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| Homegrown Magazine 3
Contents SPRING 2018
features for you
CNY Fiber Arts Festival
7
Something for everyone
Northeast Sweet Maples 8
7
More sap, less land, cheaper syrup
Native Plants for Wildlife 10 Tips for one of today’s top trends: gardening for wildlife.
From the Ground Up
12
Devine Gardens turns worm waste into wonder products.
Brew U
14
First four-year SUNY college brewing program set to begin in Fall
10
A Taste Past the Toll Booths
18
Farmers showcase homegrown products at Taste NY farmers’ markets at Thruway service areas
Spice + Salt = Success
27
Syracha’Cuse and Syracuse Salt Company open tasting bar at Destiny USA.
tastes & happenings Community Calendar
19
Fresh happenings near you
27 4 Homegrown Homegrown Magazine Magazine |
VOL. VOL. 22 No. No. 11
July 28 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
openfarmdaymadisoncounty.com
VOL. 2 No. 1
| Homegrown Magazine 5
Homegrown
The Greener Pastures of Central New York’s Artisan Agribusiness
Published by Eagle News 2501 James St, Suite 100, Syracuse, New York 13206
Phone: 315-434-8889 newsroom@eaglenewsonline.com
Publisher’s Note
SPRING 2018
The past and future of farming It’s tough to have a block party in farm country, where your nearest neighbor might live a mile away, but in early May, when Dan Palladino and his family officially broke ground on their new restaurant/brewery, the Heritage Hill Brew House & Kitchen, it felt a little like going to a neighborhood celebration. For those who aren’t familiar with the Palladino farm and The Farm Store, it sits at Dan Palladino, surrounded by his children Nico, Nunzio and the top of Sweet Road in the town of Pompey, Natalia, speaks at the groundbreaking of the Heritage Hill looking down from high above on Syracuse, Brew House & Kitchen, which is being constructed on his Onondaga Lake and points beyond. On a blustery historic Pompey farm. day that felt like rain was imminent, a group of state, county and local officials joined Dan to celebrate the beginning of the next stage of the historic farm. Dan, you see, is a visionary. At a time when far too many historic family farms are being sold off and developed into housing tracts, Dan is going in the opposite direction. Not too long ago, he sold the development rights and created a conservation easement for the majority of the land, ensuring that it will never be developed for any purpose that isn’t agricultural. So that beautiful view down the valley toward the north will be preserved in perpetuity. Then he worked with local, county and state officials to find unique ways to market his own agricultural products as well as the crops and wares from some of his farming neighbors. If you have a craving for the wax bottle candies you might remember from your childhood, you can find them there, as well as local beef and pork, cheese, grains, jams and jellies, beers and wines, and a few gift items from local artisans. During the summer, it’s a great place to have lunch and take in the view. While he was getting The Farm Store off the ground, he was sowing the seeds of the next expansion: the construction of the restaurant/brewery. As the area’s largest grower of malt barley, Dan and his partners already supply many local brewers with ingredients. Now, they will put those crops to use in their own product at the Heritage Hill Brew House & Kitchen. In a rural place like Pompey, the ties run deep, so when Town Supervisor Carol Marsh spoke about the Palladino family, she did so from the perspective of someone who, as a child, had played in the Palladino kitchen with previous generations. “This is the kind of family that is the backbone and strength of our community,” she said, recalling events that had taken place at the farm over the years. And then Dan briefly stood front and center with his children, the valley and the old 1845 farmhouse in the background. And in his brief On the Cover comments he embraced the past and Tina Jacobs, of his family’s nearly 70 years on the farm, Morrisville, founded but he was looking clearly toward the future and what the farm will mean for Devine Gardens in the generation of children around him. 2010 to sell her worm compost products. David Tyler, Publisher dtyler@eaglenewsonline.com Submitted photo
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PUBLISHER
David B. Tyler 434-8889 ext. 302 dtyler@eaglenewsonline.com EDITOR
Jennifer Wing 434-8889 ext. 340 jwing@eaglenewsonline.com contributing EDITOR
Ashley M. Casey 434-8889 ext. 332 acasey@eaglenewsonline.com circulation manager
Lori Newcomb 434-8889 ext. 333 lnewcomb@eaglenewsonline.com creative director
Sean Haney 434-8889 ext. 331 art@eaglenewsonline.com
We want your news! Contributions can be sent to Jen Wing, Editor, Homegrown Magazine, 2501 James Street, Suite 100 Syracuse, New York 13206 (jwing@eaglenewsonline.com). Original contributions become the property of Homegrown Magazine. Contributions cannot be acknowledged or returned. To contact us please call 315-434-8889.
Homegrown Magazine is a unit of Community Media Group LLC. Published bi-annually. Display advertising rates available upon request. Homegrown Magazine reserves the right to refuse advertising for any reason. We do not guarantee any of the information, services, or products published in this or any issue. The opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this publication. Copyright ©2017 by Community Media Group LLC. No portion of Homegrown Magazine may be reproduced without permission from the editor.
CNY Fiber Arts Festival: Something for everyone The CNY Fiber Arts Festival will return to Bouckville on June 9 and 10, bringing activities for the whole family, a view into local agriculture, a little history, animals, music, food and inspiration for artists and crafters. The festival celebrates fiber animals — sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas, and Angora rabbits — and the fiber arts: spinning, weaving, felting, dyeing, knitting and crochet. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at Butternut Hill Campground, on Route 20 in Bouckville. Festival admission is $6 for adults, $10 for a weekend pass. Reserve a seat at a workshop by visiting cnyfiberarts. org. This will be the eighth fiber arts festival held at Butternut Hill Campground in Bouckville, although the organization behind it, CNY Fiber Artists and Producers, came into being through a similar showcase within the Madison County Fair two years earlier. As a homegrown venue for the exhibition of fiber products and finished goods made from natural fibers, the festival is a great place to see and purchase one-of-a-kind handmade articles as well as raw materials for your very own fiber-based creation. You can even start from scratch by buying one of the many raw fleeces at the festival’s Fleece Sale tent. Those who treasure unique handcrafted works and enjoy knitting, weaving or any artistic endeavor that calls for natural fiber or yarn will enjoy shopping at this event. Anyone who has not yet tried working in the fiber arts would also find tools and lots of free expertise and encouragement along with the raw materials for a new adventure. The Children’s Tent offers children of all ages the opportunity to try basic needlefelting, weaving, knitting and other crafts, and they get to take their creations home. Young children can build an imaginary farm, paint and color farm animals, decorate animal masks, play with baby goats and lambs and use interactive exhibits to learn about exotic fiber and the process that transforms raw fiber into a finished garment. Every year, the festival highlights one of
