Idea Roundup: Divine farmhouse bedroom designs

The fog over the water this morning was a crystal-clear sign that autumn is fast approaching. So even though the garden's still in full swing and the sun is out, I figured this is as good a time as any to start crafting Better Farm's winter plans. Colder weather around here means a break from outside construction projects and a commencement of interior design work. With that in mind, here's a look at some design ideas I've been kicking around for guest bedrooms:

Lots to think about as we consider new design ideas for the intern room, loft, attic loft, and additional bedrooms in the house...

For information on lodging at Better Farm,

click here

.

Bill Johnston's Pirate Days: Swashbuckly Pillaging in A Bay Near You

Aaargh!

The lore of Dread Pirate Bill Johnston lives yet again in Alexandria Bay, where we celebrate for the zillionth time the legacy of

this guy:

Thousand Islands' most dreaded pirate was the notorious smuggler and War of 1812 privateerBill Johnston. Dubbed the man the British most wanted to hang, fortunes were blown on the pursuit of Johnston as he was hunted by United States and Canadian authorities.

His most notorious project was the May 30, 1838, attack on the passenger steamer Sir Robert Peel (which was docked at Wellesley Island on the St. Lawrence River). Johnston ordered his men to loot the ship and burn it, which they did while chanting "Remember the Caroline." Johnston eventually surrendered to United States authorities.

So of course it stands to reason that almost 200 years later, we'd create a holiday in honor of this guy.

Hey, it worked for Christopher Columbus.

Events officially started on Friday, but you can get your pirate on any day this week. Here's the full run-down of scheduled outlaw activities, courtesy of the

Alexandria Bay Chamber of Commerce

(feel free to make your own!):

Friday, August 12th:

5:30pm:  Pirate Magic Show by Jason the Entertainer @ the Entertainment Tent

6:30pm:  Balloon sculpting @ Entertainment Tent�

8:00pm: Block Dance by Upper James Street dock…. “Bad Husbands Club”

Saturday, August 13th:

8:00am-1:00pm…Vote for the BEST DECORATED BOAT at the Village Dock

10:00am…Children Boats, Treasure Chest, & Cannon Crafts @ Park Pavilion;

11:30am…Children Parade Lineup @ the Scenic View Park; 11:45am…Children Parade through Village; 1:00pm…Capture of the Pirate Scouting Party @ Uncle Sam Boat Tours;

2:00pm…PIRATE INVASION

;

4:30pm…Balloon Sculpting thoughout the Village

Sunday, August 14th:

12:00pm…Pirate Skit @ Cavallario Bayside;

12:30pm…Buried Treasure @ Scenic View Park Beach;�

3:00pm…Duck Races to benefit Minor Hockey Assn @ Scenic View Park

Monday, August 15th:

10:00am…Little Pirate Adventure Cruise on Uncle Sam Boat Tours;

11:00am…Fight a Pirate @ Scenic View Park;

1:00pm…Tales from Remikreh (archaic weapons demonstration @Scenic View Park;

2:00…Reptile Exhibition @ Entertainment Tent;

3:15pm…Pirate Skit @ Uncle Sam Boat Tours;�

4:15pm…Pirate Skit @ Cavallario Bayside;

5:00pm…Balloon Sculpting throughout Village

Tuesday, August 16th:

10:00am…Little Pirate Adventure Cruise on Uncle Sam Boat Tours;

11:00am…Fight a Pirate @ Scenic View Park Pavilion;

12:00pm..Tales from Remikreh weapon demonstration @ Scenic View Park;

1:00pm…Tales from Remikreh @GO-KART 500

3:15pm…Pirate Skit @ Uncle Sam Boat Tours;

4:15pm…Magic Show w/Obie Obrien @ Entertainment Tent;

5:00pm…Pirate Skit @ Cavallario Bayside;

Wednesday, August 17th:

10:00am…Little Pirate Adventure Cruise on Uncle Sam Boat Tours;

11:00am…Fight a Pirate @ Scenic View Park;

12:00pm…Tales from Remikreh weapons demonstration @ Scenic View Park;

1:00pm…Tales from Remikreh @Mazeland;

3:15pm…Pirate Skit @ Uncle Sam Boat Tours;

4:15pm…Pirate Skit @ Cavallarios Bayside;

5:30pm…Balloon Sculpting throughout Village

7:00pm…Concert in the Park @ Scenic View Park….featuring Double Barrell Blues Band

