Vermont roots: Centennial spotlights Morgan breed’s storied history

“Figure” stands proudly at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge, Vt. This month, the farm marked the statue’s 100th anniversary with a special Centennial Field Day. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

The first weekend of October brought a major anniversary to a special part of the University of Vermont’s Morgan Horse Farm, and also a celebration of the majestic animal for which the farm is named. 

On Saturday, Oct. 2, the life-size bronze statue of “Figure”, the foundational sire of the Morgan Horse breed, passed the century mark and the community celebrated. Figure’s owner, Justin Morgan, brought the horse to Randolph in 1792, and from there the breed’s history began in the Green Mountains. The UVM Morgan Horse Farm has played a crucial role in that history in Vermont, as thousands of Morgan Horses have been raised on this long-cherished property. 

People from all around Vermont took part in the 100-year celebration last weekend at the farm in Weybridge, where the event mirrored the activities and exhibits of the site’s original field day. It was a cloudy day, but the love of the farm and its cherished place in history shone bright.

This week, Margot Smithson, operations coordinator for the UVM Morgan Horse Farm, said the Oct. 2 Centennial Field Day brought out the community's passion for the Morgan Horse breed, and also sparked some new interest. 

“Think we brought some new folks in, and we rejuvenated the passion and interest of some folks who’ve been in our community for a while,” said Smithson, who introduced the Oct. 2 speakers and delivered remarks alongside Farm Manager Kimberly Demars. “We’ve had a number of people write to us, just being very grateful for the promotion we did for the Morgan Horse, what it means for the state, and just rekindling passion for it as our state animal.” 

One of the planners for the centennial event was Nina Quinn, president of the Morgan Horse Heritage Foundation and member of the farm’s UVM Advisory Board. Her carriage mare is a granddaughter of UVM Kerry, a famous Morgan bred at the farm. Quinn was also an apprentice at the farm, adding, “I grew up here basically.” 

She’s hopeful about the farm’s future. “It takes a village; it’s a very, very important place,” Quinn said. 

A young visitor meets a new friend at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm on Oct. 2. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

The 150-year-old working farm, with over 40 Morgans, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and it welcomes the public annually from May through October. Time and again at the recent Centennial, a key point was driven home: the UVM Morgan Horse Farm has been an ambassador for the Morgan Horse breed. In 1878, Joseph Battell commissioned construction of the farm to preserve the Morgan breed, and also published the first volume of the Morgan Horse Registry in 1894, noted Jim McClay, director of The Lippitt Club, during his remarks at the event. In 1907, Battell sold the farm to the U.S. government, and under the Department of Agriculture, the government farm bred over 500 Morgans for their cavalry remount program between 1907 and 1951. 

“Morgan horses from his government line of breeding are known for substantial bone and very athletic abilities,” McClay said. 

By 1951, the government no longer needed the program, and divided the Morgans still at the farm between the New England land-grant colleges — one of them being UVM. For decades, the farm has provided education and training for students, while “perpetuating the Battell, government and UVM blood lines,” McClay said. Through attracting thousands of visitors over its history, the farm has also educated the wider public about Vermont’s state animal.

Speaking of the robust equine education for students, Dr. Leslie Parise, dean of UVM’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, told the crowd at the event the farm staff recently taught a handling lab at UVM’s Miller Farm near the Burlington campus, working with several of UVM’s Morgan foals. Though some classes at the Weybridge farm are on hold due to the pandemic, Parise said the Morgan Horse Farm team was able to host their second-annual Saturday handling lab with 16 students. 

“It’s a great opportunity for these students to really get hands-on experience,” she said. The farm also offers a yearly equine reproduction course, focusing on the best practices for horse-breeding, artificial insemination, and more. 

Through working with students and promoting history and stewardship of the breed, The UVM Morgan Horse Farm has meant a great deal to the breed’s storied past, including its place in Vermont history. The farm was a favorite place for Gov. Deane C. Davis, who held the state’s top office from 1969 to 1973, owned and showed Morgan horses, and was instrumental in making the Morgan the state animal.

Horses look into the distance at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge, Vt. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

In an interview during the Oct. 2 event, Denny Emerson, an equestrian and Olympic gold-medalist based in Strafford, said the UVM Morgan Horse Farm has been a steady, positive influence over the years. He added that Vermont’s strong ties to the breed — from Justin Morgan and Figure, to the contributions of Gov. Davis and others — helped sustain the farm even as other New England colleges halted their Morgan breeding programs. That history has also turned into dollars for Vermont, with many tourists visiting the farm every year. 

“I think there's more of a tradition in Vermont than any other state, and hopefully they understand the tourist attraction and keep maintaining this place, both the University of Vermont and the state,” Emerson said.

Along with history and other aspects, the Oct. 2 speakers went to the very heart of the Morgan breed, noting its versatility, unmatched stamina, and a special closeness to its human companions. As Amanda Ryan, vice president of the Vermont Morgan Horse Association, noted about this special horse, “Above and beyond all else, he chooses you.” 

“There is a brightness that burns in them that you can see, whenever you stand in their presence,” she said. 

She added, “In Vermont, you are in the homeland. This horse irrevocably belongs to all Vermonters.” 

The Centennial crowd also heard from Anson Tebbetts, Vermont’s agriculture secretary, who thanked UVM, the Morgan Horse Farm team, and all volunteers and supporters throughout Vermont and beyond. He noted the farm’s importance to the breed, and the Morgan’s crucial place in Vermont’s long-standing equine economy.

“Horses, as we’ve learned today, are also great companions, teaching our young people responsibility and care of our animals,” Tebbetts said. “Through 4-H and horse shows, thousands of Vermonters have learned life-long skills that benefit all of us.” 

Because of the education they gained at the farm, many young people over the years have gone into careers in agriculture, a number of them becoming veterinarians, Tebbetts told the crowd. Behind these great traditions, are the great times generations have shared with this special breed, right here in the Greens. 

“The future is bright for UVM, and, as many have said earlier, the Morgan brings us joy and happiness,” he said.

— Gareth Henderson

A young Morgan greets the camera at the UVM farm in Weybridge, Vt., during the recent Centennial Field Day. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Celebrating pollinators: the cornerstone of our food supply

A butterfly visiting the Sunflower House at Billings Farm. (Billings Farm & Museum Photo)

The bees, butterflies, birds and moths we see zipping from flower to flower in the summer are integral for growing close to 90% of our food supply. This weekend, an event in Woodstock is focusing on exactly that. 

Billings Farm & Museum’s Pollination Celebration will highlight this big contribution from such small creatures with hands-on activities and interactive programs for all ages, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For example, people will get a chance to meet local beekeepers from Hall Apiaries and Vermont Beekeepers Association. You can also explore the Sunflower House in full bloom, and hear a talk with the team from the Woodstock Inn & Resort that created it. Games and activities for kids will also be part of the weekend, as will some foods. People can sample herbal tea or corn and tomato salad made with ingredients pollinated in the Billings Farm gardens. Good news for culinary enthusiasts: They’ll be able to take home some pollinator recipes.

The event underscores the great importance of pollinators to our way of life. Earlier in the year, the state released information on this very topic, including a quote from state zoologist Mark Ferguson. 

“The majority of our flowering plants need pollinators in order to produce seeds,” Ferguson said. “Vermont is home to hundreds of species of pollinators from bees to butterflies to beetles and other bugs that play a vital role in pollinating our flowers, trees and food crops.” 

The upcoming celebration is one more way to learn about and appreciate these animals, and what they mean to the sustainability of the world. For more details on the Pollination Celebration, visit billingsfarm.org.

— Gareth Henderson

Protecting pollinators: State explains how we can help

A honey bee on an apple blossom. (VF&W Photo by John Hall)

One of today’s biggest wildlife issues is one that impacts all of us: the decline in pollinator species. These animals, such as bees, are critical to the agricultural sector and overall food supply. 

Though it’s a large-scale issue, there’s action we can take to help, according to Vermont wildlife officials. They recently shared a few suggestions that would benefit essential pollinator species, and they also laid out the factors involved.

“The majority of our flowering plants need pollinators in order to produce seeds,” said state zoologist Mark Ferguson in a statement. “Vermont is home to hundreds of species of pollinators from bees to butterflies to beetles and other bugs that play a vital role in pollinating our flowers, trees and food crops.” 

