Frugal Farmer Billiam

A friend in need!

2010-05-27T06:39:00.000-07:00

Does anyone have, or know someone who does, a car that:

Has low-for-its-years mileage
Hasn't been in an accident
Needs no-to-(very) limited work to be road worthy
Is suitable and safe for 5-day/week ,100-mile round trip commute
They will sell for under $1,000 to someone who just lost their car, but thankfully not their life, to a deer strike.

The car can be manual or automatic, it doesn't matter.
We'd be incredibly grateful.

Backyard Farming

2010-05-12T07:37:00.001-07:00

Will agriculture become the new golf?

There is new movement to plan suburban communities around farms instead of golf courses.

People are catching on that a backyard garden patch is not just an enjoyable, stress reducing hobby, but also a beautiful way to lower household expenses, and maybe even raise the value of the home.
Check it out here!

Starting Seeds

2010-05-06T07:47:00.000-07:00

Getting a jump start on your plantings is the best way to ensure a steady crop all year long.
Follow these basic steps any time of year to get your next plants ready for the garden. A small greenhouse can help tremendously if space in the house is lacking.
Start tomato and pepper plants in early spring to promote bountiful growth, or get some spinach going before the first frost in autumn to harvest fresh greens for holiday dinners.
With a small greenhouse, you can even start a tropical fruit tree or other warm weather plants that might find a place in the living room.

Its planting time. Here's a great page of tips for successful transplanting.

Apple blossoms on Liberty View Farm

2010-05-03T07:09:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful week indeed. The Apple orchard is in full bloom and we had some friends give a hand while we enjoyed each others company in the fresh air and the mesmerizing aroma.... We focused on tending to work in the orchard to behold the beauty during this special time. (If you would like to join us give a call...) It has been surreal, if you call it work, wandering around with goats and sheep laughing giggling all day long. Rene even took a moment and taught Cassandra and I how to make Dandelion wreaths that he made growing up in the mountains of Czechoslovakia.

Good for the environment

2010-05-03T07:08:00.000-07:00

Did you know the Opinions of Dandelions are finally changing...

Beautiful Dandelions

Composting for Health

2010-04-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

Composting has numerous benefits for backyard food and flower growers alike.
Making your own "black gold" is not a hard process, but it will take some time, and a little dedication.
It might also require changing kitchen habits: a small bucket under the kitchen sink will do just fine, and you will be on your way to building your own nutrient rich soil.
Here are the basics: In a large bin outside, layer green materials (kitchen refuse, grass cuttings) with brown materials (leaves, wood chips). One rule should be followed (unless you are using an advanced system): no meat or oils should ever find their way into the compost.
It will cause offensive odors and attract unwanted visitors to your pile.
Make sure your bin has some airflow, since oxygen is vital for the right microbes to do their work.
Composting is the natural decay of organic matter, aided by wonderful, microscopic organisms that digest what we can't. Creating a habitat for them is the foundation for good composting.
A little moisture is vital, but the your compost should never be dripping wet. I use a simple, organic fish meal and seaweed product, mixing it with water and applying it to my compost a couple of times a year.
Depending on the efficiency of your system, it can take upwards of six months to get a finished product.
Having a two chamber compost bin will allow you to start a new batch while you take from the the finished pile.
Take a look at a few different designs and see which one works best for you:
Two bins+Desire+Greens+Browns=Compost!
A great D-I-Y project for the weekend. (pdf file)
Try this site for detailed design specs for six different composting styles, including worm composting!

Yes that was me the first Same Sex Couple married East of San Fransisco 2004

2010-02-24T16:43:00.000-08:00

Date:
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Time:
12:00pm - 2:00pm
Location:
Peace Park, Village of New Paltz, NY
Street:
Plattekill Avenue
City/Town:
New Paltz, NY

Please attend an "Unhappy Anniversary" Marriage Equality demo next Sat, Feb 27 at noon at Peace Park in the Village of New Paltz, NY. This is the site of historic 2004 weddings by Mayor Jason West. It is located on Plattekill Avenue in New Paltz, adjacent to the Village Hall.

We return here to commemorate the 6th anniversary of the 2004 weddings and to peacefully protest New York State's rejection of same-sex marriage rights.

Brief speeches by Jason West; Jeff Baltes, Board Member of the Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center; a representative from Marriage Equality New York; and a representative from the office of Senator Tom Duane, the sponsor of the recently-defeated NYS Marriage Bill.

Bring your children. Show them that we are families as well!
Come with a placard that speaks from your heart.
Suggestions:
-- A sign with a broken heart that reads "Unhappy Anniversary - Still 2nd-class citizens."
-- A sign that reads "10 [for example] years together, ZERO rights as married Americans"

Everyone invited... including bi, trans and straight allies!

Co-sponsored by Marriage Equality of New York and The Hudson Valley LGBTQ Community Center.

Organized by Billiam van Roestenberg and Jay Blotcher, both participants in the 2004 weddings and LGBTQ Center president Lance Ringel.

Questions? Jay Blotcher jblotcher@hvc.rr.com

My name is Billiam I am a farmer and people hate when they do not even know me. Do you know how that makes people like me feel?

2010-02-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

Beekeeping Classes

2010-01-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

HoneybeeLives.org
A Naturalist’s Approach to Beekeeping
With Chris Harp

Winter Classes 2010
Sustainable Living Resource Center
Rosendale / Cottekill
Intro Lecture on Honeybees and Organic Beekeeping – Learn about the lives of honeybees, the
current plight of honeybee colonies, and the intrinsic value of nurturing these amazing creatures.
Tuesday, January 26. 6pm – 8:30pm $25
Organic Beekeeping – Winter Weekend Workshops
HoneybeeLives’ Winter Workshops are designed to give students the basis to become knowledgeable, caring
and, in turn, confidant beekeepers. We encourage beginners to take both days to obtain a broad understanding
of the responsibilities and challenges entailed in this undertaking. These classes can be taken on one weekend,
or divided into Saturday one weekend and Sunday another weekend. The Sunday class will be helpful to
beginning and experienced beekeepers. A full winter weekend is $175 per person.
Planning a New Hive for Spring
Learn about the basic requirements and responsibilities for first-time beekeepers. Understand the
mechanics of a hive, the tools involved, elements of site selection, and an understanding of a naturalist
approach to their needs. This is a hands-on workshop, which includes assembling a wooden hive.
Saturday, January 30, 10am – 6pm $95
Saturday, February 6, 10am – 6pm $95
Saturday, March 6, 10am – 6pm $95
Understanding and Caring For Your Bees
Topics will include: hive congruency and design to benefit the colony; Honeybee health and disease
management the natural way; seasonal concerns and methods; as well as imparting the value of
respecting the lives and needs of your bees.
Sunday, January 31, 10am – 6pm $95
Sunday, February 7, 10am – 6pm $95
Sunday, March 7, 10am – 6pm $95
Pre-registration is required, and advance payment is requested.
A discount is available if taking both workshops, and for couples and families.
Gift certificates for classes are available.
Please visit our website www.HoneybeeLives.org.
Email HoneybeeLives@Yahoo.com or call 845-255-6113.
(If inclement weather, call phone number for cancellation status.)

HONEYBEE PLANT LIST FOR NORTHEAST

2010-01-11T11:27:00.000-08:00

A Naturalist’s Approach to Beekeeping

HONEYBEE PLANT LIST FOR NORTHEAST
You don’t have to be a beekeeper to help improve the current crisis in honeybee and native bee population declines. If
you have a yard, the choices you make in your plantings of trees, shrubs and flowers can support the wellbeing of bees
as well as other beneficial insects that keep our world a vibrant, healthy place. And, if you are a fruit/vegetable
gardener, attracting honeybees to your garden will help the productivity of your plants through the pollination service
they provide.
Plan your garden to provide pollen and nectar sources over the entire growing year. Keep in mind that even on a
warmish, late winter day honeybees need pollen sources to feed their young brood in the hive. The largest early pollen
sources are Acer maples, willows, winterhazels and witchhazels. Do your best to plant forage for this purpose in
relative proximity to your hives.
It is best to plant in masses, as single plants may not attract honeybees, which tend to visit only one plant type per
foraging trip. Also, single blossoms tend to be easier for honeybees to access than double blossom types. Deep-
throated blossoms may attract bumblebees and hummingbirds, however a honeybee’s proboscis is not as long, and visit
flowers better suited to them.
Bees are attracted to flowers that are colorful, contrast well with their background, or have an ultraviolet coloration that
serves as a nectar guide. This is especially true in the case of red flowers, which bees don't see unless they contain some
ultraviolet light pattern, which we don't see. Purple and blue are bees' favorite colors, followed by yellow and orange.
Many newer cultivars of flowers, especially annuals that have been highly bred, are deceptive to bees. Even though they
may have attractive colors, many lack the pollen and nectar bees like, because these traits having been bred out. This
can be seen in the newer, pollen-less sunflowers meant for cutting.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, and one of the many joys in the combination of honeybees and gardens is
watching their activity among your plants, and of course the seemingly miraculous experience of savoring the taste of
your own garden in the honey.
TREES AND SHRUBS
Late Winter - Early Spring
Acer Maple
Winterhazel (Corylopsis spicata)
Witchhazel
Hazel Alder (Alnus serrulata, Alnus rugosa)
Salix - Willows (choose willows with the biggest catkins)
Poplar
Viburnum x bodnantense 'Dawn' and 'Charles Lamont'
Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) - Chaenomeles japonica 'Cameo'
Spring
Flowering fruit trees and berry bushes
Early – Mid Summer
American Basswood - Linden
Black Locust
European Chestnut
Yellow or Tulip Poplar
Catalpa (Indian Bean Tree)
Densa Inkberry, Ilex glabra ‘Densa’ (plant instead of Boxwood for evergreen shrub)
Enkianthus campanulatus - Nichols
Sweet pepperbush (Clethra spp.)
Sumac
Sourwood Tree (Oxydendrum arboreum) Only to zone 5
Golden Rain Tree (Koelreuteria paniculata) Only to zone 5
Late Summer
Beebee tree, Korean Evodia (Tetradium glabrifolium)
PERRENIALS AND ANNUALS
Late Winter - Early Spring
Hellebore
Crocus
Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa)
Spring
Leopard's Bane (Doronicum)
Ajugas
Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum)
Bleeding Heart
Dandelions
Basket-of-Gold (Aurinia saxatilis)
Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientale)
Early and Mid Summer
Mountain Bluet (Centaurea montana)
Thymes (cut back for re-bloom)
Sage and Salvias
Chives (cut back for re-bloom)
Catnip (Nepeta) (not heavy visitation)
Milkweed family, including Butterflyweed
Lavender
Cosmos
White Clover
Globe Thistle
Bee Balm (limited attraction to honeybees)
Scented Geranium
Late Summer
Joe-Pye Weed
Coneflower (Echinecea)
Sunflower (choose heirloom varieties, not fancy pollen-less varieties)
Purple Loosestrife
Flowering Herbs, including oregano and rosemary – (hold basil for late autumn bloom.)
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) - (choose the columnar type,s not those with deep throats – Giant Hyssop)
Borage
Boltonia asteroids
Mints
Perovskia (Russian Sage)
Golden Rod
Autumn
Asters (October Glory or Octendgloren are very late blooming)
Sedums (Autumn Joy is wonderful)
Dendranthemum (Hardy Chrysanthemum “Sheffield”)
Sweet Autumn Clematis - vine
Autumn blooming Crocus (simple variety)
Almost anytime
Buckwheat (grows fast, harvest just after flowering, good for soil – fragile with frost)
Heathers and Heaths (There are winter blooming varieties, as well as thru the normal season)
Densa Inkberry, Ilex glabra ‘Densa’ (This was listed above, however I want to encourage people to plant these
evergreen bushes instead of boxwood, the bees loved the tiny white flowers in July)
Compiled by Grai St. Clair Rice, HoneybeeLives.org
HoneybeeLives teaches Organic Beekeeping and provides apiary services with Bee Doctor Chris Harp.