Thursday, August 18th:

10:00am…Little Pirate Adventure Cruise on Uncle Sam Boat Tours;

11:00am…1st Mate Competition w/Tales From Remikreh @ Scenic View Park;

1:00pm…Tales from Remikreh archaic weapons demonstration @ Scenic View Park;

3:15pm…Pirate Skit @ Uncle Sam Boat Tours;

4:15pm…Magic Show by Obie Obrien @ Entertainment Tent;

5:00pm…Pirate Skit @ Cavallario Bayside

Friday, August 19th:

10:00am…Little Pirate Adventure Cruise on Uncle Sam Boat Tours;

11:00am…Pirate Tournament (Tales of Remikreh) @ Scenic View Park;

12:00pm…Tales from Remikreh weapons demonstration @ Scenic View Park;

1:00pm…Reptile Exhibition @ Entertainment Tent;�

3:15pm…Pirate Skit @ Uncle Sam Boat Tours;

4:15pm…Pirate Skit @ Cavallarios Bayside;

6:00pm…Dancing Bear Puppet Theatre presents “Littlest Pirate”      

www.thepuppets.com

8:00pm…Block Dance on James Street between Skiffs & Downtown @ 11 James….”String of Pearls”

Brockville Infantry Encampment on Casino Island

Saturday, August 20th:

10:00am…Childrens Boat, Treasure Chests, & Cannon Crafts @ Scenic View Park Pavilion;

11:00am…Childrens Parade Lineup at Scenic View Park;

11:30am…Children Parade throughout Village;

1:00pm…Capture of Pirate Scouting Party@ Uncle Sam Boat Tours;

2:00pm: PIRATE INVASION

;

3:30pm…Dancing Bear Puppert Theatre presents “The Littlest Pirate”       

www.thepuppets.com

6:00pm….Melanie Zimmer Storytime    

www.thepuppets.com

Sunday, August 21st:

11:00am…Live Drill & Demonstration by The Brockville Infantry by Upper James Street docks

2:00pm…Bill Johnstons Pirate Days Grand Parade (school, to Walton, to Church, to Market and back to school)

3:00pm…Parade Winners Announced

Successful Summer Festival Plays on the Power of Collaborative Art

The North Country Arts Council's annual Summer Arts Festival on Saturday in Watertown featured dozens of artisans and several collaborative art activities, including a community mural hosted by the betterArts division of Better Farm.

All-day events at the festival included Plein Air Artists at work, an instrument petting zoo, Kid at HeART Tent, live demonstrations, art vendor sales, an author tent, and food vendors.  Over at Better Farm's table, we set up a blank canvas, which last summer gained some fish, underwater creatures, and vegetation courtesy of artists Scott Mueller (on betterArts' board) and Mark Dilks (former betterArts resident):

Once the canvas was stretched, the paints were laid out, and our literature on the betterArts residency program and Better Farm sustainability internship were fanned across the table, we were ready to begin.

While visitors stopped in to lend a hand with the mural, others down the block worked on a sidewalk-chalking contest; thereby rounding out collaborative activities throughout the day. The benefits of collaborative art for young children (and adults!) is well-documented. Focusing as part of a whole reduces a sense of competition between artists; while also bringing a group together to focus on a common goal.

These sensibilities tie perfectly in with betterArts' mission, to increase accessibility to the arts in the North Country for all people. Whether a professional painter or toddler who loves to dip his or her hands in paint, we believe art is truly for everyone—and that the simple act of art for art's sake has the power to transform and improve lives.

Here are pictures of progress made on the group mural:

Many thanks to Soon Kai Poh, Tyler Howe, Kristen Caldwell, Jeff Krusel, and Nicole Caldwell for running Better Farm's table at the arts festival. Thanks to Scott Mueller for the canvas, Scott Mueller and Mark Dilks for drawing the outlines on the canvas, and Mike Brown for donating paints and brushes.

Summer Arts Festival Tomorrow in Watertown's Public Square

Click on flier for larger viewing size.

North Country Arts Council's annual Summer Arts Festival at Public Square is slated from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. tomorrow, Aug. 13, in Watertown.

Better Farm and betterArts will be at the event with literature about our upcoming events, artist residencies, internship program, and membership opportunities. We will also have a large canvas out for a collaborative, day-long art project with the public.

