tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56468507350576273372024-02-07T07:22:15.729-08:00Eco-Culturediscussion and descriptions of events, programs, places and people that help further our appreciation of how nature helps us better understand human nature: By working in and with nature, by making things, and looking and touching and sharing natural materials, we come to be more fully human.Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-90633217640744324612012-02-20T07:11:00.000-08:002012-02-21T08:24:36.731-08:00Ice Festival... Apple Blossoms next?One of the major interests voiced in the Arts and Ag focus groups was developing ways to extend and elaborate the "season" for visiting the farms and how arts could contribute to new, fresh agri-tourism activities on the farms. We knew that we'd have to try out<em>--"field test?</em>"-- some of this before we could present it to the farms as a appropriate activity. Optimists Robert Schmick of Museum Village and Julia Kole of Arrow Park developed an "Ice Harvest Festival" as a form of heritage and agri-tourism tourism with an arts component. So, on Sunday, February 19, with no ice and a article that day in the local paper saying that all the ice-related activities in the region had been cancelled this year... The First Orange County Ice Harvest Festival was held at Arrow Park in Monroe from 11AM to 3PM. We did find one piece of ice in the bottom of a 10-gallon bucket.<br /><OBJECT id=BLOG_video-3d976fe22c94b79f class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="3d976fe22c94b79f"></OBJECT><br />About 120 people passed though the event. Some had come from Maine where there was a similar festival the week before. They brought chunks of ice and a sled used to haul ice and a collection of ice harvesting tools. <STRONG><EM>Thank you!</EM></STRONG><br /><OBJECT id=BLOG_video-7dfbcee32158c32d class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="7dfbcee32158c32d"></OBJECT>There were musicians, storytellers, plein air painters, archeologists and a few hands-on artist/craftspeople and a beautiful horse showed up! <OBJECT id=BLOG_video-75ba627a98b3303e class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="75ba627a98b3303e"></OBJECT><br /><br />Julia Kole's homemade borscht and perogies were notable! For many people this was the first experience of the beauty of Arrow Park and for many of us it was another day of enjoying each other's company. We missed not having more Ag people there.<br /><br />The next event we are discussing is a mid-late April <STRONG>Apple Blossom festival</STRONG>. We need to form a committee of people intyerested in making it happen at one, some or all of the area orchards.Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-83750833990282844112012-02-02T03:52:00.000-08:002012-02-20T08:25:39.915-08:00February 6 Art/Ag meeting notesThe February meeting-potluck of the Arts and Ag Our Town was held Monday, February 6 at 5:30-7pm in Sugar Loaf.<br /><strong>Who Came</strong>: Dan Mack, Mike Sossler, Museum Village, Lucia Granite, Museum Village, Karen Decher, Julia Kole,Arrow Park, Gloria Bonelli, Steve Pennings, <br />Agenda:<br /><strong>Ice Festival</strong> at <a href="http://www.arrowparkny.com/">Arrow Park</a> on February 19 from 11-3. Discuss details of arts presence and ag presence.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmjJeN_hxgiu1ZrPYPaVG7Y3FSdKLyqHBicECCUs6EbDfjVB9ODZyP02CvN2DQ0LzqYEDNS9JDF5Y1ql28cSLB3telx6uF7RluUUFfYTFok3ICmX3cgufn-lex941WBuJ0hDqvt6qijk3/s1600/the-house-from-our-lake.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVmjJeN_hxgiu1ZrPYPaVG7Y3FSdKLyqHBicECCUs6EbDfjVB9ODZyP02CvN2DQ0LzqYEDNS9JDF5Y1ql28cSLB3telx6uF7RluUUFfYTFok3ICmX3cgufn-lex941WBuJ0hDqvt6qijk3/s400/the-house-from-our-lake.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704510964853512514" /></a><br />So far, no Ice on Arrow Park Lake. It may be a Global Warming Festival<br />Michelle Gluck sent <a href="http://www.economicsofplace.com/2012/01/dont-apologize-for-winter-celebrate-it/">THIS</a> link<br /><br /><a href="http://dutchesstourism.com/culinarytourism.asp">Agri-Culinary Conference February 28</a>. Who wants to go??<br />from Jane Hamburger: <em>Food and feeding people is always a big attraction. Definitely discuss.</em> Steve and Jill Pennings are planning to go to this.<br /><br />Mike Sossler mentioned the April 1 re-opening of the Farm Tools Exhibit at museum Village and offered it as one of the monthkly Arts/Ag events.<br /><br />Steve Pennings offered his orchard as a place for a late April/early May <strong>Apple Blossom Festival</strong><br /> Steve also described an event called a <em>Mud Run</em><strong>Discuss pending Grant Possibilities:</strong><br /><strong>Barnabus McHenry</strong> $5K college/graduate student internship <strong>Due Feb 15</strong><br />http://www.osiny.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Resources_McHenry_Awards<br /><br /><strong>NYS Buy Local grant</strong>, Cheryl Rogowski, Nancy Colgan interested. Artists to develop branding, packaging?? <strong>Due Feb 23</strong><br /><br /><br />More <strong>BUY LOCAL</strong> stray thoughts:<br />Julia Kole is putting together a Gallery Space and BUY LOCAL gift shop at Arrow Park for a May opening:<br />local soap maker, local cutting board maker, local cards and greeting cards from SES project? Are these ways to expand offerings at Farm Stands and Markets?<br />http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/rfps/regional-buy-local/Regional-Buy-Local-Campaign-Development-RFP.pdf<br /><br /><strong>Secondary Items to discuss <em>if there is time</em>:</strong><br />Any Ideas for working directly with the Farm Stands this year?? Orchard Event? like this?? Steve Pennings, Steve Roe are you interested?<br />http://communityarts.ning.com/group/ecoartsalonanddiscussion/forum/topics/land-art-at-montsainthilaire?xg_source=activity<br /><br />Report on Operation Conservation, the ongoing ag and arts model school project at Sanfordville School in Warwick Jane Hamburger, Dan Mack participants<br />http://sites.google.com/site/operationconservationses5/<br /><br />Our Blog/Diary: http://artsandagriculture.blogspot.com/Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-47508102156447294112012-01-29T12:28:00.028-08:002012-04-20T07:25:49.741-07:00Operation Conservation SES<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPOTGpNhz7VvVbI-yrNdXtCWW4Dbdqu0O3CzkyUHaCK__BVwpB1IXbc1nCv2oB9C814UFcTdzxjzFSFw5Jk-AFsWmyDGr0bCvWij2GY8kV-4S4Mnf82fd2RzJytt2ThcwsdUw2lJPSgdY/s1600/DSC05719.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705352088635886978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPOTGpNhz7VvVbI-yrNdXtCWW4Dbdqu0O3CzkyUHaCK__BVwpB1IXbc1nCv2oB9C814UFcTdzxjzFSFw5Jk-AFsWmyDGr0bCvWij2GY8kV-4S4Mnf82fd2RzJytt2ThcwsdUw2lJPSgdY/s400/DSC05719.JPG" /></a> For several months, two teachers in a 5th grade class, a green builder, a retired school administrator and two errant artists have been working with about 40 students to plan and start executing a revitalization of a derelict interior courtyard of a relatively new school building into a garden and incubator for "sustainability". <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26-idWnrlqodeWV5oAjpvj5K5phRJdKMAnw0KV4sguiz3xGlAqH7Jx3KbNOJ7alqSXf79vTlu4Yu8JQKMOz4BlQbXihF-V165FNfYKA1fROCd5ZZ3FmeHOghMS6SBiZ9FCGhi6eb-A6Ix/s1600/DSC05764.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 112px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713441319051171490" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj26-idWnrlqodeWV5oAjpvj5K5phRJdKMAnw0KV4sguiz3xGlAqH7Jx3KbNOJ7alqSXf79vTlu4Yu8JQKMOz4BlQbXihF-V165FNfYKA1fROCd5ZZ3FmeHOghMS6SBiZ9FCGhi6eb-A6Ix/s200/DSC05764.JPG" /></a>This is a fascinating project on several levels and I'll only be commenting on a few of them in this blog. The students have already set-up their own <a href="http://operationconservation.weebly.com/index.html">Website</a> I am looking to see how integral "art" can become in this project. One sad, all-too-common default position for art is as "decoration"... For me, this project is an opportunity to see how far the boundaries of art can get stretched. <a href="http://rusticwork.blogspot.com/2012/02/case-study-in-working-rustic.html">Making a Debris Hut</a> has offered one such opportunity for all students to encounter their own sense of design, problem-solving, team work...<br /><br /><strong><em>"The arts can help students become tenacious, team-oriented problem-solvers who are confident and able to think creatively. These qualities can be especially important in improving learning." Arne Duncan - U.S. Secretary of Education</em></strong><br /><br />It impacts the last year of the Arts and Ag project in a very central way. In many of our charettes, there was that familiar moment when the ag people wondered what "art" or artists could possibly do for/with them. The artists, too, were immediately most comfortable with exhibits, better signage, festivals of arts... all pretty well-known and tried packages for arts. At best, it was a molecular arrangement, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG70gxf5DD8HOwK0iEgLPZ35ab-n4e68egN7y6cwaEkbx5zg_IufT0qszG4HYiVbTP_uoTKL2lcTYyB_yDnSGY-CdS-Sxgn-EZ0X8GKcgJSFnzffMYaGIe2ltDP-xRHNYTK74EjbmGfl1m/s1600/DSC05766.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 112px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713441708784075794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG70gxf5DD8HOwK0iEgLPZ35ab-n4e68egN7y6cwaEkbx5zg_IufT0qszG4HYiVbTP_uoTKL2lcTYyB_yDnSGY-CdS-Sxgn-EZ0X8GKcgJSFnzffMYaGIe2ltDP-xRHNYTK74EjbmGfl1m/s200/DSC05766.JPG" /></a>not a sub-atomic <strong><em>ah ha</em></strong> This is also an interesting experiment in the lure of Low-Tech in a Hi-Tech world. Human bodies and psyches have not changed that much over time. We are built for the low-tech. <strong><em>Can Operation Conservation slow things down? Celebrate the Organic, both in the earth and the humans?