the fiber arts. The focus of this year’s festival is on dyeing, the ancient art that transforms fiber and yarn with plant, animal, or chemical dyes. Many of the 110 vendor booths will have demonstrations related to dyeing, and there are sure to be many free demonstrations of the other fiber arts, including weaving and spinning. One of the participating spinning guilds will watch over a Wheel Corral, where experienced spinners can try out different spinning wheels and visitors with no spinning experience at all can get a feel for the process. Even if the yarn turns out to be lumpy, it’s fun to try and not as mysterious as it seems! Visitors who want to learn more about spinning or other arts can sign up for workshops, which take only an hour or two, leaving plenty of time for wandering and shopping. Special guest artists will present free talks each day as well. On Saturday, Susannah White from Carapace Farm Puppetry will share insights from her 40-plus years of experience with plant dyes in a talk called “Harvesting Color from Plants.” Later on Saturday, Nancy Morey from Shadeyside Fibers will help attendees understand the evolution of the rainbow dyeing process and will talk about how to select the best dyes for fibers ranging from grease fiber to the most sumptuous silk top. On Sunday, Patti O’Brien Beaumont from Story Spun Yarns will round out the series with a talk called “Creative Solar Dyeing” — a way to get spectacular color and variation in your yarn or fiber without lots of special equipment or making a mess of your kitchen. No summer festival would be complete without music and food, and the CNY Fiber Arts Festival offers a fine selection of both. Everett Farrell will sing for visitors, and an assortment of food vendors will serve up both healthy and decadent meals to enjoy under the dining canopy. All of the vendor booths and demonstrations are under cover, except for the sheepdog demonstration. The lectures, children’s activities, shearing demonstrations and sheepdog demonstrations are all free with festival admission. VOL. 2 No. 1
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Northeast ‘sweet maples:’ More sap, less land, cheaper syrup The high price of sweetening your Sunday morning pancakes may be old news. A project led by Cornell University researchers promises to reverse the upward trend and help maple syrup producers get more sap from less land. The project will decrease the cost of the breakfast staple while protecting an important — and delicious — natural resource: sugar maple trees. Maple sugar production demands a costly investment of time and energy. Sap is roughly 98 percent water, and producers must boil
off most of the liquid to get an optimum sugar concentration to sell. Cornell researchers seek to make the process more efficient by propagating trees with naturally higher sugar sap concentrations — about double the norm. Breeding trees can be extremely difficult, as plants propagated from seed do not necessarily retain
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the same traits as the parents. In the case of sugar maple, it takes 25 years before trees produced by seeds can be tested for sugar content, according to Joseph Orefice, director of Cornell’s Uihlein Forest in Lake Placid, New York. The same problem of “trueness to type” is also seen with fruit trees and grape vines, but is overcome by clonally propagating them from the “mother” plant through grafting. But that process has not proved practical for maples. In 2017, high-sap sugar-producing trees were identified at Uihlein Maple Field Station.
Cuttings were taken and sterilized and put into tissue culture to grow. These “sweet maples” produce sap with higher sugar levels, making it less expensive for producers to make maple syrup, said Orefice. “We want to propagate the best of the best through clones, then disseminate the resulting trees to producers around the Northeast,” he said. Efficient cloning would also allow for controlled experiments, such as comparing growth rates and sugar content on different sites, to further improve productivity and resilience. Keith Perry, director of the CornellUihlein Foundation Seed Potato Farm in Lake Placid, is leading the tissue culture portion of the project. His team has achieved success getting some of the trees into the culture. The next task is to perfect the method of
Lindsey Hadlock
Pictured is a tissue culture of a maple tree with higher sugar sap concentrations from Cornell’s Uihlein Maple Field Station. tissue culture, then figure out how to root and transplant them to grow them into fullsize trees. Once successful, the process will also provide a means to prevent the loss of sugar maple tree germplasm in the event of losses due to invasive insects and disease. Climate change could heighten the risk from invasive insects, according to Orefice. “Though we certainly hope we never have to face such a possibility, currently we’re losing all of the ash species in New York state to an invasive beetle — the emerald ash borer,” he said. “Preparing early mitigates some risks that pests, disease and climate change might pose for sugar maples.” Ultimately, Orefice and Perry plan to use the genetic resources to improve sugar maple as a whole. Little is known about how site and soil quality affect sugar content, and whether soils can be amended to achieve certain conditions, for example. Considering current advances in genetic mapping, Orefice is hopeful that collaborating with geneticists will help improve sugar maples. In another study, Orefice is examining the timing of tapping and how it is impacted by climate change, with preliminary results expected later this spring. Both projects are funded by grants from the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program.
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| Homegrown Magazine 9
Native plants for wildlife LEFT: A monarch butterfly on a milkweed plant. BELOW: a black-capped chickadee. photos courtesy Janet Allen
O
by Janet Allen
ne of the top gardening trends is gardening for wildlife. And one of the best ways to create a bird-, butterfly- and pollinator-friendly yard is to grow native plants. What are native plants? The conventional definition is that they’re the plants growing here before Europeans arrived. But Doug Tallamy’s definition may be more useful. He defines a native plant as one that evolved in a given place long enough to have established relationships with other living things in its ecological community. Native is not the same as “hardy.” Much of Central New York is in hardiness zone 5, but so is much of Europe and China. Plants from these zone 5 regions will indeed survive our winters, BUT they don’t have relationships with other living things as do our native plants. Why are native plants important? Most people would like to have more butterflies in their yard, so they plant flowers. These provide food for adult butterflies, but to create more butterflies, we need plants for their caterpillars. No caterpillars, no adult butterflies! And most caterpillars need specific native plants. For example, with the decline of the monarch butterfly, people have learned that monarchs need
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milkweed. Although milkweed flowers do indeed supply nectar for adult butterflies and other pollinators, the importance of restoring milkweeds is that monarch caterpillars can eat only milkweed. No milkweeds, no monarchs!
GO NATIVE
Where plants
to
find
native
Until recently, it was difficult to find native plants. (And digging them from the wild isn’t ethical.) But now Baltimore Woods Nature Center and the Habitat Gardening in Central New York (HGCNY) Wild Ones chapter host annual native plant sales. HGCNY also publishes a free Native Plant Shopping Guide listing all the native plants sold at CNY native plant nurseries (hgcny.org/ shopping).
Baltimore Woods Nature Center, located at 4007 Bishop Hill Road in Marcellus, will hold its annual native plant sale June 1,2 and 3. Visit baltimorewoods.org.
The same is true for other butterflies, except each species has its own host plants — generally the native plants they evolved with. These are often woody plants. For example, the beautiful tiger swallowtail’s caterpillars eat the leaves of native trees such as black cherry and birches. But do we really want things eating our plants’ leaves? The good news is that caterpillars and other insects are an essential food for birds to feed their young. In fact, 96 percent of birds raise their young on insects. Raising a single clutch of chickadees, for example, requires more than 6,000 caterpillars. Those are all insects that won’t be eating the leaves of your plants!
Native plants also provide the most suitable seeds, berries and nectar for birds and other wildlife.
Learning more about native plants Doug Tallamy’s book, “Bringing Nature Home,” is inspiring and informative. You can learn about native plants at Baltimore Woods programs or at HGCNY’s monthly meetings, which are free and open to the public. And you can use the free sixsession study guide Caring for Our Piece of the Earth (hgcny.org/course) either as an individual or in a small group. But one of the best ways to learn is to spend time in a natural setting such as Baltimore Woods and experience our beautiful CNY-native plants.
Janet Allen is the president of the HGCNY Wild Ones chapter (hgcny.org) and webmaster of Our Habitat Garden (ourhabitatgarden.org.)
