Nature in the Modern World

             As we have discussed in class, Russell Banks’ Cloudsplitter is filled with detailed descriptions of natural scenery. Just as we did in class, I spent a significant amount of time pondering why Banks would choose to dedicate so many pages to Owen Brown’s surroundings. I feel that Banks’ decision to focus so intently on what Brown sees is indicative of the vastly different lifestyle people led at that time. I mentioned in class that I thought Brown’s focus on nature was possibly due to a lack of distractions, such as phones and computers. However, I believe the more important distinction between how Owen Brown views the world and how people view it in modern times (or at least people at Hamilton) lies in our respective perceptions of how we depend on the land on which we live. I think it is clear that Owen Brown has a far deeper connection to his land than I do to mine, which, if nothing else, is demonstrated by the fact that I do not own land besides my apartment. Owen Brown lives and works on his land, which inherently forces him to be connected to it and everything around it. I, on the other hand, can choose to be completely disconnected from nature. For someone in this day and age, a journey into a natural setting is generally for leisure. This crucial difference in mindset is what I believe truly distinguishes Owen Brown and me, or more broadly, people who lived during Brown’s time and those who are living now, and I feel that it is the reason why Banks elects to have Brown spend so much time describing his surroundings in Cloudsplitter.

             Brown’s focus on nature stirs jealousy in me, because I wish I could be similarly in tune with the natural world. Unfortunately, untouched land, or even lightly used land is exceedingly difficult to find today. It is exciting to imagine the sense of discovery, adventure, and excitement that Brown must have felt at points during his life when he trekked in areas so few people had seen. However, these feelings were likely coupled with fear and trepidation at times, as the natural world was obviously viewed as something far more mysterious than it is today. While people today have the opportunity to feel everything Brown may have felt while in nature, these experiences are less intense almost by default, because the natural world has lost much of its mystery. While this saddens me to some extent, I also try to see the positive side of the situation. The improved understanding humans now have of our world allows us to better protect areas of wilderness. While it is ironic that wild land only needs protection because of the harmful actions of humans, it is nonetheless beneficial that those who care now have a far stronger understanding of how to maintain a wild planet than did those during the time of Owen Brown. The time during which Owen Brown lived to a large extent dictated his connection to the natural world around him, but this intimate connection between humans and nature is something that can still be found and nurtured today. While I believe his constant descriptions of his surroundings demonstrate the difference between himself and the modern individual, I think his focus on nature is something that everyone can still strive to achieve.

Citations:
Banks, Russell. Cloudsplitter. New York, NY: Harper Flamingo, 1998. Print.

The Underground Railroad and the Adirondacks

In Contested Terrain, Terrie discussed the romanticism of the Adirondacks. It became a place for tourists, a place to go to get a break from the stress of a busy life. However, that was clearly not a very common thought a couple hundred years ago. The Adirondacks posed a difficult terrain for not only early settlers attempting to farm, but also fugitive slaves seeking refuge in the north. In class this week we talked a lot about the role of the Adirondacks in the Underground Railroad after reading parts of Cloudsplitter. I honestly had never realized how the region might have been utilized in this way and decided to do some more research on the subject.

            In recent years many historians have started to piece together the hidden passageways and legends of the Underground Railroad in an effort to understand the role of the Adirondacks in the anti-slavery movement in the north. In 2005, the North Star Underground Railroad Historical Association was founded. This association was created to research and preserve the history of the Underground Railroad along the Upper Hudson River-Champlain and Lake Champlain part of northeast New York. There is a museum called the North Star Underground Railroad Museum that has exhibits and success stories about various fugitive slaves that sought passage through the Adirondacks to freedom.

One story that I came across that I found interesting was the story of a slave named John Thomas. He was born into slavery in Maryland and in 1839 managed to escape to the north. He was given 40 acres of land in Franklin Falls from Gerrit Smith, a wealthy abolitionist. Later, he sold that land and bought 50 acres in the Adirondacks near Bloomingdale. By 1872, he owned 200 acres of land. Against all odds and the difficulties facing him, John Thomas was able to find success and freedom in the Adirondacks. Perhaps one of the most remarkable parts of the story is that one researcher—Don Papson—discovered two of John Thomas’ great-great grandsons still living in the Adirondacks today. They are the first Adirondack descendants of fugitive slaves to be identified.

