Shelburne Farms

Dairy Farm Tour … here's the scoop on our udderly unforgettable afternoon!

So, we were all jazzed to tour a dairy farm, right? But seriously, what in the world were we thinking?! For some reason, we imagined most of the tour would be indoors. Why? Who knows! After all, it’s a dairy farm!

As soon as we jumped onto the carriage with two other couples, Mother Nature decided it was the perfect time for a drama show. The skies opened up, and the wind nearly launched us out of the carriage! Our first stop: the Shelburne cheese factory. We got schooled on the cheese-making process, which was surprisingly educational. And yes, we got to sample some cheese! Yum!

Next up, the petting zoo. We saw lambs, goats, a cow, and calves. Since it was raining cats and dogs, we took a shortcut through the back of a building to get back on our "chariot." On the way, we stumbled upon a tiny woodshop that crafts furniture. Pretty neat!

Thanks to the rain, we had the bonus adventure of touring the Shelburne Farms Inn. We were led down to the bay, where the wind was having a field day! We got a brief history lesson about Dr. William Seward Webb and his wife, Eliza Osgood Vanderbilt Webb, and how they established Shelburne Farms in 1886.

The grand finale of our soggy tour was the milking barn! Calves are separated from their mothers right after birth and kept in individual pens until they’re ready to graze together. We even saw a calf that was just 4 days old! Then, we strolled to the next barn to watch the milking process. Those cows are pros—they march in, get hooked up, and then trot back out like they’re on a dairy catwalk.

And there you have it: our whirlwind, rain-soaked, windblown, and hilariously memorable dairy farm tour!Read more