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From the ground Devine Gardens turns worm waste into wonder products By Ashley M. Casey It’s been more than eight years since Tina Jacobs began digging deeper into her gardening adventures. She and her husband, Mike, purchased a 70-acre farm off Route 20 in Morrisville in November 2009, and the following summer Tina Jacobs began to tinker with the worm farm the previous owners bequeathed to them. The result “I wanted to make a really, really good compost,” said Jacobs, who founded Devine Gardens in 2010. “So what I did is I took my [manure] compost and I souped it up with the worm compost.” Since then, Jacobs has been turning worm castings — a more genteel way to say “worm poop” — into vermicompost. Devine Gardens is a fixture at local farmers markets, and the vermicompost products are available in several area stores. “I used to bring it home by the trailer … and my garden did wonderful,” Jacobs said of her first vermicompost hauls. Jacobs inherited her love of “playing around in the garden,” as she says, from her parents, Bill and Alice Devine. “Devine is my maiden name, and so I named it after my mom and dad,” she said. “It keeps the memory alive.” Before making her own compost, Jacobs never really thought about what chemicals she was using on her garden. Hobby gardeners are not trained in the application of pesticides, fertilizer and other chemicals like professional growers are, so it can be easy for the average gardener to overdo it. “For the home gardener growing your own vegetables, you’re not
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going to want harmful chemicals,” Jacobs said. “I killed my soil — only the weeds would grow.” Since embarking on her vermicompost venture, she has pored over research and attended conferences to learn about the benefits of using vermicompost over commercial fertilizers. The material is rich in microbes and enzymes that can lead to larger, healthier plants and bigger harvests. According to Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm, a leading seller of vermicompost supplies, vermicompost has seven times as many phosphates, five times as much nitrogen and 11 times as much potash as regular garden soil. The mucus coating of worm castings binds to nutrients, enzymes and plant growth
Tina’s Tea
Tina Jacobs has a special recipe to protect your plants from pests such as the striped cucumber beetle, and even turn those foes into friends. “I made ‘tea’ with the vermicompost and the beetles stopped eating them because they don’t like the taste,” Jacobs said. “Later, they were sitting inside the squash blossoms — not eating them, but pollinating them.” 1. Fill a quart bottle with water. If chlorinated, let water sit for 2 hours so chlorine can dissipate. 2. Add 1/4 cup vermicompost. 3. Cover and shake every so often over the next 24 hours. 4. Water your plants with your “tea.” You can pour excess vermicompost left in the container around other plants for a fertilizing boost.
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up
hormones naturally found in soil, slowing down the leaching of these beneficial components from the soil. “It also helps with some pests and disease,” Jacobs said. Cornell University research has shown that the microorganisms found in vermicompost protected growing seeds from Pythium aphanidermatum, a soil-borne water mold “whose mobile spores infect seedlings, causing them to ‘damp off,’ or wither, shortly after germination.” The protective microorganisms produce a substance that interrupts the chemical communication between the pathogen’s cells and the plant’s cells. Jacobs’ worms reside in a pole barn filled with racks of pallets, which Jacobs and her family built themselves. Her husband did the welding and her son did the woodwork. “It’s not an easy system — you can buy those, but it’s very expensive,” she said. Twelve beds are home to about 500,000 red wigglers — thin, pinkish worms that grow only a few inches long. They’re not like the fat, burrowing nightcrawlers one would use for fishing. “You keep feeding them and then you scrape [the compost] from the bottom,” Jacobs said. “They’re surface dwellers, so they go to the top.” Red wigglers go dormant in cold weather — “kind of like a frog,” Jacobs noted — but the soil they live in must be between 40 and 80 degrees, according to Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm. Jacobs runs heat cables underneath her worm beds to maintain the temperature. Using mulch from a local lumber mill and manure from cows and pigs tenants raise on her property,
Jacobs mixes her own uncured compost. Part of it is fed to the worms and the other part is finished off as mature compost. Her new Super Grow product consists of 90 percent cured, mature compost and 10 percent vermicompost. While she is confident in her product, Jacobs said one of the greatest challenges is marketing her worm compost. “If you get it on a shelf in a store, it’s not going to jump into their hands,” she said. Fortunately, Jacobs was awarded a $30,743 USDA value-added producer grant in 2016, which helped her revamp her packaging and her website. Jacobs sought help from the WISE Women’s Business Center to sharpen her business skills and help her re-apply for a grant for which her previous application was denied. “I was able to figure out what I did wrong the first time,” she said. As she geared up for farmers market season and warmer weather, Jacobs said she realized
that an entrepreneur’s work is never finished. She is looking to get her products in more stores and build relationships with customers through her website, on which she writes a blog. “I would love for them to feel like I’m talking to them at the market,” she said. A former office administrator, starting a farm and a business was a great leap for Jacobs. She used to be so averse to public speaking that she wouldn’t even pipe up during WISE classes, but she joined Toastmasters in Cazenovia to conquer her stage fright. She said her foray into farming has led her to try things she never would have done before. Now, in addition to boosting the worm operation, she and her husband are raising Dexter cows. “I used to be scared I’d fail, so I wouldn’t try. But now I’m scared not to try,” she said. Devine Gardens is located at 4015 Ryan Road in Morrisville. To learn more, visit devine-gardens.com.
Submitted photos
PREVIOUS PAGE: Tina Jacobs, of Morrisville, founded Devine Gardens in 2010 to sell her worm compost products, which she says are richer in microbes than commercial compost and fertilizer. Compared with vegetables grown with commercial compost and fertilizer, produce grown with vermicompost tends to be much larger and more fruitful, Jacobs says. ABOVE: The cabbage on the left was grown with worm compost; RIGHT: In addition to the 500,000 red wiggler worms on the farm, Tina Jacobs and her family also raise Dexter cattle.
