Arts and Ag for 2012

Arts and Agriculture Meeting – December 12, 2011

This meeting--a delicious potluck supper-- was for artists, farmers and other non-farm venues to meet each other and talk about their individual interests in the Arts and Agriculture place-making project in an effort to find commonalities that could turn into real partnerships. Dan discussed the work done under the current NEA grant awarded to the Wallkill River School and some of the ideas that came out of those meetings. The Arts Council is not eligible to apply for a follow-up NEA grant until 2013, so funding for these projects will have to come from other grant opportunities or corporate sponsorships. NYSCA is a possible grant approach to take, but the projects will have to fall under some larger umbrella goal in order to lend cohesiveness to the grant application. The goal will be to develop ideas that can be done with little to no funding, as well as ideas that will require more significant funding so that, regardless of the outcome of our grants, some projects will still happen.

Who Was There:
Seth Aylmer is from Brooklyn, works with an organization called TrustArt.org, and is interested in developing public art projects, art on the land.

Dawn Ansbro, Executive Director of the Orange County Arts Council, is interested in incorporating a “farm tour” into the Arts Council’s existing Studio Tour program.

Jane Hamburger is working with Dan Mack on a project to use school courtyards as agricultural learning opportunities and to develop a model that can be replicated in other schools both in and outside of Orange County.

Robert Schmick is from Museum Village and is interested in using their land to help promote agricultural education. He has partnered with the J&AFarm to farm part of the property and possibly use original farming techniques to tie the project to Museum Village’s historic mission.

Laurie Seeman, Strawtown Studio in Rockland County, is an environmental artist who enjoys working with youth and has an established curriculum that could be replicated on a farm.


Joanna Dickey works with Laurie Seeman at Strawtown and has a background in murals and print-making. She is interested in working with youth and making art both on the farm and from the farm.

Gar Wang is a Warwick artist and educator who lectures on organic gardening. Her interest is in developing a program involving the connection between certain traditional art forms/crafts and farm animals/plants (fiber arts such as felting, weaving with sheep, goat, alpaca, etc. as well as dyeing fibers with natural plant materials) and she would be interested in talking with Robert Schmick about the programs at Museum Village as she is interested in the educational potential of this idea. She does not want to see this project become a “tacky” tourism attraction like Applefest which bases its success on commercialism, scale and the use of outside vendors as she feels this could destroy the small town community we all treasure here.

Cheryl Rogowski from Rogowski Farm already does dinner on the farm, breakfasts on the farm, wild week walks, tomato festivals (no more). Interested in preserving what they represent and getting people back in touch with the land while maintaining the integrity of the land. Mentioned Glynwood, a small non-profit working farm in the Hudson Valley (www.glynwood.org) and their ability to get a small modular mobile slaughterhouse on the property which is needed in Orange County. Also mentioned the interest in master canning classes.

Ron Gee is a Warwick artist and is interested in using the landscape as canvas. Mentioned project in Japan where different color crops are planted in such a way that they create a work of art when seen from above – this is both aesthetically pleasing, as well as practical.

Cedric Glasper, board president for the Warwick Chamber of Commerce, is interested in place-making and is working with the Chamber to develop a tourism strategy for the Warwick Valley region.

Julia Kove is with Arrow Park in Monroe, an 11 room lodge on 77 acres with a 52 acre lake. They will be re-opening after renovations early next year. Julia would like the property to be used more as a community space. She wants to start a community garden and to bring inner city people up to learn about agriculture and sustainability. Would like to work with local artists on art shows or sculpture along the trail. Wants to bring back the experience of rural life, be family-oriented and wants people to experience a sense of wonder during their visit. Julia brought her co-worker who is a designer and set decorator from Los Angeles.

Nancy Colgan is an agriculture teacher in the Warwick school district and has been interested in the Arts and Ag project from the start. She teaches leadership, community service and institutional stability through agriculture.

Michelle Gluck is new to Orange County and teaching at a private school. She is interested in art and environmental education, loves hands on experiences, is into nature discovery and is very interested in the development of a bike tour in Orange County.

We discussed the following places to work with:

Arrow Park (Monroe), Seligmann Estate(Sugar Loaf), Rogowski Farm (Pine Island)
J&A Farm (Goshen, Museum Village(Monroe), Roe Orchards(Chester), Late Bloomer Farm(Campbell Hall), Pennings (Warwick)


Ideas generated
Initiatives aimed at sensitizing Orange County Residents to Arts and Ag issues
Work Arts/Ag Ed into schools
Teaching people about sustainability and Orange County as a food shed
Skill-building – people interested in this due to poor economy
There are grant monies available for projects with a public education focus
Develop activities aimed at Families
capitalize on the success of the Farm Aid event by having another event in the spring to keep agriculture in people's minds(and hearts)
Encourage not-for-profits to have their public fairs and festivals on the land in parks where people have to walk and discover new areas of in formation; artists can be involved in this

Tourism Initiatives: Attracting visitors:
Consider getting tourist referrals from resorts in the area: Mt Creek, Glenmere, the B&Bs: develop an information sheet on what farms,what artists studios are open and avaliable to visit regularly.
Develop Bike Tours that include both farms and artists studios
Develop Ag/Art places to visit with Public art, Art on the land
Offer rural-land-skills oriented workshops for tourists

Grant-Oriented Ideas:
Create place-based events that can be replicated in other places/farms/counties
Need terms like "conservation", education, skill-building to develop a cohesive grant
Projects must be collaborative to be eligible for funding
Need to have one person/organization to be ‘in charge’ in order to check up on people, hold them accountable, collect information, coordinate efforts. If Arts Council writes the grant, they will be that organization.
If there is no central grant, consider having ag and arts affiliates: where people do ag/arts related work and come together once and a while to share and learn from each other.

The next meeting is Monday, January 9th

Orange County Ag and Arts Project for 2012

We have now completed the focus groups/charette process for the NEA Arts and Agriculture project and thank you for your time and energy. We invite you to see the entire list of ideas generated Please use this blog to comment and indicate your particular interests.
Fifteen of us met to discuss these ideas and help shape the next steps of the project for 2012, at a Potluck Supper at the Arts Council offices at the Seligmann Homestead in Sugar Loaf on Monday, December 12 from 5-7pm.

Here's a report
We're meeting again in early January to form action groups around the ideas people have the most interest and passion for and begin to find the right artists for the right projects on the right farms. Here are some examples. Please call me with any questions

Dan Mack
Arts and Ag Committee Member
rustic@warwick.net
845 986 7293

WHAT CAN ARTS and AG LOOK LIKE?

