The B: High Summer issue by New England Newspapers, Inc.

Life in the Berkshires | High Summer 2024

Bountiful Berkshires Meet the growers, the chefs, the food obsessed

FRESH PICKED! Chef and farmer Tu Le of 328North gathers flowers for a special dinner at Hancock Shaker Village.

FARMERS MARKET HAULS See who bought what!

Discover:

KLOCKE ESTATE

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Lisa Vollmer Photography

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roejanbrewing.com @roejanbrewingco 518-303-8080

WHERE THE HUDSON VALLEY MEETS THE BERKSHIRES

INTERIORS - HOME DECOR - FINE ART

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hillsdalegeneralstore.com @hillsdalegeneralstore 518-325-3310

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Klocke Estate

from the publisher WE HAVE REACHED THAT DELIGHTFUL PEAK OF SUMMER when the

K LO C K E : A B I G A I L F E N TO N ; FA R M : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N

garden is overflowing, and the abundance of zucchini has you almost willing to pay people to take it off your hands. Saturday mornings are filled with trips to farmers markets and CSA pick-ups, where the bounty of the season is on full display. Welcome to High Summer in the Berkshires. In this issue of The B, we celebrate our region’s rich agricultural heritage, uncover the inspirations behind our chefs’ culinary creations (spoiler alert: local ingredients), and introduce you to the majestic new brandy distillery and culinary destination, the Klocke Estate. These stories highlight the collaborative and innovative spirit driving our vibrant agrotourism sector, a cornerstone of our local economy. Our cover subject, Chef Tu Le, aptly describes a prevailing trend in our community as “collaboration over competition.” You might have noticed chefs cheering each other on social media as they open new restaurants, or experienced a cultural institution hosting Greeting a Ronnybrook Farm calf an exciting “pop-up” culinary event. waiting to be named by This friendly, supportive atmosphere is Rick Osofsky’s grandchildren quintessentially Berkshires. So, cue the fireflies, gather your friends for dinner parties, and savor the delights of high summer in the Berkshires. And remember, be kind—take some zucchini from the garden home with you. SIGN UP FOR

MICHELLE THORPE PETRICCA mpetricca@berkshireeagle.com

our complimentary digital newlsetter

T W McClell and & Daughter s Fine Jewelry • 597 South Main Street, Great Barrington MA t wmcclell and.com 413-645-3399

from the editor

Shopping at the Great Barrington Farmers Market

20 years ago, thanks to cottage cheese. We were both about 6 months pregnant and struck up a conversation about cravings in the dairy aisle. Food brings people together. (In the Berkshires, heading to the farmers market is as much social outing as shopping trip.) In planning and producing this issue, we spoke with a lot of farmers and chefs. They are a passionate bunch, and the word that came up again and again was “connection.” Chefs told us that they want to foster community connections through their cooking and restaurants. Farmers told us that they want to help people connect to their food and the land. Not everyone has access to the fresh food that we do here (there are 73 farm stores in our guide on page 106!). Take advantage of it—buying local means your money stays in the community and helps farmers thrive. You and your family will benefit, too. It’s all, well, connected. The baby I had a few months after meeting my friend that day? He turned out to be a fussy eater. He would turn away virtually all fruits and vegetables—except when we went apple picking. (We didn’t live in the Berkshires and farm visits were a special treat, not the norm). As soon as we arrived at the orchard, he would twist an apple off the tree, take a big bite, then another and another. It was like magic. Perhaps somehow, seeing where his food came from and picking the fruit himself made an impact on him? Or maybe those apples just tasted better. I’m happy to celebrate everything we’re growing, cooking, and sharing with this issue. Here’s to a beautiful, bountiful rest of the summer and start to fall.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE B! AMY CONWAY

berkshireeagle.com/theb or scan the QR code.

P.S. That young picky eater of mine—he’s now super adventurous, and the other night we had cocktails and tinned fish together at Mooncloud in GB. So if you have young kids, take heart!

THE B • High Summer 2024

Neighborhood Favorites Don’t be too jealous, but my house is about a mile from both Taft Farms and Berkshire Mountain Bakery. I could feed myself quite nicely from those two places exclusively for…well, forever. For those who don’t know, Taft Farms is a year-round farm market selling produce, baked goods, prepared foods, and general provisions. The renowned Berkshire Mountain Bakery has been owned and run by Richard Bourdon for nearly 40 years; it offers bread and other baked goods and frozen pizza made with his sourdough crust. My go-tos there are the Potato Onion Artisanal Bread and canelés, small French pastries with a caramelized exterior and soft, almost custardy interior. If you haven’t tried them, go right now. The best part? Both are open every day, late enough to grab something when you realize you didn’t plan anything for dinner.

Berkshire Mountain Bakery

Taft Farms 119 Park Street, Great Barrington 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. taftfarmsgb.com Berkshire Mountain Bakery 367 Park Street, Housatonic Mondays through Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sundays, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

P H OTO S : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N

I MET ONE OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS, more than

Jenifer House Commons, Great Barrington, MA • wingateltd.com • 413-644-9960 Open Monday - Saturday, 10 - 5 • Sunday by appointment only

High Summer 2024

Features

The Ultimate Creator Tu Le brings creativity and a sense of community everywhere he goes.

Cream of the Crop The Osofsky family has been in the dairy business for three generations—and counting.

The Long View KLOCKE: ERIC MEDSKER; COW & VEGETABLES: STEP HANIE ZOLLSHAN; C HEESE: LI NDA CAMPOS; TU LE: ASHLEY WEEKS CART

Klocke Estate—brandy distillery and culinary destination—is planning for the future.

Chef’s Specials Meet nine chefs from our top resorts.

Plus!

FARM STORES See page 106

For the Love of Cheese Meet Matt Rubiner, the “Cheese Boy” of Great Barrington.

The B’s GUIDE TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS See page 101

In every issue: The Local Life 15 | Voices & Views 25 | Last Look 112

Farmer’s Markets Tag along with three savvy shoppers at their local farmers markets.

Hit the Trails There’s something for everyone with these hikes.

On the cover: Chef and farmer Tu Le of 328North photographed by Ashley Weeks Cart High Summer 2024 • THE B

VOL. 2, ISSUE 3 High Summer 2024 PUBLISHER

EDITOR IN CHIEF

mpetricca@berkshireeagle.com

aconway@berkshireeagle.com

Michelle Thorpe Petricca DESIGN DIRECTOR

Julie Hammill

julie@hammilldesign.com COPY EDITOR

Amy Krzanik CONTRIBUTING COLUMNISTS

Jane Larkworthy Pops Peterson

Amy Conway

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

William Li

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ben Garver Gillian Jones-Heck Stephanie Zollshan

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Kate Abbott

INTERN

AUGUST 23, 2024–DECEMBER 8, 2024 WILLIAMS COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART 15 Lawrence Hall Drive | Williamstown, Massachusetts artmuseum.williams.edu | Free Admission | Catalogue Available

Teddy Sandoval, Angel Baby, 1995. Twelve-color silkscreen, 38 × 26 in. Courtesy of Paul Polubinskas. (Photo: Ian Byers-Gamber)

Toby Foehl

Community Access to the Arts presents The B is a publication of New England Newspapers Inc.

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Fredric D. Rutberg | frutberg@berkshireeagle.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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Painting by Rory Adams

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CLARK ART INSTITUTE Lunder Center at Stone Hill May 24–September 22 | 227 South Street, Williamstown

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contributors: The B's Saints & Eccentrics

ASHLEY WEEKS CART (“The Ultimate Creator”) is a Berkshire-based artist and educator specializing in outdoor family and portrait photography. When Ashley isn’t behind a camera, she likely has knitting needles in hand or is corralling her lively household of four children and two dogs. Her personal art practice meditates on parenthood and grief and the interconnected worlds of both. She lives and works in Williamstown. ashleyweekscart.com JANE KAUFMAN (“Cream of the Crop”) is community voices editor at The Berkshire Eagle, where she writes primarily about rural issues. She’s spent most of her career in newspapers, writing news, columns, editorials and editing a book for The Springfield Republican. She lives in Ashfield. ABIGAIL FENTON (“The Long View”) is an international photographer rooted in The Berkshires. A Savannah College of Art and Design alumna, she specializes in lifestyle and wedding photography, expertly capturing the essence of human experience. Abigail finds inspiration through travel, food and the inbetween moments of life. In her personal work, Abigail primarily works with film photography. abigailfenton.com ANN VOLKWEIN (“For the Love of Cheese”) is a bestselling cookbook author and recipe developer based in Stockbridge. She is author of “The Arthur Avenue Cookbook” and “Chinatown New York.” Her most recent collaborations include “Tasting History” with Max Miller, “My Mexican Mesa” with Jenny Martinez, and the upcoming “Salt Hank” with Henry LaPorte. LINDA CAMPOS (“For the Love of Cheese”) is a Boston and Berkshires based food and lifestyle photographer. Her work has been featured by The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Boston Magazine, and Edible Boston. When not behind the camera, you will often find her tending the dahlias and veggies in her West Stockbridge garden or cruising the GB Farmers Market. lindarcampos.com

THE B • High Summer 2024

KATE ABBOTT (“Market Research”) explores the Berkshires as a freelance writer, editor, and oral historian. A longtime former editor of Berkshires Week and Shires of Vermont, she now writes for regional publications from the Boston Globe to the Eagle and the Hill Country Observer, and she runs the website By the Way Berkshires, btwberkshires.com. MOLLY AND AURÉLIEN DE ST ANDRE (“Hit the Trails”) do branding and design work for Berkshire businesses and create many unique local products, including their line of baby and children’s clothing, Petit Pilou. You can find them in the screen printing studio at the back of Bon Dimanche in Great Barrington, hand printing their bold designs onto fabric and paper. mohodesigncreative.com AVI DRESNER (“The Guide to Private Education”) has been published in The New York Times and is a two-time winner of the Rockower Award (aka “the Jewlitzer”) from the American Jewish Press Association. He is executive producer of the documentary-inprogress “The Rabbi & The Reverend,” which tells the story of the friendship between his father and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. FRANCES BOSWELL (“Ode to Tomatoes”) is a food stylist based in New York City who spends every free moment possible at her house in West Cornwall, Connecticut, thinking about her next meal and cooking for friends and family. A home-cooked meal is her natural response to almost any occasion, happy or sad, and she loves nothing more than the barely controlled chaos of an overcrowded dining table. LILY GOLDBERG (“Room to Grow”) is a writer and music-maker from New York City. A graduate of Williams College, she’s worked at MASS MoCA, The Clark, and The Berkshire Eagle. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Times-Union, No Depression, PAPER, The Brooklyn Rail, and more. TOBY FOEHL (Editorial Intern) is a Senior at Williams College, where he writes for the sports information department and majors in Psychology. He is from Williamstown, MA and graduated from Mount Greylock Regional School in 2020.

P H OTO S : C O U R T E SY O F T H E C O N T R I B U TO R S

NEIL TURITZ (“The Ultimate Creator”) moved to the Berkshires from New York City, along with his wife. They have since welcomed a son. Turitz is a screenwriter, author, filmmaker, journalist, and creator of “6 Word Reviews.” @6wordreviews

Inncomparable cuisine

Whatever culinary experiences you’re looking for you can find them all right here.

redlioninn.com | 413.298.5545

The

Local Life Exploring Our Towns for the Best of the Berkshires

Onota Lake Pittsfield There’s room for everyone at this 600+ acre lake! Burbank Park also boasts a fishing pier, boat launch, swimming beach, and walking path. For more swimming spots, see page 23.

P H OTO : J U L I E H A M M I L L

High Summer 2024 • THE B

the local life: Around Town

The Doctor Is In Kelly and Bryan Binder’s boutique hotel, Doctor Sax House, is a stylish spot meant for relaxing—and maybe even dancing. By Amy Conway • Photographs by Stephanie Zollshan

One Saturday night in July, during Doctor Sax House’s soft launch phase, people were coming up the front walk and through the front door, which was standing ajar invitingly. “Are you…open?” they would ask. There wasn’t even a sign outside yet— fitting for an establishment said to have had a speakeasy in the basement at one point—but it was already giving off the vibe that good times were to be had. The nine-room boutique hotel and lounge/café, formerly the Candlelight

THE B • High Summer 2024

Inn on the corner of Walker and Church Streets in Lenox, was named after a 1959 Jack Kerouac novel. New owners, Bryan and Kelly Binder, who have an 8-monthold daughter, were visiting the area from New York a few years ago when they noticed that the building was for sale. “We started peeking in the windows,” said Kelly, “and saw how beautiful it was.” It has “good bones,” agreed Bryan, but required extensive renovations. Kelly designed the spaces with an elegance

that’s tempered by playfulness. While this is their first foray into hospitality—Bryan is in finance and Kelly has a background in healthcare technology—they have traveled extensively together and those experiences inform their vision for Doctor Sax. “That European sense of leisure, at 4:00 p.m. it becomes aperitivo hour and you’re having your snacks and your drinks and you’re not rushed,” says Kelly. “That’s something that we love.” The space lends

i Home i Lifestyle i Objets d’Art i at The Red Lion Inn @theshop.aroundthecorner

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itself to that, with two parlors, a “four season” room, and a chic, cozy bar; there will be live music and other programming as well, and Bryan has the spot picked out for dancing. The all-day menu offers both small and large plates so people can stop by for a quick bite or settle in for a meal; Chef Tiffany Flowers was previously at Antimony in Lenox. “There’s just some very good energy here,” said Bryan. And the cocktails are classics—French 75, anyone? B 35 Walker Street, Lenox doctorsaxhouse.com

Exceptional location next to Miraval Berkshires Resort. With this home you will receive a one-year Wyndhurst Club membership. Walking distance to the town of Lenox, minutes to Tangelwood, restaurants & shopping. Top of the line finishes, luxury Miele appliances, Kohler fixtures, quartz countertops, marble showers, wood floors throughout. Stone patio, walkout lower level with two bedrooms and kitchenette, attached two-bay garage.

For more information or schedule a viewing please call or text Dave at 413-441-0482.

the local life: Around Town

Family Friendly

The Flair at the Fair Carnival rides, tractor pulls, farm animals, and…a celebration of zucchini. Local fairs have something for everyone.

West Stockbridge Zucchini Festival | August 10 The festival returns with local vendors, artists, food, games, contests, and live music to celebrate this staple summer squash. wszucchinifest.org

North Adams Downtown Celebration | August 14 Downtown closes to cars as local groups and shops hold contests and giveaways, bands play everything from rock to jazz, and restaurants and artisans celebrate everything local. northadams-ma.gov

Heath Fair | August 16 to 18

Columbia County Fair | August 28 to September 2 This classic fair features farm animal showings and exhibits including pig races, a demolition derby, midway rides, live music, circus arts, and more. Chatham, NY columbiafair.com

Founders Day | September 20 to 22 Lee celebrates downtown with its annual fall parade, arts and crafts, local food, fireworks, and family fun. leechamber.org

Festival Latino | September 28 Celebrate Hispanic culture with live music, dancing, and a warm celebration of culture, food, and community in Great Barrington. festivallatino.org

The 106th annual fair in Franklin County brings local brews, square dancing, tractor pulls, farm animals, sheep-shearing demos, an obstacle race, horse-drawn wagon rides, fair food, and more. heathfair.org

Apple Squeeze | September 28

Cummington Fair | August 22 to 25

27th Annual Country Fair | September 28 and 29

Enjoy rides and games, horse and cattle shows, a sheep obstacle course, antique tractors and classic cars, live entertainment, and more. cummingtonfair.com

Hancock Shaker Village celebrates the season with live music, workshops and demos, family fun, craft beer, antique tractors, a quilt show and dozens of vendors. Pittsfield. hancockshakervillage.org —Kate Abbott

THE B • High Summer 2024

Lenox fills with artists and fall fare for the 43rd annual celebration of the season. lenox.org

Good News

Reaping Benefits Just in time for its 30th anniversary, BFAIR— the not-for-profit organization providing quality, individualized services to people of all abilities—started a new partnership with Jen Munoz of the Growing Healthy Garden Program out of North Adams. Munoz comes to the accessible garden beds at BFAIR’s day habilitation center to help folks cultivate the garden, plant seedlings, care for the plants, and harvest them. “Our culinary group enjoys the benefits of accessible gardening on site,” said Laura Baran, Senior Director of Community Based Day Services at BFAIR. Meaning: They get to eat what they grow! BFAIR’s “Party Like It’s 1994” gala takes place October 25 at The Williams Inn. Use this link to learn more.

Pillow Talk Here’s your ticket to enjoying Berkshire summer style at home! This pillow from Fluff Alpaca in Great Barrington is made— of soft alpaca fiber, of course—to look like a vintage Tanglewood lawn seat ticket. $79 fluffalpaca.com

Full-sized & desk-sized jockey statues In stock or special order Fine furniture & Interior Design

(518)581-0023 | Saratogasignature.com info@saratogasignature.com 82 Church Street Saratoga Springs, NY

the local life: Dining Out

New Restaurant Alert!