The Adirondacks have been a horizon of hope, holding the potential for success. Despite failures and harsh winters, the earliest farmers held onto the hope that they would find success in the Adirondacks. For fugitive slaves it was a trail to freedom. John Thomas found it was a place to live and succeed, a place where his descendants still live.

Works Cited:

R, “Lighting Freedom’S. “Lighting Freedom’s Road” THE NORTH COUNTRY                           LANTERN (n.d.): n. pag. The Northern Country Lantern. North Country Underground RailroadHistorical Association. Web.   <http://northcountryundergroundrailroad.com/newsletters/Newsletter-Winter-Spring-2006-07.pdf>.

"North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association." North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. <http://www.northcountryundergroundrailroad.com/index.php>.

Legacy in the Adirondacks

Family relations is an overarching theme we have discussed this week regarding Cloudspitter. John Brown, the patriarch, has a commanding influence over his family through his verbal and physical interactions with his family. Throughout the book, we start to piece together the man that is John Brown through Owen's memories. We learn that Owen's father is in debt, but can convince almost anyone to give him more credit. Owen tells us how the 'Old Man' is more affectionate to his livestock that his own children- to the point where Owen would sometimes wish he was a merino sheep. While the rest of Owen's family firmly supports their father, at least Owen questions his loyalty. Owen doesn't want to be in the Adirondacks and when he shares this wish, his father knowingly points out he has no where to go. In class we argued whether Owen's lack of options was Owen or John's doing, and I personally believe it was John's. We know from a young age John wanted to fight to end slavery, and from stories in the book we learn he is very exclusive with who he wanted to include on this venture, specifically with the Underground Railroad in the Adirondacks. Who better to help win this fight than followers who would learn about it their whole lives? John Brown keeps his children close because he needs their help to win. Even his sons who don't live at home are still at his beck and call. Most importantly, if he can't keep fighting at least his sons will be there to pass on his legacy. I mean, isn't that what this whole book is about? Owen is sharing his father's story decades after his death. And even though Owen wanted to leave the Adirondacks in his youth, it is the place where he wishes to go in his old age. John Brown wanted to create a home and ideology that could live on through his children. 

Although the book is historical fiction, family legacy is still relevant today. While reading the Adirondack Almanack I came across an article about a storeowner who bequeathed 2 million dollars  and land to his hometown of Newcomb via Adirondack Foundation. The man, Marvin Bissell, gave  explicit instructions that the Foundation use the money and land to restore gravestones and graveyards in Newcomb. Leftover funds will go towards preserving genealogical records of the town in order to record Newcomb's history. Although Mr. Bissell is not leaving a legacy in the traditional sense by giving the money to his family, he has left his mark on this town. By owning the general store, Mr. Bissell got to know his community at a personal level. His legacy of community did not die with him. We've read a lot about the ebb and flow of the Adirondacks, how a lot of the residents don't always stay, but every once in awhile we see someone like John Brown or Mr. Bissell wanting to leave a legacy within the Adirondacks. 




Sources Cited:

Banks, Russell. Cloudsplitter. New York, NY: Harper Flamingo, 1998. Print.

"Bissell's Store Owner Leaves Big Gift For Newcomb -." The Adirondack Almanack. The Adirondack Explorer, 16 Sept. 2015. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.

Who Newt It!?

This past weekend I decided last minute to go on a trip (which Jared led!) to Mt. Moxham in the Adirondacks.  When my alarm went off at 6:30am, I grabbed my day-pack filled with extensive amounts of rain gear and headed to the Glen House to meet up with my fellow hikers.  The drive to Minerva was shorter than I imagined, with the scenery shifting from city to farm to mountainscape.  Upon arriving at Moxham, all twelve of us left the shelter of the Jitney and exposed ourselves to the light patter of rainfall.  The entirety of the hike was spent engulfed in a giant rain cloud, which forced us to direct our attention to the wildlife closest to us.  Right as we began our hike, someone spotted a bright red salamander-like animal.  Its tiny two inch body and adorable strut required a name.  Because none of us were naturalists, we crafted our own names for the small creature: Howard, Mr. Squishy, Little Guy.  We all crouched down for several minutes admiring Howard before we started our journey again.  Within a few steps we spotted another Howard, then two more--they were endless!  We probably saw around 50 Howards throughout our five mile hike. 