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BREW U
First four-year SUNY college brewing program set to begin in Fall By Lauren Young
While many college students “major” in beer during their four years at university, students at Morrisville State College will be able to earn a four-year degree in it starting this fall. Last October, Morrisville State College opened its first full-scale brewery inside the Copper Turret Restaurant and Brewhouse on 17 W. Main St. in Morrisville, which serves as the college’s teaching lab. Headed by brewmaster Micheal Coons, the college will be the first institution in the State University of New York system to offer a four-year brewing degree program. The program’s goal is to develop manufacturers who can run plants, later transitioning into head brewer positions. Following completion of the program, students will earn a bachelor’s degree in food technology, with an emphasis on brewing science. While the college is currently awaiting final approval from the state board of education, if all goes as planned, the
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first semester of the program will begin fall 2018. Nelson Farm’s Country Store recently opened its first tap room, 4 Corners Tap Room, which will feature beer brewed by Morrisville students on three of their four taps. “It’s a very cool space,” Coons said of the new tap room. “It turned out really nice.” Currently there are 10 different varieties on draft at the Copper Turret bar, with their core lineup consisting of a pilsner, an India Pale Ale (IPA), a Belgian wit, an oatmeal-coffee stout and a Belgian triple. In the spirit of staying homegrown, 100 percent of their hops come from Madison Country, while 80 to 100 percent of their barley malt comes from instate. In all there are 23 taps, most of them local to Madison County and Upstate New York. THE BREWING INSTITUTE “[Hands-on learning] is very much the philosophy of Morrisville,” said Coons. “Our program is very focused on practical education.” After Morrisville State College received $600,000 in grant funding in
2016, the college expanded its operations at the Copper Turret restaurant to include a 3.5 barrel, 500-square-foot microbrewery. The degree program is “heavily sciencefocused,” said Coons. These graduates from Morrisville State College will help supply the growing need for brewers and owners for the state’s booming craft beer industry, as New York craft beer currently ranks fourth in the nation for its net economic impact, which is about $4 billion dollars, and is currently populated by over 350 breweries. New York is additionally the fifth largest beer producing state behind California, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Oregon. The entry-level brewing class they currently offer on campus “provides basic understanding of what the manufacturing process and raw materials are, to help students to determine if this level of science is something they’re interested in,” said Coons. “The majority of the students I have now are in that position,” he added. While underage students are not prohibited from
taking the classes, the program generally skews toward older, more serious students, with most in their mid-20s. For those interested in the overall industry and less in manufacturing, a minor will additionally be offered to students. One of the two classes they offer currently is a sensory evaluation of beer class, a 300-level class, which provides training for students to set up, run and interpret from panels of beer, or other raw materials and products based on industry-accepted standards. “Half of that class is established using math,” said Coons. The curriculum currently contains 13 or 14 courses, with four “practicum” courses, with hands-on experience in the brewhouse, in addition to the core science and math courses needed to complete their degree. An internship program will also be available for interested students. Although it it still be a few months before the program officially rolls out, Coons currently teaches at the brewhouse, with some students taking it as an elective course and others taking it with the intent of transitioning into the four-year degree program. While they generally offer one or two courses per semester, the number of classes may increase in the future. “It very much depends on how our faculty search goes,” said Coons. There are currently six other institutions that offer two-year brewing degrees or certificate programs in Upstate New York, including Cornell University, Schenectady County Community College, Niagara County Community College, Erie Community College, Hartwick College Center for Craft Food and Beverage and the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park. The Morrisville State College
brewing program is currently working toward achieving a bridge between two-year degree programs at community colleges to allow students to transfer to the college with credits toward the program. CHEERS TO BREWERY
EMPIRE
The brewing program also holds an unwavering bond with The Empire Farm Brewery in Madison County, as Founder and President David Katleski has been instrumental in the foundation of the college’s brewing institute. Katleski currently serves as a member of the President’s Advisory Council and the Advisory Council for the Brewing Institute at Morrisville State College and, last September, he was honored with a Community Achievement Award by Morrisville State College during their Harvest Dinner. For a man of many titles, Katleski continued on next page PICTURED BELOW, FROM LEFT: Beer vats inside the microbrewery, the bar inside the Copper Tavern, which features 10 different varieties of beer on tap. lauren young
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BREW U
undeniably favors quality over quantity.
“We at Empire are looking forward to working with Michael and his team at Morrisville on a cohesive and symbiotic plan where we can share each other’s braintrusts and integrate our resources to better advance the quality of our collective beers,” said Katelski. “While the education and growth of the students is at the forefront, we believe that we can capitalize on all that Morrisville has to offer for the growth of Empire as well.” The Copper Turret Brewhouse and Empire Brewery have currently discussed establishing brand descriptors, and Coons has additionally worked on a “sensory” training program for staff at Empire, which is a helpful tool for developing new recipes, varieties and, most importantly, a beer palate, or the ability to describe what you’re tasting. “The majority of sensory evaluation is based on either developing new products or manufacturing consistent products,” said Coons. “In order to analyze the consistency of manufacturing you have to start with developing descriptors, which is essentially a word used to describe your beer.” These words can include “piney,” “spicy” or “floral.” “Then you have to have a panel of people who can understand what these words mean in the context of that beer and apply a rating scale to it, then develop standards for that beer. So, from batch
1 6 Homegrown Magazine |
to batch, you can have your sensory team come together to analyze the beer and do specific assessments to determine whether or not it’s consistent with the previous batches,” explained Coons. According to Coons, the program isn’t as interested in merely creating “good brewers” as it is “craft brewers.” “I’m constantly selecting the highest quality for those materials,” he said. “I’m focused on getting brewers out there that are excited about raw materials because of their quality, and want to use locally because of the access.”
lauren young
While Coons encourages Brewmaster Micheal Coons is pictured with one of the beer vats students to utilize local inside the Copper Turret brewery. products as much as possible, said Coons. “I go over there brewed. “I never brewed an there is certainly a heavier twice a year, for coursework IPA before at my previous price to pay. and exams, and every time I brewery because that wasn’t “You pay more for that come back with something else our market,” Coons said. That, local, and a lot of times that’s I want to give or change to the however, changed once he a difficult proposition,” said brewery or the curriculum.” moved up north. According Coons, adding that locallyAfter homebrewing for to BeerBoard, a Syracusesourced raw materials are several years, he worked in the generally more expensive based business that monitors Infinite Ale Works brewhouse than mass-manufactured 50,000 draft beer lines in in Ocala, Florida. raw materials. “So, while we more than 1,200 bars and “We didn’t have local malt espouse local and want local restaurants around the … what I find most important or hops, so to me it’s exciting is focusing on the quality of to have access to these country, IPAs were the third most popular beer in 2017. the product, and how to best products,” said Coons. utilize that product.” While there he focused on For Coons, teaching was THE MAN BEHIND THE PINT For aspiring brewmasters, most evolve from a homebrewer to an apprentice working at a brewhouse, which is how Coons started himself. Coons is currently finishing his master’s degree in brewing science at the University of Nottingham in Britain. “It’s a lot of work but it’s worth it,”
VOL. 2 No. 1
the creation of Belgian-style beers, which are his personal favorite. “I drink a great deal of Belgian-styles, dark strong ales and triples,” said Coons. “Beyond that, I tend to favor stouts.” While beer selections at the brewhouse change with the seasons, the market has a strong impact on what is
never a part of his original plan. “I never really had the intention of being in academia,” said Coons. “But there’s some really nice things about it, in terms of flexibility to do what I want with the brewery versus trying to meet different brand necessities in a market for a company.”
Local Foods, Amazing Views Fun for the Family Homemade Meals & Soup Wine, Beer, Cider & Spirits Live Music on the Weekends Goat Playground & Lots of Animals for Kids to Pet!
Brewery & Restaurant
(315) 317-1684 thefarmstore.farm Like us on Facebook at: The Farm Store at Palladino Farms
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| Homegrown Magazine 1 7
A Taste Past The Toll Booths Farmers showcase homegrown products at Taste NY farmers markets at Thruway service areas The Thruway Authority and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets are continuing their 20-year tradition of offering travelers access to some of the finest locally grown produce. These state agencies are encouraging farmers across New York State to sign up to showcase their products at Thruway Service Areas this year. For nearly 20 years, New York state has been committed to featuring some of its finest vendors and their products at these locations. From locally grown fruits and vegetables to some of the most superb cheese and herbs in the northeast, promoting these products to travelers continues to be a priority. “For more than 60 years, the New York State Thruway has been a vital connector for travelers throughout Upstate New York including local farms,” said Thruway Authority Acting Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll. “By continuing this tradition, we are offering the more than 265 million motorists who travel the Thruway each year access to the finest locally grown produce that New York’s farms have to offer.” The Thruway Authority has outdoor farmers market locations at service areas across the state. Last year, nearly one dozen farmers from regions all across New York participated in the markets at 18 service areas, reaching millions of visitors who travel the Thruway throughout the spring and summer months. State Agriculture Commissioner Richard Ball said, “Taste NY farmers markets give our regional Thruway Service Areas a unique flavor and provide our farmers with a great opportunity to connect directly with new consumers. I encourage New York’s producers to consider participating this upcoming 1 8 Homegrown Magazine | VOL. 2 No. 1
season and give travelers a chance to taste our agricultural products that are among the best in the world.” New York vendors interested in selling food products at Taste NY Farm Markets should email TravelersServices@ thruway. ny.gov for more information on how to participate this season.