The 7 foods experts won't eat

2009-12-15T06:38:00.001-08:00

How healthy (or not) certain foods are—for us, for the environment—is a hotly debated topic among experts and consumers alike, and there are no easy answers. But when Prevention talked to the people at the forefront of food safety and asked them one simple question—“What foods do you avoid?”—we got some pretty interesting answers. Although these foods don’t necessarily make up a "banned” list, as you head into the holidays—and all the grocery shopping that comes with it—their answers are, well, food for thought:

1. Canned Tomatoes

The expert: Fredrick vom Saal, PhD, an endocrinologist at the University of Missouri who studies bisphenol-A

The problem: The resin linings of tin cans contain bisphenol-A, a synthetic estrogen that has been linked to ailments ranging from reproductive problems to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Unfortunately, acidity (a prominent characteristic of tomatoes) causes BPA to leach into your food. Studies show that the BPA in most people's body exceeds the amount that suppresses sperm production or causes chromosomal damage to the eggs of animals. "You can get 50 mcg of BPA per liter out of a tomato can, and that's a level that is going to impact people, particularly the young," says vom Saal. "I won't go near canned tomatoes."

The solution: Choose tomatoes in glass bottles (which do not need resin linings), such as the brands Bionaturae and Coluccio. You can also get several types in Tetra Pak boxes, like Trader Joe's and Pomi.

2. Corn-Fed Beef

The expert: Joel Salatin, co-owner of Polyface Farms and author of half a dozen books on sustainable farming

The problem: Cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. But farmers today feed their animals corn and soybeans, which fatten up the animals faster for slaughter. More money for cattle farmers (and lower prices at the grocery store) means a lot less nutrition for us. A recent comprehensive study conducted by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found that compared with corn-fed beef, grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene, vitamin E, omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), calcium, magnesium, and potassium; lower in inflammatory omega-6s; and lower in saturated fats that have been linked to heart disease. "We need to respect the fact that cows are herbivores, and that does not mean feeding them corn and chicken manure," says Salatin.

The solution: Buy grass-fed beef, which can be found at specialty grocers, farmers' markets, and nationally at Whole Foods. It's usually labeled because it demands a premium, but if you don't see it, ask your butcher.

3. Microwave Popcorn

The expert: Olga Naidenko, PhD, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group,

The problem: Chemicals, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), in the lining of the bag, are part of a class of compounds that may be linked to infertility in humans, according to a recent study from UCLA. In animal testing, the chemicals cause liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Studies show that microwaving causes the chemicals to vaporize—and migrate into your popcorn. "They stay in your body for years and accumulate there," says Naidenko, which is why researchers worry that levels in humans could approach the amounts causing cancers in laboratory animals. DuPont and other manufacturers have promised to phase out PFOA by 2015 under a voluntary EPA plan, but millions of bags of popcorn will be sold between now and then.

The solution: Pop natural kernels the old-fashioned way: in a skillet. For flavorings, you can add real butter or dried seasonings, such as dillweed, vegetable flakes, or soup mix.

4. Nonorganic Potatoes

The expert: Jeffrey Moyer, chair of the National Organic Standards Board

The problem: Root vegetables absorb herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides that wind up in soil. In the case of potatoes—the nation's most popular vegetable—they're treated with fungicides during the growing season, then sprayed with herbicides to kill off the fibrous vines before harvesting. After they're dug up, the potatoes are treated yet again to prevent them from sprouting. "Try this experiment: Buy a conventional potato in a store, and try to get it to sprout. It won't," says Moyer, who is also farm director of the Rodale Institute (also owned by Rodale Inc., the publisher of Prevention). "I've talked with potato growers who say point-blank they would never eat the potatoes they sell. They have separate plots where they grow potatoes for themselves without all the chemicals."

The solution: Buy organic potatoes. Washing isn't good enough if you're trying to remove chemicals that have been absorbed into the flesh.

5. Farmed Salmon

The expert: David Carpenter, MD, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany and publisher of a major study in the journal Science on contamination in fish.

The problem: Nature didn't intend for salmon to be crammed into pens and fed soy, poultry litter, and hydrolyzed chicken feathers. As a result, farmed salmon is lower in vitamin D and higher in contaminants, including carcinogens, PCBs, brominated flame retardants, and pesticides such as dioxin and DDT. According to Carpenter, the most contaminated fish come from Northern Europe, which can be found on American menus. "You can only safely eat one of these salmon dinners every 5 months without increasing your risk of cancer," says Carpenter, whose 2004 fish contamination study got broad media attention. "It's that bad." Preliminary science has also linked DDT to diabetes and obesity, but some nutritionists believe the benefits of omega-3s outweigh the risks. There is also concern about the high level of antibiotics and pesticides used to treat these fish. When you eat farmed salmon, you get dosed with the same drugs and chemicals.

The solution: Switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. There are no commercial fisheries left for wild Atlantic salmon.
Delicious and easy fish recipes

6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones

The expert: Rick North, project director of the Campaign for Safe Food at the Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and former CEO of the Oregon division of the American Cancer Society

The problem: Milk producers treat their dairy cattle with recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH or rBST, as it is also known) to boost milk production. But rBGH also increases udder infections and even pus in the milk. It also leads to higher levels of a hormone called insulin-like growth factor in milk. In people, high levels of IGF-1 may contribute to breast, prostate, and colon cancers. "When the government approved rBGH, it was thought that IGF-1 from milk would be broken down in the human digestive tract," says North. As it turns out, the casein in milk protects most of it, according to several independent studies. "There's not 100% proof that this is increasing cancer in humans," admits North. "However, it's banned in most industrialized countries."

The solution: Check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk. These phrases indicate rBGH-free products.

7. Conventional Apples

The expert: Mark Kastel, former executive for agribusiness and codirector of the Cornucopia Institute, a farm-policy research group that supports organic foods

The problem: If fall fruits held a "most doused in pesticides contest," apples would win. Why? They are individually grafted (descended from a single tree) so that each variety maintains its distinctive flavor. As such, apples don't develop resistance to pests and are sprayed frequently. The industry maintains that these residues are not harmful. But Kastel counters that it's just common sense to minimize exposure by avoiding the most doused produce, like apples. "Farm workers have higher rates of many cancers," he says. And increasing numbers of studies are starting to link a higher body burden of pesticides (from all sources) with Parkinson's disease.

The solution: Buy organic apples. If you can't afford organic, be sure to wash and peel them first.

by Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, PREVENTION

republicans are not welcome here on this farm.

2009-12-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

Liberty View Farm isn't too welcoming of the ilk of those NYS Legislators who did not vote for equality & protection of it's children. Happily this farm stands for Liberty and Justice for All. Beginning with Women's Rights, a clean and healthy environment and Ending Gay Apartheid. Actually we support many good things all progressive of course.

This farm stands in contrast to those who employ lies, scare tactics and paranoia for a pathetic attempt to raise a false sense of superiority over others. It is equally pathetic that not one of these republicans represented any of their constituents. They actually voted as an excuse that their religious views do not support equality because of the sanctity of marriage. Why is it that republicans ignore many other things in the bible? Where is the separation of church and state and smaller government? Moreover, republicans could care less of the struggles that it's citizens are facing. As Mr. Bruno has proved to us once again, republicans are not concerned with real morals and ethics but only profiting from their positions and keeping themselves in power as long as possible.

The struggle of Liberty View Farm is symbolic of the struggle of it's owner - for rights of life and for those who for so many reasons are not able to, or are afraid of manifesting their struggle for a better Democracy.

republicans are not welcome here on this farm.

sincerely,

Billiam van Roestenberg

2009-11-20T04:58:00.000-08:00

`Magical` apple affects body`s metabolism

2009-11-18T06:02:00.000-08:00

An Apple A Day

Liberty View Farm - Certified Naturally Grown Apples

It`s hard to reconcile all the advice you get when young. `Look before you leap` contradicts `He who hesitates is lost.` But some adages, like `An apple a day keeps the doctor away,` have hung around for a good reason. It turns out that 6 ounces of daily prevention - notably in the form of a crisp apple - do yield a pound of cure. And more. At the core of the apple`s impact on health is its ability to prevent metabolic syndrome and the cardiovascular dysregulation that accompanies it - blood-fat disorders such as high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels, plaque buildup in arteries, high blood pressure, insulin resistance or glucose intolerance and the risks of heart attack or stroke.

In about one out of three cases, it`s possible to prevent metabolic syndrome, says nutritionist Victor Fulgoni of Nutrition Impact in Battle Creek, Mich. His research shows that regular consumption of whole-apple products - apples, applesauce, even apple juice - reduces risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome by up to 27 percent. And it really takes only an apple a day.

