Tuesday, October 20, 2026.

SUNDAY 11:00 AM: Educational farms around the region opened their doors as Gathering participants traveled to Shelburne Farms. At Middlebury College, attendees toured The Knoll Organic Student Farm with student interns during their regular volunteer hours. At Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center, North Country School, and Vermont Farm and Forest School, small groups dove into the place-based experiences, the role of culinary education in farm-based programs, and met livestock who are considered teachers in these settings as well. (Photo: The Knoll at Middlebury College)

SUNDAY 1:30 PM: Over bowls of warm soup while the leaves swirled outside, Network Coordinator Vera Simon-Nobes welcomed the group and posed two questions: Why is farm-based education important? And, what skills, relationships, and knowledge are you hoping to build so you can thrive as a farm-based educator? Participants wrote their responses on kid-made butterflies and root vegetables, and created a collage of wisdom and possibilities.

It is important for humans to build relationships with the land where they live and plants and animals. I believe farm-based education enables and deepens these relationships

Kids who love the earth will grow up to be adults who protect the earth

FBE is important to connect us to the "real" world - one we can know with our senses, that nourishes and sustains us and transcends generations

Food is so many things! It's connection, love, energy, culture and life! By connecting to the land and food we step closer to our souls being fulfilled!

To create community; to get kids in the dirt; to connect our youth with the Earth that nurtures us; to encourage empathy; to introduce students to unknown passions; to instill problem solving skills; to encourage youth to pursue personal and global health

Skills, knowledge and relationships people hoped to build also spanned a range of responses.

I would like to improve upon addressing specific community needs as well as better story telling with data

I'm looking for more ideas to use when school children come to visit my farm

I'm hoping to build relationships with other farm education leaders that last long after this conference to mastermind, support and push each other towards excellence and growth

SUNDAY 3:00 PM: Workshop presenters from Louisville, New York, Denmark, Ecuador, Massachusetts, Virginia, and beyond brought their ideas, expertise, and program examples to share. Guided by the invitation, “In every chair a leader, in every chair a learner,” participants engaged in discussion, asked questions, listened, and reflected during and between workshops. “I’m inspired to talk about values more - to list them! To start compost! To look at animal reactions more,” one participant wrote. Photo: Micah Ndiaye and Kelsey Voit from the Food Literacy Project in Louisville, KY.

SUNDAY 4:45 PM: Early evening offered a chance to get to know Shelburne Farms - our host for the event, and FBEN’s coordinating organization. Educators Cat and Jed drove a wagon full of participants over Sugarbush Road to explore the Children's Farmyard and Outdoor Classroom, where a Barred Owl joined the group as dusk set in. Susie welcomed another group to meet the Brown Swiss cows and discuss 4H and field trips at the dairy.  And some participants took a quiet moment to enjoy the sunset along the shores of Lake Champlain. (Photo: River Wichmann, Greener Partners, Philadelphia, PA)

SUNDAY 6:35 PM: We feasted on maple glazed tofu over jasmine rice and mushrooms, sesame roasted Market Garden veggies and spinach salad with ginger dressing, and Asian cabbage salad - a recipe from New School Cuisine, a seasonal cookbook by and for school food cooks. Tre McCarney, Director of Community Programs, got to know participants over the buffet before her Monday morning conversation on developing community partnerships. (She also wildcrafted the mushroom in our dinner!) A group set off for a nighttime community theater production of Borderlands: The Odyssey with local artists in the forest behind the Coach Barn, and others enjoyed a convivial meal in the cozy barn.

SUNDAY 8:08 PM: Goodnight Coach Barn, see you bright and early! 

MONDAY 7:18 AM: Early risers joined Cat, Children’s Farmyard Manager, for chores and conversation. One participant reflected:

The physical location itself is powerful. This land has been loved and that reflects in the care and attention of the facilitators. Every new connection, time spent outside with animals, using my hands to create, assisting with chores was powerful...

