Adventures in the Berkshires and Southern Vermont
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
Artisans at work Handcrafted creations from chocolate to violins Plus:
The UpCountry Gift Guide
TABLE OF CONTENTS
23 31 40 51
Welcome in the outside
Working with fire
The season’s go-to gift
The soul of a violin
Explore Berkshires House XVII
John Graney turns iron into art
Meet the region’s top chocolatiers
Master violin maker Francis Morris
Find summer in the middle of winter Magic Wings Conservatory heats things up
6 From the editor 9
15 Up Next
Unparalled luxury Blantyre introduces a unique Dom Pérignon experience
12
Harvesting hope, one pancake at a time Baking therapy at Gould Farm
36
Hitting the sweet spot A pastry tour of the Pioneer Valley
7 Contributors
45
The traditional part of the calendar
57 The UpCountry Gift Guide 78 From the archives
The Tree Champ
Finding Tasha Tudor Collecting family memories
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FROM THE EDITOR As I write, the season’s early chill has summoned the first snowflakes of the year. Up in West Dover, Vt., it’s been cold enough that Mount Snow’s been able to make enough snow to open. In fact, it’s making history by celebrating its earliest opening in 64 years. Here in the UpCountry, it’s that time of year when we split up into three groups: Those who love the snow, those who love relaxing by the fire and those who love both. Which one are you? Me, I fall into the “love both” group. I love spending a few hours cross-country skiing and then returning to the warmth of the living room couch to relax with the family and our fluffy cat. Let winter begin! This past autumn, UpCountry Magazine celebrated a very special honor from the New England Newspaper and Press Association: It has been named Distinguished Newspaper of the Year in the Specialty Publications category. The award is a truly humbling one, and it is especially gratifying because jury panels of readers judge the competition. If you look to the column at the right and at the contributors page in this and past issues, all those people listed there are directly responsible for making UpCountry an outstanding publication. I am grateful for all of their creativity, energy and savvy for making this magazine stand out from the rest in New England. Kevin Moran, Executive Editor kmoran@berkshireeagle.com
Publisher Fredric D. Rutberg
frutberg@berkshireeagle.com
Vice President Jordan Brechenser
jbrechenser@berkshireeagle.com
Executive Editor Kevin Moran
kmoran@berkshireeagle.com
Editor Jennifer L. Huberdeau
jhuberdeau@berkshireeagle.com
Proofreader Tim Jamiolkowski
tjamiolkowski@berkshireeagle.com
Art Director Kimberly Kirchner
kkirchner@berkshireeagle.com
Chief Consumer Sales/ Events Officer Warren Dews Jr.
wdews@berkshireeagle.com
Regional Advertising Managers Berkshire County, Mass.: Kate Teutsch kteutsch@berkshireeagle.com
Bennington County, Vt.: Susan Plaisance
splaisance@manchesterjournal.com
Windham County, Vt.: Josh Unruh jdunruh@reformer.com
On the Cover: A selection of locally-made
chocolates. Photo: Stephanie Zollshan. Story, pg. 40.
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UpCountry Magazine is a publication of New England Newspapers Inc.
CONTRIBUTORS
Bob Audette [“Finding Tasha Tudor,” page 75] has been writing for the Brattleboro Reformer for close to 15 years. When he’s not working or hanging out with his 6-year-old son, he can often be found on one of the many trails leading to the summit of Mount Monadnock, in southern New Hampshire. Felix Carroll [“Working with fire,” page 31] is a freelance writer who makes his home with his family in the Berkshires. Benjamin Cassidy [“Up Next,” page 47] is the arts and entertainment reporter for The Berkshire Eagle. A graduate of Columbia Journalism School and the University of Michigan, Benjamin now lives in Dalton, Mass. Judith Ensign [“The soul of a violin,” page 51] is retired from higher education administration. Originally trained as a violinist, she has played with chamber and orchestral groups for many years. She now lives in Williamstown, MA, where she is enjoying her latest interest: writing. Jennifer Huberdeau [“Unparalled luxury,” page 12] is editor of UpCountry magazine. She also pens the column, “The Cottager,” for Berkshires Week and The Shires of Vermont.
Larry Parnass [“Hitting the sweet spot,” page 45] prefers roads less traveled. He is the investigations editor of The Berkshire Eagle and former editor of the Daily Hampshire Gazette. Elodie Reed [“Berkshires House XVII,” page 23] is a freelance journalist living in Williamstown. Rebecca Sheir [“Harvesting hope,” page 36] is a veteran public radio reporter and host. She has been on “All Things Considered,” “Morning Edition,” “Marketplace,” “Here and Now,” “The Splendid Table” and the Alaska Public Radio Network. She currently hosts/writes/produces “Circle Round,” WBUR’s storytelling podcast for kids and grown-ups. Natalie Wise [“Where to find summer,” page 9] has a masters degree in poetry from Dartmouth and is the author of four books. When she isn’t writing, she is likely baking or spending time exploring this beautiful area with her husband and their chocolate lab.
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What better way to shake off those winter doldrums than to visit a magical year-round indoor version of summer? One visit to the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory in South Deerfield, Mass.; one soft landing of a monarch butterfly on your shoulder, and you’ll be transported to an ideal summer day. Here, lush tropical plants abound. Button quail squeal and run about underfoot. Amphibians and reptiles hang out on trees and in their own ecosystems. Benches are found around every meandering corner. Lepidoptera (insects that include butterflies and moths) of all kinds, colors and sizes flit and float around the greenhouse. This magical atmosphere in the middle of winter is a welcome respite and chance to warm your spirit, prompting visitors from all corners of New England to spend the day. In operation since 2000, Magic Wings hosts an 8,000-square-foot glass conservatory for butterflies, moths and their friends inside its 18,400-square-foot building. The conservatory stays around 80 degrees year-round for the tropical vegetation to thrive, and for visitors from across New England to thaw out during the winter months. On extra-cold days, there will even be a real fire in the massive stone fireplace as you enter. There is a food court, too, so you can make a day trip of it, staying in the warmth to be fueled by soups and sandwiches to fortify you against the brutal outdoor weather. Whether you’re bringing your children for a fun adventure, attempting to get some up-close nature photographs, taking a trip for a date, or celebrating a birthday, Magic Wings has something to offer everyone. “I like the steamy feeling, and it’s just so nice and it cheers you up. There are so many green leaves and pink and purple colorful flowers,” said Ellie, 9, from Southern Vermont, who was visiting with her family. She said she loves “that it’s always warm and cheerful and there’s button quails running everywhere and butterflies and things.” More than 3,000 butterflies of all varieties inhabit the greenhouse. Button quail are another popular feature for Ellie. “I just love all the button quail paths behind the shrubbery where only they can go. I loved the time that we got to see a mama button quail and two baby button quails that were up for adoption,” she said.
Where to find summer in the middle of winter
Butterflies enchant the masses during the New England cold By Natalie Wise Soleil Flanagan, 6, of Guilford, Conn., pauses after a butterfly landed on her cheek at Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory in South Deerfield. Photo: Sarah Crosby.
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Magic Wings’ Notable Residents The Tailed Jay, Graphium Agamemnon
The Piano Key, Heliconius melpomene,
India, Southeast Asia and Australia
South and Central America
Brown-black with distinctive bright green markings, with red and pink markings on the underside
Black, white and red, with impressive markings on the hind wings that look surprisingly similar to piano keys
Zebra Longwing, Heliconius charithonia,
Button Quail
South and Central America, as well as Southern parts of the U.S., including Texas and Florida
Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia
As noted in its name, this butterfly is known for its extra long wings. Its black body with white markings is similar to a zebra’s.
Her sister, 5-year-old Katie, agreed. “I love the button quail with her nest, with her eggs,” Katie said. The only downside in Ellie’s opinion? “My camera always runs out of batteries,” she said. That isn’t a problem for professional photographer Bill Steele from Brattleboro, Vt., who loves to visit Magic Wings to take photographs and to enjoy the day with his grandchildren. “Magic Wings is a great place for photographers to practice close-up photography of subjects that are sometimes
difficult to find in natural environments,” he said, referring to the friendly butterflies who are used to showing off for their human admirers. Butterflies will land on you, including on your face if they like you, which elicits giggles and exclamations of awe from visitors of all ages. It seems the butterflies like bright colors, particularly purple and blue, so dress like a colorful flower to potentially attract more butterflies (but you might want to bring something much less attractive if you or your child might be scared of the butterflies coming close). A Saturday date at the
The smallest of the quail family, button quail only grow up to 4 inches long as adults, hence their rather cute name. These birds are ground-dwellers that like to hide.
conservatory is always a good idea, too. Chris, of Brattleboro, Vt., took his now-wife to the conservatory on their first official date in 2001, when the conservatory was only a year old. The idea of a secret garden with magical butterflies in the middle of a New England winter is a pretty romantic idea, indeed. But Chris recommends dressing in layers for the extreme temperature shift. “I wore a green wool sweater, and it’s a good 80 degrees in there, so I was dying,” he said. Chirs and his wife still joke about that. Now, they share the
experience with their daughters, ages 9 and 6, and visit at least once each winter, often meeting up there with cousins who also have young children. Family photos and the perfect selfie can be taken in Magic Wings’ iconic yellow butterfly wing chairs. “Remember the butterfly seats that are all yellow? You could sit in the seats and they have wings coming out of the seats,” recalled Katie, 5, excited at the thought. There’s also a giant floating 12-foot butterfly above the admission desk, and all sorts of butterfly-themed items in the gift shop, includ-
LEFT: An exterior view of Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory and Gardens. BOTTOM, FROM LEFT: Alexandra Zaret, 9, of Easthampton, left, and Soleil Flanagan explore the conservatory. A cattleheart butterfly rests on a flowering plant. Employee Andrew Hastings holds Sammy the Frilled Dragon for visitors to interact with. A female Cairns butterfly. Photos: Sarah Cosby
ing posters, jewelry and books. Jackie, of Turners Falls, Mass., has taken her 4-year-old daughter to the conservatory every year for her February birthday. “We love hopping into summer for a while,” Jackie said. “Not only the warmer temperature, but also breathing in some oxygen from all the plants is very therapeutic. Between the reptiles, amphibians, birds, bugs and butterflies, it’s fun, therapeutic and educational all in one.” Joy, from Chesterfield, N.H., now in her 20s, has fond memories of visiting Magic Wings
yearly as a family tradition. “When I was younger, I imagined I was in a jungle. It was warm, comfy, and almost had you forgetting it was cold and bitter outside. Then you see the butterflies …” she said, losing herself in the memories again. Magic Wing is a place where generations can come together, share old memories, make new ones and snap photos. It’s a place where you can laugh at butterflies that stay on noses and ponytails and palms and play along to the sights and sounds of summer, even if it’s below zero outside. •
Visit Magic Wings Open daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 281 Greenfield Road, South Deerfield, Mass. 413-665-2805, magicwings.com Admission: Adults, $16; seniors (62 and older) $14, except on Wednesdays, when the price is $12.50; students (through 22 with valid student ID) $10; children, 3 to 17, $10; children younger than 3, free. (Also, check with your local library. Many libraries have passes you can check out for free or reduced admission to Magic Wings.) *Note strollers are not allowed in the conservatory or gift shop areas.
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“Unparalleled luxury” Sip specialty vintages at the only Dom Pérignon Champagne Salon in North America
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By Jennifer Huberdeau Do you dream of sipping specialty vintages of Dom Pérignon in the grandeur of a time forgotten? Look no further than the Berkshires, where the Champagne Salon by Dom Pérignon, at Blantyre, is the only place this is possible in North America. “It’s definitely a destination,” said Justin Bother, director of food and beverage at Blantrye. “The Berkshires has a lot of visibility with young people in Boston and New York. They want to check out the novelty and unique places in this area.” “Then we have the gentry; the second-home owners who come for the summer and spend their days at the golf clubs. Now, they get to start off the afternoon or evening with a glass of Dom Pérignon.” Opened at the beginning of July, the Champagne Salon
features two venues: La Cave, a speakeasy-inspired space, and The Cloisters, a secluded seasonal garden patio that seats 24. “The closest thing I can liken it to is the elegant wine bars of France,” Bother said. “We offer the finest Dom Pérignon has to offer, which is on the bucket list of any food or wine lover.” Here, champagne and wine connoisseurs can find the finest Dom Pérignon has to offer, including the exclusive line of Plenitudes, known as Vintage, P2 and P3 — champagnes that undergo an extended nine-year fermentation process, sometimes more than once, to enhance the robustness and complexities in taste — by the
bottle. A bottle of Cuvee Dom Pérignon P3 1971 will set you back $4,400, while a Cuvee Dom Pérignon P3 Rose 1998 carries a price tag of $6,600. “Dom Pérignon recently started disgorging the 1985, 1998 and 1971 Plenitudes,” Bother said. “It makes for a most stunning collection.” At the same time, the causal champagne consumer can experience the same rare vintages and Plenitudes by the glass, half-glass or flight, at a significantly lower price. The Vintage Trinity, a half-glass flight of three Dom Perignon offerings — a 2009, a Rose 2005, and a P2 Blanc 2000 — costs $120. Single half-glasses range in price from $25 to $55, while full glasses range from
The Champagne Salon inspired by Dom Pérignon Where: Blantyre, 16 Blantyre Road, Lenox, Mass.
$45 to $110. Nestled in the estate’s original wine barrel aging rooms, La Cave evokes the atmosphere of a sleek underground hideaway with its brick and stone walls. Guests have the option of dining on caviar, raclette and cheese fondue or appetizers that include house-made charcuterie, assorted cheeses and chicken liver mousse. The partnership with Dom Pérignon follows a “re-imagining and multimillion-dollar transformation” of Blantyre, a Tudor-style mansion turned hotel resort set on 110 acres. “Both Dom Perignon and Blantyre exude unparalleled luxury through their storied heritage,” said Linda Law, a real estate developer and investor who purchased Blantyre in 2017. “In the same manner in which a glass of Dom Pérignon is a true act of creation, each stay at Blantyre is carefully curated to offer an experience that simply cannot be replicated.” •
Hours: 3 to 10 p.m., Friday to Sunday Dress code: Smart casual Seats cannot be reserved, and patrons will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis. More information: 413-637-3556 or blantyre.com
Photos courtesy of Blantyre
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UP NEXT
THE TRADITIONAL PART OF THE CALENDAR No matter your beliefs, there are many artistic sights and sounds to be thankful for By Benjamin Cassidy November and December are months filled with traditions, religious and otherwise. In the Berkshires and Southern Vermont, you can set your clock to certain arts institutions’ offerings, too. The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, for instance, has made a habit of featuring Arlo Guthrie and company in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. It’s one of the few pop music happenings in the Berkshires during November and December. Take a short trip to the Pioneer Valley, and you’ll find multiple venues in Northampton, Mass., offer compelling bookings, including Dar Williams at Iron Horse Music Hall. To the north, Brattleboro’s Vermont Jazz Center annually holds a December fundraising gala, with this year’s event celebrating the late clarinetist Artie Shaw. The Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge typically welcomes at least one major exhibition of illustration in November. This year, it houses two, including “Frank E. Schoonover: American Visions.” With classes well underway, Williams College and Bennington College are also reliable hubs for exhibitions. “Kay Sage: Serene Surrealist” is on view through Jan. 13 at the Williams College Museum of Art, and “Scalar,” featuring works by Torkwase Dyson, will be on display at the Bennington College Visual and Performing Arts Center’s Usdan Gallery through Dec. 15. No matter your beliefs, there is much art to be thankful for this holiday season.