Here's the schedule for tomorrow's events:

Schedule Of Events

Dance Circle Center Square
Cartoon Friends Dance Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10:00
Rhonda’s Footeworks Dance Demos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12:00
Pre-School Dance Jam  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2:00
Gazebo
River Winds, Wind Ensemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11:00
Gary Waltz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:30
Big Band Tent East Square
T’ai Chi Demos with Ann Halback . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10:00
Dan Hammond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 11:30
Arrythmias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1:00
T’ai Chi Demos with Ann Halback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:15
Tas Cru Blues Band . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:00
Oceans Below . . . . . . . .  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:00
Footeworks Studio
Free Zumba . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1:00
Family Fun Dance Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:00
Free Hip Hop class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3:30
Franklin Arcade
Author Reading and Storytelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  10:15 - 12:45
Talking With…by Jane Martin 11 Monologues for Women . . . . 1:00
Author Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2:30 - 4:00
Arts On The Square
Historical Preservation Exhibit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . All Day
Oceans Below . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2:00 - 3:45
Plein Air Judging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  2:30
Plein Air Art Work Auction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2:30 - 4:00
Jefferson County Historical Society
Art History Exhibit  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10:00 - 4:00
Throughout Public Square
Stardust         2:00 - 3:00
All Day Fun includes Street Painting, Plein Air Artists at work,
Instrument Petting Zoo, Kid at HeART Tent, Better Farm
Community Mural, Live Demonstration

Here's a map of vendors who will be in attendance (click on graphic for larger viewing size):

This event is made possible, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Program, administered in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties by the St. Lawrence County Arts Council.

Waterjug Raga and Other Mikedelic Musings

Mike's beloved Doors project.

Better Farm's own Mike Brown, a permanent artist-in-residence (also our founder Steve Caldwell's nephew), is a staple here on the grounds. His artistic vision, music, and commitment to this space are  so natural, it's easy to take it for granted that he's busy creating 24 hours a day.

One of Mike's robots, sculpted, painted, bedazzled, and assembled using found objects on the property.

In recent weeks he's become increasingly absorbed by the old bus on the property, where he escapes to create and record music and video work. Late last night, he and fellow artist-in-residence Eric Drasin got together to jam, Eric on waterjug percussion and Mike on guitar...

eric drasin plays waterjug percussion with me on the bus as i riff out some eastern style drone stuff on my guitar. a rare live improv instrumental with genuine cricket sounds.

Click here to take a listen!

Here's an abridged list of some of Mike's other recent recordings:

Hollow Bones


Apocalyptic Apricot


Paisley Paramecium


Buddha Blues


To keep up with Mike and his creations, visit his blog here; or check out the latest music and videos on YouTube. For more information about the betterArts residency and to apply, click here.

Best Mosquito Killer on the Block

Black and Yellow Argiope, photo/Nicole Caldwell

There's any number of ways to eradicate pests, fertilize your plants, or prevent bug bites. Unfortunately, most of these options include harmful chemicals that are about as far away as you can get from keeping yourself safe and healthy. The practice of Permaculture, on the other hand, models human settlements and agricultural systems on relationships found in natural ecologies.

Permaculture methods are near and dear to our hearts at Better Farm; where we do all we can to encourage natural systems to do most of our dirty work (mulch gardening, companion planting, clothesline drying, rainwater harvesting, and so on. We're even looking into starting up a small beekeeping station near the garden to encourage bumble bees to pull up a chair and stay a while.

So my discovery last week of an ENORMOUS Black and Yellow Argiope taking up residence on Better Farm's front deck (complete with Fort Knox-esque webbery) led me to inquire a little bit about what kind of magical creature this could be—and what benefits it could be providing for the people here.  A little research by Better Farmer Tyler Howe led us to the following information:

The Black and Yellow Argiope is a common orb web spider. Orb web means it spins a web like a circle. Female spiders are much larger than males, growing almost an inch and a half long (editor's note—the spider on our front deck looks way bigger than 1.5 inches!!). Males grow about 3/4 inch long. Both spiders have a cephalothorax (small front body section) with silver hairs on it. The abdomen (large back section) is egg-shaped with black and yellow coloring. Legs of these spiders are black with red or yellow bands. Each leg has three claws on the end. Black and Yellow Argiopes live in fields and gardens. They can be found on shrubs, tall plants, and flowers. The web of this spider spirals out from the center and can be two feet across. The female builds the large web, and a male will build a smaller web on the outer part of her web. The male's web is a thick zig-zag of white silk.