About Taste NY The Taste NY initiative has seen steady growth and recognition since it was created in 2013 by Governor Andrew Cuomo. The program reported sales of $1.5 million in 2014, tripled those figures to $4.5 million in 2015 and $13.1 million in 2016. Taste NY, which is overseen by the Department of Agriculture and Markets, has created opportunities for local producers to showcase their goods at a variety of venues throughout the State and at large public events, such as the Great New York State Fair and the Barclays Tournament at Bethpage State Park. It has also helped the farms and companies participating in the program to reach more customers, increase online sales, and, in many cases, expand the processing capacity of their business. Taste NY’s food and beverage businesses also support the state’s farmers by using New York grown and produced ingredients in their products. Today, New York products sold under Taste NY branding are available in more than 70 locations throughout the state as well as the New York State Office of Trade and Tourism in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For more information about Taste NY, visit taste.ny.gov.
Homegrown
Central New York’s
Wednesday, May 23
Ithaca’s Waterfalls
8 a.m.-5 p.m., Beaver Lake Nature Center, Baldwinsville; 315-638-2519. Tour the waterfalls and gorges of the Ithaca area with a Naturalist from Beaver Lake. Bring a lunch, water bottle, sunscreen and a camera. Be ready for a beautiful day climbing challenging trails for stunning views of these famous falls. Cost: $30 per person; advance registration required.
Cazenovia Glass Painting
6-8 p.m., Owera Vineyards, 5672 East Lake Road, Cazenovia; .sipofcolor.com. Each painter may choose to paint a set of two wine glasses, pilsner or mix and match. All materials and guided instruction from local artist Katie will be provided. Get half off glasses of award winning wine. Food will also be available for
events
purchase. Cost: $30 per person.
Taste of Success Celebrity Chef Challenge
5:30 p.m., SRC Arena, 4585 West Seneca Turnpike, Syracuse; hillside.com. The evening’s festivities include tastings of a variety of items featured in the Wegmans MENU Magazine served by high-profile business and community leaders in the Syracuse area. The evening consists of recipe tastings, high-end wine tastings, craft beer, live music from the Ronnie Leigh Trio, a “selfie” area, raffles, wine pull and more! A fun way to spend your evening and support Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection in Syracuse. This year, actor Stephen Baldwin will be one of the chefs. Tickets are $45.
Saturday-Sunday, May 26-27
15th Annual Shearing Festival
10 a.m.-5 p.m., rain or shine, 1850 Route 91; springsidefarm.net. Featuring sheep and alpaca shearing, farm animals, spinners, local crafters, artisans, fleece and yarns, a chainsaw carver, zip lines, pedal cars, wagon rides, barrel train and refreshments and food including lamb spiedies, hamburgers, alpaca chili, apple fritters and homemade fresh fudge. Admission: $7 per person, $25 family maximum. Handicap and stroller accessible. Note: new location — Springside’s Christmas tree farm. Continued on next page
VOL. 2 No. 1
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Friday-Saturday, June 1-2
Taste of Syracuse
11 a.m.-11 p.m., Clinton Square. Try items from local eateries for only $1. Smash Mouth will headline the festival on Saturday night on the Express Mart Main Stage. A total of 34 bands will play over the course of the weekend. Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest will be held on the main stage on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. With a “Warrior Weekend” theme, the festival will pay honor to the various warriors from our community and collect donations for two charitable organizations, Vera House and Clear Path for Veterans. On Saturday, select restaurants and food vendors will offer two samples for $1 to those with a special wristband, available at The Summit Federal Credit Union tent for a minimum donation of $5. All wristband proceeds go directly to the charities. Admission is free.
Saturday, June 2
volunteers from the Friends of Carpenter’s Brook consisting of five 15-minute breakout stations with instruction. Participants will have the chance to practice casting and fish during the second half of the session. Bait, tackle, rod and reels and instructional materials will be provided. Bring a rod if you have one. Free.
Pioneer Museum Open House
1–4 p.m., Highland Forest, 1254 Highland Park Road, Fabius. Tour the museum and discover this little piece of Central New York history. View Native American artifacts and the tools used on early farms in the Fabius area. Study the old utensils used in kitchens. Admire the parlor, sports room, lending library and so much more. The museum is hands-on and family friendly. Enjoy complimentary hot dogs, chips, cookies, iced tea and lemonade. Free.
Saturday-Sunday, June 9 - 10
2018 CNY Fiber Arts Festival
Family Fishing Day
9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery, 1672 Route 321, Elbridge; advance registration required — 315-689-9367. A session of instruction will be provided by DEC staff, Carpenter’s Brook staff and
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Butternut Hill Campground, Bouckville, N.Y.; cnyfiberarts.org. This annual festival showcases the work of fiber farmers and artists. Over 100 vendor booths, under cover, feature handmade products such as yarn, roving, clothing, felted items,
woven items, other works of art, and fiber art supplies. A children’s tent offers free crafts, games, and educational activities for our young visitors. Friendly farm animals are on display throughout the festival. Always popular is the demonstration of sheep shearing. Food vendors sell delicious treats, and live music enhances the festival atmosphere. Guest artists will share information and techniques for dyeing various types of fiber.
Friday–Sunday, June 22-24
Jamesville Balloonfest
4-11 p.m. Friday; 1-11 p.m. Saturday; 1-10 p.m. Sunday; Jamesville Beach Park, 3992 Apulia Road; syracuseballoonfest.com. Non-stop musical entertainment with top local music groups with more than two dozen special shape and hot air balloons, an arts and crafts fair, amusement rides, food and beverages. Balloon flight times are 6-7:30 p.m. Friday and 5:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting. Schedule and admission subject to change.
Syracuse Polish Festival
Clinton Square, Downtown Syracuse; polishscholarship.org. This family-friendly Continued on next page
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celebration of Polish culture, heritage and traditions featuring live music, dancers and a taste of Polish and American cuisine and Polish beer along with Polish and American arts and crafts.
Saturday-Sunday, June 23-24
14th Annual Cherry Festival
Varick Winery & Vineyard, 5102 State Route 89, Romulus; 315-549-8797 or visit varickwinery.com. Enjoy sweet and sour cherry picking, food, wine, sweet treats, music by Lisa Lee Trio on Saturday and by Just Joe on Sunday and arts and crafts vendors. Held rain or shine. Free admission.
Saturday, July 14
Empire Winefest
2-8 p.m., New York State Fairgrounds Chevy Court; empirewinefest.com. In addition to award-winning wines from all over the state and country, there will be spirits, food, music, games, shopping and much more. Held outside, or inside if weather doesn’t cooperate. Tickets are $25 online, $35 at the door.