Photo: Annie Spratt/UnSplash
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MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 14 CASTLE ST., GREAT BARRINGTON, MASS.
ARLO GUTHRIE: ALICE’S RESTAURANT BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND TOUR The Berkshires’ musical landscape has shifted since 1965, with Tanglewood, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art and the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center bringing acclaimed popular performers to a county renowned for its classical tunes. But the Berkshires’ First Family of Folk, the Guthries, has been as fixed as the surrounding mountains. This status is perpetually bolstered by “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree,” the 18-plus-minute Arlo Guthrie song from 1967 a satirical first-person commentary on the Vietnam War that begins with the now famous incident on Thanksgiving Day 1965 when Guthrie and friend Richard Robbins were fined $25 each for dumping trash down a hillside in Stockbridge, Mass. It is often played around turkey time, including at the Mahaiwe, which Guthrie has made a November haunt. The singer-songwriter will return to the Great Barrington institution Nov. 17, as part of the Alice’s Restaurant Back by Popular Demand Tour that is scheduled to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the “Alice’s Restaurant” film shot in the Berkshires. Arlo’s daughter, Sarah Lee Guthrie, will open a Guthrie-dominated show that has become both a family and county tradition.
Postmodern Jukebox Nov. 2, 8 p.m. Creator Scott Bradlee and company provide vintage and viral presentations of contemporary hits. Arlo Guthrie: Alice’s Restaurant Back By Popular Demand Nov. 17, 8 p.m. Arlo Guthrie returns for another pre-Thanksgiving concert celebrating “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” and the film it spawned. John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey “Radio Deluxe” Live Dec. 22, 8 p.m. Jazz musicians will record their American-songbook program, “Radio Deluxe.” PHOTO: BEN GARVER
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WILLIAMS COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART 15 LAWRENCE HALL DRIVE, WILLIAMSTOWN, MASS.
“KAY SAGE: SERENE SURREALIST” “‘The Field is The World:’ Williams, Hawaiʻi, and Material Histories in the Making” through Jan. 2, 2019 Collections are mined to examine the multifaceted relationship between Williams College and the kingdom of Hawaiʻi. “Kay Sage: Serene Surrealist” through Jan. 13, 2019 A storied surrealist’s 1950 exhibit in New York City is re-created. “Diana Al-Hadid: Delirious Matter” through March 24, 2019 Four sculptures installed across campus combine aluminum, fiberglass, steel, polymer-modified gypsum, concrete and pigment.
Though Williams College recently ushered in a new class of students that will help direct its future, the institution has also been engaging in a bit of nostalgia recently. At the Williams College Museum of Art, “Kay Sage: Serene Surrealist” strives to mirror the artist’s 1950 show at the Catherine Viviano Gallery in New York City. Running through Jan. 13, the exhibition features 12 of the original exhibition’s 14 surrealist paintings; a fire ruined one of the absent and another went missing after a private sale. Sage’s attention to scaffolding provided the mechanical grounding for much of her painting. Another element, naturally, was the dreamlike quality to her pieces that characterized many surrealist works during the meat of the 20th century. Sage was among the movement’s most prominent female artists. Some Williams College students won’t need to be reminded of that context; the elite liberal arts school offers a robust art history program. All the more reason that this revived show should call Williamstown home.
Kay Sage’s “Page 49,” 1950. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE WILLIAMS COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
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“Frank E. Schoonover: American Visions” Nov. 10–May 27, 2019 A late illustrator’s daring travels produce pulse-pounding works that capture the great outdoors and more. “Gregory Manchess: Above the Timberline” Nov. 10–Feb. 24, 2019 A polar future presides in the illustrator’s painted novel.
NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM 9 GLENDALE ROAD, STOCKBRIDGE, MASS.
“FRANK E. SCHOONOVER: AMERICAN VISIONS” An adventurous spirit attracts many people to roam the Berkshire Hills, but a Norman Rockwell Museum show might draw those types indoors. Opening on Nov. 10 at the Stockbridge institution, “Frank E. Schoonover: American Visions” not only celebrates the life of a late “Golden Age of Illustration” painter, but also the thrill of embracing the wild. Inspired by teacher Howard Pyle, Schoonover trekked to places such as Canada and Alaska and the American West, finding terrain and dramatic situations that served as pillars for much of his work. “To Build a Fire,” for example, features man and dog sitting across from one another, flame and smoke between them. The museum’s show is a tribute to Schoonover’s robust connection to literary history. He illustrated classics such as “Robinson Crusoe,” “Ivanhoe” and “Swiss Family Robinson.” He was also known for his depictions of Hopalong Cassidy. If Schoonover’s pieces aren’t enticing enough, gallerygoers’ minds can also chew on “Gregory Manchess: Above the Timberline.” Manchess’ illustrated novel imagines a future in which snow covers the Earth. Winter is coming, indeed.
Frank E. Schoonover’s “Abe Catherson Pursues Masten Across the Desert, 1916.” Illustration for “The Range Boss” by Charles Alden Seltzer. PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM
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“Scalar” through Dec. 15 VAPA Usdan Gallery gallery open Tuesdays-Saturdays
A contemporary artist’s paintings, drawings and sculptures raise questions about the environment and other global matters. Poetry Reading: Cynthia Cruz and Sandra Simonds Nov. 14, 7 p.m. Tishman Lecture Hall Two contemporary poets taking part in the “Poetry at Bennington” series of multiday residencies share some of their verse. Poetry Reading: Don Mee Choi Nov. 28, 7 p.m. Tishman Lecture Hall The author of poetry collections “Hardly War” and “The Morning News Is Exciting” closes out the fall reading series slate.
VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS CENTER USDAN GALLERY BENNINGTON COLLEGE ONE COLLEGE DRIVE, BENNINGTON, VT.
“SCALAR” For decades, Bennington College has been emphasizing the “arts” in liberal arts college. The school is known for producing accomplished pens and brushes such as Bret Easton Ellis and Helen Frankenthaler. These creators’ works often reference the school; Donna Tartt’s novel “The
PHOTO COURTESY OF TORKWASE DYSON. PHOTO BY ARTHUR EVANS FOR USDAN GALLERY, BENNINGTON COLLEGE
Secret History,” for instance, is set at a college that resembles her alma mater. Torkwase Dyson didn’t attend Bennington College, but “Scalar,” her exhibition of paintings, drawings and sculptures on view at the college’s Visual and Performing Arts Center Usdan
Gallery through Dec. 15, draws inspiration from a Bennington instructor and the school itself. Dyson studied the geometric formations of late artist and architectural designer Tony Smith to generate her own explorations of scale and dimension. Abstraction reigns.
A 12-foot-by-20-foot diptych conveys the artist’s interest in environmental issues and other global concerns of the moment. With a penchant for such examinations, Dyson and her work fit right in on this progressive campus.
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The Vermont Jazz Center doesn’t let the cold or the snow chill its final month of the year. Each December, the Brattleboro institution hosts a big band gala to raise money for its scholarship program. In the past, the event has paid homage to Ella
Fitzgerald and to Terry Gibbs’ Dream Band. This year’s gala is a tribute to clarinet virtuoso Artie Shaw, who is also known for his band leadership. Four current and former Artie Shaw Orchestra members will join the Vermont
Jazz Center Big Band, which is directed by Rob Freeberg: clarinetist Matt Koza, vocalist Sarah Hayes, trumpeter Kerry MacKillop and trombonist John Wheeler. They will play a host of swing tunes, including “Deep Purple,” “Stardust,” “Frenesi” and
“Begin the Beguine,” the last of which is a famous Shaw recording. It will be a dancing affair, one that should provide plenty of heat as winter nears.
VERMONT JAZZ CENTER 72 COTTON MILL HILL, BRATTLEBORO, VT.
VERMONT JAZZ CENTER’S ANNUAL BIG BAND GALA: A TRIBUTE TO ARTIE SHAW Vermont Jazz Center’s Annual Big Band Gala: A Tribute to Artie Shaw Dec. 7, 8 p.m. This year’s fundraiser focuses on the swing era clarinetist’s work.
PHOTO: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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IRON HORSE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP NORTHAMPTON, MASS.
DAR WILLIAMS Melissa Etheridge: The Holiday Show Dec. 1, 8 p.m. Calvin Theatre The rocker behind “Come to My Window” and “I’m the Only One” stokes the holiday spirit. Dar Williams Dec. 28, 7 p.m. Iron Horse Music Hall The singer-songwriter returns yet again to the town where she once lived, her political tunes in tow.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY IRON HORSE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
During the summer months, performances by acclaimed singer-songwriters are about as common to the Berkshires and Southern Vermont as rolling green hills. Once the cold sets in, though, regional music lovers often gaze longingly at the Pioneer Valley and, specifically, Northampton, where multiple venues regularly book top performers. Iron Horse Music Hall is a sturdy source of such tunes. On Dec. 28, Dar Williams will visit the Iron Horse Entertainment Group spot, bringing her celebrated songwriting to the region yet again. Williams used to live in Northampton and has been a frequent performer in the area. Recently, she played with reunited folk trio Cry Cry Cry, a project that also includes Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell, at Northampton’s Calvin Theatre. Those looking for a little more rock will find it at the Calvin on Dec. 1, when Melissa Etheridge plays The Holiday Show. Etheridge was at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in June. It’s no surprise that, as winter approaches, she and others tend to move their gigs to this Pioneer Valley arts hub.
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Berkshires House XVII welcomes in the outside
North Egremont home pushes the line between inside and out By Elodie Reed Down a dirt road and up a wooded hill along the southwestern Massachusetts-New York border, gray gabled roofs rise up like a small, four-peaked mountain range. The spaces they shelter – a master bedroom, a kitchen-dining room, a garage and a guesthouse – are interconnected along two parallel, stablelike corridors. The entire horizontal arrangement
mimics the eastern ridgelines the home, named “Berkshires House XVII,” overlooks. Many features of this North Egremont home, including its enormous windows, its open-air porch that connects the main house to the guesthouse, and the towering oak tree stretching up from the courtyard, push on that hard line between inside and out. “It really seemed nice to have the house grounded in the landscape,” said Ann Mc-
Callum, architect and principal of the Williamstown, Mass.based Burr and McCallum Architects, who designed the home with her husband and partner, Andy Burr. Things like the tree, she added, help with that. Trees were what originally covered the 30-acre plot when Boston-area, retirement-age couple Jack and Fran Smith (who asked that we use pseudonyms for this story) – bought the property in 2013. The parALL PHOTOS: Steve Bronstein
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‘When we first saw the land, it was completely undeveloped. cel was once part of an old cross-country ski area, and it was also within the largest unfragmented forest area in Hillsdale, N.Y. “When we first saw the land, it was completely undeveloped,” Fran said. “We had to get up on a ladder to see out over the trees.” After the Smiths purchased the land, they needed someone to design their second home. They originally had thought of buying an old farmhouse and remodeling it, but then thought of the complications that might come along with that — things like termites or structural damage. That’s when the Smiths started looking for architects who design modern homes with a New England farmhouse feel. “It was sort of a triangulation thing,” Fran said. The Smiths saw Burr and McCallum’s “Berkshires House IV” on the cover of the book “The Farmhouse” by Jean Rehkamp Larson. The couple also found another of Burr and McCallum’s home designs just down the road from their North Egremont property. “All directions pointed to the same place,” Fran said. One of the concepts Burr and McCallum proposed to the Smiths was a connected-barn layout, which the Smiths loved. It included the main house for the Smiths to enjoy when they visited alone, as well as an attached guesthouse for when their friends or their two grown sons came to stay. The Smiths broke ground in late 2013. They worked with Berkshires custom-home builder Lou Boxer, and everything was finished by early 2015. 24 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | November/December 2018
The House The house sits in a clearing at the center of the Smiths’ otherwise still-wooded property. The driveway runs at the top edge of the clearing, and follows alongside a repaired stonewall that both marks the Massachusetts-New York border and reminds one of New England’s sheep farming days. Upon passing through the main house’s front entrance — a slate-colored, latched, wooden farmhouse door — all attention is drawn to the dramatic eastern view through wide windows in the dining room, the master bedroom, the screened-in porch and the guesthouse sitting room. A particularly large and elegant oak tree spreads just outside the master bedroom, and several more oak trees dot the sloped opening and lead the eye straight to the undulating Berkshires hills. Just below the windows is the two-tiered, planted retaining wall. Fran said she and her husband have made sure to use organic materials in their yard to prevent any runoff issues for the surrounding environment. “We didn’t want to cause trouble,” she said. The retaining wall lines the courtyard, which opens up from the open-air porch between the main house and guesthouse. There’s plenty of space out there for barbecuing, for the couple’s two rescued dogs to run around, for an herb garden and for just sitting and enjoying the scenery. Everywhere around the home — both inside and out — are the influences Burr and McCallum often draw from.
‘We had to get up on a ladder to see out over the trees.’
— Homeowner Fran Smith
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There are the simplicities of Shaker architecture in the low, barnlike buildings; the stone columns holding up the roofs over the open-air porch as well as the main house’s entryway. The column idea came directly from some repurposed fence posts that Burr and McCallum saw used in a building at Hancock Shaker Village. There is the white clapboard exterior, as well as the paneled ceilings and tiled surfaces inside, that create clean, planar lines and imitate layers of sedimentary rock as they settle the house into the very earth. And there are little touches — the inlaid brick in the mudroom, the steel-looking light fixtures, the sunshades made of sidewalk grating — that go back to Burr and McCallum’s interest in New England’s old industrial structures. The architects strive to not only use local design, but also local materials. The mica garnet schist columns holding up the porch and entryway roofs, as well as the flat stones stacked for the courtyard walls, came from Ashfield Stone Co. in Shelburne Falls, Mass.
At home In the few years they’ve settled into Berkshires House XVII, the Smiths said the local critters have also made themselves at home. They have bird nests in their light fixtures, hornets in the crook of the gabled guesthouse roof, and a collection of found turkey feathers on their dining table. Fran noted how quiet — and how weather-prone — the location is, too. “ You get unbelievable storms coming through here,” she said. From the wildlife to the window light to relaxing in their courtyard, what the Smiths like best about their new home is how everything emphasizes the Berkshires landscape. “You really feel like you’re outside,” Fran said. • 26 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | November/December 2018
Eclectic excellence ABOVE: Paul Rich & Sons on its opening day, 1983. Photo courtesy of Paul Rich & Sons.
35 years on, Paul Rich & Sons upholds a tradition of quality and service. The history of Paul Rich & Sons Home Furnishings could be told through the architecture of its 30,000-square-foot showroom housed in an historic building in Downtown Pittsfield, which has been home to the business for 35 years. Like rings in a tree trunk each room represents a new expansion growing from a narrow strip of space that Tom, Betty and Paul Rich rented at 242 North Street when the opened the store, to an entire city block. Tom Rich says, “Retailers and customers were starting to leave North Street, the Berkshire Mall was on the horizon — it may not have been an ideal time to open a store, but luckily we were in the right place at the right time.” From 2007-2008 they took on a major renovation to bring all of the pieces together to create a stunning showroom space, while keeping many of the historic elements that made the building special, like the tin ceilings, exposed brick walls, original wood floors and vintage lighting fixtures. This “slow and steady” business approach has paid off for Paul Rich & Sons. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, while many Pittsfield businesses closed due to a shrinking customer base and stagnant economy, Paul Rich & Sons stayed the course. Rich attributes the company’s survival to its consistently high standards. “We looked for better quality brands, unlike other furniture stores in the industry at that time — and probably more importantly, concentrated on customer service. With28 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | November/December 2018
out our people we would not be where we are today.” People are Paul Rich & Son’s greatest asset, both their employees and customers. The company prides itself on exceptional service, a feature that is even more important in the e-commerce era. “That’s one benefit of shopping local” Tom explains, “with online or even big box stores, you make a purchase sight unseen, it’s delivered and if it doesn’t work out, it can be a nightmare.” At Paul Rich & Sons, the buying process is a personalized experience. Staff designers offer in-home consultations and often develop long-term working relationships with customers. Tom Rich summed it up by saying, “relationship building is the key to our success, and word of mouth advertising is our best referral.” A large portion of Paul Rich & Sons business comes from loyal customers both local and second home owners, plus area designers who take advantage of the resources in the store design center. We have customers from 35 years ago, who are now sending their children and grandchildren to us to furnish their homes.” Paul Rich & Sons delivers throughout the northeast, and sends their experienced delivery team within a 150 mile radius on a regular basis and to New York City, Boston and beyond throughout the year. ttt Walking through Paul Rich & Sons feels warm and welcoming; each setting showcases a handpicked selection of different looks and styles. “Eclectic” is the word Pam Rich Sponsored Content
Fashion on the floor The Paul Rich & Sons Rug Sale, a semi-annual tradition, brings in shoppers from across the region with its huge selection of genuine oriental wool rugs in all colors, sizes and styles, at 50 percent off. For four days, the company converts two of its main showrooms into a wall-to-wall selection of amazing rugs. “We bring in over a million dollars in inventory,” says co-owner Pam Rich. Special promotional prices go as low as $199, and buyers can take home their rug “on approval” to make sure it fits their space and decor before making a final purchase.
Paul Rich & Sons Semi-Annual Rug Sale
November 1st through 4th Thursday-Saturday 9:30-5:30, Sunday 12-4pm 242 North St., Pittsfield, Mass. More information: 413-443-6467, paulrich.com
TOP LEFT: Paul Rich & Sons’ North Street storefront today. ABOVE AND LEFT: Fine funishings on display. RIGHT: A project in process in the onsite design studio. Photos courtesy of Paul Rich & Sons
used to describe the showroom. She added, “I love finding interesting pieces to mix into each setting, a gorgeous print, lamp, accessory or rug to give customers an idea of on how pieces would work in their homes. It is a collaborative process, and design is very personal. Everyone has their own design style, so we want customers to come into the store and see many different looks. She goes on to explain that “the design industry has expanded and there are so many exciting options, so we are fortunate to have a talented group of in house designers who bring years of design experience and expertise to our customers.” Tom adds. “Our product mix is unique, and we spend a lot of time and effort searching out new lines to keep current and fresh, and I think that’s why people enjoy shopping here.” Beyond the aesthetic value, many pieces in the store adhere to strict quality standards. Upwards of 80 percent of the store’s products are made in the United States, with many coming from small, family-owned furniture companies. Pam explained that “sustainability and responsible manufacturing processes are a major factor in the decision-making process of Sponsored Content
who we sell, because it’s important to us and our customers.” A perfect example of this philosophy is the Shifman Mattress Company, a 125-year-old business that manufactures handcrafted mattresses in Newark, N.J. “In the world of mattresses, there’s Shifman and then there’s everything else,” Tom says. Shifman mattresses are built from all-natural materials including pashmina cashmere and New Zealand wool. Unlike the vast majority of mattresses on the market, Shifman mattresses are two-sided for a longer lifespan and utilize a true, handtied box spring. And just like a good Shifman mattress, Paul Rich & Sons continues to outlast the competition, thanks in no small part to the skilled hands that built it. Tom truly believes that “quality merchandise sets us apart, but it’s our team of people that is the key to our success.” Paul Rich & Sons is located at 242 North St., Pittsfield, Mass. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 12 to 4 p.m. For more information, call 413-443-6467 or visit paulrich.com UpCountryOnline.com | 29
Working with fire Blacksmith John Graney forges a successful career from passion and persistence
John Graney’s Rostler Rail. Photo courtesy of John Graney.
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By Felix Carroll Berkshire County’s most famous manipulator of metal is digging around the disheveled entryway to his blacksmith shop in Sheffield, Mass., trying to find an object that marked the turning point in his career. “Oh, there it is,” he says, presenting a roughly 7-inchlong piece of steel. Clearly, it’s a, a, a — “It’s a letter opener,” says John Graney. Of course: a letter opener. He made it decades ago, back when he was a long-haired, hyper-attentive trainee trying to overcome his formidable deficiencies in hand-eye coordination. For a man whose work is now showcased in hotels and townhouses in Manhattan, in Ivy League institutions, including Harvard University and Williams College, in the hilltop estates of the Berkshires and in the McMansions of New Jersey, Graney is going
to have to explain himself as to why that mundane little shaft of dull steel has such consequence. “Look at the welding, the scrolls, the twists and tapers,” he says. “This simple letter opener contains the basic skills of forging.” In other words, it ’s a 7-inch-long dissertation on blacksmithing. It’s also a proper symbol for the vocation of the owner and namesake of John F. Graney Metal Design who is now 40-plus years deep into a career pounding and bending red-hot steel bar stock into railings, fences, gates, furniture and other beautifully useful objects. Initially, before all the twists and tapers, Graney’s plan was to be a botanist. That’s what the New Jersey native studied in college, at the University of Wisconsin. Turns out, there weren’t a whole lot of botanist jobs by the time he spilled out into the working world of the 1970s. Employed at an orchard
In these early, knowledge-absorbing days, John Graney kept in mind a sign he once saw over the door of a 15th-century blacksmith shop he visited in Europe. In Latin, it said, ‘The life so short, the craft so long to learn.’ in rural Wisconsin, he was sent to welding school by his boss, who needed someone around who could fix broken wagons and axles and metal doohickeys of every sort. While in welding school, Graney came across a
blacksmithing magazine, Anvil’s Ring. Thumbing through it, he came upon a photo of a forged iron rose. He was smitten. “I was like, ‘Holy moley, I want to do this!’” he recalls. He managed to get the magazine’s mailing list and then wrote “a really cornball letter,” which he proceeded to send out to some 300 blacksmiths across the United States, requesting a job as an apprentice. He received about 150 responses, most of which said something along the lines of, “If you can work as well as you bullsh--, stop in.” It was 1975. He was 25 years old, sporting a big, scruffy beard and a ponytail down to his waist. Graney says he wasn’t an impressive sight. Even less impressive were his skills. “Most of them threw me out within two days,” he says. “I really sucked. Just a mess.” Undeterred, he eventually landed an apprenticeship with the blacksmith Bob Bergman, back in Wisconsin, who proLEFT: John Graney stands with one of his creations. NEXT PAGE: Graney’s staff at work in the shop. Photos: Felix Carroll.
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ceeded to show him the rudiments. The first piece he forged was a simple “J” hook. It took him nearly two hours, and then he burnt it to a crisp after leaving it in the fire for too long. But soon he was making fireplace tools, thumb latches, candleholders and hinges. He loved it — the smell of the coal smoke and the rhythmic sound of hammer blows against the anvil, the magic of manipulating by means of heat and pressure an element normally perceived as solid and immobile. Bergman eventually shoved Graney out of the nest, encouraging him to go fly on his own. But in these early, knowledge-absorbing days, Graney kept in mind a sign he once saw over the door of a 15th-century blacksmith shop he visited in Europe. In Latin, it said, “The life so short, the craft so long to learn.” “It took me three years before I felt confident enough to hang my shingle out as a blacksmith,” he says. Finally, with a $5,000 loan from his uncle, he opened his first shop in a barn in Wiscon-
sin. It had no electricity. He ran an extension cord to a nearby milk house and soon was in business. Sort of. Most of the work he received was from nearby farmers, “but they were the only ones around poorer than me, and they were paying me in bales of hay and sides of beef and eggs.” Again, he hit the road, this time landing a position with a Texas blacksmith from whom he learned to forge ornate animal heads and leafs and basket twists. “It was amazing, people’s responses to this stuff,” Graney recalls. He learned to use two seemingly unrelated nonmetal working experiences. The first, from his botany work, where he had become adept at sketching what he saw under the microscope and out in the field in the style of James Audubon — that is to say, the forms of nature, rich but not busy. The second, from a summer job he had back in high school and college laying driveways, which taught him to “see” what he was “looking at” — that is to
say, low and high spots would cause puddles and problems with drainage. Low and high spots can cause problems in the structural integrity of forged steel as well. After another stint in Wisconsin, Graney was making a name for himself. He was winning awards in crafts competitions across the country. He soon accepted a teaching position in Germany, followed by a blacksmith-in-residence position at the Peters Valley Crafts Center in New Jersey before opening his own shop in Union County, N.J., in 1993. Upon the invitation of a student of his, a Berkshire native, Graney soon visited Berkshire County for the first time. “I couldn’t believe it,” he says. “It was just like what I left in Wisconsin, where there were a lot of flatlanders coming up and getting second homes and building on the tops of ridges — amazing houses. They all wanted fancy this and fancy that. Exact same thing, with all its arts and intelligentsia and real respect for the working craftsman.” He and his wife, Laurel, and
ABOVE: The gate at High Lawn Farm. Photo courtesy of John Graney.
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their two daughters packed up and settled in Great Barrington. He opened his present shop on Route 7 in 1998 and now has a full-time staff of five who pound out elaborately-rendered architectural metalwork, almost entirely all of it custom made. You can see their work. The front gate to High Lawn Farm — that’s Graney’s — as are the railings outside the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, the metal work along Great Barrington’s Housatonic River Walk, and the railing inside Hotel on North in Pittsfield, to name a few. He put his botany skills to use when working on the large stair and balcony rail for the Mohegan Indian Senior Tribal Center in Connecticut, using a book he found called “Flora and Fauna of the Connecticut Hills,” from 1936. The work is as much of a gas for Graney now as it was decades ago. “And I love the expression on the faces of people who see what we do,” he says. “The first thing they say is, ‘How did you do it?’” •
Harvesting Hope, One Pancake at a Time By Rebecca Sheir Of all the menu items at Roadside Store and Cafe — a cozy, one-room eatery on Route 23 in Monterey, Mass. — there’s one that manager Francie Leventhal is particularly proud of and intimidated by: the pancakes. You can order the buttermilk or buckwheat flapjacks in three sizes: small, medium and large. And as Leventhal puts it, “The large is the size of a small pizza!” “They’re a pain to make and to flip,” she said with a laugh. “But they’ve been part of Roadside forever and they’re something that will be with us forever. We can never take them off the menu.”
The legendary pancakes are what earned it a nod from fashion designer Adam Lippes, a part-time Monterey resident, in a 2015 New York Times travel piece. “It’s this little dive, which has great massive pancakes. It’s breakfast and lunch, really, but everyone knows everyone. I go there, I read my newspapers,” he said in the article, “Adam Lippes’s Guide to the Berkshires.” (Before that, in 2004, Bon Appetit magazine named the cafe one of the best places to eat breakfast in the country.) The pancakes also inspired Roadside’s slogan: “Harvesting Hope, One Pancake at a Time.” The individuals finding “hope” are the cooks, servers and runners on Roadside’s staff,
who help make up the approximately 40 individuals seeking treatment at Gould Farm. The 700-acre working farm nestled in the Berkshire Hills has been offering psychiatric rehabilitation through nature, community, and good-oldfashioned work since 1913. And the bulk of this work connects to food. Executive Director Lisanne Finston explained: “The work of the land and the produce of the land result in community building and sustenance and healing. It’s using food as a tool for healing and empowerment.” You can witness this “healing and empowerment” directly and indirectly at Roadside Store and Cafe. Guests at Gould Farm (“guest” is the term of
ABOVE: Inside the bakery at Gould Farm. Photo courtesy of Gould Farm.
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choice as opposed to “patient”) rotate through numerous work groups during their stay, and you can literally taste the fruits of their labor at Roadside. The Garden Team’s greens and tomatoes get carted to Roadside for salads; the team’s poblano peppers are ground down to make the cafe’s signature hot sauce. The Farm Team raises livestock for Roadside’s juicy burgers, spicy tacos, overstuffed burritos and brisket hash. The Forests and Grounds Team taps Gould Farm’s trees for Roadside’s famous maple syrup – much of which ends up drizzled over those legendary pancakes. According to a recent Yelp review: “They give each pancake a small reservoir of maple
syrup that should suffice for an average human being; I poured on all of mine, then grabbed my wife’s and poured that on as well. All that covered only a quarter of my massive pancake, so that’s all I ate, and still became senselessly stuffed.”
