Scottish Highland Cattle
Our herd of 75 Scottish Highland Cattle have been on property since Johannes von Trapp introduced them in 1963. They are iconic to the property as they have been here for many years. Guests love seeing the new calves in the Spring and feeding them apples in the Fall. You can even take our Meet the Cows Tour all year long. Their winter coat allows them to thrive in the Vermont climate. You will notice we move them from pasture to pasture, during the growing season, as part of our rotational grazing practices allows for regenerative farming, which focus on: topsoil regeneration, grass growth, the creation of biodiversity and improving the water cycle. It also helps reduce the amount of fossil fuels we use to mow our fields, as they are natural lawn trimmers. Meet our famous herd and book a Meet the Cows Tour below.
Red Star Chickens
Our flock of 200+ Red Star Chickens provide us with an average 250 dozen to 300 dozen eggs a month. Any time you see an egg on your plate with a yolk visible, that is from one of our hard-working ladies. They are also used in our breakfast sandwiches at the Kaffeehaus. You can see the flock in their portable chicken coops in the summer months, by our wedding meadow, as they free ranging within an electric fence to protect them from predators. This breed was developed in Rhode Island and was created by Red Island Red Roosters with different varieties of chickens to produce a high yield of 300+ eggs a year. You may also purchase fresh Trapp Family Farm eggs in our Kaffeehaus!
Katahdin Sheep
Katahdin Sheep are a breed developed by Michael Piel in Maine. He named his new breed after Mount Katahdin, Maine's highest peak. Our flock is grazed out in the fields around the property, close to our guest houses and apple orchards. We have an average of around 40 in the flock. Lambing season is in the early Spring and ewes have anywhere between 1 and 3 lambs a season. They are self-shedding sheep, so we do not need to shear them in the Spring as they shed their wool naturally which is unique to this breed. Come and meet the flock during the warmer months when they are out to pasture, with a Meet the Sheep tour, which may booked below!
Flower, Herb and Vegetable Gardens
Trapp Family Lodge's farm includes acres of flower, herb and vegetable gardens. These supply our Gardens Department with fresh cut flowers for the lodge during the growing season as well as herbs and vegetables for our culinary team in the summer and early fall. We have a team of gardeners on property that help pick, plant, prune and water all of the flowers, herbs and vegetables that you see on property.
We will have an assortment of vegetables and herbs in 2024 including: Green and Red Kale, Tomatoes (assorted varieties), Carrots, Peppers (assorted varieties), Red Cabbage, Zucchini, Summer Squash, Sage, Basil, Thyme, Mint, Chives and Parsley.
Maple Sugaring
The Trapp Family Lodge Maple Sugar House operates in the spring months when we have warm days and evenings below freezing, which keeps the maple sap running. Experience the charm of a Maple Sugar Tour at any time of the year! For those fortunate enough to visit when the sap is flowing, you'll have the unique opportunity to witness this natural process in action. Our sugar bush, which is the name of a group of maple sugar trees, is tapped with 2,000 taps each year. We use sap buckets as well as tubing to bring the maple sap to our maple sugar house and use reverse osmosis to help us burn less wood to produce maple syrup quicker. Learn about all of this and more on a Mape Sugar Tour. You may also purchase our Maple syrup in any of our gift shops on property! Ready for this sweet adventure? Book your Maple Sugar Tour right here!
Alpine Goats
Teton and Loki are Alpine Goats that do not live on our farm, but they do visit for a special activity we offer called "Hike with the Goats" which occurs during our warmer months. They have lots of personality and are a big hit with our guests. Alpine Goats are very friendly & curious creatures, normally used for milk and they originated in France.
This experience is geared toward adults and older children (5+ years). Children under 5 are not allowed. If you do plan to bring children, they need their own ticket, and they must be accompanied by an adult for the duration of the tour.
Bees
One of our newest additions to the farm is our apiary. Our bees provide lots of sweet honey that we sell in our outlets and use in our culinary offerings. Located close to our apple orchards, the bees have plenty of pollen to collect throughout the year thanks to our amazing Gardens Department!
Horse & Carriage/Sleigh Rides
Other visitors to the property are Mike Martell's draft horses which offer carriage and sleigh rides depending on the time of the year. Draft horses originated for heavy farm work before machinery was available. They are known for their intelligence, calmness and willingness to work. They visit on the weekends from 12pm - 3:30pm during carriage and sleigh ride seasons. To book a ride with this amazing duo, contact Mike Martell at 802-734-1070. (Weather Permitting)
Berries
The grounds of the lodge come alive in the summer months with bushes of berries. Varieties include red raspberries in the garden and blackberries, black raspberries and blueberries on property. We can point guests in the right direction for picking during times of the year where each variety is yielding its fruit. It's a fun and rewarding activity for the whole family!