Annual Onondaga Cup & Lakefest Onondaga Lake Park, Liverpool; onondagalakefest.com. Master and junior
rowers compete in a USRowing Registered Regatta, plus corporate teams, individual kayakers and paddle-boarders. Live mermaids, on-water entertainment, cooking competitions, live music, a kids zone with rides, yoga, barre and hit exercise classes, a “Crew-Fest” craft beer tasting event, entertainers and more, all in a free, relaxed, shady, lakeside venue. Free admission, but for those who want a more upscale experience, a paid-ticketed and tented VIP area with allday food, drink and entertainment with the best viewing spot for all the races.
Saturday, July 14
FLW - T-H Marine Bass Fishing League
Oneida Shores Park, 9400 Bartell Road, Brewerton; flwfishing.com/ tournaments/2018-07-14-oneida-lake. A 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of
the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL AllAmerican.
Saturday-Sunday, July 14-15
Finger Lakes Wine Festival
10 a.m.-5 p.m., Watkins Glen International Speedway, 2790 Route 16, Watkins Glen; 866-461-RACE. The largest showcase of New York State wines with over 80 wineries paired with regional artisans, music and culinary classes all in one beautiful location. Cost: One Day Taster: $25 (before June 11) - $50 (after June 11) Two Day Taster: $50 (before June 11) - $55 (after June 11) designated driver: $25.
Friday, June 15
New York Finger Lakes Wine Country Bike Tour
Arlen Hall, 800-755-2453; adventurecycling. org. Ten-day group road bicycle tour of the Finger Lakes. 14 riders plus 2 tour leaders. Self-contained, shared cooking, camping/ indoor stays, paved/dirt roads. Intermediate Plus level of difficulty: a total of 374 miles in eight riding days. Cost: $1,129. Continued on page 23
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Our family will be pleased to assist you with all of your questions concerning the purchase of a family memorial and help you understand your options when choosing a stone.
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Mondays-Fridays, July 16-27
Grandparent/Grandchild Fishing Days
10 a.m.-noon or 1-3 p.m., Carpenters Brook Fish Hatchery, 1672 Route 321, Elbridge; 315-689-9367. Catch lunker trout and create memories for a lifetime. Rods, reels and bait provided and volunteers will be on site to provide instruction for beginners. Advance registration required. Cost is $3 per child; adults free (three children per adult allowed.)
Thursday-Saturday, July 19-21
Curbstone Festival & Sidewalk Sales
9 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, village of Skaneateles, along Genesee, Jordan and Fennell streets; 315-685-0552, skaneateles.com. Sales of men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, home accessories and more. Musical entertainment and demos throughout the weekend.
Friday-Sunday, July 20-22
PPG Syracuse Nationals
8 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday; New York State Fairgrounds, Syracuse; syracusenationals.com. More than 8,000 cars, celebrity guests, giveaways, more than 400 food, automotive and merchandise vendors and fireworks. The largest car show in the Northeast — a festival with something for everyone. Live music, food, giveaways, a poker run, pinstriping demonstrations and artwork auction, a huge car corral and swap meet, fireworks, a Women’s World expo, and more. Advance sale discount tickets are available online through July 11.
Thursdays, June 21-Oct. 4
Wine Country Bike Tour
9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; 949-424-5369; gobikeerie.com/events. Enjoy a day of cycling along Cayuga Lake with visits and tastings at several of the areas finest wineries. Wine tasting, snacks, beverages and lunch are included. This trip begins with a visit to Taughannock Falls State Park and includes visits to three to four wineries . This tour is fully guided with a support van that follows to carry purchases. Free pickup from Syracuse, Seneca Falls and Waterloo. Cost is $129 per person; optional
bike rental of $20.
Friday-Sunday, July 27-29
40th Annual Antique and Classic Boat Show
3 p.m. to dusk Friday, 9 a.m. to dusk Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Clift Park, Skaneateles; 315-685-0552, skaneateles.com. Ninety antique and classic boats and motors on display in the water and on land, concerts, a boat parade, a photo shoot aboard the Judge Ben Wiles, children’s activities, demos, raffles and more. Awards presented in 35 categories. Admission is free.
Saturday July 28
Madison County Open Farm Day
10 a.m.-4 p.m., designated farms throughout Madison County; openfarmdaymadisoncounty. com. This annual event hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County allows visitors to experience local agriculture up-close. Each Open Farm Day farm across the county opens their gates to the public for farm tours, demonstrations, food tastings and animal interaction for a day of farm fun that is sure to have something for everyone. Free to participate, and when you visit three farms with your Open Farm Day passport, found at openfarmdaymadisoncounty.com or Price Chopper, you will receive a free giveaway prize.
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Bayberry Plaza Farmers’ Market 7608 Oswego Road, Liverpool Wednesdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cazenovia Farmers’ Market Cannon Park Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Fayetteville Farmers’ Market Fayetteville Towne Center Thursdays, noon to 6 p.m.
Skaneateles Farmers’ Market Austin Park Pavilion Thursdays 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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(315) 498-5525 VOL. 2 No. 1
| Homegrown Magazine 2 3
Beekeeping 101 Q&A with a backyard beekeeper
M
By Jennifer Wing eghan Donahue began her journey as a beekeeper last spring in the backyard of the Marietta home she shares with her husband, Tom, and their children, Thomas and Charlie. Donahue is also director of the Skaneateles Montessori School. Q: What made you decide to start a hive at your home? A: I have always been interested in bees and beekeeping ever since I can remember. I also love the idea of being part of a solution, even on a small scale. After about a year of research and talking my husband into it, we decided to give beekeeping a try. Q: What resource(s) did you use to plan your project? A: The best thing we did is to do lots of research online for information. We looked to our local beekeepers club for information and local beekeepers for knowledge. There is a lot of information if you look. Q: What was your first step after deciding to do it? A: Once we decided to give it a try we just ordered equipment. Some of it was pre-built and others needed to be assembled at home. The next step is finding bees! You
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can either try to attract them, capture them or purchase a nuc [a small honey bee colony]. We decided on the easier route and purchased from a local beekeeper. Q: What costs are involved? What else should be considered before deciding to do this? A: Costs vary depending on the equipment you choose. We have used both Mann Lake and Flow Hive for our set up. Flow Hive is unique in that they have a special comb made of plastic for the honey storage that allows you to simply extract the honey right where the hive is. They call these flow frames. This means you do not have to disturb the bees or the hive in order to extract the honey, which really appealed to us. It also takes less time for the bees to then store more honey since you didn’t take away their comb extracting it. Another consideration was where we would put the bees. Luckily, we have a fairly big yard, so we found a spot that had good eastern exposure to the sun, was near plants that bees would forage on, and water. We also looked for a spot that was reasonably quiet so we didn’t disturb them when we mowed the lawn or kids were playing in the yard. Continued on next page
VOL. 2 No. 1
DO worry, (to) bee happy It has been reported in the national media that, over the years, there has been an unusually high rate of decline in honeybee colonies. According to sos-bees.org, the causes of this decline include bee-killing pesticides, industrial agriculture, parasites/pathogens and climate change. “The loss of biodiversity due to monocultures and the wide-spread use of bee-killing pesticides are particular threats for honeybees and wild pollinators,” the site states.
