I get choked up on almost every tour. The extensive training she receives from Shelburne Farms on topics as varied as architecture to crop rotation allow her to entertain any topic with tourists. What's more, she's found what she's learned as a volunteer has come in useful raising horses and growing a garden at her Charlotte home. Program tuitions and tour fees are a relatively small portion of the organization's revenue. Shelburne Farms' dairy operation, like the inn, is operated as a for-profit subsidiary.
Cheese is sold on site, in gourmet shops across the country and by mail order.
Donations from individuals and corporations also contribute to the bottom line, as do fees generated by special events that take place in the Carriage Barn. In some ways, Shelburne Farms is complicated by its success. Webb spends much of his time working in development, a role he cherishes for the relationships it allows him to build. Divorced in 1988 after 13 years of marriage, he has two daughters and a grandchild, but indicates his job occupies most of his time. A residential education program that would allow families and teachers to stay on the Shelburne Farms grounds is in planning stages.