“Our Idea of a Perfect Meal” A few words about Heirloom Lodge from our contributing editor says it all. selections from their excellent wine list, it’s our idea of a perfect meal. What keeps us coming back is the ambiance—elegant yet homey, like a slice of Napa Valley right here. Heirloom Lodge has truly elevated the local dining scene, becoming our go-to for a night out and setting a new standard for Berkshire restaurants. —Contributing Editor William Li, founder of Armature Projects, an art consultancy Heirloom Lodge 286 Great Barrington Road, West Stockbridge heirloomlodge.com

P H OTO S : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N

I’ve fallen in love with Heirloom Lodge. Nestled in the location of the former Williamsville Inn in West Stockbridge, it’s been artfully reimagined by local architects Group AU into a stunning double-height space. My husband, James, and I love sitting at the bar, watching Chef (and owner) Matt Straus and his team work their culinary magic in the open kitchen. It’s like watching a live episode of “The Bear,” minus the screaming and chaos. Their concise menu is beautiful in its simplicity. Bacon and onion tart. Rotisserie chicken for two with roasted garlic bread pudding. Berry shortcake. Paired with

THE B • High Summer 2024

63 Church Street Lenox MA 01240

lauriedonovan.com (413)637-1589

JULY 26–AUGUST 31 at The Unicorn Theatre The Larry Vaber Stage

the local life: Dining Out

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s

Chef Xavier Jones: directed by Kat Yen

choreography by Isadora Wolfe music direction by Jacob Kerzner

Cooking with Heart

AUGUST 9 • 7:30PM at The Colonial Theatre

COMEDIAN

HENRY CHO

HERE TO THERE TOUR 2024

GET READY FOR A NIGHT OF NON‑STOP LAUGHTER

AUGUST 15–17

at The Colonial Theatre Berkshire Theatre Group in Collaboration with the Jewish Plays Project and plays2gather Present

AUGUST 23 • 7:30PM at The Colonial Theatre

WOODSTOCK 55 ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION TH

SEPTEMBER 26–OCTOBER 27 at The Unicorn Theatre The Larry Vaber Stage

written by Conor McPherson directed by Eric Hill

movement by Isadora Wolfe

(413) 997-4444 BerkshireTheatreGroup.org 111 South Street • Pittsfield, MA 6 East Street • Stockbridge, MA

The talented Chef Xavier Jones owns two popular local restaurants and is launching a new business—but his journey hasn’t been easy. What you need is for one person to believe in you, he says. He explains here, and his story may just inspire you to be that one person for someone who needs it.

The Present Now I own Firehouse Cafe

The Past When I was in 12th grade,

and Bistro, in Adams, with Warren Dews, Jr., and another restaurant, at MASS MoCA, called Bigg Daddy’s Philly Steak House. We focus on, you know, Philly cheesesteaks, barbecue wings, tenders. That was my father’s dream—he passed five years ago— and I want to make sure that his dream stays alive.

in Philadelphia I took a cooking class, and the chef told me, “your touch, your hand-eye coordination, you’re on point. Do you ever think about going to college?” I looked at him. I said, “all I want to do is graduate from high school. I just don’t want to be that statistic.” He said, “Listen, there’s this program called the Le Cordon Bleu, and they have an outlet here in the States. On the other side of Pennsylvania, in Pittsburgh, I have some connections. Would you go?” And I said yes. My father told me if an opportunity comes, don’t waste it. It was the best decision that I ever made. That’s all it is. It’s one person believing in you. Believing in this guy who just wanted to graduate.

The Future I want people to know Firehouse Cafe and Bigg Daddy’s, but I also want them to know the man behind it all. And that’s Chef Xavier Jones. I’m embarking on a new journey, in the personal chef direction, cooking for personal and corporate events, for small family dinners and occasions. My father said, “you have the gift to make people smile through your cooking. You bring people together.” When you come from where I come from, you work to make sure you never go back there. And that was the passion behind my drive. I’m not done yet. I want to make sure that I open up the door for the next person. chefxavierjones.com

P H OTO : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N

NEW JEWISH PLAYS

413.664.0400 porches.com

art is

Windsor Lake

Take a Dip

What’s Your Swim Style? The Berkshires has lots of spots to cool off and have some fun—so how to choose? Here are a few that just might have what you’re looking for. For an all-day (and night!) experience Lake Taghkanic State Park, Ancram, New York With paddleboard, kayak, and boat rentals; a snack shop; and playgrounds for the kids, this can be a full day’s getaway. With campsites and cottages, it can be even more. parks.ny.gov

To take a swim—and take in a view Mount Tom State Park, Litchfield, Connecticut Which will you do first—go for a dip in the pond or take a short hike to a 34-foot tower for a spectacular view? ctparks.com

For a concert by the water

Windsor Lake, North Adams This pretty lake is worth a stop anytime— but the summer concert series is something special. Bring your chairs or picnic blanket, and enjoy live music on Wednesdays at 6:30 in the summer. discovernorthadams.com

For indoor lap swimming P H OTO : G I L L I A N J O N E S - H E C K

Berkshire South Community Center, Great Barrington When you’re looking to get your exercise in, it’s good to know that you can get a day pass to this community center in Great Barrington (and they have lots of aquatic programming, too!). berkshiresouth.org —Toby Foehl

Every visit is a chance to discover MASS MoCA, The Clark or the talents of local artists and the natural beauty of the Berkshires.

READY FOR COLLEGE. READY FOR LIFE. A coed boarding and day school for grades 9-12 & PG. Advanced Math/Science Research, Advanced Humanities Research, Pro Vita Winter Session, a range of arts offerings, and championship athletics on a stunning 400-acre campus in the Berkshires.

Sheffield, MA | admission@berkshireschool.org www.berkshireschool.org SCHEDULE A VISIT 413-229-1003

Don’t miss these literary luminaries in the Berkshires! JONATHAN EIG

DEBORAH COHEN

ROSANNE CASH

CHARLOTTE GRAY

SAFIYA SINCLAIR

BRENDA WINEAPPLE

King: A Life Composed

How to Say Babylon: A Memoir

JONATHAN ALTER

His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, A Life

Last Call at the Hotel Imperial Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy, and the Trial that Riveted a Nation

MICHAEL POLLAN

This is Your Mind on Plants

Tickets at EdithWharton.org

S O LD OUT

Voices & Views These Stories Can Only Come from the Berkshires

Roots Rising Pittsfield P H OTO : S T E P H A N I E Z O L L S H A N

A member of the Farm Crew, Jayvian Bennett, works in the gardens at Hancock Shaker Village. Read more on the next page.

High Summer 2024 • THE B

voices & views: Roots Rising

Room to Grow

Roots Rising Executive Director Jessica Vecchia, center, with Farm Crew members and local high schoolers Leah Maloy and Isaiah Carter.

Roots Rising has empowered local teens for a decade—and the organization itself is flourishing with a new farm of its own in Pittsfield. By Lily Goldberg Photographs by Stephanie Zollshan

THE B • High Summer 2024

Fifty percent of farmers markets fail in their first couple of years and, in 2012, it looked like the Pittsfield Farmers Market might be headed that way. That was before the teens took over. Berkshire residents who frequent the Pittsfield Farmers Market may not know that the market—which brings dozens of local vendors, farmers, and artisans to First Street every Saturday morning—is staffed entirely by students. But thanks to Roots Rising, an awardwinning non-profit organization that empowers teenagers to become community leaders through food and farming, these young people are well equipped for the challenge of coordinating vendors, managing finances, and administering food justice programs.

Above: Near the Round Stone Barn, Bashiru Sowe and Reagan Supple weed the garden. Left: Roots Rising Program Manager Isabelle Morley.

“When you’ve worked in 93-degree weather for hours upon hours, or when it’s raining, or when you’re just exhausted from weeding for two weeks straight—it’s really amazing, and makes you really appreciate the food that you eat.” —Jessica Vecchia The seeds of Roots Rising were planted a decade ago, when Jessica Vecchia —who was running the struggling Pittsfield Farmers Market—met Jamie Samowitz, who managed an after-school farm and garden program administered by the Berkshire Botanical Garden. Both women recognized that Pittsfield’s teens needed paying jobs, and both admired the work of Boston-based nonprofit The Food Project, which has, since 1991, employed eastern Massachusetts youth on urban and suburban farmland. “We thought about how we could adapt their model for the Berkshires,” said Vecchia of co-founding Roots Rising with Samowitz (Vecchia is the organization’s current executive director while Samowitz left the organization last year to pursue a career in psychotherapy). Since the program began, nearly 200 teenagers from the Pittsfield area have worked on Farm Crews at Hancock Shaker Village, Abode Farm (in New Lebanon, New York), Red Shirt Farm (Lanesborough), and Holiday Brook Farm (Dalton). In 2019, Roots Rising launched its market crew program for former Farm Crew participants

to become administrators of the Pittsfield Farmers Market. Teaching youth to farm is especially powerful in an age where agriculture tends to be dominated by an older generation: in a 2022 survey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture found the average age of farmers to be 58. But training the next generation isn’t Roots Rising’s goal: rather, the program trains teenagers to become community-minded citizens. “It’s a really holistic program,” said Vecchia. “We use farming to teach life skills, job skills that are totally transferable. This summer, Roots Rising embarked on its most ambitious project yet: creating a farm of its own. In February, the nonprofit acquired a plot of land at 923 Barker Road in Pittsfield and is currently working with Pittsfield architectural firm Group AU to

develop the land into an educational center for curious growers and learners of all ages. “There are a lot of adults in our community looking for the kind of meaningful work and the kind of connection that our farm crews offer our teens,” said Vecchia. Preliminary plans for the space include a commercial kitchen for farm-to-table meals, apprentice housing, a CSA hub for the local community to pick up fresh produce, a pick-your-own-field, and teaching gardens. Though they are still in the planning and fundraising stage, Roots Rising hopes to begin work as soon as this fall, with the goal of a first farm season in 2026. “We’re really trying to get to know the land, and not just come in with what we want, but making sure that our plans work with what the land also wants, what it’s capable of,” said Vecchia. *

Get Involved Roots Rising has a matching campaign this summer—thanks to Roaring Brook Family Foundation, donation dollars are doubled. To contribute or to volunteer time, use this code to visit rootsrising.org

High Summer 2024 • THE B

voices & views: Roots Rising

Lasting Impacts Isabella Penna-Ward was on the Farm Crew in high school, and now she’s Roots Rising’s youngest board member. Here, she shares her experience. Historically, I have been pretty really cold, but we would have a blast terrible at keeping plants alive. My just running around and racing these experience with Roots Rising has buckets of mulch. We planted a lot of certainly helped with that. garlic on Red Shirt Farm. We’d sit around When I started with Roots Rising in a circle and tell stories and just break in 2018, as a student at Pittsfield High apart hundreds of heads of garlic. We School, I got to see how everything were really tired because we’d had a full comes together—how food grows and day of school. But also, it was fun—now, winds up at a market or in a grocery I can take apart a head of garlic, break store. Getting to see every aspect of the it off into cloves, so quickly because it’s process was fascinating, and brought to ingrained in me. the forefront of my mind issues like food Not only did I learn and grow a passion justice, which I hadn’t given too much for food, farming, and agriculture, I saw complex thought before. my peers finding that joy and excitement. Roots Rising was my first-ever job. I There were people who were amazed had no idea what a job application was, to see a carrot pulled out of the ground. what a W2 form was. It set me on my One of the important things for Roots path, not just in terms of my academic Rising is making the experience of food interests and personal passions, but also and farming more accessible. It can be in a professional sense. I was a pretty an engaging experience, no matter what introverted high schooler—I didn’t really your skill—you don’t have to have 20 interact too much with students from raised beds to consider yourself someone other schools, students across the community. I only knew people in Jessica Vecchia and Isabella Penna-Ward my classes. Being a part of Roots Rising allowed me to meet kids I never would have met. Because the crews are so small, it’s such an intimate experience. You really get to speak with one another, know one another deeply. Even the tasks that might come across as mundane were exciting and fun. We used to have “mulch races” at Red Shirt Farm—it would be

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with a green thumb. You just have to have a passion for it. I see Roots Rising as a uniting force throughout our community. People bump into each other at the Farmers Market—they haven’t seen each other in forever, but they’re both out getting tomatoes, so they strike up a conversation. I’ve been able to tell people that had never heard about the Pittsfield Farmers Market about what we have to offer, and seen them go to the Market every week after and make friends there, get to know the vendors and be able to buy fresh products for their families. Last summer, I interned at Hancock Shaker Village. I was on the farm and garden crew, and I got to work with the visiting Roots Rising summer crews. Instead of being the kid working with the farmer, I was the farmer working with the kid. That internship brought everything to the forefront for me again. I applied for the Roots Rising board and joined shortly thereafter; I am currently the youngest board member, and I am the only former youth crew member. I’m really excited—I hope to be one of many former Farm Crew kids helping to forward the organization’s mission. B ____________ As told to Lily Goldberg

voices & views: Homegrown

Late Returns Do some planting now and you’ll be rewarded with vegetables—broccoli, greens, beets, and more— for hearty meals all fall. Text and Photographs by Kevin West Spring is for planting. Every gardener knows that. But the annual growing season has time enough for back-to-back vegetable gardens, even in New England. The second is what my father calls a “late garden” and I think of as a “fall garden.” Whatever you call it, the time to plant it is now-ish—the second half of summer, from mid-July through late August. Why plant a late garden? For the best reason: it will put backyard vegetables and herbs on your table for months to come. Depending on the vagaries of weather— which are ever more unpredictable due to climate change—some backyard pickings can be harvested as late as Thanksgiving. A fall garden is comparatively carefree. Fall vegetables are less in sync with garden pests, many of which completed their hungry life cycles earlier in the season. Weed pressure lets up after the Dog Days. And the weather in September and October is ideal for being outside to work up an appetite. As with wedding presents or thankyou notes, a fall garden proves that late is always better than never.

What to plant Cooler weather and shorter days to come mean heat-loving vegetables like tomatoes won’t thrive. Instead, think of the flavors of your favorite fall recipes and work backwards. Easy fall vegetables include

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Fall Favorites For peak flavor in the cool months, choose delicious varieties such as ‘Speckled Trout’ lettuce (shown here) and ‘Little Gem’ (opposite). Other tasty—and easy—choices include ‘Hakurei’ white turnips, ‘Tonda di Parigi’ carrots, ‘Perpetual Spinach’ chard, ‘Cherry Belle’ radishes, ‘Tokyo Long White’ scallions, and ‘Beauregarde’ snow peas.

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crisp salad greens and lightly bitter chicories, hearty braising greens like chard, broccoli and other brassicas, and, of course, the cornerstone of fall cookery—root vegetables including carrots, turnips, and beets. Cabbage and broccoli are fall champions if you have enough space for them. Also think back to such spring favorites as radishes, arugula, baby mustard greens, and sugar peas—all can have a fall season, too. The shorthand for suitable choices is “cool weather crops.” They stand the chill when it arrives. A few of the most coldhardy, such as kale, cabbage, and parsley, will survive a hard freeze.

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When to Plant There are two ways to decide when to plant. The first is easy: put out your late garden now. If you’re sowing seeds for cool-weather crops or planting store-bought “starts” in late summer, you’ll be within the margin of error for chard, lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, peas, carrots, Hakurei turnips, broccoli rabe, and many other favorites. For the precision gardener, first use the internet to find the average first frost date in your area—the end of September in Berkshire County. Then consult the seed packet for the vegetable’s “days to maturity.” Count backwards that number of days from the first-frost date to find your planting date. Don’t sweat the math. For example: oakleaf lettuce matures in about 50 days, so plant it in early-to-mid-August, or later if you plan to pick it small. Broccoli and other brassicas (including collards) take longer to mature, around 90 days, but they are frost-tolerant, so it’s okay to plant them into August, as well.

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What to Do You tend a late garden like any other. Sow seeds according to package instructions. Water deeply every three to five days, unless you receive a soaking rain. Weed frequently. Apply compost as a fertilizer, and, a month later, add more as a cureall for sad-looking plants.

The Big Chill The first frost advisory will present you a choice. You can take your chances and accept the outcome when cold nips back your garden for the year. Or you can extend the season by covering vegetables on chilly nights with floating row cover (a gossamer outdoor fabric, available at garden stores) or even old sheets. The light insulation will ward off frost. Remove covering the next day. B 34 CHURCH STREET,LENOX MA

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voices & views: On a Lark

How Messy My Garden Grows There are lessons to be learned from tending to plants— and they’re not necessarily what you might think.

My friend Carrie has the most impressive gardens. She’s cultivated a lineup of shrubs, trees, and bushes along the perimeter of her house that results in a glorious explosion of dahlias, hydrangeas, peonies, and tons of other beautiful flowers whose names I do not know. Separately, there’s her vegetable garden—hydroponic, no less!—that sprouts loads of cucumbers, tomatoes, and greens. She is super generous with her bounty; about once or twice a month, we’ll come home to a basket overflowing with goods from her garden waiting for us at our front door. It’s like our personal CSA. What baffles me, as I meander through her yard, is the upkeep. She has a stressful job and yet she dedicates her off hours to even more work—of the trimming, pruning, whacking, and clipping variety. It is her bliss. “My job requires me to talk all day long, but I also need to be alone and quiet,” said Carrie. “My garden is where I am just with my thoughts and with the birds, bees, and plants of all kinds.” Here at home, our entire garden consists of two beds, constructed of corrugated metal, a few steps from our kitchen door. Each morning I step out and grab a handful of mint leaves to add to my smoothie. One bed, in fact, has been overtaken by the mint, allowing for a few chives to quietly grow at one end so long as they know their place, the extended

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mint family seems to be implying. The second bed holds other herbs—thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, oregano, sage. Weeds thrive there, too, and when I spot them, a vindictive acrimony appears across my face. Curses, damn weeds… Growing up in suburbia, one of the chores my father tasked me with was weed pulling. Man, I hated pulling weeds. They had to be pulled up from the root (otherwise, they’d just grow back), and once I was done, I had to meticulously

sweep up every speck of dirt around the brick walk from which they sprouted. The notion of hiring someone to do this was not in our family’s budget, so it fell to me, and thus my lifelong disdain for weeding, and, possibly, the lack of interest in gardening in general. But according to my green-thumbed friends, I may be missing the larger picture. “It’s such a private pleasure,” said Maria, one of these friends, of the weed pulling and everything else. “A working out of my own anxiety, my quest for peace and beauty. In the evening, when the sun is setting and the light is just so, there is really no other place I’d rather be. And to think, somehow, hole by hole, I did this.” I did this…yes, fine, I do feel a sense of pride when I clip a few sprigs of oregano to sprinkle over the pasta, or that mint for my smoothie. I can’t imagine not growing these foods in our yard. And even if the weeds do manage to muscle their way in and taunt me as I clip, I brush it off. Carrie and Maria may find their meditative moments in their gardens. Me, the self care I practice is letting go of perfection. Who cares if our garden is a mess? It’s our mess. (Sorry, Dad.) Jane Larkworthy was a beauty editor for decades and is currently a brand consultant, she also curates beauty and wellness at Scout House in Great Barrington and lives with her husband and standard poodle in New Marlborough.