</em></strong><br /><br />Why Art is <strong><em>THE</em></strong> essential partner in this<em><strong>:<br />“Talking to trees and hiding in trees precedes saving trees.” </strong></em><br /><a href="http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/review/4703/">David Sobel</a><br /><br />Recurring Questions for All Groups:<br /><em>What elements of <em>Conservation</em> and <em>Sustainability </em>are most important?<br />How can they be expressed? ...in how many ways?<br />Why will students and teachers would want to keep coming and coming back to the Courtyard once they've visited the first time?<br />Is admiring our work enough???<br />Is our information important and interesting? Can they use it?<br />What can visitors <em><strong>DO</strong></em>? This is really a "marketing" issue</em>.<br /><br /><strong>Cool Sites to Look at and Visit:</strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujweM59UwldCFDj8l1bt2p_T09tAdRPhjtd0BMUkIYrIdL4tKlLihSDgL1YtdTr3rnB7RX5WDI2UAQRkEN9axpANo2fgbfw0HC5Km5Vz99lPdB4Ry8blG1VxN30-_72x1z_O1aiaYnheA/s1600/Goldsworthy.bmp"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujweM59UwldCFDj8l1bt2p_T09tAdRPhjtd0BMUkIYrIdL4tKlLihSDgL1YtdTr3rnB7RX5WDI2UAQRkEN9axpANo2fgbfw0HC5Km5Vz99lPdB4Ry8blG1VxN30-_72x1z_O1aiaYnheA/s200/Goldsworthy.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718287887935329266" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.eomega.org/omega/about/ocsl/">Omega Center for Sustainable Living</a>, Rhinebeck, NY<br /><a href="http://greenmuseum.org/">Green Museum</a> <a href="http://www.asla.org/sustainablelandscapes/raingarden.html">Mount Tabor Middle School Rain Garden</a><br /><a href="http://www.frederickfranck.org/">Pacem in Terris</a><br /><a href="http://www.stormking.org/">Storm King</a> Andy Goldsworthy's <em><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0txSCWrSIbA">The Wall That Went for a Walk"</a> is just 15 miles away!!<br /></em>Local Nature Centers in Cornwall and Bear Mountain<br /><br /><strong><em>Fundraising Ideas</em></strong>: Already they are collecting and recycling <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_iyeAwgEs6RcH500-5Pu7inFXtyD5HHWPQqiIR1OM4fAPRXLoWzVYGEFUcXy5gS9yg5vFwLg9f_OQzWilCodTprQfdmUV_pIMw7gsvK7nZvikBy5wQmXonUY4VtKymyv08mPkisq8ypp/s1600/DSC05711.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 112px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705667290172159378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_iyeAwgEs6RcH500-5Pu7inFXtyD5HHWPQqiIR1OM4fAPRXLoWzVYGEFUcXy5gS9yg5vFwLg9f_OQzWilCodTprQfdmUV_pIMw7gsvK7nZvikBy5wQmXonUY4VtKymyv08mPkisq8ypp/s200/DSC05711.JPG" /></a><br />bottles (<strong><em>$100 by 2/24</em></strong>) One group has started making seed pots from newspapers to start seedlings in and possibly sell to people. There was some talk of making Conservation Note Cards.<br /><br /><em><strong>Structures to Make:</strong></em><br />Mount <strong>black netting on the Brick Walls </strong>to hang things, news, poems, art on.<br /><br />What to do with the <strong>Compost</strong> area? Surround with old pallets to signify that wood is the hardest material to re-cycle. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjKLMpzDz4xH3ZdFa0NHm_HVSL8gXeVDvxY8h3Gu9YSL32uk7zSbimkAqpvU6GW28AqrBXKMhwlVTluu_KcpR_S6oJyiaviLNEZxtgFq6wCsdrEXrKR3L7h2XTXQNMvotKlJOK7qqEVbS/s1600/Compost+Pile"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 112px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjKLMpzDz4xH3ZdFa0NHm_HVSL8gXeVDvxY8h3Gu9YSL32uk7zSbimkAqpvU6GW28AqrBXKMhwlVTluu_KcpR_S6oJyiaviLNEZxtgFq6wCsdrEXrKR3L7h2XTXQNMvotKlJOK7qqEVbS/s200/Compost+Pile" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717940007908342082" /></a> Maybe we buy or get a new fancy one like this <a href="http://www.earthmachine.com/"><strong>Earth Machine</strong></a> and compare and contrast how each method works?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBkZ-IXhMOeSZIJNIv9N0hhOmYWNwlZPwxrJGbDPfaE02_qWoEikJ4kIAHWQewH16j2oiJUlK_rQ4e1C6YfHiq0yKCaubOkYX5BWVZn3wYieYEIUqivYswLH-7CR-jzCGbT2uBMol4Gatg/s1600/EarthMachine+Composter+%252444.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBkZ-IXhMOeSZIJNIv9N0hhOmYWNwlZPwxrJGbDPfaE02_qWoEikJ4kIAHWQewH16j2oiJUlK_rQ4e1C6YfHiq0yKCaubOkYX5BWVZn3wYieYEIUqivYswLH-7CR-jzCGbT2uBMol4Gatg/s200/EarthMachine+Composter+%252444.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717938786535725026" /></a><br /><br />What to do with the <strong>Benches</strong>? Can we paint them? Use the dremel to carve quotations from John Muir, Rachel Carson and Ansel Adams?<br /><br />Paint just <strong>black/white tree/spiral outlines on the Courtyard walkway </strong>and keep adding leaves and new textures --in chalk--throughout the year?<br />(A few students noted that the chalk would just wash away. We said: <em>Yes, indeed! We’ll just have to keep doing it again and again, sort of like farming. And maybe even other classes can come and do it.</em> So a Tree Outline at one entrance and a Spiral at the other. Perhaps, there's some Eco-Hopscotch game we can develop for people to play along the Spiral ... with recycled bottle caps as the reward?<br /><br />We're talking and planning some kind of <a href="http://rusticwork.blogspot.com/2012/02/case-study-in-working-rustic.html">Branch Hut <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxbmzUvCSu3qZ7I7rOjU0wQK5HcYwvTyDdyBdOVJXiLmkp0EF0GdUTHCfIa3njhbn35Iw-Nkj1cC7kPX_5HLyE0ZiJHxE5aSxgmWatjfzZ5MQ6Oz-joPtKx06PZgUCjzsWhLS2ehqfgKs/s1600/DSC05802.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxbmzUvCSu3qZ7I7rOjU0wQK5HcYwvTyDdyBdOVJXiLmkp0EF0GdUTHCfIa3njhbn35Iw-Nkj1cC7kPX_5HLyE0ZiJHxE5aSxgmWatjfzZ5MQ6Oz-joPtKx06PZgUCjzsWhLS2ehqfgKs/s200/DSC05802.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715432875097941202" /></a><br /></a>in one of the darker corners. Is there a place for a Secret Garden? Can those model Brush Huts the students just made be the start of a Fairy Housing Project??<br /><br />In early February we put up some <strong>airy wind objects </strong>from plastic bags and bottles. Do they scare away birds? <em>Well, there were crows and a few doves around the other day...</em>Paul (Nate’s father) is helping make <strong>bird feeders </strong>and bird houses. What about Bees? Butterflies? Chipmunks? Bears? Deer? and the Bobcats that seem to be making an appearance in the area?<br /><br /><strong>A Sun Dial</strong>! How much more low-tech and magical can you get!<br />Make <strong>carved directional signs </strong>to indicate the four directions<br /><br />Make <strong>things that evoke the Elements </strong>of Air (<em>fabric strips</em>),Water, Earth, Fire<br /><br />Make things that <strong>make people Listen, Smell, Taste, Wait, Hunt, Get Surprised,Delighted</strong><br /><br />Make Opportunities for visitors to add something of theri own. <strong><em>"I did that"</em></strong><br /><br />Have a nature <strong>poetry</strong> center... to read, write leave poems.<br /><em><strong>Make up stories about what happens in the Garden when the school closes</strong></em><br /><br />Have Operation Conservation <strong>Cards</strong> to make and collect. Each card is about some different part of the Courtyard: planting, soil, birds, quotes from Muir, Adams, Carson.<br />Have Operation Conservation <strong>Cartoon strips and Activity booklets</strong>.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgvfCdXPI7EH4ntKpmgbUqlGvY7HGYf8uCNQmwbLAGhKn2_2zSVcqXk3-9nR-byPDi9KDSqBqdCOhNODLFC7CwKHypjI9myue-POCljXCSEUEwejdGtci2HkMofMHKX_m3a7ikzzFoMp6/s1600/DSC05702.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 112px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705691433286607730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgvfCdXPI7EH4ntKpmgbUqlGvY7HGYf8uCNQmwbLAGhKn2_2zSVcqXk3-9nR-byPDi9KDSqBqdCOhNODLFC7CwKHypjI9myue-POCljXCSEUEwejdGtci2HkMofMHKX_m3a7ikzzFoMp6/s200/DSC05702.JPG" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggO8kyHRMwM4GA8SBwzBX8P3sRDgatuORQX0jPCNZXmWLBgDkrCeAlNkgoGwTB-LwKVILhrupTWo5Ny58nxAe2FzMvrOEkkENyYEShB2x7H8WpYlxFYfRvKaEnEuedrKAJ_bGRcuzZhz8X/s1600/DSC05785.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggO8kyHRMwM4GA8SBwzBX8P3sRDgatuORQX0jPCNZXmWLBgDkrCeAlNkgoGwTB-LwKVILhrupTWo5Ny58nxAe2FzMvrOEkkENyYEShB2x7H8WpYlxFYfRvKaEnEuedrKAJ_bGRcuzZhz8X/s200/DSC05785.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5715434399504916050" /></a> Several of the students are into cartooning; the teacher has already worked with the whole class doing cartoon strips. Can this be a strong base for reflecting what the project is about?<br /><br />Have a place for <em><strong>Nature News </strong></em>On Boards? Teachers bring classes who read the news and pick and discuss their favorite The Art Group creates logo-format for the information<br />an example <em>Did you Know: Birdsongs Birds sing using the syrinx, the avian vocal organ. Singing is usually confined to males and is at its height during the breeding season, when it is used to attract a mate. Birdsongs are usually more complex and longer than birdcalls. There is evidence that songs are learned, while certain calls are inherited. A male chaffinch hatchling, for example, sings a "subsong" but only learns the true song by hearing and imitating adult males.</em><br /><br /><em><strong>Results of 1.20 Survey asking other students and teachers what they'd like to have in the Courtyard:</strong></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQxmkNHBoT-Tpe-1Ep0Y4JMwC__kHD7mMxFxDxdawF4CSWrS-saqG5jflMMfXpXl5fZOK27V5drWzQ7RqWNXS-7-9YAp8O-72gWgpqqc85BOVOw62S2Qm4Rb9sVfqe0UkxsJII4l2LExC/s1600/chfountain.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5703422579352021266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQxmkNHBoT-Tpe-1Ep0Y4JMwC__kHD7mMxFxDxdawF4CSWrS-saqG5jflMMfXpXl5fZOK27V5drWzQ7RqWNXS-7-9YAp8O-72gWgpqqc85BOVOw62S2Qm4Rb9sVfqe0UkxsJII4l2LExC/s400/chfountain.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Other classes can leave questions for Operation Conservation to research and answer<br />Have other Classes artwork <em>Art group collects and curates these</em>Have Operation Conservation Experiments other people can do…<br />Oh yes, finally, there is big interest in having a chocolate fountain in the Courtyard.