Due to their abundance and general cuteness, I decided to research the Howards when I arrived back at Hamilton.  As it turns out, Howard’s actual name is the Eastern (or Red-Spotted) Newt (or, more formally, Notophthalmus viridescens).  The Eastern Newt goes through three life stages.  First, it begins its life as a tadpole, using its gills to survive in its aquatic environment where it eats mosquito larvae.  Next, after about two to three months, the tadpole metamorphoses into an eft.  Efts, like Howard, are terrestrial and sport a vibrant orange-red exterior, warning predators that they secrete toxins.   After two to seven years, the eft becomes an adult olive-drab salamander, and returns to its aquatic environment (gills and all) where it mates with other adults, continuing the cycle.

The Eastern Newt! 

(Photo from Ellen Rathbone in Adirondack Almanac)

While researching this tiny fellow, I learned it is important to rub dirt on your hands before picking these Little Guys up, because they (along with other amphibians) are sensitive to acidity.  Upon reading this, I wondered how Eastern Newts fare with the notorious acid rain in the Adirondacks, which is caused primarily by humans.  (For more info on acid rain, go to this EPA website http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/whatcauses.html). Due to acid rain, ponds that previously housed tadpoles and salamanders are now empty of them. Even though Howard is tiny, he can play a major role in the Adirondack ecosystem. Consider that an Eastern Newt’s diet during the first stage of its lifecycle is primarily mosquito larvae. Without Eastern Newts and other amphibians, there would be an explosion in the mosquito population.  Although the big picture concept of humankind’s impacts on nature may be cloudy and complex, we can see with clarity our impact on species like Howard.

The all encompassing rain cloud was eerie and beautiful.  Instead of marveling at the grandiose view, it allowed us to direct our attention to the smaller things - like Howard!...and that delicious Cheese Puff that I’m eating. (Photo Credit to Julia Dailey)

Works Cited:

Rathbone, Ellen. "Red Efts: Nifty Adirondack Salamanders" Adirondack Almanac. Accessed: 15 Sept 2015

 http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/2009/05/red-efts-nifty-adirondack-salamanders.html

"Eastern (Red-Spotted) Newt." New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. New York State, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/67022.html

Adirondack Museum. "Acid Rain and the Adirondack Museum." Accessed: 15 Sept 2015

http://www.adkmuseum.org/acidrain/adkmuseum.shtml

Religion, Politics, and Environmentalism

Needless to say, John Brown is a deeply controversial figure in American history. Many describe him as a domestic terrorist while others perceive him to be an early civil rights leader. One of the few elements of his character that can be unanimously agreed upon, however, is his religious convictions. His dedication to the Christian faith is a deeply motivating factor for his abolitionist behavior as well as his involvement in the Adirondacks. In Russell Banks' Cloudsplitter, this dedication is made evident in his dealings with potential conductors along his branch of the Underground Railroad. A particularly interesting level to this relationship comes from the ways Brown manipulates his land to better serve these religious convictions. Through the course of the novel, the reader sees the Browns using the woods as a place of repentance, of sin, and of martyrdom. A key element to the Brown clan's lifestyle is dependence on the land and hinges largely on the belief that their God will provide for the faithful. It is almost as if Brown sought out a largely undeveloped piece of his God's creation to carry out what he perceived to be his mission in life. One can wonder if his controversial actions later in life got their start in finding land that more or less provided life's necessities. That, if such security had not been found, Brown's energies would have had to have been diverted elsewhere. 

