Fundraising efforts ramp up after Kemmerer Farm fire

Fire on July 18 claimed crops, barns and all equipment at the Kemmerer Farm in Stanfordville.
Emily Hay Kemmerer
Fire on July 18 claimed crops, barns and all equipment at the Kemmerer Farm in Stanfordville.
STANFORD — Following the fire that devastated the Kemmerer Farm on July 18, the Kemmerers are attempting to rebuild their livelihood with support from the local community.
The family lost all of their crops and hay, three barns and their farming equipment.
As of last weekend, a GoFundMe, set up to support the Kemmerer family, had raised around $59,633. There are several different fundraising events planned for the near future to continue providing support.
Wendy Burton, Town Supervisor of Stanford, anticipates a ticketed brunch and silent auction on Sept. 28 at Bangallworks. The goal is to raise $40,000 at that event. She explained that even though the farm was covered by insurance, it would not cover all of the expenses that come with rebuilding.
Burton expressed that the community at large is on such a “beautiful roll.” More than 400 volunteers worked together this spring to build the “sparc park,” a community playground that draws families and children from Pine Plains, Millbrook, Milan and Clinton Corner/Salt Point.
Burton calls upon this same community to come together once more and help the Kemmerers clean up and rebuild.
Smoke lingered in the air at the Kemmerer Farm in Stanfordville after the firefighters responded to the blaze that claimed barns and equipment. A GoFundMe campaign has started and a fundraiser is planned for September. Emily Hay Kemmerer
Dani Nicholson, a longtime resident of Pine Plains, has been at the forefront of helping the Kemmerer family and garnering support from the local community. She is a self-proclaimed “freelance hospitality professional.” She is famed for her empanadas in the Stanford area and has begun selling them with help from generous donations by local farmers who provide ingredients. The funds she raises directly support the Kemmerer family.
Nicholson worked extensively with the Millbrook Horse Trials and organizers to raise awareness for the nearby Kemmerer Farm at the event. Her initial idea was to hang flyers around the grounds, which blossomed into something much bigger.
The Central Press donated flyers and posters, many of the vendors lent their support, and a raffle was set up with the help of the horse trials to offer free entry for one competitor to the competition in 2025. Tickets were $20, and the funds were donated to the Kemmerer GoFundMe.
Emily Hay Kemmerer
She also worked in conjunction with the vendors and boutiques featured at the Millbrook Horse Trials to sell thousands of dollars worth of merchandise within several hours at the patron luncheon on Sunday, July 28th.
Vanner House, one of the boutique vendors at the horse trials that graciously allowed Nicholson to model their apparel and accessories, has offered to continue to support the cause. They will donate 10% of all online purchases that use the promo code KEMMERERGIVE10 directly to the family. Their website is, www.vannerhouse.com
Nicholson expressed that it is in her “blood and bones to want to do more.” Herself, along with Courtney Haire, and other members of the community are planning a Fall Farm Fundraiser to raise awareness and support for the Kemmerer Family. For more information or to get involved, community members can reach out to savekemmererfarm@gmail.com
Nicholson is a friend of Emily Kemmerer and the family, as well as an example of the power of community. She explained that “we may all be little fish in a big pond, but we can still make ripples.” The link to the GoFundMe is: https://gofund.me/58d84221
Kemmerer Farm was one of two Dutchess County family farms recognized as Century Farms at the New York State Agricultural Society’s 2023 annual meeting. To receive Century Farm status, a farm must be in continuous operation by the same family on the same property for at least 100 years.
Scenes of wreckage following the July 18 fire at Kemmerer Farm in Stanfordville. The farm was named one of two Century Farms at the New York State Agricultural Society’s annual meeting in January 2023.Emily Hay Kemmerer
Long-term town employees were recognized at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Honorees pictured with Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, were Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the Town Garage, center, for her 35 years of service to the town and Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent, for 20 years.
AMENIA — Acknowledging the many years of service accumulated by town employees, the Town Board paused to honor that service at its meeting on Thursday, June 12.