`In the study, the average apple product consumption was between 210 and 215 grams, which is about one medium-size apple,` says Fulgoni. `While you can`t ascribe all the results to eating apples, you can say that a diet that includes apples is associated with many health benefits.` What makes apples so powerful against a disorder that afflicts an estimated 36 million Americans is their unique mix of fiber and phytochemicals, which interact in the body in ways not entirely clear.

Apples are rich in the soluble fiber pectin, which lowers cholesterol and other body fats via several mechanisms. And the array of phytochemical antioxidants adds further protection by keeping blood lipids from hardening. What`s more, apple antioxidants have an anticancer effect by inhibiting cell proliferation.

The greatest concentration of antioxidants is in the peel. The peel also contains insoluble fiber, just as bran does. But the flesh is where the pectin is.

Neither the pectin alone nor the phytochemicals alone - or any one phytochemical - is as effective as the combination of fiber and antioxidants. Among fruits, apples have the second highest total concentration of the class of phytochemicals known as phenolics - but the most free phenolics, which are highly available.

Among these bioactive agents are flavonoids like quercetin, which prevents oxidative damage to cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, and bolsters immune defenses. Apples also contain other phytochemicals such as catechins, most often associated with tea. Apple varieties differ in their mix and concentration of antioxidants, but Red Delicious apples have the highest levels of phenolics.

The pectin in apples reduces cholesterol both in the blood and in the liver. It actually prevents the body from absorbing it in the first place. Other fruits lower cholesterol, but apples have the greatest effect, Fulgoni reports. According to nutritional scientist Rui Hai Liu, of Cornell University, the apple is a `magical fruit.` But the benefits come from eating the whole fruit.

Source: dailyherald.com

And remember when you eat healthy apples from Liberty View Farm they are all Natural.

October 24th

2009-10-22T08:11:00.000-07:00

Book signing today 2 - 6 PM
Liberty View Farm has been included in a most wonderful, beautiful hard-cover cocktail table book.
Hudson River Valley Farms The People and the Pride Behind the Produce

This Saturday from 2 - 6 PM right here on our farm. This
is very exciting for us and the whole farming community of the Hudson
River Valley. This book makes a great present and the holidays are
right around the corner. Purchase a book and receive some free apples
from us! Please join me in thanking Joanne while she has her book signing right in our barn. There will also be some of the other farmers attending as well. Books by Joanne Michaels
Hudson River Valley Farms book

Peak leaf peeping this weekend!

Hot apple cider, soup and apple baked goods!

All inside in our barn.

Apple cider apples on sale only .50 per pound -make your own fresh apple cider in our barn!

Fall Foliage

2009-10-10T05:11:00.000-07:00

A local farmcation....

The trees are in all their glorious colors!

Come to the farm and enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the Hudson Valley!

We give great tours

2009-10-10T04:17:00.000-07:00

Liberty View farm gives great tours to schools!

We have incorporated learning with having fun in a very healthy community orientated way!

We have children of all ages picking apples to help us on the farm and to help the local food pantries.

They simply learn to pick carefully and learn about estimating and doing a good deed.

They learn math too!

We have a wonderful pumpkin patch!

2009-10-10T04:13:00.000-07:00

Our little pumpkin patch is in between our edible veggie landscaping, sheep and goats!

Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining

2009-10-03T06:03:00.000-07:00

Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
I feel this is very Un-American; that companies are doing this to our great country. Thank goodness for brave men like Matt!

My friend Susan sent me this note from her son that I would like you to read.

Dear Friends,

I am writing you today to ask for your support. At dawn on May 23rd of this year, myself and 7 others walked on to Patriot Coal's Samples Mine on Kayford Mountain and locked ourselves to a gigantic rock truck used to haul away the rubble from blowing up a mountain. For the next four hours, we stopped that machine from continuing to participate in the destruction of Kayford Mountain. We were all arrested by the Boone Co. Sheriff's Department and charged with trespassing and conspiracy to commit trespassing. My friend Glen Collins and I have chosen to fight these charges and be tried by jury on October 15th. The maximum jail sentence is 18 months. I am asking you to come to Madison, WV, and stand in solidarity with me and the communities across Appalachia being devastated by mountaintop removal.

This action is part of an ongoing nonviolent direct action campaign to end mountaintop removal coal mining, adding the voices of long time local leaders and outside allies. Since February 3rd, there have been 14 actions in southern West Virginia of folks blocking mine roads, locking down to equipment and offices, and picketing mine entrances resulting in over 100 arrests, including former Congressman and miner's hero Ken Hechler, actress Darryl Hannah and NASA climatologist James Hansen. This campaign has shown a spotlight on the horrific crime of MTR, invigorated locals long disheartened by the overwhelming power of the coal companies, and continued to build the pressure to end this practice once and for all. Many people have taken brave stands and big risks. However, this is the first time that anyone will go to a jury trial. Given that our six fellow activists who plead no contest received the maximum fine of $1,844, there is a real chance that this will be the first time anyone has been sentenced to a jail term for their actions in the campaign as well.

Some folks have asked me why I have chosen to risk a jail sentence instead of simply taking the fine, and I'd like to say briefly why I think this is important. This campaign, just like the civil rights movement and many other struggles for change, is founded on a strategy of nonviolent civil disobedience. And just like the civil rights movement, it draws its strength and its power from the willingness of ordinary people to take extraordinary risks and sacrifices because of the strength of their beliefs. My conscience demands that I stand up in that court room and explain to the people of Boone Co. why I did what I did. I will not contest the facts of what happened, but rather assert my belief that what I did was right, that I was stopping a far greater crime than I was committing. And if I go to jail because of it, I know that I go as many have gone before me, in defense of my friends, this land and my convictions.

I have just been amazed at the support I have received from all the local people that I have worked with over this last year fighting for clean drinking water and healthy communities. They understand the importance of standing strong because for them this is a life and death issue. Everywhere I go, I meet people who's homes have been ruined, who's water has been poisoned, who have watched friends and family die around them, who had their land and heritage robbed from them for a lump of coal and a greasy buck. Kayford Mountain is the first place I ever came to in West Virginia. I spent three days working on Larry Gibson's cabin up there and decided I wasn't leaving. When I took that banner that read “NEVER AGAIN” up on that mine, I carried it for Larry. And Judy. And Bo. And Chuck. And Ed. And the people of Prenter. And that's the message I'll carry into that courtroom in Madison. I owe it to them.

But I need your help. Whatever happens on October 15th will only have meaning if the world can see it. The trial will have the most meaning for the campaign (and I have the best chance of staying out of jail) if we appear with great strength, letting the Boone Co. Court know that we are not isolated extremists, but rather just two people that are a small part of a diverse and growing movement of citizens demanding that mountaintop removal be banned forever. What happens on October 15th will set the tone for future legal actions of this campaign. I thank you all for your support and the important work that you do. I hope to see you in Madison.

In solidarity,

Mat Louis-Rosenberg

Thanks

Sue Rosenberg

and for more information you can reach me at 246-3449 or sue_rosenberg@hotmail.com

and go to www.crmw.net (Coal River Mountain Watch) or www.climategroundzero.org

or www.mountainjustice.org for more information

Cow-munity Farm-Yard Sale Labor Day Weekend

2009-08-31T04:24:00.000-07:00

This Saturday & Sunday 10 AM - 6 PM
Liberty View Farm

Barn & Yard Sale.
Join us and shop or join us and set up a table or blanket and sell some things. Everyone is welcome to buy sell or both! Go into your garage, cellar or attic grab some things and make some money and maybe make some room for something new. A variety of items for many different tastes. Rene and I are running around the house and barn organizing things I have bought over the years and have never used.

We ask that 10% of proceeds go to charity.

Liberty View Farm Stand

2009-08-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

Liberty View Farm Stand open every Saturday and Sunday!

Come visit the farm and see how we are growing. Come and enjoy our farm and farm animals.
Blue eyed baby goats to play with.
Pack a pic-nic all we ask is that you bring smiles and cameras!

Buy some healthy local produce and make a great home-cooked meal.
Save money and reconnect to the good old days!
Ask me for recipes.

Scarecrow Contest

2009-08-20T05:26:00.000-07:00

Liberty View Farm & Community Farmers Market are having a wonderful Scarecrow Contest.

We supply the straw and you supply the clothes and imagination.

A lot of us farms including Liberty View Farm need Scarecrows so lets work on this fun creative project together.

Hurd's Family Farm Corn Maze

2009-08-19T06:27:00.000-07:00

And after you visit Liberty View Farm you really should got to the Hurd's Family Farm Corn Maze just 8 minutes away! Ten years ago I was fortunate enough to meet and then help Sue Hurd with some of her projects; like helping her beautify the Clintondale Post Office. We bought flower boxes and planted them up! Then in 2000 she asked me if I was interested in helping her with an idea she had. A corn maze! Several months went into design and planning. It was the first one in the Hudson Valley and I remember flying in a friends plane taking all the aerial photographs. As with many of the projects I get involved with it was all very exciting!

Over the years I have gone on several occasions with friends and family of all ages and each time it is a real treat. At times it is both exciting and peaceful. A unique Eco-fabulous Eco-tourist experience with the most splendid views!

This year in honor of the 400 years since Henry Hudson sailed up the valley; the corn maze challenge design is the Half Moon Rising. A depiction of the ship that Henry Hudson sailed up the river that is named after him! Come and explore this local natural wonder, there is also raspberry picking, the Spanish ABC maze for children and several regional folk music festivals scheduled throughout the fall..

Who needs "6 flags"? Here you have corn that is 10 -12 feet high! And when the season is over the corn is donated and the plants are turned into compost! You have fun and you help a farm family all at the same time! How great is that?

The Hurds are terrific people and they help so many all the time. Susan and Phillip Hurd's son Charles not only works with me on my farm as a consultant, he spends his own money and over the winter flies to the southern hemisphere and installs solar powered wells in poor communities. They have helped me with my farm from the beginning too! The Hurds family has been farming here for over 150 years. As with many farmers problems right now the Hurd family is going through an extraordinarily personal hard time; so please support this fellow farm for me and many others. Tell them Farmer Billiam sent you! Phone: 845-883-7825

Barn Raising

2009-08-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

Helping our fellow farmer friends Anne & Dave of Dancing Meadow Farm in Gardiner.

