The Northwest Connecticut Food Hub connects regional farmers with wholesale customers, even during these winter months when local food is harder to come by.
Farmers list available items each week on the hub’s online platform — at this time of year mostly roots, squash, apples, mushrooms and greens. Restaurants, schools, grocery stores, and food pantries can go online and order aggregated items from multiple farms for delivery.
If one farm only has butternut squash left in storage from the fall harvest, another might be flush with arugula coming out of a winterized greenhouse, while another still has beets in the cooler. Alone, each crop might be hard to sell or hard to use, but put them together in a restaurant’s shopping cart through the Hub’s online platform and you have a winter salad special on the menu.
The Food Hub is a locally developed spin on a more typical industrial food distribution model where large farms that specialize in one item or another ship their crops to warehouses to be repackaged and trucked off to retail grocery stores or food service venues.
By the very nature of our region’s topography, farms are relatively small and far from customers. Valleys and slopes don’t make for wide, expansive fields, and quiet windy roads often set farmers at a distance from population centers. Growing a diverse range of crops is good for the soil and for business resiliency — if a crop is a flop one year, there are others that likely did well. All of these factors make for colorful, bucolic farm landscapes throughout Northwest Connecticut, but they also present local farmers with a significant marketing challenge, and local buyers with the significant logistical question of how to access fresh, local food.
The Food Hub began operations in 2017 as a project supported by the region’s economic development plan to help bridge these gaps between the unique growers we have in our region and potential customers. It is an initiative of the nonprofit Partners for Sustainable Healthy Communities, whose board oversees operations. Day-to-day management of the Hub falls to Renee Giroux, a farmer herself who knows firsthand the challenges and opportunities of farmers in the area.
“The Hub helps with distribution while lifting everyone up,” said Giroux. “It isn’t a place where farms are in competition with one another, but rather gives them an additional outlet to expand their businesses into.”
Photo by Janna Siller
Locally grown produce aggregated at the food hub for delivery to a local food pantry.
While some buyers, like restaurants and grocery stores, pay full wholesale prices for the farm products, others have their deliveries subsidized by different grants. The Hub cobbles together a number of funding sources to allow them to work with schools, food pantries and health care facilities. Ed-Advance, an education nonprofit, helps fund farm-to-school initiatives facilitated by the Hub. A community wellness grant allows diabetes patients to receive produce prescription deliveries through Hartford Healthcare. Community foundations support food pantry purchases.
“Individual farmers don’t have time to navigate all the potential funding sources that can help expand their markets,” said Food Hub board member Jocelyn Ayer. “That’s where the Hub comes in. We work with partners to secure funding for a wide range of projects.”
On a frigid December day, Susan Zappulla-Peters arrived bright and early at the Hub’s Torrington warehouse with a delivery of radishes and scallions from the farm her son manages, Maple Bank Farm in Roxbury. “The first time I delivered here, I was so inspired by what Renee is doing that I asked if I could help. Now I volunteer every week after I drop off Maple Bank’s produce.”
Zappula-Peters spent the morning receiving produce off farmers’ pickup trucks and compiling orders as generated onto lists by the online purchase platform. The pallets quickly filled up with food, including apples from March Farm in Bethlehem; carrots and cabbage from Vibrant Farm in Bantam; and sweet potatoes and potatoes from River Bank Farm in Roxbury. Zappula-Peters helped Giroux and driver Stuart Rabinowitz load a van headed for a delivery route that included Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, the Corner Food Pantry in Lakeville, and Fishes and Loaves Food Pantry in North Canaan.
“I love that this food, the best our region has to offer, is reaching people who wouldn’t otherwise be able to access it,” said Zappula-Peters in between moving pallets.
Chris DragoPhoto Provided
Incumbent Chris Drago is running for re-election at the end of his first term as county legislator. A lifelong Dutchess County resident, Drago said he ran in 2023 after realizing the northern part of the county wasn’t getting the attention it deserved. He unseated longtime incumbent Gregg Pulver and credits his first term with listening to constituents and moving the needle on local priorities.
“I’m interested in being re-elected so that I can keep up the work, continue to be an advocate for the community and to make connections in other areas that the county can’t necessarily help — like at the State or the Federal levels,” Drago said.
Drago recently helped municipalities like North East and Pine Plains access state funds after pushing to secure a $6 million grant for the Plus One ADU program. When the county declined to apply, he worked with Hudson River Housing, which “thankfully applied on behalf of several municipalities across the county.” That funding is now helping middle- and low-income families in the district.