<br /><br />Landscape Architect Barbara Restainio has been working on a study of the Waywayanda Creeek in the Warwick area for about a year. She's noted how it flows right through the Sandfordville School property ... and after looking at this blog sent <a href="http://www.asla.org/sustainablelandscapes/raingarden.html">these pictures of a related school project</a> in Oregon.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkrcaPEKFlabQyLCJa2Q0w7Gyi11RI0N3LuppicYAlW4Sn1ypUo_CECfFKo_22yX0DZJS9y3Wjen_rowcpleI2gD4CV-YlyEg38IvkQ50ax5UTnNco-BIM2quADRp3R7HZGOcSpaP2WLE/s1600/DSC05727.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5705351556244117762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilkrcaPEKFlabQyLCJa2Q0w7Gyi11RI0N3LuppicYAlW4Sn1ypUo_CECfFKo_22yX0DZJS9y3Wjen_rowcpleI2gD4CV-YlyEg38IvkQ50ax5UTnNco-BIM2quADRp3R7HZGOcSpaP2WLE/s400/DSC05727.JPG" /></a><br /><br />Hey Colin and Rob, here's a good 5-minute <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=jJrzIdDUfT4&vq=medium">youtube</a>Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-60344139033423084412012-01-12T10:58:00.000-08:002012-01-12T11:02:33.446-08:00Ag Branding Grant available...with an arts spin?Thanks, Cheryl Rogowski for this tip:<br /><a href="http://www.agriculture.ny.gov/rfps/regional-buy-local/Regional-Buy-Local-Campaign-Development-RFP.pdf">Specialty Crop Block Grant</a> ... due February 23, 2012Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-15084863077543613872012-01-07T06:27:00.000-08:002012-02-19T14:56:13.550-08:00Arts and Agriculture Placemaking DevelopsJanuary 10, 2012<br />Since December, some of us have been meeting at a monthly potluck supper to see what the next steps might be for developing a better, more vibrant sense of place in Orange County by heightening the role of arts and agriculture. We've selected several of the conclusions from the Visioning Sessions during the summer and started talking and planning and looking for partners to develop plans and ideas. Here's what we are actively talking about from the conclusions of the Visioning:<br /> <br /><strong>“More Land-Based Festivals and Events“:</strong><br /><br /><strong>February 19, 2012, 11AM-3PM at Arrow Park, Orange Turnpike, Monroe, NY</strong><br /><strong>Ice Harvest Festival</strong>. A mid-winter celebration of the beauty of the season and the faded tradition and skill of harvesting ice<br />Partners: Arrow Park and Museum Village and several artists Julia Kole of Arrow Park and Bob Schmick of Museum Village have started to put together this Festival. <strong>“Connections with Schools to educate about Ag and Arts”</strong><br /><br /><strong>Courtyard Gardens</strong> in local public school with underused courtyards. A place to start to introduce elements of gardening, farming, sustainability within the school and tied to curriculum.. We invite local farmers and artists to visit. This addresses the need for more education around both arts and agriculture. This has started with 3rd-4tth grades, Sandfordville School, Warwick, NY Partners: Jane Hamburger, Daniel Mack, Thom Woglom<br /><br /><strong>“More Ag-based Local Products to sell at Farmstands.”</strong><br /><br />Museum Village is developing a series of <strong>workshops for farm families and veterans </strong>in handcrafts production. <em><strong>These start January 13th</strong></em> <br /><br /><strong>Make Orange County a richer “web” of experiences. Develop Other Land-Based attractions in County to complement and model direct Ag-Based activities. </strong><br /><br /><a href="http://surrealismorangecounty.blogspot.com/">Seligmann Center for Surrealism</a> Developing an art/tourism presence on the 55-acre homestead of Surrealist Kurt Seligmann. A committee has formed to create activities, events and permanent installations and a study center to attract people to the Seligmann Homestead where they can experience and learn about the history (and future) of Surrealism and particularly the Surrealists in Orange County. <br />Partners: The Orange County Citizens Foundation and 12 artists Contact: Nancy Proyect nancy@occitizensfoundation.org<br />Two Related Black Dirt Experiences:<br /><br /><strong><em>Black Dirt Bike Tours</em></strong>. Cheryl Rogowski and Pat Gallagher are planning Bike Tours that visit area Farms and Artist Studios.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVv19lmckE9-LXT-EG8_qBQE5Or6yEjWNlRkdWSoaYEQYYSPyA7xp4SeFgNY4eHNoEkphfqwgzvQAJFSO0nNahQmtLyOIKOguaKQUQDWJgEE1YYha6r0Z6o42hVFIaSw496LaVxiE3fHOH/s1600/31.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVv19lmckE9-LXT-EG8_qBQE5Or6yEjWNlRkdWSoaYEQYYSPyA7xp4SeFgNY4eHNoEkphfqwgzvQAJFSO0nNahQmtLyOIKOguaKQUQDWJgEE1YYha6r0Z6o42hVFIaSw496LaVxiE3fHOH/s400/31.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696047553809894482" /></a><br /><br /><br /><em><strong>Black Dirt Rail Trail.</strong></em> Matt Kierstead presented images and ideas on what a trail along the old Lehigh & New England Railroad<br />bed in Black Dirt might look like. Here's how far it might run and the Balck DFirt <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOxL877XpchKb_mrwwQ3RTlqU7F7VSB3iA3H1AsWvH2qIUogJY0qaPIMmUeaCgVfggfpV8oHgxH1mA5aAr85JF2r1MFcaIJJ5P4ikH8gINRFS2hNIw8Yped9hGA_CotbgvZQlcsFKIq70/s1600/14.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjOxL877XpchKb_mrwwQ3RTlqU7F7VSB3iA3H1AsWvH2qIUogJY0qaPIMmUeaCgVfggfpV8oHgxH1mA5aAr85JF2r1MFcaIJJ5P4ikH8gINRFS2hNIw8Yped9hGA_CotbgvZQlcsFKIq70/s320/14.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5696048199941029666" /></a><br />delights you'd see: <em>Magical</em>!<br /><br /><br /><strong>Pending Activities and Interests:</strong><br />Artists-on-the-Farms Partners: The Wallkill River School and 15 county farms Contact: Shawn Dell Joyce<br /><br />The Warwick Summer Arts Festival. Now in its 12th year of presenting quality performing arts in farm settings. Contact: Liz Reese<br />Partners: Scheuermann Farms, Pennings Farm, Community 2000 and several artists<br /><br />Steve Roe of Roe Orchards, Chester, NY, is interested in expanding the Arts in the-Orchard events he's been doing.<br /><br /><strong>“More and Better Branding of Arts and Ag.”</strong><br />1. Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce is interested in a <strong><em>Visit Warwick Valley</em></strong> campaign to include new events, activities, opportunities, restaurants, shops to motivate people to ‘come, go and come back soon.’<br />Partners: Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce, its members and several artists<br />Contact: Cedric Glasper cedric7@mechanicalrubber.com<br /><br />2. There was talk of a <em>Weekly Concierge Newsletter</em>: what to do in Warwick Valley this week for area visitors. Orange County Tourism has a way to do this.<br /><br /><strong>The next PotLuck is scheduled for Monday night, February 6th at 5:30 pm in Sugarloaf.</strong>Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-53840419510956746422011-12-14T04:31:00.000-08:002012-01-09T05:07:20.828-08:00Arts and Ag for 2012<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Bvk6pKQC4etivCdIiO5vR8rrqx_-XqZNW-5-ZRQ3GpGdwqDX5qVvZZWmZT0_ikg9lW2WZbAlP8UBfqEC0ugxgcjxps2OdQJ39XWaa6RaakE7AZ3a-TtcaCAMfLbe-jhLw4airyKfLRtn/s1600/DSC05565.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 112px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Bvk6pKQC4etivCdIiO5vR8rrqx_-XqZNW-5-ZRQ3GpGdwqDX5qVvZZWmZT0_ikg9lW2WZbAlP8UBfqEC0ugxgcjxps2OdQJ39XWaa6RaakE7AZ3a-TtcaCAMfLbe-jhLw4airyKfLRtn/s200/DSC05565.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686390990787143170" /></a><br /><strong>Arts and Agriculture Meeting – December 12, 2011</strong><br /><br />This meeting--<em>a delicious potluck supper</em>-- 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.<br /><br /><strong>Who Was There:</strong><br />Seth Aylmer is from Brooklyn, works with an organization called TrustArt.org, and is interested in developing public art projects, art on the land.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OG4x26_yPq9kXgSLfCM3ipO6jT0EkDQ0eME702J0qKZXz0Sm51mzHbbgcLkfwTeLH-rKO5VO0REEGBeelqErwAx3KHO59gnwoWL8qC_gTO2oeWTQAaKUY63hYmE73Ua8Y-nUt1eXnsD9/s1600/Joanna-Milkweed.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9OG4x26_yPq9kXgSLfCM3ipO6jT0EkDQ0eME702J0qKZXz0Sm51mzHbbgcLkfwTeLH-rKO5VO0REEGBeelqErwAx3KHO59gnwoWL8qC_gTO2oeWTQAaKUY63hYmE73Ua8Y-nUt1eXnsD9/s200/Joanna-Milkweed.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686391758043811266" /></a><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />We discussed the following <strong>places</strong> to work with:<br /><br />Arrow Park (Monroe), Seligmann Estate(Sugar Loaf), Rogowski Farm (Pine Island)<br />J&A Farm (Goshen, Museum Village(Monroe), Roe Orchards(Chester), Late Bloomer Farm(Campbell Hall), Pennings (Warwick)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIYg46ztr4ZHmV8Bc26qdneJ4jK-SbgLeKZcKKuaGxE9NvI9g3BqbfkXh0MaUlvHZij6xoyyjlhqdL6FRlEfl22NoQ0zgXlTiJc97F1QiSswvS1-VJM3-kJ5jOOLJ5j_od30AKlM1h4aF/s1600/DSC05440.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIYg46ztr4ZHmV8Bc26qdneJ4jK-SbgLeKZcKKuaGxE9NvI9g3BqbfkXh0MaUlvHZij6xoyyjlhqdL6FRlEfl22NoQ0zgXlTiJc97F1QiSswvS1-VJM3-kJ5jOOLJ5j_od30AKlM1h4aF/s200/DSC05440.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686391484202803202" /></a><br /><br /><strong>Ideas generated </strong><br /><strong><em>Initiatives aimed at sensitizing Orange County Residents to Arts and Ag issues</em></strong><br />Work Arts/Ag Ed into schools<br />Teaching people about sustainability and Orange County as a food shed<br />Skill-building – people interested in this due to poor economy<br />There are grant monies available for projects with a public education focus<br />Develop activities aimed at Families <br />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)<br />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<br /><br /><strong>Tourism Initiatives: Attracting visitors</strong>:<br />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.