June 26-27 — WOODSTOCK — Billings Farm & Museum’s annual Dairy Celebration Days takes place June 26-27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Celebrate Billings Farm’s 150th anniversary and Vermont’s rich dairy heritage during this two-day event.
Youth lined up with their cattle during competition in the 2019 Youth Invitational Dairy Show at Billings Farm.
The Dairy Celebration Days events will include:
- Sample award-winning Billings Farm cheddar cheese.
- Watch how cheese straws are made and enjoy a sample in the Learning Kitchen.
- Step behind-the-scenes and visit with local youth in the Show Barn as they groom their cattle and prepare to compete in the Youth Invitational Dairy Show on Sunday.
- Take part in hands-on dairy programs. Meet Billings’ very own prize-winning Jersey cows and learn about these milk producers and the products made from their milk.
- Enjoy our Dairy Bar birthday special: homemade strawberry rhubarb ice cream made with Billings Farm milk and sample complimentary birthday cake.
- Learn about Billings Farm’s most famous cows and view artifacts and images from the past 150 years.
- Sign the Birthday Card for Billings Farm and share your favorite memories.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Frederick Billings imported Jersey cattle from the Isle of Jersey, building a prize herd and transforming his Woodstock estate into a model farm that employed the latest sustainable agricultural practices.
While the intervening years brought successes, as in 1893 when Billings Farm’s Jerseys garnered top honors at the Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and heartbreaking challenges, as when the herd was sold off during hard times in the 1930s, the Billings family’s dedication to Frederick Billings’ vision held true.
Today, the Billings Farm & Museum breeds and milks a herd of nearly 50 blue ribbon Jerseys, producing more than 650,000 pounds of milk, some of which goes to Agri-Mark for Cabot products and some of which is used to craft award-winning artisan cheeses in partnership with Grafton Village Cheese. The Woodstock landmark is a Vermont destination which attracts thousands of visitors annually with its educational exhibits, engaging programs and special events that bring to life Vermont’s rural heritage.
For more information visit billingsfarm.org.
