Intern Files: Week eight

By Joe Pintaudi

Just as my time here is almost up, more food is starting to come in.

There are huge cucumbers and radishes, as well as zucchini. The amount and size of the greens and lettuce are amazing. All the rain from the last couple of weeks has sent our crops through a major growth spurt. It doesn't seem like the watering system I'd been working on will be needed—though I do think that at some point it will be good to set up a permanent water collection system to at least water the seedlings in the greenhouse.

I am trying to make the most of the time I have left. Today we were able to harvest enough food to have an inexpensive, self-serve produce stand near the road. The system that we have worked out is that whatever does not sell that day becomes dinner. In the two hours the stand was up, we sold some radishes but had enough fresh veggies left over to make a delicious dinner.

Yesterday was also very eventful.  It started with me helping our friend Walter take down his wind turbine tower at his home on Butterfield Lake. The turbine had been damaged in a wind storm a few years ago. Walter showed me the whole setup and gave me a quick crash course on the electrical system he designed and set up for it. It was nice to get a feel for the assembly of a turbine tower. 
After lunch, Walt and I accompanied two employees of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) around the lake. Walt has been monitoring the weeds in Butterfield for a number of years in order to keep track of things like nutrient quantities in the water and invasive species in the lake.

Yesterday we hauled the DEC guys around the lake so they could collect sediment samples in order to glean information on what insects and microorganisms live in the lake. They guys were more than happy to let me put on waders and collect a sample.

I took the sample, as well as a Secchi disk measurement. Both were simple to do; but it was a great way to spend a day learning more about some of the things we talked about in my "Sustainable Ecosystems" class.

As far as accomplishments at Better Farm, I have to say my greatest achievement has been the farm and gardens themselves. These encompass so much of my experience here. I learned a great amount about composting, as well as which plants work better together than others. I have learned to look at everything, no matter how useless it may seem, with the idea that it can be implemented in some way.

Overall I am proud to know that what I have done will feed the not only the people here at the Farm, but others in the area who want to have fresh, locally grown food.

Originally published at Joe's Blog.

Eating Healthier at Better Farm

Learning to eat healthy is a big change for someone who used to eat fast food every day. Switching from eating

BK Stackers

to

Boca Burgers

; from boxed or canned food to fresh veggies and fruit; from drinking more than a 12-pack of soda daily to juice and water: Changes like these help a person lose weight and feel better mentally and physically.

I recently went back to Iowa for a family reunion and party for friends I hadn't seen in a while. I made a healthy dish for each; ones that were simple but delicious. I was nervous about making the food, but they were a hit! Check out my recipes after the jump.

Brussels Sprouts and Asparagus

1 cup asparagus

2 cups brussels sprouts

1 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced

Lemon juice and sea salt to taste

Serves 4

Cut the stems off the brussels sprouts and chop them in half. Cut the last 1/2 inch from the asparagus. Add them to the skillet. Once browned, add the sun-dried tomatoes and season everything with the lemon juice and salt. 

Spinach and Tomato-Basil Wraps

4 spinach wraps

1 Tomato, sliced

4-6 large pieces of lettuce or spinach, chopped

Spicy and honey mustard, to taste

Serves 4

Spread the mustard thinly on wraps. Add lettuce and tomatoes, and roll. Cut into thirds and secure with toothpicks.

Eating healthy is hard, and switching over takes a lot of commitment and support. I know one of my problems was not knowing exactly what would go well with what. I'm learning new recipes daily and enjoy seeing what other people choose as a favorite. Feel free to leave comments with your own favorite recipes—we're always looking to try new things out at the Farm!

Until next time,

Take care and live happy and healthy!

Inspiration Station: DIY plastic bottle kayak

Forget signal flares and coconut radios. Next time you're stranded on a desert island (which will inevitably have washed-ashore trash on its beaches), utilize the empty plastic bottles around you and save yourself.

This kayak, built for a recycled boat race, is significantly cheaper than the ones featured at your local outdoors store, a great conversation piece, and a wonderful study in recycling. Learn how to make your own

here.

Many thanks to Ali Carter for tipping us off to this DIY plastic bottle kayak

.

Field Trip to County Fair

The oldest, continuously operating fair in America took Watertown by storm July 13 through 18. What better family field trip could there be?

We managed to swing through the Jefferson County Fair on the same evening Alan Jackson was playing, which only added to the excitement and hysteria. The Better Farm crew hit all the scariest rides, played all the toughest games, and defied the largest crowds we've seen on this side of the North Country. See the full photo album, along with the other shenanigans of Summer 2010, here.

