Farmhouse Manual

1. THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Wifi User name is Farm . Password is ourguests

Fire alarm passcode is 6745 The controller is in the mudroom.

Bluetooth speaker code is Go-Go

Telephone is in the study 802-824-3466.

Mimi Wright , property manager 802-375-4807

Mountain Valley Health Clinic 802-824-6901

Emily and Ron Underwood , mowing and snow plowing 802-824-3597

If fire controller alarms because of smoke from the kitchen stove, turn it off with passcode “6745” and call 911 to keep the fire trucks from coming!

The kitchen under-cabinet lights turn on by waving your hand under the light closest to the stove. Control the light level by holding your hand under the same light.

SUMMER : On hot nights, turn on the attic fan on the second floor landing. There are also window fans. Use your own wood for the outdoor fire pit after using 6 pieces of our wood.

WINTER : The kitchen thermostat controls the kitchen and mudroom. The thermostat next to the study controls the rest of the first floor. The upstairs thermostat is on the second floor landing. Feel free to use the fireplace in the living room . It has a propane-fired log set. Instructions for its use are at the back of this manual. Do not use the fireplace in the study or the wood burning stove in the dining room. The insurance company forbids their use.

The living room TV has Directv and streaming services like Netflix. The study TV plays dvd’s and streaming services through the DVD Player. We have a fine selection of dvd’s.

2. THE FARM

Spring Hill Farm is situated on 80 acres of rolling meadows and woods

The property includes three ponds (great for swimming) as well as Cooke Brook.

The patio outside the screened porch has a gas grill and wood burning fire pit overlooking the ponds.

The redwood sauna is in the shed beside the top pond.

Jake Burton Carpenter invented the snowboard on the workbench in the mudroom while he lived at the house as caretaker in the late 70’s. One of th original production boards is mounted above the workbench.

3. WHEN YOU ARRIVE

When you arrive, check the 2 switches on the left wall in the stairwell to the cellar. In the summer, turn on, if not already on, the boiler and the hot water with these switches. In the winter, turn on, if not already on, the hot water (the heat will already be on). When you leave, turn off what you turned on. In the cold season, never turn off the heat (as if you needed to be told this…).

The back door will be unlocked by Mimi before you arrive and the key will be on the kitchen counter. Check in time is 4:00pm and check out time is 11:00am, unless you make special arrangements with Mimi..

4. WATER & COUNTRY PLUMBING

well provides abundant and drinkable water to the farm. However, the house uses a septic system, so please adopt “country ways” and use water sparingly. As Mimi says, “Water, so good you’ll want to bottle it and take it home!”

5. SAUNA

Looking outside the kitchen window, you’ll see a milkshed which has been converted into a great redwood sauna! The easy-to-use electric controls are located just inside the red door. It takes about 30 minutes to warm up. A switch for the patio floodlight is located just inside the porch door. Remember, saunas are dry, so do not use water to create a steambath!

6. OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES

Please, no glass containers anywhere near the ponds!! Broken glass in a pond is a disaster!!

Winter

• Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding --- Stratton Mountain is located just five miles away. Bromley is almost as close and is known as a great family ski area. Magic Mountain is also close and has winter tubing, Okemo Mountain, about 20 miles north, is also very popular. Killington (about 45 miles north) is the largest area in Vermont and has the longest season.
• Cross-country Skiing --- The Viking Ski Touring Center (824-3933) has some of the best cross-country ski trails in Vermont. It is located in Londonderry, off Route 11. Another local area is Wild Wings in Peru (824-6793). You can also try cross-country skiing in the extensive fields around the house.
• Ice Skating --- When conditions are right, the middle pond outside the living room has great skating. In addition, local kids usually clear snow off the Mill Pond in Londonderry, where pickup hockey games are often found. Riley Rink at Hunter Park one mile north of Manchester rents skates and has an indoor rink (362-0150). Londonderry is building the Londonderry skating rink behind the shopping center which is scheduled for completion this winter.
• Sledding --- You are welcome to use any sleds you find at the farm. Try the big hill on the other side of the big pond for a great run, ending up on the pond.
• Horse-drawn Sleigh Ride --- Taylor Farm on Route 11 in Londonderry provides sleigh rides with picnic baskets as well as hot cider by the bonfire. You should definitely book ahead (824-5690).

Summer

• Fishing --- Nearby Gale Meadows is famous for its fishing, as well as the Battenkill River in Manchester, the Hapgood Pond in Peru, and many other streams and rivers. Orvis Outfitters, located in Manchester, is a wonderful fishing store and has a casting pond filled with trout.
• The farming life —- Make a point to visit Taylor Farm to see a working farm up close. They welcome visitors and you are encouraged to walk amongst the hundreds of animals and feed them with food you can buy at the farm store.
• Swimming --- The big pond is great for swimming. Try the sandy area behind the large rock. You'll find frogs, fish, salamanders and an occasional family of wild ducks. Pikes Falls, with its dramatic rock formations, has a great swimming hole below the falls. You’ll also like the Hapgood Pond in Peru.
• Mountain Biking --- Bring your mountain bike or a rental bike up the Stratton chair lift and ride down the trails
• Canoeing --- There is a canoe and paddleboard for paddling around in the big pond. For a nice day trip, you can rent canoes in Brattleboro and go paddling on the Connecticut River. Call Wildwater Outfitters, on Elliot St. in Battleboro, for information (802-854-4133).
• Hiking --- There are many walking and hiking trails nearby, including the well-known Appalachian Trail.
• Bromley --- The Alpine Slide and other rides and attractions are always fun and a must-do.
• Golf --- Nearby golf courses include Stratton, Tater Hill, and Equinox.
• Putting Green outside kitchen --- Test your putting skills on our recently installed 6-hole putting green.
• Playfield --- The level field behind the barn is a great place to play catch, badminton, volleyball and croquet. You’ll find a light switch which illuminates the playfield just inside the main barn entrance on the right. The mercury-vapor light takes a few minutes to attain full intensity.

