Meat and Eggs: Mace Chasm Farm

     Mace Chasm Farm, located in Keeseville NY, is a paradise of classic red and gray farm houses. The fields around the farm are lush and green, looking especially fertile for Adirondack soil. Behind the farm loom several mountains that I have yet to learn the names of, and at night the rooftops catch the rays of sunset over the hills. It is enchanting.

My family wandering through the farm

     Courtney and Asa started Mace Chasm Farm and have kept it running together for several years. They raise cattle, sheep, chickens, and pigs, selling the meat and eggs to farmer's markets as well as special events and even from their own Butcher Shop on the farm. It may be hard to think about raising animals to be butchered, but I've walked through the field of this farm and seen the enclosures, and I believe there could never be a happier or healthier cow or sheep. The place is beautiful, expansive, and the animals are treated and fed well. The sheep in particular are also incredibly friendly. When you climb over their fence to greet them they all hurry up to you and start jumping onto your knees to nuzzle and lick your face. It was a hilarious but wonderful experience.

    The cows are also healthy and beautiful. They have a wide area to roam and graze (though Mace Chasm practices rotational grazing to be have less impact on the environment). Sometimes they wander even farther than the farmers would like. One year when I was visiting, one calf got out of its fence and proceeded to walk right though the farm buildings, scaring the couple free range chickens that were pecking around the gardens. Two other animals that can be seen on the farm are Torch and Lantern, the two livestock guardian dogs (Great Pyrenees). The two dogs, besides being very sweet and cuddly, take turns protecting each group of animals from predators like foxes, coyotes, and birds of prey. One will spend the day or night with the pigs while the other chills with the chickens, for example. They are certainly counted among the workers of the farm and are also part of the family (as can be seen in the below picture from their website, taken by a good friend of mine).

Asa and Courtney with either Torch or Lantern... I can't remember which is which!

      Another wonderful fact about Mace Chasm Farm is that they participate in CSA, Community Supported Agriculture. As stated on their website:

"Community Supported Agriculture is a system in which consumers pay farmers ahead of time for food they will receive later, thus helping their farmers prepare for the year with some slow-season capital for buying seeds & livestock. In return, customers get a good price from the farmer, and a consistent stock of in-season products."

This is a wonderful way to create a strong connection with the land an people around the farm. Customers buy shares in certain amounts of various meats. Their whole process can be found here, spelled out for those interested. They also have a self-serve Butcher Shop where customers can grab pre-cut and packaged sausages or cuts of beef from a fridge, leaving the money in a tin.

    As mentioned before, Mace Chasm Farm participates in several events every week, especially during the summer. They work with Sugar House Creamery, a dairy farm in Upper Jay, to host a public dinner called "Supper Jay". They also work with various other farms in their area to host taco and burger nights. These events started off as just the farmers hanging out after a long week, maybe bringing a couple friends. Now, a couple hundred people show up for the dinners. I went to a "taco night" that took place at The Ausable Brewing Company, where they have a huge pavilion filled with picnic benches. Mace Chasm Farm had their food truck pulled up and people were lined up to buy their delicious tacos. My family and friends found some lucky open seats and gathered around, cradling our tacos and sipping our Ausable beer. The crowd chattered as the sun went down; friends catching up, farmers seeing how the others' crops were growing, kids running around, dogs gobbling up scraps. It felt like home, a real, solid community event based on local food from local small businesses, and Mace Chasm was helping to make it possible. I most certainly recommend stopping by if you're ever in Keeseville. 

Taco Night! 

Photos by myself

Adirondack Red Wings

            Growing up playing hockey you always remember the rinks that you got a chance to play in.  Whether it was because there was a good restaurant around the corner to look forward to after the game, or that it was a large arena with championship banners hanging from the rafters that made you feel as though you were in the big show.  I remember making the trip to play against the Adirondack Hockey Club in the Glens Falls Civic Center when I was just a peewee.  Unknown to those outside the hockey community, this arena was home to the little brother of the Detroit Red Wings a program that knows a thing or two about winning from top to bottom.