Examples of Arts and Ag Projects in Land Art and Performing Arts:

In Colorado, SnowTrack Art

In Japan, Rice Crop Art, The colors are created by using different varieties of rice plants, whose leaves grow in certain colours. This photo was taken in Inakadate, Japan. Thousands of tourists come (and leave). The murals in Inakadate cover 15,000 square meters of paddy fields.courtesy of Ron Gee
Just across the river
in Garrison: The sixth Farm Show at Saunders Farm, ended October 31,2011 More


In Quebec, since 2007, the town of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, has been presenting the Land Art event "Créations sur le Champ" (Creations on the Field).
Land Art on Fruit Trees is a unique concept in Québec, perhaps worldwide, and has already hosted over thirty artists. It reflects the value of culture, ecology and environment of Mont-Saint-Hilaire.
Kim Vergil, has been one of the artists to work on this program. She comes to Orange County each year and sees lots of parallels and potential for a similar project here... all to increase the number and range of people visiting the area. She said she'd come and help us get one started. She shared more about the project:
As artists our job (rules of engagement) was to create organic sculptures within the Landscape that were 90% of and from the land and only 10% man made materials could be used in the finished piece. It was a great way to frame the artists and make sure the focus is natural. We had 5 days on location to create the work though we had all been to the spot prior (except for the international artist) to see and pick our locations, and start our ideas flowing about what we wanted to create (this part was done in the spring). The towns people have now become an integral part of this exhibition happening because they come all week to watch the progress of the work by the artists and to ask questions and meet everyone. There was a lot of dialogue going on during the entire process. The nice part as an artist is that we were billeted at different artists homes locally and this encouraged a lot of exchange between artist internationally, regionally and locally. We all got together for our supper meal each evening and this way had a chance to get to know each other and form a community amongst ourselves as artists. Because this all took place in the fall the farmer was assured a steady flow of tourists, towns people and visitors from the city to come see the event, walk in the apple orchard, forest etc….but also they did a lot of buying the produce and apples etc from the farmer at the same time. This event is planned to coordinate with this apple orchards fall crops. This is truly a win, win for this farmer and the local community village that also reaps the benefit of people coming to see the Land Art during the fall colors and eat and shop locally …. By having an International Land Art event this agricultural area is able to distinguish itself from others by having the added benefit of integrating the arts into the agricultural landscape and by inviting an international selection of artists to participate it adds credibility of pears in a more global sense therefore enriching everyone’s experience in the global village. I believe this brings together both local and global as a team. Though many of the Final works are ephemeral there are pieces that remain and carry over year to year creating a way to grow the exhibition over time and watch the progress and transformation of the works.


Ag and Performing Arts Tannis Kowalchuck in Highland Lake, NY:
http://nacl.org/performances/farm_show.html
http://www.youtube.com/user/NACLtheatre


Nature educator Laurie Seeman sent this report on a very successful day-long event which made The Hudson River much more prominent in the minds and hearts of students. It might serve as inspiration for A Day in the Life of the Farm... with artists involved as guide/interpreters.
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/remediation_hudson_pdf/ditlalmanac11.pdf


Arts as Fundraising engine: Robert Whitman Holds Benefit Performance to Aid Farm Workers
Sugar Loaf, NY (OCCF) – On Saturday evening, October 15, 2011, the Orange County Citizens Foundation hosted a special benefit to aid the farm community in the aftermath of recent flooding. World-renowned artist Robert Whitman will present MoonRain, a performance work referencing a famous collection of 18th century Japanese ghost stories by Ueda Akinari. All proceeds of the event will benefit farm workers and their families in the Orange County community who have been hard hit economically by recent tropical storms. Because of the unusual outdoor nature of the program, there is limited seating.

Local Arts and Ag NEWS

December 18 ++ The Rogowski Farm is starting a second season the Winter Markets which include local arts.

December, 2011 Over the coming months, The Warwick Valley Chamber will meet with various groups within the Valley to discuss ways in which businesses can take advantage of tourism. It is especially critical in these tough economic times to band together. Tourism is a viable industry here that will enable businesses to come together and organize to reach a broader audience and make the most of their marketing dollars. http://www.warwickcc.org/ for more information.

November Fall Festival, Warwick The Excelsior Hose Co. #1 is sorry to announce the canceling of the Annual Fall Festival this year due to weather conditions which destroyed much of the Local Farm crops. The Fall Festival which we have run for the past 60 years with the generous donations by our Local Farmers who donate most of the produce we give away. We feel that it would be insensitive of us to approach the Local Farmers for donations of their produce after suffering so much. We hope they have a better year in 2012 and hope to see everyone at next years Fall Festival, Nov 14 & 15, 2012.

October 15, 2011, the Orange County Citizens Foundation hosted a special benefit to aid the farm community in the aftermath of recent flooding. World-renowned artist Robert Whitman will present MoonRain, a performance work referencing a famous collection of 18th century Japanese ghost stories by Ueda Akinari. All proceeds of the event will benefit farm workers and their families in the Orange County community who have been hard hit economically by recent tropical storms. Because of the unusual outdoor nature of the program, there is limited seating.

Mr. Whitman is a pioneer of multimedia installation and performance. He began his career in the late 1950s presenting performances, including the innovative works American Moon and Prune Flat, as well as to exhibiting his multimedia work in some of New York’s more influential venues for showing new work, such as the Hansa, Reuben, Martha Jackson, and Sidney Janis galleries.

In 1966, Mr. Whitman co-founded, with engineers Billy Klüver and Fred Waldhaver and artist Robert Rauschenberg, Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T.), a foundation that provided artists with access to technology through collaborations with engineers and scientists. His one-person exhibitions have been presented at such venues as the Jewish Museum, New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and PaceWildenstein Gallery, New York. He has presented theater works in various European venues.

The Dia Art Foundation organized a retrospective of his theater works in 1976, and, in 2003, presented “Playback,” an exhibition bringing together a selection of key works from the early 1960s to late 1970s spanning various media. In 2005, Mr. Whitman launched Local Report, five live performances held on successive weekends at five locations around New York City in which participants used video cell phones to create and send short videos and sound reports from their areas, the final playback resulting in a multi-screen video and sound installation. He revived his historic work American Moon as part of the exhibition “New Realisms: 1957–1962” at Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid, in 2010. And earlier this year, he directed a piece co-located in Beacon, NY and Montclair, NJ

There are a number of different ways to give to this relief effort. At the $500 level, attendees will receive two tickets to the performance, a limited edition etching of an original Kurt Seligmann, an evening event program signed by Mr. Whitman, a pre-show tour of the Kurt Seligmann estate, and access to a post-show reception with Mr. Whitman. Other tickets are available for $150 and include one ticket to the performance, a signed evening event program, and access to the post-show reception.
“We are pleased Mr. Whitman chose the Kurt Seligmann Art Galleries and Homestead for this very special and much-needed event,” said Nancy Proyect, president of the Citizens Foundation. “The home and studio of the late Surrealist artist Kurt Seligamnn in Sugar Loaf is a former dairy farm. Given its roots in both the arts and agriculture it is the perfect setting for Mr. Whitman’s farm-aid benefit.”
The Citizens Foundation is a membership-driven organization that has been advocating on behalf of the residents of Orange County for 40 years. Its mission is to create the environment that betters the lives of Orange County residents through better land use and transportation planning, waste management, water conservation, and preservation of our environmental and cultural affairs.

In 1992, Arlette Seligmann, the wife of the Surrealist artist Kurt Seligmann, bequeathed their 55-acre homestead to the Citizens Foundation. The Citizens Foundation renovated the buildings and grounds and opened its offices and art galleries on the homestead in 2001. Today, one of the top priorities of the Citizens Foundation is to promote the work of Kurt Seligmann and the arts throughout the county. Mr. Whitman’s event is one in a yearlong series devoted to exploring the Surrealist movement.
The performance begins at 7:00 PM on the grounds of the Kurt Seligmann Art Galleries and Homestead located at 23 White Oak Drive in Sugar Loaf. Those ticket holders participating in the pre-show guided tour are asked to arrive at 6:00 PM.
For more information contact Nancy Proyect at 845-469-9459 or visit the Citizens Foundation’s website at www.occitizensfoundation.org.