More than kneading dough The bagels, hamburger buns and pizza crust you’ll taste at Roadside are baked by the Harvest Barn Team. That team also makes the cafe’s yogurt, cheese and ice cream, using milk gathered by the Farm Team. The Harvest Barn is the second of Gould Farm’s two public eateries. During the week, it’s a self-service honor system: step inside the rustic, airy red building on the Gould
Farm campus and leave cash in exchange for breads, pastries, granola, cheese, pancake mix, maple syrup and other goodies. On weekends, be ready to line up at the register for additional pastries, lunch items, coffee and tea. Nathan Yaple, who manages the Harvest Barn, said some of his team members have been inspired to pursue culinary careers after leaving Gould Farm. But he argues that working in the Harvest Barn isn’t just about measuring ingredients and kneading dough. “The whole point of the work programs here at the farm is, basically, work therapy,” Yaple said. “How is this skill going to help you take care of yourself ? How can you use this job skill as a technique for managing your symptoms, or becoming well and being in
touch with the well self ?” Many guests at Gould Farm struggle with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and catastrophic depression. Yaple says these individuals experience “internal distractions: voices, or beliefs about themselves, that are really difficult to shake and sit with.” And he believes the skills they learn at the Harvest Barn can be a powerful antidote. “The techniques of pastry-making that involve using your body — like kneading dough or rolling a pie shell or shaping a bagel — gets people into their bodies and identifying what kind of motions they need to make,” Yaple explains. He says it’s “another way of focusing, or being in the moment, rather than in the worry or anxiety that keeps people separate from each other.”
Healing through work therapy Leventhal says the ante is upped for guests working at Roadside Store and Cafe – most of whom are nearing the end of their rehabilitation at Gould Farm, and will soon transition back to the outside world. Leventhal says many of these individuals came to the farm struggling with “social anxiety” and “trouble communicating.” Now, they’re holding down the fort in a snug, 26-seat eatery where a typical summer day brings 160 people flocking over for breakfast and lunch! “The other work teams are a little bit lower intensity than Roadside,” she said. “What Roadside is so good at is finding the strength of a particular guest and really nurturing them. So there is
BELOW: The Harvest Barn Bakery serves up a variety of goodies, made by Gould Farm guests.
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a confidence that’s built for people who have felt pretty bad about themselves prior to coming to the Farm.” Leventhal recalls one particularly shy Roadside worker who was captivated by the espresso machine. Before long, he was whizzing around as a barista, casually chatting with Roadside’s regulars as he invented and handcrafted special espresso drinks for customer after customer. “Being the espresso maker gave him a role and gave him
confidence and that became his thing,” Leventhal says, before confessing: “After he left, our espresso counter’s level of quality went down a little!” Just like at the Harvest Barn, a handful of Roadside guests have gone on to pursue careers in the culinary and restaurant world. “It’s a different way of teaching when I know somebody really wants to do this afterward,” said Leventhal, who holds a certificate from New York City ’s Natural
Gourmet Institute. “I will be a little tougher on them, and also explain a little more to give them as much knowledge as [possible] before they try to do this somewhere else.” But regardless of where guests plan on heading next, there’s one piece of advice Leventhal gives to all Roadside workers: “Make your mistakes here.” She reminds them that “you have a safety net here,” so “try everything and fail here, in a structured place, so that you
A Taste of Gould Farm Roadside Store and Cafe 275 Main Road (Route 23), Monterey, Mass. Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Stop by on a Thursday morning and say hello to “The Coffee Club”: a group of a dozen or so local gentleman whose weekly coffee klatch has been gathering at Roadside for as long as anyone can remember. Harvest Barn Bakery Retail bakery and cafe: Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Self-service retail: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. You’ll find everything from breads, pastries and granola to ice cream, cheese and milk at this retail space/bakery/cafe on the Gould Farm campus.
LEFT: As the manager of Gould Farm’s Harvest Barn, Nathan Yaple teaches guests how to make everything from bagels, croissants and scones to yogurt, cheese and ice cream. Photo courtesy of Gould Farm.
It’s a self-service honor system during the week. On weekends, you can buy additional pastries, lunch items, coffee and tea at the cash register.
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have a better sense of what you’re good at and what you want when you leave.”
Reaching their potential Gould Farm employs four dozen full-time staffers, including psychiatrists, therapists, administrators, a registered nurse, a transitional counselor, and work-team leaders like Yaple and Leventhal. “At the end of the day,” Leventhal said all of Gould Farm’s employees have the same “top priority: helping guests to re-find themselves and engage through work and be the best versions of themselves that they can be, and press them to reach whatever potential they have or to support them in whatever place they’re at.” She added that the staff at Roadside Cafe shares the same priority, too. “We want you to feel like you’re at home when you come in,” she said. “We know how you take your coffee, we know what kind of pancake you want. We like to know the little specifics of what each customer likes. It’s very warm and friendly: a small-town kind of thing where we want you to feel super comfortable.” Leventhal is pleased about how this warm approach to customer service has affected the way customers at Roadside approach one another. “We don’t have Wi-Fi, and it’s highly common if you’re sitting at the counter you start talking to the person next you!” she says with a smile. “We’ve even had people combine tables who didn’t know each other!” Ostensibly, these people are combining tables to continue a pleasant, randomly-struck-up conversation. But if they’re also teaming up to help each other polish off a half-eaten platter of syrup-drenched, pizza-sized pancakes, well, that wouldn’t be a surprise at all.•
The go-to gift of the season From sweet to savory, chocolatiers create confections you’ll want keep for yourself
By Jennifer Huberdeau You can’t go wrong with chocolate. That’s what Nick Monte, chocolatier and co-owner of the Village Peddler in East Arlington, Vt., and the Village Chocolate Shoppe in Bennington, Vt., believes. “You can bring it as a hostess gift at Thanksgiving or just give it as a gift,” Monte said during a recent interview at the Village Peddler. “It’s the most recognized flavor in the world. You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t had it or doesn’t know what it is.” You just have to make sure you buy the right type of chocolate for the intended recipient. “I happen to be a dark chocolate lover,” he said, noting that his wife, Judy, prefers milk chocolate. All of the chocolate confections and fudge are made in the Bennington store, where the chocolate is tempered and then either molded, dipped in or made into bars, truffles and other handmade chocolates filled with cremes, jellies and caramels by Monte and his son, Ken. While the chocolate isn’t made on-site, all the fillings are, as well as their other specialty — fudge. Helping people discover the joys of chocolate is something Monte enjoys doing. While the Bennington store is a more traditional candy shop, the East Arlington store includes a “Chocolatorium,” with an exhibit on the history of chocolate, make-your-own chocolate bars and chocolate “tasting flights.” “When we do the chocolate flights, we taste five different samples of chocolate, from milk chocolate through the higher percentages of dark chocolate,” he said. Tastes in chocolate have changed in the 30 years he has been in the chocolate business. His chocolate orders, which PHOTO: Stephanie Zollshan.
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“No one has ever said no to a box of chocolates.” — Matthew Sinico, Catherine’s Chocolates originally favored milk chocolate over dark chocolate 10 to 1, are now equal. “People have become more aware of what they are eating,” he said. “They know that [dark] chocolate can be beneficial and they’re eating less of the other stuff.” While solid chocolate Santas and chocolate pops are great seasonal sellers, boxed chocolates are the biggest sellers around the holidays, Monte said. Prepackaged boxes of chocolates also are the big sellers around the holidays at Catherine’s Chocolates in Great Barrington, Mass. “No one has ever said no to a box of chocolates,” said Matthew Sinico, grandson of the store’s namesake, during an interview at the store. “Christmas is a very traditional time of year. People know what they like.” In a kitchen at the back of the store, Sinico and his mother, Kathleen, along with a small staff, keep up the tradition his grandparents started 60 years ago, molding chocolates and creating hand-cut confections filled with assorted cremes, nuts, jellies, fruits and caramels. “We specialize in miniature candies. My grandmother believed you should be able to pop them in your mouth,” he said. While Catherine’s doesn’t have the facilities to make its own chocolate, all of the centers — caramel, nougat, buttercrunch, peanut brittle and jellies — are made as needed. “Our jellies are still made in a copper pot on a gas stove in the kitchen,” Sinico said. The crew begins preparing for the holiday season with
molded chocolates — solid chocolate turkeys, dreidels, sleighs, boots and Santas. Pops shaped liked menorahs, Christmas trees, Santas and other holiday items also are made, in addition to holiday-themed chocolate bars. “Chocolate-covered cherries are one of our most popular things at Christmas,” he said, adding that every cherry is hand-dipped at the store. But prepackaged boxes filled with a variety of the store’s handmade candies are the most requested items. They’re requested so often that the store offers a variety of prepackaged options for the holiday shopper, both in-store and online. “We do a lot of mail-order business,” Sinico said. Mail orders are big business for the Village Peddler and Village Chocolate Shoppe, as well as for Tavernier Chocolates. Working out of a business incubator space in the Cotton Mill in Brattleboro, Vt., Dar Tavernier-Singer and John Singer, a husband-and-wife team, specialize in sweet and savory small-batch chocolates. Beginning with single-origin, fairly-traded Venezuelan chocolate, the couple adds locally sourced and foraged ingredients — mushrooms, fruits, herbs and vegetables. “We really like savory chocolate,” Dar Tavernier-Singer said during a visit to their kitchen and small storefront. “We love that people are willing to try new and interesting combinations.” While their bonbons and caramelized maple sugar logshaped candies are holiday fa-
TOP: Judy and Nick Monte of the Village Chocolate Shoppe in Bennington, Vt. and the Village Peddler in East Arlington, Vt. Photo: Jennifer Huberdeau. BOTTOM:John and Dar Tavernier-Singer, owners of Tavernier Chocolates in Brattleboro, Vt., create a sweet treat. Photo: Kristopher Radder.
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vorites, the couple specializes in chocolate charcuterie — sausage and pâté-style chocolates that are cut and served like meat with cheeses, fruits, beer and wine. “We provide pairing cards with suggestions for all of our charcuterie chocolates,” she said. Although they have a small storefront in the Cotton Mill, most of their business comes from mail orders from individuals they’ve met at festivals and fairs or through customers who have discovered their chocolates in shops in the Hudson Valley, the Berkshires and Vermont. Tavernier Chocolates can also be found at Heavenly Chocolate inside Thornes Marketplace in Northampton, Mass., where owner Bud Stockwell offers his own smallbatch chocolates, as well as a selection of American and European chocolates. For those with friends that have dairy allergies or vegan diets, Heavenly Chocolate stocks a full case of options made with dairy alternatives, including chocolates such as almond bark, salted cashew turtles and coconut creams. Chocolate Springs Cafe, in Lenox, Mass., also offers a selection of vegan and gluten-free chocolate, in addition to the traditional milk, dark and white chococolate offerings. Choclatier and owner Joshua Needleman crafts bonbons, caramels, candies, bars and more on site. Here, or online, you can order his decadent creations, including his famous champagne cognac truffle. At the end of the day, Monte believes the secret to giving chocolate as a gift is buying the type that’s right for the recipient — not the most expensive or the most decadent. “My feeling is, chocolate is a fun food. You shouldn’t have to mortgage a house to buy it,” he said. “The best chocolate in the world is the one you like, not the one you’re told you should like.” •
1.
“The best chocolate in the world is the one you like, not the one you’re told you should like.” — Nick Monte, co-owner, the Village Peddler and the Village Chocolate Shoppe
4.
PHOTOS: Stephanie Zollshan.
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2.
In the Berkshires … 1. Catherine’s Chocolates 260 Stockbridge Road Great Barrington, Mass. Catherineschocolates.net 800-345-2462 2. Chocolate Springs Café 55 Pittsfield Road Lenox, Mass. chocolatesprings.com 413-637-9820
In Southern Vermont … 3. The Village Peddler 261 Old Mill Road East Arlington, Vt. Villagepeddlervt.com 802-375-6037 The Village Chocolate Shoppe 471 Main St. Bennington, Vt. thevillagechocolateshoppe.com 802-447-3789
3. 5.
4. Tavernier Chocolates 74 Cotton Mill Hill Unit 124A Brattleboro, Vt. Tavernierchocolates.com 802-257-5806
In Northampton … 5. Heavenly Chocolate Thornes Marketplace 150 Main St. Northampton, Mass. heavenly-chocolate.com 413-586-0038
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Hitting the sweet spot Fans of breakfast pastries find splendid choices in Northampton, Mass.
By Larry Parnass OK. I understand. No hard feelings. Go ahead and take another gander at Sarah Crosby’s photos here. No calories just by looking, right? Yes, sweet things from Northampton, Mass. ovens help people power up for the rigors of their days, just as they do at early-bird bakeries across UpCountry communities. To be sure, the scratch baking scene isn’t Northampton’s most-played card. But for me, when it comes to this college town’s culinary map, morning treats put the
longing in longitude. And the choices are expanding. For almost three decades, my work commute brought me from a Franklin County hilltown down to Northampton. More times than I can count, I nipped in at a little place in the city’s old firehouse and walked out with a bagged trophy: one of Woodstar Cafe’s dense and delightful muffins. Without knowing it, I helped the cafe’s raspberry
oatmeal muffin become a morning all-star — at least when I wasn’t noshing on a fitness muffin. They rarely made it the final miles to my workplace. Since owner Rebecca Robbins launched and then expanded Woodstar, another high-end bakery operation, Tart Baking Co., settled in a few blocks away. Together,
the two businesses produce breads and pastries not just for sale on premises, but sent out to eateries and cafes around the region. I exercised my jaws in another way this fall — by sitting to talk with leaders of the two businesses, filling up on bakery backstory. UpCountryOnline.com | 45
One takeaway: Both places have Berkshires connections. The raspberry oatmeal muffins at Woodstar have a culinary connection to the former Clarksburg Bakery that Jamie Ott (who now owns the Clarksburg Bread Co.) once ran in Williamstown, and where Robbins worked long ago. Tart was launched by Mukunda Feldman, a veteran of Barrington Coffee Roasting Co. in Lee, both to buckle on a new line of trade to his cafe operations in Amherst, Greenfield and Northampton, and to supply the shops with baked goods. Today, his half brother, Ash Crawford, heads up Tart Baking’s operations. He took a stool at a counter near a window overlooking the big bend in Northampton’s Main Street. In a different window across
the shop — the pastry display case — sat a line of the bakery’s biggest sellers — moist and flavorful almond croissants. One came home with me, and not for the first time. I’ve treated them like semi-decadent one-dish lunches, or shared them over chats at Northampton Coffee. The almond filling soaks into the flesh of the croissant for a kind of 2+2=5 eating experience. Today, they come out of a kitchen overseen by Madalyn Palmer, the head baker who took over in July after a spell as assistant head baker and handles what Crawford refers to, business school grad that he is, as Tart’s “bread program.” The 192 Main St. location has a baking legacy, since it was home to the much-loved Bakery Normand. Today, it still cranks out baguettes.
