Recent Stories
Our Bodies, Our World
By Amy Bronwen Zemser Long ago, in 1981, a Liberian girl called Hawa whispered the harrowing details of her circumcision to me. We were both twelve years old, standing on the packed dirt floor of the one-room hut where Hawa and the six other members of her family lived. Despite our natural inclination to help… [Continue Reading]
Letter from Founders
By Vivian and Laurie On March 8th, we celebrate International Women’s Day. We have come so far from the traditional images of what a woman can and should do within our society. We haven’t reached absolute equality, but I believe that mourning imperfection is missing the point. While woman in this country still push for… [Continue Reading]
Art is Ephemeral
By Karen Frederickson Christina Varga can’t imagine not being an artist. Even when early detractors called her “no professional” and nothing “more than a Sunday painter” she was not discouraged because of her passion to create and grow. “I cannot imagine not making art,” Varga said. “It’s as integral to my being as breathing or… [Continue Reading]
Asked & Answered
With Jenn Sullivan and Kerry Lee Zeff Q: What are the pros and cons of cloth diapering? It looks so hard; is it? —S.M. A: Cloth diapering is the original eco-friendly way to diaper a baby. Parents have a lot to think about as they prepare for the arrival of their baby. One big question… [Continue Reading]
The Keeper and The Bee
By Nancy O. Graham Around this time of year, a mass mobilization of semi-trucks from across the country delivers a billions-strong “migrant” force of honeybees—more than half of all the honeybees in the United States—to California almond orchards for the annual pollination. Each year since 2006, the year “Colony Collapse Disorder” was coined to explain… [Continue Reading]
Ravishing Radishes
By Jennifer Brizzi Classic for a reason, the not-so-humble radish is a simple-complex mix of subtle pepperiness and delightful crunch. Although chefs can source them year round, spring is the radish’s season, stimulating the creative imagination of Chef Jamie Parry, who owns Another Fork in the Road in Milan and cherishes local produce. “In March… [Continue Reading]
National Young Farmers Coalition: The Future of Farming
By Rachel Ephraim Last year my husband and I moved to the Hudson Valley with hopes of a simpler life. We wanted to reclaim our time, to reconnect with nature, and to make a radical shift from our lives in New York City as fastpaced business people to ‘country folk.’ We had it all planned… [Continue Reading]
Emerging
“I always want to know the things one shouldn’t do.” “So as to do them?” asked her aunt. “So as to choose.” said Isabel. —Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady Read more here
A Backyard Guide to a Life Well Lived
By Hillary Harvey Ariel Dedolph is about to share the secret to her garden. She lives with her family on just under an acre in Palenville with about an eighth of that in vegetables. Ariel’s garden is legendary. “I come from a long line of gardeners,” she says. “So growing stuff in the soil is… [Continue Reading]
Now or Later?
By Josie Bahr One never knows what to expect in the mercurial month of March. This makes planning your outdoor gardening a challenge. In plant hardiness zones 5/6, this means that you can experience a whole month of hard winter or you can be well into spring by the time March ends. Here are some… [Continue Reading]
A Full Serving of Love
By Bretagné Savage What happens when a patient is diagnosed with cancer? When they’ve felt that lump or lesion or sickness and have finally heard the words they thought they never would? After experiencing fear, (or perhaps even resolve), there is still a measure of time. Be it two weeks, two months…patients and their doctor… [Continue Reading]
Hawthorne Valley Association
By Karen Frederickson The Hawthorne Valley Association (HVA) was formed in 1972 by what Karen Preuss, the marketing director for HVA, described as “a few pioneering educators and farmers.” Th e web site sums up the purpose of the HVA nicely, describing the association as “producing high quality, biodynamic and organic foods while providing farm-based… [Continue Reading]
Great Finds: Bathroom
By Vivian Mandala For many of us our bathrooms are either a nightmare or an oasis. My goal this month is to help you move from the former to the latter. If you are in the position to do so, I would strongly suggest radiant flooring in the bathroom layered with Quick-Step Oak Planks: these… [Continue Reading]
Repurposed Palettes
By Karen Frederickson The Green Palette began with an idea to recycle Christmas trees. Marcus Valle had worked with Christmas decorations for fi ve years and had a client that was throwing away 50 synthetic trees made of vinyl. Instead of just putting them in the garbage, Valle, who has always made an effort to… [Continue Reading]
Animal Adventures
By Jenny Lee Fowler We keep a small feeder loaded with sunflower seed on our picture window. You can hear the tiny knocking as the birds flit in and out with their quarry. While many creatures have migrated or slowed down for the season, they are still out there acquiring their livelihood. Winter is still… [Continue Reading]
What’s a Doula and Why Should You Have One?
By Mavis Gewant A doula is a trained professional that serves and supports women during that most transformational time of becoming a mother. There are two types of doulas, birth doulas and postpartum doulas. Each plays an important role in helping women, their partners, and their babies transition into a family. Studies have shown that… [Continue Reading]
Our Communities, Ourselves: Women, Success and Connection in the Hudson Valley
By Marisa Goudy “There’s no such thing as a happy hermit.” I’m sharing a conversation about pursuing dreams and taking on the challenges of motherhood and entrepreneurship with New Paltz-based psychotherapist and coach Rebecca Wong. She remembers this line from a long ago positive psychology class. We smile because both of us are living and… [Continue Reading]
Spotlight on Cornell Street Studios
By Erin Wyble Newcomb Cornell Street Studios serves as a cultural hub, combining studio space, galleries, fitness classes, and, of course, fashion shows. Located at 168 Cornell Street in Kingston, the studio is the brainchild of Ken Darmstadt, who opened his doors in 2007 with the vision of “a multi media space for the arts… [Continue Reading]
Green Options for Your Kids’ Bath Time
By Kerry Lee Zeff The bathroom. It’s the smallest room in the house. And when it comes to kids, it’s also the most underrated. A child’s life is filled with constant growth and unexpected change. It’s a big job for a kid to keep up with the modern pace of everyday life. We’ve all seen… [Continue Reading]
Changing Our Relationship with Clothes
By Kymberly Breckenridge We’ve all heard of a McNugget, but what about a McBlouse? The fashion industry, unsatisfied with only two seasons of clothing, summer and winter, has tapped into our ever-shortening attention spans and developed a marketing strategy modeled after the fast food industry. The “fast fashion” movement provides us with cheap, poorly made… [Continue Reading]
Getting to Know the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie
By Erin Cafarelli Nestled on 24 acres in the Town of Poughkeepsie sits the Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie. Since inception, the underlying mission of this nonprofit organization has remained the same: the Home is dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment that improves lives and empowers at-risk children and families in the Hudson Valley… [Continue Reading]
Children and Social Responsibility
By Josie Bahr Social responsibility, like charity, begins at home. It begins when a child is a toddler and is expected to help pick up their toys and continues into adulthood when we choose to help improve our local and global communities. The most important and effective way of teaching your children this skill is… [Continue Reading]
A Nucleus of Design in Hudson
By Dave Aderson Ask Hudson resident Sherry Jo Williams where to find the area’s most talented artisans and she’ll point you in the direction of her Warren Street shop. Williams is the co-founder of Culture+Commerce Project, a Hudson based gallery that features the work of over two-dozen local artists, designers and craftspeople who share a… [Continue Reading]
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