“Thank you for making a difference,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman in recognizing Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the town garage, for her 35 years of service.
“Megan’s job is not an easy one,” Blackman said, honoring Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent who has served the town for 20 years.
Also among those honored was Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner for 20 years of service as Court Clerk.
Maureen Moore, Court Clerk, was also honored in absentia for her 20 years of town service.
In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.
AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.
A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.
As with the first historic market installation at the Old Amenia Burying Ground, held in April, Amenia Union Cemetery graves of Revolutionary War veterans had been marked with American flags in advance.
Jim Middlebrook, representing the Columbia Mid-Hudson chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, attended along with other members of his chapter. Speaking before the unveiling, Middlebrook said that the historic marker project had begun in August 2024, and included a detailed process to certify the names on the graves.
Middlebrook described the work of the William C. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse whose mission is to promote “pride of place” by providing grants in support of installing historic markers and plaques nationwide to honor patriots for their service. Active now in seven or eight states, Middlebrook said, the foundation will soon add Connecticut and Massachusetts to the list.
The new Amenia Union marker honors “at least five veterans of the American Revolution interred between 1787 and 1810,” although Town Historian Betsy Strauss lists six veterans buried in the cemetery. The sixth, Gerhard Winegar, whose burial had been in 1781 could not fully satisfy the certification standards.
Strauss provided the following listing of six names:
Col. Colbe Chamberlain, 1739-1796
Capt. William Chamberlain, 1745-1810
Lieut. Samuel Snyder, 1712-1808
Gerhard Winegar, 1750-1781
Ensign Henry Winegar, 1723-1787
Capt. William Young, 1747-1806
Bee Bee the clown, face painters and a community wide scavenger hunt are among the activities planned for the Millerton Street Fair in Downtown Millerton on Saturday, June 28.
MILLERTON — The Millerton News, in partnership with the North East Community Center (NECC) and the Millerton Business Alliance, is hosting its first Street Fair on Saturday in a celebration of the town.
Rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, the fair will bring together local nonprofits and businesses, with live music, entertainment, kids’ activities, local eats, and family fun in Veterans Park, in front of the Millerton Inn, and beyond.
“The Millerton Street Fair will celebrate everything we love about this community — its spirit, its dedication to service and its creative energy,” said James Clark, publisher and CEO of The Millerton News.
Local nonprofits will showcase their work and impact, including Climate Smart Millerton, Eddie Collins Memorial Park, North East Historical Society, Townscape, Tri-Corner FEED, Village of Millerton, and the Webutuck Elementary School.Participating businesses include Bes, Little Red Bird Studio, NBT, The Elephant’s Tusk, and many more.Local retail and dining establishments will be open with special promotions. NECC’s Farmer’s Market will run during the event.
Among the planned festivities are live music from John Stey and the Resilience Brass Band, performances from Bee Bee the Clown, face painting by students from Webutuck High School, and a community-wide scavenger hunt for kids.Other kids’ activities include egg and spoon races, and a “touch-a-truck” open house at the firehouse.The Irondale Schoolhouse will be hosting a special exhibit, and the North East-Millerton Library will be offering signups for the Summer Reading Program, a science show from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., lawn games, and a cookie cook-off.
For more information, go to millertonnews.com/street-fair.
The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.
MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.
For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.
The second talk, scheduled for Sunday, July 27, at 2 p.m., invites Carl Lounsbury of the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg to speak on the architecture of the Nine Partners Meetinghouse. His talk is titled, “Nine Partners Meetinghouse Plan: A New Form in the Hudson Valley.” Expert in early American architecture, Lounsbury’s talk will compare Nine Partners with other later houses of worship in New York and New England.
Both lecture events will be held at the 1780 brick Nine Partners Quaker Meetinghouse in Millbrook. An earlier meetinghouse on the site had burned. The building has remained largely unchanged since the 18th century.
Given the age of the structure, handicapped access is limited and there are no rest room facilities.
Visitors should enter through the cemetery gate entrance.
The lectures are free and open to all, supported by a grant from the county and offered as part of Dutchess County’s participation in the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration.