Josh Kilmer-Purcell's Blog, page 27
April 7, 2016
The Seed Library
Our friend Ken Greene started the Hudson Valley Seed Library in 2004 while working as a librarian at the Gardiner Public Library in Gardiner, New York. Having developed a strong interest in preserving heirloom seed varieties, he decided to add them to the actual library catalog so that patrons could “check them out,” grow them in their home gardens, and then “return” their own saved seeds at the end of the season. The program was a small but successful endeavor–one of the first of its kind in the country. After four years of running the program at the library, Ken and his partner Doug decided to turn the library into a mission-driven, homestead-based small business–which it still is today.
The heart of the Seed Library is a small farm in Accord, New York, located in the scenic Rondout Valley between the Catskill Mountains and the Shawangunk Ridge (about 1.5 hours from Beekman 1802 Farm). There the team cultivates about three acres of production and trial gardens, produce hundreds of pounds of seed each year, learn about new varieties, and undertake breeding projects in the traditional methods of plant breeders. The farm became Certified Organic in May, 2013.
The Seed Library celebrates the genetic diversity of heirloom varieties by commissioning diverse art works, in diverse media, to put on the seed packs. For the Beekman 1802 collection, artist Cat Morris created the whimsical designs. Cat was discovered as part of the Beekman 1802 Good-“grammer” Project.
Grow along with us! Plant the same seeds that we are planting at Beekman Farm! Click here to get started!
April 4, 2016
April 3, 2016
You Can Do It
c. 1950 A woman drives a McCormick-Deering Farmall C, pulling a wagon of loose hay. Another woman with a hat sits in the hay at the front of the wagon. Photographer: Tony Linck
Last year, we were named to the Board of Trustees of the Farmers’ Museum in Cooperstown, NY. The mission of the museum is to cultivate an understanding of the rural heritage that has shaped our land, communities and American culture.
One of our favorite collections of the museum is the vast photo archive.
Plowline: Images of Rural New York is a collecting initiative. The Farmers’ Museum, with the generous support of the Gipson Family, is actively assembling original photography that documents changes in agricultural practice, rural life and farming families in New York State from the 19th century through the present.
Each week on Beekman 1802 we’ll highlight a photo from the collection that not only depicts where WE come from but where we ALL come from.
To learn more about the museum or plan a visit on your next trip to Sharon Springs, click here
March 28, 2016
Spring Chatter
We’ve lobbied really hard for Garrison Keillor to give up life in Lake Wobegone and move to Sharon Springs, but thus far he has not answered our letters or returned our calls.
Sharon Springs has beautiful people and above-average children, too, so on to Plan B.
What is a small town village without a small town paper to keep track of what everyone is doing?
Nancy Pfau, the town historian, is now editor of our own little paper.
Each month you can check back here for a new issue and follow the lives of the real village people. If you pay a real visit, you may even want to submit a story idea of your own!
You may not live in small town, but at least you can pretend.
March 20, 2016
Name a Baby Goat!
To celebrate our one year anniversary on EVINE Live, when we return this weekend, you’ll get the chance to help Farmer John name some of the newborn baby goats.
On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of this week, each day we’ll post a picture of a baby goat on our Facebook page with the instructions on what letter the name needs to begin with. Farmer John will look through the names you submit and then join us by satellite and announce the winning name live on air! The person whose name is chosen will win a gift certificate from EVINE!
Make sure to follow us on Facebook (@Beekman1802Boys) so that you don’t miss the picture posts.
Hammonds in Hand
March 18, 2016
Five Beautiful Things
The Art of Cut-and-Paste
Collage is a French word, which means “to glue.” In its artistic form, collage is the art of cutting out images from various materials (magazines, old stationery, newspapers, etc.) and then arranging them on a page to create a whole image. It is frequently taught in elementary-school art classes but adults can play along too. If carried out with thought and skill, the effect is often discordant and surreal, challenging the eye as well as the mind. Below are five collages that toy with the boundaries of reality – dreamlike and unusual they take us to places that exist only in the mind.
1. Djuno Tomsni
2. Julien Boucq
3. Mariano Peccinetti
4. Merve Ozaslan
5. Sarah Eisenlohr
March 17, 2016
Glamping at Beekman Farm!
Those of you who know our story and our love for our hometown know that we love any chance to bring a little country to the city and city to the country.
Inspired by the mineral-rich spring waters that once made our small town of Sharon Springs a world-famous spa destination, we developed a line of bath amenities called the White Water Collection that will be exclusively offered in Country Inns hotels across the Americas. The collection combines natural ingredients such as white jasmine and flowering muguet, and is completely free of parabens, paraffin and sulfates, and is packaged in 100 percent recyclable bottles and wrappers. Best of all, unlike most hotel amenities which are produced in China, every little bottle of Beekman 1802 is made fresh in upstate NY.
We believe everybody deserved a little bit of luxury in their day. Our goal when creating this amenity line was to give folks a little bit of luxury with every stay.
Sweepstakes: And, to celebrate our partnership, Country Inns & Suites is offering one lucky person a trip for four to the Sharon Springs Garden Party this Memorial Day Weekend! The contest runs now thru April 30. Visit countrywhitewater.com to learn more and enter. You’ll actually get to stay here at the Beekman Farm in a completely tricked out Country Inns “glamping” tent designed to feel just like one of their cool new rooms.
Click here to enter for a chance to go glamping at Beekman Farm during this year’s Sharon Springs Garden Party Festival
