LAKEVILLE — The future of farming is here and now, thanks to a burgeoning, committed agricultural program found at The Hotchkiss School and its integrated educational program at Fairfield Farm.
The farm is located on 287 acres adjoining the school’s campus, and it houses an active agricultural program inviting school-community involvement in hands-on experiences in everything from organic and sustainable soil health to seeds, plants, harvesting, cooking, nutrition and supporting local food banks.
“I love plants; it’s deep in my DNA,” said Amy Sidran, Education Coordinator at The Hotchkiss School’s Fairfield Farm, located along Route 41 between Sharon and Lakeville. The farm, formerly owned by Hotchkiss alumnus Jack Blum, became part of the school in 2004.
“Education, outreach and sustainability: Farming for the future,” was the title of Sidran’s Zoom talk on Monday, Feb. 1. The event was sponsored by the school and Noble Horizons, whose residents frequently visit the farm to meet with students.
Fairfield Farm is also linked with the 160-acre Whippoorwill Farm on Salmon Kill Road in Salisbury, run by Allen Cockerline, who is in charge of meats and other farm products for the school. Using the whole of the animal is a priority and the school chefs incorporate all cuts (and many organs) into their recipes.
Fruit and vegetables for food pantries
The vegetable gardens produce about 40,000 pounds for the school and Lakeville’s Corner Food Pantry.
A volunteer at the Corner Food Pantry commended the farm for “bushels and bushels” of fresh produce provided throughout the summer and fall including lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, squash and relatively exotic edibles such as bok choy, celeriac and fennel. Crops number about 60 to 70, Sidran noted.
At present, the farm supplies 30% of the dining hall’s needs for the school’s 2,000 meals served daily.
Fairfield Farm also partners with about 30 family farms in the area, who help by supplying food to the school. In a cooperative arrangement, about 160,000 pounds of compost are provided to those farms.
Sidran arrived at Hotchkiss and Fairfield Farm in August 2020, bringing a master’s degee in biology and experience in teaching science. She has taught middle school science in the Dominican Republic, where she discovered that farmers were unsuccessfully trying to raise crops from seeds acquired from the United States — seeds not intended for the tropics.
Time spent in Bolivia and Costa Rica strengthened her interest in sustainable farming.
An underground network
Sustainability is an essential component in the farm’s program, Sidran said.
“Plants are talking with each other underground,” she said, stressing the need to stabilize the soil and keep it nutritionally rich.
The organic farming program also encourages insects and diversity. Pesticides are not used. The farm encourages natural solutions. Parasitic wasps, for example, will wipe out tomato horn worms, by laying their eggs on the backs of the worms.
Students are engaged in every aspect of the farm work, Sidran said. In place of a sports requirement, 25 students opt to work at the farm. “Lots of leadership happens,” Sidran said of the program.
New this fall will be community gardens open to Hotchkiss families and a new course for students, “Sustainable Food Systems.” Continuing a 24-year tradition, Eco-Day will bring all students to the farm for a day of service, pandemic permitting.
AMENIA — The first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School went smoothly, with teachers enthusiastically greeting the eager young students disembarking from buses. Excitement was measurable, with only a few tears from parents, but school began anyway.
Ready for her first day of school on Thursday, Sept. 4, at Webutuck Elementary School, Liliana Cawley, 7, would soon join her second grade class, but first she posed for a photo to mark the occasion.Photo by Leila Hawken
AMENIA — While the courage and perseverance of Revolutionary era patriots is well understood and celebrated, the stories of the fate of British loyalists in New York are not as clear.
Seen as the initial event in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, the Amenia Historical Society will present a talk titled, “The Plight of a Loyalist in Revolutionary New York,” examining the journal of Cadwallader Colden, Jr., spanning the period of 1777-1779. The speaker will be noted author, genealogist and historian Jay Campbell.
The talk is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. at the Smithfield Presbyterian Church in Amenia. The handicapped-accessible church is located at 656 Smithfield Valley Road. Refreshments will be served.
