I’ve finally embarked on my journey of living in the green mountain state of Vermont to work at Shelburne Farms for the next few months. After a two-day road trip up and some tearful goodbyes between my mom and me, I’m now settled into my quaint cottage right here on this expansive farm property. On one side of my house view, I see acres of green, wild-flower-speckled pastures for animals to graze on, and on the other is a 150-year-old barn still in wonderful condition. This whole farm is a 1,400 acre non-profit education center for sustainable agriculture along with being a local relic that was once owned and operated by tye Vanderbilts in the late 1800s. Now, the farm puts efforts into highlighting and honoring this land which belonged to the Abenaki tribe. They produce fantastic maple syrup, cheddar cheeses, cured meats, along with a farm to table restaurant within their inn, which is where I will be working. I also get to work on the farm for two days out of the week to gain full perspective of the institution.

I am here at this special externship with 5 other students from my school, each of us with our own similar yet different paths that led us to delve into our passions of food systems. It will be a summer of great discovery of local flavors and rustic charm, and I will be bringing what I learn to my Norman’s contributions. Stay tuned for more updates.