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“We wanted to make sure they could still get their daily bread,” Crawford said of patrons. Despite the presence of a few stools, the shop is a to-go outlet, as a stream of shoppers the other day demonstrated. Other products head out on a wholesale basis, to customers like The Dirty Truth (brioche buns), Sutter Meats (sandwich bread) and Coco and the Cellar Bar in Easthampton (bread for a Sunday sandwich special). With holiday season coming on, Crawford was looking forward, the day I visited, to hearing what Palmer had in mind for the end of the year, wanting to give her creativity free rein. “You’ve got to pick and choose what you do when,” he said. Whatever arrives into display cases, minutes old, it must
satisfy customers. Crawford said loyal shoppers pick up on tiny changes in products. Over at Woodstar, past the line of devoted, patient customers, it’s no different. While bakers like to get creative, products don’t get into a regular rotation unless they prove popular. One new offering is a “figgy quinoa bar” that Robbins created after seeing a photo of something similar. “Almost every day there is some experiment going on in our kitchen,” said Dmitri Robbins, the cafe’s co-owner. “There’s this laboratory going on at home.” “Our customers decide what stays,” Robbins said. The glass display case goes on and on inside the shop — with a separate display for gluten-free offerings. While she hauls around a
PAGE 45: A Key lime pie is displayed at Woodstar Cafe in Northampton. ABOVE: Lemon cupcakes with raspberry buttercream, left, chocolate cupcakes with espresso buttercream and vanilla cupcakes with chocolate buttercream, back, are displayed at Tart Baking Co. in Northampton. RIGHT: Bakery Manager Madalyn Palmer drizzles chocolate onto coconut macaroons at Tart Baking Co. Photos: Sarah Crosby.
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And don’t overlook … Florence Pie Bar 17 Main St., Florence, Mass. florencepiebar.com 413-341-3283 On a recent stop, I bought a honey nut tartlet. Definitely in the dessert category. Rich, sweet and flavorful. As you’d expect, offerings in this cute space — a former barbershop — lean toward pies, both sweet and savory.
ABOVE: Baker Josh Streeter transfers vegan cupcakes frosted with buttercream including chocolate with lavender, left, vanilla with chocolate and vanilla with lemon at Cafe Evolution in Florence, Mass. Photo: Sarah Crosby.
stack of paperwork and must spend time managing the bustling cafe, Robbins’ heart lies in baking. “I love baking the way a painter loves to paint or the way a musician loves to play their instrument,” she told me. “I have a collection of over 400 baking-themed cookbooks. I could live three lifetimes and still not bake enough to satisfy my passion for the craft.” Robbins’ road to Woodstar took her not only through the former Clarksburg Bakery but to time at Rao’s, a cafe in Amherst now known as Share; a stint in the Napa Valley; and a year in culinary school. Like all creative people, inspiration comes in a rush. She created one current Woodstar product, Elf Balls, when Dmitri, her spouse and partner, needed a portable snack while helping a child stage a live-action role-playing game. Game for another experiment, Rebecca hauled out tahini, nut flour and dried fruit. The product not only kept Dmitri in the game out in the woods that day, it also has proven popular enough with customers to join the lineup. “When they come here, they
want to indulge. It’s all about flavor,” she said of patrons. Along with sales from the cafe’s 60 Masonic St. headquarters, Woodstar sends its goods to Esselon Cafe in Hadley, the Elbow Room in Williamsburg, Wild Roots in Sunderland and Cushman Market in North Amherst, along with other wholesale customers. As she marks her 15th year with Woodstar, Robbins resists making predictions — though she knows what’s trending in the bakery trade. Years ahead, she jokes, will pointed or rounded shoes be in vogue? She won’t even try to guess. And yet one given, she and Dmitri say, is that the cost of making what comes out of Woodstar’s kitchen will go up, driven by increases in labor and ingredient costs. “I hope that customers continue to value pure, handmade goods. But the cost of that is going to rise significantly,” Rebecca said. “I hope they are willing to pay for it,” Dmitri said. All the more reason to indulge today. •
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Pie slices go for less than $5. The menu changes weekly but the repertoire is deep, including whiskey walnut, salted maple, pear pomegranate and lemon gingersnap pies. The Pie Bar’s website has the full list, any of which can be ordered up to a day in advance. Patisserie Lenox 48 Main St., Northampton, Mass. (Also in Great Barrington and Lenox, Mass.; Hudson, N.Y.) patisserielenox.com 413-341-0417 This appealing outlet of the popular mini-chain (it’s up to four locations now) is wowing patrons in Northampton, from what I could tell on a visit one recent Sunday. All baked goods are made on-site. I sampled the almond croissant and two kinds of brioche, one sour cherry and the other raspberry. Simply killer. Small Oven Bakery 36 Union St., Easthampton, Mass. smallovenbakes.com 413-527-1785 Though not in Northampton, this small bakery is worth a visit while in the Pioneer Valley. Its owners produce a delectable croissant and other pastries like tarts and galettes. Their bread choices rotate daily and are listed on their website. Cafe Evolution 22 Chestnut St., Florence, Mass. cafe-evolution.com 413-586-0200 A go-to place for vegan bakery products that has earned a devoted following. I go out of my way to pick up one (or two) of their maple scones.
The Soul of a Violin Francis Morris practices a rare craft By Judith Ensign We see violins on the stages of Tanglewood and other concert halls in Berkshire County. They’re the workhorses of symphony orchestras, treasures of chamber music, partners of virtuoso soloists. We hear them in all kinds of music, from rock to country to classical. What seems inconceivable is that something so beautiful started life as a wedge of wood, waiting for a craftsman to turn it into something extraordinary. The story of the violin began in mid-16th-century Cremona, in northern Italy, where an in-
strument maker by the name of Andrea Amati developed the basic framework of what is now considered the modern violin. He and other instrument makers in Cremona obtained wood for their violins from trees in the Dolomites, the forests of northern Italy. Legend holds that these early makers thought the forests were magical: a cathedral of tall trees that produced singing wood. Of the thousands of instruments made in Cremona from 1550 to 1750, a great many are elegantly designed works of art, known today for superior tone, beauty and multimillion-dollar
price tags. Their composition is so perfect that, down through the centuries, violin-makers have made only minor adjustments to Amati’s models, to give a greater range of notes to players and allow for the stronger, brilliant tone needed in today’s large concert halls. Violin-making is a rare craft. There are fewer than 300 makers in the United States, and Berkshire County has been favored with one such artisan, Francis Morris. Morris studied for a career as a cellist but was introduced to instrument-making while still in high school. He knew right away that the
combination of making instruments and music was perfect for him. After graduating from a renowned violin-making school in Mittenwald, Germany, he apprenticed with makers in Switzerland and California. In 1984 he opened his own workshop in Great Barrington and joined the ranks of those dedicated artisans who devote their lives to making and restoring string instruments. Tucked away in a rural area, Morris’ comfortable workshop has an 18th-century feel. Violins and violas hang from hooks high on the walls, and cellos are lined up around the edge of the
PHOTOS: Caroline Alexander
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room. A few instruments are in pieces on workbenches, sharing space with a large collection of hand tools, pots and brushes. Instrument cases are stacked in the corners, and bows are tucked here and there, waiting for repairs. Today, creating a string instrument is still the same highly complex and exacting work as it was five centuries ago. Morris, like most makers, copies instruments made by craftsmen of 17th- and 18th-century Cremona. “At some time in the future I may design my own model,” he said, “but for now I follow the blueprints of those who preceded me.” One of his first steps is acquiring the best wood. “We try to make instruments of wood that is as light and stiff as possible because it helps to make a lively sound that carries in a concert hall,” he said.
“For violins, if the wood is heavy and flexible, the weight and flexibility tend to mute them. I use wood from Yugoslavia, maple for the back and spruce for the top of my instruments. “About the earliest you want to use spruce is in two years and possibly seven for maple. After the initial drying period, wood, especially spruce, starts to change in quality from being a flexible, slightly sappy, sweet-smelling and translucent material to a stiffer, lighter, less translucent one. The further in time spruce gets from being part of a living tree, the better it is suited for being the main resonating surface of man’s most complex musical instrument.” The process of building a beautiful instrument can’t be rushed and requires infinite patience. “It takes me approximately 250 hours to make a violin, a long time,” Morris said “If you
do the math, it means I might only complete two or three instruments each year.” The violin-making tools Morris uses are replicas of tools developed by 16th-century makers. Using a pattern, he cuts the wood into the pieces needed and then spends many hours planing it. The shavings are very thin, and large piles climb up from the floor. “My cat used to love to play in the piles of shavings,” he said. “It was fun to watch him chase after them.” To further shape the back and top pieces of the instrument, Morris uses various sizes of gouges. Hunched over a table, he guides them through the wood, switching to a smaller thumb plane for arching the top. Using a caliper, he continually measures the wood’s thickness. Asked if he ever shaved off too much wood, he laughed and said not
since his student days. “I’m well aware that a small error in the thickness of wood can change the sound of the final product. Every millimeter counts, so I’m very careful.” Af ter many weeks of sculpting and fitting together the individual pieces, one of the last steps is to apply varnish. According to Morris, “During the long process of making a violin, makers often sit back and imagine how beautiful the violin will look when varnished. It’s one of the things that keeps us going, trying to match the beauty of the classical Cremonese varnish. “There is not a maker out there who has not spent thousands of dollars on natural resins and colors and countless hours cooking them to find the right combination. When we come close, which we have, it’s an awe-inspiring moment to see the glow in the wood come
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up through the soft colors and varnish and linger there, as if to say: ‘Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?’” Although at first look a violin might appear to have only a few parts, that isn’t quite true. Most instruments are constructed of 30 or more pieces. Many of these are inside the instrument and are used for strengthening and improving the tone. There are people who claim that it takes 100 years or more for all of those parts to become acquainted with each other and come alive to produce beautiful music. Morris disagrees. “After they have been played for a few months, most new instruments will settle down into a full, sweet sound,” he said. “I know that with age they will continue to improve.” Morris and his shop foreman, Michael Anthony Dad-
dona, set aside two days a week for working on their new instruments. “I work hard to meet the high standards Francis sets,” Daddona said. “Like Francis, I also get inspiration from the harmony of design found in the instruments of classical Cremona, but I also like that I can be flexible in my work.” When asked about the players who purchase his instruments, Morris said, “I get commissions from all kinds of musicians: professional soloists, orchestral players, even conservatory students. However, I usually recommend that parents consider renting a violin for small children, at least when they are starting lessons. “The violin is a pretty popular instrument, but it’s also difficult to learn. It takes a long time before kids begin to make pleasant sounds.”
The life of a violin-maker’s workshop also involves other functions. Many new and old instruments and bows are for sale, and Morris’ shop provides a wonderful space furnished with a grand piano for giving these a try. Renting an instrument is also an option, and both makers repair instruments brought to them. “During the summer, I get many 911 calls, especially from Tanglewood students and faculty. Even [famous cellist] Yo-Yo Ma has needed my help,” said Morris. “Accidents do happen, and part of being a maker means undertaking last-minute repairs.” There are hundreds of thousands of violins in the world, but it’s doubtful that any one instrument is exactly like any other. No two pieces of wood are the same. There are tiny variations in density
and thickness and differences in the way each maker works. Ingredients in varnish, choice of glue, even the kind of strings used, all make for different qualities of tone. Although the violin makers of 500 years ago didn’t leave us any instructions, each instrument stores the history of its maker’s intentions. As yet, no one has been able to definitively answer the question of why the instruments made by Amati, Stradivari, Guarneri and other Cremonese masters are so exceptional. Some people believe there are secrets yet to be learned about how those makers worked, but perhaps there are no secrets. There are certainly violin makers today who are equally as talented as were the masters of the Renaissance. It’s quite possible that in 200 or 300 years Francis Morris’ violins will also achieve immortality. •
Francis Morris Violins 65 Pumpkin Hollow Road Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-0165 francismorrisviolins.com During the summer, Francis Morris teaches for the Violin Craftsmanship Institute at the University of New Hampshire, and Michael Anthony Daddona assists with those workshops. They are training the next generation of makers.
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The UpCountry
Gift Guide Something for everyone on your list, from the finest vendors in the Berkshires and southern Vermont
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1. Michel Design Works Holiday Collection
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Stunning designs and luxurious fragrances are available in a full collection of large bath bars, foaming hand soaps, hand lotions, matching soap dishes, room sprays, and reed diffusers. Prices vary. The Gift Garden: 431 Main St., Bennington, Vt. 802-447-7222 thegiftgardenvt.com
2. Signature Bracelet by Ed Levin Jewelry
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True heirloom jewelry. Since 1960, the Ed Levin Signature Bracelet has been given as a celebration of kinship and family. Welcome your new daughter- or son-in-law to the family. Mark the importance of a graduation. Or, celebrate a new life. This beautiful piece of handcrafted designer jewelry is available in sterling silver, or sterling with 14-karat gold wraps. Start a family tradition today and give them the Ed Levin Signature Bracelet. $253 and up depending on size and options. Hawkins House: 262 North St., Bennington, Vt. 802-447-0488 hawkinshouse.net
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3. Gift and Fruit Baskets Fresh seasonal fruit, assorted chocolates and candy, gourmet crackers, cheese, local maple syrup, local honey and wine are just some of the options available in these delicious gift baskets. Prices range from $24.95-$150, depending on basket contents.
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Harry’s Supermarket: 290 Wahconah St., Pittsfield, Mass. 413-442-9084 harryssupermarket.com
4. Chocolate Box Collection 20 piece assortment of delicious, gourmet, European-style chocolates handcrafted in the Berkshires. $39.95 Chocolate Springs: 55 Pittsfield Road, Lenox, Mass. 413-637-9820 chocolatesprings.com
5. 100% Pure Grade A Maple Syrup
Sweet Treats Luxurious gifts to delight the senses 58 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | November/December 2018
Holiday Brook Farm maple syrup is made on the farm in its stateof-the-art sugarhouse. Grade A, amber, dark and very dark syrups available year-round. $7-$60. Holiday Brook Farm: 100 Holiday Cottage Road, Dalton, Mass. 413-684-0444 holidaybrookfarm.com
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A Night In
3. Around the Berkshires Gift Basket A wonderful collection of treats from these rolling Berkshire Hills! Enjoy a Les Trois Emme Berkshire Red Wine, Johnny Mash Hard Cider and Berkshire Brewing Company Beer while snacking on Ghiddo’s Lavash, Nejaime’s Preserves & Cabot’s Premium Vermont Cheddar. Finish sweetly with Klara’s Gourmet Cookies and a bar of Berkshire Bark Chocolate. Nejaime’s creates impressive, specialty gift baskets for every season and occasion! We are happy to accommodate special orders. Giving a wine gift basket to clients, family and friends has never been easier! $69.99.
Settle in for a quiet evening 1. Stressless Seating by Ekornes
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Togetherness starts with comfortable seating. Norwegian crafted recliners, office chairs, sofas and dining chairs in fabulous leathers and fabrics. Perfect for relaxing, you won’t find a more comfortable seat! Prices vary by model, size and fabric/leather. Save $200 on any Stressless seating and up to $400 on select models with a $50 donation to the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts.
