BlueStone Press, February 17, 2023, Page 19
Damn Good Honey Farm Market When I first met Jen and Keith Duarte, owners of Damn Good Honey, it was because I was interested in doing a piece in the BlueStone Press on their bee-keeping business. At the time they were mostly doing classes and helping people set up and maintain hives all over the county. They also had a small roadside cart along Route 209 that featured their own honey, Jen’s crafts, and some of the produce they grew. Subject to the vagaries of the weather and the seasonal growing guard rails, it seemed that there was imminent opportunity for rooting down, permanence and expansion. In the deepest sense of the phrase “it takes a village …,” Damn Good Honey, as a young and developing family business, has experienced the love and support of the community they serve as they work hard toward a grander vision of even more Wally Nichols community inclusion. Full disclosure: I wanted this young, super cool couple to set up operations on my farm (Rustic Ridge View) way back then because I knew immediately upon meeting them that they would be a cornerstone of the kind of community that I and so many people here would value. So that’s what we did, with hammers, saws, shelves, a lot of excitement, welcoming Route 209 frontage, stunning views of the Gunks and some shared daydreaming. I’m now sitting in the packed market eating a next-level gourmet bacon, organic egg and cheese bagel feast fit for royalty, crafted by chef Mischa Schact, who runs the new kitchen and who brings a passion and professionalism, if not some good-natured billingsgate, to this very exciting part of Damn Good’s evolution. (The kitchen serves seriously delicious hot and deeply intentional comfort food Thursday-Sunday at the moment. Prepared, pre-packaged items for a grab-and-go situation (to wit, salads, soups and couscous bowls) are also available. Summer hours of both the kitchen and the farm market will expand soon.) Both Jen and Keith (who mostly manages the farming and building ops) have been helping out in the kitchen under Mischa’s tutelage, and Jen has even taken over soup production. The cabbage soup I tried this weekend
Put a fork in it
Horoscopes Now that the planets are all in direct motion, we find the personal planets are grouped together in the sign of Pisces. Both Jupiter and Saturn define the space within the sign as bookends. Neptune is also included, making a total of six planets in the Pisces house. This leaves Mars, Pluto and Uranus in three other distinct signs and houses. The result seems to focus on the humanitarian aid being offered to both the earthquake victims or the war zone in Ukraine, and let us not forget the continuation of gun violence in this country. This month the new Moon on the 20th falls in the very humanitarian sign of Pisces with us all aware of the needs of the victims.
Your Zodiac
ARIES: 3/21 to 4/19: Mars, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 3rd solar house of education and information with Jupiter conJoanne junct Venus in your 1st house of Ferdman personality. You seem to be doing well selling your personality, or product, to the public as a recognized authority. You may also be meeting the public in an innovative way that has managed to add to your business in an unexpected way. TAURUS: 4/20 to 5/20: Venus, your ruling planet, is conjunct Neptune in your 11th solar house and continues to tap into an innovative touch that enhances your personality and ability. This is working well to keep you more than solvent as you focus on new techniques. The new Moon in Pisces has helped you understand that a bit of creativity can be helpful. GEMINI: 5/21 to 6/20: Mercury, your ruling planet, is part of the stellium positioned in Pisces in your 10th
Bacon, egg and cheese Location: 15 Old Queens Highway, Kerhonkson (Across from the Trooper Barracks on 209) Contact: damngoodhoney.com 845-253-0073 Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday Style: farm stand
feels generational and is a hearty meal unto itself. I’m at the register chatting with Jen, who is selling these egg-and-cheese delights (that is also her breakfast ) hand over fist because not only are they incredible tasting, but because they are also impossible to see and not want. Customers walk in, see the glorious sandwich in front of them, and the inclinations and machinations of joyous hedonism take over. That’s just what happens. And I’m keeping her talking about the farm stand so long that this meal goes uneaten and thus acts as a de facto and compelling showcase floor model. When Jen kicks me under the table, I let her have a brief break from talking so she can eat. Mary, who has been working with the Duartes from the start, takes over the register. Jen tells me, to my shock, that they have been running the market for seven years, and I guess I’ve been busy with parenting, working and life to notice the speedy passage of time. The incremental growth of their operations has been oak-like – steady and measured – but now there is quite a lot happening. And their young son, Hunter, is helping out, learning how things work. Just looking around the inside of the market there is solar house of career. This may result in being slightly overwhelmed by the number of possibilities now open to you – especially when the planet of action is positioned in your 1st solar house. The new Moon in Pisces will help you understand the way in which you have helped create your present situation.