Fall Newsletter from Jeff and Adina Bialas of J&A Farm in Black Dirt--Goshen, NY
Fall is upon us at J&A Farm. For those of you who have not heard, we were hard hit by the aftermath flooding of Hurricanes Irene and Lee last month. Over 90% of our farm was flooded and the rains that followed hurt everything that was not killed by the flooding, including successive new plantings of replacement crops. However we have remained optimistic and are persevering! In the past few weeks we have had some better (sunny and warm) weather and the new plantings are finally getting big enough to begin picking. We are happy to report that as of this weekend we are back at both the 97th Street and Pleasantville Farmers markets every week! We will continue there until we run out of vegetables for the season (we expect that will be at least until Thanksgiving). Our onions, shallots, herbs and radishes are beautiful and delicious and we should have more greens and lots of other special items each week to add to the offerings available.
This coming Sunday, October 30th, we are pleased to be hosting Lululemon's "Yoga for Farmers", a benefit that they are putting on for our farm (12 Indiana Road, Goshen NY 10924)




10/4/11 Here's a report on what happened... by Janet Fatta

It's very exciting to watch the local arts community develop ways to help create relief for the farms, farmers and workers impacted by the hurricane.
Warwick Farm Aid 2011
Local performing artists have stepped up for a four-hour concert on Sunday night, September 25 at the high school in Warwick, NY. Tickets are $25 and all proceeds go to the farmers through a local charitable organization.

During the afternoon visual artists and others are creating family-oriented events to help develop a sensitivity to farms and farm issues. One of the organizers sent out this email, under the title:
MAKING BEAUTY FROM WATER
Water has caused so much destruction. I am thinking of children (and maybe the child-in-the-adult) to be guided by you artists in the use of watercolor to create their own beauty. There may be those who would want to visually express their anger, frustration, and feelings about the recent floods, too.

The evolving response has included volunteer artists to help with community generated murals:
Water on Chalk Boards ... here... and gone
Opportunities for people and especially the farmers and farm workers- to Make your Mark on paper with paints, markers, and even mud from the local Black Dirt. These will all combine into a Community Response Mural and travel around the County. Some sections will be made into Appreciation Plaques for the DPW workers, EMS, firemen and police who assisted in the aftermath. Art as Appreciation
I'm just contacting local poets to come and roam through the crowd offering to recite a farm-themed poem for people. When was the last time a poet stood face-to-face with you and spoke his/her work? This did not happen
Also, there'll be art objects and services in a silent auction. I've donated a few of my books and a tuition to an upcoming workshop.

Any other ideas about arts capacity to create a memorable participatory event and help build community?
Here's what the day looked like by Paul Romano

September 12, 2011 Cheryl was on WNYC with Jacqui Berger of Just Food.

ALL FOUR CHARETTES of Arts/Ag Ideas

Between September and November 2011, there were twelve hours of charette or focus group meetings on ways arts and agriculture can work together in Orange County for mutual benefit. The Ag people are interested in increasing the dollar yield per acre, extending their marketing season, and bringing more people to their farm markets. Arts might be a way to do this. Artists are looking for new audiences and venues for both working and presenting work. The natural settings of the farm and established farm marketing techniques may be a good fit for artists.

The questions were:
How can arts add value to the farms and
How can the farms contribute to the arts in Orange County.

Over a hundred people participated in these discussions and many will continue on committees and via artsandagriculture.blogspot.com to select the most appropriate activities, people and locations. Some of the suggestions relate to art or farms only marginally ( Is local food “art”) (Are paintings at a farm market really a fusion of Ag and Art?)

Some of these ideas are already in action. For example there are at least two Orange County Ag cookbooks; there have been dance, drama and m,usic events on farms for many years. I think we're lookiong at an appropriate development of these.

Brainstorming Ideas
Presentation/Promotion/Outreach
Present Arts/Ag in a wider context or “web” of community activities.
County-wide logo to link farms and art—central slogan so people associate Black Dirt and Orange County—AgArts in Orange County (8 votes)(17 votes—top 5)
Graphic design for labels and signage—for local foods (6 votes)
Farm logos collectibles/pins for festivals,T-shirts and cups (2 votes)
Mural or signage of what produce is actually produced. Decorating the farms (11 votes)
Get better photography and websites for the farms (no votes)
Road signs for farms like they have in wine country (Received 14 votes)
Internet portal that links to farm/art events; Website or literature for Orange County featuring what’s happening on the farms. Should feature farms and artists, put in magazine also.
Develop artist-type tourist maps, showing farms open to visit, restaurants, etc.(21 votes—top 5)
Get a celebrity spokesperson that feels a real connection to area, Morgan Freeman?.(12 votes
Orange County Farmers calendar, cookbook and paintings (16 votes—top 5)
Artist paints on side of trucks—advertisement for artists as well. . (Received 16 votes—top 5)
Set up geotracking program for mobile devices, giving addresses of farms and including website links, videos, etc. to provide information about institution or farm. (Received 6 votes)
Weekend bike tours around the County to farms; artists could create signage, etc. ( 5 votes)
Expand Arts Presence at Farmers Markets/Green Markets: add dance, poetry
Expand to other types of festivals—Potato, Maple syrupl , snow, ice, early spring blossom
Pop-up markets selling handcrafted items on themes of farms—historic, holiday, etc. (8 votes)
Art walks—fill Main Streets. Apples painted by artists, creating a picture from fruits/vegetables.
Develop Arts/Ag Package Tours: 2 days one night see the Uncommons of Orange County!
Find indoor farm/art market venue (15 votes) Downing Park, Newburgh, Chris Tripoli, mgr
Monthly Open house at farm with art connection, through Cornell Cooperative (21 votes)
Orange County Farm Market gift shop in each village/town (city too presumably) (no votes)
Artisans create custom items for farm markets/wineries: glasses, logos, baskets
Do a farm/art trail. Make the whole region a destination in pulling people through, like Shawangunk Wine Trail, spend the day (42 votes—top 5)

Education/Information
Oral history project collaboration between artists and farmers, farm workers telling stories of
Orange County/Black Dirt farms through storytelling, drama, writing, filmmaking, poetry,
photography (8 votes—top 4) … and integrate their stories into farmers markets (8 votes)
Tie the agricultural community to heritage/architectural tourism (11 votes)
Weekend arts/nature programs —food served, art created, but located on farm (13 votes)
Include animal farms/workshops fiber on animal to finished art project (16 votes—top 5)
Sensory and touch experience at farms, i.e. terrarium play plants (Received 12 votes)
Bugs education—draw bugs, have costume contest
Educate people on how to survive off the land (3 votes)
Meet-the Farmer Have farmers tell about environmental issues

Arts Events on Farms: permanent, seasonal and single day or weekend
Sculptural/Art trail on farms: Murals on barns, silos, sculptures (Received 55 votes)
Land Art projects fallow fields of color, tie into Google Earth for viewing (21 votes—top 5)
Recycle surplus farm materials and make art from them 8 votes—top 4)
Music/Jazz festivals, Dance Performances on farms;
Artist-in-residence program on farm with open house (artist-in-residence : artist attached to a facility for a period of time in order to create) ( 6 votes)
Children’s theater program, create and act out plays about farming history told by older farmers, farmers’ wives, migrants. (11 votes)
To extend season, Farms/Artists theme weekends Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Mid-Winter, Blossom festivals, Ice festivals, Birthing Festivals
Create Art from Natural Materials: using berry juice to create art (11 votes)
Doing project with local clay using vegetables at farm, can be sold at markets/farms/info booths,
Have a Farm program of Be-with-an-Artist for the day (1 vote)
Games on farms, scavenger hunt using photographs of items ( no votes)
Theater games for kids at farms in combination with educational farming programs (1vote)
Create a venue for performance art that would change monthly and benefit both artists and farmers, changing venue with seasons. Arrow Park would be good venue. ( 26 votes—top 4
Several artists share experiences in a multidisciplinary exhibition and show. (8 votes)
Christmas tree mazes. Flash mobs on the farms, Pumpkin float (no votes)
Stamping art—sell stamps created by artists,; take collecting book to farms and get a
stamp, with a prize for collecting certain number of stamps (Received 8 votes)