Nejaime’s Wine Cellars: 3 Elm St, Stockbridge Mass. 413-298-3454 60 Main St., Lenox, Mass. 413-637-2221 nejaimeswine.com
4. YETI Rambler Tumbler
Paul Rich & Sons Home Furnishings + Design: 242 North St., Pittsfield, Mass. 413-443-6467 | paulrich.com
Any tumbler that’s coming along for the ride needs to be tough enough to keep up. Our Rambler® 20 oz. is made from durable stainless steel with double-wall vacuum insulation to protect your hot or cold beverage at all costs. Available in stainless and DuraCoat™ colors. $29.99 each.
2. Salem 1692 1000-Piece Puzzle Designed by Will Moses, this 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle has a finished size of 24 inches x 30 inches. Born and raised in Eagle Bridge, N.Y., Will Moses creates paintings that reflect the quiet beauty of a tiny community nestled close to the Vermont border. As a fourth-generation member of the renowned Moses family, Will offers a variety of different art to collectors, including original paintings, serigraphs, prints, etchings, posters, and puzzles. $17.75
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Carr Hardware: 547 North St., Pittsfield, Mass. Additional locations: North Adams, Mass.; Great Barrington, Mass.; Lee, Mass.; Avon, Conn.; Enfield, Conn. 413-443-5611 carrhardware.com
5. Covered Bridges of Windham County Mugs Featuring covered bridges from around Windham County, these durable mugs are handmade in Vermont. Available in four different designs. $15 each.
Mt. Nebo Gallery: 60 Grandma Moses Road, Eagle Bridge, N.Y. 800-328-6326 www.willmoses.com
The Brattleboro Reformer: 62 Black Mountain Road, Brattleboro, Vt. | reformer.com
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5. Sponsored Content
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1. The Berkshire Collection Fine Jewelry Designed and made by hand in Lenox, Mass. Pendants, rings, and earrings available in 14-karat gold and sterling silver. Rings can be made in sterling silver, 14K or a combination of sterling with a gold top. Chains are sold separately. $85-$1,400. Laurie Donovan Designs: 63 Church St., Lenox, Mass. 413-637-1589 | lauriedonovan.com
2. Diamonds Make this season merry and bright with a beautiful diamond from DiLego Jewelry Store. Choose from earrings, necklaces or the ideal diamond ring to dazzle and delight! DiLego Jewelry has been your “Hometown Jeweler” for more than 80 years. Their trusted staff are always ready to assist you in choosing the perfect gift. Special holiday pricing available. DiLego Jewelry Store, Inc: 16 Ashland St., North Adams, Mass. | 413-663-8140
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3. Lamps, Prints and Accessories Find that perfect accent for your space. Enhance your home with a stunning lamp, a gorgeous print or accessories that create visual interest and a new look for the holiday season! They also serve as a perfect gift. Special pricing: take 15% off all accents (includes lamps, graphics and decorative accessories) Paul Rich & Sons Home Furnishings + Design: 242 North St., Pittsfield, Mass. 413-443-6467 | paulrich.com
4. Ed Levin Jewelry Collection “Distinctively timeless” is the ever popular Ed Levin jewelry, handcrafted in sterling silver, 14-karat gold or two-tone, with unique designs & styles different than any other. Starting at $100.
5. Elle Jewelry Designs of personal freedom and selfexpression in this fashionable and fun sterling silver jewelry! Starting at $65. Crown Jewelers: 5 Cheshire Road, Ste. 21, Pittsfield, Mass. 413-442-9073 crownjewelersinc.net
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Glitter and Glow
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Gifts that sparkle, for the heart and the home 5. Sponsored Content
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All dressed up... 1. Diamond Jewelry Elegant yet fun 14-karat pendants, earrings and bracelets. Additional karat weights available. Prices vary by style and weight. Crown Jewelers: 5 Cheshire Road, Suite 21, Pittsfield, Mass. 413-442-9073 crownjewelersinc.net
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2. Alasham CottonCashmere Pullover
4. Simone Crochet Floral Dress
Cotton-cashmere quarter zip pullover with 100% cotton wrinkle-free sport shirt and cap toe cognac shoes from Florsheim. Pullover: $99.50. Outfit: $325. Steven Valenti’s Clothing: 157 North St., Pittsfield, Mass. 413-443-2569 stevenvalenticlothing.com
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3. Heart of the Berkshires Bracelet Created by Berkshire-based glass artist Jill Reynolds, this sterling silver bracelet features handmade glass beads. $85-105. Cheshire Glassworks: 24 South St., Cheshire, Mass. 413-743-7828 cheshireglassworks.com
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This dress is sure to be a hit! The crochet floral Simone is an update of Fat Face’s bestselling shape, with the update being embroidery within the print. The manufacturer explains the inspiration behind the print: “This was an original wallpaper handpainted design. Black bases are still new for us but the one-color floral and style really stood out for us. We like to draw inspirations from around the world, and this was originally from Zalipil in Poland. Inspired by the decorative paintings that adorn the traditional houses there, normally very multicolored, this was a much pared back version.” $75. Fat Face Corp.: 48 Main St., Lenox, Mass. 413-637-4953 us.fatface.com
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5. Breuning Jewelry Collection Emulating “Pure Elegance, Pure Fashion & Pure Love,” this European design features authentic, modern jewelry with designs in sterling silver, rose and gold tones, available with diamonds and white sapphires. Starting at $200. Crown Jewelers: 5 Cheshire Road, Suite 21, Pittsfield, Mass. 413-442-9073 crownjewelersinc.net
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62 | UPCOUNTRY MAGAZINE | November/December 2018
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6. Cashmere Ponchos by In Cashmere Lightweight yet warm, these ponchos are great for over dresses, casual wear, travel, or for any time you need a little extra warmth! Ponchos can be worn four different ways to give you a new look for every outfit you put it with. Wear it as a topper, or as part of your outfit! Think of it as an accessory — something that adds pizazz to your outfit! Ponchos come in 12 different beautiful colors. A great gift item—buy one for yourself and one for a friend! Regular price, $159. Now through the end of 2018, only $119.95. Purple Plume: 35 Church St., Lenox, Mass. 413-637-3442
7. Multicolor Blue Leather Handbag Leather handbag in bright fashion colors. Choose from a wide range of available accessories, including wallets and eyeglass cases. $90. Museum Facsimiles Outlet Store: 31 South St., Pittsfield, Mass.413-499-1818 museumoutlets.com
8. Butterfly Bush Motif Silk Scarf Hand dyed and printed, this 100% silk scarf is sure to embellish any outfit. Alkanet root and silvery inks combine to create a lush, yet neutral color palette. $45. Handmade by Mallorey: www.malloreycaron.com
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...with somewhere to go.
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9. Hotel on North and Eat on North Gift Card
10. The Red Lion Inn Gift Card
Give a gift that will make memories … the opportunity to discover a special experience at the Hotel on North. Cards are redeemable for dining at Eat on North with an Oyster Bar or a delightful overnight stay at the hotel, a winner of Trip Advisor’s 2017 Traveler’s Choice Award.
A visit to the iconic Red Lion Inn is the perfect gift for family and friends. Use our Gift Card for the Main Dining Room, Widow Bingham’s Tavern, the Lion’s Den and the Red Lion Gift Shop, or for a truly memorable gift, an overnight at our historic Inn. It’s a gift they will always treasure. Order online or by calling 413-298-5545.
Hotel on North: 297 North Street, Pittsfield, Mass. 413-358-4741 | hotelonnorth.com
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The Red Lion Inn: 30 Main St., Stockbridge, Mass. www.redlioninn.com
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2. 1.
Festive delights Seasonal treats bring holiday cheer 1. Fresh Vermont Wreaths Dutton’s own fresh-cut balsam and pine wreaths come in sizes from 10-72 inches. Special orders are welcome! Visit any of the three Dutton Farm Stands starting in mid-November to watch the wreath-making process. Starting at $10. Available at all locations. Dutton Farm Stand: Rte. 30 Newfane, Vt.; Rte. 9 West Brattleboro, Vt.; Rte. 11 & 30 Manchester, Vt. 802-362-3083 duttonberryfarm.com
2. The Night Before Christmas Grandma Moses Notecard Collection This beautifully packaged set of 24 cards is inspired by Grandma Moses’ paintings commissioned for her only illustrated book, titled “The Night Before Christmas.” Featuring four different scenes originally painted in 1960, this is the first time these images have been published apart from the book. All cards are blank so you can personalize each message to family and friends or give the set as a wonderful holiday gift. Images by Anna Mary Robertson “Grandma” Moses (1860-1961). An Authorized GRANDMA MOSES™ Product © 2018 Grandma Moses Properties, Co, NY Published Exclusively by Bennington Museum, Bennington, Vermont. Order online at https://store. benningtonmuseum.org. $24.95 Bennington Museum: 75 Main St., Bennington, Vt. 802-447-1571 benningtonmuseum.org
3. Spirited Wine & Food Elegant Gift Baskets Choose from a wide array of elegant gift baskets bursting with fine wines and gourmet goodies! Ready to go or custom-made for you with delivery and shipping available, these baskets are the perfect way to give special gifts they’ll remember for years to come! Prices start at $40. SPIRITED: 444 Pittsfield Road, Lenox, Mass. 413-448-2274 spirited-wines.com
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4. L’Amour Diamonds The L’Amour diamond is a “design masterpiece to behold in its beauty and simplicity.” Featuring 50 facets and two straight sides, with subtle curvatures that create a brilliant reflection like no other. Starting at $3,000. Crown Jewelers: 5 Cheshire Road, Ste. 21, Pittsfield, Mass. 413-442-9073 www. crownjewelersinc.net
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5. Hallmark Ornaments Lovingly crafted and highly collectible, Hallmark’s famous Keepsake Ornaments have brightened holidays for 45 years. Covering everything from nostalgic designs to the year’s most popular licensed characters, the Hallmark ornament line carries something for every age, style and interest. $9.99-$19.99. Karen Keenan Gifts: 69 Main St., Lee, Mass. 413-243-2689 www.karenkeenangifts.com
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Destination:
BURROWS SPECIALIZED SPORTS
Burrows Specialized Sports is a full service sporting goods store with a complete line of bicycles, snowboards, skis, snowshoes, skateboards, running shoes and tennis equipment. They also provide professional service on all products they sell. 105 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt. 802-254-9430 facebook.com/BurrowsSpecializedSports
THE BRATTLEBORO FOOD CO-OP
The Brattleboro Food Co-op is communityowned, and welcomes new Co-op Shareholders looking to invest in a locally-owned business that delivers deep community impact and offers great food. If you are a shopper who is committed to buying organic and whole foods, and to supporting local industry and family farms, you will reap the benefits of being a Co-op shareholder and use your voting power to direct future business decisions. 2 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt. 802-257-0236 | brattleborofoodcoop.coop
LATCHIS THEATRE
Welcome to where Cupid and Eros meet Clio, in a beautiful Greco Deco Theatre. The Latchis Main Theatre has stood as-is since 1938 and is a member of the League of Historic American Theatres. Bedecked with Greek murals by the HungarianAmerican painter Louis Jambor, swaddled in velvet curtains, and accented with a panoramic view of the Zodiac on the ceiling, this performance space has welcomed the likes of Rosanne Cash, Collegiate A Capella champions, and the New England Center for Circus Arts. Beginning with Vaudeville and silent films, the stage has shown exceptional music, art, and moving pictures to Southern Vermont for over seventy years. 50 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt. (802) 246-2020 | theater.latchis.com
LATCHIS HOTEL
Whether you are a business traveller on a brief stopover, a family looking to stretch those legs, a cinephile coming for our in-house multi-screen cinema, a couple desiring a secret escape, or a solo traveler, a stay at The Latchis Hotel and Theatre in downtown Brattleboro will help you discover the grandeur of history that resides in the everyday. 50 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt. (802) 254-6300 | latchishotel.com
THE LANDMARK TRUST USA
Vacation in an authentically-restored historic home surrounded by an heirloom apple orchard—in Rudyard Kipling’s Naulakha (sleeps 8), the Kipling Carriage House (sleeps 4), the cozy Sugarhouse at Scott Farm (sleeps 2, dogs allowed), Dutton Farmhouse (sleeps 8) near Brattleboro, and the Amos Brown House in Whitingham (sleeps 6, dogs allowed). All rentals are fully-equipped including wi-fi, self-catered, and year-round. 707 Kipling Road, Dummerston, Vt. 802-254-6868 | landmarktrustusa.org
Holiday Holiday Happenings Happenings
Festive fun in the Berkshires and southern Vermont Festive fun in the Berkshires and southern Vermont
Feastival of Trees 2018: Often Heard Feastival of Trees 2018: Often Heard
Berkshire Museum 39 South St., Pittsfield, Mass. Berkshire Museum 39 South St., Pittsfield, Mass. Sat. Nov. 17, 2018- January 6, 2019 Sat. Nov. 17, 2018- January 6, 2019 Humming along to a toe-tapping tune or rocking out to a timeless anthem; Humming along to a toe-tapping tune or of rocking outhold to a special timelessmemories. anthem; the songs that compose the soundtrack our lives the songs the Heard soundtrack holdseason specialwith memories. Festival of that Treescompose 2018: Often turnsof upour thelives holiday more Festival Trees 2018: Often Heard up the holidayaseason more than 100ofdazzling decorated trees, turns each one depicting popularwith song. Enjoy than 100 dazzling decorated trees, each one depicting a popular song. this chart-topping Berkshire tradition with your own family as you workEnjoy this chart-topping Berkshire withevery your tree. own family as you work together to discover the songtradition title behind together to discover the song title behind every tree. Museum Hours: Museum Hours:Saturday 10 am to 5 pm • Sundays noon to 5 pm Monday through Monday through Saturday 10 am and to 5 New pm •Year's Sundays Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, Day.noon to 5 pm Closed Thanksgiving, New Year's The Museum will closeChristmas, at 2 pm onand Christmas EveDay. & New Year's Eve. The Museum will close at 2 pm on Christmas Eve & New Year's Eve. Contact Information: Contact Information: 413-443-7171 • berkshiremuseum.org 413-443-7171 • berkshiremuseum.org
Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce 50 Main Street, Stockbridge, Mass. 50 Main Street, Stockbridge, Mass.