<br />Develop Bike Tours that include both farms and artists studios<br />Develop Ag/Art places to visit with Public art, Art on the land<br />Offer rural-land-skills oriented workshops for tourists<br /><br /><strong>Grant-Oriented Ideas</strong>:<br />Create place-based events that can be replicated in other places/farms/counties<br />Need terms like "conservation", education, skill-building to develop a cohesive grant<br />Projects must be collaborative to be eligible for funding<br />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.<br />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.<br /><br /><em><strong>The next meeting is Monday, January 9th</strong></em>Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-38746348726749827772011-12-03T10:39:00.000-08:002011-12-17T10:23:42.290-08:00Orange County Ag and Arts Project for 2012We 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 <a href="http://artsandagriculture.blogspot.com/2011/11/digest-of-artsag-ideas.html ">ideas generated</a> Please use this blog to comment and indicate your particular interests.<br />Fifteen of us met to discuss these ideas and help shape the next steps of the project for 2012, at a <strong>Potluck Supper at the Arts Council offices at the Seligmann Homestead in Sugar Loaf on Monday, December 12 from 5-7pm.</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://artsandagriculture.blogspot.com/2011_12_01_archive.html">Here's a report</a><br />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. <a href="http://artsandagriculture.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html">Here are some examples</a>. Please call me with any questions <br /><br />Dan Mack<br />Arts and Ag Committee Member <br />rustic@warwick.net<br />845 986 7293Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-17201268773682213162011-11-08T05:38:00.006-08:002012-03-07T05:52:40.128-08:00WHAT CAN ARTS and AG LOOK LIKE?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2juJ0kBYkEenRyal6G8W_KMyPsat4IMSoRSFD8p9nOIrA93_32APmkcn0QkRTVWHXomalHduvAtRjgPJ5YgJaJl0nNVzFDB_UWLzMASYUiqZ_I9IwY0ZYEia5Y6T0OkTwgn91Cfu-8dMU/s1600/snowcircles.bmp"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 151px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2juJ0kBYkEenRyal6G8W_KMyPsat4IMSoRSFD8p9nOIrA93_32APmkcn0QkRTVWHXomalHduvAtRjgPJ5YgJaJl0nNVzFDB_UWLzMASYUiqZ_I9IwY0ZYEia5Y6T0OkTwgn91Cfu-8dMU/s200/snowcircles.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717151827014114802" /></a><br /><strong>Examples of Arts and Ag Projects in Land Art and Performing Arts:</strong><br /><br />In Colorado, <a href="http://vimeo.com/35890182">SnowTrack Art</a><br /><br />In Japan, Rice Crop Art, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-3uWc7gHieVJldt8xhei3W-GiD79dHG3z8OQTyjsdURFwPUqBUPPiuVTnFVeoV2Cs8OU0q_AlkOhGhBoQrQXTYs0tjRVeaeKRR7nbd8PORtnmRO8GihrqGVYe0YUyGSWSuPSKF_yGJLG/s1600/ricefiELd_aRT.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-3uWc7gHieVJldt8xhei3W-GiD79dHG3z8OQTyjsdURFwPUqBUPPiuVTnFVeoV2Cs8OU0q_AlkOhGhBoQrQXTYs0tjRVeaeKRR7nbd8PORtnmRO8GihrqGVYe0YUyGSWSuPSKF_yGJLG/s200/ricefiELd_aRT.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717135644600944130" /></a>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 (<em>and leave</em>). The murals in Inakadate cover 15,000 square meters of paddy fields.<em>courtesy of Ron Gee</em><br />Just across the river <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5Hhvhwk4eoM91T_Tfrf6ApFhjJ6wO-gCX6FTIRNiOJOu6SF7zU-Nq2-Rp2CFs1JzQhie2u4TW-gY9SVvPJeV69VIw5Bndky58fJ084R9VNCdmJeUR1NFacOhFVOqF3bNI2RhslzePZOZ/s1600/28ARTWE3-articleInline.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5Hhvhwk4eoM91T_Tfrf6ApFhjJ6wO-gCX6FTIRNiOJOu6SF7zU-Nq2-Rp2CFs1JzQhie2u4TW-gY9SVvPJeV69VIw5Bndky58fJ084R9VNCdmJeUR1NFacOhFVOqF3bNI2RhslzePZOZ/s200/28ARTWE3-articleInline.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717151281678885586" /></a><br />in Garrison: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/nyregion/collaborative-concepts-farm-project-2011-in-garrison-ny.html">The sixth Farm Show at Saunders Farm</a>, ended October 31,2011 <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/nyregion/20spotwe.html ">More</a><br /><br /><br />In Quebec, since 2007, the town of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, has been presenting the Land Art event <a href="http://communityarts.ning.com/group/ecoartsalonanddiscussion/forum/topics/land-art-at-montsainthilaire?xg_source=activity">"Créations sur le Champ" (Creations on the Field</a>).<br />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.<br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.productionssaint.com/landart/landart.html">Kim Vergil</a>, 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... <em><strong>all to increase the number and range of people visiting the area.</strong></em> She said she'd come and help us get one started. She shared more about the project:<br /><strong><em>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 <strong>the farmer was assured a steady flow of tourists</strong>, 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</em></strong>.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Ag and Performing Arts </strong>Tannis Kowalchuck in Highland Lake, NY:<br />http://nacl.org/performances/farm_show.html<br />http://www.youtube.com/user/NACLtheatre<br /><br /><br />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 <strong><em>A Day in the Life of the Farm</em></strong>... with artists involved as guide/interpreters.<br /><a href="http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/remediation_hudson_pdf/ditlalmanac11.pdf">http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/remediation_hudson_pdf/ditlalmanac11.pdf</a><br /><br /><br /><strong>Arts as Fundraising engine: </strong><strong>Robert Whitman Holds Benefit Performance to Aid Farm Workers</strong><br />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.Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-7360328272528326062011-11-07T05:22:00.000-08:002011-12-03T09:26:39.340-08:00Local Arts and Ag NEWS<strong>December 18 ++</strong> The Rogowski Farm is starting a second season the <a href="http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=dgngqmcab&v=001OwqOR7yhbtUTfwVr49D2doc-qpTgRl3k0OYinTW5LRRCRh2jJn4yEyutj81VGlegR_TC7LGzeKk26Ql-oEaZ2uZYNY64BEK6rVmjq3Nht-k%3D">Winter Markets</a> which include local arts.<br /><br /><strong>December, 2011</strong> 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. <a href="http://www.warwickcc.org/">http://www.warwickcc.org/</a> for more information.<br /><br /><strong>November Fall Festival, Warwick </strong>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.<br /><br /><strong>October 15, 2011</strong>, 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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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<br /><br />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. <br />“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.” <br />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. <br /><br />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. <br />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. <br />For more information contact Nancy Proyect at 845-469-9459 or visit the Citizens Foundation’s website at www.occitizensfoundation.org.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Fall Newsletter from Jeff and Adina Bialas</strong> of J&A Farm in Black Dirt--Goshen, NY<br /><em>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. </em><br /><em>This coming Sunday, October 30th, we are pleased to be hosting <strong>Lululemon's <strong>"Yoga for Farmers"</strong>, a benefit that they are putting on for our farm (12 Indiana Road, Goshen NY 10924) </strong></em><br /><strong><em></em></strong><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1trB9OsM27nJnUP9ryAaWYXlKOAN9uZLdhokjLRX3Bxq8ch-vHuFNC8f9X1nHzX3DPzgS1qGykOz7RPAfVyJRhBEGNxj5ix7HADOFyROjFc9vhzEB09nG8Qe2dDHJ2Fs36nCVitlpNrrH/s1600/farmaidlogo.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1trB9OsM27nJnUP9ryAaWYXlKOAN9uZLdhokjLRX3Bxq8ch-vHuFNC8f9X1nHzX3DPzgS1qGykOz7RPAfVyJRhBEGNxj5ix7HADOFyROjFc9vhzEB09nG8Qe2dDHJ2Fs36nCVitlpNrrH/s320/farmaidlogo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652614484819085458" /></a><br /><br /><strong>10/4/11 </strong> Here's a report on what happened... by <a href="http://www.jhowardstudios.com/2011/10/02/warwick-farmaid-community-mural/">Janet Fatta</a><br /><br />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. <br /><strong><a href="http://www.warwickfarmaid.com/">Warwick Farm Aid 2011</a></strong><br />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.<br /><br />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: <br /><strong>MAKING BEAUTY FROM WATER</strong><strong><em><br />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.</em></strong><br /><br />The evolving response has included volunteer artists to help with community generated murals:<br /><strong>Water on Chalk Boards</strong> ... <em><strong>here... and gone</strong></em><br />Opportunities for people and especially the farmers and farm workers- to <strong>Make your Mark</strong> 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. <strong><em>Art as Appreciation</em></strong><br />I'm just contacting local <strong>poets</strong> to come and roam through the crowd offering to recite a farm-themed poem for people. <em>When was the last time a poet stood face-to-face with you and spoke his/her work?</em> <em>This did not happen</em><br />Also, there'll be art objects and services in a <strong>silent auction</strong>. I've donated a few of my books and a tuition to an upcoming workshop.<br /><br /><strong><em>Any other ideas about arts capacity to create a memorable participatory event and help build community?</em></strong><br />Here's what the day <a href="http://www.vimeo.com/29638431">looked like</a> by Paul Romano<br /><br /><strong>September 12, 2011</strong> Cheryl was <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/2011/sep/12/did-you-stay-or-did-you-go/">on WNYC</a> with Jacqui Berger of <a href="http://www.justfood.org/">Just Food</a>.Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-2685664837479531992011-11-07T05:10:00.000-08:002011-12-03T08:55:44.221-08:00ALL FOUR CHARETTES of Arts/Ag IdeasBetween 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.<br /><br />The questions were:<br /><strong><em>How can arts add value to the farms and <br />How can the farms contribute to the arts in Orange County.</em></strong><br /><strong><em><br /></em></strong>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?)<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Brainstorming Ideas<br /></span>Presentation/Promotion/Outreach<br /></strong>Present Arts/Ag in a wider context or “web” of community activities.<br />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)<br />Graphic design for labels and signage—for local foods (6 votes)<br />Farm logos collectibles/pins for festivals,T-shirts and cups (2 votes)<br />Mural or signage of what produce is actually produced. Decorating the farms (11 votes)<br />Get better photography and websites for the farms (no votes)<br />Road signs for farms like they have in wine country (Received 14 votes)<br />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.<br />Develop artist-type tourist maps, showing farms open to visit, restaurants, etc.(21 votes—top 5)<br />Get a celebrity spokesperson that feels a real connection to area, Morgan Freeman?.(12 votes<br />Orange County Farmers calendar, cookbook and paintings (16 votes—top 5)<br />Artist paints on side of trucks—advertisement for artists as well. . (Received 16 votes—top 5)<br />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)<br />Weekend bike tours around the County to farms; artists could create signage, etc. ( 5 votes)<br />Expand Arts Presence at Farmers Markets/Green Markets: add dance, poetry<br />Expand to other types of festivals—Potato, Maple syrupl , snow, ice, early spring blossom<br />Pop-up markets selling handcrafted items on themes of farms—historic, holiday, etc. (8 votes)<br />Art walks—fill Main Streets. Apples painted by artists, creating a picture from fruits/vegetables.<br />Develop Arts/Ag Package Tours: 2 days one night see the Uncommons of Orange County!<br />Find indoor farm/art market venue (15 votes) Downing Park, Newburgh, Chris Tripoli, mgr<br />Monthly Open house at farm with art connection, through Cornell Cooperative (21 votes)<br />Orange County Farm Market gift shop in each village/town (city too presumably) (no votes)<br />Artisans create custom items for farm markets/wineries: glasses, logos, baskets<br />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)<br /><br /><strong>Education/Information<br /></strong>Oral history project collaboration between artists and farmers, farm workers telling stories of<br />Orange County/Black Dirt farms through storytelling, drama, writing, filmmaking, poetry,<br />photography (8 votes—top 4) … and integrate their stories into farmers markets (8 votes)<br />Tie the agricultural community to heritage/architectural tourism (11 votes)<br />Weekend arts/nature programs —food served, art created, but located on farm (13 votes)<br />Include animal farms/workshops fiber on animal to finished art project (16 votes—top 5)<br />Sensory and touch experience at farms, i.e. terrarium play plants (Received 12 votes)<br />Bugs education—draw bugs, have costume contest<br />Educate people on how to survive off the land (3 votes)<br />Meet-the Farmer Have farmers tell about environmental issues<br /><br /><strong>Arts Events on Farms: permanent, seasonal and single day or weekend<br /></strong>Sculptural/Art trail on farms: Murals on barns, silos, sculptures (Received 55 votes)<br />Land Art projects fallow fields of color, tie into Google Earth for viewing (21 votes—top 5)<br />Recycle surplus farm materials and make art from them 8 votes—top 4)<br />Music/Jazz festivals, Dance Performances on farms;<br />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)<br />Children’s theater program, create and act out plays about farming history told by older farmers, farmers’ wives, migrants. (11 votes)<br />To extend season, Farms/Artists theme weekends Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Mid-Winter, Blossom festivals, Ice festivals, Birthing Festivals<br />Create Art from Natural Materials: using berry juice to create art (11 votes)<br />Doing project with local clay using vegetables at farm, can be sold at markets/farms/info booths,<br />Have a Farm program of Be-with-an-Artist for the day (1 vote)<br />Games on farms, scavenger hunt using photographs of items ( no votes)<br />Theater games for kids at farms in combination with educational farming programs (1vote)<br />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<br />Several artists share experiences in a multidisciplinary exhibition and show. (8 votes)<br />Christmas tree mazes. Flash mobs on the farms, Pumpkin float (no votes)<br />Stamping art—sell stamps created by artists,; take collecting book to farms and get a<br />stamp, with a prize for collecting certain number of stamps (Received 8 votes)<br /><br /><strong>Develop Relationships with other Organizations<br /></strong>Contact Co-ops in NYC area and Invite them to “socials” in Orange County<br />Museum Village—tie in food and arts to that era (music) (11 votes)<br />International Center for Photography comes out to farms with theme (Received 4 votes)<br />Invite art schools from the city (kids adults)—practice their medium in nature. (18 votes—top 5)<br />NY Historical Society. Hands-on experiences from yesteryear, equipment demos. ( 8 votes)<br />Farmers participate in American Crafts Week second week of October?) (no votes)<br /><br /><strong>Advice</strong>: <em>When planning events, be aware of farmer’s seasonal demands . December to February are best available months<br /></em> <br /><strong>Foods</strong> <em>Where’s the “arts” connection??<br /></em>Local foods at festivals—locally grown foods (11 votes)<br />Tie in restaurants and cooking schools on farms, showcase local meal from farms (4 votes)<br />Create culinary school for 3 days/week, with B & B so you’re keeping people (3 votes)<br />To extend season, Farms host local foods dinners, have art exhibitedDaniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-39519490562594035472011-11-06T06:46:00.000-08:002011-11-06T06:51:34.188-08:00Artists/Artisans designing for AgricultureIn 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.<br /><br />A good place to start is to look at the <strong>Artful Home</strong> 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.<br /><em>Take a look</em><br /><a href="http://www.artfulhome.com/">www.artfulhome.com</a>Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-12462794482414273472011-11-06T06:32:00.000-08:002011-12-03T09:27:50.394-08:00ORANGE COUNTY AGRICULTURE PROFILEThere 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 <strong>Pick-Your-Own</strong> 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.<br /><br /><strong>Applewood Orchards</strong>, 82 Four Corners Rd., Warwick. Open daily. 9am-5pm. Apples in Sept. to Oct. 845-986-1684. applewoodorchards.com<br /><strong>C. Rowe and Sons</strong>, 113 Station Rd. (off Rte. 208), Campbell Hall. Open daily. 7am-1pm, June. Pick your own strawberries. 845-427-2254.<br /><strong>Halfway Acres</strong>, Purgatory Rd. (off Sarah Wells Trail), Campbell Hall. Open Late April to Oct. 845-294-7869.<br /><strong>Hodgson Farms</strong>, 2290 Albany Post Rd., Walden. Open daily, May-Aug. Pick your own strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. 845-778-1432. hodgsonfarm.com<br /><strong>Jessup Road Orchards</strong>, 101 Jessup Rd., Warwick. Apples, call for dates. 845-986-3331. jessuproadorchard.com<br /><strong>Manza Family Farm</strong>, 730 Rte. 211, Montgomery. Open daily. 9am-5pm. April to Dec. Farm stand. Xmas trees. 845-692-4363.<br /><strong>Maskers Fruit Farms Inc</strong>., 45 Ball Rd., Warwick. Open daily. 9am-5pm. Sept. to Nov. Apples. 845-986-1058.<br /><strong>Ochs Orchards</strong>, 4 Ochs Ln., Rte. 94, Warwick. Open daily. 9am-5pm. June to Dec. Strawberries, call for dates. 845-986-1591.<br /><strong>Overlook Farm Market</strong>, Rte. 9W, Newburgh. Open 8am-6pm, closed Tuesdays. Apples and pumpkins starting in Sept. 845-562-5780. overlookfarmmarket.com<br /><strong>Pennings Orchard</strong>, 169 State Rte. 94, Warwick. Apples and pumpkins in the fall. 845-986-7080. penningsorchard.com<br /><strong>Scheuermann’s Farm & Greenhouses</strong>, 73 Little York Rd., Warwick. Pick your own sweet corn. Call for dates, 845-258-4221.<br /><strong>Slate Hill Orchards</strong>, Rte. 6, Slate Hill. Pick your own apples, concord grapes, pumpkins and vegetables. Call for dates, 845-355-4493.<br /><strong>Soons Orchards & Farm Market</strong>, 23 Soons Cir., New Hampton. Apples mid-Sept. to end Oct. Pumpkins. 845-374-5471.<br /><strong>Warwick Valley Winery & Orchards</strong>, 114 Little York Rd., Warwick. Pick your own apples, open daily, Sept. 11am-6pm. 845-258-4858.<br /><strong>Wright Family Farm</strong>, 325 Kings Highway, Warwick. Open May- Dec. Seasonal fruits & vegetables. 845-986-1345.<br /><br /><strong>This is a slightly different list of all Apple growers in the County and the various services they offer... U-Pick-It and other</strong><br />Apple Ridge Orchards<br />101 Jessup Rd. Warwick NY, 10990 (845) 987-7717 www.appleridgeorchards.com<br />Apple Grower, U Pick, Roadside Stand, Special Events<br /><br />Applewood Orchards LLC<br />82 Four Corners Rd. Warwick NY, 10990 (845) 986-1684 www.applewoodorchards.com<br />Apple Grower, U Pick, Farm Market<br /><br />Jones Farm Inc<br />190 Angola Rd Cornwall NY, 12518-1110 (845) 534-4445<br />Apple Grower, Roadside Stand, Special Events<br /><br />Lawrence Farms Orchards Inc<br />39 Colandrea Rd Newburgh NY, 12550 (845) 562-4268<br />Apple Grower, U Pick<br /><br />Masker Fruit Farms Inc<br />45 Ball Rd Warwick NY, 10990 (845) 986-8852 : www.maskers.com<br />Apple Grower, U Pick, Farm Market<br /><br />Ochs Orchard<br />4 Ochs Lane Warwick NY, 10990 (845) 986-1591<br />Apple Grower, U Pick, Roadside Stand, Farm Market, Cider, Gift Boxes<br /><br />Pennings Farm Market Inc.