It was extremely hot and humid and I did as much as I could with my low energy due to the Lyme disease but Anne & Dave are always helping my projects and me and my farm sooooooo.... Rene and I help them. Dave had open heart surgery just a few months ago and here he is exerting a lot of energy - amazing how the body can heal!

More produce than ever- people even coming from Woodstock!

2009-07-27T06:23:00.000-07:00

We are having wonderful time at the farmers market!
We have incredible produce and a dozen farm vendors now!
Robins Market is great because you can shop with the people who grow your food and than pick up the rest of your needs at Robins Market!

Notice how we have huge large heads of organically lettuce only 2 bucks a head and our continuing Kale Sale also only 2 BUCKS! Many other great healthy veggies, eggs, produce and more!

Here are some photos from this past Friday.
The Mayor and his family shop here as do well dressed people from Woodstock and Miss Nora shops here every week. Carol and Mathew are always a big help.

Speakers @ The Eco-Fab farm Market Friday July 10

2009-07-10T03:41:00.000-07:00

Michael Stein Eating for the Environment.
4:30 Pm
How we can all make simple changes to our diets to heal an ailing planet. Global warming, Factory farming, Genetically Engineered food, Water scarcity & Energy use. Come with questions and or comments.

Dr. Christa Whiteman "Healthy Soils, Healthy Bodies"
6:00 PM
Proper nutrition with soil-building agricultural techniques.
"Many of us are already choosing organic and local foods because we care about the health of our bodies and the health of the environment. Come find out how various farming techniques affect the nutrient density of the food we eat and how the health of our soils determines the health of our food."

Leading Edge Youth Activist Retreat Needs Some $$$ Love

2009-07-10T02:41:00.000-07:00

The Hudson Valley's very own young activist, Julia Walsh is up to something again.
She is not just clowning around!!!!

After serving four years as a Trustee in the Village of New Paltz and doing some amazing NGO work at the United Nations, she is making waves with a fabulous retreat of a small group of amazing authors, activists & theorists to create a curriculum for young activists called Integral Activism. Here's a little more info:

"As our generation comes of age in a world that demands a higher level of consciousness and action, 21st century advances in technology, thinking, and transformation processes are giving rise to a whole new wave of social change.

While many activists continue to use outdated organizing methods that focus solely on single issues, identity politics, and short-term wins, a growing number of people are waking up to a larger Movement vision, one that offers a wide range of integrative strategies, collaborative processes, and sustainable solutions. By utilizing leading-edge theories and tools for creating change, integral activism will provide a cohesive, whole systems framework to address the interrelated challenges of our time.

This gathering is about working to build a transformative change
initiative for the rising generations, not around one particular issue
area or one particular strategy, but around the big-picture of
whole-systems change, around an integrative strategy of strategies, and
the core competencies and consciousness that is needed generation-wide,
movement-wide, species-wide."

To find out more information and to make a donation - big $100 or small $20 - contact Julia at integralactivism@gmail.com

Pie crust recipe to save money and can't compare....

2009-07-04T04:03:00.000-07:00

New Paltz Farmers Market Pie Winner Laura Wells

This recipe, from Marion Cunningham's Fannie Farmer Cookbook (1986) gives the baker a chance to practice, once again, making pie crust from scratch. Home made crusts are a wonderful and frugal way to make use of the fresh cherries and berries on sale in grocery stores in summer -- and fresh berry tarts don't bake long, so you won't heat up your kitchen on a broiling day. When you decide to tackle that crust, don't let the cookbooks either frighten you or fool you. It can be done, but it is difficult and you will get better only with practice.

One problem is that few home bakers have much experience in tasting a good homemade crust, so that when we finish our own, no matter how nice it looks, we still don't know if it tastes right. Storebought crusts on storebought pies are thick, greasy, and overbrowned, but if my homemade crust is the opposite -- thin, pale, and crunchy -- it still doesn't necessarily shout "Eureka you've done it " at me.

Persevering in pie crust making means, someday somehow, mastering the great conjuring trick involved: creating a tender dough, moist enough to roll out with a rolling pin, from recipes which invariably claim that 2 or 3 Tablespoons of ice water will sufficiently wet a whole cup of flour. It must be true, because all cookbook authors agree, but I'm still learning.

Basic pastry for an 8 inch pie shell

* 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1/3 cup shortening
* 2 to 3 Tbsp cold water

Mix the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or a fork. Combine lightly, until the mix resembles very small peas ("Don't handle the dough more than necessary or it will be tough. Treat it firmly, not timidly, but don't fuss with it.")

Sprinkle the water over the flour mixture and combine lightly with a fork, just until the dough will hold together when pressed gently into a ball. Roll the dough out on a floured tabletop, into a circle 2 inches larger than the pie pan. Lift it off the table and lay it gently without stretching into the pan.

Crimp or flute the edges, prick the dough all over with a fork, and bake in a preheated 425 F oven for 10 minutes (for a partially baked shell), or 20 minutes for a fully baked one.

For more info about pie crusts click here

Happy Earth Day Think about your food!

2009-04-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

The COOL Story Behind CoolBot

2009-04-17T05:34:00.000-07:00

And now I am going to share a secret with you. I am telling you this now as a heat wave approaches and we can all get ready for the heat of the summer and save money!

Ron and Kathryn Khosla have owned and operated Huguenot Street Farm in New Paltz, NY since 1999, running a 200-family CSA plus fulfilling orders to several restaurants and one grocery store.

Small farmers learn the value of money the hard way - literally pulling it a few cents at a time from the ground - so the idea of spending $3,500 on even a used walk-in cooler just wasn't appealing.

The solution was today's CoolBot which has a microcontroller "brain" programmed to control any off-the-shelf air conditioner to automatically make the decisions Ron figured out sitting in the cooler when Kate was out working the fields.

We are getting one shortly so should you! Cool Bot Link

2009-04-10T06:41:00.001-07:00

Recent E-newsletter

E-newsletter from March 21st

2009-04-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

Friendship

2009-03-27T04:34:00.000-07:00

It is so appropriate that my friend Diana sent this to me last night.
A wonderful story if reading it for the first time, a good reminder of how wonderful life can be.

His name was Fleming and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my son's life.' 'No, I can't accept payment for what I did,' the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel. 'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked. 'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly. I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.' And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.
What saved his life this time? Penicillin

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill ..

His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill.

It is often said: What goes around comes around.

Work like you don't need the money.
Love like you've never been hurt.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

Car-pooling in the 21st Century

2009-03-20T04:49:00.000-07:00

Share trips into town, go to a farmers market with friends....
I thought you would be interested in hearing about a web site I am using called NuRide— it's a free online service where you can earn rewards whenever you carpool, vanpool, bike, walk, telecommute or use public transit. As a special incentive, you can both receive 1,000 bonus points when you record 10 one-way ridesharing trips (that's just 5 round trips). Thanks Fran!
nuride website link

Cooking never goes out of fashion!

2009-03-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

Save a lot of money and take advantage of good food. Growing your own fruits and vegetables, eat less and higher quality meats, choose nutritious, inexpensive ingredients and make and bake your meals and snacks from scratch. You will cut your costs considerably, saving hard earned money and getting back to basics that can be very rewarding!
When you go to the local grocer or farm market, plan out your meals for the week or more and stick to it! And NEVER go to shopping for food when hungry! When you see items on sale re-adjust your recipes if you see a good sale then by all means stock up on that item. BUT do not get sucked into buying something you do not really use or need just because it is on sale or you have a coupon. Ask your butcher or farmer how they cook certain things.
Now go and cook that home cooked meal- create new memories with friends and family. The more you do it the better it will get. Set the table because there is nothing like a good home cooked meal that everyone will always remember for many years.

The photo above: Rene' made the apple pie with the last of our own apples which of course are Certified Naturally Grown not needing to add any sugar, for a friends birthday recently.

Save money and reduce carbon emissions take a STAYcation!

2009-03-06T05:35:00.000-08:00

Spring break is right around the corner.

Traveling can be very stressful. Reservations, packing and connecting flights and then all that money. Then you might arrive and the weather fails you!

Support your local economy by taking advantage of all things to do all with in two hours of your home.

Here is a list I composed that you can do now or in the summer.

1. Take a hike!
Get back in touch with Mother Nature. Pack a picnic and a book. Go for that long walk out in the woods and take advantage of where the warmer weather takes you.

2. Historic Landmarks
Something historic happened near you. Take my word for it. You'll find something historic or significant in a fifty-mile radius even in a most remote area.

3. Museum or an Art Gallery
Support your local art galleries and you might be surprised how many talented people live near you. You might even be inspired.

4. The Library
Treat yourself and perhaps everyone in your family to read a book. What a luxury our busy lives deny us. Check out your library for free classes, local author visitings, discussion groups or even an upcoming documentary and speakers series. It is all free … remember all the taxes you pay …. Take advantage of it!

5. Sporting Event
Professional sports teams, college level or minor league teams or pick a home team and root for them. Softball leagues and your local schools all have teams of all types. You'll have a blast being a booster. You can also paint a big number on your stomach and shout at those foolish refs.

6. The University
Your local university is always hosting speakers, panel discussions and readings. They often have their own art museums, sporting teams and libraries inside their borders. And if you don't like any of that, why not take some classes?

7. Zoo or Animal Santuaries
The zoo is a great place to see animals. Some people don't like to see animals caged up. I understand that. But on the other hand, seeing all those animals has probably inspired quite a few people to work to protect wildlife.

8. Fairs/Carnivals/Festivals
Check the living section in your local newspaper or magazine for dates and locations.

Grow your own Liberty Garden starting from seeds or a Plant Swap!

2009-02-27T04:58:00.000-08:00

Photo of some of Jay's Cherry Tomatoes

Planting your own garden saves money and can be very rewarding indeed!

Since I moved up to the Hudson Valley 11 years ago I have had my own garden. Believe it or not I always thought it to be one of the highest forms of art. Think of it for a moment:

Visual, all the colors which actually change through-out the day depending of course on the position and intensity of the SUN
3 dimensional - depth, height
Scents - all of the wonderful aromas of flowers and fruit
Movements - from a gentle summer breeze
And of course taste all the wonderful tastes that come from growing something naturally

When invited to friends where most bring a bottle of wine.... I bring a bounty of a veggies right from my garden- and what a hit that is!

It really is a beautiful hobby for everyone of all ages. A tiny little seed that grows in a few short weeks produces wonder and amazement as well as all the fruit it bears.