Develop Relationships with other Organizations
Contact Co-ops in NYC area and Invite them to “socials” in Orange County
Museum Village—tie in food and arts to that era (music) (11 votes)
International Center for Photography comes out to farms with theme (Received 4 votes)
Invite art schools from the city (kids adults)—practice their medium in nature. (18 votes—top 5)
NY Historical Society. Hands-on experiences from yesteryear, equipment demos. ( 8 votes)
Farmers participate in American Crafts Week second week of October?) (no votes)

Advice: When planning events, be aware of farmer’s seasonal demands . December to February are best available months
　
Foods Where’s the “arts” connection??
Local foods at festivals—locally grown foods (11 votes)
Tie in restaurants and cooking schools on farms, showcase local meal from farms (4 votes)
Create culinary school for 3 days/week, with B & B so you’re keeping people (3 votes)
To extend season, Farms host local foods dinners, have art exhibited

Artists/Artisans designing for Agriculture

In the charrettes, sugegstions were made about artists creating signs, labels, products which enhance the look of the farm. This raises several interesting points about just how that's done.

A good place to start is to look at the Artful Home catalog/website. For many years they have successfully worked with artists/craftspeople to develop and market handmade items for the general public. Although the items are handmade and unique, they are similar enough to be able to be featured in a catalog.
Take a look
www.artfulhome.com

ORANGE COUNTY AGRICULTURE PROFILE

There are 642 farms in Orange County, New York. Not all of them are interested in being open to the public. Here are the Orange County farms already drawing people for their Pick-Your-Own experiences. This is an important group for our arts and ag discussion because these farms already have developed a style and comfort of actively working with the public.

Applewood Orchards, 82 Four Corners Rd., Warwick. Open daily. 9am-5pm. Apples in Sept. to Oct. 845-986-1684. applewoodorchards.com
C. Rowe and Sons, 113 Station Rd. (off Rte. 208), Campbell Hall. Open daily. 7am-1pm, June. Pick your own strawberries. 845-427-2254.
Halfway Acres, Purgatory Rd. (off Sarah Wells Trail), Campbell Hall. Open Late April to Oct. 845-294-7869.
Hodgson Farms, 2290 Albany Post Rd., Walden. Open daily, May-Aug. Pick your own strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. 845-778-1432. hodgsonfarm.com
Jessup Road Orchards, 101 Jessup Rd., Warwick. Apples, call for dates. 845-986-3331. jessuproadorchard.com
Manza Family Farm, 730 Rte. 211, Montgomery. Open daily. 9am-5pm. April to Dec. Farm stand. Xmas trees. 845-692-4363.
Maskers Fruit Farms Inc., 45 Ball Rd., Warwick. Open daily. 9am-5pm. Sept. to Nov. Apples. 845-986-1058.
Ochs Orchards, 4 Ochs Ln., Rte. 94, Warwick. Open daily. 9am-5pm. June to Dec. Strawberries, call for dates. 845-986-1591.
Overlook Farm Market, Rte. 9W, Newburgh. Open 8am-6pm, closed Tuesdays. Apples and pumpkins starting in Sept. 845-562-5780. overlookfarmmarket.com
Pennings Orchard, 169 State Rte. 94, Warwick. Apples and pumpkins in the fall. 845-986-7080. penningsorchard.com
Scheuermann’s Farm & Greenhouses, 73 Little York Rd., Warwick. Pick your own sweet corn. Call for dates, 845-258-4221.
Slate Hill Orchards, Rte. 6, Slate Hill. Pick your own apples, concord grapes, pumpkins and vegetables. Call for dates, 845-355-4493.
Soons Orchards & Farm Market, 23 Soons Cir., New Hampton. Apples mid-Sept. to end Oct. Pumpkins. 845-374-5471.
Warwick Valley Winery & Orchards, 114 Little York Rd., Warwick. Pick your own apples, open daily, Sept. 11am-6pm. 845-258-4858.
Wright Family Farm, 325 Kings Highway, Warwick. Open May- Dec. Seasonal fruits & vegetables. 845-986-1345.

This is a slightly different list of all Apple growers in the County and the various services they offer... U-Pick-It and other
Apple Ridge Orchards
101 Jessup Rd. Warwick NY, 10990 (845) 987-7717 www.appleridgeorchards.com
Apple Grower, U Pick, Roadside Stand, Special Events

Applewood Orchards LLC
82 Four Corners Rd. Warwick NY, 10990 (845) 986-1684 www.applewoodorchards.com
Apple Grower, U Pick, Farm Market

Jones Farm Inc
190 Angola Rd Cornwall NY, 12518-1110 (845) 534-4445
Apple Grower, Roadside Stand, Special Events

Lawrence Farms Orchards Inc
39 Colandrea Rd Newburgh NY, 12550 (845) 562-4268
Apple Grower, U Pick

Masker Fruit Farms Inc
45 Ball Rd Warwick NY, 10990 (845) 986-8852 : www.maskers.com
Apple Grower, U Pick, Farm Market

Ochs Orchard
4 Ochs Lane Warwick NY, 10990 (845) 986-1591
Apple Grower, U Pick, Roadside Stand, Farm Market, Cider, Gift Boxes

Pennings Farm Market Inc.
161 Route 94 S Warwick NY, 10990 (845) 986-1059
penningsfarmmarket.com www.penningsorchard.com
Apple Grower, U Pick, Roadside Stand, Farm Market, Gift Boxes

Roe's Orchards
3278 Route 94 Chester NY, 10918 (845) 469-4724
Apple Grower. Roadside Stand, Farm Market, Cider

Slate Hill Orchard
Rt 6 Box 297 Slate Hill NY, 10973(845) 355-4493
Apple Grower, U Pick, Farm Market, Cider

Sleepy Hills Orchard
1328 Rt. 284 Johnson NY, 10933 (845) 726-3797 www.sleepyhillsorchard.com
Apple Grower, U Pick, Farm Market

Soons Orchards Inc
23 Soons Circle New Hampton NY, 10958 (845) 374-5471 www.soonsorchards.com
Apple Grower, U Pick, Roadside Stand, Farm Market, Cider, Gift Boxes, Special Events

Warwick Valley Winery
114 Little York Road Warwick NY, 10990 (845) 258-6020 www.wvwinery.com
Apple Grower, U Pick, Farm Market, Special Events

Here's a list of the Farmers Markets in Orange County which might be the platform for expanded arts activity:

Cornwall , Town Hall, 183 Main St. 9am-3pm. Wednesdays, July-Sept. 534-0626.
Florida, 190 North Main St. (Rte. 17A /94). 11:30am-5pm. Tuesdays, June to Oct. -651-6000.
Goshen, Village Sq Park. 10am-5pm. Fridays, May to Oct. 294-7741. goshennychamber.com
Greenwood Lake , CVS parking lot. 1pm-7pm. Fridays, May to Oct. 477-8773.
Highland Falls, across from Visitor’s Center. 9am-3pm. Sundays, June to Nov. 446-2459.
Middletown, Erie Way. 8am-1pm. Saturdays, June to Oct. 343-8075.
Monroe , Rte. 17M, Museum Village. 9am-3pm. Wednesdays, June to Oct. 344-1234.
Newburgh, Downing Park, Rte. 9W and South St. 10am-4pm. Friday, July to Oct. 130
Newburgh, Broadway, 9am-2pm. Mondays, July to Nov. 565-5559. newburgh-ny.com
Pine Bush, 62 Main St. Town Hall. 9am-1pm. Saturdays, May to Oct. 534-0626. pinebushfarmersmarket.com
Port Jervis, Front St. 8am-2pm. Saturdays, June to Nov. 856-6694.
Tuxedo, 240 Rte. 17. 9am-2pm. Saturdays, June to Oct. 915-4058. tuxedofarmersmarket.com
Montgomery , Clinton St. 10am-4pm. Fridays, May-Nov. 800-6118.
Walden, Village Square, Scofield St. Noon-6pm. Thursdays, June to Oct. 778-2177. waldenfarmersmarket.com
Warwick, South St. 9am-2. Sundays, May to Nov. 987-9990. warwickinfo.net/farmersmarket
West Point/Town of Highlands, Municipal lot, Main St., across St. from Visitor's Center. 9am-2:30pm. Sundays, June-Oct. 446-9211.

WHO ALREADY COMES TO ORANGE COUNTY?

Another way to look at increased exposure for Arts/Ag is to start with where the people already are. That is, instead or before, teying to get more people to the farms, go to where the people already visit and introduce the Farms/Arts.

Woodbury Commons, the largets tourist attraction in New York State ... in the State? Oh poor Niagara Falls, The Statue of Liberty?

Bear Mountain State Park, one of the most frequently visited park sites in the United States, with total numbers rivaling those of Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone?

Lots to talk about here.

REPORT ON EACH OF THE FOUR CHARRETTES

On a sunny pleasant November afternoon, we gathered again to explore and refine the emerging intersections of the Arts and Agriculture worlds in Orange County. This has been not unlike the process of developing Night Vision. There's first the undifferentiated darkness, then slowly forms appear and then come to take on details.
A few observations, made earlier, but now clearer:
The "Ag" community is as widely varied and diverse as the "Arts" community. Some farmers/artists want just to be as left alone as possible. They are not interested in "intersections" with each other or other groups. GO AWAY! People at the meeting could name local farmers and local artists who, no matter how you plead, will not join some new group.
This is interesting for us artists who hear rumors of NYC artists with Orange County homes or studios. They come here to stay off the radar, not to become a local celebrity.

Similarly, only some of the 642 Orange County farms are even open to the public. And those that are range from the rough mom and pop "Buy raw milk and eggs here on Saturday" to the well-stocked, year-round farm market with restaurant and maybe a pub.

So what's a next step?

Well, back to night vision. First, try not to bump into anything.
Second find a few familiar landmarks: artists who already have some ag connections and some farmers who already see the value or "value added" of incorporating arts into their mix.



Third Arts and Ag Meeting
It was a wet, dark night. About 30 people gathered to share food and thoughts on how arts and agriculture can grow together in Orange County. We were at The Seligmann Homestead, an old farm, now home to the Orange County Citizens Foundation and the Orange County Arts Council. Tasty, homemade foods were provided by the Rogowski Farm

There were three practicing farmers there: Cheryl Rogowski, Steve Pennings and John Wright. One question was what can arts do to add value to a working farm?
John Wright immediately pointed out that all the agri-tourism is centerd on the autumn. Was there something to do that would extend the traffic throughout more of the year? There were a few dozen suggestions for both short-term and ongoing mutual activities, some costly, some not so much so. (Specifics can be found below)

It was generally agreed that greater ongoing visibility for arts activities on the farms was a start; that there should be some kind of branding of Arts and Ag in Orange County and Steve Pennings suggested that some membership association of artists and farmers be formed to pursue this. In such an organization, the right motivated farmers can meet up with the right artists and develop unique relationships and projects. The Arts Council may be the place to help start such a group as it carries on the planning work of this part of the NEA support into some kind of implementation

It seems that there is a group of farmers who already are involved with arts and they might form the initial core of the next part of this Placemaking process. In my introduction, I pointed out this Blog and the reports on the many, many Ag/Arts projects already underways across the world.

It was about six weeks after Hurricanes Irene and Lee devastated the area and Farmers Rogowski and Pennings were still talking about lingering damage in both the upland and Black Dirt farms. Earlier that evening, Cheryl Rogowski accepted a check for $100,000 from the community. The goal was to raise $25,000 before September 25th. Four times that was raised, with $$ still coming in to an ongoing Farm Community Reflief Fund.

I mention this because one consequence of the Hurricanes was to make the farming and arts communities more porous. Much of the relief money was raised through arts activities. This has super-charged this particular time as an important one for moving along the relationship between arts and agriculture.

Also, this NEA support is about "Placemaking"... how spaces take on meaning in communities. Art is a way that meaning gets made. It can make experiences more memorable.

Notes on Meeting by Megan Tennerman

Orange County Assets Unique to the Arts
• Connection to history; Renaissance Faire, Civil War Re-enactments at
Museum Village, etc.
• NYC—close enough to be a market, far enough to take refuge
• Landscape art
• Nature-based art/drawing inspiration from the landscape
• Storm King/outdoor sculpture
• Stone walls
• Intellectual haven
• Unique museums
• Art movements
• The place to show art
• Varied and diverse
• Growing and becoming renowned in region/increasing tourist draw
• Local food festivals (Applefest, etc.) provide market

County Assets Unique to Agriculture• Black Dirt
• Apple orchards
• Fields/landscapes change seasonally
• Dairy and horse farming still present in Orange County
• Agricultural diversity now present—no longer just onions or apples
• Ethnic contributions to Black Dirt farming
• Preservation effort in Orange County quite strong
• Relative economic strength—impact of bad economy not as bad as it
could be. (Steve Pennings contribution)
• Northeast climate—challenging weather
• Water as double-edged sword (flooding, drought)
• Familiarity as image—old farms, old walls, farm architecture
• Unadulterated by merchandising and other diversions

Assets Common to Agriculture and Arts• Entrepreneurship and creativity necessary to both industries
• Proximity to NYC
• Both industries require commitment and passion for the work
• Family-oriented businesses/lifestyle careers
• Similar needs in terms of funding, materials, specialized tools,
marketing, and other resources
• Cooperative partnering between industries already in place
• Both industries are year-round operations
• Both industries are visual and experiential
• Both industries nourish
• Both industries are spread throughout the County
• Both industries are creative
• Both industries benefit from open space
• Both industries can benefit from trend toward “staycations”

Second Arts and Ag Charrette/Focus Group
On Monday, September 26, about 30 people gathered on a sunny afternoon at Soons Orchards in New Hampton, New York ( where they grow 52, yes 52, varieties of apples) to continue the exploration of the common and developing areas for arts and agriculture. The questions:
How can arts and artists contribute to a more vigorous agricultural economy?
How can the farms and farmers help develop new venues for arts and artists?
The Wallkill River School of Montgomery, NY has been recognized by a National Endowment for the Arts planning grant to pursue these topics with several other Orange County partners. The grant reads this way: To support the development of economic strategies for long-term, sustainable partnerships between the arts and agriculture in Orange County. Project activities include a study on the economic impact of the arts, community workshops, planning meetings, and arts programming to integrate arts into the rural communities of the county.