<br />161 Route 94 S Warwick NY, 10990 (845) 986-1059<br />penningsfarmmarket.com www.penningsorchard.com<br />Apple Grower, U Pick, Roadside Stand, Farm Market, Gift Boxes<br /><br />Roe's Orchards<br />3278 Route 94 Chester NY, 10918 (845) 469-4724<br />Apple Grower. Roadside Stand, Farm Market, Cider<br /><br />Slate Hill Orchard<br />Rt 6 Box 297 Slate Hill NY, 10973(845) 355-4493<br />Apple Grower, U Pick, Farm Market, Cider<br /><br />Sleepy Hills Orchard<br />1328 Rt. 284 Johnson NY, 10933 (845) 726-3797 www.sleepyhillsorchard.com<br />Apple Grower, U Pick, Farm Market<br /><br />Soons Orchards Inc<br />23 Soons Circle New Hampton NY, 10958 (845) 374-5471 www.soonsorchards.com<br />Apple Grower, U Pick, Roadside Stand, Farm Market, Cider, Gift Boxes, Special Events<br /><br />Warwick Valley Winery<br />114 Little York Road Warwick NY, 10990 (845) 258-6020 www.wvwinery.com<br />Apple Grower, U Pick, Farm Market, Special Events<br /><br />Here's a list of the <strong>Farmers Markets</strong> in Orange County which might be the platform for expanded arts activity:<br /><br /><strong>Cornwall</strong> , Town Hall, 183 Main St. 9am-3pm. Wednesdays, July-Sept. 534-0626.<br /><strong>Florida</strong>, 190 North Main St. (Rte. 17A /94). 11:30am-5pm. Tuesdays, June to Oct. -651-6000.<br /><strong>Goshen</strong>, Village Sq Park. 10am-5pm. Fridays, May to Oct. 294-7741. goshennychamber.com<br /><strong>Greenwood Lake</strong> , CVS parking lot. 1pm-7pm. Fridays, May to Oct. 477-8773.<br /><strong>Highland Falls</strong>, across from Visitor’s Center. 9am-3pm. Sundays, June to Nov. 446-2459.<br /><strong>Middletown</strong>, Erie Way. 8am-1pm. Saturdays, June to Oct. 343-8075.<br /><strong>Monroe</strong> , Rte. 17M, Museum Village. 9am-3pm. Wednesdays, June to Oct. 344-1234.<br /><strong>Newburgh</strong>, Downing Park, Rte. 9W and South St. 10am-4pm. Friday, July to Oct. 130<br /><strong>Newburgh</strong>, Broadway, 9am-2pm. Mondays, July to Nov. 565-5559. newburgh-ny.com<br /><strong>Pine Bush,</strong> 62 Main St. Town Hall. 9am-1pm. Saturdays, May to Oct. 534-0626. pinebushfarmersmarket.com<br /><strong>Port Jervis</strong>, Front St. 8am-2pm. Saturdays, June to Nov. 856-6694.<br /><strong>Tuxedo</strong>, 240 Rte. 17. 9am-2pm. Saturdays, June to Oct. 915-4058. tuxedofarmersmarket.com<br /><strong>Montgomery</strong> , Clinton St. 10am-4pm. Fridays, May-Nov. 800-6118.<br /><strong>Walden</strong>, Village Square, Scofield St. Noon-6pm. Thursdays, June to Oct. 778-2177. waldenfarmersmarket.com<br /><strong>Warwick,</strong> South St. 9am-2. Sundays, May to Nov. 987-9990. warwickinfo.net/farmersmarket<br /><strong>West Point/Town of Highlands,</strong> Municipal lot, Main St., across St. from Visitor's Center. 9am-2:30pm. Sundays, June-Oct. 446-9211.Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-30742218002698145702011-11-06T06:23:00.000-08:002011-12-03T09:29:10.030-08:00WHO 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.<br /><br /><strong>Woodbury Commons</strong>, the largets tourist attraction in New York State ...<em> in the State</em>? Oh poor Niagara Falls, The Statue of Liberty?<br /><br /><strong>Bear Mountain State Park</strong>, one of the most frequently visited park sites in the United States, with total numbers rivaling those of Yellowstone National Park. <em>Yellowstone?</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Lots to talk about here. </em>Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-90961389130317507862011-11-04T04:40:00.000-07:002011-12-03T08:49:08.879-08:00REPORT ON EACH OF THE FOUR CHARRETTESOn 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 <strong><em>Night Vision</em></strong>. There's first the undifferentiated darkness, then slowly forms appear and then come to take on details.<br />A few observations, made earlier, but now clearer:<br />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. <em>GO AWAY! </em>People at the meeting could name local farmers and local artists who, no matter how you plead, will not join some new group.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><em>So what's a next step?</em><br /><br />Well, back to night vision. First, try not to bump into anything.<br />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.<br /><br /><br /><strong><br />Third Arts and Ag Meeting</strong> <br />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<br /><br />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? <br />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)<br /><br />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<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Notes on Meeting by Megan Tennerman <br /><br />Orange County Assets Unique to the Arts<br />• Connection to history; Renaissance Faire, Civil War Re-enactments at<br />Museum Village, etc.<br />• NYC—close enough to be a market, far enough to take refuge<br />• Landscape art<br />• Nature-based art/drawing inspiration from the landscape<br />• Storm King/outdoor sculpture<br />• Stone walls<br />• Intellectual haven<br />• Unique museums<br />• Art movements<br />• The place to show art<br />• Varied and diverse<br />• Growing and becoming renowned in region/increasing tourist draw<br />• Local food festivals (Applefest, etc.) provide market<br /><br />County Assets Unique to Agriculture• Black Dirt<br />• Apple orchards<br />• Fields/landscapes change seasonally<br />• Dairy and horse farming still present in Orange County<br />• Agricultural diversity now present—no longer just onions or apples<br />• Ethnic contributions to Black Dirt farming<br />• Preservation effort in Orange County quite strong<br />• Relative economic strength—impact of bad economy not as bad as it<br />could be. (Steve Pennings contribution)<br />• Northeast climate—challenging weather<br />• Water as double-edged sword (flooding, drought)<br />• Familiarity as image—old farms, old walls, farm architecture<br />• Unadulterated by merchandising and other diversions<br /><br />Assets Common to Agriculture and Arts• Entrepreneurship and creativity necessary to both industries<br />• Proximity to NYC<br />• Both industries require commitment and passion for the work<br />• Family-oriented businesses/lifestyle careers<br />• Similar needs in terms of funding, materials, specialized tools,<br />marketing, and other resources<br />• Cooperative partnering between industries already in place<br />• Both industries are year-round operations<br />• Both industries are visual and experiential<br />• Both industries nourish<br />• Both industries are spread throughout the County<br />• Both industries are creative<br />• Both industries benefit from open space<br />• Both industries can benefit from trend toward “staycations”<br /><br /><strong>Second Arts and Ag Charrette/Focus Group</strong><br />On Monday, September 26, about 30 people gathered on a sunny afternoon at Soons Orchards in New Hampton, New York ( where they grow 52, <em>yes 52</em>, varieties of apples) to continue the exploration of the common and developing areas for arts and agriculture. The questions:<br /><em><strong>How can arts and artists contribute to a more vigorous agricultural economy? <br />How can the farms and farmers help develop new venues for arts and artists?</strong></em> <br />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: <em>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.</em> <br /><br />The three-hour event starts with an inviting table of local foods--indicative of the importance of Orange County in the regional "Food Shed". <br />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.<br />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. <br />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".<br /><br />How did others of you there remember these discussions?<br /><br />Here is Megan Tennerman's summary of the key points of the event:<br /><br /><strong>Orange County Assets Unique to the Arts</strong><br />• Storm King<br />• The work itself is individual and unique<br />• Don’t know what the end product will be<br />• Some artists (not all) tend to keep to themselves and their work<br />• Number of people practicing<br />• Evolving with new people<br />• A manageable size<br />• Show art at vegetable markets in the city/culinary arts at a farm<br />• Hudson River School of painting<br />• Atypical venues<br />• Different audiences—arts<br />• Artist as facilitator/coach<br />• Artist as mentor<br />• Frank Stella' studio on Rt 17K <br /><br /><strong>County Assets Unique to Agriculture</strong><br />• Black Dirt<br />• Work goes in cycles<br />• More often passed on in a single family<br />• New apple trail<br />• Old/traditional<br />• Changed use<br />• Ethics of land<br />• Understanding ecology<br />• Many farms/density<br /><br /><strong>Assets Common to Agriculture and Arts</strong><br />• Hand work<br />• Hard work<br />• Nature based<br />• Largest 4-H program in NYS (verify)<br />• Proximity to Metro NY<br />• High risk<br />• Starts within the person—heart’s passion<br />• Need to provide experiential learning<br />• Connection to local history<br />• Visually gorgeous<br />• Appreciation of the arts helps you get into your soul<br />• Work gestates slowly<br />• Both farmers and artists tend not to want to deal with marketing<br />• Movement in specific repeating patterns<br />• Affected by outside forces<br />• Dependent on consumers/viewers<br />• Not 9-5 jobs<br />• Work involves people of all ages<br />• Artists and farmers both feel isolated<br />• Both industries need more opportunities to meet and connect and<br />build a trail (a network, maybe? Or an actual trail?)<br />• Sculptural trail on farms<br />• Jazz festival on farms<br />• Fusion/juxtaposition of art and nature<br />• Create memorable experiences, making special.<br />• Use of old silos?<br /><br /><strong>Brainstorming Ideas</strong><br /><br />1. Weekend where all artists can link up with farms—experience the<br />farm. Photography at one farm, sculpture at another, etc.