I L LU S T R AT I O N S : M O L LY D E S T A N D R É / M O H O D E S I G N C R E AT I V E

By Jane Larkworthy

Advancing health and wellness for everyone in our community. berkshirehealthsystems.org For those with higher gardening aspirations than mine, here’s some helpful advice from my talented friends.

Visit great gardens. Visit the Berkshire Botanical Garden and any public garden you can find; go on Open Days tours of private gardens (gardenconservancy.org), suggests Maria. “You will find inspiration and can learn the mistakes of the host gardeners who are always more than happy to share ideas,” she said.

The best garden is the one you put in yourself.

“‘Best,’ because it is a journal of your aesthetics, your life, your passion. Your mistakes, your victories,” said Maria. “It is the difference between a ‘garden’ and ‘landscaping.’ If you are a gardener, you do it yourself, mistakes and all.”

Start small. Being able to

cultivate herbs and use them for cooking, as I do, brings immense pleasure to the palate and a sense of satisfaction. When you’re ready for more, “start looking at perennials,” said my friend Anna, keeping in mind that it takes 3–5 years for a garden to mature and it needs room to grow. “Fill in with annuals for all-summer blooming,” she said. “This area is rife with critters who love to munch on most plants so if you do not have a fenced garden, stick to those that have strong scents, such as peonies, lilacs, and irises.”

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voices & views: Pops’ Corner

Building Bridges Meet Gwendolyn VanSant—local leader in the continued quest to advance equity and justice. Her life’s work is improving the lives of others. By Pops Peterson • Photographs by Stephanie Zollshan Owning an upscale salon and spa in one of the most privileged neighborhoods in the country, I’ve learned that every one of our clients has a special story. And in a landscape that is predominantly white, when a person of color comes for an appointment, it really makes me wonder all about them. I had to hold back my

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urge to ask Gwendolyn VanSant about her story when she first visited seven years ago—for a massage and then regular blowdries—since I do have to stay professional. Through the grapevine I learned she’s the CEO of the highly esteemed nonprofit BRIDGE (formerly Multicultural Bridge), a grassroots foundation helping to

integrate marginalized neighbors into our community and economy. But it wasn’t until she invited me to present my speech, “The Making of a Protest Artist,” on a roster with Angela Davis, that I found out just how truly special she is. You can get a feel for Gwen’s esteemed background from the website

“The goal of BRIDGE is to help our vulnerable neighbors feel safe and included here, with access to the assistance, tools, and guidance they need for success.” multiculturalbridge.org (officially Berkshire Resources for Integration of Diverse Groups and Education), which lists its mission and accomplishments. Making it plain, however, the goal of BRIDGE is to help our vulnerable neighbors feel safe and included here, with access to the assistance, tools, and guidance they need for success. Since its founding in 2007, a great many individuals’ and families’ lives have been uplifted—take for example the initiatives against food insecurity, now in their fifth year. “We serve 195 families, distributing fresh food from compassionate businesses and farms like Sweet Freedom, Three Sisters, Random Harvest, and Mumbet’s Freedom Farm,” Gwen is proud to proclaim. Along with the food, they provide diet and health information in the languages folks need. BRIDGE believes in food sovereignty, where people have agency over their food sources. They’ve worked with Greenagers and The Janey Fund to install raised beds at people’s homes, and for the last three years, they’ve worked with the owners of the Great Barrington Fairgrounds in a land-use agreement for communities of color. “We have 34 farmers growing for themselves or incubating farming businesses,” said Gwen. “For now, through grant support, BRIDGE is a guaranteed buyer for mutual aid. But our ultimate goal is to achieve integration in the agricultural sector and markets. There is real segregation now.” The organization brings our different communities together through cultural events, as well. I had the great pleasure of being invited to one such event, in which people from the Black and Latino communities attended a concert in the Linde Center at Tanglewood. We all *

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voices & views: Pops’ Corner

Pops and Gwendolyn at BRIDGE’s Solidarity Farm and Garden in Great Barrington.

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met for a pre-show gathering with wine and hors d’oeuvres. After being greeted by our Linde Center hosts, we introduced ourselves to one another, briefly describing our life situations. Then the group joined the mostly white audience in the concert hall, where a Black classical ensemble, Castle of Our Skins, played and sang with such passion and perfection that it surely left any classical newbies longing for more. My surprise, though, was that I myself was so utterly moved by the magnificence of the music that I couldn’t stop weeping until long after I thanked the musicians personally. Thanks, Gwen! Strangely enough, around the same time, I was listening voraciously to a podcast called “Crime in Color,” hosted by a young queer person named JV. I was wondering where in cyberspace the show could be coming from, until JV mentioned they were in Pittsfield! I was gobsmacked when I discovered JV was Gwen’s own child! I soon discovered Gwen has four exceptional children: JV, a graduate in holistic psychology from Lesley University; Jessica, a fierce self-advocate with autism who sits cats and dogs; Maya, a pre-law student at the University of Richmond; and Westley, a football player at The Berkshire School. Gwen is married to Sam VanSant, who owns a construction company. Gwen and Sam met in Great Barrington at a video store and were married in Lee at Llama Farm. She first arrived in the Berkshires at age 15 as a W.E.B. Du Bois

Scholar at Simon’s Rock, having always been a high-achieving student under the tutelage of her father, a naval officer engineer, and her mom, who worked on several East Coast naval bases. A city champion in spelling bees and academic events in Spanish, Gwen was one of those girls most likely to succeed, and she is fully living up to her potential. These days, when diversity is becoming “the D word,” it’s wonderful to live in a community that still understands and embraces its importance. I take great pride and pleasure in bringing diversity just about everywhere I go, and I look up in wonder at Gwendolyn VanSant, whose fight for equity and inclusion is on an exponentially higher level. B Pops Peterson is the owner of SEVEN salon.spa in Stockbridge and an award-winning artist.

Be inspired.

Stockbridge, Massachusetts Visit thetrustees.org/naumkeag for hours and programming.

voices & views: Kitchen Wisdom

An Ode to Tomatoes There’s nothing better than sliced summer tomatoes with a sprinkle of salt and drizzle of oil—except maybe this recipe for tomato galette.

“I would be hard pressed to think of a celebration that did not include tomatoes in one form or another.”

By Frances Boswell • Photographs by Jim Henkens Rare is the grocery store that does not stock tomatoes. In fact, the inventory is often splendid. Beefsteak and cherry are ubiquitous. Cocktail, Campari, Sugar Bomb and vine-ripened are pretty much standard fare. And even heirlooms, which always appear to me like wedding china—too precious for everyday use, symbolic of both hope and aspiration—can be found year-round. Beyond the produce aisle, strategically located between Global and Pasta (so to bridge the gap between the exotic and the mundane) one finds still more: canned, jarred, boxed, and even tubed. These can be further classified as whole, peeled, whole peeled, fire roasted, fire roasted with garlic and basil, chopped, diced, crushed, and pureed. Insider’s tips: Purchase the whole tomatoes, as other forms can be fashioned from these, a truth that does not work the other way around. Also, get 14-ounce cans instead of 28, as it is easier to double than it is to half. Truth be told, most of the year I am satisfied with the options, all of which can be doctored up in ways that yield something between serviceable and delicious. Think shakshuka, Bolognese, or sambar. Then—just in time for my birthday (late August FYSA)—comes the season that separates this beloved fruit from the veg! *

High Summer 2024 • THE B

DRINK UP, STAY COOL

voices & views: Kitchen Wisdom Birthday Tomato Galette Makes one 10-inch galette

Whole Wheat and Rye Pastry I like to add a little sourdough starter to my pastry. I love the tangy flavor. It is not necessary; simply omit and add a tad bit more ice water. 1¼ cups whole wheat flour

6 tablespoons ice water

½ cup rye flour

2 tablespoons ripe sourdough starter, optional

½ teaspoon kosher salt 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, chilled

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Combine flours and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse a few times until the mixture resembles a gritty sand. Whisk together ice water and sourdough starter (if using) and add with the machine running. Process for 15 to 30 seconds. Squeeze a small handful of dough; if the mixture appears too dry add an additional splash of ice water and pulse to incorporate. Turn dough out onto a large sheet of parchment, and shape into a flat round disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to two days.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes 2½ pounds mixed cherry and medium slicing tomatoes 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for serving

A few cracks black pepper A few sprigs fresh thyme 1 ball burrata A few sprigs basil

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and place them with their cut sides up in a single layer on the baking sheet. Slice medium tomatoes into thirds and add to baking sheet. It is fine if slices bump up against one another. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes until they’re shriveled and browned around the edges, about 3 hours. Turn off the oven and keep tomatoes in the oven overnight so they coast to perfection. Let dough stand at room temperature for a few minutes to soften. Dust dough, rolling pin, and marble slab with flour. Roll dough into a circle about 12 inches in diameter and 3/8 of an inch thick. Brush away excess flour. Transfer to parchment paper and set on a baking sheet. Chill until firm, about 15 minutes. Heat oven to 400. Arrange tomato slices over pastry, leaving about a 2-inch border of pastry. Place thyme sprigs on top. Gently fold up the edge of the dough to cover tomatoes, pressing down to form a rustic pleated edge. Bake 15 minutes, until pastry is golden brown; reduce temperature to 350 and cook an additional 25 minutes until pastry is cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Scatter basil on top and serve with burrata drizzled with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle of salt.

For the best tomatoes, not only must the stars align, but the sun and soil too. The earth needs to be alive, nourished with compost and welcoming to worms. The varieties (be they garden or heirloom) have to be first and foremost for culinary use rather than commercial endeavors. There is staking and pruning to be done in order to foster good air circulation, reduce disease, and prevent pest infestation. One needs a hot and dry summer to concentrate the tomato’s flavor. Yet there has to be enough rain for the plants to flourish—excessive amounts at best dilute flavor and at worst cause the fruit to split and rot. Floods wipe out crops in seconds flat. The wise farmer plants a succession of crops and many varieties to spread out the harvest and mitigate risk. Tomato growing is an angsty business, subject to forces that have one knocking wood from summer’s beginning to end. From a culinary perspective however, the perfectly ripe fruit of a farmer’s labor is all about easy living. Dinner suddenly might require no cooking at all. It is hard to improve upon—impossible maybe—a salad of sliced tomatoes (a mix of sizes and types is fun but hardly necessary), drizzled with a good olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt, and left until the juices mingle in the heat of the sun. For a slight variation on a theme (or to feed a crowd) one can toss this concoction with pasta, spoon it over toasted sourdough, top it with soft cheese, or augment it with tinned fish, perhaps a boiled egg. As the tomato harvest progresses, there are divine ways to keep pace with the bounty, from pitchers of gazpacho to Ball jars full of sauce. As mentioned, tomato season does in fact line up just about perfectly with my birthday. I would be hard pressed to think of a celebration that did not include tomatoes in one form or another. Tomatoes and corn. Tomatoes with homemade mayo, sprinkled with pickled coriander seeds. Tomato pie that a friend brought to a potluck. Once, when the local harvest was lousy, I splashed out on a jar of estratto, the Sicilian tomato paste that can be eaten with a spoon. There was the year that I had a BLT for lunch and the same for dessert. Thinking about this year, perhaps I get fancy: a tomato galette with a whole wheat pastry mixed with some rye. And some decadent burrata—like a dollop of cream—served on the side. B

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voices & views: From the Kitchen

Expecting Guests? Lidey Heuck, local author of “Cooking in Real Life,” shares some of her go-to recipes for simple summer entertaining. By Lidey Heuck Photographs by Dane Tashima

One of the many benefits of living in the Hudson Valley is that friends come to visit. I love hosting—the preparation, dreaming up menus, putting flowers all around the house—but as anyone who has had houseguests knows, the grocery shopping, chopping, and dish-doing add up to quite a lot of work. Summer is the busiest time for guests and entertaining, and the time of year we hosts would rather be lounging in the sun than cooped up in the kitchen. I like to strike a balance between bringing visitors to some of our favorite restaurants and bakeries, and relaxing over home-cooked meals on the porch. And when it comes to cooking at home, I keep things simple and seasonal. Local produce is plentiful and stopping by a farmstand or farmers market makes for a perfect morning outing. For breakfast, I typically lay out a continental spread of toast, jam, granola, yogurt, and fruit and let everyone help themselves. For those who like a more substantial start to the day, I’ll make an egg dish that everyone can share, rather than frying up eggs à la minute. My Red Potato and Leek Frittata is endlessly adaptable to whatever veggies looked good at the market, or even leftovers from last night’s dinner.

Lidey’s Red Potato and Leek Frittata, above, and Garibaldi Spritz, left. Recipes on next page.

When happy hour strikes, I have plenty of white and rosé chilling in the fridge, and I tend toward cocktails that don’t require shaking, straining, and the like. The Garibaldi Spritz— made with Campari, fresh orange juice, and Prosecco or sparkling water—is a favorite because it’s refreshing on a hot evening and can be tailored to the drinker’s preference for a wineforward or light-on-the-booze libation. *

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voices & views: From the Kitchen Red Potato & Leek Frittata with Goat Cheese & Dill Serves 6 to 8 Softened unsalted butter for the baking dish 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more as needed 1 pound red potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes), scrubbed and 1/4-inch diced Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large leeks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced 1/4-inch thick (about 4 cups) 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar 12 large eggs 1 cup whole milk 1 (4-ounce) log plain goat cheese 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously butter a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and toss to coat. Spread them out into an even layer. Cook, tossing occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the potatoes are tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the leeks, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the leeks are lightly caramelized, 7 to 9 minutes. If the pan seems dry at any point, add a splash of oil. Off the heat, add the vinegar and toss, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the leeks to the baking dish, toss with the potatoes, and spread everything into an even layer. Set aside.

“The focus is on enjoying each other’s company and savoring meals that are as carefree and blissful as these fleeting August evenings.” Dinner is all about making the most of the season’s bounty, and happily, summer vegetables and fruits require little tampering to be absolutely delicious. For my Grilled Skirt Steak with Romesco Salsa, I marinate the steak ahead of time and throw together a rustic and vibrant salsa with cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, garlic, parsley, and almonds. It’s a summer showstopper that’s as easy to make as it is crowd-pleasing, and the sort of dish that feels at once simple and celebratory. If I were to distill my summer entertaining ethos into two words, it would be: simple and celebratory. The focus is not on perfection, but on enjoying each other’s company and savoring meals that are as carefree and blissful as these fleeting August evenings @lideylikes

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In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper until smooth. Pour the egg mixture into the dish and give the dish a gentle shake to help distribute the eggs if necessary. Break the goat cheese into crumbles and scatter over the eggs, then sprinkle the dill on top. Bake until the frittata is just set in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Garibaldi Spritz Makes 8 drinks 2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (about 8 oranges), strained to remove the pulp 1/2 cup Campari

2 cups sparkling water or Prosecco Ice, for serving 8 orange slices, for serving

In a glass pitcher, combine the orange juice and Campari. Store, covered, in the refrigerator until you plan to serve the drinks (up to 8 hours). Just before serving, add the sparkling water or Prosecco to the pitcher and stir. Divide the cocktail mixture among 8 ice-filled wineglasses or tumblers. Garnish each drink with an orange slice and serve immediately.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Romesco Salsa Serves 6 For the steak 2 pounds skirt steak 1/3

cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the romesco salsa 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped 1 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and chopped 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

If necessary, cut the steak crosswise into pieces that are 6 to 8 inches long. In a large, bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, brown sugar, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add the steak and toss well to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24. When you’re ready to cook the steak, remove it from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature on the counter for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the salsa: Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and then the almonds and cook, tossing often, until the almonds are fragrant and just beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. (Be careful not to let them burn!) Remove from the heat and using a slotted spoon, transfer to a small bowl to cool. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, roasted peppers, vinegar, parsley, garlic, paprika, and salt. Toss and set aside. Set the grill to medium-high heat (or heat a grill pan on the stovetop over medium-high). Cook the steak for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of each piece, for medium-rare and watching out for flare-ups. Transfer to a plate, sprinkle lightly with salt, and allow to rest for 10 minutes. While the steak rests, drain all but a few tablespoons of liquid from the salsa with a small spoon. (The amount of liquid will depend on how long the salsa has been sitting and how juicy the tomatoes are.) Add the almonds and toss. To serve, slice the steak crosswise into 3-inch pieces, then slice against the grain to cut the steak into wide strips. Arrange the sliced steak on a large flat platter, then spoon about half the salsa on top. Serve the rest of the salsa on the side. B

Find these recipes and more in Lidey’s cookbook

Excerpted from “Cooking in Real Life: Delicious & Doable Recipes for Every Day.” Copyright © 2024 by Lidey Heuck. Photography Copyright © 2024 by Dane Tashima. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.

Best Burgers In The Berkshires Rotating Selection of 12 Beers on Tap Family Owned & Operated Since 1992

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Located at: 1 Furnace St, Building 3 North Adams, MA 01247

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Along the scenic Mohawk Trail Located at: 896 State Road (Route 2) North Adams, MA 01247

MODERN SINCE 1790 Innovation. Beauty. Simplicity.

EXPLORE 20 historic buildings, acres of gardens & trails EXPERIENCE art & design MEET the farm animals ENJOY food & drinks, concerts, demonstrations & workshops PITTSFIELD, MA

| HancockShakerVillage.org

High

Summer

Echoes 2 (Detail) Deborah Zlotsky Delmar, NY Oil on canvas, 36 x 36 inches deborahzlotsky.com Bernay Fine Art | Great Barrington August 17–September 15

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T he Ultimate

CREATOR

Since putting down roots in Williamstown a decade ago, Tu Le has taken on many roles: farmer, chef, florist, designer. Everything he does is about creativity and community— and this summer, he’s everywhere.

