Sterling College To Hold Alfond Draft Horse
Barnraising and Dedication
Sterling College invites community members to attend the barnraising and dedication of its new Alfond Draft Horse Barn to take place on Saturday, October 18, at 1:00 p.m. The new facility was made possible through the generous support of the Peter Alfond Foundation. Speakers include Sterling College President Matthew Derr, and faculty member Louise Calderwood.
“We are grateful to be able to dedicate the Alfond Draft Horse Barn; this building is a testament to the hard work of Rick Thomas, our Draft Horse Manager, and to all of our devoted faculty,” said President Matthew Derr. “They are teaching our students to look very closely at the complex nature of power on a farm, and how to build an ecologically balanced future with horse-powered farms.”
Derr added, “Working with draft horses has been a tradition at Sterling College that dates back to the beginning of the school. We were one of the first colleges to work with draft horses, and we were the first college in the nation to have a minor in Draft Horse Management.”
“My daughter, Deborah Alfond ’13, had an incredible experience with the draft horse program and a wonderful education at Sterling College, with its emphasis on both working hands and working minds,” said Peter Alfond. “This new facility is a tribute to the college’s model of academic growth through experiential learning.”
He continued, “This was the right project at the right time. I am impressed with Sterling College’s momentum and the creative and innovative ways in which President Derr is strengthening the college.”
Derr said, “Sterling College students look at the entire landscape of sustainable agriculture; they learn how to use both small tractors and draft horses for a true mixed power model. They’re keeping the tradition of draft horse farming alive in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.”
This event is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served.
WHAT:
Alfond Draft Horse Barnraising and Dedication
WHERE:
Sterling College
Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems
16 Sterling Drive
Craftsbury Common, VT 05827
(802) 586-7711
WHEN:
Saturday, October 18
1:00 p.m.
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ABOUT STERLING COLLEGE
Founded in 1958 in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, Sterling College is a leading voice in higher education for environmental stewardship. The College was among the first colleges in the United States to focus on sustainability through academic majors in Ecology, Environmental Humanities, Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems, and Outdoor Education. Sterling College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is one of only seven federally recognized Work Colleges in the nation.
MEDIA CONTACT
Christian Feuerstein, Director of Communications, Sterling College
802.586.7711 x164 • cfeuerstein@sterlingcollege.edu
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