MONDAY 8:00 AM: Monday's breakfast welcomed conversations. This group discussed organizational evolution over time, compensation philosophy, and mission alignment with Shelburne Farms Program Director and one of the many FBEN co-founders Megan Camp.

MONDAY 9:45 AM: A sunny day greeted morning workshop presenters. In the Children's Farmyard Garden, a group explored thinking beyond "the garden," and pounded hemp to make cordage with Judy Dow, educator and Executive Director of Gedakina. Another group played a Carbon Cycling game with Misse Axelrod and Raina Carfaro of Vermont Farm and Forest School. Lucia Brea of Jefferson Elementary School shared her student's place-based videos during her workshop, Eco-Narratives: Integrating Environmental Literacy, Multilingual Learning, and Digital Storytelling. Dana Spett of Pony Power Therapies used horses to demonstrate strategies for nonverbal connection, nervous system regulation, and belonging on the farm. Robyn Stewart, School Programs Manager at Common Ground High School, Urban Farm and Environmental Education Center in New Haven, CT borrowed a Shelburne Farms chicken for her workshop, Teaching with Chickens, and showed a participant how to hold a chicken! 

Put out one arm like you’re going to hold a baby. So I’m going to put the chicken in your arm. You’re going to want to hold her against your chest. You’re going to want to make the chicken feel safe. If I just lifted you up by your shoulders, you’d start kicking and you would want to get down. So we need to make her feel safe so she doesn’t struggle to keep herself safe. You’re going to put your other arm over top. Your other arm holds this wing. There you go! If you are scared, she’ll feel your fear and she’ll get scared. You’re holding her and she feels safe!

MONDAY 12:30 PM: Lunchtime wasn’t just for eating. Lauren McCalister—a Black farmer, rancher, food systems researcher, food sovereignty activist, WhyHunger US Programs Coordinator, and textile artist—led Rest to Digest Yoga before lunch, and Jen Cirillo, Director of Professional Learning at Shelburne Farms, shared the systems thinking game Triangles, which invites people into motion and discussion about complex systems, interdependence, emergence, and disruption. 

We also found a moment to celebrate staff who came from farms that were founding members of the FBEN in 2006. While some of the faces have changed, much of the programming from these wonderful leaders has stayed the same. Left to right: Evelyn Reyes, The Farm School; Megan Camp, Shelburne Farms; Carmen Mouzon, The Farm School; Brooke Redmond, Shelburne Farms and founding FBEN Director; Betsy Rosenbluth, Shelburne Farms & VT FEED; Cyndy O'Brien, Stonewall Farm; Jon Belber, Holly Hill Farm; Sarah Allenby, Spannocchia; Lindsay Brown and Lilly Robbins, The Farm Institute; Vera Simon-Nobes and Susie Gilmore, Shelburne Farms and FBEN.

MONDAY 2:15 PM: We dispersed for afternoon field trips to Bread and Butter Farm, New Village Farm, Vermont Garden Network, and Clemmons Family Farm. Farmer educators shared stories about what led them to this work, current programming, and answered questions and thoughtfully guided discussion. Photos: Participants worked with visiting artist Kia'Rae Hanron at Clemmons Family Farm, learned about their curriculum, Windows to a Multi-Cultural World "For the Love of the Land" unit, and practiced writing poetry on the land in the form of an ode.

Each farm visit provided a uniquely flavored tour, as reflected by participants.

Going to Bread and Butter Farm, I listened to the founder share her journey, years of carrying a clear vision that in a matter of months came to be. The timeline she shared reminded me of other similar slow and steady processes that burst into creation. I felt the power and potential of having faith in a vision.

At our visit to New Village Farm, I was sharing and all of a sudden I started crying and left the circle and one of the participants whom I now considered a friend hugged me and helped me through this moment. And that’s what the land does. Helps heal and make this meaningful connection.

MONDAY 4:50 PM: What's a farm-based educator's favorite way to unwind after a full day of learning and conversation? Farm crafts! With music on the bluetooth speaker and the last of the day's warmth, we felted wool acorns and spun wool bracelets with yarn from Shelburne Farms' sheep. A group trekked to a field to practice the art of scything, while another group felted beads inside with Emily Picard, 4H Extension Leader from CT. Others got competitive with the Hot Potato Card Game, a climate change/agricultural game from Gulf of Maine Research Institute, where players take on the role of farmers growing potatoes as growing conditions change season to season.