BY NEIL TURITZ PHOTOGRAPHS BY ASHLEY WEEKS CART

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Tu Le

is not a fan of what people might consider conventional planning. How else do you explain going from industrial project management—building warships and barges for Northrop Grumman—to running a homestead in Williamstown and opening a series of pop-up restaurants in North Adams? “The normal path didn’t work for me,” said Le, owner of 328North farm, sitting in his studio at Greylock Works in North Adams. “Graduating early from high school to go to college early and not being able to live on campus because I’m underage and having to live with my sister an hour away? It made me grow up fast.” It also instilled in him a need to do things his own way. Like when Le and his husband, artist Matt Bertles, purchased the vacant lot beside their Pittsburgh home to start a community garden. Or, after a fire destroyed that home, deciding to start anew in upstate New York, a plan that short-circuited when they passed through the Berkshires. “We weren’t even thinking of the Berkshires or Massachusetts,” he recalled of their 2014 move. “But when we came through, we didn’t make it past Williamstown,” he added with a laugh. Once they and their three children were here, they set to work redefining their lives. Even though they had no real experience, they started growing their own food and quickly became a part of the community. As he describes it, “The ultimate goal was never to have a business. It was never about commerce or money, it was really about living a sustainable life. We wanted to prove that we could grow 80% of what we were consuming and try to barter for the rest. It got to the point, after year three, we were only going to the grocery store like once a month. Just for basics.” It took six years before growing food for others became a business. The plan had been to open up to the public as a flower farm, but then COVID changed everything.

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THE GOAL WAS NEVER TO HAVE A BUSINESS. IT WAS NEVER ABOUT COMMERCE OR MONEY, IT WAS REALLY ABOUT LIVING A SUSTAINABLE LIFE. Instead of just a flower CSA, Le and Bertles’ 328North added a vegetable CSA. Le—the youngest of 12—came over from Vietnam when he was 15 months old and was raised in San Diego, and he grew up cooking with his mother and siblings. He decided to include recipes in the CSA so people could experience his produce—including ingredients like lemongrass and Vietnamese garlic—the same way he did. “I wanted people to know, ‘here’s how I cook it, here are the proteins you should or should not use from these local farms,’ and so on,” he said. “So it was really this way to have a conversation with our community and challenge the notion of what is farm to table.” Something else happened during the pandemic: The Williams College Museum of Art connected Le with Aaron Oster, one of the owners of A-OK Berkshire Barbecue at MASS MoCA. The pair was asked to be a part of a Zoom series called “Cures for Strange Times,” which connected people from different fields to collaborate and have a conversation. Le explained, “So Aaron and I decided to do a cooking demo of my recipe at his restaurant because people did not know of me as a chef.” Le and Bertles had opened a restaurant in Seattle years earlier, and vowed never to do it again, so instead, they were soon opening pop-ups, selling banh mi, but with a Berkshire spin. Everything was grown locally. Thanks to word of mouth, the business grew organically,

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just like Le’s vegetables. Part of the appeal was that Le wasn’t just selling food. He was offering an experience. “The foundation of how I like to do things is with storytelling,” Le said. “Where does this food come from? Why are the ingredients together? I still work in that vein. It’s all connected and, for me, every little detail is really important. Who I get my produce from, how it’s grown, how the dish is served.” That intentionality comes across strong. (Fun fact: when he works with a couple on their wedding—yes, he designs weddings too—he finds out what flowers they love, and then he grows them for their wedding.) Between the talent, the vision, and the sense of kindness you immediately feel upon meeting him, it’s no wonder everyone wants to work with Le. And that’s good for the rest of us—there’s more of his cooking to go around this summer. On Tuesdays—make that Tu’sdays—he’s serving up Vietnamese street food on the deck at TOURISTS in North Adams. For the rest of the week, you can have breakfast or lunch at Tu’s newest pop-up, the 328North Café at 90 Main in North Adams; stop in for banh mi, rice and noodle bowls, Vietnamese coffee, and more, Wednesday through Sunday through Labor Day weekend. Le is also providing food for The Adams Theater. Yina Moore, its founder and artistic director, had been looking for a partner for a while, someone who could help her find the right solution for the food and beverage operations. “When I talked to Tu the first time, I just asked: What do you think I should do?” Moore said. “I was desperate for some ideas. Most restaurateurs come here, they don’t like the uncertainties of the number of seats or what the experience will be. Tu said, ‘I love that.’ That’s what’s special about him. He embraced that uncertainty as an opportunity.” How does Le accomplish so much, with so much on his plate? Dedication, to be sure. but another big part is his overall outlook. To him, it’s all about the long term. “We live in a world and society where we’re constantly pushing and doing things to perfection,” he said, then added with a smile, “I don’t care about perfection. I care about permanence.” B

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One recent July night, guests attended a special farm dinner cooked by Le at Hancock Shaker Village. Before serving the summer salad with chili lime dressing (to be followed by grilled lemongrass chicken and garlic fried rice), Tu stood up to greet his guests, saying, “I’m so excited to feed you tonight.”

THE FOUNDATION OF HOW I LIKE TO DO THINGS IS WITH STORYTELLING. WHERE DOES THIS FOOD COME FROM? WHY ARE THE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER?

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The Osofsky family has been in the dairy business for three generations—and counting. The story of Ronnybrook Farm is as rich as the fresh milk they sell in their glass bottles.

By Jane Kaufman • photographs by stephanie zollshan

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The Osofsky family: (left to right, back row) Kate, Jean, Rick, Peter, Daniel, Tatum; (middle row) Jack and Sadie; (front row) Miles and Ronan.

Cousins MIles and Ronan, both 6, take a turn on the tractor.

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n a hot summer day

inside the cow barn at Ronnybrook Farm, Rick Osofsky spoke softly in a low, affectionate voice to a Holstein named Jennifer. He reached down and gently touched her nose. Jenn, Osofsky said, is one of the sweetest of the 95 Holsteins, Jerseys, and Brown Swiss at the dairy, which straddles the towns of Pine Plains and Ancramdale in the Hudson Valley. He then pointed to another Holstein named Julie, whom he termed “a pain in the ass.” It’s not coincidental that both cows have names starting with J. In an endeavor that relies heavily on genetics, that letter denotes the mother-daughter relationship, or lineage. Lineage also plays a role in the success at Ronnybrook Farm. Since 1991, it’s been selling unhomogenized milk in glass bottles to a customer base in the region as well as in Manhattan. Innovation, diversification, quality, an abiding passion for cows, and grit also contribute to that success. Today, Osofsky runs the dairy and creamery with his daughter, Kate; son, Peter; and nephew, Daniel. Started by Rick’s father, David Osofsky, in the 1930s, Ronnybrook Farm was in its second generation of ownership and on the verge of collapse around 1990. This was after the window had closed on the USDA’s offer to buy out dairy farms in the late 1980s. By that time, though, the Hudson Valley had been discovered, so there was an easy exit plan: sell the land at profit. That wasn’t their intention. “We wanted to go back to the way milk used to be—fresh off the family farm and in glass bottles, the way it tastes best,” Ronny Osofsky, Rick’s brother, was quoted as saying in a press packet dating to 1991. He was the Ronny of the Ronnybrook name. “Some things just can’t be improved on. For those of us who grew up with the cream rising to the top of the glass bottle, it’s the way we think of milk, the way we remember it.“

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We wanted to go back to the way milk used to be—fresh off the family farm and in glass bottles,

the way it tastes best.

Bottling in glass meant the business would have to deliver all of its own milk and build a delivery network from the ground up. With Manhattan’s greenmarkets just 90 miles away, the New York City sector opened up. It took 10 years to catch on, with the business taking losses for that full decade, Rick said. Since switching to glass, Ronnybrook has been continuously developing and rolling out new products—always under kosher supervision—crème fraîche, compound butters, sour cream, yogurt, kefir, and ice cream. “I think the thing that made it successful was the unwillingness to give up,” Rick said. “Since 1980, we’ve lost 630,000 family dairy farms. The government really wants to get rid of us all. We wanted to be farmers. This land was terribly important to us. We really believed in cows.” After Ronny was hospitalized for a year while awaiting a heart transplant about 20 years ago, Rick, who previously moonlighted at the farm, gave up his Pine Plains law practice. Ron lived with that new heart for two decades, until he died in 2022, leaving Rick in the most senior position at the farm. The COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a boon for Ronnybrook, partly because of the Paycheck Protection Program. The USDA also paid for drinkable yogurt to be

shipped to food distribution centers from Chicago to California. “We were managing before that,” Rick said. “But that infused enough money that we hired a salesman—we never had a salesman.” On that same summer day, two men— wearing turquoise-colored gloves and dressed in white—were slapping garlic butter into four-ounce tubs in a dairy barn converted into a creamery. They were working in a small refrigerated room where a 1930s-era electric butter churn was noisily cranking away. In a much larger room, other men were making drinkable yogurt. In the warehouse, crates of yogurt, milk, and five-pound blocks of butter bound for restaurants were ready to load into trucks parked at the dock. When David Osofsky started Ronnybrook Farm in the 1930s, it was

actually his second. His mother, Rebecca Osofsky, gave him his first. Born in the city of Slutsk, in what’s now Belarus but was then Russia, Rebecca and her husband, Nathan Osofsky, came to New York City by boat right after the turn of the century. At first, Nathan worked in the garment district. There he contracted tuberculosis, known as “the tailor’s disease.” Later one of their daughters, Ida, also developed respiratory trouble. A doctor recommended relocating to the country. At that time, “Jews couldn’t get mortgages,” said Carol Ascher, author of “A Chance for Land and Fresh Air,” which traces the stories of Russian Jews who bought farms in the Ellsworth hills of Sharon, Connecticut, with help from the Jewish Agricultural and Industrial Aid Society, which also helped Jews buy farms in New York, Massachusetts, and beyond.

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Tatum Osofsky, 14, enjoys spending time on the family farm.

With the society holding the mortgage, Nathan and his brother, Max Osofsky, bought a farm in Ellsworth in 1907, where the family relocated and Rebecca took in boarders. In 1915, when Nathan and Rebecca’s oldest daughter, Freda, reached high school age, she was barred from entering Sharon’s public high school because she was Jewish. Nathan took her to Amenia, New York, and in 1918, the entire family relocated to Amenia. There, Rebecca, described by Rick as a “powerhouse,” transformed their large home into the Hotel Grand House, taking in Jewish boarders from New York City, feeding them kosher meals, and offering them amenities on the property, including a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a casino in the pre-Catskills era. It was one of four such hotels in Amenia. The hotel initially doubled as the town’s first synagogue, where Nathan read Torah

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in Hebrew and led services. He also milked cows on the family’s land and worked as a cattle trader. After he died at the age of 53, in 1935, Rebecca continued as the family’s breadwinner, sending her daughters to college to learn to teach and buying each of her four sons a farm. The one she bought for David in the late 1930s was a flat slice of land on Route 22 just north of Millerton. To this day, Rick doesn’t know why David, his father, sold it and in 1948 bought a 205-acre hillside farm in Pine Plains that was much trickier to work. That’s where David and his wife, Helen, raised their three sons and their daughter. In 1941, they named their farm Ronnybrook, after their firstborn son. The Osofskys expanded their land holdings over time, first with additional land in Pine Plains, later with land on Route 82 in Columbia County,

and, finally, by buying the old DeLaval Research Farm on Prospect Hill Road in Ancramdale, where the buildings now stand. The herd grew to its largest in the 1980s, with 350–400 milking cows. From the top of Globe Hill, about two miles from the dairy, the barn, creamery, and siloes look diminutive. Most of the land between here and there—about 800 acres—is owned by Ronnybrook, with five houses among the holdings, where family members and employees live. There’s a commanding view of the hills of the Hudson Valley. It’s easy to understand why Rick often receives offers for the land Ronnybrook owns. He always says no. On top of Globe Hill, Daniel Osofsky, Ronny’s son, was mowing hay, picking up what was left after the first cutting of the season. His 6-year-old son, Ronan, named for Ronny, was riding along with him. A second tractor was raking nearby. “We’ve only been able to breathe for the last four or five years,” said Rick’s daughter, Kate Osofsky, who handles the books for the business. “We were lucky that our farm was located so close to New York City.” Today, the farm has 35 to 40 employees. The creamery processes 180,000 pounds of milk each week from its own cows and from milk sourced from other local farms, most of them multi-generational small dairies. At 14, Tatum Osofsky, Daniel’s daughter, keeps cows in her yard to show at the Dutchess County Fair. Her first memories of the farm were with her father, who brought her along on the tractor before she was school age. “I just enjoy being with cows,” she said. “They all have different personalities.” This summer, she is shadowing a large-animal veterinarian, because she’s interested in pursuing that as a career— with a caveat: “I want to stay and help work on the farm.” B

RONNYBROOK FARM’S STORE is located at 310 Prospect Hill Road in Pine Plains, New York. To arrange a farm tour, call 518-398-6455.

DINE SHOP STAY SEE LOVE

LENOX.ORG @VISITLENOX

#LENOXLOVE

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THE LONG VIEW Klocke Estate—a new brandy distillery, farm, and culinary destination—is putting down roots in Claverack, New York, and building a brand that will just get better with age. BY A M Y C O N WAY

•

PHOTOGRAPHS BY ABIGAIL FENTON

Klocke Estate gets its name from the Middle Dutch word for “clock.” The restaurant was designed by architectural firm Barlis Wedlick; the hilltop site was chosen for its 360 degree views of the surrounding valleys.

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winding gravel road takes you through vineyards and orchards and up the hills of Klocke Estate. When you finally reach the top, the rewards are rich: a spectacular setting with breathtaking views of the Catskills and the Hudson Valley, the promise of excellent spirits and a fine meal. All worth waiting for—just like the brandy being made there. “Patience, passion, heritage,” said John Frishkopf, founder and CEO. It’s the mantra here. Brandy takes time. Indeed, when Klocke opened last month, most of its signature product was still aging in French oak barrels in the post-and-beam chai (a French term for a barrel-aging room, pronounced shay)—and could be there for another two, five, or even 30 or more years. Frishkopf is playing the long game. He hopes that, after he’s gone, Klocke Estate will be renowned for producing the best brandies in North America. An entrepreneur with a background in investment banking, Frishkopf grew up in Boston and was in college at MIT when he took a wine course and “caught the wine bug,” he said. After traveling and tasting wine around the world, he spent a decade living in Europe. It was during his time in Prague that he fell in love with brandy, and even learned how to make it from a friend who had a little apricot orchard in the country. “It’s this wonderful thing,” he said. “You take the apricots, you turn them into this alcoholic apricot mush, and then you distill it. And now you have an amazing spirit that just has the essence of apricots—or plums or pears, whatever you’re making.” That’s essentially the process taking place on the 160-acre property—25 of which are planted with grapes, 35 with apples—in Claverack, just outside Hudson. When Frishkopf was ready to return stateside, he considered going into the wine business, but wanted to be back in the Northeast, where “it’s very difficult to John Frishkopf, founder and CEO

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make wine,” he said. Suddenly, it came to him. “What about brandy? Made using the best practices of Cognac [a grapebased French brandy] or Calvados [a French apple brandy.] There’s a huge opportunity.” They closed on the property in January of 2018 and started preparing the land (it was a farm gone fallow). They planted their first grapes in 2020. The Hudson Valley’s climate, with its shorter growing season, happens to be ideal for grapes for brandy. “You get enough sun to produce the flavors,” said Frishkopf, “but not so much that you’re worried about getting too much flavor, too much sugar.” Klocke’s estate manager and brandy distiller, Caleb Gregg, has a particular affinity for the area: Born and raised in Chatham, he grew up on his family’s farm, working in vegetable gardens and pruning apple trees and grapevines. “I always just had a love for the outdoors and nature and farming,” he said. After college, he was working in landscaping when he met a good friend of Frishkopf’s, and joined Klocke right at the beginning. They worked closely with consultant Dan Farber, renowned founder of Osocalis, an artisan brandy distillery in California. “I had a very quick, deep dive,” said Gregg. “What we’ve done here can take people 10, 15 years.” Klocke uses sustainable, organic, and regenerative practices to grow the best fruit while nurturing the land. On the 35 acres of apples, there are 43 different varieties—a mix of mostly bitter, sharp, and bittersweet apples meant for cider- (and brandy-) making, not eating out of hand. In modern fruit farming, 1,000–2,000 trees are often planted per acre but Klocke has about 330, said Frishkopf, or 11,000 apple trees total. “It’s a bigger rootstock, which means a bigger tree, which will last longer and is better for climate change,” he explained. “And we think it will mean better apples.” It’s too early to tell what effect the Hudson Valley terroir, or soil and other conditions, will have on the fruit. “You have to be patient,” said Gregg (there’s that word again). “The brandy and the trees, we think of them like children. As they grow up, they’re going to change in many different ways. But they’re very beautiful at the stage they’re in right now. The apple brandy is spectacular.” He’s referring to their first release, a limited edition of unaged, unoaked brandy they’re calling “00” (zero age, zero wood). He believes their approach to growing will let them, over time, capture the true terroir, or “what the ground wants to express.” The location of Klocke wasn’t just chosen for the soil and the sun; the Hudson area attracted Frishkopf for several reasons. It’s roughly midway between Boston and New York City, and there’s already a tradition of farm-to-table agriculture here. “It feels truly rural, very beautiful, very real,” he said. And yet: “Hudson is a fabulous city, with so much going on culturally.” Making the distillery a destination—an experience—was the plan from the start. Frishkopf believes that many people need to learn more in order to embrace brandy, and that providing

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Caleb Gregg, estate manager and brandy distiller

PH OTO: ERI C MEDSKER

The brandy and the trees, we think of them like children. As they grow up, they’re going to change in many different ways. But they’re very beautiful at the stage they’re in right now. The apple brandy is spectacular.”

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The rich, luxurious interiors were designed by Ken Fulk.

BRANDY BASICS All brandy is made from fruit (while whiskey is made from grain). If the spirit is simply called “brandy,” it’s grape-based. If other fruits are used, it’s in the name: apple brandy, for example. The fruit is crushed and fermented, resulting in wine (if grapes were used) or another alcoholic liquid (cider in the case of apples). That base alcohol is distilled twice; this process of separating alcohol from water via evaporation and condensation results in a more pure and concentrated liquid. At this point, that liquid can be enjoyed as unaged brandy (if made from grapes) or what’s known as eau de vie (French for “water of life) if made from other fruits. After distillation, the unaged brandy is aged in oak barrels.