Why worry? Pollinators such as native bees and honey bees contribute to the successes of agriculture
Beekeeping 101 Continued from previous page Q: What timeline must be followed in establishing a hive? A: In Central New York you need to contact a local beekeeper in early spring to secure a nuc. Once the nuc is ready you can transport it home and start the process. You won’t be able to start that until the risk of frost is long gone. But in the meantime you can prepare a site for the hive and have all your equipment ready to go. Q: What difficulties did you face? A: This winter was particularly difficult for bees in Central New York. We lost our hive, as many others did this year. This winter was too cold, and either there was not enough food or the queen may have died first. Many of the bees could have left to look for a spot with more food. We are still learning. Q: What will you do now? A: Our plan for this year is to purchase another nuc and let our hive get bigger and stronger with more honey before extracting any so that they can hopefully survive the upcoming winter. We are always learning with the bees. After examining the hive we determined that there just wasn’t enough food storage to get them through the winter. It’s pretty easy to
detect, since there is no food left in the hive and you can see a lot of dead bees with their rear ends sticking out of the comb. Q: Do you get stung a lot? A: We were very fortunate because our nuc was from a beekeeper with relatively docile bees. For the most part they were friendly. I remember when they built some honey comb in the roof of the hive my husband went to remove it and, after doing so, had a lot of bees landing on his hands that were covered in honey. They obviously didn’t take the removal as a threat and were more interested in recovering the honey from his hands. There were probably
and industry. According to The Nature Conservancy, honeybees are responsible for “almost 80 percent of all crop pollination. Without them, farmers and consumers could potentially be at a great loss.”
How can you help? Like Meghan, you can try to cultivate a hive on your own. If beekeeping isn’t your thing, The Nature Conservancy suggests you: - Add native plants to help increase bee populations. - Reduce the use of herbicides and pesticides in your backyard. - Buy local honey.
1,000 bees flying around and not one sting. We got to the point late in the summer that, when we checked on the hive, we didn’t wear much protection other than a beekeeper’s hat. But we do realize we will eventually get stung. After all, this was only our first year! Q: What has been most rewarding? A: Our favorite part of the process has been to watch the hives grow and the bees make honey. Another amazing part is the whole family can get involved. Our son is usually right alongside us with the smoker in case the bees become a little too aggressive. He loves being involved. Q: Any tips for someone thinking of doing this at home? A: Do your research, ask questions and find a mentor. The hardest thing is probably leaving them alone once you have them. The temptation is to always be checking on them like you would a pet. They aren’t pets, but they are very rewarding.
Previous page: Meghan and Charlie Donahue are pictured checking on the hive. Left: Photos of both the exterior and interior of the Donahue family hive. PHOTOS COURTESY OF TOM DONAHUE
VOL. 2 No. 1
| Homegrown Magazine 2 5
BREAKFAST Big Anthony’s Frittata Frenchies French Toast Steak n’ Eggs Breakfast in a Bowl Three Egg Omelets Homemade Sausage Gravy with Biscuits The Best Homemade Homefries... and more
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Syracha’Cuse and Syracuse Salt Company open tasting bar at Destiny USA
Libby Croom of Syracuse Salt Company stands by SSC and Syracha’Cuse’s joint kiosk at Destiny USA.
Lauren Young
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By Lauren Young or the owners at Syracha’Cuse Gourmet Sauces & Mustards and Syracuse Salt Company, the decision to join forces and open a “company store” at Destiny USA was as natural as the products they sell.
“It’s a unique story in the fact that we are both artisanal, small batch producers,” said Mike Sharlow, founder of Syracha’Cuse Gourmet Sauces & Mustards. Founded in 2016, the business features a line of allnatural gourmet hot sauces and mustards, made from local and regional ingredients that are organic, nonGMO, gluten-free and vegetarian/vegan friendly. For about two years, Syracha’Cuse shared a retail space with Syracuse Salt Company, which features gourmet sea salts from around the world. Gradually, the two businesses noticed more similarities between the two of them, including that David Iannicello runs Syracuse Salt Company with his daughter Libby Croom, while Sharlow ran Syracha’Cuse with his daughter Marissa. The two businesses, can also typically be found near one another at local markets and special events, like the Cazenovia Farmer’s Market and the Night Market at Sky Armory. So it seemed smart to collaborate and, last December, the two owners decided to begin work on opening the tasting bar, which sells a range of their products, from artisan sea salts like Thai ginger and white truffle, to hot sauces like cilantro onion and maple garlic. Candles, Himalayan sea salt lamps, gift boxes and custom packages are also available at the kiosk.
Business at their kiosk, located on the first-floor of Destiny USA in the corridor near the Disney store, has been going “very well” so far, said Sharlow. While they don’t encounter the same local customers they usually do, they meet a range of diverse customers traveling around the state and even country visiting their kiosk. “We have a lot of folks visiting the town,” said Sharlow, adding that this was the type of customers they were hoping to attract. “It’s been a good experience and we’re still learning,” said Libby Croom. “We definitely like meeting new people. It’s been really neat.” The owners’ bonds as friends, Sharlow said, is why they work so well together. “We’re friends, and when you’re friends with someone, you trust one another,” The kiosk is open from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 3 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Both companies’ products can be purchased online. Visit syrachacuse.com and syracusesaltco.com.
About Syracha’Cuse Gourmet Sauces & Mustards Founded in 2016, Sharlow and his daughter’s line of gourmet hot sauces and mustards was inspired by their own taste buds. “Marissa and I had a passion for hot, spicy foods and a love for our city and hometown,” said Sharlow. “We thought, if we could put those two together, that would be really cool.” Their signature hot sauce, Syracuse Habs, is made with habanero peppers. Their other collaborations
include a craft beer hot sauce infused with Empire Brewing Company’s Skinny Atlas Light beer, a coffee hot sauce made with coffee beans from Recess Coffee and a maple garlic hot sauce infused with maple syrup from Dutch Hill Maple in Tully. Some of their mustards include a craft beer variety made with Empire beer, Chardonnay mustard made with wine from Owera Vineyards in Cazenovia and honey mustard made with honey from Hiwire Honeybees in LaFayette. Using local ingredients, Sharlow said, “has proven to be great. That was our first goal when we started.”
