School of the New American Farmstead

The School of the New American Farmstead offers leading-edge courses & Professional Certificates in regenerative farming and artisanal food production to support professionals and lifelong learners of all ages.

Check out the 2020 Class Schedule!

Students successfully completing these courses are awarded continuing education units (CEUs), included in the course tuition as listed. Students desiring undergraduate academic credit pay per credit tuition fees and must fulfill additional academic requirements. If you have any questions about when a course is being offered, how to register, or the process for receiving undergraduate credit, please contact us at newamericanfarmstead@sterlingcollege.edu. Courses will continue to be listed as they become available. Sign up for email notifications below if you would like to be updated.

NOTICE: Due to COVID-19, we have postponed all in person courses until June 2021 at the earliest. Online courses will be listed as available below:

Title	Course ID	Credits	Start Term	Faculty
Surviving the Future: Conversations for Our Time			January 4 - February 28, 2021	Shaun Chamberlin

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Receive updates on courses, professional certificates,
special offers, scholarships and more!

Check out our new certificate programs!

Click the tile to learn more:

medallion that reads "artisan cheesemaking professional"

medallion that reads "sustainable food craft professional"

medallion that read "organic wine and spirits production professional"

medallion that reads "educational farm and garden management professional"

About the School of the New American Farmstead

We provide a variety of classes, study tours, and professional certificates that will inspire you, equip you with marketable skills, and provide you with new perspectives on regenerative farming and artisanal food production.

Our hands-on courses will require you to roll up your sleeves and dig in. The School of the New American Farmstead’s experiential approach will engage all of your senses and offer insights into techniques perfected by some of the world’s most skilled ecological farmers and craft-food producers.

Give your passion for food and farming the time and space it deserves. Explore professional opportunities and lifestyle choices that will feed your body, mind, and soul. Learn to replenish the land, relish its bounty, and revive time-tested culinary and agricultural arts–in Vermont’s majestic Northeast Kingdom, Brunnenburg Castle & Agricultural Museum in the Italian Alps, the dairy region of the Upper Loire Valley of France, and Point Reyes, California.

The School of the New American Farmstead at Sterling College is waiting for you to join our international network of students, alumni, and instructors. See our upcoming course offerings and new professional certificate programs below.

photo of many students surrounding a copper kettle filled with milk and extracting cheese from it

SNAF cheesemaking

SNAF Class

Students work on the Sterling College Farm

Students picking sugar snap peas in the Sterling Garden

Bread from SNAF Class

NOFA VT Farmer Olympics

photo by Sharon Palmer

Mushroom Class

Alex heats the metal to make it workable

Instructor Lucian Avery works with a student one-on-one

photo by Sharon Palmer

Chelsea Green Publishing Logo The School of the New American Farmstead at Sterling College is generously underwritten by Chelsea Green Publishing, the preeminent publisher of books on the politics and practice of sustainable living. Chelsea Green and the School of the New American Farmstead at Sterling College share a deep commitment to Sterling’s mission of empowering lifelong students to boldly advance ecological thinking and action in their communities.

Support the School of the New American Farmstead

Become an Underwriter

Click here to learn more

Questions?

Check out our FAQ page

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sterling is working to bring additional resources to our community that support students of color and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. This work includes equipping white allies with the tools and skills and self-awareness they need as we strive towards a community where all members are thriving.

To this end, Sterling has begun advertising for a Diversity & Inclusion Fellow to do this work with grant support from The Endeavor Foundation and in partnership with College of the Atlantic (COA). Our hope is that this position will be filled and get underway this semester. The job description was written with input from Sterling’s Equity Council and the equivalent at COA.

More info: https://sterlingcollege.edu/more/employment

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From the pandemic to white supremacy, to the climate crisis, to inequality and large-scale economic shifts, it is ever increasingly clear that we require not only new pedagogies but a radical rethinking of institutional forms in higher education. This session features Sterling president, Matthew Derr, and will introduce the seminar’s overall themes and consider the implications of cascading crises on the role of higher education and its relationships to wider society.

Register : https://www.haverford.edu/vcam-center-arts-and-humanities-environmental-studies/news/educating-just-ecological-transition

Presenters
Matthew Derr, President, Sterling College
Dr. Timothy Eatman, Dean of the Honors Living-Learning Community, Rutgers University - Newark
Davydd Greenwood, Goldwin Smith Professor of Anthropology Emeritus, Cornell University
Joan Naviyuk Kane, Poet & Visiting Lecturer on English, Harvard University
Tsion Syoum '21, Haverford College

This portion is part of a Virtual Summit presented by Haverford College. The virtual summit “Educating for a Just Ecological Transition: Building Higher Educational Alliances in a Time of Climate Crisis” engages emerging responses to the climate crisis in higher education—with particular attention to the roles higher education institutions can play in building alliances with social movements, community organizations, artists, intellectuals, and informal educational structures. How can advocacy around climate justice respond to broader questions about inequalities of power? How should institutions of higher education act on their responsibilities to address the climate crisis through curricula, infrastructure, and institutional action? How can higher education institutions learn from, partner with, and provide resources for community organizations and educational programs?