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an exceptional and engaging setting is key. (In addition to the restaurant and bar, there will be tours and tastings.) “The category is so broad,” agreed Kristine Danks, general manager of hospitality at Klocke. “Technically, brandy is any distillate from fruit. So you can have an unaged, fresh eau de vie, all the way into super-aged, extremely rich Cognacs and Armagnacs. You can really get into the nuances.” Klocke is all about those nuances. In addition to their own products, they offer brandies from around the world, to explore on their own or in cocktails—and a cocktail is a great entry point for novices. “A sidecar is essentially a brandy margarita,” said Danks, who brought in top mixologists to conceive the menu. Chef Becky Kempter has also incorporated the spirit into some dishes on her menu, soaking peppercorns in Cognac for her pork au poivre, for example, or cherries in brandy for a dessert. Originally from California, she came to New York in 2016, landing in Tannersville, where she started an organic community farm; she joined Klocke after several years as chef de cuisine at Cedar Lakes Estate in Port Jervis. “Working with local farmers is really important to me,” said Kempter, who describes what she’s doing at Klocke as seasonal American food done well, with European influences. For the interiors, the team at Klocke turned to celebrated designer Ken Fulk, who is known for his lavish, layered style. Fulk described the result as “a timeless destination that telegraphs the elegance of Klocke’s brandy and the majesty of the Hudson Valley.” Despite the extraordinary setting and elevated menu, the experience is meant to be warm, welcoming, and flexible—you can have a multi-course meal at the bar or a snack and a spritz on the patio at sunset. And, by all means, take your time. B Klocke Estate 2554 County Route 27 Hudson, NY klocke-estate.com

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Chef’s Special Some of our best chefs are at area hotels and resorts. Meet nine of them.

Justin Taylor

Miraval Berkshires, Lenox miravalresorts.com

My cuisine is… Very European with a focus on the seasonality and ingredients of the area I live in. I tend to lean towards French, Italian, and Spanish dishes/techniques while finding ways to make them lighter and healthier. Good to know Two things that are new and revamped: our 1894 Bar menu and Sloane’s Tavern. They are great ways to experience what we have to offer in a casual way and then perhaps return for the 1894 dinner experience or spend the night and experience all the culinary classes and meals at Miraval. Don’t miss Our Roasted Duck Duo—we’ve had a version of it every season. I’m excited about… A Culinary Week event we’re hosting from October 20-26 to celebrate our experts and the launch of our Miraval cookbook, “Recipes for a Life in Balance.” Details will be online soon.

Miraval

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M IRAVA L : COURTESY OF MIRAVAL BERKSHIRES; RED LION INN: PROVIDED BY RED LION INN; WILLIAMS INN: THE WI LLI AMS INN; CANYON RANC H: DENNI S FARR IS; WI NVI AN: C OU RTESY OF W INVIAN

Jon Sterrett

The Red Lion Inn, Stockbridge redlioninn.com

Good to know Over the past year we’ve been evolving our culinary identity to echo that of the Inn, with menus reflecting the unique spaces in which they are offered, as well as more modern and refined takes on New England classics. Local love We’re lucky to be so close to so many special farms, surrounded by so much history, and living amongst the lushness of this area. Don’t miss The Harney & Sons Tea Egg, a 6-minute egg marinated in a soy and black tea blend with a fried potato “nest” and sauce soubise, which incorporates my favorite things to cook: eggs and potatoes. The presentation is playful and elegant. I’m excited about… We’ve recently expanded our partnership with Ioka Valley Farm to include their beef offerings. We are receiving a whole cow from them and butchering it in-house. This beef shows up in our Chef’s Cut specials, Steak Frites, Filet Mignon, and Smash Burgers.

Ron Reda

The Barn Kitchen & Bar at The Williams Inn Williamstown thebarnwilliamstown.com

My cuisine is… Inspired by the changing seasons in the Northeast. I love putting a fresh twist on beloved dishes, blending comfort food favorites with innovative, contemporary flavors. At its heart, our restaurant is all about bringing people together over delicious food. Local love The community here values sustainability and quality, which inspires us to maintain high standards in our kitchen. Signature dish The Bolognese on the menu— it’s a family recipe that hasn’t changed from when my grandmother used to make it in her kitchen at home. I’m excited about… Our Sunday night Summer Concert Series. It features a summer menu and new cocktail specials. Our guests enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of live music and performances, making every evening memorable. We have two more concerts in August, and we also look forward to some exciting dinner series coming up this fall.

Julien Ardouin Canyon Ranch, Lenox canyonranch.com

My cuisine is… A mosaic of flavors that I have acquired during my travels and past experiences. My curiosities about cultures and spices inspire me to explore new boundaries with food. I have the luxury of having an eclectic team, so I ask them what would be their go-to food from their home country and I try to finesse it to make it fit our nutrition. Local love There are opportunities all year for foraging for your own ingredients, both on Canyon Ranch grounds and throughout the beautiful Berkshires: ramps, morels, chanterelles, fiddleheads, [sap to make] maple syrup, and more. Don’t miss Our Supper Series, featuring various Michelin-starred guest chefs. Each event brings new light to my own cuisine as I’m able to work alongside incredible chefs such as Charlie Mitchell, Fredrik Berselius, Emma Bengtsson, Juanma Barrientos, Johnny Spero, and others.

Chris Eddy Winvian Farm Morris, Connecticut winvian.com

My cuisine is… Fine dining—with the understanding that, to me, fine dining could be anything as long as the food is well thought out, makes sense, is interesting, and is delicious. We are always evolving. Local love There are so many hidden treasures here with respect to artisans and producers. Favorite ingredients Herbs of all kinds. They are the flavor and character of the dish. I’m excited about… Our dining room renovations—they’re cozy and welcoming. It’s a big deal and something that we are very proud of. Not to be cliché, but every day is a celebration. Winvian Farm

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The Williams Inn

Michele Ragussis

Paul Pearson

Gedney Kitchen at Gedney Farm New Marlborough gedneyfarm.com

White Hart Inn Salisbury, Connecticut whitehartinn.com

Good to know I started at Gedney Kitchen in January of this year— previously, I was a private chef and a winner on several Food Network competition shows!

Local love We get to work alongside producers and farmers who are so passionate about what they do and produce amazing products that we get to use to create amazing dishes for our guests. This is also one of the most beautiful places I’ve lived.

Gedney Farm

Local love The sheer abundance and variety of farms and artisanal producers that are based here is exceptional.

Canyon Ranch

Our setting The restaurant is housed in a renovated Normandy-style barn on 50 acres of “Old Berkshire” pastures and open meadows. Outdoor dining and an outdoor wood-fired oven and Argentine grill are hallmarks of dining at Gedney Kitchen. Signature dish Linguine Clams—with garlic, chiles, lemon, and Parm. I’m excited about… Our upcoming Sommelier Series wine dinners. Our wine program features small-production and lowintervention wines from growers all across Europe, California, and the Pacific Northwest.

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Favorite ingredients It’s difficult to pick favorites as I look forward to using new products as they come into season. One I really look forward to is rhubarb. I love to use it in a crudo dish where it brings acidity and tartness along with a brilliant hue. What is your signature dish? I don’t have one per se—we bring back and reinvent ideas, we’re constantly changing and evolving the menu. I believe that keeps us motivated and always thinking and gives our guests a reason to keep coming back. I’m excited about… Our outdoor wood-fired pizza oven, which we use on Wednesday evenings on our front green. We have a bar and it draws a big crowd. It’s a great vibe.

G E DN E Y FA RM : COURTESY OF GEDNEY FARM; TROUTBECK: COURTESY OF TROUTBECK; WHITE HART: ALLEGRA AN DERS ON; MOH ONK MOUNTAI N H OU SE: COURTESY OF MOHONK MOU NTAI N HOUS E

Vinny Gilberti

Jim Palmeri

Troutbeck Amenia, New York troutbeck.com

Mohonk Mountain House New Paltz, New York mohonk.com

My cuisine is… Driven by what’s in season, with nods to my Italian-American heritage and having grown up here in upstate New York.

Our cuisine is… Favorful, satisfying, and a reflection of our commitment to daily growth and improvement. Our Chef de Cuisine Steve Anson is the driving force behind our menu development—he strives to learn and work with new techniques and ingredients, which defines our dining experience for our guests.

Local love We have the extreme good fortune to be able to source from places like Maitri Farm around the corner in Amenia, farms over the border in Connecticut, and in the Hudson Valley. Favorite ingredients All the different flours from Wild Hive Farm in Clinton Corners, New York. The Aji Dulce Peppers from Thistle Pass Farm in Millerton are great, as well. I’m excited about… Pasta Night on Mondays. The thought was for me to emulate what a weekend dinner at my grandparents’ house would look and feel like. The menu changes weekly with a focus on seasonal ingredients and utilizing all the different flours we get from Wild Hive Farm. All the pastas are made in house.

Local love We are proud to support these farms, as they share our standards and commitment to keeping food fresh, safe, and wonderful to eat. Signature dish? My current favorite is the Seared Ora King Salmon Filet—Chef Steve came up with a dry-aged curing process for our fish that creates deep, rich flavors. I’m excited about… Our Chef’s Table experience, a nine-course tasting menu with wine pairings served on a custom table located in the heart of our kitchen.

Troutbeck

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BEAUTIFUL WINDOWS engineered to last

MORRISON'S SIGNATURE SERIES

WINDOWS

25 PITTSFIELD ROAD, ROUTE 7, LENOX, MA MORRISONSHOMEIMPROVEMENT.COM 413-442-3001 Voted Best of the Berkshires 2016-2022 - Berkshire Eagle Voted Shopper’s Choice Award 2022 & 2023 - Shopper’s Guide

For the L ove of

e s e e Ch

How Matt Rubiner became the “Cheese Boy” of Great Barrington By Ann Volkwein Photographs by Linda Campos

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In another life, Matt Rubiner would stroll into fine dining establishments in Boston sporting a Barbour coat with cheese in all the interior pockets. He’d sit at the bar and, near the end of his meal, pull out the cheeses and suggest to the bartender that he send a spontaneous “cheese board” back to the chef. For context, this was the mid ’90s and cheese was not the elevated thing it is now in this country. Restaurants did not have cheese programs. But what Matt was serving up was a truly mind-blowing selection, often (sometimes illegally) imported from Europe. He got their attention, and this is part of how he became known as Cheese Boy in Beantown, working for Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge. His drive and ingenuity eventually led to chefs such as French Laundry’s Thomas Keller calling him up for FedExes of his cheese selections. Matt Rubiner’s mother says that, as a child, he proclaimed he would one day open a cheese shop, which is not verifiable by the man himself. But he did enter this world with a legacy. “My grandfather was in the food business in a big sort of way,” he said. “It was one of those immigrant businesses where they sold peas, I think in a stall in South Philly. It developed into shops and eventually a chain of supermarkets.” In addition to fashioning himself a bit of a food connoisseur when he was little, Matt was a passionate student of foreign policy and military history, which led him to Asia in college and then a position at the Japanese Foreign Ministry. After returning to the U.S., he ended up working at MIT in Boston analyzing Japanese military technology capabilities. As a solo diner and frequenter of fine dining establishments in Boston, Matt slowly got to know some people in the wine business. “I was with a friend at a café in the North End, a classic Italian soccer bar, day drinking wine on a Saturday. And my friend said, ‘Hey, we should go to Italy. I’m due for a wine boondoggle.’” This is where the pivot happened. At the end of a dirt road in a magical shack in the hills above Lake Como, he was regaled with

Matt Rubiner’s mother says that, as a child, he proclaimed he would one day open a cheese shop...

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an unmarked bottle of local wine and rabbit stew over polenta. And then the next day, at a 2-star Michelin restaurant, “the food started coming out—things like a salad made with kidneys from a rabbit that the chef had shot or trapped, and some kind of brook trouty sort of fish from the local streams. Everything was done in that old manner, where they whisk off the domes all at the same time and it was all so perfect.”

The shop is in an old bank buidling—hence, the “cheese vault.”

These experiences made their mark on him. “I need to do a job in my life that brings me to these places,” he thought, “where I can eat this sort of food, whether it be the simple rabbit stew or this meal at the Michelin 2-star restaurant. I need to work with people like this chef, I want to meet this wine maker. So, I declared boldly then that I would go into the food business.” He eventually settled on cheese. “Like wine, cheese seemed to be something that you could look at from any possible angle. From a cultural point of view, from a culinary point of view, a scientific point of view, or even from a military historical point of view. You know, the conquest of peoples.” Matt met Julie in 1998 through a mutual friend. “I had this idea of what a Cheese Boy would look like,” said Julie. So when she met him the first time, she thought, “You’re the Cheese Boy? You’re kind of cute!” By 2001 they were engaged and Matt was ready to open his own store, which they did in Richmond, Massachusetts. “We were so young and naïve, we just did it,” remembered Julie. Since then she has figured out how to balance her own New York-based career in the fashion business—she is currently the VP of Design Innovation at Eileen Fisher—with life in the Berkshires.

“Like wine, cheese seemed to be something that you could look at from any possible angle.”

Matt and Julie Rubiner in the shop that bears their name; their café around back, Rubi’s, serves coffee and—what else?— grilled cheese.

When they acquired their current spot in Great Barrington, the café building—now Rubi’s, where they offer a menu of coffees and grilled cheese—was part of the deal. “I thought for a second that maybe I would leave my career and run the café and he could run the cheese shop, and we’d be this great mom-and-pop place. We still are, I just gave up after about six months,” she laughed. “From the very beginning of our relationship, I thought that him being a cheesemonger was the coolest thing ever,” Julie said. “I am a big fan of him doing this and doing it in an environment that is lovely to be in. We have set our roots here.”*

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Matt carries cheese from around the world — here are five standouts that are made close to home.

A Purist’s Cheese Board In contrast to the kaleidoscopic, Instagrammable boards that shove and mingle all of the ingredients—and flavors and aromas—together, Rubiner’s style of board is simple, to the point of minimalism. This allows for better appreciation of the individual cheeses, not to mention easier slicing and eating. He advises leaving “some characteristic of the cheese, so that you can envision it when it is whole—typically that means cutting a wedge.” (And leaving the rind; eating the rind, by the way, is just a matter of preference.) Whatever you do, please don’t cube cheese up, as the more surface area is exposed, the faster your cheese will dry up and lose its texture and aroma. Matt will serve dried fruit and nuts as a palate reset, and bread as opposed to crackers, as the texture of crackers can detract from the sensation of eating the cheese. B

Rubiner’s Cheesemongers 264 Main Street, Great Barrington

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St. Stephen

Hooligan

Bloomy-rinded cow’s milk cheese. Bright, milky sweet, distant dried mushroomy character. This is a triple cream which means they have reinforced the cheese with cream, which sort of stiffens the cheese, and pushed that cardiological red line of 75% butterfat, so it’s voluptuous and luxurious.

Raw cow’s milk cheese made in a Trappist, monastic style. You can see the orange rind, which is always a harbinger of a smelly, funky cheese in that dirty-sock kind of way.

Four Fat Fowl, Stephentown, NY

Paired with: Dried tart Montmorency cherries from Northern Michigan

Cato Corner Farm, Colchester, CT

Paired with: Wood-roasted Marcona almonds

Wendell

Siegfried’s Pride

Great Hill Blue

A wonderfully simple raw cow’s milk cheese. An everyday cheese, but really elegant, restrained, and lovely. If you see the whole cheese, you’ll see a spiral graph pattern on the outside.

Cow’s milk cheese made in the heart of Berkshire County. Similar profile to the Wendell, maybe a little bit more pungent and intense in flavor.

From the opposite side of the state, on Buzzard’s Bay. When American artisan cheese was just getting going, Tim Stone decided to make a raw milk blue—it was unheard of at the time, but they succeeded and are still hyperspecialized in making this cheese.