<br />(Received 15 votes)<br />2. International Center for Photography comes out to farms with<br />theme (Received 4 votes)<br />3. Sensory and touch experience at farms, i.e. terrarium play plants<br />(Received 12 votes)<br />4. Orange County Farm Market gift shop in each village/town (city too<br />presumably) (Received no votes)<br />5. Doing project with local clay using vegetables at farm, can be sold at<br />markets/farms/info booths, etc. (Received 8 votes)<br />6. Farmers and artists work together at markets in NYC to connect<br />people with where the food comes from. (Received 8 votes)<br />7. Art walks—fill Main Streets. Apples painted by artists, creating a<br />picture from fruits and vegetables. Promote farms and farm tours.<br />(Received 13 votes)<br />8. Bring art schools up from the city (kids and adults)—students can<br />practice their medium in nature. (Received 18 votes—top 5)<br />9. Website or literature for Orange County featuring what’s happening<br />on the farms. Should feature farms and artists, put in magazine also.<br />Artistic experience. (Received 11 votes)<br />10. Partner with NY Historical Society discussing farming history. Handson<br />experiences from yesteryear, equipment demos. (Received 8<br />votes)<br />11. Create culinary school for 3 days/week, hook up with B & B so<br />you’re keeping people to learn about local produce. (Received 3<br />votes)<br />12. When linking artists to farm in #1, have a show to have artists share<br />experiences in a multidisciplinary exhibition and show. (8 votes)<br />13. Artist paints on side of trucks—advertisement for artists as well.<br />Add in groups of children and amateur artists. (Received 16 votes—<br />top 5)<br />14. Go to markets everywhere with literature and message to visit<br />(Received no votes)<br />15. Create a logo so people associate Black Dirt and Orange County—<br />Agarts in Orange County (Received 8 votes)<br />16. Get a celebrity that transcends, that all know, that feels a real<br />connection to area, like Morgan Freeman. (Received 12 votes)<br />17. Book of stories of farm workers (we have something like this—<br />collection of photo essays, maybe. Check w/Tourism) (Received 10<br />votes)<br />18. Farms doing theme weekends e.g. Christmas, Easter, Halloween; get<br />artists involved. (Received 4 votes)<br />19. Flash mobs on the farms (Received no votes)<br />20. Develop artist-type tourist maps, showing farms open to visit,<br />restaurants, etc. (Received 21 votes—top 5)<br />21. Get road signs for farms like they have in wine country (Received 14<br />votes)<br />22. Tie in to #10—Children’s theater program, create and act out plays<br />about farming history told by older farmers. Farmers’ wives stories,<br />too, and sense of community. (Received 11 votes)<br />23. Have farmers tell about environmental issues, e.g. bugs education—<br />draw bugs, have costume contest (Received 3 votes)<br />24. Orange County Farmers calendar and paintings (Received 16 votes—<br />top 5)<br />25. Educate people on how to survive off the land (Received 3 votes)<br />26. Create a database for interested farmers and artists that are willing<br />to work together. (Received 24 votes—top 5)<br />27. Farmers can participate in American Crafts Week (October 7-16,<br />2011—always second week of October?) (Received no votes)<br />28. When planning events, be aware of farmer’s seasonal demands<br />(Received no votes) (Likely intended as reminder rather than idea)<br />29. Have a program of be with an artist for the day (Received 1 vote)<br /><br /><br /><strong>First Arts and Ag Meeting</strong><br />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.<br /><br />The Wallkill River School with several County partners got an NEA <em>Our Town</em> grant to explore and develop the relationshiop of arts and agriculture:<br /> <strong><em>Using arts to create greater awareness of the importance of Orange County in the NYC FoodShed.<br />How can arts and artists contribute to a more vigorous agricultural economy? <br />How can the farms and farmers help develop new venues for arts and artists? </em></strong><br /><br />One major agreement was that an <em><strong>arts and agriculture tourism push has to party of a larger "web" or matrix of activities in Orange County</strong></em>. 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-- <em><strong>and want more of</strong></em><br /><br />Other art/ag initiatives included:<br />*More Open Houses on the Farms... which include some local arts presence<br />*Develop highly visible Land Art projects on the farms<br /> Use Google Earth to promote.Look at what "black Dirt" looks like from Google Earth!<br />*Develop a simple Logo and Slogan to brand arts and Ag of Orange County and try<br /> to streamline how easy it might be to get information...<br />* Offer in-depth Farm-to-Finish days... where people can learn how farm-grown<br /> products get made and used.<br /><br />The next event, like this, is September 26 at Soons Orchard in New Hampton.<br /><br /><strong><em>To those other 39 of you who were there. Did I remember well enough??</em></strong>Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-7695178014291098012011-10-29T07:18:00.000-07:002011-12-03T09:20:51.610-08:00WAYS OF THINKING ABOUT ARTS and AG1. This NEA Our Town grant is about <strong>"placemaking" </strong>. 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.<br />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"?<br /><br />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!<br /><br />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.<br /><br />2. One characteristic some artists share with some farmers is <strong>an abiding interest, awe and love of the natural world</strong>. 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.<br />A group of us have been experimenting with something like this for the last ten years, It's called the <a href="http://www.danielmack.com/WG2011.html">Woodlander Gatherings</a> and it's a weekend a year where we get together in a natural setting to see what happens.<br /><br />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. <em>What are they? <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUk3sQDT_LtEaxqv2citU1A1mLsj-mBEgsT-Zb1y90tfwOmhklkP1E3tu5owbcjoTcoKv3wka-VI6GO82cKGzAsR_4gLpmKERi-s0OxBfQ4Ojtgz9JaD41msfFapCMN0Z_2gSjeiUJCYJ/s1600/WG+Warwick05+013.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 214px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668194548117926434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUk3sQDT_LtEaxqv2citU1A1mLsj-mBEgsT-Zb1y90tfwOmhklkP1E3tu5owbcjoTcoKv3wka-VI6GO82cKGzAsR_4gLpmKERi-s0OxBfQ4Ojtgz9JaD41msfFapCMN0Z_2gSjeiUJCYJ/s320/WG+Warwick05+013.jpg" /></a><br /></em>Well, they might be related to The Elements: Earth, Air, Water, Fire...<br />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.<br />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.<br />These nature-art based activities make the day and the Farm more memorable. People feel excited, touched, stirred.<br /><br />3. <em><strong>More Festivals</strong></em> were a very popular suggestion in the charrettes.<br />A <strong><em>festival </em></strong>is a very old form of community-building or placemaking. It marks ceratin times, certain places and certain natural events as "special". Actually, <strong><em>"sacred" </em></strong>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.<br />Even Applefest, that 30,ooo+ person yearly event in the Village of Warwick has those earmarks; So too, The Sugarloaf Festival, The Onion Festival...<br /><br />Suggstions were made about snow, ice, blossom, potato and animal birthing festivals.<br /><br />Here's a longstanding one in Maine, <strong><a href="http://www.mofga.org/TheFair/tabid/135/Default.aspx">Common Ground</a></strong>, which might help keep this idea going:<br /><br /><br />Continuing some thoughts.<br />Arts might be part of an activity, an experience or a souvenir--something to buy.<br />Another way to look at this is arts are something to watch get done, participate in or see the results of: <em>sculpture, land art, painting exhibition.</em><br /><em></em><br /><br /><strong>Arts as an activity to watch happen</strong>.<br />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.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Z0yy0jJJ5FFwvCYOme5Hop8rD44aBJ8ETXWXDsp_xeJZ9vSXhvE8YT4AenwjdI8aShgkPqwxOIb-aF6iZ59m1AUxYSv06VEV2T81xlrjqQNsoO8Ju-lAuvRcPe9m-po3kp1g1xDRRTkg/s1600/Plein+air+Kiernan+Farm.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666351967617127026" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Z0yy0jJJ5FFwvCYOme5Hop8rD44aBJ8ETXWXDsp_xeJZ9vSXhvE8YT4AenwjdI8aShgkPqwxOIb-aF6iZ59m1AUxYSv06VEV2T81xlrjqQNsoO8Ju-lAuvRcPe9m-po3kp1g1xDRRTkg/s200/Plein+air+Kiernan+Farm.jpg" /></a>Here's a plein air class at the Kiernan Farm:<br /><br />Last summer dramatist Will McAdam both <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIIAC_l6RvKBNBM8IC_VvfyP6PmtP-SexelJE3XL6gl8NGVWLrLYUELrzSTjHJXW2-qUwTiLqlhEd8JFMzEvQXJ20pTIqIL9Z2w7Iz_W5etdjMoxfjedz1OiOiRLvLGIV2qaV0sYm9o3C/s1600/8Will+and+translatormegan.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 112px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667497453654167346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIIAC_l6RvKBNBM8IC_VvfyP6PmtP-SexelJE3XL6gl8NGVWLrLYUELrzSTjHJXW2-qUwTiLqlhEd8JFMzEvQXJ20pTIqIL9Z2w7Iz_W5etdjMoxfjedz1OiOiRLvLGIV2qaV0sYm9o3C/s200/8Will+and+translatormegan.JPG" /></a>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.<br /><br /><strong>Artist-in-Residence on the Farm</strong><br />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.<br /><br /><strong>Arts as an activity to particpate in</strong><br />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.<br /><br /><strong>Arts and Nature Encounters</strong><br />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.Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-49050312647834220672011-10-18T06:21:00.000-07:002011-12-03T09:23:35.694-08:00Ag and Arts DevelopsAfter several brainstorming meetings, a few things seem to be clearer.