Sunrise Farm, Historic Farm-stay

October is our last month open-- It has truly been an incredible 10 years hosting, all because of you! Stop by the upper house if you are in the neighborhood :) Once you are here, you will probably never want to leave. Historic farmhouse on a working farm. Miles of trails and 200 acres to explore. Under 15 minutes to thriving Brattleboro. Nestle by the woodstove at the end of the day and enjoy all the best that southern Vermont has to offer. Our farm offers so much more than a place to stay. The space We welcome you to join us for a few restful days or weeks here at our historic Vermont farm where we carry on an uninterrupted tradition of grass farming begun in the late 1700's. While Sunrise Farm is a fully operational and productive farm, it also rests in one of the most idyllic and biologically diverse sites in Vermont. The residence is an autonomous 2-3 bedroom, 2-story apartment that is part of the original 240 year old farmhouse. It has its own well-appointed kitchen, bathroom and living room and wood-stove. Outfitted with a Queen and Full bed, this is a welcoming place for families or couples traveling together. The kitchen is stocked with everything you will need to prepare your own meals. In season, pick your own garden produce such as fresh cut greens, ripe tomatoes, or fruit from the orchard. Or, you can enjoy Brattleboro's great selection of restaurants with suggestions available from your hosts. A third bedroom is available if your party would like to expand. Just make your reservation for 5 people and a small bedroom with bunk beds will be included (available April - October). The style of the farm is relaxed, as it's an interesting conglomeration of the 2 families who have farmed here. You will see the original hemlock floor and hand planed moulding in the living room from the founding Thurber family, Bertha Thomas' 1900s wallpaper in the stairwell, and wide pine floors grown and milled at the farm in one of the bedrooms. The furniture is auction-eclectic mixed with some beautiful antiques. If your interest lies in making the most of nearby Brattleboro and other area gems our location, ten minutes from I-91, makes that a breeze. If you prefer spending time hiking, swimming, or bird watching, our farm swimming pond and miles of private trails though our 200 acres of Vermont beauty are here for you. Diverse wildlife from moose to goshawks make their home here as well. Most notable about the farm is our lack of pretense. Every working farm is a work in progress, balancing between daily chores and seasonal rhythms, busy summers and rejuvenating winters. We are fluent in the language of sweat equity and value muddy boots. Your hosts can explain explain the intricacies of Vermont farming and forestry from maple sap production, timber growing and sawmilling, pasture management for beef and poultry, and vegetable growing and preserving. Most who stay here comment about the "magic of Sunrise Farm ", remarking on the noticable confluence of natural energy here. Please email us with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you. Guest access - private 2-3 bedroom apartment - 200 acres to explore, with miles of hiking trails - ponds for swimming and skating - join in seasonal chores, if interested Other things to note Seasonal activities at the farm: January - Fabulous snowshoeing. Stacking wood, replenishing wood supplies. Keeping stoves lit. Reading. Blessed rest. February - Preparations for maple syrup season. Sap lines are repaired. Late in the month, trees are tapped. Seedlings started for summer garden. March - Maple sap flows. Delivered to the neighbor's sugarhouse each evening when conditions are right (warm days, chilly nights). April - Gardens are starting to be planted. Beef cattle and hens go out to pasture at the end of the month. May - Earliest greens are ready to eat from the garden. Unequivocal reprieve from winter's chill. June - Garden is abundantly producing. Strawberries are ripe. Afternoons at the farm pond swimming. July - Fence maintenance to tame summer's growth. Mid-summer weight checks for beef stock. Garlic is harvested. August - Canning and freezing of garden produce. Peaches and plums are ripe. Wood-splitting for winter heat continues. Hot afternoons spent tubing on the West river. Broiler chickens are harvested. September - Raspberries are ripe. Gardens wind down. Cattle continue to grow on pasture. Fall colors come late in the month. October - First frost comes. Fall colors peak the first half of the month. Remaining beef and chickens are put in the freezer. Wood stoves get fired up. November - Forestry work starts, thinning out the maple stands, harvesting firewood. Great time for hiking. December - Continued work in the forest. Start of snowshoeing and cross-country ski season.