The three-hour event starts with an inviting table of local foods--indicative of the importance of Orange County in the regional "Food Shed".
The question is asked to people sitting a tables: "What's unique about arts and what's unique about Agriculture in Orange County AND then what do they have in common?" After about 15 minutes of discussion the answers are shared among all and it becomes more clear how arts and agriculture can work together.
This meeting was particularly interesting because of the devastation of so many local farms in Hurricanes Irene and Lee. There was a heightened sense of community and shared concern.
To this observer, it looks like artists and farmers interested in actually developing programs and projects together will be matched up and encouraged to "seed and grow" them. In general, it was agreed that the arts can help draw people to the farms and deepen the experience of how time, space and nature interplay on the farm. Visitors to a Farm/Art partnership will likely have an experience of something very special and memorable. They will feel "connected".

How did others of you there remember these discussions?

Here is Megan Tennerman's summary of the key points of the event:

Orange County Assets Unique to the Arts
• Storm King
• The work itself is individual and unique
• Don’t know what the end product will be
• Some artists (not all) tend to keep to themselves and their work
• Number of people practicing
• Evolving with new people
• A manageable size
• Show art at vegetable markets in the city/culinary arts at a farm
• Hudson River School of painting
• Atypical venues
• Different audiences—arts
• Artist as facilitator/coach
• Artist as mentor
• Frank Stella' studio on Rt 17K

County Assets Unique to Agriculture
• Black Dirt
• Work goes in cycles
• More often passed on in a single family
• New apple trail
• Old/traditional
• Changed use
• Ethics of land
• Understanding ecology
• Many farms/density

Assets Common to Agriculture and Arts
• Hand work
• Hard work
• Nature based
• Largest 4-H program in NYS (verify)
• Proximity to Metro NY
• High risk
• Starts within the person—heart’s passion
• Need to provide experiential learning
• Connection to local history
• Visually gorgeous
• Appreciation of the arts helps you get into your soul
• Work gestates slowly
• Both farmers and artists tend not to want to deal with marketing
• Movement in specific repeating patterns
• Affected by outside forces
• Dependent on consumers/viewers
• Not 9-5 jobs
• Work involves people of all ages
• Artists and farmers both feel isolated
• Both industries need more opportunities to meet and connect and
build a trail (a network, maybe? Or an actual trail?)
• Sculptural trail on farms
• Jazz festival on farms
• Fusion/juxtaposition of art and nature
• Create memorable experiences, making special.
• Use of old silos?

Brainstorming Ideas

1. Weekend where all artists can link up with farms—experience the
farm. Photography at one farm, sculpture at another, etc.
(Received 15 votes)
2. International Center for Photography comes out to farms with
theme (Received 4 votes)
3. Sensory and touch experience at farms, i.e. terrarium play plants
(Received 12 votes)
4. Orange County Farm Market gift shop in each village/town (city too
presumably) (Received no votes)
5. Doing project with local clay using vegetables at farm, can be sold at
markets/farms/info booths, etc. (Received 8 votes)
6. Farmers and artists work together at markets in NYC to connect
people with where the food comes from. (Received 8 votes)
7. Art walks—fill Main Streets. Apples painted by artists, creating a
picture from fruits and vegetables. Promote farms and farm tours.
(Received 13 votes)
8. Bring art schools up from the city (kids and adults)—students can
practice their medium in nature. (Received 18 votes—top 5)
9. Website or literature for Orange County featuring what’s happening
on the farms. Should feature farms and artists, put in magazine also.
Artistic experience. (Received 11 votes)
10. Partner with NY Historical Society discussing farming history. Handson
experiences from yesteryear, equipment demos. (Received 8
votes)
11. Create culinary school for 3 days/week, hook up with B & B so
you’re keeping people to learn about local produce. (Received 3
votes)
12. When linking artists to farm in #1, have a show to have artists share
experiences in a multidisciplinary exhibition and show. (8 votes)
13. Artist paints on side of trucks—advertisement for artists as well.
Add in groups of children and amateur artists. (Received 16 votes—
top 5)
14. Go to markets everywhere with literature and message to visit
(Received no votes)
15. Create a logo so people associate Black Dirt and Orange County—
Agarts in Orange County (Received 8 votes)
16. Get a celebrity that transcends, that all know, that feels a real
connection to area, like Morgan Freeman. (Received 12 votes)
17. Book of stories of farm workers (we have something like this—
collection of photo essays, maybe. Check w/Tourism) (Received 10
votes)
18. Farms doing theme weekends e.g. Christmas, Easter, Halloween; get
artists involved. (Received 4 votes)
19. Flash mobs on the farms (Received no votes)
20. Develop artist-type tourist maps, showing farms open to visit,
restaurants, etc. (Received 21 votes—top 5)
21. Get road signs for farms like they have in wine country (Received 14
votes)
22. Tie in to #10—Children’s theater program, create and act out plays
about farming history told by older farmers. Farmers’ wives stories,
too, and sense of community. (Received 11 votes)
23. Have farmers tell about environmental issues, e.g. bugs education—
draw bugs, have costume contest (Received 3 votes)
24. Orange County Farmers calendar and paintings (Received 16 votes—
top 5)
25. Educate people on how to survive off the land (Received 3 votes)
26. Create a database for interested farmers and artists that are willing
to work together. (Received 24 votes—top 5)
27. Farmers can participate in American Crafts Week (October 7-16,
2011—always second week of October?) (Received no votes)
28. When planning events, be aware of farmer’s seasonal demands
(Received no votes) (Likely intended as reminder rather than idea)
29. Have a program of be with an artist for the day (Received 1 vote)


First Arts and Ag Meeting
The first of four brainstorming meeting was held last night at the Wallkill River School in Montgomery, NY. Despite closed roads and overbooked fall schedules, 30 people turned out to explore the common area between Arts and Agriculture in Orange County... and begin to develop some actions to make both more visible and viable.

The Wallkill River School with several County partners got an NEA Our Town grant to explore and develop the relationshiop of arts and agriculture:
Using arts to create greater awareness of the importance of Orange County in the NYC FoodShed.
How can arts and artists contribute to a more vigorous agricultural economy?
How can the farms and farmers help develop new venues for arts and artists?

One major agreement was that an arts and agriculture tourism push has to party of a larger "web" or matrix of activities in Orange County. Comparisons were made to the area wine trails... where visiting the wineries was just a part of the experience of coming to the County. The restaurants, stores, B&Bs all benefit and contribute to the feeling of excitement, discovery and satisfaction visitors get-- and want more of

Other art/ag initiatives included:
*More Open Houses on the Farms... which include some local arts presence
*Develop highly visible Land Art projects on the farms
Use Google Earth to promote.Look at what "black Dirt" looks like from Google Earth!
*Develop a simple Logo and Slogan to brand arts and Ag of Orange County and try
to streamline how easy it might be to get information...
* Offer in-depth Farm-to-Finish days... where people can learn how farm-grown
products get made and used.

The next event, like this, is September 26 at Soons Orchard in New Hampton.