What makes this relationship between religion, John Brown, and the Adirondacks notable is that it is by no means unique to this set of circumstances. In countless other denominations and biomes, similar feelings of an ethereal connection with the environment can be seen. And, in many cases, this connection has motivated human behavior. In the sacred texts of many religions, there are conservationist themes as well as evidence of landscapes playing significant roles for various prophets and religious figures. For example, Jewish law indicates that those who follow it cannot be environmentally wasteful. In a highly specific passage, the halakhah (Jewish law) states that "“When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down." (Deuteronomy 20:19-20). This is an indication of an entire people being expected to follow closely the laws of their God in the name of preservation. Historically, this behavior has been adhered to and has recently inspired political action to protect Israel's unique biodiversity. In the Islamic tradition, it is indicated that followers are appointed stewards of their God's environment and are therefore responsible for its upkeep. In many historic accounts, there is evidence of respect for the landscape, particularly as Muslim merchants gained power toward the end of the 15th century. In all faiths with a stance on the environment, it is understood to be a necessity to preserve the land through both law and action.

This sense of responsibility and desire to understand the environment has led to movements ranging from international conservation efforts to the use of the environment as a vehicle for doing "God's will". For me, this is an indication that the interplay between politics, religion, and environmentalism is nothing new and that, particularly in areas where organized religion plays a significant cultural role, it is necessary to understand this relationship. If individuals can understand what actually motivates certain environmental behaviors over others, it becomes possible to begin discussing lifestyle shifts that must occur in a respectful context that maximizes positive outcomes.

Works Cited 
Banks, Russell. Cloudsplitter: A Novel. New York, NY: HarperFlamingo, 1998. Print.
http://www.greenfaith.org/religious-teachings/jewish-statements-on-the-environment/ten-jewish-teachings-on-judaism-and-the-environment
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/rs/environment/isstewardshiprev1.shtml
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Environment/envt.html 

Sugar House Creamery: Running a Dairy Farm in the Adirondacks

Sugar House Creamery is a raw milk dairy and farmstead creamery tucked away in the high peaks of New York State’s Adirondack Park. Small by design, we dedicate ourselves to the preservation of milk and the production of a food worthy of it ingredients.

      This is the little message that appears on Sugar House Creamery's website, which is as charming as the farm itself, located in Upper Jay, NY. Among the mountains of the northeastern Adirondacks, Sugar House Creamery is made up of a couple classic white buildings including the big white barn. Beautiful Brown Swiss cows wander around the rolling hills that surround the farmstead, shaded by evergreens and a couple ancient twisted apple trees. A little farm store welcomes visitors, luring them in with promises of incredible cheeses and the freshest milk one could hope for. It's a pastoral daydream.

     Sugar House Creamery is beautiful example of a small farm making its way in the wild, wild Adirondacks. I've been lucky enough to have been to Sugar House Creamery and chatted with the owners on several occasions over the last couple years, and can't help but stop by now every time I'm in the area. Margot and Alex, who celebrated the third anniversary of the farm in August, are lovely human-beings and tough enough to be running this dairy farm together. Whenever I visit they're often no-where to be found, off in some of the adjoining hills with checking on the cows, entombed in the cheese caves, or tending to some other task throughout the farmstead. The couple have made an incredible operation from nothing, and have made themselves a part of the surrounding community, providing fresh milk for customers daily. I've been to the farm shop several times in late morning to find all the milk already gone, hidden away in happy locals' fridges. 

      The farm store, as mentioned earlier, for me shows personality of the farm. It's a wee shop, decorated with cheery colors and fresh flowers, that runs on the honors system, with a basket for cash and paper forms if you want to pay with a credit card. The place makes me want to live down the road to them so I can walk into that store for my milk every couple of days. A ginger and white striped cat is often there to help you fill out your order forms by stepping all over your pencil and paper to get the utmost attention from the customers. 

The cheeses that are always available in the store are the Creamery's three masterpieces: Dutch Knuckle (see below, right), Pound Cake, and Little Dickens (below, left). I can assure you that each of these cheeses are amazing. They make all the cheese on the farmstead, in rooms in and under the big white barn. It's incredibly clean in the cheese making rooms of course, though it's apparently very hard to keep everything up to health standards, needing a lot of work. Cows are messy, messy animals. To see a series of photos about the cheese making process, click here! I for one, am woefully ignorant about how it actually works, though I have seen the rooms where they work, and know that the differences in the cheeses have something to do with different bacteria cultures used in the making of said cheese. I also know that the cheese cave is a chilly place, but so fascinating! Racks and racks of cheeses, in big wheels and small cakes, and eventually, they will all end up in someone's stomach, preferably mine.

