MISSION FARM

Killington, VT

Dear Friends,

Beehives give us a beautiful example of community - individuals working together to sustain a healthy common life and bring about the healing and vitality that we each need. The results of a healthy hive is a vitality and a sweetness. Our common life at Mission Farm reflects this spirit. As Executive Director working closely with our Advisory Council, I am thrilled to introduce these beautiful and inspired 2023 initiatives:

  • The Community Kitchen This commercial kitchen will integrate the food produced on this land, the creative work of food artisans, and our vision to grow and share food with one another.

  • The Odeon will create an outdoor space of gathering and celebration for our local community. Envisioned by stone wall artisan Dan Snow, this intimate amphitheater is designed to embody the reciprocity that this land invites.

  • A vital and Invitational space is unfolding. Mission Farm will be a community space of connection and conservation. This will include new accessible paths that meander into and through the space at Mission Farm, community art, and directional and interpretive signs.

In the spirit of the reciprocity of the hives and the beauty of these Green Mountains, there is an invitation to all who hold Mission Farm in their hearts, who gather or pass through, to partner in the vitality of the unfolding of this space. Any amount of love and sustenance will be gratefully - and joyfully - received.

Thank you for holding this space in your heart and for your love,

2023

The total cost of the 2023 initiatives is $250,000. Through your generosity, we have raised over half our costs. Our remaining need is $110,000.

In addition, we are thrilled to announce a matching grant from a generous donor.

“I am thrilled to support Mission Farm’s dedication to the vision of Elizabeth Clement as she expressed over 125 years ago. These initiatives will continue to support a healthy and vibrant community for the next 125 years.”
— Anonymous Donor

these 180 acres in the heart of the Green Mountains continue to be a sacred space in and for this community.

Since 1984,

The founder of this mission, Elizabeth Wood Clement, had a vision for this space of connection, conservation, and justice. From the natural ecosystem to our connection with one another and the Source of all, this vision continues to this day.

Located on the ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Mission Farm is a cooperative space rooted and grounded in love where everyone is invited to experience the beauty and reciprocity of Creation.

  
Our Core Values

Connection & Hospitality

We believe that at the heart of our faith is love - expressed in connection with God, self, one another, and the natural world.

Environmental Conservation

We engage in faithful spiritual response to the environmental crisis facing our planet, starting in our own backyard.

Environmental Justice

We work for justice in all aspects of our common life as we recognize the reciprocity in the natural world. We respect the dignity of all creation and the sacred gift that moves through soil, water, blueberries, squash, chickens, and gardeners. We are particularly focused on the production and sharing of food.

It all begins with the land…

Partnering with Jack Rossi Landscape, a permaculture design was developed. A sweep of maple trees will line Mission Farm Road, announcing the entrance to the farm. Accessible walkways will provide easy access from parking areas to the chapel, the amphitheater ('Odeon'), and the natural space beyond. To capture the most sunlight, food will be grown on the west side of the property. Raised beds for vegetables are already in place. Blueberries and apple trees will be planted on the hillside, and an apiary placed just beyond. The meadow will be planted with native wildflowers, providing nectar to feed the bees.

The Odeon

The Odeon, or small amphitheater, will be an accessible, outdoor space for community gatherings and concerts and to provide a space of respite for those visiting the land.

Designed by stone craftsman Dan Snow of Dummerston, Vermont, dry-laid stone construction is employed to devise this site-specific work of environmental art. Dan combines master craftsman skills with sculptural artistry to bring new geologic forms into the natural world.

Dan’s work stands alone as sculpture and comes alive when engaged by visitors. Snow strives to transfigure the essence of place into new forms and experiences through the manipulation of natural materials. From the practical to the fantastical, the works in stone fuse vision with old-world techniques and traditions.

The Odeon will be constructed from granite. Ringed with native plants, this will be a space where we can host large and small gatherings, musical performances, and educational opportunities.

The Community Kitchen

We believe food is a gift to be gratefully received and generously shared. It is our vision to grow, produce, and share food but also to build community with an emphasis on food education and accessibility.

The commercial kitchen space (formerly the Mission Farm Bakery) is currently being renovated and will be dedicated to the production of food for the well-being of our neighbors, as well as a supportive space for local food entrepreneurs to create, learn, and engage with the community.

Our goal for this initiative is to build capacity for more food distribution and deeper involvement of our community in the growing and sharing of food into the future.

Forest & Trails

A series of trails have been cultivated at Mission Farm. These trails meander along the river, cutting through meadows, pine groves, and beautiful mature mixed-deciduous forest.

Persevering up to the top of one of the three loops in the upper trail system will reward you with a sweeping view of the river valley and mountain range.

We are continuing to develop a series of companion trails with marked spaces for meditation and prayer.

The Chapel at Mission Farm

Church of Our Saviour has served the local community for over 125 years as the founder Elizabeth Wood Clement envisioned its mission - a meeting place for social gatherings both mundane and sacred. Throughout the years, active Episcopal communities have been stewards of this land and have offered hospitality to the broader community and those passing through.

Significant restoration has taken place at the Church. A new roof, updated electric, and energy efficiency improvements have recently been completed. Restoration of the stained glass windows will soon begin, allowing sunlight to stream into the Church once again.

Vicarage & Guesthouse

For the past 50 years, the guest house at Mission Farm has housed travelers and friends of Mission Farm. Beginning its life as a carriage barn and tavern, the guest house flourished under Father Heminway’s leadership so much so that it was named in his honor.

In the near future, an energy audit for the Vicarage and Guest House will be conducted to identify efficiency opportunities. In the long term, an architectural plan is needed that creates a restoration of spirit and connection to the land, providing comfortable accommodations for guests, and inviting gathering spaces for retreat participants.

Join us

on our journey of the restoration of Mission Farm. 

Visit

We believe in the restorative benefits of connecting with the land. The outdoors are always open, as is the Chapel. Walk the trails, sit on a bench to watch the bees pollinate the fruit trees, watch for wildlife in the woods and the river - Come visit.

Volunteer

Help us in the garden, harvest honey, prepare the Community Kitchen, or assist with trail maintenance.

Connect

All are welcome at Mission Farm. Sign up on our website to receive our weekly newsletter, The Graze. Join us for service on Sundays, either in the church or in the orchard during the summer, and always via Zoom.

Donate

Mission Farm is a nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible in the U.S. To donate online, simply click the “Donate Online” button below. If you prefer to donate by check, please make it out to “Mission Farm” and mail it to our address (see below). If you would like to contribute in another way or learn more about our nonprofit enterprise, please email us at lisa@missionfarmvt.org. Thank you for your generosity.