Year Round

• Manchester --- With many factory outlet stores, Manchester is a shoppers' mecca. While there, you might visit Hildene, Todd Lincoln’s summer home, have a drink at the Equinox Hotel or the Wilburton Inn, and browse the books at the wonderful Northshire Bookstore.
• Town of Weston --- Eleven miles away, Weston is a must visit. Many consider it the most picturesque village in Vermont. Check out The Vermont Country Store.

7. INDOOR ACTIVITIES

• Two HDTV’s --- The living room TV plays Directv and streaming services such as Netflix. The study TV plays streaming services through the DVD player
• Pool Table --- We have a regulation-sized pool table. Cue sticks and balls are located in the game closet near the table. There are many games and jigsaw puzzles in this closet as well.

8. SHOPPING

The Londonderry Market, located in the Londonderry Shopping Center, is the nearest grocery store. To get there, turn left on Route 100 and follow for about 4 miles. The local liquor store is just up the road from The Londonderry Market. The Northshire Bookstore in Manchester is friendly and has an amazing assortment of books.,
Manchester is also known for its discount stores.
Honeypie in Rawsonville serves delicious hamburgers.
Jake’s in Londonderry serves up decent country food,

9. CHURCH SERVICES

Londonderry has both Congregational and Baptist churches. The Weston Priory in Weston is nationally famous for its monks who sing at their services. The Weston Priory is nominally Catholic but everyone is welcome.

10. TRASH

Mmi’s chickens and goats love table scraps. Put them n the white container in the mud room, No burning of trash, please. Put recyclable cans and bottles in one garbage can, all other recyclables in a second can and all remaining garbage in a third can. The cans are in the garage. Leftover food may be left for our House Manager Mimi, who gives it to her animals.U

11. USING THE LIVING ROOM FIREPLACE

1. Make sure glass doors are open and kept open
2. Check to verify the gas valve at the back left corner of the firebox is on. If not, turn it on.
3. If the pilot light under log set is lit, rotate the right most control knob counter clockwise from “Pilot” to “On.” The fire will start within seconds.
4. If the pilot light is not lit, turn the control knob to “Pilot,” then push in the control knob and use a match or lighter to light the pilot light. Release the control knob after 10 seconds and the pilot light should continue to burn.
5. Rotate the control knob from “Pilot” to “On”. The fire will start within seconds.
6. Enjoy your fire.
7. When you are finished, turn the control knob clockwise to “Pilot” and the fire will go out.
8. Note: We reluctantly decided to install the propane log set. We made the decision in order to keep the guests and the house safer

12. USING THE GENERATOR

If power is lost, call Mimi Wright (802-375-4807), Jon Wright (802-824-5690) and A.J. (802-491-9150) in that order until someone answers.

If none answer or are unable to come, do the following:

1. Take the cover off of generator which is located outside at the corner of the living room.
2. Turn on propane at the wall of the house.
3. Turn switch on side of generator to “Propane.”
4. Turn on choke at end of generator.
5. Start engine.
6. Turn off choke.
7. Go into the cellar and go to the corner at which the generator is located.
8. Locate the small circuit breaker box (the left most box of the 3) and flip on the double switch at the bottom and then the remaining switches.

Done properly, the generator should provide enough power for heat, water, frig and enough circuits to be comfortable. The 500 gallon propane tank will get you through the outage.

13. WHEN YOU LEAVE

• Please sign the Guest Book , a tradition going back to 1967, when we bought the farm. If you look attentively, you can find Lisa Halliby (aka Queen Noor of Jordan) signed the book. And Jake Burton Carpenter, who managed and lived at the farm in the 70’s and invented the snowboard on the bench in the mudroom.
• Linens: Leave the used sheets, pillowcases and towels in the mudroom and used beds unmade.
• Fireplace: Close the fireplace glass doors if you have used the living room fireplace during your stay.
• Please restore any furniture you’ve moved to their original positions.
• Cleaning Fee: Please leave the $150 cleaning fee on the kitchen counter, unless you are an Airbnb or Vrbo customer, in which case you have already paid the cleaning fee.
• Thermostats: Restore the three thermostats to 50° if you reset them during your visit. Turn off all lights but the kitchen sink light. Make sure all outside doors, including the sauna, are shut tightly. Leave the back door unlocked and the key on the kitchen counter, just as you found them when you arrived..
• Trash: Put the separated trash in the garbage cans in the garage.

Thank you for visiting Spring Hill Farm. We enjoy having you visit and look forward to your return. If you have feedback for me concerning your stay, please call or email me. Have a safe journey home.

Nick Adamson

phone: (732) 842-1218 . email: nick@vermontfarmhouse.com