CANCER: 6/21 to 7/20: The Moon child deals with the new Moon in Pisces on the 20th of the month, falling in your 9th solar house of education and communication. The Moon is part of the stellium in Pisces calling for a creative and/or service-oriented time that will bring objectives into focus and allow you to understand the big picture. LEO: 7/21 to 8/22: The Sun, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 8th solar house where change takes place. Your recent busy social life has left you feeling tired and alone among the many people you met recently. This is the time for some creative thinking about the future and what are your prime interests, as well as where you want to be. The new Moon is an excellent time to start thinking about it. VIRGO: 8/23 to 9/22: Mercury, your ruling planet, is positioned with the stellium in Pisces in the 7th solar house of partnerships. You may feel a lack of togetherness or feel overwhelmed by a lack of sociability. Now is the time you're able to take easy steps to correct the situation. You will find it simple to find and join a group dedicated to some form of social action. Or perhaps play less golf and take some time for yourself. LIBRA: 9/23 to 10/22: Venus, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 6th solar house of daily work and health with the six-planet stellium that includes Neptune, Jupiter and Saturn. You're working hard to maintain your health by working out daily. However, this goes only so far – you also need to lighten up and have some fun and sociability. And let's not forget family. SCORPIO: 10/23 to 11/22: Your two rulers: Mars and Pluto, form the bookends of the planets as they appear in the sky. Pluto is on the cusp of the 4th house, home and family, and Mars in the 8th house where change takes
proof of progress and community inclusion. The shelves are packed with local goods and crafts and it is clear to see the authenticity of the claim that they are just about as farm-to-table as it gets in the area. Organic produce, honey from the fields just behind the market, earrings fashioned by a local artist, pottery from neighbor Hester Thomas, Bjorn Corn popcorn, muffins and Caterina’s pastries from Little Rye Bakehouse, soaps, bread from Bread Alone, Ronnybrook Farm milk, Democracy gourmet coffee, meats from Mountain Products Smokehouse … the list goes on and on. They were just selected to sell pancake mix from the Phoenicia Diner. This is a huge win because the famous diner very carefully limits to whom they sell their branded and proprietary mix. Other current menu items include a gluten-free bacon, egg and cheese, their now-famous Hot Damn! chicken sandwich ($16) with honey and a garlic aioli swerved on a brioche. Pickles are house made. There is also a crispy vegan eggplant focaccia ($13) served with a maple syrup-sweetened cherry tomato relish and basic oil. (This menu will change seasonally.) Outside, and also inside, they have partnered with Erin Enouen and Sam Zurofsky of Long Season Farm to run a super popular weekly CSA, something that really kicked off during Covid and has kept going strong. (To join, reach out to hello@longseasonfarm.com.) That happens in the new greenhouse during the off growing season, and happens on covered farm tables set up outside during high season. Damn Good has already had many fun and community-building pop-up markets that are supportive of the local crafts folks. And appealing to locals and tourists alike. What’s especially cool about the entire Damn Good Honey story is that the humble origins have not been forgotten, and the mission has been kept in focus. All this has happened with community nurturing. It’s a beautiful thing, and gratitude abounds in every direction. Some of the very exciting things on the horizon include private cooking classes with Chef Mischa (think date night or cooking club), live music, seasonal picnicking, and expanded kitchen operations such as catering. Have a dinner party with friends, a rehearsal dinner, or Super Bowl party (next year!) and let Damn Good Honey handle the food. Head down (or up) the road now and also in the spring and see what’s going on, going down, and growing up at Damn Good Honey Farm Market. place. The Sun, Moon and other planets are struggling to determine which way to go with so many unknowns at present, i.e., the war, earthquakes, balloons and gun violence.
SAGITTARIUS: 11/23 to 12/21: Jupiter, your ruling planet, is positioned in your 5th solar house of children and creativity. While it is in the sign of Aries, it is also part of the stellium of six planets centered in Pisces, in the 4th. Thus, it is looking to make sense of what is happening in the "neighborhood." As a fire sign, you may want to take the lead as a volunteer and help others in need. CAPRICORN: 12/22 to 1/20: Saturn, your ruling planet, is positioned on the cusp of your 3rd solar house of communication and education that precedes the stellium in Pisces. Presently all planets are positioned below the horizon for you and are unable to reach out or make any major changes. Therefore, they will maintain their present goals and strive to organize and structure whatever they find possible. AQUARIUS: 1/21 to 2/19: Uranus, your ruling planet remains positioned in your 4th solar house and continues its emphasis on home and family. However, the six-planet stellium is centered in your 2nd solar house of money. This may result in concentrating on ways to increase your earning capacity, whether by taking a relevant course of study or finding another source of income. PISCES: 2/20 to 3/20: Neptune is your ruling planet and continues positioned in the closing degrees of your 1st solar house of personality. However, your 1st solar house also concerns Pisces and affects your creativity. It is likely that you are being led to a new source of income that will add to your marketability and independence. In addition, you may contemplate a move to a different location. Joanne can be reached at 561-744-9962. She is available for private telephone consultations if you want more information relating to your personal chart. Treat yourself – and you will learn what to expect from the current transits and receive an overview of long-term goals. Remember to read both your Sun sign and your Ascendant.