Adorable. But here's the best part:


Black and Yellow Garden Spiders are harmless to humans. Because they are large, many people fear them; however, not only are they harmless, but they do a lot of good. These spiders eat large amounts of insect pests, such as flies, mosquitoes, and aphids.

Say bye bye bug zapper! Ditch the deet! Off the Off! Okay, okay. It's not like our own little Charlotte is going to remove our need to protect ourselves from the dreaded black flies, mosquitoes, or deer flies. But having friends like her (and our darling Better Farm dragonflies) does make a difference. Just another reason to keep the toxins away from your shrubs and gardens. Spiders like this should have a safe place to live so they can do what they do and, in doing so, help protect you from bug bites.

Between Shadows and Surrealism: The other-worldly works of Jessie Vogel

Shadow inspired by flag on Better Farm's front deck; recreated with hook and fabric sculpture; redrawn with charcoal on white wall.

Jessie Vogel, an MFA student earning her degree in 3-D sculpture at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, lived at Better Farm July 8-Aug. 7 as part of the betterArts residency program.

Her gallery opening Aug. 5 at the farm featured work from her series in shadows. Appearing last week on the local network MyABC50.com, Jessie described her work's surreal qualities.

Likening her shadows series to the sensation she experiences when reading Grimm fairy tales, Jessie called her sculptural pieces "light and fantastical, but... kind of bizarre." Shadows, she says, have an ability to be something that's not concrete; "possibly in this other reality." Jessie's job is to take that non-concrete shadow form and make it into something physical.

For her shadow series, Jessie described the "humorously decadent" process this way: She notices an interesting shadow, brings it into the physical world by essentially "sculpting" it out of found textiles and objects, then transports it back into its shadow world by drawing the shadows on the wall. In this way, Jessie said, she bridges the gap between what's real and unreal and makes that transition fluid.

At her gallery show last week in Better Farm's Art Barn, Jessie displayed several pieces she worked on during her time in Redwood. Here are those pieces, along with images from the event itself:

Swing made with wood pillar and chain found on Better Farm's property, along with sewn pieces of discarded fabric. Jessie left the swing at the Farm for future use by residents.

Soon Kai enjoys the barn swing.

Eric Drasin

The artist, seated next to a swinging Lizzi Musoke. On ground level are Eric Drasin, left, and Mike Brown.

To learn more about Jessie Vogel or to contact her, visit JessieVogel.com. For more information about the betterArts residency program or to apply, click here.

And When the Sky Was Opened...

By Elizabeth Musoke

So, the rain came down pretty hard yesterday afternoon. I was sitting in the house and I peered out of the window. I noticed that the barrel looked a shade darker than it normally did. I thought to myself, "No, way! Could we have collected that much water from one rain shower!?" I rushed downstairs to check it out.

From afar I thought I may have imagined it; maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see...

But upon closer inspection, the water level in the barrel was just above the 12-gallon mark!

Turning the spigot, I let the collected rainwater run through my fingers.

For a small structure with a roof that is pretty steep, and thus has less of a surface area to capture rainwater, I thought this was quite the feat! This water can immediately be utilized for the garden and the greenhouse.

Think of the impact we could have if we all considered having some form of rainwater harvesting on our properties. The Birdhouse collected 12 gallons (from just one side of the roof)—imagine how much your roof could possibly collect (click here to find out!).

Ingredients for a Rainwater Catchment System: The final installment

By Elizabeth Musoke

It felt like Christmas came early this year, as the last screw tightened the downspout into place. We are proud to announce that the rainwater catchment system is up and running! We have never been so excited for it to rain. A special thanks goes out to Mark Huyser for his construction expertise and skills.

Here's how it all went down:

After we traced an outline for the opening, four holes were drilled at each corner, to allow the jigsaw (pictured above) to maneuver around the outline. 

The opening for the downspout.

Cinder blocks were used as a platform to raise the barrel off the ground and provide a stable setting for the barrel.

Soon Kai and Mark placing the spigot in the barrel.

A 3/4 inch hole was drilled into the barrel. The spigot was placed through the hole and reinforced by metal washers, rubber gaskets, and finally tightened by a bolt. The downspout was placed in the opening and insect screens were placed around the opening  to prevent mosquitoes and debris from entering the barrel. 

Et, Voila! 

So now, we have a working rainwater catchment system that can be used to supplement the watering needs of the greenhouse and the garden!  Well done, Team Better Farm!