Other key issues for Drago include improving county-wide emergency medical services, housing affordability, mental health access and protecting taxpayer dollars. He has advocated for EMS improvements, calling the county’s $2 million investment in supplemental services a “drop in the bucket” and a “Band-aid solution,” and he plans to push for a long-term fix. On mental health, Drago has helped coordinate advocacy that contributed to funding for an expanded Rhinebeck facility. “It’s a step in the right direction thanks to folks in the community being vocal and us working together to shine a light on this issue.”
Drago said he was elected in 2023 because voters wanted new leadership in northern Dutchess.
“I bring independence, transparency and a deep commitment to public service without strings attached,” he said. “I answer only to the people of District 19. I bring a proven track record of collaboration and a willingness to ask tough questions when taxpayer dollars or community needs are at stake.”
Emphasizing community over politics, Drago said, “I am not about one party over another. I’m about community, not politics. I can talk to anyone who’s willing to meet me halfway and who wants to be part of the solution. I really enjoy getting out and helping people.”
Tonya PulverPhoto Provided
School psychologist Tonya Pulver, who works in the Millbrook Central School District, is seeking to unseat Democratic incumbent Chris Drago.
“No one was running against my opponent, and I’m a firm believer that a lot of people died for our right to vote, and we should also have a right to a choice,” she said. “If I’m going to be the one complaining, I should be the one doing something. So, here I am.”
Pulver said her background as a school psychologist gives her a perspective she plans to bring to the legislature. “I listen to people for a living, I take their perspectives and problem-solve. That’s my life, that’s what I do, and that’s what I will bring to the legislature,” she said.
She emphasized that her approach is nonpartisan. “I’m not political, it’s not about blue and it’s not about red, it’s about what’s best for our communities,” Pulver said.
Pulver’s top priorities include children’s mental health, housing affordability and emergency medical services. She noted that Dutchess County currently lacks pediatric psychiatric beds, forcing children to travel to Westchester for care. She also wants to increase funding for programs that educate vulnerable populations about the nuances of home-buying, and inspire developers to expand affordable housing in rural Dutchess County. “Rental costs are way overpriced. Supply and demand is out of control. We need more housing so that people who grew up here can continue to live here,” she said.
On EMS, Pulver said response times in District 19 are a challenge, though to be expected in rural areas. “District 19 needs to figure out as a whole what they need to do. There needs to be a multi-faceted approach that combines paid services and volunteers,” she said.
Pulver describes herself as a “fixer” and a doer. She cites her experience balancing full-time work and undergraduate and graduate school, along with volunteer work with Tails of the Tundra Siberian Husky Rescue and the Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, as evidence of her ability to tackle complex challenges.
“I want to go in there and see some positive changes for our area,” Pulver said. “I plan on making calls, finding out what people’s concerns are, and taking their needs to the legislature. We can make improvements when we work together.”
Deirdre HoustonPhoto provided
After nearly a decade in public service, Republican incumbent Dierdre Houston is seeking re-election.
Houston is finishing her fourth two-year term and currently serves as Majority Leader of the Legislature.She spent seven years on the Millbrook Board of Education prior to joining county government, which she described as “an important entry point into public service.”
“Being on the school board gave me a foundation in budgeting, contracts and negotiations,” she said. “But the county is on another level — bigger budgets, more people and a larger chain of command. It took a couple of years to really learn how to ask the right questions and get things done.”
Throughout her tenure, Houston has held several leadership positions, including Chair of the Government Services and Administration Committee and Assistant Majority Leader. She said she takes pride in being a visible, engaged legislator who regularly attends town board meetings across her district.
“If I’m not in conflict with another obligation, I’m there,” she said. “It’s important to know what’s happening locally so I can advocate effectively at the county level.”
A small business owner, Houston has run her Millbrook flower shop since 2013. She said strong organization and work ethic help her balance both roles. “I’m fortunate to have staff who support me, but I also put in long days. I believe in showing up and doing the work,” she said.
Houston identified emergency medical services, workforce housing and support for seniors and veterans as the top issues facing her district. “We’ve made progress on EMS response times, but funding remains a challenge,” she said, adding that “throwing money at a problem is not solving a problem, it’s about doing things in a responsible comprehensive way that is equitable to everyone, whether you live in remote areas or the populous areas.”
Houston added that “affordable and workforce housing also continue to be pressing needs, especially in small towns like Amenia and Millbrook.”
She said serving in government has given her the opportunity to make tangible differences, adding that “experience” is one of the main reasons to vote for her.
“When someone brings me a problem and I can help solve it — that’s what drives me,” she said. “I’ve built strong relationships, I know how to navigate the system, and I care deeply about this community.”