Buy local seeds or trade with friends. You can also buy seedlings or go to a Plant Swap and exchange seedlings like the one here in New Paltz - thanks Celeste Cleary! If you do not have a Plant Swap near you START YOUR OWN a great community event!

I am also fortunate to live near a most seedy kind of person; Ken Green (What an appropriate name if you ask me) who founded the Hudson Valley Seed Library.

Part of Kens mission:
"With your help, we can create a viable small-scale regionally-based seed production network and reverse the global trend toward the corporatization and consolidation of seed resources. Growing these seeds in your home garden and learning how to save seeds from the plants you grow is a way for all of us to participate in the ceaseless renewal of life--and to practice frugality, develop regional food security, and enjoy being active and outside more often.

Want to save money on your seeds and ensure a food future that is diverse, democratic, and sustainable? Please consider becoming a member; click here for more information." Ken Green.

Truly a healthy happy hobby for the whole family to explore and enjoy!

Jay from Four Winds Farm is known for his seedling sale CLICK HERE I am happy to announce this two day event takes place at his farm on May 15th and May 16th- all sorts of veggies and tomato seedlings - get there early! I am inspired by Jay for many reasons but one thing that stands out is the fact that he grows over 50 varieties of tomatoes!

This year more than ever before I really think it is important for everyone to plant their own Liberty Vegetable Garden. a little more info click here

Reuse vacum bags

2009-02-20T05:36:00.000-08:00

Your vacuum cleaner is not very green but you can cut down on landfill waste and paper waste by reusing the "disposable" vacuum bag. Use the bag several times. Most will last 3 or 4 times and the one that I have in my Miele vacuum cleaner lasts half a dozen times or more!

I do this messy job outside right over the garbage can. If it is a breezy day I do not have to cover my mouth and nose you might want to consider a mask. I sometimes use gloves and quickly and carefully remove the debris from the bag.

I use kitchen tongs and pull out through the hole. But if your bag is paper you might be able to cut a slice down the rear of the bag with a sharp knife or razor when finished cover with duct tape.

There you have it, saving money by reusing and not having to run into town to purchase wasteful new bags!

Wait to purchase.

2009-02-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

3 hour, 30-day rule.

Depending on the size of the purchase- how much it will cost..... Take some time to think about it.

Whenever you are considering making an unnecessary purchase, wait a few days or thirty days and then ask yourself if you still want that item.

A cleaver use for bath water.

2009-02-06T19:55:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine just sent this note to me. I have already been using Karen's ideas ever since I bought this place 10 years ago! The past few years I have been too busy to take a bath, it has been years - I take a 2 minute shower. These are great tips for the winter. The bathroom upstairs has this wonderful soaking claw-foot tub so when I have a guest (I light candles for them) I ask them to kindly leave the hot water in the tub for the same reasons mentioned below.

Hi Billiam, I loved your clothesline "article". I kind of get a kick out of weird ways of saving money and energy. One thing I like to do is leave the water in the bathtub after a bath, until it cools down. Why heat the septic tank when I can warm up the house a little. Also, it increases humidity a tad, as you mentioned with the clothesline. My favorite, weirdest trick is to brush my teeth with cold water rather than hot. It means crossing your arm over to the right hand side, but after a while, it becomes routine. There is no point in using the hot water. If you shut off the valve while you are brushing, which is the recommended approach, the hot water will just about get to the tap by the time you are done brushing anyway. Then you have all that hot water sitting in the cold pipes to cool off. A waste. It's a weird strategy, one that may not be very popular, but what the heck, it's worth mentioning. Maybe somebody will like it.

An Eco-Fabulous way to do laundry.

2009-02-04T04:45:00.000-08:00

I talked about hanging laundry outside this summer but we all should be hanging laundry in our homes/apartments inside in the winter.

Dryers use ten to fifteen percent of domestic energy in the United States!

Many households save more than $25 per month- that could be over $300 per year!

Clothes and linens smell better without adding possibly toxic chemicals to your body and the environment.

Clothes dryer fires account for almost 16,000 structure fires, 15 deaths, and 400 injuries annually. The yearly national fire loss for clothes dryer fires in structures is estimated at nearly $100million.

Rene and I like to line dry laundry because it saves energy and money, it is good for the environment, clothes last longer because the dryer damages fibers (where do you think lint comes from?)and I prefer not to wait around for the dryer to tell me when the clothes are ready.

If you miss the buzzer then all the clothes are very wrinkled and I would rather do more interesting things than to wait around or worse- miss the buzzer and then HAVE TO IRON!

Help add humidity and save money at the same time.

I have always been proud to help save my hard earned money and at the same time helping to conserve energy and respecting the environment.

It is remarkable when you think that if you try something different not only can you save money but it can be beneficial in several ways. Saving gas and electric and in these times, who wouldn’t benefit from lower gas and electric bills.

There are many options to hanging laundry in your home and it really does not take more time. Most of the time I usually hang laundry at night in the HOUSE! I extend two lines from one end of the living room to the other when I am doing laundry. We twisted two eyehooks into the millwork on either side of my windows behind where the curtains fall and repeated on the other side of the living room. (Email me if you want me to send photo details of the eyehooks…)You could do it in any room but I choose the living room because that is where the woodstove is and there is no other source of heat at times in the whole house. You can also use like I do - a foldable hanging rack. And for my cashmere pullovers I simply hang over the doors. Make sure that if you do not regularly do this you clean that top edge of the door first otherwise you will have to wash again… speaking of laundering pullovers- my washing machine is energy efficient and is a FRONT loader, it is more gentle on clothing, I would not recommend a top loader where the agitator would stretch and disfigure knitted garments. You can also use a real convenient way of drying: put your wet shirts right on the hanger and place in closet to dry but make sure the closet door stays open and the clothes are not touching for good ventilation.

Remember to reuse your bath towels several times.

Once you get used to this system I bet you will be hanging most of your laundry this way – it is the Eco-fabulous way!

By the way in the middle of January, I posted a way to make inexpensive home-made fabric softener click link below: http://frugalfarmerfridays.blogspot.com/2009/01/cheap-non-toxic-homemade-fabric.html

People write me everyday telling me how much they love my E-newsletters and others ask to be put on my email list to receive them and wish they were sent more than 2-3 times a month. If you would like to receive my E-newsletter "Cultivating Community and Farmers" just send me an email to: Billiamvan@gamil.com with a request. It contains lots of great information about many wonderful things in our community that you can do in yours if you do not live here. Also spread the word about my blogs and farm especially my innovative "Lease an Apple Tree".

Support Your Local Farmer - Support Your Local Economy - Helping One Another!

It is Chic to be Frugal Now!

2009-02-02T07:06:00.000-08:00

How to get through this “recession”.

Why go into a depression – lets turn this negative into a positive! This is a really good time to re-evaluate your life and how you are living it. This is a good time to learn and grow in new ways. We all have from time to time thought about all the waste, now lets do something about it. If you haven’t noticed it is now “Chic to be Frugal!”

Money can be saved everywhere. Get back to basics. Think of how our parents and grand parents lived. A more simple life, wasting less, spending less and in many ways living a fuller life. Stop running around buying things thinking it will make you feel better. Get connected with friends, family and your community that is where a greater feeling is waiting. It has been proven that since the middle of the 20th Century American’s consumption and materialism went up and up while their actual overall feelings of happiness went down and down. I would rather be happy with less than with lots of junk feeling sad that is for sure! Through out history there have been glutinous times and equally there have been times of scarcity. If our Grandparents could do it so can we! In the long run I think we will all find greater respect for the simpler things in life and we will all be much better-off. We will appreciate a whole lot more.

So lets get started, where can we start saving easily and how do we begin.

We have been conditioned to pay for things monthly using many forms of credit where we do not even notice or pay much attention. Sometimes we don't see things right in front of our own eyes! Many bills contain additional bills with –in like all those add on taxes they don’t tell you about. A particular bill once a month does not look so bad right? When I think about all my bills I multiply each by 12 add it up for the year - then I really see how much it costs! Think about all those monthly cable bills, cell phone bills and more.

Think about the several hundred bucks a year you will save by deciding to have just one phone number. Over the fall I had several friends choose either their cell phone or land-line. It actually can be very liberating. And then there is something I have been using called Skype. I either talk or use video to talk to friends and family any where in the world. There are free plans and then there are plans for $2.95, $5.95 or $9.95 per month. Depending on what plan, you use your computer like a phone or video phone. It is so simple. It is also amazing! Oprah Winfrey uses it and she also uses it on her TV show. You really have to check it out click this link: http://www.skype.com/

Start using the internet for more than just emails. Read on-line magazines, blogs and get information from local sites as well. There are countless free activities that you can attend. Start right now; did you know you can use the internet for entertainment? Search for sitcoms or news that are now streaming over the internet. Cut back on all those extra expensive cable/satellite channels. Many people are feeling liberated getting rid of TV all together. Get connected with friends and neighbors; take a healthy walk everyday instead of sitting alone watching some program you will most likely forget 10 minutes after it is over.

Remember to check back with me every week for more ideas and feel free to add your suggestions so we can share with one another. It all adds up!

How To Polish Shoes With A Banana

2009-01-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

I just tried this and it works!

No shoe polish? No problem! ...As long as you have a banana! That's right, you can go polish your shoes with this yellow crescent of unparalleled beauty, let us show you how!

Step 1:
Peel Banana
Take your banana and peel it. Take the fruit out and eat it if you like, just make sure you keep hold of the skin.
Step 2:
Apply the skin
Using the inner lining of the banana skin, begin to rub it all over your shoes, just as you would if you were using a spot of polish.
Step 3:
Buff
Once you have wiped banana over the whole of both shoes, take a soft cloth and begin to buff them up.
Step 4:
Explainer
The natural oils in the banana soak into the leather, helping your shoes to last longer, whilst potassium, a key ingredient in commercial shoe polish, is found in abundance in bananas!

Babies Know: A Little Dirt Is Good for You

2009-01-27T16:04:00.000-08:00

Since all instinctive behaviors have an evolutionary advantage or they would not have been retained for millions of years, chances are that this one too has helped us survive as a species. And, indeed, accumulating evidence strongly suggests that eating dirt is good for you.

In studies of what is called the hygiene hypothesis, researchers are concluding that organisms like the millions of bacteria, viruses and especially worms that enter the body along with “dirt” spur the development of a healthy immune system. Several continuing studies suggest that worms may help to redirect an immune system that has gone awry and resulted in autoimmune disorders, allergies and asthma.