Churchtown Dairy, Hudson, NY

Paired with: Dried mulberries

High Lawn Farm, Lee, MA

Paired with: Figs from Afghanistan

Great Hill Dairy, Marion, MA

Paired with: Quince paste from Portugal

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SEE IT ALL THIS SUMMER! KATHIA ST. HILAIRE: INVISIBLE EMPIRES Through September 22

GUILLAUME LETHIÈRE Through October 14

FRAGILE BEAUTY: TREASURES FROM THE CORNING MUSEUM OF GLASS Through October 27

EDGAR DEGAS:

MULTI-MEDIA ARTIST IN THE AGE OF IMPRESSIONISM Through October 6 WILLIAMSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS CLARKART.EDU TOP TO BOTTOM: Kathia St. Hilaire, David (detail), 2022, reduction linocut in oil-based ink on canvas with tires, resin, banana leaves, fabric, metal, paper, rabbit skin glue, pigment, and thread. Courtesy of the artist and Perrotin. Photo by Guillaume Ziccarelli; Guillaume Lethière, Woman Leaning on a Portfolio (detail), c. 1799, oil on canvas. Worcester Art Museum, Massachusetts, museum purchase, 1954.21. Photo: Worcester Art Museum/Bridgeman Images; Maker unknown, Deep Flaring Bowl on Wooden Stand (detail), 19th century, purple glass; blown, carved; carved wood. Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York, gift of Mr. Howard C. Hollis. 64.6.2; Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, Two Dancers Resting (detail), c. 1879, pastel and gouache on paper. Shelburne Museum, 1972.6. Photo: Bridgeman Images

market research We tagged along with some hungry shoppers to see what they pick up at their local farmers markets. BY K AT E A B B OT T • P H OTO G R A P H S BY ST E P H A N I E ZO L L S H A N

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great barrington farmers market WITH BRIAN CRUEY & MATT KING As general manager of the Gilded Age estate Naumkeag, in Stockbridge, and a gardener himself, Brian Cruey knows about growing things. As someone who loves to cook with his husband, Matt King, a tech industry lawyer and board member of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, he appreciates the freshest ingredients. And as people who love to entertain friends and family at their home in Otis, they often start the weekend with a trip to the farmers market. “We’re always on the go in the summer, always entertaining,” said Brian. “So it’s good to have things we can put out easily.” On this midsummer day, with Matt’s mom visiting, they’re picking up components for a cheese and charcuterie board—and something sweet for their guest, as well. 18 Church Street Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. greatbarringtonfarmersmarket.org

“I pick up flowers everywhere I go. It’s such an easy way to brighten things up and add some variety to what we see every day.” —Brian

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Brian & Matt’s Haul 1. Charcutier’s Reserve Salami,

Jacuterie The pork for these products comes from the maker’s family farm, Herondale Farm, in Ancramdale, N.Y. jacuterie.com

2. Jelly and Preserves, Les Collines Flavors like Meyer Lemon Rosemary and Scots Bitter are for more than toast—they’re great with cheese, in marinades, and even in cocktails. thelifeipicked.com

3. Maple Pecans, Justamere Tree Farm A sweet snack from a womenowned maple business that runs on clean, renewable energy. justameretreefarm.com

6 2

4. Hampton Lettuce, Indian Line Farm The lettuce will go out with the cheese, salami, and bread for mini DIY sandwiches. indianlinefarm.com 5. Spanish Daikon Kimchi, Common Hands Farm “I like to put kimchi on a charcuterie board. And often, we’ll make a big thing of rice and put an egg and kimchi on top,” said Brian. commonhandscsa.com

6. Cheese from Chaseholm Farm

Creamery “I often start with cheese, because there are usually samples and then you don’t shop so hungry!” said Brian. cfcreamery.com

7. Flowers, Markristo Farm This Hillsdale farm also offers organic vegetables, and bedding plants, and they work to support the ideals of a local food system. markristofarm.com

8. Baked goods, Pastries by Hanna Craft donuts are the specialty here (they may not have even made it home from the market!). pastriesbyhanna.com

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williamstown farmers market WITH FARAH MOMEN Farah Momen sees her restaurant as an open community space. An award-winning chef and season 1 cast member of “Top Chef Amateurs,” she and her husband, Matthew Trisic, own Bondhu, offering global fusion in New Ashford. Fittingly, in the Bengali language, bondhu means friend. They have an eclectic roster of themed dinners coming up this summer and fall, and have just opened their doors as a casual café on Thursday afternoons, a spot to work or relax over coffee. And they serve brunch on Sundays—for that, Farah will often shop at a local market on Saturday to find just the right ingredients for her menu. She blends Bangla cooking traditions with those from other parts of the world. This week, it’s Italy. She’s looking for basil and tomatoes. Spring Street Municipal Parking Lot Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. williamstownfarmersmarket.org

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Farah’s Haul 1. Fresh mozzarella, R&G Cheese Makers This find from the Troy, N.Y, cheesemaker adds a traditional Italian note. Facebook: R&G Cheese Makers

2. Honey, Musante Farm “I’ll have honey on a bread board,” said Farah, who is planning to make focaccia and naan. musantefarm.com

3. Produce: Big Foot, Starry Ridge, and Peace Valley Farms Farah bought lettuces from Peace Valley Farms, summer squash for a frittata, and cherry tomatoes for eggs for in purgatory—they would be poached velvety in homemade tomato sauce. She chooses kale from Big Foot Farm and cucumbers for salad from Starry Ridge. “The salad needs more color,” she said, looking to Big Foot for beets. bigfootlikesfarming.com @starryridgefarm

4. Comfrey CBD Salve, Imperfectly Purple Farah picks up this salve to

soothe sore shoulders after a long day in the kitchen. @imperfectlypurple

“It’s beautiful to come to a farmers market in summer. It’s fun and flexible. Bondhu changes the menu every week, so we can be playful with what we’re making.” —Farah

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copake hillsdale farmers market WITH DAN PELOSI The author of The New York Times bestseller “Let’s Eat: 101 Recipes to Fill Your Heart and Home,” Dan Pelosi is walking through the Copake Hillsdale Farmers Market. As Instagram favorite @grossypelosi, he became known in the pandemic as a home cook celebrating family. “My mom’s coming for dinner tonight,” he said. He is looking for tomatoes and fresh basil, hoping to test out a recipe. He is thinking of her favorites, and his partner, Gus, and the neighbor who has kept an eye on their house. But his plans for dinner are flexible—when he comes to a farmers market, he comes open to surprises. In high summer, he may find new ideas ripe and in season every week, sometimes every few days. 9140 State Route 22 Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. copakehillsdalefarmersmarket.com

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Dan’s Haul 1. Tomatoes and Beans, Common Hands Farm “You hardly have to do anything to such fresh ingredients,” said Dan. commonhandscsa.com

2. Eggplant and Zucchini, Markristo Farm “I don’t marinade them before I grill,” said Dan. “But I do after, because when the vegetables are hot, they absorb the flavors more.” markristofarm.com

3. Taralli with Fennel Seeds, Pogliani Select This vendor has imported olive oils and vinegars as well as Italian foods like these crunchy crackers. @poglianiselect

4. Pickles, Corona D’oro Known for their pestos, this purveyor also offers pickles—and lemonade, which Dan enjoyed on this hot July morning. coronadoropesto.com

5. Cherries, Hickory Creek Farm “The best summer dessert,” Dan said. “Cherries over ice.” hickorycreekent.com

6. Breakfast Sausage, Graylight Farm “They have my favorite breakfast sandwich too,” said Pelosi. “They sell out, so I get here right on time to get one.” graylightfarm.com

“In summer, a meal can be simple, because the flavors speak for themselves.” —Dan

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Hit the Trails Stunning vistas, ponds for swimming, rushing waterfalls, even a tree shaped like Yoda— these hills have it all.

I L LU S T R AT I O N S : M O L LY D E S T A N D R É / M O H O D E S I G N C R E AT I V E

BY DAVE ACKERSON

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Hoosac Range Trail

View from Sunset Rock North Adams

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Hoosac Range Trail North Adams EASY TO MODERATE, 1.6–6 MILES

To get there: Head east and uphill from North Adams on Rt. 2. At the top of the hill there is a large parking area on the right at the overhead “Steep Hill” sign. This hike is on the Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) Hoosac Range Reserve and has many interesting features such as great vistas, the Yoda tree, and multiple small cliffs. The trail leaves from the kiosk by the parking area and heads uphill. At the intersection, turn left and continue up to an overlook to the west and north at Sunset Rock. Leaving Sunset Rock you will encounter an intersection in a short distance. Hiking forward and downhill will

SU NSET ROC K: MEGGI E BAKER

I have been exploring the area since 2001 and have section-hiked the entire Appalachian Trail—I enjoyed the Berkshires section so much, I hiked it a second time. As the assistant director of the Williams Outing Club, I took students hiking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing, giving them knowledge of the area and the skills to enjoy the Berkshires on their own—and I am sharing some of that information here. Once you’ve sampled some of the best of the Berkshire hiking areas, you’re ready to explore on your own. Don’t forget water, snacks, and other safety essentials and be sure to slow down and enjoy yourself ... unless you’re trying for a fastest-known-time record, in which case, go for it!

Yoda Tree

return you to the first intersection where you can turn left and hike past the Yoda Tree—which resembles its namesake—to the parking area, doing an easy 1.6-mile loop. For a more strenuous 6-mile hike, turn left at the intersection just after Sunset Rock. The trail meanders along the ridge in a southerly direction past many small cliffs before a short trail on the left leads to an easterly vista. Continuing on the main trail, there is a westerly overlook on a short trail to the right. Following the trail 2.1 miles past Sunset Rock brings you to a short trail on the right which climbs to Spruce Hill and a stunning view from the southeast to the northwest, with Mt. Greylock right in the middle. Retrace your steps to the intersection near Sunset Rock, turn left and follow the trail back to your vehicle. Don’t miss Yoda! North Pond is a short distance away if you would like a swim after your hike.

Brook Trail to an intersection with the Mt. Prospect Trail on the left. This is a fine view, with Williamstown laid out in the valley below and the Taconic Range forming an impressive backdrop. After spending time admiring the view, retrace your steps back to your vehicle.

from Petersburg Pass, it is 2.75 miles to the summit of Berlin Mountain, the highest point in Rensselaer County with an excellent view of Mt. Greylock. There are also access trails along Oblong Road in Williamstown. From Potter Mt. Road in Hancock, it is 3.3 miles to Berry Pond in Pittsfield State Forest.

Taconic Crest Trail Border between NY and MA

Old Mill Trail Hinsdale

MODERATE TO VERY STRENUOUS,

ACCESSIBLE TO EASY, 1.4–3 MILES

6–37 MILES

Getting there: The Old Mill Trail is just east of Rt. 8 on Main Street in Hinsdale.

Getting there: The Taconic Crest Trail Northern Terminus is on Rt. 346 in North Petersburg, NY, and the Southern Terminus is on Rt. 20 in Hancock. This 37-mile trail allows one to do multiple short to medium hikes, several long hikes, or one enormous day of hiking to complete it. According to fastestknowntime.com, someone has hiked the entire trail in under 7 hours! However, for the regular hikers among us, there are several highlights to sample without working too hard. From the Northern Terminus, you can hike up a steep climb about 2 miles to an overlook that faces east and south. From Rt. 2 at Petersburg Pass you can hike north 2.8 miles, passing a good view to the south and west, to the Snow Hole, which can hold snow into June. Heading south

This trail is accessible to strollers and wheelchairs, although the parking lot itself will be undergoing repairs this year to make it more accessible. This is an interpretive trail, with paper guides available at the start as well as “augmented reality videos” online. The guide and videos explain the history of the mill, as well as the natural history of the upper Housatonic River and the plants and animals found there. There is even interpretive information about the 1938 Oldsmobile found along the trail. The accessible section of the trail ends after .7 mile but the trail continues for another .8 mile, crossing Rt. 8 and following the river. The lower section of the trail follows old concrete penstock that supplied water to the downstream mills.

Prospect Overlook Hike Williamstown YODA TREE: B ERKSHIR E EAGLE; OLD MI LL TREE: TAYLOR STAUBAC H

EASY, 1.3 MILES

Getting there: Follow Notch Road from Rt. 2 in North Adams up to the Wilbur’s Clearing parking lot on the left. This hike is on the Mt. Greylock Reservation, where one could spend many hours hiking. From the parking lot, cross the road and follow a shortcut trail that will soon intersect with the Appalachian Trail (AT). Turn left on the AT and pass through the Mt. Greylock Old Growth Spruce National Natural Landmark—the only old growth red spruces in southern New England. Continue on the AT past the Money

Old Mill Trail Hinsdale

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Keystone Arch Bridges Trail Chester

increases as you walk upstream until you reach the last bridge, which towers 70 feet above the river. You can walk to the edge of this bridge, but be careful and watch pets and children. Return along the trail to your vehicle for a total of 5 miles. For more history, be sure to visit the Chester Railway Station and Museum, another National Historic Landmark.

EASY TO MODERATE, UP TO 5 MILES

Keystone Arch Bridges Trail Chester MODERATE, 5 MILES

Getting there: The trailhead is located just off Middlefield Road, 2.5 miles north of Rt. 20 in Chester. This trail follows the Westfield River, the first National Wild and Scenic River, and visits a series of stone arch bridges, two of which are National Historic Landmarks. These dry-laid bridges were constructed for the Western Railroad, the first railroad in America to cross a mountain. The design of the railroad was by George Washington Whistler, aka Whistler’s

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Father, and joined Boston to Albany in 1840. There are interpretive signs at several points along the trail which do a great job of explaining the history of the railroad and the bridges. Just north of the start, you come to the first of 5 bridges. Continue along the trail to the rest of the bridges, most of which have side trails to the water. The height of each bridge above the river

MORE ONLINE! Scan this code for more on these trails and essential safety info for hikers.

Getting there: Drive south past Sheffield on Rt. 7 and 7A. Turn right onto Rannapo Road and then left onto Weatogue Road. There is a $5 non-member adult and $1 non-member child admission fee and dogs are not allowed. I have not singled out a particular trail of this Trustees of Reservations property since all of them have their own beauty and unique features. This National Natural Landmark is known for its many varieties of plants, especially its large diversity of fern species. There are also open agricultural fields, floodplain and upland forests, one of the largest cottonwoods in Massachusetts, a very fine vista with a bench, rock outcrops, and miles of trails to wander.

KEYSTONE ARC HES: SHU TTERSTOCK ; BARTH OLOMEW’S COBBLE: OLE GJOERU P

Bartholomew’s Cobble Sheffield

on the left, continue forward and start climbing. The view from the summit and the southern portion of Race Mountain is the prize of this hike. Much of the trail is over open ledges and there are outstanding views of the Catskills, Mt. Everett, Mt. Greylock, the Twin Lakes, and the Housatonic Valley. Hiking south, one encounters another steep descent before crossing Bear Rock Stream. After another mile the trail parallels Sages Ravine, crossing the stream in several places before climbing very steeply to the summit of Bear Mountain. This is the tallest peak in Connecticut, with a stone viewing platform and more outstanding views.

Sunset Rock Copake Falls, NY MODERATE, 3.6–5.1 MILES

Appalachian Trail over Everett, Race, and Bear Mountains Mt. Washington to Salisbury, CT STRENUOUS, 11.2 MILES

Getting there: From Rt. 23 in South Egremont head south on Rt. 41 to the first right onto Mt. Washington Road. Take Mt. Washington Road and East Street 8.4 miles to Mt. Everett Road and a sign for Guilder Pond on the left. This is one of my favorite hikes in the Berkshires. It’s rugged and rocky and the views are outstanding. Walk up the gated road from the Guilder Pond parking lot .5 mile to the Mt. Everett lean-to. This impressive stone-sided shelter has a fine view and is a good spot to stop and rest after the steep climb from the parking lot. For an easy hike, turn around and head back to your vehicle. To continue on the strenuous hike, follow the trail from the shelter that heads westerly to the Appalachian Trail (AT). When you reach the white paint blazes of the AT, turn left and head to the summit. The peak is mostly tree covered but there are some views to the south and southwest. Continuing south, the trail is quite steep and rocky and care should be taken. At the intersection with the Race Brook Trail

Getting there: From Rt. 22, 4 miles south of Hillsdale, NY, turn left on Rt. 344 and drive 1 mile to a large parking area on the right. Sunset Rock is a moderate hike in Taconic State Park, just over the border in New York. (This is also the parking area for a trail to Bash Bish Falls, the highest waterfall in Massachusetts—I definitely recommend adding the 1.5 mile out and back for a beautiful scene.) From the parking lot, head back towards Copake Falls and cross a bridge over Cedar Brook. The South Taconic Trail is a right turn just after the bridge and heads uphill, following white trail markers, on an old road. Take the first right turn off the road and follow the markers and trail up to an intersection with a road. Turn right and pass a fenced area where the trail turns left and continues to climb. The South Taconic Trail follows an old road here and the hiking is very pleasant, with an even grade underfoot and a trail wide enough to walk two to three abreast. There are trails that intersect from the left, but continue following the larger white-marked trail uphill. After 1.1 miles from the road the Cedar Brook Trail, marked in blue, will intersect from the right. Make note of this as you will be following the blue markers back to your vehicle.

From the Cedar Brook Trail it is another .6 mile to the Sunset Rock intersection. Turn left here and hike a short distance to an outstanding view west. Looking out over the Hudson one can see the Catskills in the distance, with the Hunter Mt. Ski Area quite obvious. To the southwest the Shawangunk Mountains are visible and the peaks of the Hudson Highlands can also be seen to the south. Retrace your steps to the Cedar Brook Trail and turn left. This trail descends steeply into a ravine with the brook at the bottom. You then follow the brook downhill, crossing it several times and passing small waterfalls. After 1.3 miles the Cedar Brook Trail ends at Rt. 344. Turn left and return to your vehicle.

Haystack Mountain Norfolk, CT EASY TO MODERATE, 1.2 MILES

Getting there: From Rt. 7 take Rt. 44 6.9 miles east to Norfolk. Take a sharp left onto North Street and drive .2 mile to the Park Road on the left. Drive up the winding mountain road to a parking lot. Haystack Mountain is a very nice hike just outside of Norfolk, Connecticut. Hike on the yellow marked trail from the parking lot uphill to the summit. Although steep and rocky, the trail is only .5 mile long. When you reach an old road, turn left and continue up to the tower. The 50-foot stone tower on Haystack Mountain was built in 1929 for $50,000 and is in excellent condition. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There is a narrow, interior stairway that climbs to the top for a 360-degree view of the Litchfield Hills, the Berkshires, the Taconics, and the Green Mountains. Retrace your steps to your vehicle. B

This land, and all of the present-day Berkshires, is the ancestral homeland of the Mohican people, who were forcibly displaced to Wisconsin by European colonization. These lands continue to be of great significance to the StockbridgeMunsee Mohican Nation today. To learn more, visit mohican.com.

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happenings: The Scene

It’s the people, places and past that make the Berkshires beautiful.

MASS MoCA 25th Anniversary Gala May 24 | MASS MoCA, North Adams

Discover it all with a subscription to The B! berkshireeagle.com/theb 800-245-0254

Above: Brad Svrluga, Jane Resch, Julia Bowen, Bevin Andrews, and Mark Andrews Right: MASS MoCA Director Kristy Edmunds Below: Jamie Birge; Mariko Silver, Chair of MASS MoCA’s Board of Trustees; and Melle Powers

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PH OTOS: DOU GLAS MASON; MAYOR: GREG NESBI T PH OTOGR APH Y

Below left: Kelly and Bill Kaiser Below right: Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Mel Karakaya with guests

High School.

Reimagined. Learn. Visit. Apply.