Eric AlexanderPhoto Provided
Eric Alexander, an experienced leader in marketing, finance and public service, is challenging incumbent Dierdre Houston.
Alexander said he was encouraged to run because he believes the Legislature needs “fresh energy, more transparency and a greater sense of accountability to residents.” He emphasized that his focus is on results, not rhetoric. “It’s frustrating for me when I can’t get something done,” he said. “You can either say you can’t, or you can make it happen.”
A seasoned leader in both the private and nonprofit sectors, Alexander serves as chair of the board of trustees at Emerson College. “When I was asked to chair the board, I was told that changing things in college is like moving a cemetery — you just can’t do it,” he said. “But in three years, we’ve hired a new president, written new bylaws, created a new strategic plan and even launched a new school. Everything that colleges need to do to remain viable — we’ve done it.”
As chair, Alexander said he shares responsibility for a $350 million operating company and a $300 million endowment. “I know every line of that budget — how to find the fat, how to find the waste — and how to act on priorities,” he said.
Alexander’s top priorities include addressing the county’s EMS crisis, improving public transportation and expanding housing affordability. “There’s nothing ideological about EMS. Everyone needs medical care,” he said, adding that “our rural communities need a different understanding of what our needs are and what’s reasonable for us.”
He criticized the county’s 2024 EMS investment as “a Band-Aid,” and said his first step would be to bring legislative representatives to Amenia, Millbrook and Pleasant Valley to meet with local officials directly.
Alexander expressed concern that without adequate transportation, District 25 residents have serious challenges getting to critical appointments and obligations. He asked, “Amenia is part of Dutchess County — why are we cut off from the rest of it?”
Housing, said Alexander, must also be treated as a regional priority. “The lack of housing is pushing young people out,” he said. “When young people look to Ulster County to find a home, that’s failure.”
Summing up his candidacy, Alexander said, “I bring professional experience on Wall Street and Madison Avenue, combined with years of community service. I’m doing this to win — and to move the legislature toward doing things differently.”
SNOW PLOWING: Be Ready! Local. Sharon/Millerton/Lakeville area. Call 518-567-8277.
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: Equal Housing Opportunity. All real estate advertised in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1966 revised March 12, 1989 which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color religion, sex, handicap or familial status or national origin or intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. All residential property advertised in the State of Connecticut General Statutes 46a-64c which prohibit the making, printing or publishing or causing to be made, printed or published any notice, statement or advertisement with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, age, lawful source of income, familial status, physical or mental disability or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination.
The central communal space, featuring an A for Ara audio system, gong and Tibetan bowls, hosts up to 80 guests for sound meditations and healing music experiences.
The center is also available to rent for local businesses and has hosted several dinners organized by the local community. The Thyme is open year-round, welcoming visitors for all four seasons of Berkshire beauty. Programming at The Thyme is very much centered on allowing visitors to enjoy the majestic nature, including the famous Sage’s Ravine. With a 2,000‑square‑foot dining hall, it can accommodate up to 110 people for meals in a variety of configurations.
James Davies in front of the Manor House.Provided
There are 11 other buildings on the property. Two are the homes of Davies, Murray and their families. The central communal space (separate from the dining room) has been equipped with a cutting‑edge audio system designed by local business A for Ara. Together with one of the largest gongs in the Northeast and Tibetan singing bowls, this space can host groups up to 80 for sound meditations and other curated musical experiences that facilitate healing, relaxation and personal growth.
There are accommodations for 60 people in four buildings, with plans to add more. The beautifully renovated guest rooms are decorated in earth tones in a peaceful, minimalist style, with large windows that showcase the spectacular natural surroundings.
Visitors to The Thyme — whether for day trips or longer stays — will have spectacular views of mountains, rolling hills, a pond, streams and a beautiful walking trail. The Appalachian Trail awaits just down the road from the campus for more serious hikers.
To prepare the property and buildings, the team at The Thyme has hired a number of local workers — landscapers, carpenters, designers. As The Thyme sets up its programs, it’s also hiring specialists such as masseuses. In addition, the center has welcomed core staff members as full‑time residents to head up kitchen operations, music programs and other guest offerings.
Davies and Murray have already been welcoming a mix of generations to The Thyme and have put multigenerational programming at the heart of their offerings, focusing on research showing that strong community connection boosts well‑being. A recent family weekend was attended by guests ranging from newborns to people in their eighth decade.
For more on its programs or to inquire about using the space, visit thethyme.co or email hello@thethyme.co