            The Adirondack Red Wings were founded in 1979 and quickly became the heart and soul of Glens Falls and the Adirondack region.  Posting an average attendance of about 4,500 fans a night the Glens Falls Civic Center was the place to be when the Adirondack winter rolled around.  Thanks to the Detroit Red Wings supplying the roster with many veterans the team was extremely successful, making the playoffs 19 out of 20 years, and winning the Calder Cup four times.  Adirondack locals were able to watch the NHL stars of tomorrow and even some previous stars that were rehabilitating an injury.  Recognizable names that pulled the red and white Adirondack sweater over their heads include NHL hall of famer Adam Oates, 1990 3^rd overall draft pick Keith Primeau, NHL enforcer’s Bob Probert and Joey Kocur, and better known for his hairstyle than his hockey statistics, NHL network commentator Barry Melrose (hockeydb.com).

            All that’s left of the Wings are former players who have decided to make the Adirondacks their home.  Many teams from all levels of professional hockey have moved in and out of the Glen Falls Civic center since the Wings relocated in 1999.  The region is happy to welcome the Adirondack Thunder of the East Coast Hockey League for the 2015-2016 season. Hopefully they can live up to their predecessors’ success and bring some wins back to the Civic Center for the Adirondack hockey fans.

Cited

Hockeydb.com

Photos

Stadiumjourney.com

Theahl.com

wikipedia

House Training

Two weekends ago I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit the Mountain House for a second time (if you guys thought it was drop dead gorgeous before, check out the backyard view during peak leaf time!).  

The beautiful backyard view (Photo credit: Laura Kwasnoski)

In between adventures to the backyard brook and consumption of delicious local food, our Ecology class took part in a round-table discussion.  A member of the Wildlife Conservation Society spoke about a topic that is incredibly relevant to this class: ex-urbanization and development of the Adirondacks.  We can recall from past readings Bill McKibben’s disgust at the hyper-individualism of extravagant homeowners who plop their McMansions into pristine wildlife.  Clearly, this is not the proper way to develop land in the Adirondacks, so what is?  

Here are some steps provided by a Wildlife Conservation Society brochure that home builders can take to ensure that their houses leave the smallest ecological footprints:

1. Be aware that your house will have an impact on the environment that extends beyond just the developed land. Impacts from development can “extend away from the house, up to 600 feet,” and certain factors like noise, roaming pets, and nighttime lighting can create a “wildlife shadow” of 15-30 acres!
2. When you landscape, don’t use pesticides on your lawn and be sure to only plant native, non-invasive plants.
3. Build your home closer to your neighbor and keep your driveway short to minimize your “wildlife shadow” as much as possible.
4. Protect the valuable natural features on your land like vernal pools and snags that provide habitat for animals.
5. Minimize outdoor lighting, because this can be “disorienting to wildlife and adversely affect animals.”
6. Clean your grill often and don’t leave garbage out overnight.  Both of these things can attract bears and other animals.

These are only a few of the many steps that home builders can take to ensure they develop the land in the best way possible.  Ex-urban housing highlights reoccurring issues faced by this incredibly unique park such as the strain between public versus private land and the struggle for humans to live harmoniously with nature.

Sources:

Wildlife Conservation Society. "Make Room for Wildlife: A Resource for Landowners in the Northern Forest." 2013. Print.

Adirondack Photography

In class this week we discussed Adirondack art and the changing styles and themes overtime. The beautiful depictions of the scenery most likely attracted a lot of people to the region. Unlike the paintings, which artists sometimes manipulated to depict the idealized version of the Adirondacks, early photography was not something that could be altered. It captured the true version of the sight. In the early twentieth century photography became another mechanism in which to attract people to the Adirondacks.

One early Adirondack photographer was Henry M. Beach. He was a New York photographer that documented the Adirondack region in the first quarter of the twentieth century. Beach was a local to the world that he photographed. He grew up in the area and was therefore familiar with the people and the geography of the region. He first offered his services as a portrait photographer, and then as an advertiser for local businesses. Postcards eventually became on of his specialties. He produced thousands of postcards, which were sold to hotel managers and shop owners, contributing to the tourism in the region. Beach wanted to document the changes that faced his region at the time, such as the arrival of commercialism and new technologies. He thought it was best to capture these ideas through documenting the common man, choosing to focus on the daily lives of the people. He photographed the manual laborers in the logging camps and factories. Along with his images of great camps came images of modest homes and small family owned businesses. Beach embraced the new technologies and often incorporated it into his photography. Below are a few of his photographs that depict daily lives of the people in the region.

A Busy Day at Harrisville, NY (1911)

Blue Berry Pickers waiting for the train, Mt. View, NY (1912)

Works Cited:

Bogdan, Robert, and Henry M. Beach. Adirondack Vernacular: The Photography of Henry M. Beach. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse UP, 2003. Online book.