Above: MASS MoCA Board member Katie Schmidt and daughter Ellie Schmidt Left: Machine Dazzle and Sarah Eustis Below: Nick Cave and Bob Faust

SCH MIDT & DAZZLE: DOU GLAS MASON; CAVE & MORR IS: GREG NES BIT PH OTOGRAPH Y

Below: Former Chair of MASS MoCA’s Board of Trustees Hans Morris

bardacademy.simons-rock.edu

High school for two years, then college early.

happenings: The Scene

Jacob’s Pillow Season Opening Gala June 22 | Jacob’s Pillow

Above left: Gwendolyn Hampton VanSant, Ny Whitaker, Saidiya Hartman, and Grisha Coleman Above: 2024 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award recipient Pam Tanowitz with Jacob’s Pillow Executive and Artistic Director Pamela Tatge Left: Performance by The School at Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Ballet Performance Ensemble

Above: Caleb Teicher and Conrad Tao perform an excerpt of “Rhapsody in Blue,” in honor of the 100th Anniversary of George Gershwin’s masterwork.

Above: Dan Mathieu, Robert Hartwell, and Brian Cruey

GALA P HOTOS: C HRISTOPH ER DU GGAN; MATH IEU PH OTO: JAMIE K RAU S

Left: Deb McAlister, Chris Jones, and Dana Cowin Right: David Schecker, Nancy Kalodner, Vicki Bonnington

Kids 4 Harmony A Program of 18 Degrees June 25 | Tanglewood, Lenox

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Above: 2024 Gala honorees Drs. Carolyn and Eli Newberger (far left and center) with 18 Degrees VP of Youth Development Bryan House, VP of Advancement Sarah Frederick, and President and CEO Stephanie Steed Right: Kids 4 Harmony Gala performance in Ozawa Hall

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K4H GROUP AND CONCERT: EDWAR D AC KER PHOTOGRAPHY; VIOLI NI STS: C LAYS ON CREATIV E; P S21: STEVEN TAYLOR

PS21 2024 Gala June 21 | PS21 Campus

Above left: Noli Timere visual artist Janet Echelman, choreographer Rebecca Lazier, and composer Jorane Above right: PS21 Board member Claude Arpels, Board Co-President Alice Kocis, and Board Treasurer Ted Jadick Left: PS21 PATHWAYS Coordinator Clare Vance, Development Manager Zack Levine, PS21 2024 artist Nandi Rose of Half Waif, Lily Morris, and Jessica Jones-Bower

happenings: The Scene

Museum Gone MAD Bash June 8 | Norman Rockwell Museum

Left: Suzannah VanSchaick, Ellen Boyd, Hilary Dunne Ferrone, Stephanie Iverson, and Jennifer Capala Above: Laurie Norton Moffatt

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Below: Heather Heim, Eva Sheridan, Tracy Barquinero, Dennis Barquinero, Matt Heim, and Kip Sheridan

PH OTOS: COURTESY OF NORMAN ROC KWELL MUSEUM

Below: The “MAD-makers”—artists, writers, art directors and editors: (front row) Desmond Devlin, Ray Alma, Johnny Sampson, and Steve Brodner, (back row) Teresa Burns Parkhurst, Scott Bircher, Dave Croatto, James Warhola, Richard Williams, Sam Viviano. John Ficarra, Jay Kogan, Peter Kuper, Tom Richmond, and Dale Stephanos Right: Linda Maloof and Laurie Drucker Bachner

Shakespeare & Company Annual Gala June 29 | Shakespeare & Company 413-717-7159 ROCKYRIDGE413.COM ROCKYRIDGEEXCAVATION@GMAIL.COM

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Above: Gala Co-Chairs Karen Kowgios and Mike Miller Right: Artistic Director Allyn Burrows, Director of Education Kevin G. Coleman, and State Representative Wm. Smitty Pignatelli

PHOTOS : C HRI STI NA LANE

Above left: Actor Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story, The Big Short) as Hamlet Above right: Fiona, Lenox Memorial Middle and High School 10th grader with Tina Packer

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happenings: The Scene

An Evening with Great Barrington Public Theater June 7 | Bard College Simon’s Rock Right: GBPT Board Director Susie Weekes Roeder, St. James Place founders Fred and Sally Harris, and GBPT Artistic Director Jim Frangione Below left: Actor Lauren Ambrose with Production Supervisor Amy Humes Below right: Director Wendy Welch and Actor Donna Bullock

Berkshire Immigrant Center Beacon of Hope Benefit June 9 | Shakespeare & Company

Thurs-Sun August 22nd- 25th 97 Fairgrounds Rd., Cummington, MA

info@cummingtonfair.com cummingtonfair.com

For four days every August our historic buildings showcase livestock, crops, and handicrafts. We host multiple activities, from music to competitions to parades.

GBPT: GBPT/K ATHERINE HUMES; BI C: DAVI D DASHIELL

Left: Maria Aury, dancer Luana Dias David, Alycia Bacon from Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, and Blackshires Co-Founder Ari Zorn and his wife Heidi Zorn Bottom left: Guests Marie Helene Yameago and Daniel Yameago were featured in the Center’s impact video, “Lighting the Way” Bottom right: Lee Bank President Chuck Leach and event sponsor Dena Fisher with Berkshire Immigrant Center Executive Director Melissa Canavan

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field guide: The B’s Guide to Private Education

BCD: BEN GARVER; DARROW: STEPHANIE ZOLLSHAN; HOTCHKISS: COURTESY OF THE HOTC HKI SS S CHOOL; SALI SBU RY: C OU RTESY OF SALISB URY SC HOOL

School Smarts

Clockwise from top left: Salisbury School, Salisbury, CT; Berkshire Country Day School, Lenox; The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, CT; Darrow School, New Lebanon, NY

By Avi Dresner

Question: Which does the Berkshire region offer—rich culture, natural beauty, or a great education? Answer: all of the above. If you’re considering area schools for your children, our guide will help you navigate the options. Each year, as the busy Berkshire summer season winds down and the tourists and parttime residents return home, a new group is arriving: boarding school students. Indeed, the region is not only blessed with some of the best public and private cultural institutions in the country, but some of the best educational ones. According to U.S. News & World Report, Massachusetts perennially ranks first in the nation for public schools (with two Berkshire

high schools in their top 40—Mount Greylock Regional High School in Williamstown at #25 and Lenox Memorial Middle and High School in Lenox at #37). The Berkshires and neighboring Columbia County, New York, and Litchfield County, Connecticut, are also home to exceptional private day and boarding schools that are the choice for many local, outof-state, and international families. Private schools allow families to choose

the type of education that specifically meets a student’s needs, says Rebekah Jordan of Crossbridge Education Consulting. “The nurturing, advising, and identity building that come from a private school are greater than what you typically get in a public school. You also have the ability to tune your dials much more finely when it comes to curriculum, level of intensity, and rigor and style of teaching,” said Jordan. “Very

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field guide: The B’s Guide to Private Education

How to Stand Out and Get In 5 tips for applicants The process can be stressful— for both kids and parents! We asked the insiders for some advice, and here’s what they said.

Be authentic. If an application looks like it’s been done by a professional, that’s a red flag. If a student is trying to be someone that they’re not, it’s not going to feel good once they’re there.

2 3

When you visit the school, be prepared. Do your research beforehand, and come with questions.

It’s not just the child being interviewed. Parents, through the application and interview process, should be mindful that they’re showing what kind of a partner they’re going to be to the school.

few public schools can fully embrace a progressive education, for example, where students are given a lot of democratic responsibility and ownership, to help cobuild the curriculum with their teachers, like one might find at a Waldorf or Montessori school.” And, for some parents, religious education is another important factor. When it comes to boarding schools, there are additional features that are attractive to some families. Boarding school teaches independence; students learn about your strengths and challenges away from family, and how to live in a dorm environment. Those skills can help prepare teens for success in college. Beyond these general reasons to attend private school, there are specific advantages to choosing a facility in the Berkshires. “There is literally something for everyone,” Jordan said of the diverse educational offerings. The culture and nature here are a draw not just for students but for faculty— this area is home to some of the most creative and talented people in the country, and private schools dip into that deep pool of talent for faculty and staff. And going to

school where there’s easy access to nature allows for areas of study you might not find elsewhere. With so many schools to consider, choosing the right one can be daunting. (That’s where educational consultants can be helpful.) For day school families, Jordan suggests asking yourself, “Do you have the bandwidth to support this both logistically and financially?” For example, how long a drive is it from home and is it in the same direction you’re already going? The most important factor by far in choosing the school for your child and family is finding the right fit, and for that there’s no substitute for visiting the school. Just another reason to spend time in the Berkshires.

The following professionals provided advice for this article: Rebekah Jordan of Crossbridge Education Consulting; Vince Schmidt, director of admissions and enrollment management at Darrow School in New Lebanon, New York; and Liz Hodosy, senior associate director of admissions at Indian Mountain School in Lakeville, Connecticut.

Do your research. If you work with an educational consultant, look for one who is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association.

Berkshire School, Sheffield

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P HOTO: CHI P RI EGEL

Get involved. Most schools are looking for students who are eager to be a part of and contribute to their community—the tour and interview provide great opportunities to showcase the ways in which you plan to do so.

The Schools Here are the basic stats to get you started—and a little more about the schools, in their own words. BERKSHIRE COUNTY Berkshire Country Day School (Stockbridge) Grades Pre K–8 | 126 students Day school berkshirecountryday.org “Our intentional approach of inquiry, discovery, and discussion blends proven methods with emerging best practices to draw fully on the experiences and contributions of our entire school community. Our comprehensive curriculum, which includes project-based and experiential learning, leverages the talents of our exemplary educators and the natural resources of our extraordinary campus to inspire independence, academic excellence, and mutual respect.” Berkshire School (Sheffield) Grades 9–12 | 400 students 87% boarding berkshireschool.org “By design, every student makes an impact at Berkshire. No student is anonymous. Everyone knows everyone—from faculty and staff to new students and graduating seniors. Our enrollment of 400 students is a sweet spot for Berkshire’s model and culture, allowing us to cultivate an exceptionally affirming and closeknit residential community. From the foundation of being known well, our students build confidence, which enables them to strive, take risks, and reimagine their potential in all areas of their development.” Summer visits available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays through August 15. Berkshire Waldorf School (Great Barrington) Grades Pre K–8 | 200 students Day school berkshirewaldorfschool.org “Waldorf education was founded in 1919 by scientist and philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Based on Steiner’s

insights into the nature of human beings and child development, our Waldorf curriculum fosters each student’s natural curiosity with stories and activities that appeal to the imagination as well as the intellect.” Berkshire Waldorf High School (Stockbridge) Grades 9–12 | 50 students Day school berkshirewaldorf.com “Waldorf education is a humanistic approach to pedagogy based upon the educational philosophy of the philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Learning is interdisciplinary, integrating practical, artistic, and conceptual elements. The approach emphasizes the role of the imagination, developing thinking that includes a creative as well as an analytic component.” Buxton School (Williamstown) Grades 9–12 | 65 students 90% boarding buxtonschool.org “Our mission is to create an environment where truly progressive education can be lived every minute of every day, where learning is personal, meaningful, equitable, and relevant. By doing this, we equip Buxton students and alumni to be deeply reflective and creative builders and shapers of every community they touch.” Miss Hall’s School (Pittsfield) Grades 9–12 | 190 students All girls school | 75% boarding misshalls.org “Miss Hall’s has provided, since our founding in 1898, an exceptional academic education and the opportunity to develop values core to the human experience: authenticity, respect, honor, and growth. Our students have, since the beginning, become bold and creative contributors to the common good.”

The Montessori School of the Berkshires (Lenox Dale) Grades Pre K–8 | 140 students Day school berkshiremontessori.org “Our mission is to prepare children for life. All children are naturally curious and love to learn. We support this innate drive by providing environments that meet children’s developmental needs, by creating a staff of loving and wellprepared adults, and by building a community of families that actively support our mission.”

St. Mary’s School (Lee) Grades Pre K–8 | 85 students Day school stmaryslee.org “St. Mary’s School welcomes all children to a small, safe, nurturing environment that fosters a love of learning and keeps Christ in their daily lives. Students are empowered to attain academic excellence while becoming cooperative learners, responsible citizens and dedicated leaders s erving others in an everchanging world.”

Pine Cobble School (Williamstown) Grades Pre K–9 | 158 students Day school pinecobble.org “Pine Cobble’s focus is to cultivate in each student a lifelong passion for learning, a strong sense of self-worth, and respect for others throughout the community. Our motto, Nosce Te Ipsum, Know Thyself, represents our belief that the key to a meaningful life is understanding who we are as individuals in relation to others and the world around us.”

St. Stanislaus Kostka School (Adams) Grades Pre K–8 | 85 students Day school ststansadams.org “The mission of our school is to provide quality Catholic education in a safe, loving, and nurturing environment. We work to model for students the values of faith, family, respect and loving service.”

St. Agnes Academy (Dalton) Grades Pre K–8 | 135 students Day school saintagnesacademy.com “St. Agnes Academy is a Catholic parish school, united by God’s love, living and sharing our faith daily. We strive for academic success while promoting awareness and appreciation of community involvement as a lifestyle. Within this secure, welcoming environment, our experienced, dedicated faculty and staff celebrate the uniqueness of each child from pre-school through grade eight.”

LITCHFIELD COUNTY Canterbury School (New Milford) Grades 9–12 | 325 students 70% boarding cbury.org “Canterbury is an independent, coeducational boarding and day school for grades 9–12 and postgraduates. Yet, it’s more than a school, more than a place. It’s a promise grounded in our belief in your extraordinary potential.” The Frederick Gunn School (Washington) Grades 9–12 | 325 students 78% boarding frederickgunn.org “Frederick Gunn was a pioneering educator, courageous abolitionist, and rugged outdoorsman. He inspired generations of students to be curious and thoughtful, to be active members of their communities, and to stand up for what they believe in. He was

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field guide: The B’s Guide to Private Education a transformational leader. Our students become principled, active citizens and lifelong learners who will be entrepreneurial forces for good in the world.” Forman School (Litchfield) Grades 9–12 | 210 students 80% boarding formanschool.org “At Forman, we embrace students as individuals, both in the classroom and out of it. Our nurturing faculty tailor lessons to adolescents with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD, and executive function deficits—as well as twice-exceptional students.” The Hotchkiss School (Lakeville) Grades 9–12 | 600 students 95% boarding hotchkiss.org “The Hotchkiss School is defined by our commitment to fostering excellent, wholly developed learners. We focus on empowering students to become fully prepared for the future beyond. Through small class sizes, a breadth of more than 200 courses, and a teaching dynamic that cultivates academic curiosity, every student graduates ready to become a global citizen and a community leader.” Summer tours offered Mondays and Fridays from June 24–August 16. Indian Mountain School (Lakeville) Grades Pre K–9 | 300 students 40% boarding indianmountain.org “The paths taken at IMS are just like the paths up our mountain: different for everyone, rarely in a straight line, and ultimately rewarded with new perspectives, an expansive view, the spirit of possibility, and the tools necessary for the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

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Kent School (Kent) Grades 9–12 | 520 students 93% boarding kent-school.edu “We are guided by our motto— Simplicity of Life, Directness of Purpose, Self-Reliance— to educate our students intellectually, socially, ethically, and spiritually so that they will be prepared to contribute to the common good in the world beyond Kent School.” Marvelwood School (Kent) Grades 9–12 | 120 students 80% boarding marvelwood.org “Our School takes pride in the purposeful planning of academic, extracurricular, residential, and social initiatives that promote open communication, foster meaningful relationships, and provide a true sense of belonging.” Rumsey Hall School (Washington) Grades K–9 | 321 students 38% boarding rumseyhall.org “Rumsey Hall School is committed to a whole-child approach to education and believes that teaching academics and teaching an attitude of mind are of equal importance. The School emphasizes effort as a criterion for success and is dedicated to helping each child develop toward his or her maximum stature as an educated person, a successful member of a family, and a contributing member of a community.” Salisbury School (Salisbury) Grades 9–12 | 310 students All boys school | 93% boarding salisburyschool.org “At Salisbury we do everything right for boys! We celebrate what it means to be a boy and have designed a school where boys succeed and tradition matters. Our unique Hilltop community develops boys into gentlemen

both in the classroom and out. As a student at Salisbury, you are part of a close-knit community. From the moment you first arrive to the day you graduate, you play an important role in the life of the School.” South Kent School (South Kent) Grades 9–12 | 150 students All boys school | 97% boarding southkentschool.org “Guided by 100 years of academic, athletic, and student traditions, we work together to develop thriving young men. Using our contemporary expertise in male adolescent education, we are constantly evolving and adapting to ensure we are providing students with the skills and developing the character they will need to succeed in college and the world beyond.” The Taft School (Watertown) Grades 9–12 | 580 students 82% boarding taftschool.org “More than 125 years have passed since Mr. Taft founded our school. While the world and the school have changed dramatically, his fundamental values endure: work hard, without regard for public acclaim; develop all of your talents, academic, artistic, and athletic; and most important, give of yourself to others.” Torrington Christian Academy (Torrington) Grades K–12 | 215 students Day school tcact.org “We are deeply committed to our community, investing in one family at a time as we partner with parents to help children achieve their greatest potential. Our highly qualiﬁed educators come from a variety of denominational backgrounds but are uniﬁed by one common goal: creating a safe place where your child is well-loved and well-instructed.”

The Woodhall School (Bethlehem) Grades 9–12 | 45 students All boys school | 100% boarding woodhallschool.org “The mission of The Woodhall School is to provide an opportunity for success to young men of aboveaverage intellectual ability in grades 9-12, who have had difficulties in traditional school environments. The school embraces an individualized approach that allows each student to realize his potential and to take accountability in all areas of his life.”

COLUMBIA COUNTY Darrow School (New Lebanon) Grades 9–12 | 110 students darrowschool.org 85% boarding “Darrow School is dedicated to serving students with diverse backgrounds and abilities, building on each student’s individual talents and interests to inspire enduring confidence for success in college and life. This mission is accomplished through our curriculum, which is rooted in the liberal arts and sciences, individually focused, and combines innovative classroom instruction with project-based learning and environmental consciousness.” Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School (Ghent) Grades K–12 | 308 students Day school school.hawthornevalley.org “Our school’s location on an organic/biodynamic farm supplements the curriculum by providing our students with the opportunity to develop connection to the natural world, and a love of outdoor adventure.”

