Vermont

Culinary Curiosities: Vermont’s Farmlands With Your Grandchild

Program No. 23093RJ
Dish out delectable regional cuisine using fresh Vermont ingredients from the local farms as you learn from expert-led cooking classes and become a trained chef!

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At a Glance

Vermont’s beautiful mountains and vast farmland make the perfect classroom for aspiring chefs of any age! You and your grandchild will immerse yourselves in the cooking process from start to finish as you pick fresh ingredients at a local farm to create culinary masterpieces in the kitchen together. As you hop around to area farms, meet the friendly animals that live there, and learn about the inn's goats. Visit an orchard to find out about apples in the Champlain Valley. Taste some of Vermont’s specialties — like maple creemees — as you learn about Vermont’s unique cuisine from small-town maple-tappers and cider-brewers. Create a special bond with your grandchild over the delicious meals you’ve created together, and top it all off with s’more gooey fun as you relax around the resort’s toasty fire pit together.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to a mile a day over varied terrain on field trips. Standing in kitchen for an extended period of time during culinary instruction.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

What You'll Learn

  • Visit local farms and orchards to gather local produce and meet their resident farm animals.
  • Venture to Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory, Bragg Farm Sugar House and Cold Hollow Cider Mill to learn about their crafts while sampling some Vermont treats.
  • Learn lifelong cooking skills through first-hand demonstrations and classes as you cook together with your children and grandchildren.

General Notes

Due to the nature of this program, listening devices are not available.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
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Morriah Adams
Morriah Adams has been working in the hospitality and travel industries for more than two decades. When not on the road with Road Scholar groups in New England, she also works as a real estate agent and property manager in Vermont. Morriah currently resides in Bellows Falls, Vermont with her husband and their pets. Her hobbies include traveling, finding the best restaurants in each locale, and learning about new adventures to promote to her guests around the northeast and beyond.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

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Morriah Adams View biography
Morriah Adams has been working in the hospitality and travel industries for more than two decades. When not on the road with Road Scholar groups in New England, she also works as a real estate agent and property manager in Vermont. Morriah currently resides in Bellows Falls, Vermont with her husband and their pets. Her hobbies include traveling, finding the best restaurants in each locale, and learning about new adventures to promote to her guests around the northeast and beyond.
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You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
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6 days
5 nights
13 meals
5 B 4 L 4 D
DAY
1
Check-in, Registration, Welcome Dinner, Orientation
Essex, VT
D
The Essex

Activity note: Inn check-in available from 4:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).

Afternoon: Program Registration. 4:00-5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.

Dinner: At the Inn.

Evening: We will go outside to the Inn’s fire pit where we will make our own s’mores and begin Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will review COVID protocols and will adhere to applicable requirements and guidelines throughout the program. We’ll also meet our chef instructors who will talk about details of the program and the highlights ahead. This is a Road Scholar Grandparent program. Grandparents are responsible for their grandchildren at all times. If/when separate age group activities are conducted concurrently, program staff will supervise. Minors are never to be left unsupervised. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

DAY
2
Menu Formation, Knife Lesson, Foraging, Baking Competition
Essex, VT
B,L,D
The Essex

Activity note: Walking up to 1 mile indoors and out; periods of standing in the kitchen. Closed-toe shoes are required in the kitchens.

Breakfast: At the Inn.

Morning: We will meet in our kitchen classrooms with our chef instructor, plan today’s menus for class, and discuss the upcoming activities for the week. Next, we’ll shift focus and have a lesson on knife skills and kitchen tools before cooking locally grown and raised products in the kitchen to create our fabulous lunch. As for final preparations, everyone will be plating and serving one another the meals to which everyone contributed.

Lunch: At the Inn, we’ll enjoy the delicious meal we helped to prepare.

Afternoon: Heading outside with our Group Leader, we will go on a foraging expedition in the forest surrounding the resort to look for wild edible foods. We’ll conclude the afternoon with a baking competition led by the baking chef instructor. All of us will be provided with ingredients to make similar pastries, but everyone will be encouraged to create their own unique version. You may wish to adjust flavors, decoration, or make other additions.

Dinner: At the Inn.

Evening: We will gather in the Ballroom for a group game night with our Group Leader.