Colden was the son of a New York Lieutenant Governor. He was a surveyor, farmer and mercantilist, serving as a judge in Ulster County. His fortunes changed dramatically with the dawn of the Revolutionary War when he remained loyal to the British Crown. His arrest came in 1776, just before the start of his journal.
Campbell is a historian specializing in Hudson Valley history, and the regional stories of Revolutionary era families.
Erin Rollins of Millbrook in the Fashion Feed booth, open year round, at the Millbrook Antiques Mall. All proceeds from Fashion Feeds go to the Food of Life Pantry. As an interior designer by trade, Rollins designed this booth to evoke a high-end department store to align with the designer brands she carries.
MILLERTON — The Townscape 50/50 raffle drawing has collected a pot of more than $7,000.
That raffle drawing will take place this Saturday at 2 p.m. in Veteran’s Park. The moment is not just about picking a winner, but also about reflecting on how far Townscape has come since its humble beginnings in 1998, when founder Catherine Fenn — alongside Renee Vollen and Jan Gilmor — first set out to beautify her beloved village.
Fenn’s connection to Millerton runs deep. “I moved here from the Bronx when I was eight years old and fell in love with the place, even as a child,” she recalled, remembering camping trips at Rudd Pond and enjoying the quiet pace of life.
At 15, her family relocated to southern Connecticut. “My dad didn’t think there was much here for us, so we moved. I left kicking and screaming, literally, and I said, ‘Someday I’m coming back.’”
Years later, after marrying, divorcing, and raising children, Fenn kept that promise. She returned to Millerton and married a childhood friend who was very involved in the fire department. After his passing, Fenn threw herself into her own way of giving back.
“I care about this village deeply. Townscape is my way of helping Millerton be the best it can be,” she said.
What began as an informal effort to gather volunteers and plant flowers eventually blossomed into something larger. “We started with flowers up and down Main Street — barrels of them everywhere. Then it grew into benches, tables, trees and even events. It was such a fun world, a really wonderful organization with so many people involved.”
Fenn’s service to the community extends beyond beautification. She spent roughly two decades on the Planning Board, served as Town Supervisor and worked with the county housing authority. Still, her passion for flowers, trees and landscapes has left the most visible mark on Millerton — shaping not only how the village looks, but how it feels.
In 2006, Townscape became a nonprofit organization. But beautification, Fenn admits, isn’t always the easiest cause to fund. “We’re just putting flowers out — and I shouldn’t say ‘just,’ because to me it’s really important. The trees, the benches, all of it matters. But it’s not high on most people’s list when they think about charitable donations. Still, people have been wonderfully generous over the years.”
This Saturday’s raffle drawing is one way neighbors can show their support. The winner does not have to be present to claim the prize, but those who stop by can enjoy cookies, lemonade and artwork by local creators on display in the park.
MILLBROOK — Local crows should prepare to become highly spooked as planners of Millbrook Community Day, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 20, have announced that a Scarecrow Contest will be part of the festivities.
Residents are invited to get creative and devise their own renditions of a scarecrow from traditional to whatever imagination might come up with.
Judging criteria will include creativity, including originality, new ideas, or perhaps whether the scarecrow tells a story. Design criteria include the creator’s technique, materials — recycled materials are emphatically a plus — and durability.
Rules include that scarecrows be free-standing, able to stand on their own or with minimal support. No scarecrow can be store-bought. Entries must be able to fit within a 6 x 6 foot space once assembled. A stand is available upon request. Scarecrows must be non-political, family friendly, and in a good-natured spirit.
Entrants are responsible for set-up, scheduled from 9 to 10 a.m. on Sept. 20, location to be assigned the week before. Judging will begin at 1 p.m. Winners will be announced at 2 p.m.
For more information and to register to participate, email mba@millbrooknewyork.com or go to www.millbrooknewyork.com/community-day-2025