<br />First, saying "local farmers" is about as accurate as saying "local artists."<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><em>What's an artist to do?? <img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5667911866158474306" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJlF7xKVch7MzvyJMyCq73Nlma7tDdFIxPmhZ9TYu74YJ1vYms-t9KSEqqHUlKuvY6291x_IwnU8W6JhRW6nccdUJNR4rDFAOGgCSsxiJU_yemq6RqpK-bdilTOLYibdO7TLwydux6ige/s400/DSC05437.JPG" /></em><br /><br />How can arts meld with this?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />What might each get from this?Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-60321711895708292272011-09-15T07:30:00.000-07:002011-09-15T08:17:25.524-07:00More Arts and Ag Projects<a href="http://www.yoloarts.org/programs2.php?id=4"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBWTINz_tJCzIu7gj4Q_SMbYL4_bA6Vb9xwCAu8OzMPoyJjpepPN8NYtOkIAjksHRxgBHhY3QWWDCQz-MM5aDTO2xN7WQY9UQimhFdRZJhV37AAddNZ3RAlQ_IFPWHTIteZgbLPT9p6ri/s1600/Box1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 249px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBWTINz_tJCzIu7gj4Q_SMbYL4_bA6Vb9xwCAu8OzMPoyJjpepPN8NYtOkIAjksHRxgBHhY3QWWDCQz-MM5aDTO2xN7WQY9UQimhFdRZJhV37AAddNZ3RAlQ_IFPWHTIteZgbLPT9p6ri/s320/Box1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5652604353880687170" /></a></a><br /><strong><a href="http://www.yoloarts.org/programs2.php?id=4">ARTS&AG in Wisconsin</a></strong><br />and<br /><a href="http://www.artplaceamerica.org/articles/article-13/"><strong>ARTPLACEAMERICA</strong></a><br /><br />Thanks to: Cynthia M. Nikitin <a href="http://www.pps.org/">Project for Public Spaces, Inc.</a>Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-87298543970836078922011-09-05T05:32:00.000-07:002011-09-05T05:41:22.385-07:00Arts and Agriculture Education<strong>Nancy Colgan</strong> 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 <em><strong>arts-related ag course </strong></em>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.
<br />She's been talking to the Chair of the Art Department and is starting to gather ideas for possibvle arts/ag courses.
<br /><em><strong>We could use any thoughts, leads, references...</strong></em>Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-48405429797828323682011-09-02T08:29:00.000-07:002011-09-03T05:39:41.982-07:00Arts and Ag Ideas 9.2.11The Questions:
<br /><em><strong>How can arts and artists contribute to a more vigorous agricultural economy?
<br />How can the farms and farmers help develop new venues for arts and artists? </strong></em>
<br />
<br />Here come the responses:
<br />
<br />from Sandy Leonard, Supervisor, Town of Monroe
<br /><strong>Add Arts to Farmers Markets</strong>Every 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.
<br /><strong><em>See the reference to ta similar market in Columbia, MO</em></strong>
<br />
<br /><em>Looks like great minds think alike: I just saw this on the Arts Council FB page:</em>
<br /><em><strong>We are looking for artisanal craft vendors for our indoor Farmer's Market </strong></em>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.
<br />Wendy Vandercliff
<br />Pine Island Farmers Market Manager
<br />c/o W Rogowski Farm
<br />327-329 Glenwood Road
<br />Pine Island, NY 10969
<br />Phone - 845-258-8152
<br />
<br />
<br /><strong>Contemporary Artist Exhibits at Farm-Oriented Museums</strong>I 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.
<br /><em><strong>That would also be at Hillhold and Museum Village, I guess</strong></em>
<br />
<br />
<br />From Leonard DeBuck, Warwick Town Board Member and Sod Farmer.
<br /><strong><em>Is there a re-use for the Pine Island School</em></strong>?
<br />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 hereDaniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-52109866202664272212011-08-31T18:21:00.000-07:002011-08-31T18:23:51.581-07:00Twenty Websites of Interest for Arts and Agriculturehttp://www.flickriver.com/groups/316541@N25/pool/interesting/
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<br />http://stonemandy.wordpress.com/http://miriamswell.wordpress.com/category/all-iceland-all-the-time/page/2/
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<br />http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1772275
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<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sR6EN-gIog
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<br />http://www.essentialarts.org/artagriculture-2/
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<br />http://www.fieldsproject.com/
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<br />http://agsci.oregonstate.edu/art/index.html
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<br />http://theholliesonline.com/useful-links/
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<br />http://communityarts.ning.com/group/ecoartsalonanddiscussion/forum/topics/land-art-at-montsainthilaire?xg_source=activity
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<br />http://www.leichner.ca/Installations/pommier.html
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<br />http://www.productionssaint.com/landart/landart.html
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<br />http://andreboisvert.ca/ang_landart.html
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<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAI_mn8qIMc
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<br />http://ebookbrowse.com/land-art-brochure-2010-pdf-d96254722
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<br />Rebar Civic Center Victory Garden
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<br />Rebar Park Cycle
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<br />Windowfarms
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<br />Compass Green
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<br />David Bowen Growth Rendering
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<br />Greek Pavilion at Venice Biennial
<br />Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-54074645549181671212011-08-31T18:01:00.000-07:002011-09-20T03:57:19.073-07:00Arts and Agriculture Projects...a reviewI’ve been collecting references and leads from people on how arts and agriculture have been working together. The results are very promising. <strong><em>Please add more</em></strong><br /><strong>LOCAL</strong><br />For 11 years, the Warwick Summer Arts Festival has been presenting on area farms:<br />music performances at Scheuermann Farms, <br />dance performances at Pennings Orchard, Scheuermann Farms and a horse barn.; <br />dramatic performances at Scheuermann, Pennings <br /><br />8.24.11 <strong>Farm-Based Dramatic Presentation Bialas Farm, Goshen NY</strong> <br />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<br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br /><strong>REGIONAL </strong><br />Art and farm festival: Neversink Farm in Claryville NY. Outdoor sculpture exhibition. Neversinkfarm.com/the_events.html Sat. 8/20/11 <br /><br /><br /><strong>NATIONAL and INTERNATIONAL</strong><br /><br />Fostering Sustainable Behavior is a network of thousanssds of interested people. I started a <a href="www.cbsm.com/forums/index.lasso?p=10072&comsort=com_date|descending">thread</a> there in July <br /><br />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<br /><br />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<br /><br />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<br /><br />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<br /><br />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<br /><br />Artists and Farmers collaborated to create new market Columbia, Missouri<br />The North Village Arts District Farmers and Artisans Market, <br />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/<br /><br />OTHER COMMENTS and IDEAS<br /><br /><em><strong>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</strong></em> Ken Farmer212.620.5660 ext 321Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5646850735057627337.post-65522437139880082752011-08-15T08:34:00.000-07:002011-11-20T06:50:24.906-08:00Orange County, New York -- NEA Our Town Grant<a href="http://www.wallkillriverschool.com/">The Wallkill River School</a>, in Montgomery, NY, and several Orange County partners, recieved an <em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.nea.gov/grants/apply/OurTown/index.html">Our Town</a></em> grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to explore the connections between Arts and Agriculture in four different ways:<br />1. Hold four meetings in the County to get arts and ag people brainstorming about common ground and mutually-beneficial events. <strong><a href="http://artsandagriculture.blogspot.com/2011/09/arts-and-ag-getting-together.html">September 8 at the Wallkill River School in Montgomery, NY</a>. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/posts.g?blogID=5646850735057627337">September 26 at Soons Orchard in New Hampton </a>. <a href="http://artsandagriculture.blogspot.com/2011_10_01_archive.html"><em></em>October 13 at The Citizen's Foundation in Sugar Loaf, NY</a> and November 2 at Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville.</strong><br />2. Continue The Wallkill River's popular program of <a href="https://wallkillriverschool.com/Sites_Directions.html">plein air painting events </a>on farms throughout the County.<br />3. With the Orange County Department of Planning, complete an economic impact study on both arts and agriculture in Orange County.<br />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.<br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:180%;">November 20. 2011</span></span></em></strong><br /><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">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 <a href="mailto:info@ocartscouncil.org">info@ocartscouncil.org</a></span></em></strong>Daniel Mackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04560367086696755905noreply@blogger.com2