Village School for the 2026 - 2027 year is now full!

VILLAGE SCHOOL
at Bread & Butter Farm

Village School is a day-long immersive program for kids offered September - May for kids age 7 - 14 to engage with our farm and forests through the seasons. Our classroom is the farm and over 600 acres of forests, fields, savannas, and marshlands in Shelburne & South Burlington, VT. Our mentors engage kids through meaningful work, craft and game, emphasizing the relationships of humans with each other and our surrounding natural community. Together, we sink into the rhythms of farm life and the natural world.

Village School gives kids opportunities to experience life in a thriving landscape. From the communities at the farm, to the wild of the fields and forests surrounding the farmstead, we strive to create a culture of respect, appreciation, observation, openness, and curiosity. With these as our guiding principles, we focus our learning around Food, Art & Music, Natural History and Earth Skills as a means of connecting with our landscape and instilling a sense of place.

A DAY AT VILLAGE SCHOOL

Gratitude - Chores - Fire - Guilds - Lunch - Sit Spot - Free Choice - Story

Flow of the Day
9:00am // Arrival
9:15 // Morning Circle, Gratitude
9:30 // Farm Chores
10:15 // Hike to woodland base camp
10:30 // Fire and Snack
11:00 // Guilds
12:30 // Lunch
1:00 // Sit Spot
1:30 // Free Choice
3:00pm // Pick-up

GUILDS

Guilds are at the core of what we do at Village School. These are our “classes” that are led by a mentor every morning and allow us to sink into a certain topic or activity. They are focused around the four main subjects: Food, Art & Music, Natural History and Earth Skills.

Healthy food, from our land, is a central theme of Village School. Food is a vital component of this program and of our humanity. A simple, direct connection to the earth and to our land. A means of nourishing ourselves and of creating community. We cook lunch with the kids every day of Village School with food grown and raised right here on the farm!
We focus on creativity, imagination and freedom of expression. Whether we are singing songs, telling stories around the fire or watercolor painting in the pastures, Art and music are an integral part of our program. Through our days we seek to create a space where imagination can run wild.
We spend time observing and getting to know the neighbors that we share this little corner of Vermont with. From the fields to the forests, plants and animals, both wild and domesticated. From tracking to tree ID, from what the cows eat, to annual bird migrations. Learning who we co-habitate this land with, helps us to further understand our sense of place in it.
We use earth skills to define a broad range of skills related to traditional skills, plant uses and wilderness survival. These are skills that provide a direct and meaningful connection to the natural world, and serve to empower and fuel creativity. At Village School we practice many different earth skills, from wild edible foraging to friction fire to herbal remedies, and many things in between. We focus on what can be derived from the land around us as a means of better understanding our relationship with our environment.

Village School registration for the 2026 - 2027 school year will open on June 1st, 2026!
We do NOT accept students on a first come first serve basis. We will be looking at applications starting on June 15th and notify families of placements by June 29th. There is no fee to register, however, we do ask for a $400 non-refundable deposit upon mutual acceptance of application and admission to The Village School.
REGISTER NOW!
The cost for the Village School for 2026/2027 Year (Fall & Spring Semesters) is $2400.
A $400 nonrefundable deposit is due upon admission to Village School.
Sibling Discount: We offer a sibling discount where you sign your first child up at full price and receive a 10% discount for subsequent siblings.
Financial Aid: We strive to make our programs accessible to everyone, and do not want cost to be a barrier. If you need financial assistance, please fill out the financial aid application in the registration portal.
Is the deposit refundable? Your $400 Deposit is non-refundable, unless you decide to withdraw from the program because your financial aid request was not met by Village School.
What happens if I need to drop out of Village School? Village School is a year long commitment (September - May), however we understand that things can come up in this time and change your ability to participate in the program. If at some point in the year you need to cancel, we have a few tiers to provide for refunds:
- If you cancel before September 1st, we will provide a full refund minus the non-refundable deposit.
- If you cancel between September 1st and September 12th, we will provide a 50% refund.
- If you cancel between January 1st and January 15th, we will provide a full refund for Spring Semester
- If you cancel between January 15th and January 29th, we will provide a 50% refund
- Once a semester starts, we cannot offer a refund for that semesters payments.
Snow Days: We follow the South Burlington School District for cancelations due to weather. Per usual, refunds will not be issued for snow days. If more than 3 snow days happen on any given day during the year, we will schedule a make up day.
Schedule conflicts & Individual sick days: Per Usual, refunds will not be issued due to individual sick days or scheduling conflicts.
Fall Semester: September 14, 2026 - December 18th, 2026
Spring Semester: February 1st, 2027 - May 21, 2027
We follow the South Burlington school district for breaks, taking off the weeks of November 23 (Thanksgiving) , February 22 (Winter break), and April 19 , (Spring break).
Please direct any and all questions to education@breadandbutterfarm.com

Mentorship

Mentorship is the backbone of Village School that links together kids and adult mentors in a tight group based on trust and shared learning.

Emily Vinson

Emily grew up in Vermont and has spent the past few years working at Bread and Butter Farm and Blank Page Cafe while attending school for clinical herbalism. She loves learning all sorts of earth-based skills that bring us into deeper relationship with the land around us. She is excited to be a part of Village School and share her passions while learning from others.
Phin Holzhammer

Phin is a local outdoor educator and teaching artist with a professional and educational background in alternative and artistic education. With a love of wilderness education and conservation as well as music and theater, he is passionate about using the arts as a way to learn about ourselves, our communities, and feel connected to the natural world around us.
Abigail Berthiaume

Abigail grew up in Vermont and has been coming to Bread and Butter Farm for about ten years. This is her first year as a Village School mentor, however she has attended as a student and intern for many previous years. Abigail also works in the gardens and greenhouses on the farm. Outside of work she enjoys nature photography, particularly of birds and flowers.
Alex Gemme

Alex is the Village School Manager and has been a part of Bread & Butter Farm in various capacities for several years - as a gardener, Burger Night staff, and Village School Mentor. Alex has taught in various settings including in the gardens at Rock Point School, as a rock climbing instructor, an apprentice ski guide, and as a mentor with Crow’s Path. Alex's gentle style puts all of us at ease. He is steady and strong and kind.
Corie Pierce

Corie Pierce is the owner operator and founder of Bread and Butter Farm since 2009. Corie is a farmer and educator with three decades of experience working the land and teaching all ages. She specializes in creating and implementing hands-on land based education curriculum for elementary and middle grades.
Inspired by her first farming job at Barker’s Farm in Stratham, New Hampshire, Corie envisioned a working farm where people of all ages could connect directly with the Land and find purpose and fulfillment in their work. With her leadership, Bread And Butter Farm is a thriving regenerative community farm that employs dozens and welcomes thousands of people each year.