Photos from:

http://www.luminous-lint.com/app/photographer/Henry_M__Beach/C/1/

Fishing in the Adirondacks

            After reading Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It, I, like many others, thought of the West with its monstrous rivers as the only destination for fly fishermen. During my first year at Hamilton, my perception grew into longing as a good friend of mine returned from a Montana fishing excursion with photos of National Geographic caliber. The only fishing I had done at that point had been on tiny ponds in Western Mass or deep-sea trips miles off the coast. My friend’s immersion in the majesty of the Western rivers sounded incomparable to either of my experiences. Of course, it’s also much more difficult to attain. However, upon doing some research, I’m realizing I may be in luck as some of the grandeur of the Montana experience can be found and possibly surpassed in our backyard here in the Adirondacks. 

Fisherman in the Adirondacks

http://www.flyfisherman.com/northeast/new-york/adirondack-park/

            The Au Sable River is the Adirondack fishing scene’s crown jewel. Its deep, brisk waters cascade over various rock formations to create a series of pockets that are said to house the best trout (Get Close). Fishermen from all over the world flock to this river as soon as the season opens on April 1^st (Get Close). Although plenty of veterans expertly dance their flies along the water, there is room enough for beginners too. The accessibility certainly helps bolster the surrounding area’s economy as many of the river-goers retire for food and lodging after the day is done.

There’s a certain element to fly fishing itself that draws the fishermen into wild places such as the Adirondacks. It is an indescribable type of meditative feeling that comes from the borderline hypnotic rhythm of the cast. When done to the soundtrack of a flowing river, constant in its rush, it’s enough to pull one into something resembling a trance. While hearing the water flow by, one also feels its weight tugging the bottom half and must firmly root the feet into the riverbed. This literal integration forces one to become a part of the scene around them, all the while continuing the same repetitive motion of the cast. It’s the perfect activity for the theme of the wilderness, and it does not require a trip out West.

Works Cited

Get Close. "Adirondack Fly Fishing." WhiteFace Region.Web. <http://www.whitefaceregion.com/recreation/fishing/fly-fishing>.

Teddy Roosevelt and the ADK

            Known as The Rough Rider, Theodore Roosevelt, commonly referred to as Teddy, was an avid naturalist and outdoorsmen. Additionally, he was the 26^th president of the United States, known for his commitment to break up large corporations and conserve natural resources. While Teddy tackled the necessity to spend time and energy on economic, political, and social issues that plagued the nation in the early 20^th century, he thoroughly enjoyed challenging issues that faced our environment and relaxing in the very nature that he fought to conserve. 

            Teddy first visited the Adirondacks at the age of 12, visiting Lake George and becoming mesmerized by the beauty of the region. He came back throughout his teenage years, with the assistance of a guide, to backpack, bird watch, collect plants, hunt, and relax. He even published a book on his observations of birds in the region during his college years. Despite his fondness for the region, he is better known for his journey to the presidency from the top of the park’s highest peak.

            On September 6^th, 1901, William McKinley, acting president of the United States, was shot at a reception in Buffalo. Upon learning of the assassination attempt, Teddy made his way from Lake George to Buffalo to accompany McKinley. On September 10^th, McKinley seemed to be on the way to a full recovery, so Teddy left Buffalo to join the rest of his family back in the Adirondacks. On September 12^th, the Roosevelt’s and several hired guides made the journey up Mount Marcy, however, while on the hike, a local guide came to tell Teddy that McKinley was dying and he needed to travel to Buffalo to take the oath of office if and when McKinley passed. Teddy travelled down the mountain with the guide and by wagon to the nearest train station 35 miles away. Because of the rotating wagons and horses, Teddy made it to the train station in record-breaking time. Upon his arrival at the station, he learned of President McKinley’s death and proceeded to Buffalo, ultimately arriving around midday on the 14^th and becoming inaugurated soon after.

            While the story of Teddy’s journey from Mount Marcy to the presidency may be his most well known story involving the Adirondacks, his love for the region and conservation efforts should not go unnoticed. Teddy has exclaimed that his conservation efforts are his proudest achievement, as he established the United States Forest Service, created numerous national parks, bird reserves, game reserves, and national monuments. It is important to remember that despite all of Teddy’s other accomplishments and his hectic schedule, he still made an effort to return to the Adirondacks to relax, illustrating the park’s natural tranquility and beauty.