Farm Life Meets Pottery

Today marks the start of week 3 of farm life for me. My first two weeks have provided many amazing experiences, from cliff jumping to yoga to private islands to photography. Yes, all of this from a farm! Not only am I here at Better Farm as an artist resident, I also attended a couple workshops, and participate in what I refer to as “farm life,” which includes chores around the house, helping to feed the masses, and soaking in the simplicity of a life removed from the clamor of the city.

As a full-time teacher, I’m trying to make the most of my time here to focus on another love of my life, pottery. I brought with me a propane-fueled raku kiln, which was converted from electric. And what a find this kiln was! Only $25 at a yard sale…always keep an eye out for old kilns, which can easily be restored with new parts or converted for raku. The beast still needs some work, but I am very excited to experiment with the mysterious world of raku, as it produces some of the most stunning glaze effects I’ve found.

 
I work on my pottery in an old barn at the farm. I’ve found the open air and quiet surroundings allow for an atmosphere of mind wandering that serves me well. I have been hand-building all my pieces because I didn’t bring my newly purchased wheel. Hand building takes significantly longer than just throwing a piece on the wheel, but I enjoy making sculptural creatures of various sorts, and slab building more functional pieces.

I took pictures of all my greenware after my first experience attempting to fire my kiln. As I struggled to get the propane to oxygen ratio right, I occasionally heard some loud popping going on inside. I hoped it was just some debris igniting. After the wind blew out my flame, and I determined some major modifications were needed to fire properly, I gave up. When I opened the lid I was very disappointed to learn that the popping noise was, in fact, some of my work shattering to pieces. Fortunately anything I spent significant time on was safe. I know what errors I made, so even though the first firing attempt was a failure, I learned a lot from the experience.

I was very happy to find that there is a pottery studio only about a mile down the street, Dragonfly Pottery. I went to visit with Ann Donovan, a local art teacher and potter, who seems very knowledgeable about all aspects of pottery after 18 years of experience. I will be spending some time at her studio, using her wheels, kilns, clay and tools, as well as learning more about mixing glazes.

I look forward to seeing where my mind and hands wander, and what creations result. Soon I’ll also share more about the amazing workshop experiences I’ve had here at Better Farm.

Intern Files: End of week seven

By Joe Pintaudi

I have learned a great amount of respect for people who labor for what they bring to the table every day. It is easy to go to the store and buy something that I may eat or may throw away, but to toil away in the dirt and bring something out of the ground while trying to put back something that will help this process continue for as long as there is someone to continue the cycle.

I am getting ready to end what has been an amazing experience and a great summer; and really, in many ways, everything about coming here has been surprising. I will leave with pride in knowing that what I did will help to feed the people in this small community of mixed ideas and views. I have been surprised at how welcome the people here at the Farm and in the town of Redwood have been. All summer long we have been guided by the experience of others who want to see this succeed. Their experience has been helpful to ours, and what we have learned from them as well as on our own will someday be passed on to others who want to try and make things Better.

Originally posted at Joe's Blog.

Intern Files: Week seven

By

Joe Pintaudi

At the beginning of this week, there is more productivity in the garden. We are starting to see some

zucchini

coming in and the

peppers

are doing pretty well. Our

onions

appear to be pretty big on the surface and the same can be said about the

carrots

.

Yesterday I made an

organic pesticide

and used it on some of the greens. It’s a pretty simple mixture. I used three jalapeno peppers, one clove of garlic, a small amount of dish soap, and about four cups of water.

After putting all of these ingredients in a container, I used a hand-held blender to mix everything really well. After the mix sat for about two hours, I used a strainer to separate the liquid from the solids and placed the liquid into a pump sprayer and added about a gallon of water.

This is a pretty simple and organic way to keep insects from eating your garden before you can. According to the advice I found online, it should be sprayed couple of days and after it rains.  Also remember to use a clean sprayer.  I washed the one I found out three times before I used it just to make sure that no unwanted chemicals got into the mix.

Originally published at

Joe's Blog.

Within the Mystery: Better Farm holds yoga workshop

Better Farm from July 9-11 hosted "Within the Mystery," a weekend-long yoga retreat led by Los Angeles-based Danielle Marie Gutshall of The Conscious Canopy.

With students from as far as York, Penn., and Brooklyn, N.Y., the fresh air and quiet loft space of Better Farm's barn were welcomed reliefs from the everyday buzz of city and suburban life.

"I really liked the outdoor space and the people," one yoga student wrote. "It was beautiful here and a great place to relax and reflect," said another.

"Within the Mystery" combined a spectrum of events to bring students deeper within their selves. Those in attendance practiced a blend of yoga (Kripalu meets Kundalini), breathwork, guided relaxation, and a taste of shamanic journeying.