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Students took to the mountains for the first field day of the Avalanche 1 Certification portion of the Introduction to Ice Climbing course.⁣
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#climbing_is_my_passion #outdoors #climbing #iceclimbing #adventure #climbinglife #mountainclimbing #avalanchesafety #snow #mountains #winter #avalanche

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Join Farley Brown tonight at 7pm for Watershed Bioassessment presented by Vermont Coverts Woodlands for Wildlife. Wildlife habitats are interconnected throughout a watershed, especially those habitats associated with riverine systems. For over a decade, Farley Brown, faculty at Sterling College (past VT Coverts Executive Director), and her students have been exploring and assessing aquatic habitats throughout the Black River watershed in Orleans County. Brown will take us through the Black River watershed as she explains the bioassessment techniques used by the Sterling College students and their findings regarding the health of this local watershed.

Register : https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAvf-ypqD0iEtYjxe-ZM9Uu-nkPZiE0q71C

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That's right, we have a gear outfitter and rental center where students learn how to pack out for trips and can rent equipment for personal adventures: backpacking, climbing, snowshoeing, canoeing and more. ⁣
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#explore #camping #outdoorlife #backpacking #hiking #getoutside #campinggear #camp #outdoors #outdoorgear #wilderness #outdooradventures #adventure #outdoorslife #tent

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How many colleges do you know supply their dorms with mending kits and host sock darning parties? ⁣
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#usedisthenewnew #bethechange #wornwear #repairrevolution #mending #reworkedvintage #imendmyclothes #wastenothing #fewerbetter #climatechange #reuse #choosetoreuse #sustainability #zerowasteliving #zerowaste #reuseorrefuse #sustainableliving

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What does it mean to be an environmental humanities major?

It means immersing yourself in the creative process to communicate, express yourself, and effect change while exploring ways in which humanity engages with nature. It means transforming wool into yarn, local clay into pottery, plant pulp into paper, and ideas into poetry and prose. Ultimately, it means fully engaging with the natural world as we interpret, create, and share impressions and ideas with the broader community. ⁣
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#environmentalism #environmentallyconscious #environmentalist #college #studentlife #humanities #poetry #pottery #fiberart #weaving #handmade #environmentalhumanities

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Whether you’re a high school student creating your college list, a student at another college who is thinking of transferring to Sterling, a parent of a prospective student, a sibling, or a friend, you are welcome at Open House, and we can’t wait to meet you.

Virtually see the campus, the farm, our residential halls, and soak in beautiful Craftsbury Common, Vermont.

Visit: https://sterlingcollege.edu/visit-sterling/open-house/

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“Find your place on the planet. Dig in, and take responsibility from there.”
― Gary Snyder

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"In the old Marshall Tucker Band song “I Heard It In A Love Song” the singer professes his love for his long-time partner, “I ain’t never been with a woman long enough for my boots to get old. Now we’ve been together so long my boots need to be resoled.” Well, I’ve (John Zaber) been at Sterling long enough that I’ve not only resoled my boots but I’ve purchased a bunch of new ones as well. It’s now time to turn my attention to new ventures in life. At the conclusion of the spring semester I will be retiring from my full time role as a proud member of the Sterling faculty." Read more from John. Link in bio.

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You teach me, I forget. You show me, I remember. You involve me, I understand. - Edward O. Wilson

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Political activist, artisan, educator, environmentalist, and Sterling College Trustee Elect, Chief Don Stevens welcomes students back for the spring semester tonight via a private online presentation.

Chief Stevens helped lead the fight to obtain legal recognition, acquire land, and federal settlement agreements for the Abenaki People. A gifted storyteller, he speaks about issues of Native American Sovereignty, Spirituality, Racial Disparity, and Abenaki Identity. Chief Stevens has been an educational and food sovereignty partner of Sterling College for many years.

📷: @calebkenna

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Dig In!

The View from Cedar Cottage

As anyone who has ever had the honor of serving as a college president will tell you, each fall semester presents itself, after careful planning and no small amount of…

Sterling is #1 in the Nation for Real Food!

Sterling College is #1 in Nation for Healthy, Fair, and Green College Food System —Vermont’s only college for environmental stewardship top in serving real food— JANUARY 7, 2015 • CRAFTSBURY…

The Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems

The Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past few months. On August 22, there was a celebration of the McCarthy…

Professional Studies

School of the New American Farmstead

Artisan Cheesemaking

Sustainable Food Craft

Organic Wine & Spirits Production

Educational Farm & Garden Management

The School of the New American Farmstead offers leading-edge courses & Professional Certificates in regenerative farming and artisanal food production to support professionals and lifelong learners of all ages.

Check out the 2020 Class Schedule!

NOTICE: Due to COVID-19, we have postponed all in person courses until June 2021 at the earliest. Online courses will be listed as available below:

Want to keep up with us?

Receive updates on courses, professional certificates,
special offers, scholarships and more!

Check out our new certificate programs!

About the School of the New American Farmstead