Ahoy Dear Friends of Sand River,
We are awash in garden plenitude!
This week’s newsletter includes:
Sunday Gift Lunch info
Frolic Invitation and Sunday Dinner info
Thursday Garden Evenings
Keeseville Community Arts Festival!
Library News
Hope Kitchen News
Obligatory Adorable Pics!
About that Plenitude - Please enjoy it with us!
The whole idea of this unique farm is that we offer the gift of all the food we grow to anyone who is hungry for any reason- so please, come join us for some meals! We will be serving Lunch at the Keeseville Community Garden this Sunday July 13 at 1pm, so please help us by stopping by with your appetite and a few friends. Our signature cornbread and a massive salad are on the menu, and even though it’s going to be hot, we plan to offer soup as well. Bring some takeout containers for leftovers too!
Frolic Every Sunday
Thanks to the work many good folks have put in thus far, our gardens are happy and productive! However, that creates a challenge in that they are demanding more attention, and so we are requesting yours: could you bring a friend or two and join us for our weekly Frolic this Sunday at 3pm to help with some crucial chores that must be dispatched in order for us to maintain a supply of food for the year. If transportation is a problem, look in downtown Keeseville at the Community Garden between 2:45 and 3 for our shuttle which will bring anyone to the Farm for the Frolic. If you prefer inside work, we’ll have a lot of peas to shell. Weeding, harvesting, processing and neighborly chatting are also on the agenda – and by Sunday we may very well add a few more items 😊
Following all that community-based work, we will sit down together at 5:30 for a farm-based meal, supplemented by any side dishes you might wish to bring. The Shuttle can transport folks back to downtown Keeseville following the meal and cleanup.
We are so grateful to the wonderful folks who recently helped to prune tomatoes, pick and shell peas, and pickle more than two dozen quarts of garlic scapes, among several other duties! Thanks also to Harkness United Methodist Church for the loan of pressure canners.
Thursday Garden Evenings
These tomatoes are just one of our crops that are flourishing and changing each week. Our intention is to continue to fill the Library coolers with that yummy Creamy Tomato Soup this winter, but in order for that to be possible we need more help than the Sunday Frolics have furnished. Perhaps your schedule allows you to come on Thursday evenings from 5 to 7pm? We'll continue to prune, trellis, and mulch, and (in August) harvest and process these lovely gifts from the land which are preparing to feed our neighbors, with your help. Thank You!
Keeseville Community Arts Festival!
Of course Summer is a crazy busy season; next week things kick into an even higher gear in our local community, with tons of great activity! Every July, the quiet charm of Keeseville transforms into an artistic hub that draws painters from across the Northeast—artists whose talent and passion bring new life to our beloved small town. Following months of intensive preparation and planning, Keeseville will host its annual Community Arts Festival which begins on Tuesday as 40 accomplished artists— some nationally recognized— will spend the week creating original artworks inspired by our region’s landscapes, architecture, and character. Watch for them all around the community as they craft their creations which will all be exhibited at the highly anticipated Plein Air Show & Sale and awards reception on Friday, July 18 at 5pm. On Saturday the Show continues as well from 10am to 2pm, and the always-popular Arts in the Park right outside the Stone Mill will have tons of fun, free activities for families. Important note: Ausable Street will be one-way traffic only during main festival events on Friday and Saturday, to accommodate street parking for the festival. There will also be loads of special events through the week all around the towns; some free, some paid admission. This is all sponsored by the terrific folks at ADKAction; check out their website for details!
The Library is also in on the Fun!
And as part of that awesome Community Arts Festival, the youngsters from Kid’s Cove will present a Puppet Show! Be sure to catch a performance next Friday at 10 or 10:30am. The producers are the beloved weekly Storytime hosts Sally Smithson and Doug Garrand; the real stars are the children who created the puppets and costumes, and perform the show… Come and demonstrate your appreciation for all the hard work they’ve put into their contribution to the Festival!
Have a Picnic at Keeseville Hope Kitchen
Join us for something different this Friday (July 11) at Keeseville Hope Kitchen- this week’s community supper is picnic-style! Come share a meal with us 5-7pm at 124 Hill St in Keeseville (Keeseville Good Shepherd Church of the Nazarene). We’re serving up sandwiches, chips, cookies and fruit. (***Contains gluten and dairy) You can eat in or take your meal to-go and dine al fresco! All are welcome and there is no charge to eat!
Obligatory Adorable Pics
Our new calf has also been halter training with his brother Hank (we shortened Henry to one syllable, recommended by the ox-training book) and is learning very quickly. We named him Giles in honor of the father of the farm's previous owner.
Maizey continues to excel at her assignment of “Critter Patrol”- here she shows us her best side, on Groundhog Duty.
Wishing you a great harvest of Gratitude until next week!
Peace and Love,
Allison
Hello Sand River Community! I saw a video recently of what you are doing, posted by Jaqueline Fay Hobbs ( Oracle Girl) to the global community that she is inspiring. Though I can't come for a meal or help in the garden I love everything about what you are doing so I joined all of your substacks. I live in Vancouver Canada otherwise I would be finding my way to Sand River. Oracle Girl gives out donations all around the world- perhaps upon your request she would donate to your farm. Here is the link if you are interested.
https://www.oraclegirl.org/oracle-girl-giving