About Syracuse Salt Company Iannicello and Croom launched their company back in 2015. Their line features gourmet sea salts from around the world, with flavored varieties ranging from smoked alder wood sea salt to sriracha sea salt, and ghost pepper sea salt to merlot sea salt. “We try to do a lot of collaborations,” said Croom. They feature Himalayan salt candles from Witty Wicks Candles in Camillus, Himalayan salt soap from Syracuse Soapworks and Simple Roast coffee for their espresso sea salt. Currently, they are working on a craft beer salt infused with Empire Brewing Company’s Slo Mo’ IPA. Iannicello said he had questioned how they could live in the Salt City, yet not have a business to represent that history. “It was definitely a major industry here, so bringing that back to the forefront is pretty cool,” said Croom. In the future, he said, they hope to obtain actual Syracuse sea salt to sell. VOL. 2 No. 1
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A jewel in Cazenovia’s crown
Stone Quarry Hill Art Park founder’s home a prime example of mid-century modern architecture
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By Jason Emerson
tone Quarry Hill Art Park in Cazenovia is nationally and internationally recognized as a place of creativity and calm. Its 104 acres are interspersed with artistic creations and nature trails for public enjoyment, while also operating as artists’ retreat, showcase and workspace. But one aspect of the park that generally has been overlooked is now coming to the forefront — the historic home of Dorothy and Bob Riester that sits in the middle of the park. Hilltop House, which the Riesters built in 1960 and added to for more than a decade, is gaining recognition as a unique example of mid-century modern architecture that also reflects the artistic vision of Dorothy Riester, a renowned sculptor. “There is a huge story up at that house to be told,” said Sarah Tietje-Mietz, visitor services and site promotion coordinator at the Art Park,. “People don’t necessarily recognize [its historical value] because if you live through it, how can it be historic?” “People just don’t think about it,” said Kelli Johnson, the Art Park’s interim executive director. “I never did either. When people want something to do in Cazenovia, I never thought to say to visit the Art Park and Hilltop House.” The Riesters started what is today Stone Quarry Hill Art Park in 1958
courtesy stone quarry hill art park
Pictured are beams and a slate floor inside Hilltop House. with the purchase of 25 scenic acres of land on a hilltop plateau off Stone Quarry Road. Two years later they built Hilltop House, and two years after that added a studio for Dorothy. “I designed the house to be a summer place, to be small with low maintenance, and to incorporate and be part of the landscape. The house would be shaped like a cone on its side two stories high on the northwest front, with a curving façade that generally would follow the contour
line of the hill,” Riester wrote in her book, “Art and the Land.” According to Riester, a contractor built the skeleton of the house while Bob did most of the cabinetry and built-ins, the hanging steps, the walls of barn siding, the insulation and cedar paneling of the sloping ceilings, and addressed all engineering problems. Dorothy made and installed ceramic tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms, the sand-cast wall in the terrace room, the fireplace hood in the living room, and all cement work and interior painting, “and supplied plenty of ideas.” Together, the couple laid the flagstone floor, which included electric heating wire. “Building the house was an ongoing, creative and entertaining endeavor,” Riester wrote. “Even the various mishaps became part of the story … Over the many years, the adventure never ended.” The summer residence became a year-round home in 1965. In the 1970s, the library was added, as was the glass-walled entry room — including an existing clump of white birch trees and a bed of ivy — that connected the house to the garage. “The house developed and grew with Bob and Dorothy,” said TietjeMietz, who has a background in fine arts and historic preservation. “The house is almost as much a sculpture as any of Dorothy’s freestanding pieces.” The Dorothy Riester House and Studio was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. The site is “significant as a highly intact example of a mid-
twentieth century modern house and artist studio,” according to the National Park Service website. “The building exemplifies midcentury house design with its use of common, ready-made materials and prominent front-gable massing, large expanses of windows, and open interior plan. However, unlike a typical mid-century house, the building also incorporates elements of Dorothy Riester’s sculptural background and her desire to integrate nature into her art.” “It’s no small means to be on the National Register of Historic Places,” said Tietje-Mietz. “People in Cazenovia don’t realize we have as much historical importance as Lorenzo [State Historic Site]; we’re just in a different category.”
Riester leaves $1.6 million estate to preserve Art Park
Dorothy Riester was 100 years old when she passed away in July 2017. After Riester’s passing, her estate named the Central New York Community Foundation the recipient of more than $1.6 million to preserve Stone Quarry Hill Art Park through The Robert & Dorothy Riester Fund for Stone Quarry Hill Art Park Preservation, to be endowed and administered by the foundation to ensure the long-term preservation and maintenance of the park’s grounds and physical property. When combined with Dorothy’s previous donations, the total fund will reach $2 million.
photo by Bob Gates
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VOL. 2 No. 1
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| Homegrown Magazine 2 9
Local leather Artisan puts personal stamp on his work
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By Jason Gabak
hen Blaine Vossler decided to try his hand at leather work, he found an approach that has echoed through his work ever since. “I saw a need and I tried to come up with a way to address it,” Vossler said. “At first it was just for me, just to find a way to make something that worked for me and what I was looking for. But other people were interested in what I was doing and it took off from there. But that has always been my approach, very utilitarian, making things that address a need and solve a problem.” Blaine, who co-owns The Local Branch in Skaneateles with his wife Mackenzie, has a background in graphic design, print making and sculpture. He and Mackenzie were living in the San Francisco area when they first started The Local Branch as a way to sell some of their work. “I was still working another job,” Blaine said. “I was always going, always had to make sure I had my phone and my wallet, and that was what got me into working with leather. I wanted to make something for me that I could keep my wallet and phone and everything I needed in one piece.” Taking his knowledge of sculpture, Blaine decided to apply this to a different medium. “I picked up some leather pieces and I really thought about it like sculpture,” he said. “I just looked at is as a way to make something for me, so I just cut it out the way I thought I wanted and did some basic stitches. We didn’t have a sewing machine then, so it was all by hand.” It didn’t take long for Blaine’s work to draw attention from others. “People started asking if I could make things for them,” he said. “I started doing commissions and special order pieces and it just took off from there.” Over the years he has refined his approach, using a sewing machine to complete pieces and establishing his own designs, but his philosophy remains the same — “to make things that are useful.” Pieces offered through The Local Branch include everything from wallets and cellphone holders to bracelets, rings and other jewelry items as well as satchels and a variety of clothing. As the name of the Vosslers’ business implies, there is a focus on being local.
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VOL. 2 No. 1
Submitted photo
Blaine Vossler, who co-owns The Local Branch in Skaneateles with his wife Mackenzie, has brought an emphasis on locally produced items including his own handmade leather work offered at the shop. With everything he creates, there is an effort to make sure the materials are locally sourced. “We have a tannery we work with,” Blaine said. “We get the tanned leather right from the tannery and I cut it myself for whatever I am working on. We try to keep things simple. We don’t get too carried away with adornments, but with buckles and other parts we need, we have local suppliers we work with and everything we work with is made in the U.S.A.” The Local Branch began as a small operation within an Airstream trailer the Vosslers converted to house their growing business. They moved from San Francisco to the New York City area among other locations before deciding to settle in Central New York and open their first brick and mortar location in Skaneateles. Having a physical location has allowed the couple to expand on their offerings. “We can take more special orders,” Mackenzie said. “We can do more custom things and we can meet more people and talk to them and hear about what they are looking for and find a way to provide those kinds of things. It is a good experience, it is a little different for us, but it gives us an opportunity to do something different.” Recently Mackenzie said a customer visited the shop with an older leather coat they were
looking to have repaired. “We were able to take it and look at it and add some new leather to patch and repair some parts and bring the life back to the coat,” Blaine said. “That made a big difference for that customer. I think people like that, they like that personal touch.” “People like to know there is some place they can go and get that kind of personal attention,” Mackenzie said. “Having the shop gives us the opportunity to do a lot more like that.” Blaine said he has seen an increasing interest in smaller scale and more personalized products and they strive to fill that niche locally. “It is almost old-fashioned,” Mackenzie said. “People seem to want to go back to the way things used to be a little bit for the things they buy.” “I think people are looking for that more and more,” Blaine said. “Whether it is food or beer or clothes, I think people want something they know they can’t just find at one of the box stores. I think people are looking for and very interested in that smaller local approach to things and knowing where things come from.” The Local Branch is located at 4 Jordan St. in Skaneateles. To learn more, visit thelocalbranch.com.
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| Homegrown Magazine 3 1
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