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

Want to keep up with us?

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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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 our Virtual Open House on Sunday May 9th!

See the campus, the farm, our residential halls, and soak in beautiful Craftsbury Common, Vermont, from the comfort of your home.

Those who attend our virtual event will be eligible for a $500 Virtual Experience Scholarship upon depositing!

Register now: Link on bio

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What Fridays looks and sounds like at Sterling College.

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Sterling College welcomes three new senior leaders to its administration this spring in positions that will be central to supporting Sterling in the advancement of its mission of ecological thinking and action.
Dr. Lori Collins-Hall, past Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Antioch College, has accepted the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Former Sterling faculty and Senior Advisor to the President, Nicole Civita, JD, LL.M., has accepted a new role as the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. Christina Goodwin has been promoted to Vice President for Advancement after serving as the College’s Dean of Advancement & Alumni Relations. ⁣
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#college #highereducation #education #highered #vermontcollege

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Sew awesome. Through partnership with @alpine_ludidites, this pod of students gained the skills necessary to design, make, repair, and care for outdoor gear and equipment. Such skills can save a trip from failure and your wallet from depletion. #ecologicalthinkingandaction

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While blankets of snow fell on the Vermont campus last week that in many ways felt like a return to winter, spring is here. From transplanting peppers to field prep in the gardens with draft ponies, our work is taking root in so many ways. #ecologicalthinkingandaction

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Sheep hide unpacking and sorting day! So pretty and soft, we just want to curl up and take a nap in them! We are very excited about how well they turned out! More details coming soon to purchase these lovely, one of a kind, hides!

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Earth Day is everyday when your mission is to advance ecological thinking and action. 🌍 ⁣
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#happyearthday🌎 #earthdayeveryday #earthday #everydayisearthday #green #earthday🌎 #environment #earth #earthday2021 #nature

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The Gear Design and Repair course being held in partnership with @alpine_luddites will give students the hands-on tool skills necessary to design, make, and care for outdoor gear and equipment. Students will be introduced to the history of gear manufacturing and learn about what goes into material selection and the manufacturing process. Students will also learn hands-on skills to do common gear repair both in and out of field situations.

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Things are on a roll at Sterling (pun intended) 🍱 Last Tuesday, the Sterling Kitchen hosted a Sushi Workshop featuring Faroe salmon and Ahi tuna from Stowe Seafood. Director of Dining Services, @eachad '14, demonstrated how to make Spicy Tuna, Salmon Avocado, and Philadelphia rolls - and the students made those and basically whatever the heck they wanted (even peanut butter made an appearance).

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Join us virtually by Zoom on Thursday, April 15th, 6:30pm - 7:30pm as we welcome Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx and the Majora Carter Group, for a discussion on Environmental Justice: Implications of America’s Land Uses

The built environment plays an important role in community talent retention or repulsion. When the majority of success stories migrate out, communities are more vulnerable to the consequences of dirty power, transport, and waste management practices.

Join the Sterling College Environmental Justice Beyond Borders class as we explore the work of Majora Carter, environmental justice activist dedicated, in her words, to “greening the ghetto,” encouraging urban renewal, green-collar jobs, and environmental justice.

Majora Carter will share how her projects and policy initiatives have progressed over the years and produced valuable lessons across several fronts in the quest to make America as good as its promise. She is responsible for the creation and successful implementation of numerous economic developments, technology and green-infrastructure projects, policies, and job training and placement systems.

Majora’s pioneering sustainability work from one of America's most storied low-status communities, the South Bronx, has garnered a MacArthur 'genius' Fellowship, a Peabody Award, and 8 honorary PhDs, including one from Sterling College.

She and her teams at the Majora Carter Group develop vision, strategies, and the type of development that transforms low-status communities into thriving mixed-use local economies. Her approach harnesses capital flows resulting from American re-urbanization to help increase wealth building opportunities across demographics left out of all historic financial tide changes.

This event is made possible by a generous Sterling family and is part of a Spring semester series that encourages listening to and conversations with distinguished and accomplished people working in mission-aligned focus areas to advance ecological thinking and action. Stay tuned for future events!

Link on bio.

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When we think of words to describe Sterling, community tops the list. When we think of ways to illustrate that, we think of current student, Aidan Levesque. Aidan has been spending his time in the Sterling Kitchen and making danishes for the weekend brunches. Nourish to flourish!

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"When you are new at sheep-raising and your ewe has a lamb, your impulse is to stay there and help it nurse and see to it and all. After a while, you know that the best thing you can do is walk out of the barn." - Wendell Berry ⁣
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#sheepofinstagram #farming #lambingseason #lambing #lambingtime #wendellberry

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Dig In!

The Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Team

The Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems is one of the finest farm facilities at any small college in the United States. The RFC wouldn’t be where it…

Brandon Bless, Visiting Faculty in Sustainable Agriculture

Brandon Bless has a deep connection with Sterling College, even though his role as Visiting Faculty in Sustainable Agriculture is new. He was an adjunct faculty from 2013 to 2015….

The Rian Fried Center Team

The Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems is one of the finest farm facilities at any small college in the United States. The RFC wouldn’t be where…

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