These studies, along with epidemiological observations, seem to explain why immune system disorders like multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, asthma and allergies have risen signifi

Training the Immune System

“What a child is doing when he puts things in his mouth is allowing his immune response to explore his environment,” Mary Ruebush, a microbiology and immunology instructor, wrote in her new book, “Why Dirt Is Good” (Kaplan). “Not only does this allow for ‘practice’ of immune responses, which will be necessary for protection, but it also plays a critical role in teaching the immature immune response what is best ignored.”

One leading researcher, Dr. Joel V. Weinstock, the director of gastroenterology and hepatology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, said in an interview that the immune system at birth “is like an unprogrammed computer. It needs instruction.”

Dr. Weinstock goes even further. “Children should be allowed to go barefoot in the dirt, play in the dirt, and not have to wash their hands when they come in to eat,” he said. He and Dr. Elliott pointed out that children who grow up on farms and are frequently exposed to worms and other organisms from farm animals are much less likely to develop allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Also helpful, he said, is to “let kids have two dogs and a cat,” which will expose them to intestinal worms that can promote a healthy immune system

By JANE E. BRODY
Published: January 26, 2009

Very interesting... read the complete article in The New York Times- link below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/health/27brod.html?ref=science

Whether or not to weatherstrip?

2009-01-23T05:24:00.000-08:00

With this extremely c cc c cold wea wea wea weather....

Wasting energy is sad.

Heat can escape from your house in many unexpected places, through electrical outlets, attic entrances and furnace flues. It is more likely, however, to sneak out of the likely places like the doors and the windows. You could replace your door with an extremely expensive insulated door or have state-of-the-art windows installed, but that would cost you tons of money. An easier way to reduce heat loss is with weatherstripping.

Weatherstripping is an inexpensive alternative to out-and-out replacement or renovation. The materials can cost as low as twenty dollars. Of course, there is high-end weatherstripping, but you should weigh the cost of the weatherstripping vs. the amount of money and energy you will save. According to a Cornell webpage, weatherstripping and caulking can save you up to 20% on your annual bills. That's a decent savings, but by choosing a more affordable weatherstripping instead of a top-tier pick, you're probably not going to affect that number much.

It only takes an hour or so to install weatherstripping . You can buy it in an easy-to-use kit or you can buy the basic materials and put the weatherstripping up yourself.

Valentines' Day Apple Tree Lease Gift

2009-01-22T03:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day

Valentines' Day is just around the corner!

Why not buy an Eco-Fabulous Sustainable Valentines Gift- Lease one of our Apple Trees- which are even red! This gift also gives to others because Liberty View Farm donates food to help feed the hungry and enables us to do other things for our community.

A terrific gift that is an investment in a lot of healthy local fruit, that helps the local economy and farmer and you can make lots of lovely apple pies, apple pie recipe that you can freeze and use when you need it, lots of apple sauce that you can preserve or freeze and lots more like eating it the way it is- it truly is the gift that keeps giving. You will have months of beautiful delicious nutrient dense inexpensive versatile fruit for only $50 bucks!

You even get a new certificate design for 2oo9.

Pack that picnic and see you on the farm....

Very romantic indeed!

http://www.libertyviewfarm.biz/website/Apples.html

Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill

2009-01-14T05:46:00.000-08:00

With a little legwork, savvy shoppers can keep their grocery bills at pre-2008 levels — if not lower. Here's how:
Stockpile

Most items are discounted just once during a 10-to-12-week sales cycle, says Teri Gault, founder of shopping site The Grocery Game. Seasonal items (think barbecue sauce in summer, soup in winter) show up every one to two weeks, while highly-competitive categories (cereal, soft drinks) cycle in every three to four. While it's not necessary to buy, say, eight jars of peanut butter
, it's better to buy one jar while your favorite brand is on sale now than one at full price after you run out in two weeks.
Explore the store

Saving at the supermarket requires more effort than a quick dash and grab. Some of the best deals aren't obvious unless you take the time to price compare, says Phil Lempert, founder of Supermarket Guru. Cheese, for example, can be purchased from the cheese counter, the deli and the dairy case. "New York cheddar is New York cheddar no matter where you buy it," says Lempert. "But the price may be cheaper in one section than in another."

Keep an eye out, too, for sales. There are twice as many unadvertised sale items in the store as there are in the weekly circular. But be cautious. The longer you spend in stores, the more susceptible you are to sneaky supermarket tricks that entice you to spend more. Make a list, and stick to it.
Try store brands

It's unlikely you'll notice a quality difference between ShopRite's frozen chopped broccoli and Birds Eye's, says Lisa Lee Freeman, editor in chief of Consumer Reports' ShopSmart magazine. In fact, most store labels are produced by the same manufacturers that make the brands you know and love. (The maker of Birds' Eye frozen vegetables, for example, also makes store-label frozen veggies.) But there's a big difference in price. A 14-ounce package of the store-brand broccoli is 44% cheaper than the brand name. Of course, some store-label products make better deals than others.

Robins' Market on Rt 32 New Paltz: where we do the Eco-Fabulous Community Farmers' Market has a wonderful "Discount Table". Buy some very ripe bananas and make banana bread or veggies that do not look perfect are great for soups.... deals like these are just waiting to be found!

Cheap Non-Toxic Homemade Fabric Softener

2009-01-14T04:17:00.000-08:00

Rene uses fabric softener on some of our laundry like our Liberty View Farm T-Shirt Rants above- I could care less... Rene saves our hard earned money and you can save too by making your own fabric softener so you will not exposure yourself and family and the environment to harmful neurotoxins.

Did you know that some of the most harmful ingredients in many of the commercial liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets include benzyl acetate (pancreatic cancer), benzyl alcohol (upper respiratory tract irritant), ethanol (central nervous system disorders), limonene (carcinogen) and chloroform (neurotoxin and carcinogen)? Seventh Generation and Ecover are two brands that offer an eco-friendly choice. But, one thrifty and healthy way you can avoid exposing you and your family to these scary neurotoxins is to make your own natural, homemade softener. Here's one recipe for a liquid fabric softener:

3 cups Vinegar
2 cups Hair Conditioner (natural/organic)
6 cups Water (distilled, if you have it)
Mix and use as you would with any store-bought softener product.

.

A wonderful simple terrific recipe

2009-01-09T05:05:00.000-08:00

A delicious nutritious desert that is actually fast and fun!

A new feature I figured out ...VIDEO below

Carbon Footprint Calculator: What's My Carbon Footprint?

2009-01-09T04:32:00.000-08:00

A good way to start the new year and to open a conversation with others on how to save money and help our planet could be talking about carbon foot prints, Rene & I are always thinking about it in every aspect of our little farm.....

Inevitably, in going about our daily lives — commuting, sheltering our families, eating — each of us contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change. Yet, there are many things each of us, as individuals, can do to reduce our carbon emissions. The choices we make in our homes, our travel, the food we eat, and what we buy and throw away all influence our carbon footprint and can help ensure a stable climate for future generations.

Use The Nature Conservancy's carbon footprint calculator to measure your impact on our climate. Our carbon footprint calculator estimates how many tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases your choices create each year. more info

To get started, select the number of people in your home. Then choose whether you want to calculate a carbon footprint for yourself or for your household.

Use the link right below:

www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/calculator/

A list of cheap foods to stretch your grocery budget during the holidays and beyond.

2009-01-03T05:02:00.000-08:00

Healthy Foods for Under $1

Start the New Year Healthy and Economically Efficient!

How tough is it to eat healthy on a budget? The advice Web site DivineCaroline gets you started with a list of 20 healthy foods for under $1.

Some items on the list, like oats or eggs, aren’t all that surprising to experienced budget shoppers. But a few, like kale, wild rice or garbanzo beans, may not be regulars in your shopping cart. Not surprisingly, none of the foods on this list are prepared or processed, meaning that healthful eating on a budget will require more time in the kitchen.

For people who don’t see many foods on the list that they would eat, DivineCaroline suggests finding similar foods in the same areas of the grocery store where these are stocked.

Getting the most nutrition for the least amount of money means hanging out on the peripheries — near the fruits and veggies, the meat and dairy, and the bulk grains — while avoiding the expensive packaged interior… Although that bag of 99 cent Cheetos may look like a bargain, knowing that you’re not getting much in the way of nutrition or sustenance makes it seem less like a deal and more like a dupe. Choosing one of these 20 items, or the countless number of similarly nutritious ones, might just stretch that dollar from a snack into a meal.

Here’s the DivineCaroline list of 20 healthy foods for under $1:

1. Oats: High in fiber and good for cholesterol. A dollar buys you a week’s worth of breakfast or keeps you well-supplied in oatmeal cookies.

2. Eggs: * These are one of the cheapest sources of protein, says DivineCaroline. The site suggests huevos rancheros, egg salad sandwiches and frittatas.

3. Kale: At about a dollar a bunch, this is one of the cheapest greens you’ll find in the supermarket. Toss into a stir-fry or check out recipes for German-style kale or traditional Irish colcannon.

4. Potatoes: Stay away from fries and chips, and eat them skin and all as a good source of vitamin C and potassium. Choose sweet potatoes or yams for an added serving of beta carotene. Here’s a recipe for easy breakfast potatoes that uses just 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

5. Apples: Tasty, cheap and filling, apples are a fun way to dress up a meal, either cooked or turned into applesauce.

6. Nuts: Some nuts like pecans and macadamias cost more, but peanuts, walnuts and almonds, particularly when bought in the shell, won’t break your budget. Eat them plain or sprinkle in salads. Nuts aren’t as fattening as you might think. Read more in Going Nuts for the Holidays.

7. Bananas: Shop around for deals; DivineCaroline found them for 19 cents apiece at Trader Joe’s. A dollar gets you a banana a day for the workweek, and they are great in smoothies, cereal and with yogurt.

8. Garbanzo Beans: Also known as chickpeas, garbanzos are cheapeast in dry form, but even precooked beans will still only cost about a dollar. If you don’t like garbanzos, any bean will do. Check out DivineCaroline’s recipe for orange hummus.

9. Broccoli: Easy to make and cheap, broccoli is a no-brainer for any budget meal.

10. Watermelon: The whole melon costs more than a dollar, but the per-serving cost is only about 20 cents, the site says.