To those other 39 of you who were there. Did I remember well enough??

WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT ARTS and AG

1. This NEA Our Town grant is about "placemaking" . That's the way spaces take on meaning... they become "pleasurable or interesting". This is a way of making them memorable. People will be likely to return to a place where they had a good experience. Placemaking has been a big concept in architecture and city planning.
But here in a rural county it takes on other features. Instead of plazas, downtowns or parks, we have the Farms, 612 of them. What can arts and artists do on the Farms to make visitng there more memorable, "pleasurable or interesting"?

Arts has a very particular role in this. Sometimes making something memorable is a matter of simple diversion, shock or eccentricity. But even a "Freak Show" is a stirring activity: "Oooh! Ugh! There but for the grace..." Plenty of art mines the realm of the grotesque, freakish, the enlarged or miniaturized in service of shifting the frame of reference, the comfort zone. Halloween is this coming Monday!

But art is also the language of joy, hope, stillness. The human need for the pleasurable or interesting is quite broad and art and artists can create portals to subtler parts of human life. The Farm can be a rich and unique setting for this.

2. One characteristic some artists share with some farmers is an abiding interest, awe and love of the natural world. The Farm is a special, active, protected engagement with Nature. Perhaps an artist comes to the Farm as a guide, a teacher, a shepherd to ways to experience the forces of nature at work on the Farm.
A group of us have been experimenting with something like this for the last ten years, It's called the Woodlander Gatherings and it's a weekend a year where we get together in a natural setting to see what happens.

I can see this transposed into a Arts and Farm setting. At the right Farm, with the right Artist(s), there would be this set of activities that visitors would come to see or be a part of. What are they?
Well, they might be related to The Elements: Earth, Air, Water, Fire...
Off the top of my head, I remember the enchantment of Judd Weisberg first introducing us to an hour or so of building small boats and then sailing them in a nearby pond.
I remember flying kites that had been made or decorated. I remember many nature walks where the nature-of-the-moment: the animal tracks, the flowers, the rocks all came alive in the hands of the artist/guide.
These nature-art based activities make the day and the Farm more memorable. People feel excited, touched, stirred.

3. More Festivals were a very popular suggestion in the charrettes.
A festival is a very old form of community-building or placemaking. It marks ceratin times, certain places and certain natural events as "special". Actually, "sacred" is the word first associated with festivals. Festivals are organized ways of recognizing our ties to land and season; to see and feel that there is an order and bounty to the chaos around us. Festivals remind us of our place in nature and community.
Even Applefest, that 30,ooo+ person yearly event in the Village of Warwick has those earmarks; So too, The Sugarloaf Festival, The Onion Festival...

Suggstions were made about snow, ice, blossom, potato and animal birthing festivals.

Here's a longstanding one in Maine, Common Ground, which might help keep this idea going:


Continuing some thoughts.
Arts might be part of an activity, an experience or a souvenir--something to buy.
Another way to look at this is arts are something to watch get done, participate in or see the results of: sculpture, land art, painting exhibition.


Arts as an activity to watch happen.
This might be a painter at work, a theater performer. Pennings Farms has a resident chainsaw carver. This is art as a form of the exhibit, the sideshow.

Here's a plein air class at the Kiernan Farm:

Last summer dramatist Will McAdam both worked on the Bialas Farm in Goshen and presented a drama piece there he'd been developing about farms and farm work. It was an enchanting early summer evening... just a few weeks before Hurricane Irene. Both of these events were a chance to see an artist at work, and possibly, come to see the farm and The Land in a new way-- through the eyes of the artist. In this way, being part of an audience is the first, safe and known step to allowing arts to seep in.

Artist-in-Residence on the Farm
It's also possible for an artist to have a studio or workshop or jsut space on the Farm. Visitors to the Farm can check-in on what the artist is doing and how projects are developing. The unexpected quality of this makes both the experience of the farm visit and the discovery of the art more unusual and memorable.

Arts as an activity to particpate in
In this form, arts are enriching participatory activities. They may be scheduled workshops with the Farm as an inviting setting or ongoing activities which the casual visitor can participate in. Murals often offer these kinds of opporrtunities...with the artist planning the overall project and visitors invited to help finish parts of it.

Arts and Nature Encounters
What about artist-educators who can enchant and heighten people's awareness of the earth-air-water-light of the Farm. That's what Laurie Seeman has been doing for years.

Ag and Arts Develops

After several brainstorming meetings, a few things seem to be clearer.
First, saying "local farmers" is about as accurate as saying "local artists."
Every farm and farmer is quite unique. "Eccentric" was a word used in a few meetings to describe both artists and afrmers. Well, "in touch with passion" was another way it was put. Whatever-- It means that for an Arts and Ag project to root, there has to be a careful matching up of the right artist(s) with the right farmers.

I've started visiting some of the farms in this, the height of the Fall season. I watched families come up and ask the farmer what's there to do on the farm. "Are there animals? Hay rides? Petting Zoo? What's to buy." The families seem to see this as a great "stay-cation" One mother of six children said : "Animals. We don't ever see animals where we live." Another foursome from New York City had been to several of the area farms and the back end of the SUV was loaded with Orange County foods and drinks.
People seem to be looking for a combination of an activity, a souvenir and an experience. Each farm offers a different formula of that. Some are more markets, others are closer to a raw farm.

I'm visiting more area farms with an eye to how arts or arts-based activities might fit in. It's quite a interesting task. Some farms are tipped way towards the Amusement Park side of things. Oh, there might be a pumpkin patch and a corn maze and a hay ride but WHAM... there's the carousel and even the ferris wheel.

What's an artist to do??

How can arts meld with this?

Well, arts can certainly offer all three: activity, souvenir/object and experience. The question quickly becomes do people coming to the Farms really want some engagement with Arts. Can they learn to? A risk is that the "artist" might come to resemble the person leading kids around on the ponies, or driving the haywagon.

This is why the sorting and matching of farmers and artists will be important. Together they can develop, own and refine what the presence of art does on a farm. It will be a exciting experiment!

What might each get from this?

More Arts and Ag Projects

ARTS&AG in Wisconsin
and
ARTPLACEAMERICA

Thanks to: Cynthia M. Nikitin Project for Public Spaces, Inc.

Arts and Agriculture Education

Nancy Colgan is the Warwick Vally High School Ag and Tech teacher and 4-H advisor I've worked in her classroom a few years ago to build a few Adirondack Chairs with her Tech clas. Yesterday, she stopped me at the Farmers Market to say she's very interested in developing an arts-related ag course which would allow her to work with high school freshmen who have to fulfill an arts elective. Because of requirements, it's unlikely that high school students would get exposure to the Ag program till junior or senior year. This idea addresses that and offers students the possibility of earlier exposure to the pleasures of Ag. Abnd it integrates Ag more into the general curriculum.
She's been talking to the Chair of the Art Department and is starting to gather ideas for possibvle arts/ag courses.
We could use any thoughts, leads, references...

Arts and Ag Ideas 9.2.11

The Questions:
How can arts and artists contribute to a more vigorous agricultural economy?
How can the farms and farmers help develop new venues for arts and artists?