Holiday twinkle lights and Christmas trees decorate the village of StockHoliday twinklea lights and Christmas trees decorate ofAmerica.” Stockbridge, Mass., town which Norman Rockwell calledthe “thevillage best of bridge, Mass., a town which Norman Rockwell called “the bestinofmotion America.” Each year the town celebrates Rockwell’s Christmas painting Each year the town celebrates painting motionThe with activities that bring locals Rockwell’s and visitorsChristmas alike home for the in holidays. with activities thatholiday bring locals and visitors alike home for the The weekend features readings, house tours, caroling, andholidays. a concert. weekend features holiday readings, house tours, caroling, and a concert. Capping off the weekend the town reenacts the spirit of Rockwell’s famous Capping off the“Stockbridge weekend theMain townStreet reenacts the spirit of Rockwell’s famous holiday scene, at Christmas.” holiday scene, “Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas.” Fri. November 30, 2018 Fri. November 30, Readings Around the2018 Hearth, 5- 6:30 pm Readings Around1,the Hearth, 5- 6:30 pm Sat. December 2018 Sat. December 1, 2018 Holiday House Tour, 11 a.m.- 4 pm Holiday House Tour, 11 a.m.4 pm Children’s Holiday Sing Along, 11- 11:30 am Children’s Holiday Sing Along, 11- 11:30 am Caroling Luminaria Walk, 6- 7 pm. Caroling Luminaria Walk, Holiday Concert, 7:30 pm.6- 7 pm. Holiday Concert, 7:30 pm. Sun. December 2, 2018 Sun. December 2018at Christmas Recreation, 12 noon- 2 pm Stockbridge Main2, Street Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas Recreation, 12 noon- 2 pm Contact Information: Contact Information: 413-298-5200 • www.stockbridgechamber.org 413-298-5200 • www.stockbridgechamber.org
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Theatrical Performance of “A Christmas Carol” Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum 104 Walker St., Lenox, Mass. November 28, 4- 6:30 pm This timeless seasonal classic, “A Christmas Carol,” is performed by Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great grandson of literary icon, Charles Dickens. Gerald, an actor and producer from Oxford, England, will perform his captivating rendition of this heartwarming holiday tale. During his show 26 characters of this classic tale are brought vividly to life. Gerald has created di erent postures and voices for each character. An elegant Victorian tea with sherry will follow. Contact Information: 413-637-3206 • GildedAge.org Photo: Apple Hill Designs.
Winter Tours of The Mount The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home 2 Plunkett St., Lenox, Mass. November 3, 2018- February 24, 2019 Sat. & Sun. 11 am - 4 pm Experience the beauty of Edith Wharton home during the winter. Admission includes a guided tour with our skilled interpreters. Special exhibits include Life in the Dale: Augustus Martin’s Lenox and Edith Wharton and the First World War. The Mount will be decorated for the holidays by the Lenox Garden Club. Contact Information: 413-551-5111 • EdithWharton.org
Seasonal Classes at The Yoga Place The Yoga Place 532 Main St., Bennington, Vt. The Yoga Place is dedicated to connecting the body, mind, and spirit, o ering weekly yoga classes for all skill levels. Combating Holiday Stress & Anxiety with Good Nutrition, Marlana Freitas Monday, November 12, 6:30- 7:30 pm A Thankful Flow with Kat Daley Saturday, November 24, 11:30 am- 1 pm Free. A So(u)lstice Celebration Saturday, December 22, 11:30 am- 1 pm By donation. Contect Information: 802-447-0393 www.benningtonyoga.com
Black Friday & Small Business Saturday at The Gift Garden The Gift Garden 431 Main St., Bennington, Vt. Fri. November 23, 8:30 am - Sat, November 24, 6 pm The Gift Garden will be having a Draw Your Discount sale for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. Customer will draw their discount at time of check out. Discount can be anywhere from 10% to 50% o total Purchase of in store merchandise for that day. Does not include Fresh Flowers, Blossoming or green plants and Gourmet Products. Contact Information: 802-447-7222 • www.thegiftgardenvt.com
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Cabin Fever Relief Kit Keep hands and minds busy through the winter chill 2.
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1. Norman Rockwell’s Stockbridge Main Street at Christmas Framed Print/Puzzle Own a high-quality framed print of this iconic painting from Norman Rockwell Museum’s collection. Beautifully framed, double matted, two sizes. Also available in 500 piece puzzle. Framed print starting at $129.95. Puzzle: $18.95. The Norman Rockwell Museum Store: 9 Glendale Road, Rte. 183 Stockbridge, Mass. 1-800-742-9450 store.nrm.org
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2. Squeaky Plush Line by Planet Dog Get to know the new Squeaky Plush Line from Planet Dog. Made in the U.S. out of repurposed durable upholstery scraps saved from landfills, these squeaky toys will become the next favorite plush toy for your pup. $16.99 Bark N’ Cat: 28 Holden St., North Adams, Mass. 413-664-7777 | barkncat.net
3. Giving Bear by Demdaco This precious fellow comes with an endless supply of hugs, the perfect gift of comfort and love. More than just any stuffed animal, this
special Giving Bear is designed to be given to someone, young or young at heart, who needs comforting. $29.95
locally as possible! Custom personalization and designs are encouraged—perfect for gift giving! $225 - $600
Karen Keenan Gifts: 69 Main St., Lee, Mass. 413-243-2689 karenkeenangifts.com
Magic Fluke Co: 292 South Main St., Sheffield, Mass. 413-229-8536 magicfluke.com
4. Fluke and Flea Ukuleles, Firefly Banjo, Cricket Violin and Timber Bass
5. Belle Etoile Jewelry Collection
Fluke and Flea Ukuleles, Firefly Banjo Ukuleles, Firefly 5 String Banjos, Cricket Violins, Timber Basses and Fluke Solid Bodies are all proudly made right here in the Berkshires, sourcing quality material and parts as
Trendy European designs featuring sterling silver, royal enamels, vibrant colors and white cubic zirconia. Starting at $190. Crown Jewelers: 5 Cheshire Road, Ste. 21, Pittsfield, Mass. 413-442-9073 crownjewelersinc.net
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Home(goods) for the Holidays
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Little touches to brighten any space 1. Enviro Gas Stove Enhance any home with Enviro gas stoves and fireplaces. With clean design and sturdy construction, gas inserts are a beautiful and safe option for making any room a cozy getaway. Starting at $1,599.
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Amanda’s Fire Place: 1869 Rte. 9H, Hudson, N.Y. 518-828-9337 amandasfireplaces.com
2. Kelly’s Gift Baskets Sure to bring a smile to the face of any recipient! Choose one of many pre-designed baskets or customize one to suit their taste. The knowledgeable staff at Kelly’s will guide you through the hundreds of hand selected wines, boutique spirits, craft beers, artisan cheeses and gourmet specialty products to create the perfect gift. Gift baskets start at $19.99. Delivery available.
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Kelly’s Package Store: 653 Main St., Dalton, Mass. 413-684-0870 www.kellyspackagestore.com
3. KitchenAid Refrigerator Part of the manufacturer’s new black stainless steel collection, this French door refrigerator also debuts the first five-door design sold in the U.S. Instead of a single temperature-controlled drawer above the freezer, the KRMF706EBS sports two, so you can store your kids’ snacks and hors d’oeuvres for your dinner party. MSRP $3,999.
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Mike’s Maytag: 14 Gordon St., Pittsfield, Mass. mikesappliancema.com 413-443-4692
4. Winter Warmth Holiday Arrangement Custom designed holiday flower arrangements inspired by Vermont incorporate fragrant evergreens, natural elements and bright florals to welcome the holidays! The Tuscan Sunflower is a local, independent, full-service flower shop that specializes in an extensive selection of cut flowers and tropical plants. They receive daily delivery of the freshest product from fields of flowers around the world and seasonally support local growers. Open extended holiday hours or shop online. $50.00. The Tuscan Sunflower: 318 North St., Bennington, Vt. 802-447-4900 | thetuscansunflower.net
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5. Sponsored Content
5. Garden Terrarium Kit
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Give a Green Garden — in a terrarium that is. This terrarium kit will get their green thumb off to a good start. Kit includes glass terrarium and cover, necessary soil layers, and decorative accents plus building and care instructions. Additional Terrarium plants are available at Ward’s. Many terrarium styles include kits from $34.99 to $79.99. Ward’s Nursery, Garden Center & Christmas Shop: 600 South Main St., Great Barrington, Mass. 413-528-0166 wardsnursery.com
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6. Holiday Gift Basket Local and homemade food items, featuring Bartlett’s specialty homemade cider, cider doughnuts, assorted baked goods and apples straight from the Bartlett’s orchard.
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Bartlett’s Orchard: 575 Swamp Road, Richmond, Mass. 413-6982559 bartlettsorchard.com
7. Customized Sign Purchase this handcrafted, 9” x 36” wooden sign made-to-order with your family members’ names for a thoughtful holiday gift this season. Regularly $50; special holiday price $40. Bella Sky Gifts: 64 Summer St., Adams, Mass. 413-664-1277 bellaskygifts.com
8. Genuine Oriental Rugs
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Gorgeous 100% genuine wool, hand-knotted oriental rugs and runners in all colors, styles and sizes. Add warmth and beauty to your space for the holiday season with the perfect rug! Prices vary by size and style; promotional savings up to 40% off.
9. Antique Kilim Pillow Gorgeous antique rug pillows in different sizes and colors add interest and a bohemian flair to any space. Pairs beautifully with leather and perfect as floor pillows! Retail price: $139; sale: $59 each or two for $100 Paul Rich & Sons Home Furnishings + Design: 242 North St., Pittsfield, Mass. 413-443-6467 | paulrich.com
10. Custom Gift Basket Is there a locavore, a cheese fanatic or a chocolate lover on your list? How about someone who’s just plain hard to buy for? From wine, seasonal fruit and teas to cozy woolens, candles and handmade jewelry, Wild Oats creates beautiful custom gift baskets that anyone would love to receive! Prices range from $50-$200.
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Wild Oats Market: 320 Main St., Williamstown, Mass. 413-458-8060 | wildoats.coop
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Get Moving 1. NeviTREK Snowshoes NeviTREK Snowshoes are handmade with a vinyl decking attached to an aluminum frame with a removable binding. The bindings are adjustable to fit any snow boot. Three different lengths are offered to cover all types of snowshoeing activities including running, hiking and walking. Snowshoes come in four sizes, 22”, 25”, 30” and 36”, determined by snow conditions and the combined weight of the snowshoer and gear. Snowshoeing is a great family activity for all ages and skill levels. Price varies from $140 - $180. NeviTREK Snowshoes: P.O. Box 113, Delanson, N.Y. 518-831-1707 nevitrek.com Call any time for appointment to try out the snowshoes.
Gifts for an active lifestyle
2. Precor TRM 223 Treadmill
3. Covert Jacket by Burton Snowboards
If you are seeking a stable, reliable and fully featured treadmill, the 223 is the answer. Touch sensor and wireless heart rate monitoring, SmartRate® target heart zone monitoring, 10 preset workouts add variety to your fitness routine, speed and incline controls from our commercial series and no required maintenance come standard. The 223 will help keep you moving toward your fitness goals $2,699
Burton Men’s covert Jacket in Faded Denim/Motor City print. Dryride fabric features technical weatherproofing and breathable properties in a buttery soft yet breathable package with thermolite insulation for lightweight warmth. $199.99.
Total Fitness Equipment: 464 Putney Road, Brattleboro, Vt. 802-579-1276 totalfitnessequipment.com/ stores/brattleboro
Burrows Specialized Sports: 105 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt. 802-254-9430 burrowssports.com
4. Berkshire Fitness and Wellness Center Annual Membership Give the gift of health this holiday season. Memberships include full use of the facilities and all fitness classes. One year, $360. Berkshire Fitness and Wellness Center: Aimee Marshall, owner 137 North St., Pittsfield, Mass. bfwstudio.com
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5. Ladies Alpine Hat by Skida A new, Vermont based company, Skida offers unique patterns and designs, in hats and accessories for the active Berkshire lifestyle. $20-$36. Berkshire Outfitters: 169 1/2 Grove St., Rte. 8, Adams, Mass. 413-743-5900 berkshireoutfitters.com
6. Blundstone Boots Boots for men and women that can go anywhere and do anything. Dress them up or wear in the toughest conditions, they will do it all. $179.95-$199.95 The Shoe Tree: 135 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt. 802-254-8515 shoetreevermont.com
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Gift Guide Index Amanda’s Fire Place 70 Bark N’ Cat 69 Bartlett’s Orchard 71 Bella Sky Gifts 71 Bennington Museum 64 Berkshire Fitness and Wellness Center 72 Berkshire Museum 66 Berkshire Outfitters 73 The Brattleboro Reformer 59 Burrows Specialized Sports 72 Carr Hardware 59 Cheshire Glassworks 62 Chocolate Springs 58 Crown Jewelers 61, 62, 64 69 DiLego Jewelry Store 61 Dutton Farm Stand 64 Fat Face Corp. 62 The Gift Garden 58, 67 Handmade by Mallorey 63 Harry’s Supermarket 58 Hawkins House 58 Holiday Brook Farm 58 Hotel on North 63 Karen Keenan Gifts 64, 69 Kelly’s Package Store 70 Laurie Donovan Designs 61 Magic Fluke Co. 69 Mike’s Maytag 70 The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home 67 Mt. Nebo Gallery 59 Museum Facsimiles Outlet Store 63 Nejaime’s Wine Cellars 59 NeviTREK Snowshoes 72 The Norman Rockwell Museum Store 69 Paul Rich & Son Home Furnishings + Design 59, 61, 71 Purple Plume 63 The Red Lion Inn 63 The Shoe Tree 73 SPIRITED 64 Steven Valenti’s Clothing 62 Stockbridge Chamber of Commerce 66 Total Fitness Equipment 72 The Tuscan Sunflower 70 Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum 67 Ward’s Nursery, Garden Center & Christmas Shop 71 Wild Oats Market 71 The Yoga Place 67
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Finding Tasha Tudor Beloved illustrator’s work inspires ‘bucket list’ trips to Vermont By Bob Audette The artwork of author-illustrator Tasha Tudor has inspired a passion in people who collect her work to schedule “bucket list” trips to Vermont to visit her homestead in Marlboro, Vt. “My husband thinks I am cuckoo,” said Barbara Techel, who lives in Wisconsin and recently traveled to Southern Vermont to nourish her Tasha Tudor infatuation. “I have a picture of her in every room in my house and I have all her books.” Tudor, born Starling Tudor Burgess in Boston in 1915 (and quickly renamed Natasha Tudor Burgess), is most well-known for her watercolor illustrations for children’s books such as “The Wind in the Willows,” “Pumpkin Moonshine,” “A Tale for Easter,” “The Dolls’ Christmas” and “Corgiville Christmas.” What inspires fans like Techel is that Tudor “lived by the beat of her own drum.” “I love her philosophy of life, as a woman trying to live on her own terms in a society that can be judgmental about that decision,” said Techel. “She owned the truth of who she was.” But Techel didn’t originally plan on her travels to Vermont to visit the Tudor museum in Brattleboro, now closed. “I totally believe in synchronicity,” she said. “We made plans to go to Vermont; it was on my bucket list to visit in the fall. Three to four months before the trip, a friend gave me some old issues of Victoria Magazine. I was flipping through the magazine and I came across this tribute of Tasha Tudor and I became obsessed.” It was during her trip to Brattleboro, Vt. that Techel discovered something magical. “When I got to the museum and watched the 45-minute documentary, I felt as if I left my body and entered the world of Tasha Tudor,” she said. “And that’s when I discovered her Advent calendar.” “One of this year’s loveliest Advent calendars is author Tasha Tudor’s new ‘A Wreath of Days,’” wrote Sarah Ban Breathnach in a December 1988 edition of The Washington Post. “Besides being a keepsake sturdy enough to last for more than one holiday, this calendar also includes Tudor’s description of her family’s holiday customs, which even could melt the cold heart of Ebenezer Scrooge.” Breathnach wrote that over the past four decades, the Tudor family’s Christmas celebration has become justly famous among generations of her many admirers. “For our family, Advent is the beginning of the Christmas anticipation and begins on the sixth day of December, the birthday of Saint Nicholas,” Tudor told Breathnach. “Greens are brought in to make the wreath and the garlands. The house is filled with the cold, fresh scents of spruce and hemlock, tracked-in snow, drying mittens, RIGHT: Tasha Tudor. Photo courtesy of Amy Tudor.