DAY
3
Menu Planning, Morse Sugar Farm, Cold Hollow, Ben & Jerry’s
Essex, VT
B,L
The Essex

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 60 miles throughout the day, approximately 2 hours riding time. Walking up to 1/2 mile throughout the day; uneven and unpaved surfaces.

Breakfast: At the Inn.

Morning: We’ll play a memory game with our Group Leader during which we will learn about various species of chickens. Then, after feeding the animals, we’ll set out for our first field trip of the day to Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks. Upon arrival, we’ll hear a talk on maple sugaring given by Morse Farm staff in their century-old sugarhouse. We’ll then follow up our field trip with a traditional and delicious sugar-on-snow experience. We’ll then transfer with our Group Leader through historic Montpelier, Vermont’s state capitol, to the Cold Hollow Cider Mill.

Lunch: At the Cold Hollow Cider Mill. Meal choices pre-selected prior to arrival at the program.

Afternoon: We will meet with the staff of the Cold Hollow Cider Mill to learn about the production of cider and cider products as we go behind the scenes to learn about the steps that take place from tree to bottle. As we go, we’ll learn about their storage facility, pressing and pasteurizing rooms, and the many delicious apple products they make including donuts, cider, and apple cider jellies. Our last stop of the day will be to the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Factory where we’ll enjoy a factory tour with the Ben & Jerry staff ending with a tasty sample. We’ll ride back to the Inn after our field trips.

Dinner: Dinner is on your own at the resort or nearby restaurants.

Evening: At leisure. You might like to enjoy the resort facilities including the pool, walking trails, and fire pit, spend time with fellow Road Scholars, or just relax.

DAY
4
Iron Chef Competition, Pasta Making
Essex, VT
B,L,D
The Essex

Activity note: Walking and standing in kitchen.

Breakfast: At the Inn.

Morning: To begin, our Group Leader will give us a demonstration showing the differences between store bought and farm fresh eggs. We’ll then join our chefs for a fun morning culinary competition, dividing into teams and putting our skills to the test as we make a tasty lunch.

Lunch: At the Inn.

Afternoon: Next, we’ll jump in for a class on “not your average pasta” where we will learn how to make your own pasta and create fillings to stuff your pasta for this evening’s meal.

Dinner: At the Inn, we’ll enjoy dishes we prepared during our afternoon class.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
5
Allenholm Farm, Shelburne Farms, Cooking Class
Essex, VT
B,L,D
The Essex

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 80 miles throughout the day, approximately 2 hours riding time. Walking up to 1 mile throughout the day; unpaved and uneven surfaces.

Breakfast: At the Inn.

Morning: We will board a motorcoach and ride to a local orchard for a field trip where we’ll learn from orchard staff about apples grown in the Champlain Valley. We’ll also have an opportunity to meet friendly farm animals and enjoy a short tractor ride. Next, we will ride to the historic Shelburne Farms. Upon arrival at the farm we will visit the Cheese Hub to watch the cheesemakers and will have an opportunity for a Q&A session with the cheesemaker. Following the cheese presentation we make a short wagon ride to the Farmyard to visit with the variety of animals housed on premise.

Lunch: A box lunch will be served at the Farm. Meal choices pre-selected prior to arrival at the program.

Afternoon: Following lunch, we’ll join our Group Leader for a walk through the Market Garden and Hoop Houses before making a stop at the Farmstand to select fresh produce to be used in the preparation of this evening’s meal. We’ll then board the motorcoach and return to the hotel for our final classes of the program. We will be joined by the Inn’s pastry chef for a cooking demonstration before we have a fun opportunity to make things that have been discussed during our earlier idea-forming sessions but haven’t had time to make yet. Using the local products, we brought back from our morning field trip; we will make delicious evening meal creations.

Dinner: At the Inn, we’ll enjoy the dishes we made. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with fellow Road Scholars during our farewell dinner.

Evening: We’ll gather in the Ballroom to enjoy a movie night and homemade popcorn with our Road Scholar friends. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

DAY
6
Program Concludes
Essex, VT
B

Activity note: Inn check-out by 11:00 a.m.

Breakfast: At the Inn. This concludes our program.

Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!






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