Here come the responses:

from Sandy Leonard, Supervisor, Town of Monroe
Add Arts to Farmers MarketsEvery place in OC that has a Farmers Market could invite artists of that area to come sell their wares just like the farmers do. Look at that Art and Agriculture or Agriculture and Art! Additionally, if any of the farmers that have farm stores on their farms wanted to partner with any local artists, they might give them their venue to exhibit and sell through on site. Jones Farm has quite the set up. I love this idea and think it’s a natural partnership opportunity-now you just have to convince the farmers and the artists. But tourists should love this.
See the reference to ta similar market in Columbia, MO

Looks like great minds think alike: I just saw this on the Arts Council FB page:
We are looking for artisanal craft vendors for our indoor Farmer's Market for Nov. and Dec. Our goal is to find some local artisans who make products suitable as gift items to participate in our pre-holiday markets.
Wendy Vandercliff
Pine Island Farmers Market Manager
c/o W Rogowski Farm
327-329 Glenwood Road
Pine Island, NY 10969
Phone - 845-258-8152


Contemporary Artist Exhibits at Farm-Oriented MuseumsI would suggest an art exhibit at the Orange County Farmers Museum focusing on Farm Scenes of Orange County. My mom was active with them when they first got started. It would tie the two topics or art and farming together nicely. I would be glad to donate some items for an exhibit of that nature as I have some very nice paintings and also some marvelous photographs of barns and cows from the county. Bob Score, who was very involved at the beginning of the museum, is a talented person who has done some beautiful pen and inks (very detailed). I’m sure there is a huge amount of material out there that you could draw from.
That would also be at Hillhold and Museum Village, I guess


From Leonard DeBuck, Warwick Town Board Member and Sod Farmer.
Is there a re-use for the Pine Island School?
Take a “look see” at the now closed Pine Island Elementary School as a possible location for classes, gathering spaces, or special events? Please let me know ASAP. After all, this school is located in Pine Island, and Pine Island is the “Heart of the Black Dirt Region”, and the Wallkill River runs right through here

Twenty Websites of Interest for Arts and Agriculture

http://www.flickriver.com/groups/316541@N25/pool/interesting/

http://stonemandy.wordpress.com/http://miriamswell.wordpress.com/category/all-iceland-all-the-time/page/2/

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1772275

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sR6EN-gIog

http://www.essentialarts.org/artagriculture-2/

http://www.fieldsproject.com/

http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/art/index.html

http://theholliesonline.com/useful-links/

http://communityarts.ning.com/group/ecoartsalonanddiscussion/forum/topics/land-art-at-montsainthilaire?xg_source=activity

http://www.leichner.ca/Installations/pommier.html

http://www.productionssaint.com/landart/landart.html

http://andreboisvert.ca/ang_landart.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAI_mn8qIMc

http://ebookbrowse.com/land-art-brochure-2010-pdf-d96254722

Rebar Civic Center Victory Garden

Rebar Park Cycle

Windowfarms

Compass Green

David Bowen Growth Rendering

Greek Pavilion at Venice Biennial

Arts and Agriculture Projects...a review

I’ve been collecting references and leads from people on how arts and agriculture have been working together. The results are very promising. Please add more
LOCAL
For 11 years, the Warwick Summer Arts Festival has been presenting on area farms:
music performances at Scheuermann Farms,
dance performances at Pennings Orchard, Scheuermann Farms and a horse barn.;
dramatic performances at Scheuermann, Pennings

8.24.11 Farm-Based Dramatic Presentation Bialas Farm, Goshen NY
NYC based Actor/playwright Will McAdams worked with us at our farm for several weeks this summer (as well as at a few other nearby farms) to learn more about farming and the farmers and farm workers of the black dirt region. He performed his one man show at a Warwick Arts festival last month. We are honored to have him perform his show for us at our farm this coming Tuesday evening after our CSA pick-up (refreshments at 6:30, show to follow).Adina and Jeff Bialas Donation asked 50 people attended event closed as sun set

For several years there have been Music Performances at Warwick Winery, Pennings Farm and Demerast Winery in the Village of Warwick is starting arts events.


REGIONAL
Art and farm festival: Neversink Farm in Claryville NY. Outdoor sculpture exhibition. Neversinkfarm.com/the_events.html Sat. 8/20/11


NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL

Fostering Sustainable Behavior is a network of thousanssds of interested people. I started a thread there in July

Engaging the public through art in the out doors. For three years Metro Vancouver has been holding Forest Symphony. We invited 14 classical musicians to play in Pacific Spirit Park (a coastal temperate rain forest adjacent to Vancouver, BC). 3000 people attend! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRlnAPE6H5c Celina Starnes, Green Timbers, Pgm CoordinatorSNAP (Surrey s Natural Areas Partnership) Surrey, BC www.surrey.ca/SNAP

One approach is Marin Agricultural Land Trust's "Ranches and Rolling Hills" art show and sale in Marin County, California. The event showcases visual arts that highlight the agricultural landscape of the place while providing an exhibition and sales opportunity for the artists, with publicity and some proceeds going to the agricultural land preservation non-profit. www.malt.org/programs/sale.php Don Hodge, U.S. EPA, Region 9, Agriculture Program

The Green Artists League, Newburyport MA http://greenartistsleague.org/ One "articulture" project is The Alchemical Garden, a multi-year project to create an edible food garden adjacent to a newly opened rail-trail.. funding from New England Foundation for the Arts for this project. Elizabeth Marcus, Transition Newburyport transitionnewburyport.org

Iowa has an AgArts group for two to three years. The group has a loosely organized network of folks who are approaching the topic as poets, painters, chefs, sus ag farmers, eaters, and thespians. http://agarts.eserver.org/ Jean Eells, E Resources Group

I would like to be keep in touch with your developments as I have exactly the same interest here. A photo (arty) record of the agricultural area has been completed and we are now working with artists to develop a program. John Troughton, Australia jtrought@bigpond.net.au

Artists and Farmers collaborated to create new market Columbia, Missouri
The North Village Arts District Farmers and Artisans Market,
The marriage of rural growers and urban artists The market is intended to draw more visitors to “The more events that give people a reason to come there, the more they’ll want to spend time (here),We’ve created a market that offers wonderful value to the community and also gives them a reason to visit.” www.voxmagazine.com/stories/2011/06/30/farmers-artisans-market/

OTHER COMMENTS and IDEAS

Exotic projects are all fascinating, but ultimately nothing beats a good old fashioned community garden. use art [primarily but not necessarily exclusively, ag-related art] as an attraction and a means of creative education Ken Farmer212.620.5660 ext 321

Orange County, New York -- NEA Our Town Grant

The Wallkill River School, in Montgomery, NY, and several Orange County partners, recieved an Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to explore the connections between Arts and Agriculture in four different ways:
1. Hold four meetings in the County to get arts and ag people brainstorming about common ground and mutually-beneficial events. September 8 at the Wallkill River School in Montgomery, NY. September 26 at Soons Orchard in New Hampton . October 13 at The Citizen's Foundation in Sugar Loaf, NY and November 2 at Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville.
2. Continue The Wallkill River's popular program of plein air painting events on farms throughout the County.
3. With the Orange County Department of Planning, complete an economic impact study on both arts and agriculture in Orange County.
4. Encourage City-to-Farm activities. Orange County is a key region in the New York City Foodshed and we want to develop stronger ties with city-based groups interested in agriculture, local food, sustainable living and underscore the importance of arts in this.

November 20. 2011
We are about four months into this project and are now looking for the right group of artists and farmers to create programming for the next season(s). If the information in these blogs interests you, please COMMENT and make yourself known.... and contact the Orange County Arts info@ocartscouncil.org