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TOP: Ellie Tudor, 8, pulls one of the tabs on an Advent calendar that was created by Tasha Tudor. BOTTOM: Amy Tudor and Ellie look over an Advent calendar from a design that Tasha Tudor created. Photos: Kristopher Radder.
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wood smoke and baking, all that exemplifies happiness and home. Were one to smell any of these things again in a far country, many years hence, the entire scene would come poignantly alive once more and clutch the heart.” Original copies of Tudor’s “A Wreath of Days” and “Oh Holy Night Christmas” Advent calendars can be found online and in auction houses, but cost thousands of dollars. But those who don’t have $10,000 or more to spend on an original copy can take heart, because the tradition lives on in Marlboro. “We have three available, and two Valentine [countdown] calendars, too, but the Christmas calendars are really beloved,” said Amy Tudor, who is married to Tasha Tudor’s grandson, Winslow. “Tasha used to make Advent Calendars every year for her four kids. She made them for years and produced a handful for sale.” The Tudor family created several new Advent calendars, which are available at tashatudorandfamily.com, and include “Christmas Festivities,” “Post Office,” “Candy Shop” and the two Valentine countdown calendars, “Thy Love” and “Be Mine.” Adcent images painted for the end papers of “Becky’s Christmas,” which was published in 1961, were used for the new calendars, said Amy Tudor, combining images from other sources to add behind the flaps. “We went into the books to find period-appropriate images to go behind the Advent windows,” she said. According to the Vermont Historical Society, in 1938, Tasha Tudor married Thomas Leighton McCready Jr. in Redding, Conn. The couple moved to Webster, N.H., where they had purchased a 17-room farmhouse on 450 acres that lacked electricity and running water. Tudor divorced McCready in 1961 and later married and divorced Allan John Woods. According to tashatudorandfamily.com, after the publication of “Corgiville Fair” in 1971, she was able to purchase secluded land in Marlboro. Her son, Seth, helped her secure the land that bordered his and he began building first her barn, then her home, all with only hand tools. The Tasha Tudor Society ran a museum in West Brattleboro, Vt. up until a couple of years ago, said Amy Tudor. Now, all events and exhibits are hosted in Marlboro. “We host very limited tours, less than 10 a year,” she said. “Tickets go on sale in January, and the profits support the upkeep of Tasha’s house.” Amy Tudor said she is always amazed at the passion that Tudor’s fans have for her art and her lifestyle. “She has the nicest fans. These are people who are drawn to her, who come to visit and have such kindness in their hearts.” According to Sarah Ban Breathnach’s 1988 article, “The Advent season — the four weeks preceding Christmas — is traditionally set aside for spiritual preparation before the nativity of Christ ... During the 1880s European craftsmen made elaborate Advent calendars that families used to tell the Christmas story. Beginning on Dec. 1, one little flap is lifted each day with the story completed on Christmas Eve.” What draws people to Tudor’s artwork is its simplicity and the yearning for a simpler time, said Techel. “Not that I want to wear frock coats,” she said with a laugh. “But it helps you to reflect on what is important. There was a simplicity about Tasha; a really beautiful empowering truth of her life.” •
FROM THE ARCHIVES
The Tree Champ An ingenious Yankee who knows how to grow more than one Christmas tree from a single stem has become the No. 1 tree farmer in America Editor’s note: In searching our archives, we found this lovely story, first published in the December 1977 issue of UpCountry Magazine, about Linwood B. Lesure of Ashfield, Mass. Lesure, who was 73 years old at the time the article was published, was a third-generation Ashfield farmer who was well-known throughout Western Massachusetts and Southern Vermont. For over three decades, he served on the board of the Berkshire-Pioneer Maple Producers Association in various positions, including president and treasurer. He died in 1998 at the age of 93. By Mark Miller ASHFIELD, Mass. “When you don’t work for something like this and you get it, you feel kind of embarrassed,” Linwood B. Lesure said, reviewing the events that made him the National Outstanding Tree Farmer of 1977. That wasn’t saying he had not earned the honor, the second one ever awarded by the American Forest Institute. Last year, a Florida tree farmer received the honor, and previously recognition was bestowed only by state and region. L esure was sitting at his dining room table peering through bifocals and a rain-spattered window of the house he built from hemlock and spruce grown on his land. The sturdy 73-year-old and I had completed an invigorating tramp of the property and were being treated to hot coffee, homemade apple pie and cheese prepared by his wife of 49 years, Vera, who at the moment was sitting in a nearby easy chair. He pushed a callused hand over a ruddy brow and up into his bushy white hair and recalled the award ceremony at the Eastern States Exposition in Springfield. Lesure was at the “Big E” to pick up the framed 1977 Massachusetts Outstanding Tree Farmer Certificate. At the
same time, he would accept the framed 1977 New England Outstanding Tree Farmer Certificate. The governor was there — amid some grumbling that it had taken him three years in office to finally come to the fair. Coded directions for the 2 p.m. ceremonies were typed on sheets distributed to just about everyone but the Lesures. Gov. Michael S. Dukakis was to appear at a certain time to honor Lesure. So-andso would introduce Dukakis. The governor would say suchand-such. A warning included: “Mr. Lesure does not know of National Award, so please do not mention it in remarks prior to the governor.” But the Springfield (Mass.) Union violated the release date on the announcement sent out by the American Forest Institute and someone had already congratulated Lesure on the big one. Then word went around that the newspaper had reported it wrong, that Lesure was just in the running for the national award. The director of the Department of Environmental management, Richard Kendall, presented Lesure with the Massachusetts certificate, and then Secretary of Environmental Affairs Evelyn Murphy, Kendall’s boss, presented the New England certificate. “When the governor didn’t give me the second award, I
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ABOVE: Linwood B. Lesure, 1977. Photo: Stephen Fay.
thought he was waiting for the third,” Lesure said. “He was.” While Lesure (pronounced LurSure) had to act just a little more surprised than he actually was, he didn’t have to feign delight. One hundred eightythree glacier-scoured acres of his land, which had been in his family for five generations, had been singled out from among 7 million acres owned by 34,000 tree farmers in all 50 states, according to the Forest Institute’s statistics. The two national runners-up were the
owners of a 5,000-acre tree farm in Rolla, Mo., and an 800acre spread in Harrison, Ark. The irony in the staged surprise at the ceremony was that Lesure, notwithstanding the relative modesty of his acreage, is probably the most overqualified candidate the Forest Institute will ever select for the award. He’s kind of the Buckminster Fuller of silviculture. Linwood Barrus Lesure was born on the family farm on Spruce Corner Road in
Ashfield in 1904. The property, about 320 acres, had been in his family since his greatgreat-grandmother moved to Ashfield in 1811, after her husband, Ebsen Lesure, drowned in Vermont. From boyhood, her son Roswell cleared and worked the land on which he and his son Edgar and his grandson, George, Linwood’s grandfather, were to raise beef cattle and dairy cows. Living off the land did not appeal to Linwood Lesure, or either of his two brothers, and he left the farm for work in construction. George Lesure died unexpectedly in 1945. The livestock was auctioned off. The farm was up for sale. Linwood, then 41, decided to sell the small contracting business he was running and buy the farm himself. His initial intention was to build on what had been a marginal dairy operation. Only 80 of the 320 acres were tillable and most of the soil was so rocky it had to
be turned with a mattock. Seven years later, a heart attack forced Lesure to give up dairying and rethink what to do with his life and his land. Figuring that both he and the land were better suited for growing trees, he sold his herd. He bought 3,000 fir balsam seedlings at the going rate of $25 per thousand from the state nursery in Amherst, planted them and applied to Ken DeBuke, the state forester, to have 183 acres of the place certified for membership in the American Tree Farm System. Six years later, having planted new batches of seedlings and transplanting natural sprouts, weeding them, shaping them, and learning by his mistakes working with Norway spruce, white pine and balsam fir, he was engaged full tilt in the business of selling Christmas trees and wreath material. More important economically, Lesure and his son, Bob,
generated an old maple syruping sideline into a 12-month operation. He also developed some of the back woodlots for periodic timber harvests and sold hay from their rolling meadows. “I try to help my land do what it wants to,” Lesure is fond of saying. “I got land that had no value and now I’m getting something out of it. But, I hope that people just don’t get the impression that this means you just sit in the house and the trees grow for you.” Lester A. DeCoster, manager of the American Forest Institute’s northeastern region, based in Bangor, Maine, inspected the Lesure farm with Hugh Putnam of Milton, head AFI forester in Massachusetts. DeCoster ticked off the reasons that Lesure, without consciously competing for the 1977 honors, was chosen. That the Lesures make their living solely from the diver-
ABOVE: Linwood B. Lesure among his Christmas trees. Photo: Paul Rocheleau.
sified farm, that only a small portion of the work on the farm is done by non-Lesures, that they get a variety of products from it, that they make it available to a dozen recreational uses, that Lesure kept meticulous records since 1945, all counted heavily toward his being tapped for Massachusetts and New England recognition. Added to this, Lesure’s innovative practices, his fervent promotion of conservation in his many civic roles and the subsequent wide exposure his farm attracted made him the obvious choice for the national honor, DeCoster said. A true Yankee, albeit one with a Huguenot name, Lesure devised and honed into an art form the practice of harvesting several well-shaped, fully grown Christmas trees from a single balsam root system. Sawing off the first tree from the main stem two or three whorls from the ground, he allows a new “leader” branch to rise to the sun and grow into a tree of Christmas-tree size and shape, meanwhile ensuring a firm, active rootstock. When this second tree is cut, a third, usually from the other side of the main stem, can be grown to merchantable size. Lesure has harvested as many as seven Christmas trees from a single stem. L esure “put together” a pump system so that the three-man job of lifting maple sap buckets over snowbanks and up to a tank truck could be handled in less time with less loss of sap by one person. Powered by a three-horsepower gasoline engine, the pump pulls 20 gallons of sap per minute through a 50-foot hose (or 16 gallons a minute through a 100-foot hose) to the waiting truck. He sold the system to the G.M. Grimm Co. in Rutland, Vt. About 200 of these systems are now in use in New England. Lesure originated the widely adopted practice of UpCountryOnline.com | 79
having visitors tag Christmas trees in the fall for cutting in December. The trees are more accessible and the outing more pleasant for some when the ground is clear. His construction background helped him find ways to put to good use steam being wasted in syrup production. He rerouted steam rising from boiling sap so it would warm cold sap flowing into the sugaring house, thereby reducing fuel use by 15 percent. And, noting that hot air was wafting profitlessly up the chimney, he and Bob built a series of baffles and pipe, channeling it to warm the visitors’ rooms. Nearly all the sugaring house, made of Lesure lumber, was designed with these visitors in mind. Interior glass panels are built so someone working in the sap-reducing rooms can slide them open and explain what’s going on. Equipment is placed so each step of the production is available. From the beginning of March to mid-April, Bob’s wife Lynn (yes, she is confused with her father-in-law) presides over a 25-seat restaurant in the sugaring house, serving meals based around pancakes or French toast and maple syrup. Her kitchen is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in late November and early December, the area is used for selling wreaths and maple products while Christmas trees are on sale outside. The opposite of the stereotypical laconic New England farmer, Linwood Lesure hasn’t hid his candle under a bushel — as they might say at the Ashfield Congregational Church, of which he is a member. A collection of yellowing newspaper clippings and magazine features about the Lesure farm since 1948 fills a large carton. Most deal with some aspect of forestry. The Lesures have appeared on more than 40 television shows on five channels in Massachusetts discussing Christmas trees, maple sugar and an American farmer’s view of the Soviet
ABOVE: Plastic tubing and fittings which have replaced maple sap buckets are left tied to trees for next season. Photo: Paul Rocheleau.
Union, which Linwood and Vera visited in the early 1960s and keep current on through interviews with other farmers returning from there. Lesure hasn’t slighted his civic responsibilities. A former Ashfield selectman and assessor, he is currently town moderator. (As a member of the local historical society, he knows the Pioneer Valley community of 1,400 was not named for the economically important white ash, which does grow there, but rather was named, from Huntsville, in 1765, by a Colonial governor of Massachusetts in honor of one Lord Ashfield.) Lesure’s board memberships — concerning planning, soil conservation, watershed maintenance, agriculture, county fairs, Red Cross and other matters — have numbered about 25 and would have included election to the Franklin County Commission. “But the other fellow got three votes for every two I got,” he said. “1974 was a bad year for Republicans.”
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For all his qualifications, Lesure notes that he owes much to the professional foresters who worked with him through the years — most recently, state forester Richard W. Kulis, of Greenfield, who coordinated a benign threeyear conspiracy to make the Lesure farm better prepared for national honors than it needs to be, and David Robb Jr., of Cummington, a New England Forestry Foundation forester who rounded out Lesure’s whole program with timber stand improvement of 20 acres of sugar, maple white pine and spruce. Kulis, who made out the application in the national contest to the American Forest Institute, wasn’t overconfident for a minute. “Lin had good competition within the state, especially a tree farmer in Plymouth County,” he said. When the Massachusetts award went to Lesure, Kulis surveyed the other state winners in the region and figured the man who won in New
Hampshire would get the New England award. Kulis won the same prize as Lesure, a trip for two for four days in San Diego, where the American Forestry Institute is holding its national convention. Lesure has tried to grow trees “nature’s way,” as he puts it. For example, beavers built a dam and flooded some of his lowlands, threatening to kill a good part of the tree life there, but he didn’t trap them, shoot them or harass them. “I knew there wasn’t food enough for them,” he said. “I knew they wouldn’t stay. They didn’t.” His live-and-let-live philosophy is also expressed as follows: “I try never to cut out trees to put in a new forest crop when there’s already one there. I try to help the land to what it wants to do. Apparently, the land wanted to become the best tree farm in the nation and Linwood Lesure helped it to be just that. •