Shelburne Farms

Shelburne Farms
By Marshall Webb
Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. Believing that transformative learning experiences sow the seeds for a thriving and more just world, they seek to create the space, spark the conversations, and share the stories to inspire educators, students, and learners of all ages to build a better future for everyone.
From 1886 to 1902, William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb consolidated 32 farms into a 3,800-acre agricultural estate. The landscape was designed by Central Park creator Frederick Law Olmsted. In 1972, Webb descendants decided to open and share Shelburne Farms with the world and give it a new purpose. In 1984, the family contributed the property to the nonprofit educational organization that owns it today.