RUPERT - The Annual Sheep Dog Trials take place at Merck Forest & Farmland Center (MFFC) the weekend of Sept. 8 and 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. In their eighth year at MFFC, they are the third leg of the Vermont Triple Crown of the North East Border Collie Association.

The weekend will feature a family-focused round of activities and will include traditional farm games such as sack races and egg tosses. Throughout the day, there will also be potato stamping and wagon wheel weaving, young dog training, in addition to blacksmithing, and individuals conducting demonstrations in knitting, spinning, carding and skirting. Pony rides will be offered during the sheep dog trials, and a variety of regional farm-to-table food offerings and specialties will be available for purchase.

Sponsors for the 2012 Sheep Dog Trials at Merck Forest & Farmland Center include the Vermont Country Store, rk Miles, Rupert Veterinary Clinic, Stratton Magazine, HN Williams and Orvis. Adult tickets for the event are $5, children 12 and under $3, while children four and under free.

Merck Forest and Farmland Center is an educational non-profit organization whose mission is to teach and demonstrate the benefits of innovative, sustainable management of forest and farmland. Located on 3,160 acres of forest and farmland in the Taconic Mountains of southwestern Vermont, Merck Forest and Farmland Center is open to the public year round, seven days a week from dawn to dusk. There is no admission fee and the

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public is invited to enjoy the thirty-six miles of trails for hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and horseback riding throughout the year. Merck Forest and Farmland Center is located at 3270 Route 315 in Rupert. For more information contact, 802-394-7836 or go to www.merckforest.org.