TUESDAY 7:20 AM: A small group met Josh Carter, Market Garden Manager for a walk and talk. One participant wrote, "In addition to discussing layout, varieties, and growing methods (which is always fascinating), he shared a little more in-depth about how the market garden fits into the overall mission of the organization, and more specifically the strategic plan and Shelburne Farms' climate goals. He was candid about challenges that we all struggle with, like staffing, scheduling, and compensation, but also shared many of the rewards and benefits of the market garden model at Shelburne Farms (like being able to focus on people and process over profit)."

Other morning activities included a conversation with Karen Nordstrom of the UVM Institute for Agroecology to explore where farm-based ed and agroecology intersect, and a practical conversation about the ins and outs of the Climate Change in Farm-Based Education Learning Community, which meets virtually every other month. Still, other participants sat quietly for a "flowerside chat", or enjoyed the tea and tincture bar with blends from Conscious Homestead and Sho Farm.

TUESDAY 9:35 AM: Choices abounded throughout the Gathering, and Tuesday was no exception. On the final morning, participants chose to attend a workshop or engage in a structured “Peer Dilemma Activity” in which they receive advice from peers on a dilemma they’re facing. We often weave this activity into workshops, and it always astounds people as being more helpful and meaningful than they expect. We can facilitate the Peer Dilemma Activity virtually, also! Reach out if you’d like to give it at try.

TUESDAY 11:30 AM: Open Space is a group facilitation tool that asks people to name topics that have emerged that they would like to discuss with others. Attendees named topics, then spread out throughout the Coach Barn for the last discussion session of the day. Topics included:

• Building and strengthening alumni networks and apprenticeship networks 

• Building your own hydroponic units

• Engaging the nonprofit board 

• Moving and shaking your org to have a big impact on more people, i.e. organizational risk taking

• Farm-based ed, production ag and intentional community 

• How to start writing down the curriculum that's "in my head"

• Designing accessible spaces on the farm 

• Diversifying donors

• Balancing ag and education in the same spaces

• Budgeting

• Residential farm-based ed programs 

• Founding a nonprofit, getting started and partnerships 

TUESDAY 3:00 PM: Many hands make light work. Participants pitched in to stack chairs and take down flipcharts. The Coach Barn grew quiet and empty, aside from a forgotten wool sweater which hangs in the entry (and is reclaimed later that day). Gifts of honey which participants brought from their farms to share during the gathering are moved to the Farm Barn for Shelburne Farms staff to enjoy. Gratitude flows, and ideas for future plans are hatched.

My life will be forever changed from this gathering. I’m leaving incredibly thankful, grateful and blessed. I can’t say THANK YOU enough! I will be back! 

I felt such a sense of belonging. I’ve been to four conferences this year and this was by far the coziest. It was so easy to talk to people and everyone was so friendly. 

I’m inspired, as a new farm-educator, to build confidence in my strengths while doing the work and receiving the support to grow healthy, life-sustaining community. 

I didn't know what to expect but my expectations were exceeded. I have so much knowledge and new tools to take back to my program that I'm excited to use and share. And I loved seeing other farm-based educators who look like me. A trip to remember!

Being part of a group of people doing amazing things, like minded and meeting others with amazing experiences rejuvenates the soul and allows me to keep on going. 

Thank you to all the attendees who made the trip to Shelburne for this event, to the field trip hosts, presenters, and everyone at Shelburne Farms who hosted us with grace, warmth, and farm to table deliciousness.

Onward towards 2027! We hope to create a similar event in partnership with the Upper Midwest Chapter of the Farm-Based Education Network. Mark your calendars November 3-5, 2026 in the Minneapolis - St. Paul region, and reach out if you'd like to help bring this event to fruition: vera@farmbasededucation.org.