WOODSTOCK, Vt. (WCAX) – A new exhibit that combines art, farming, and the climate aims to educate future generations on resilience.
“Portraits of Resilience” at the Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock takes a deep dive into how climate change is affecting the region’s farmers. It also educates the region’s future farmers.
“I like the one with the girl holding the chicken. That one is my favorite because it is so pretty,” said Amaya Grenier, a 4th grader at Allen Street Campus in Rutland.
With help from the nonprofit Vital Communities, local artists teamed up with farmers in Vermont and New Hampshire to highlight how climate change is changing the landscape.
“How the climate has decreased in good ways over time,” said 6th grader Zach LaCross.
The exhibit was just one item on the agenda for students at the Allen Street Campus, a therapeutic school for kids who learn differently. Also on their schedule — churning butter, meeting farm animals, and other interactive activities.
“I’m making a little miniature farm,” LaCross said. “
“They are not sitting at a desk reading a book, doing worksheets all day. They are getting out in the community,” said special educator Cara Maguire.
Billings farm officials say they are still dealing with flooding from last summer that wiped out hay fields, something they say is directly related to a changing planet. The exhibit explains how farmers are adapting.
“The exhibition is the first time that the actual artwork is on display,” said the museum’s Jen Flaster. “The techniques that they are using today and ways that we can support them.”
Support from kids comes in the form of simply showing up. “It’s just fun to go to different places that you haven’t been before,” Grenier said.
The exhibit is included in the price of admission and will be on display until June 23rd.