11. Wild Rice: About the same as white rice, but better for you with a nutty flavor.

12. Beets: Roasted in the oven or shred into salads, beets are packed with nutrients. For extra value, buy them with greens on for stir fry or to toss in a salad. Beets have been a popular topic on Well. Check out Pass the Beets, Again for several recipes that take beets beyond the can.

13. Butternut Squash: In season, the butternut squash costs less than a dollar a pound. It can be tough to cut up, but it’s hearty and easy to bake or prepare as a soup. Check out DivineCaroline’s pear and squash bruschetta.

14. Whole Grain Pasta: A cheap staple, but pick the whole grain variety for added nutritional punch.

15. Sardines: A little fish so low on the food chain it doesn’t accumulate mercury and packs tons of nutrition. Mash them with parsley, lemon juice and olive oil for a spread or toss into salads or on pizza.

16. Spinach: Cheap year-round, packed with nutrition and great in salads or a spinach frittata.

17. Tofu: An inexpensive protein source. Add to smoothies for a protein boost, suggests DivineCaroline.

18. Milk: Per serving, milk and many milk products like yogurt are still under a dollar.

19. Pumpkin Seeds: Not the most practical item on the list because most of us aren’t carving pumpkins every day and they are expensive to buy on their own. Still, they are great on salads and as a snack, so it’s always worth saving pumpkin seeds when you have a pumpkin.

20. Coffee: Skip the Starbucks and make it at home, where it’s just 50 cents a cup. Plus, there’s plenty of evidence that it’s good for you.

Thanks to Tara Parker-Pope on Health * Prices of eggs vary due to variety of feeds, breeds and raising practices.

Eco-Fabulous Community Farmers' Market

2008-12-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

Eat Local Food is sponsoring a Community Indoor Market every third and fourth Saturday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM . It will be held at Robin's Market on Route 32, two miles south of SUNY.

Everyone is invited to shop for local food ranging from organic to certified naturally grown and including fruits and vegetables, eggs, dairy products (cheeses, butter, yogurt and ketin), wine, fresh and dried herbs, maple syrup, honey, animal proteins like grass-fed beef, buffalo, ostrich, quail, rabbit, goat, mutton, lamb and venison, fresh baked goods and much more. Additionally with the wide range of basic provisions available at Robin's Market the opportunity exists to do one-stop shopping. When we support our local grocers and farmers we support our local economy and community.

The mission of Eat Local Food is to provide convenience, ease and support for those interested in consuming a diet rich in locally grown foods. In addition to the market itself there will be hands-on educational opportunities/ workshops for all ages on how to grow your own food, how to make choices for healthier lifestyles and more. You can find out more about these at www.eatlocalfood.org.

I recently joined the board of Eat Local Food and I am proud to announce a few good things.

I have always been a firm believer in cross pollinating and so does Eat Local Food.

In this economy and more than ever we truly believe - the more we work together the more we will succeed.

Within this rooting purpose, we are working with Robins Market because they are a LOCAL grocer who already buys from local farmers. If The Community Farm Market was held in an empty space somewhere else many of the patrons who regularly shop for local healthy food may not have found out about Robins Market and all the great things they do and provide. It is also a welcoming space for many other reasons as you will see. We feel that this collaboration is a wonderful example of how working together can benefit all.

We also feel that we are all a part of our "Local Industry" and we are not truly competitors at all because, even combined, it would be extremely difficult to provide all of the produce that the Hudson Valley requires. And, most of the local farmers have created their own nitch markets and specialize in produce that their land dictates as well as what appeals to their individual tastes and comfortability zones.

When we join together at The Community Indoor Farm Market we will also be participating in another innovative "cross pollinating" project. Several farm markets (from Beacon, New Paltz, Rosendale and Saugerties) are planning to pool their individual advertising budgets to further raise the public's awareness of all the positive potentials in eating locally and in shopping at local farmers markets. Now, instead of tiny little ads - we will be able to have LARGER ADS in larger papers - one for all and all for one!

In the same vein I came up with the idea to work with Robins Market because they are a LOCAL grocer who already buys from local farmers. If we would have had our farm market in an empty space somewhere else many of the patrons who regularly shop for local healthy food would not have found out about Robins Market and all the great things they do and provide. It is a great space for many reasons as you will see. We are all part of an "Local Industry" and we really are not competitors because we all together could not certainly provide all the produce the Hudson Valley requires. Also, most of us have created our own nitch markets and specialize in produce that our land dictates as well as what appeals to our individual tastes and comfortability zones.

Working together is important. A great example of this is SUNY New Paltz is very close to coming to an agreement with a local wholesale company which will be an official vendor to the university. That means they will finally be purchasing from local growers. We all know none of us could provide all of the food that is needed, but the meetings I have been part of with Sustainable Ag for the past 2 years will enable us to ramp up and sell more and more to the college. This is only the beginning, public schools, nursing homes and hospitals are on my list too!

Now as in the past, dealing locally will also enable us to learn that we can grow and at the same time we can support, trust and honor one another.

This year consumers (and producers) will have more consistency and convenience.
There will be a local farmers market every weekend this winter and early spring for the Greater New Paltz and Rosendale areas.

Rosendale farm market 1st weekend, Jim's Winter Sun Market 2nd weekend, New Paltz Community Indoor Farmers Market 3rd and 4th Saturday of every month.

Looking forward to seeing you all on December 20th.

And in the meantime call, email and talk to all your friends and customers about all of the great things that are happening.

If you know any other farmers or vendors please spread the word.

Community Indoor Farmers Market
Winter 2008-2009

This market is coordinated by Eat Local Food www.eatlocalfood.org

For information about the market contact:

Billiam van Roestenberg 845 800 1002 cell

Billiamvan@gmail.com

Rosalyn Cherry 212 864 2165 cell

Rosalyn@clutterkit.com

For information about workshops contact Ann Rogers 610 297 2629 cell

Dancingmeadow@gmail.com

This market is a unique collaboration where Robins’ Market once again generously helps eating local to generate a stronger economy and community.

Eat Local Food is 100% volunteer based and vendor fees will go towards another unique advertising venture for many Winter Farm Markets throughout the Hudson Valley.

2008-11-23T05:45:00.000-08:00

Buy Local

Buy Local this Holiday Season and throughout the whole year!

More than ever buying local and locally made gifts are the best way to go!

You can actually buy your holiday trees and greens from the terrific Hurds' Family Farm right down the road from me not even a mile away - right on Hurds Road!!!

http://www.hurdsfamilyfarm.com/christmas_trees.html

2008-11-11T06:02:00.000-08:00

Health Care

Dear Single Payer Supporters - On December 13th and 14th, "Change is Coming" house parties will be hosted across the country to tell President-elect Obama what our most important priorities are in the coming year. This is a great chance to meet your neighbors, and to let our new president know that single payer health care reform is our top priority for the coming year - what better bailout for the big automakers and for the rest of us, than affordable, universal health care?

To find a house party near you, or to host one of your own (they will be taking place even before and after the two target days), check here:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/changeiscoming/

We'd like to strongly encourage you to raise health care at these house parties, and bring a sign up sheet so we can stay in touch with those interested in working on single payer reform!

_______________________________________________
Mass-Care: The Massachusetts Campaign for Single Payer Health Care
33 Harrison Ave - 5th floor
Boston, MA 02111
Ph: 617-723-7001
Fx: 617-723-7002
Em: info@masscare.org

A Paper Towel a Day...

2008-10-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

Sure paper towels may be good at cleaning up a mess, but what about the mess they leave in our landfills? The EPA estimated that in 2006, the United States generated 251 millions tons of municipal solid waste. Of this total, 34% was paper products. While it's impossible to know how much paper towels contributed to this total, it's safe to assume the quicker-picker-uper is actually a quicker-landfill-clogger.

Switching to cloth towels will not only reduce the amount of paper waste, but will scale back on trees that must be cut down, lower the amount of fuel used to manufacture and transport the product and cut down on the amount of harsh chemicals used to strengthen and whiten paper towels.

And think about the money savings. How much do you spend on paper towels? I mean really think about this number. It's probably higher than you realized. And it doesn't take a huge financial investment to make the switch. Just cut up some old t-shirts, or those old ratty bath towels nobody will use anymore. Since cloth towels can be washed and re-used over and over again, you won't have to constantly replenish your stock.

Save money and help the planet, now that's Frugal Friendly.

"Save Paper. Save the Planet" - World Wildlife Fund

Sweep your troubles away

2008-10-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

While cooking last week, I accidentally knocked the salt off the counter. After throwing more salt over my shoulder to atone for the bad luck associated with spilling salt, I realized I had quite a little mess on my hands. As I was wrestling my vacuum cleaner out of its hiding spot, attempting to untangle the power cord from the broom handle, I thought to myself, "There must be a better way."

There is a better way, and it was staring me right in the face. The Broom!

While the vacuum cleaner is a great tool for serious cleaning, nothing beats that good ol' broom for some quick spot cleaning.

Save time by not having to get out a big, cumbersome vacuum and find an open electrical socket

Save energy (yours) by not having to lug a vacuum all over the house

Save energy (electrical) by not tapping into your home's electricity

WWOOF

2008-10-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

This week I've got a great way to travel and see the world, and not spend a bundle doing it.

I found a great organization promoting responsible farming by linking people who want to volunteer on organic farms or smallholdings with people who are looking for volunteer help: WWOOF, or World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

The premise is simple, WWOOF is an exchange - In return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles.

The Benefits are outstanding. If you are willing to get your hands a little dirty and pitch in, you'll get a first-hand look at living an ecologically sound lifestyle, country living, and make some friends along the way.

There is a small fee to join the WWOOF organization. But once you are in, you gain access to farms around the world welcoming volunteers in this most unique exchange. Travel abroad, or stay home in the US. There are over 600 participating farms in the USA alone.

You can browse the farm directory, read descriptions, and make contact to see if you would be a good fit before making any commitments.

This is a beautiful exchange program that is mutually beneficial to volunteer and host alike. It is truly an everyone-wins situation.

Check out the WWOOF Website here! There you can also find links to facebook and Myspace pages where people all over the world share stories and advice on WWOOFing.

"I just leased one of these delicious Certified Naturally Grown Apple Trees from Liberty View Farm- The apples are terrific!" Amy Little of New Paltz

2008-10-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Amy Little of New Paltz "Lots of healthy yummy apples from this tree lease 150 lbs for only $50.00. Lease a Tree makes a great holiday gift!"