Local News Network Features Artist-in-Residence Jessie Vogel

A gallery opening celebrating the work of betterArts resident Jessie Vogel is slated for 6-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5, at Better Farm's Art Barn in Redwood. The video clip above shows a preview of that show, as well as an interview with the artist herself. Thanks to MyABC50.com for such a great piece!

A hammock-swing Jessie created on the second floor of Better Farm's Art Barn

Here's Jessie's artist statement:

The inspiration for most of my work comes from my love of textures and the tactile abilities of various mediums. I like using the sense of touch or relating to it, to harness memories and emotions that are personal and fundamental. Memories of loss, feelings of loneliness, and pure frivolity are three of my favorite themes to work into my concepts. I find that the human condition often combines dark emotions with surprisingly light and comical ways in which to express them. The same is true for one of my favorite art forms, folklore. I am fascinated by the way children’s stories and other lore can be surprisingly dark and foreboding but we are left with light and fantastical memories of them. In my work there is the same combination of frivolous fun and serious undertones. At times I use different found materials, often with found and neglected clothing and fabric. My work tends to focus and heighten color. I think colorfulness and brightness can be used in an interesting way to go beyond the aesthetically pleasing. Color can be disturbing and intriguing and I want to explore all of those possibilities.

Hope to see you all at the show!

For more information or to RSVP, please contact (315) 482-2536 or e-mail info@betterarts.org.

'My Carrots Look Like Spiders!' and Other Rooty Tales of Woe

You followed all the rules. You made sure the soil was loosened with fluffy black dirt and maybe even a little sand. You made sure your carrots were watered, and the first day you saw those bright-orange tops poking out of the ground you thought, I've really done it. Then you waited a little while longer, to make sure they were really ready, and you began to pull.

Whoops!

Sure, the spindly, odd-shaped carrots you may have picked still taste delicious (cut up in salads, caramelized, roasted, steamed, or baked); but what went wrong?

Here's a quick cheat-sheet for those of you who are frustrated by trying to grow such a seemingly simple vegetable:

• Know your soil type  If you're planting in clay soil (listen up, North Country!), choose shorter, thicker varieties of carrots. These will be less likely to be deformed as they fight their way through heavy soil.  Round varieties "Chantenay Red Core", "Pariesenne", "Tonda di Parigi", and "Touchon" are all good choices.
• Consider the container   Those of you living in apartments or other places where you don't have an in-ground garden option, don't be intimidated about growing carrots in containers! Just be sure to choose a variety whose length will fit inside the planter you're using. Your container should be at least a few inches deeper than the mature length of the carrot you want to grow (and make sure there's plenty of drainage—carrots will rot in standing water).
• Loosen your soil  Regardless of what kind of soil you have, it's a good idea to loosen it to about one foot deep. Incorporating peat and sand will help to lighten it even more. Make sure rocks and hard dirt clumps are removed.
• Respect thy pH  Carrots love a near-neutral pH level. Those of you with acidic soil should add lime. Be sure not to put too much nitrogen-based fertilizer in with your plants, as this will cause cracked, deformed carrots.
• Plant evenly spaced veggies  Rule of thumb for carrots is to plant them about six inches apart, thinning them when they're large enough to handle (three or four inches apart). One trick to doing this is to use a small pair of pointed scissors to cut the seedlings' stems just below the soil surface. Improperly thinned carrots can mean misshapen veggies later on.
• Don't Transplant!   Carrot seedlings send a long root straight down from seed, which is what eventually becomes the carrot plant. Transplanting seedlings can damage this root stem, resulting in misshapen veggies. While we found some people who've had great success transplanting, as a general rule of thumb it should be avoided.
• Harvesting  Carrots can be pulled when the shoulders are showing above the soil and the root is at least 1/2 inch in diameter. Carrots do well in the soil, so you don't have to be in a rush to pick them. They'll wait patiently!

Have a gardening story to tell, or a question? Contact us at info@betterfarm.org.

New Music Video Produced by betterArts Resident Eric Drasin

A new music video directed and produced in July by Eric Barry Drasin, a current betterArts resident living at Better Farm, was released yesterday on Consequence of Sound's blog.

The video is for the band Rubblebucket's new signle, "L'Homme", which is off the group's new album, Omega La La. The video was shot and edited in Brooklyn, N.Y., and New Jersey:

Rubblebucket - "L'homme" from Consequence of Sound on Vimeo.