Local Family Favorite Campsite! You don't have to go far to enjoy the Berkshires:

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams

The College Years When it comes to higher education, there are local choices for every type of student. Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY) 1,800 students | bard.edu “Bard College seeks to inspire curiosity, a love of learning, idealism, and a commitment to the link between higher education and civic participation. The undergraduate curriculum is designed to address central, enduring questions facing succeeding generations of students.” Bard College at Simon’s Rock (Great Barrington) 400 students, average age of entering student is 16 simons-rock.edu “Simon’s Rock is the best choice for students ready to make a deliberate break with the standard educational track. No one comes to Simon’s Rock because it’s what their parents expect them to do—or what all their friends are doing. If you’re determined to find an unabashedly intellectual, proudly independent, fiercely creative college community as soon as possible, no other option comes close.” Berkshire Community College (Pittsfield) 2,000 students | berkshirecc.edu “Berkshire Community College is committed to providing an exceptional education and a wide range of opportunities that meet the diverse needs of our community through college transfer, workforce and career pathways, partnerships and lifelong learning.”

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Get Lost in Wonder and Found in Beauty From Gardens to Galleries: Nature’s Drama Unfolds

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) (North Adams) 1,050 students | mcla.edu “We’re the public liberal arts college in Massachusetts. In every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate you as an individual, a leader, and a communicator, fully empowered to make your impression on the world.” PHOTO: FJ GAYLOR PHOTOGRAPHY

Williams College (Williamstown) 2,200 students | williams.edu “Established in 1793 with funds bequeathed by Colonel Ephraim Williams, the college is private, residential, and liberal arts, with graduate programs in the history of art and in development economics.”

5 West Stockbridge Road Stockbridge, MA BerkshireBotanical.org

happenings: field guide: Farm gala guide Stores

Shop Fresh, Shop Local! With dozens of farm stores in the Berkshires and neighboring counties, there’s sure to be one—or more!—near you. Buying local is an investment in the future of our food system. Berkshire Grown’s mission is to work toward a thriving, equitable local food system where farmers can access affordable farmland to grow food to feed all community members. In other words, to keep farmers farming. We are sharing their list of local farm stores here; it’s from their “2024 Guide to Local Food & Farms,” which is full of great resources. Check it out at berkshiregrown.org.

NORTH

328North 328north.com Studio @greylockWORKS 508 State Rd North Adams, MA Ayrhill Farms On Facebook 45 Henry Wood Rd. Cheshire, MA 413-743-1474

East Mountain Farm SNAP eastmountainfarm.com 582 Henderson Rd. Williamstown, MA 413-281-7291

Laughing Earth laughingearth.farm 3842 NY 2 Cropseyville, NY 518-821-8449

Elderberry Springs elderberrysprings.com 806 Taconic Trail Petersburgh, NY 518-659-1411

Many Forks Farm HIP SNAP manyforksfarm.com 1360 River Rd. Clarksburg, MA 413-281-1814

Berle Farm berlefarm.com 319 Beechwood Rd. Hoosick, NY 518-686-3249

Elmartin Farm elmartinfarm.com 594 Windsor Rd. Cheshire, MA 413-388-3990 or 413-281-4320

Colonial Alpacas colonialalpacas.com 341 Luce Rd. Williamstown, MA 413-597-1604

Full Well Farm HIP SNAP fullwellfarm.com 313 East Rd. Adams, MA 413-441-1638

Cricket Creek Farm cricketcreekfarm.com 1255 Oblong Rd. Williamstown, MA 413-458-5888

Jennings Brook Farm farmfresh.org 83 Beach Hill Rd. New Ashford, MA 413-458-8438

Mountain Girl Farm HIP SNAP mountaingirlfarm.com 1360 Church St. North Adams, MA 413-663-9761 Sweet Brook Farm & Sweet Brook Beef Company sweetbrookfarms.com 207 Woodcock Rd. Williamstown, MA 413-217-0092 The Goat Project thegoatproject.net 1107 Pleasant Valley Rd. Bennington, VT 802-442-1107

CENTRAL

Bartlett’s Orchard bartlettsorchard.com 575 Swamp Rd. Richmond, MA 413-698-2559 Bittersweet Farm On Facebook 973 Barker Rd. Pittsfield, MA 413-499-0200 Brattle Farm brattlefarm.com 600 Williams St. Pittsfield, MA 413-822-1516 Cloverhill Farm 81 State Rd. (Rt. 41) Richmond, MA 413-448-8744

THE B • High Summer 2024

Hilltop Orchard & Furnace Brook Winery hilltoporchards.com 508 Canaan Rd. Richmond, MA Holiday Brook Farm holidaybrookfarm.com 100 Holiday Cottage Rd. Dalton, MA 413-684-0444 Ioka Valley Farm iokavalleyfarm.com 3475 Rt. 43 Hancock, MA 413-738-5915

Elzires Acre Goat Milk Soap GetGoatSoap.com 111 Wheeler Rd. Princeton, MA 978-660-6673

Jaeschke’s Orchard

Flynn Farm 610 Tamarack Rd. Pittsfield, MA 413-329-7482

Justamere Tree Farm justameretreefarm.com 248 Patterson Rd. Worthington, MA 413-238-5902

Forthill Farm 325 Fort Hill Ave. Pittsfield, MA 413-822-3342 Gray Raven Farm grayravenfarm.net 6 Johnny Cake Hill Rd. Middlefield, MA 413-822-0603

Stands are seasonal, so please check websites or call. HIP Healthy Incentives Program SNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

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High Lawn Farm highlawnfarm.com 535 Summer St. Lee, MA 413-243-0672

HIP SNAP

on Facebook 736 Crane Ave. Pittsfield, MA 413-443-7180

Kinderhook Creek Farm 5168 So. Stephentown Rd. Corner of Rensselaer County Rte. 27 and Goold Rd., 3.5 miles from US Rte. 20 Stephentown, NY 518-733-5137

Farm Spotlight:

Dancing Greens Great Barrington | dancing-greens.com

P HOTO: DANCI NG GREENS

One of the Berkshires’ newest farms was conceived in Rome, Italy, of all places, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s where co-founders Jamie Nadler and Madison Warren met, while on a master’s program. They hatched a plan of having a farm of their own—eventually. “We came up with this idea based on the Italian model of connecting people with food more concretely,” said Nadler. “It was five years, 10 years in the future, this really large dream.” A few months later, though, opportunity knocked when Nadler’s family bought a piece of land near Great Barrington, and the pair took a half-acre chunk of it to bring a sliver of that dream to life. Now in its second year, Dancing Greens practices no-till, chemical-free farming and grows produce, herbs, and flowers. Nadler and Warren also host farm dinners—they call them shindigs. “At first it was just like, Jamie’s going to grow food, I’ll cook that food, we’ll invite people over, and we’ll get them really excited about food and farming,” Warren said, adding with a laugh, “There’s something beautiful about not knowing what you don’t know.” Starting a farm was indeed a lot more complicated than they’d anticipated, but once they got things rolling, it came together. Their hope is to get people excited about good food in a joyful way and “work with like-minded partners to cross-pollinate.” Speaking of partners, they do workshops most Sundays during the summer, collaborating with guests on topics like flower arranging, yoga, and nature photography. And those shindigs? The last one of this season is on August 17—and they tend to sell out. —Neil Turitz

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happenings: gala guide

Caretaker Farm Williamstown | caretakerfarm.org Some farms will just hand you your CSA produce in a box—but Caretaker Farm makes you work for it. Well, some of it, at least. Since 1991, Caretaker’s mission has been more than just providing food. “What we’re trying to do is connect people to the land that grows their produce,” said Don Zasada, who owns and manages the farm alongside his wife, Bridget Spann. Caretaker Farm harvests 80% of the produce for its members—and there are hundreds of them—but requires them to harvest the rest on their own. Additionally, each season, every adult member must volunteer two hours in some capacity. “We’re constantly looking for ways in which they can become part of the systems of the farm,” Zasada explained. “It helps us labor wise, but more importantly, they get to understand some of these systems that are involved in creating their food.” There are also seasonal celebrations and gatherings, and a pizza night once a month at the farm’s small homestead bakery. All are designed to integrate the members with the farm, so they have a sense of proprietorship over it. “When people feel that it’s their farm, that it’s not simply a place where they’re going to get food, but also that they have a relationship with the land, it means more.” Zasada said. “Also, once you get a little older, it’s hard to meet people, so I think the farm allows a medium for them to connect in a different way.” —N.T.

Lakeview Orchard HIP SNAP lakevieworchard.com 94 Old Cheshire Rd. Lanesborough, MA 413-448-6009 Lion’s Tooth Farm HIP SNAP lionstoothfarm.com 1288 Old Route 9 Windsor, MA 413-464-2863 Natural Roots Farm HIP SNAP naturalroots.com 888 Shelburne Falls Rd. Conway, MA 413-369-4269 Red Hawk Farm 1031 State Rd. Richmond, MA RedHawkFarm2015 @gmail.com Red Shirt Farm SNAP HIP redshirtfarm.com OPENING SOON!

60 Williamstown Rd. Lanesborough, MA 413-822-9250 Rock and Root Farm rockandrootfarm @gmail.com 735 N Main St. Lanesborough, MA 978-877-7924 Samascott’s Garden Market samascott.com 65 Chatham St. Kinderhook, NY 518-758-9292 Second Drop Farm On Instagram 551 North Main St. Lanesborough, MA 413-822-0355 Square Roots Farm SNAP squarerootsfarm.org 95 Old Cheshire Rd. Lanesborough, MA 413-446-1446

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Sweet Birch Herbals & Full Moon Ghee Farm Stand Sweetbirchherbals.com Fullmoonghee.com 686 Creamery Rd. Ashfield, MA 413-695-5968 The Berry Patch theberrypatch.net 15589 State Route 22 Stephentown, NY 518-733-1234 Three Maples Market Garden threemaplesmarket garden.com 98 State Line Rd. W. Stockbridge, MA 413-329-8601 Whitney’s Farm Market and Garden Center whitneysfarm.com 1775 South State Rd. Cheshire, MA 01225 413-442-4749 Woodlife Farm Market woodlifefarmmarket.com 36 Old Rte 20 New Lebanon, NY 12125 877-899-2232 YundWell Pastured Poultry YundWell.com 1715 County Route 5 Canaan, NY 518-929-5394

SOUTH

Beavertides Farm beavertidesfarm.com 44 Cobble Rd. Falls Village, CT Blueberry Hill Farm On Facebook 358 East St. Mount Washington, MA 413-528-1479

Chaseholm Farm & Creamery chaseholmfarm.com 115 Chase Rd. Pine Plains, NY 518-339-2071 Common Hands Farm commonhandscsa.com 2187 County Rt 11 Hillsdale, NY 12529 Dandelion Hill Farm SNAP dandelionhillfarms.com 204 Hulett Hill Rd. Sheffield, MA 413-429-7898 Et Cetera Farm 936 County Route 21 Hillsdale, NY 518-672-4250 Fern Farm tinyurl.com/fernfarm 6 Cross Rd. Mount Washington, MA fernfarmllc@gmail.com Gaetano’s Organic Farm SNAP 453 Main St. Becket, MA 413-329-3862 Grimaldi Farm grimaldifarmstore.com 22 Old Talerico Rd. Ghent, NY 518-929-3420 Hawk Dance Farm hawkdancefarm.com 362 Rodman Rd. Hillsdale, NY 518-325-1430 Hawthorne Valley Farm SNAP hawthornevalleyfarm.org 327 County Route 21C Ghent, NY 518-672-7500 Little Apple Farm and Cidery littleapplecidery.com 178 Orchard Lane Hillsdale, NY 917-287-6339

PHOTO: GILLIAN JONES

Farm Spotlight:

NEJAIME’S WINE CELLARS Wine • Liquor • Beer • Foods • Picnics • Gifts

Farm Spotlight:

Indian Line Great Barrington | indianlinefarm.com

PHOTO: B EN GARVER

Do you belong to a CSA? Well, you have Robyn Van En to thank for it. The founder of Indian Line Farm was the first in the nation to offer them, back in 1986. “It was this very unique way for a farmer to sell directly to consumers,” said current Indian Line owner Elizabeth Keen. “In 1986, they were beginning to understand that the small farms that we have are truly disappearing.” Van En died in 1997, and Keen and her husband Al Thorp took over the farm, despite the fact that they were both in their twenties and terribly inexperienced. Van En’s family was terrified that someone would buy the property and turn it into a second home. “They knew that Robyn would be rolling over in her grave,” Keen said, and since she and Thorp saw an opportunity, they took it. Twenty-seven years later, their CSA boasts more than 250 families, whom they consider the backbone of their operation. Their mission—to grow high-quality, nutritious vegetables, herbs, and flowers for the community—goes hand in hand with their efforts at sustainability. “We try to grow food on any given bed for two years and then give it a break for a year,” Keen said. “I’m a very big proponent of cover cropping,” she said of the practice of growing plants not to harvest but to improve the soil and improve biodiversity, among other benefits. “I wouldn’t be a farmer if it weren’t for the way we do it here,” she continued. “The connection with the people, the connection with my neighbors, this level of appreciation, that’s a big part of it for me.” —N.T.

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field guide: Farm Stores

HL Propane Co. Inc.

Route 20, West Lebanon, NY • www.hlfuel.com Monday thru Friday 8 am to 4 pm

ALL PROPANE IS THE SAME

OURS IS CHEAPER!!

We Beat ___ ANY Competitor’s Price! Heating System Installation  Automatic Delivery

CALL TOLL FREE 877-794-9066 OR 518-794-9066

Moon in the Pond Farm mooninthepond.org 816 Barnum St. Sheffield, MA Farm: 413-229-3092 Cell: 413-446-3320 Mountain Falls Farm mountainfallsfarm.com 1800 South Undermountain Rd. Sheffield, MA 203-558-2707 or 203-972-1130 by appointment. MX Morningstar Farm SNAP mxmorningstarfarm.com 5956 NY-9H Hudson, NY 518-918-7774

Still Point Community Farm Susan & Bruce Thompson 103 Amenia Union Rd. Amenia, NY 845-789-1062 Taft Farms HIP SNAP taftfarmsgb.com 119 Park Street North Great Barrington, MA 413-528-1515 The Farm at Miller’s Crossing SNAP farmatmillerscrossing.com The Barn at Miller’s Crossing 170 Route 217 Hudson, NY 518-851-2331

North Plain Farm SNAP northplainfarm.com 342 N. Plain Rd. Great Barrington, MA 413-429-6598

The Farm New Marlborough TheFarmNM.com 343 New MarlboroughSouthfield Rd. New Marlborough, MA 413-446-1096

Ridgway Farm ridgwayfarm.com 142 Town St. West Cornwall, CT 860-672-5775

Turner Farms Maple Syrup turnerfarmsmaplesyrup.com 25 Phillips Rd. S. Egremont, MA 413-528-5710

Riiska Brook Orchard riiskabrookorchard.com 101 New Hartford Road* Sandisfield, MA 01255

Windy Hill Farm windyhillfarminc.com 686 Stockbridge Rd. Great Barrington, MA 413-298-3217

*GPS users: follow Route 57 until you reach New Hartford Road.

413-258-4761 Seekonk Tree Farm seekonktreefarm.com 49 Seekonk Rd. Great Barrington, MA 413-528-6002 Sky View Farm skyviewfarmsheffield @gmail.com 203 Galvin Farm Trail Sheffield, MA 413-717-5722

Woven Roots Farm & Education Center SNAP wovenrootsfarm.com OPENING SOON!

12 McCarty Rd. Tyringham, MA 413-243-6122 Woven Stars Farm wovenstarsfarm.com 52 Winter Hill Road Ghent, NY 508-254-0833

Enjoying our accessible gardens!

Farm Spotlight:

Hawthorne Valley Columbia County, New York | hawthornevalley.org

PH OTO: @H AWTHORNEVALLEY

From humble beginnings often come the greatest successes. Hawthorne Valley Farm started as a small nonprofit in 1972. Several decades later, it’s an impressive operation, with 700 acres in Columbia County and more than 200 employees. “The goal behind it was to create a place where children could come and have a practical experience on a farm,” said the farm’s director of operations, Spencer Fenniman. That mission continues today, as the farm works closely with Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School, which is part of the same nonprofit organization, and operates several summer camps for kids of all ages, but it has also grown beyond any expectations. “We are now a diversified farm,” Fenniman explained. They use biodynamic practices, which can be thought of as “organic plus.” “We grow vegetables on about 20 acres for sale, direct to consumer through CSAs, as well as in our own retail outlet and markets. We have a dairy herd that we manage on about 600 acres with about 60 cows. We sell beef, and we process all that dairy into yogurt, cheese, and raw milk, which is for sale only on the farm.” There’s also a certified organic bakery, and a line of organic and other natural foods. But the central mission is still education. “It’s really important that farms open their doors to the public,” Fenniman said. “Most farmers have genuine care for their farms, their animals, and their land, so I think highlighting that to people—showing them the reality of what farming is—is a good thing, and we try to tailor some of our farming experiences for children. “Right now, with summer camp in session, I feel like every day I see at least two children walking around with chickens,” he said with a laugh. “I’m not sure if the chickens were out, or if they just picked them up and are walking around with them.” —N.T.

Create access and build equity for people of all abilities through your support of BFAIR. As a human services nonprofit, BFAIR provides 24/7 365 care to people with developmental disabilities, autism, and acquired brain injury. Support of BFAIR will promote independence, create accessibility, and enhance resources for the over 400 program participants and residents in Berkshire, Hampden, and Hampshire County. www.bfair.org

last look: From the Archives

Tennis, Anyone?

P H OTO : W I L L I A M TA G U E

We found this circa 1954 photograph of Norman Rockwell in The Eagle’s archives. It shows the artist playing tennis at the Stockbridge Golf Club, where he was a longtime member, and which looks much the same today. Rockwell was active and famously enjoyed bike riding as well. In fact, Norman Rockwell Museum has his typical bike route available online if you want to try it for yourself! nrm.org

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Banking products are provided by Berkshire Bank: Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Berkshire Bank is a Massachusetts chartered bank. 5/24

ART IN ALL FORMS 25TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON

North Adams, Mass massmoca.org