Photos from the workshop after the jump!

Danielle Marie Gutshall is an interdisciplinary artist, yoga instructor, Reiki Master, and childbirth specialist.  She currently resides in Los Angeles ,where she guides new families as a birth and postpartum doula and a Birthing from Within Mentor.  She is also passionate about nature, shamanism, storytelling, ritual and archetypes, and where they meet and merge. She has studied with mentors such as Hank Wesselman, Jill Kuykendall, Pam England, Susun Weed, Saul David Raye, Gurmukh Khalsa, and Guru Singh.  For more information check out www.theconsciouscanopy.net.

All photos by Emily McCombs

Intern Files: End of week six

By Joe Pintaudi

Since my last post things have slowed down a bit, mainly due to what I think was a mild case of heat exhaustion and dehydration. I had no energy for about a day and a half.  It was a warm week here, and I think I just lost track and didn't drink enough water.

I did manage to get out and help clean out the loose hay in the top of the barn.  There was a yoga instructor who came up for the weekend to teach a workshop, and they needed the space.  Turns out that with all that hay off the floor it could be a pretty functional room for larger gatherings in the future.

We tried to make use of the hay. Some was used for ground cover in the garden: It helps keep the weeds down between the rows, and provides a more solid surface to walk on after a rain.

The weather is nice again.  After the rain on Friday, the temperature decreased.  Today was a relaxing day, and I am feeling much better. I even went out for a long swim, which I feel good about now—but about half way through I was really thinking it was a bad idea.

There is something really great about the water here that I can’t really find the words to describe.  My advice would be to just come here and experience it for yourself.

Originally posted on Joe's Blog.

Intern Files: Week six

By Joe Pintaudi

It's warmed up in the last few days. Actually, it has been quite hot.

I realize it is not as hot as Phoenix, but with the humidity I think this heat may be worse.  I find solace in that, according to the locals, the heat is above normal and usually there are only a few days during the summer during which it is this uncomfortable.

After a good holiday weekend, things have gotten back to normal around Better Farm. The garden continues to grow, and we've been able to harvest and eat some of the produce. It is a rewarding feeling to know that you are consuming something that your hands helped create.

We have started to notice that there are little black and red bugs that we think are eating some of our plants.  Although we have not lost any plants to this, I would like to find a natural way to keep these guys from continuing to eat what we hope to eat or sell in the near future.


I do not really know how governments can help or hinder the sustainable cause. I suppose in some countries (mainly Europe) the issue has been at the forefront of development.  This does not seem to be the case in the United States. It seems like things have gained a bit of momentum in the last 10 years; but where there is a great amount of talk, there seems to be very little action.  Privately it can be helpful to people looking to receive subsidies for alternative energy systems—but that is only helpful to those who can afford to cover the remainder of the cost. What about the rest of the population, still relying mainly of fossil fuels to meet energy demands?

Sometimes doing the right thing gets lost in political deals and public opinions.  Because of constant power shifts, I think the government will be slow to act on providing people with answers and solutions in this area. I think the people will slowly have to realize that they have the power to change things and it will begin on a small scale without significant help from the powers that be.

Originally published at Joe's Blog.

Residency Files: Better Farm reflections

By Colleen Blackard

Just concluded my residency at Better Farm!  Click here to see some of the work I created during my stay.  The  work I created was a reflection on my time at the farm.

I was greatly influenced by the tranquil landscape, the night sky, the trips out on the many lakes in the region, and the people I met along the way.  It was an incredibly enriching experience.


Originally published at Colleen's blog, Artistically Inspired.

July 4th Weekend in the Thousand Islands Region

The biggest weekend all summer by far in the Thousand Islands region is July 4th. With fireworks in Clayton, Alexandria Bay, and several surrounding towns; and endless recreational activities on the St. Lawrence River and lakes in and around Redwood, it's a block of days packed with fun and high-seas adventure.

Even at its busiest, the Thousand Islands maintain a relaxed atmosphere (no Jersey Shore traffic or crowded beaches of Cape Cod, thankyouverymuch). We had perfect weather this year, and got to enjoy all the area has to offer—from cruising the lakes and river, to dining along Canada's shores, to gorgeous fireworks displays against a backdrop of trees and open water.

Photos by Carina Molnar

Better Farm Holds First Art Opening

Better Farm on July 3 hosted an art opening for the education center's first artist-in-residence, Colleen Blackard.

Colleen stayed at the farm throughout June to work on a series of pieces dealing in galaxy and landscape drawings.

More photos after the jump!

See more of Colleen's work here.