These insects are responsible for pollinating 60 to 80% of Vermont’s wild plants, Major said, and are critical to the survival of gardens, berry farms, and apple orchards.

But many pollinator species in Vermont are in trouble. Habitat loss, invasive species, single-crop farming, disease, and pesticides are a few of the threats affecting populations of these insects across the state. Vermont’s native bees, including over 300 unique species and three that are threatened or endangered, are among our pollinators being impacted the most. 

A recent examination of the state’s 17 different bumble bees concluded that several species have drastically declined or disappeared from Vermont, including the Rusty-patched Bumble Bee. 

Officials said Vermonters can help conserve native bees and other pollinators with a few simple household considerations:

• Provide a variety of vibrant flowers and native plants to attract pollinators to your yard and garden.

• Learn to live with wildflowers and weeds growing in your yard and fields.  Pollinators prefer a variety in their habitat, even if it looks untidy to humans.

• Keep an eye out for bare patches of lawn where ground-nesting bees may make their home.

• Use pesticide alternatives such as pollinator-friendly barriers to keep unwanted pests off your plants.

• Avoid using insecticides (especially those that contain neonicotinoids such as imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, or clothianidin).

• Reduce the amount of property that is mowed, mow less often, and consider leaving fields un-mowed until October when most pollinators have finished their pollinating activities.

• Meadows that are narrow in shape or less than 10 acres in size are not suitable to provide habitat for grassland birds, but they can be extremely valuable pollinator habitat.  Consider leaving these small fields, and also large fields managed as grassland bird nesting habitat which are not needed for hay harvest in August or September, un-mowed until October when most pollinators have finished their pollinating activities.

To better understand not only the number and diversity of our native bee species, but also their distribution and population trends, the department and partners are conducting a three-year study of Vermont bees.  Vermont Fish and Wildlife is working closely with the Vermont Center for Ecological Studies (VCE) and is inviting any members of the public interested in contributing to this data collection to send their bee observations to iNaturalist.

Wildlife officials said people can also help these animals by contributing to Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s habitat conservation projects though the Vermont Habitat Stamp program.

To learn more about Vermont’s pollinators and additional ways to help, visit Vermont Fish and Wildlife online or contact Mark.Ferguson@vermont.gov.

— Gareth Henderson

New life: Baby animal celebration coming up

A lamb is greeted by mom at Billings Farm & Museum in Woodstock, Vermont, recently. (Photo Courtesy of Billings Farm & Museum)

What’s the cutest sign of spring? Billings Farm & Museum knows, and it’s about to celebrate.

The historic Woodstock, Vermont, farm will have its lambs, chicks and calves ready for its annual Baby Farm Animal Celebration next weekend. The bunnies, piglets and kid goats will be there, too. 

This year, people are encouraged to reserve their entry time for the April 10-11 celebration, as there is limited site capacity. An online version of the event is available April 9 for those who can’t join in person. April 9 happens to be the same day Billings Farm & Museum will open for the 2021 season.

Every spring, nothing charms the crowds like baby animals, which makes this celebration a much-anticipated event. It didn’t take long for Billings’ baby animal photos to get popular on social media this week.

“Those babies just melt your heart. They're always a hit, with all ages,” said Marge Wakefield, public relations and community relations coordinator. 

Plus, it’s one sign of a new season many have been waiting for. 

“It's letting you know that spring is here,” Wakefield said. 

Along with an up-close visit with the farm’s baby animals, visitors will also be able to plant an heirloom seed, participate in fun craft activities and more, during Billings’ most popular event. 

The in-person celebration takes place on April 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with reservations available at billingsfarm.org/special-events. The Virtual Baby Farm Animal Celebration on April 9 is at 12 p.m. This 30-minute program will be live via Zoom, and the fee is $5.  Register at billingsfarm.org to receive the Zoom link. 

A special Baby Farm Animal Celebration preview for Billings Farm & Museum members will take place on April 8 at 4 p.m. Members should contact membership@billingsfarm.org to reserve their spot.

— Gareth Henderson

At Billings Farm & Museum, face coverings are required for all visitors over age 2, including outside, and contact tracing information and temperatures are taken for all visitors. For more information about health and safety standards, visit billingsfarm.org/safety.