Lots of Apples? Apple pie in a jar.

2008-10-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

Save Money and time with this great idea...

Make a huge amount of apple pie filling then let cool....
Divid into freezer bags.... just enough for one pie
Defrost when you need it... place into pre-made pie shell and there you have it!!!
also makes a great gift.

Let us know what you do.

Measure Ingredient
4½ cup Sugar
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
10 cup Water
1 cup Cornstarch
1 teaspoon Salt
24 cup Apples; peeled,sliced
2 teaspoon Cinnamon
3 teaspoon Lemon juice

Blend sugar, nutmeg, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon. Add water and cook till clear. Add apples and lemon juice and cook till apples are soft. Pack in jars/containers. To make pie, make crust and bake. Into prepared crust, put thawed filling and bake until warmed through. Crumb topping can be added before baking filling if you want (I use sugar, cinnamon, margarine and chopped pecans.) I found that the thickener (the flour, water, etc. mix that is cooked first) made a lot more than could be used up by 24 c of apples. I think I got a total of 8-10 large containers (I use empty 32 oz yogurt containers). One of these containers was just enough for a 9 in pie. I also used (don't tell anybody) prepared pie shells just fine with this filling. I also used a large nonstick pot to cook this in and had very little problem with sticking at medium to medium high temperature.

I simply take an empty pie plate and fill it with sliced apples, mounded high. Than dump the apple slices into a bowl and add 2 T. lemon juice and toss the apples and then I mix sugar and flour ( amounts depend on how sweet and juicy tha apples are, bur for jonathens I mix 1/3 cup sugar with 2 T. flour and 1 tsp cinnamon) and add that with the apples, dump back into the pie plate and let it sit for about 30 minutes ( so the apples will yield some juice) them freeze....and when frozen solid, remove from the pie plate and wrap and bag.
To do several of these, you need to have 3 or 4 pie plates, but you can be peeling apples while letting one plate sit.
The beauty of this is you can just pop one of those chunks out of it's bag and pop it into a pie shell and bake. Youw ill have to cover the edges of the crust with foil, because a frozen pie will take about 15 minutes more to bake than one that's not frozen.
Riches is an apple pie in the freezer!

Ingredients
4 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
10 cup water
1 cup cornstarch
1 tsp salt
24 cup apples, peeled,sliced
2 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp lemon juice

Directions
Blend sugar, nutmeg, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon. Add water and cook
till clear. Add apples and lemon juice and cook till apples are
soft. Pack in jars/containers. To make pie, make crust and bake.
Into prepared crust, put thawed filling and bake until warmed
through. Crumb topping can be added before baking filling if you want
(I use sugar, cinnamon, margarine and chopped pecans.) I found that
the thickener (the flour, water, etc. mix that is cooked first) made
a lot more than could be used up by 24 c of apples. I think I got a
total of 8-10 large containers (I use empty 32 oz yogurt containers).
One of these containers was just enough for a 9 in pie. I also used
(don't tell anybody) prepared pie shells just fine with this filling.
I also used a large nonstick pot to cook this in and had very little
problem with sticking at medium to medium high temperature.

2008-09-05T08:31:00.001-07:00

Benjamin Franklin once said, "A spoonful of honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar." I can't say I disagree, but today we're talking cleaning, and have you ever tried cleaning with honey? Big mess! But if you ever make the same mistake, nothing works better than a little vinegar to clean up that mess.

This week I'm bringing you a few ways you can use simple, everyday distilled white vinegar to clean, polish, scrub and make shine everything in and around your house from clothes, to counter tops, to floors to coffee makers.

Around the house

Get that streak free shine on all your windows by mixing equal parts vinegar and warm water. Spray the mixture on and wipe off using a soft cloth. I find a squeegee works best.
Clean up those no-wax or linoleum floors with a mixture of 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 gallon warm water. Mop as usual.
Blast away carpet stains with a mixture of 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon liquid soap with 1 pint of warm water. Apply the mixture with a towel and gently scrub the stain. Rinse the towel with clean water and use to blot dry.
Sticky residue left behind by tape or stickers will easily come off if you soak them in vinegar first. I've also used this trick to remove stubborn wallpaper glue.

In the kitchen

Freshen up your counter tops with a rag soaked in undiluted vinegar.
Rid your sink drain of that funky smell. Simply pour a cup of vinegar down the drain, let it sit for a half and hour, then flush with cold water.
Bring out the beauty of your stainless steel appliance by wiping down a vinegar soaked cloth. Be sure to test in a inconspicuous place.
Make your own self-cleaning microwave. Just boil 1/4 cup vinegar with 1 cup water in the microwave. This will loosen stuck on food and grease. Then just wipe clean.
A little coffee maker maintenance will ensure every cup is as good as the first. Fill the reservoir with 1 or more cups of vinegar and run the coffee maker. Then run through once or twice with water to rinse the system. Check your owner's manual first for model specific instructions.
Full strength vinegar can be used to clean and disinfect wood cutting boards.
Get rid of fruit flies by setting out a small dish of undiluted vinegar.

In the Bathroom

Stubborn stains don't have to be in your toilet bowl forever. Pour in 3 cups of vinegar and let sit for a few hours. Give a quick scrub, flush, then stand back in admiration of how easy that was.
Soap residue on tubs and shower door will easily wipe away with a sponge soaked in vinegar.
Clogged shower heads can be freed by soaking them in a mixture of 1/2 of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar. Let it sit for several hours, then rinse clean. If you can't remove your shower head, put the mixture in a plastic bag and tie it around the shower head.

These simple tips are sure to get things around your house sparkling. Stop breathing in all those harsh fumes from abrasive, commercial cleaners. They are bad for your health and the environment we all live in. Switching to more natural cleaning is one more step we can all take to pitch in. Plus, think of the savings. A 32 ounce bottle of commercial glass or kitchen cleaner costs between $5-$7. A 1 gallon bottle of white distilled vinegar can be found for less than $10 (A quick internet search actually found a bottle for less than $3). That's pennies on the dollar!

Have any favorite uses for vinegar cleaning I left out? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Let the Sun Shine In

2008-08-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

Want to harness the power of the sun, but are hesitant to make the leap to a solar power grid? Well this week I've got a great step in the right direction for you. I'm talking clothes lines. This simple modification to your routine can add up to big bucks finding their way back to you, not into the hands of the power company.

Even if you are short on open space in your yard, you can now find compact, rotary models that make the most of limited space. But if you've got the acreage, you can't go wrong with a simple, tried-and-true rope line. Whichever you opt for, make sure you've got plenty of clothes pins on hand. You can never have too many!

If appealing only to your rational senses, here's some reasons to convert:

∙ Save Money! Electric dryers are serious energy hogs! In fact, the vast
majority are unable to earn an energy star rating due to their
inefficiency. Cutting back on your electric dryer use can dramatically
decrease your energy bill, as much or more than $100 for many households.

∙ You can save money on cleaning products too. The sun provides an excellent bleaching effect. Many stains that detergent or bleach miss will actually vanish after some quality time sunbathing.
Plus, no more hotel-towel over-bleached bleached smell or texture!
No need for all those dryer sheets either.

∙ You're clothes will last longer. All of that lint caught in the
dryer trap after every load shows you how much your clothes break
down every cycle. This means you'll get to sport your favorite
Rant-Tee a few more times!

∙ Cut down your fire risk. Annually, over 15,000 structure fires are
blamed on clothes dryer, accounting for nearly $100 million in damages.

If you're still not totally into the idea yet, here are some additional benefits to line drying:

∙Some quality time in the sun is good for more than just your clothes.
We could all use a little more vitamin D, which is generated when
sunlight contacts our skin. Deficiencies of this vital vitamin have
been linked to an increase in bone and muscle pain, risks of heart
disease and certain cancers, and a serious case of the blues. Just be
careful not to overdo it because too much sun can be worse than
not enough. Moderation is key.

∙Hanging all those clothes actually sneaks in some physical activity.
Not only do you get your chores done, but your exercising too!

∙Clothes and sheets smell better. Why settle for imitation "fresh
breeze fabric softener" when you've got real breeze right outside?

Got any tips for line drying? Please share, so we can all benefit and better use one of mother nature's best resources.

When life hands you lemons...

2008-08-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

It's the lemon revolution! They aren't good for just lemonade anymore. From countertops to copper, here are some tips for other uses of this very flexible fruit:

∙Dingy whites got you down? Well kiss your bleach goodbye. All you have to do is mix 1/2 cup lemon juice with 1 gallon of really hot tap water. A few hours in this mixture and those sorry socks will look new again. Clothes should soak for at least an hour, but can be left overnight if needed. Once the soaking is complete, move your clothes and the mix into the washing machine and wash as usual.
**Caution! Be sure not to use lemon cleaning on silk.**

∙Tough Tupperware stains? A few squeezes of lemon juice and a spoonful of baking soda will do the trick. Use the lemon as a cleaning tool and scrub away. For particularly stubborn stains, let it sit overnight first.

∙No more need for harsh chemicals on your laminate countertops. Simply squeeze the juice of a whole lemon onto the counter, and using the lemon halves, buff those stains away. Leave the juice on stains and watch them disappear before your eyes. Once those stains are gone, rinse with water and dry. You can also use this same technique to clean and disinfect bread cutting boards.

∙Cleaning copper can be easy too. Just cut a lemon in half and sprinkle salt onto the inside. Gently work the lemon wedge onto the brass, squeezing juice out as you go. Add more salt to the lemon periodically to rejuvenate your new tarnish remover. This same method can also be used to clean solid brass.
**Caution! You should only use this method on solid brass. Brass plated items must be cleaned using only an oil soap. Never use anything acidic to clean any brass plated items. You can tell if a piece is brass plated if one side is brass and one side is solid black.**

∙Rust stains on clothing can be especially rough. But a little lemon lovin' may be just the trick. Apply some lemon juice to the rust stain, then dust cream of tartar on top of the juice. Work the mixture in a circular motion with your finger, then let sit until the rust fades. Toss the clothing in the wash to finish.

Hopefully these tips and tricks will get you started cleaning in an effective, safe and non-toxic way. Plus it smells good too!

Now go enjoy a tall glass of fresh squeezed lemonade for job well done.