      It is well known that farming in the Adirondacks is a difficult task, geologically and mentally, but this couple has really made a life for themselves as farmers. There is plenty of healthy grass for the cows to eat, plenty of rain and sun, and a wonderful community of other farmers to hang out with. A wonderful event that Sugar House Creamery hosts with the neighboring Mace Chasm Farm is their "Supper Jay" gathering, a dinner open to the public. They also offer housing at the farm through Air BnB, wonderful, comfortable lodging for anyone simply needing a bed or wishing to hear the lowing of cows in the morning. I most certainly recommend stopping by if you're ever in Upper Jay, NY. Even if Alex isn't in the workshop to say hello, or even if Margot is buried in cheese-making, the land is still beautiful, and the cheeses are still delicious. 

      I hopefully will be writing more about this beautiful place in a couple weeks, as there is so much more to say, but I wish to get some facts and stories right from the farmers themselves, so stay posted!

Photos by P. B. Elfstöm

Working in the Wilderness

        

             Like most immigrants who traveled to the new world my Nana claims that her parents came for “opportunity”.  Upon reading Godine’s accounts of the trials faced by the “wildly diverse work force supplied by Ellis Island” (57, Peopling of the Park) I find it hard to imagine the conditions under which these foreigners were fleeing from.  Hearing these stories I began to think of what life was like for my ancestors that Nana speaks of.  Like many settlers in the Adirondacks they fled Lithuania to escape the oppression of the Polish-Lithuanian state by Russia.  Luckily, they settled in Massachusetts and avoided some of the harsh dangers the rugged terrain and lifestyle the Adirondacks provided.  The seclusion of the Adirondacks forced European settlers to face adversity not faced by those who settled elsewhere.

            The hope of abundant resources in the mysterious Adirondacks created much demand for laborers.  Immigrants fleeing world aristocrats who behaved as “slave holders” (49, Hidden History) were often offered travel subsidies and housing credits in order to migrate to the United States.  Those who were unlucky enough to land in the Adirondacks were met with a sort of Wild West atmosphere controlled by the WASP industrialists.  The low wage immigrants looking for opportunity in turn created opportunity for the wealthy by supplying cheap labor.  Despite the immigrants out populating the “native born”, oppression was prevalent of the migrant townspeople and farmers.  An article in the New York Call notes the presence of those in power using force as an immigrant claimed, “the Slavs claim the Adirondacks are worse than Siberia, and the mounted police are worse than the Cossacks” (57, Peopling in the Park).  By painting the immigrants as lowly and unproductive the WASPs were able to keep wages low and squash strikes before momentum was gained.  Most immigrants in the Adirondacks were subject to company housing which was segregated, crowded, and often of low quality because of the constant relocation for depletion of iron ore or timber.

            The seclusion of the Adirondacks and working conditions also lead to alcoholism and depression.  Godine mentions that over half of all mineworkers’ alcoholism interfered with their work and thirty to fifty suicides were recorded in one year alone (57, Peopling of the Park).  Early on, Adirondack settlements were kept secluded amongst nationalities preventing the workers from coming together and forming a union.  This seclusion likely made possible by the Adirondack wilderness lead to violence as those in charge played favorites.

            Fortunately European settlement in America was not always as harsh as it was in the Adirondacks.  Extremely fertile farmland in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and the Mid West lead to prosperous jobs in agriculture.  Prosperous homogenous European settlements spread out across the land (learnnc.org).  Fertile soils and a more forgiving climate were no doubt integral to the higher quality of life of these immigrants.  The other difference lies in the connection to civilization.  There was something primitive and unruly about the wilderness of the Adirondacks that allowed the poor immigrants to be taken advantage of.  It was far unlike near cities like Boston and Manhattan where immigrants were met with “settlement workers, labor organizers, fraternal groups, and a reformist press” (47, Hidden History).

             

Source

Godine, Amy. The Peopling of the Park. Adirondack Life Magazine.  September/October 1992.

Godine, Amy. The Hidden History. Adirondack Life Magazine.  September/ October 1993.

Diner, Hasia. Immigration in US History.  US Department of State, n.d. Web 17 Sept 2015.  http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-newsouth/5690