Spring is Mushrooming Out All Over
The rain could not have come at a better time. The spring wheat was waiting desperately for it in order to germinate and start its early growth. Fruit growers of my acquaintance were poised on the brink of despair but are snapped back into a more optimistic mode. All the people who yielded to temptation for an early planting of greens were really worried but are now vindicated.
We got three inches of long and steady rain – realistically about half of our “normal” year’s rainfall at this point – which is nonetheless tremendously helpful. It hasn’t just been the lack of rain that has been bothersome but ongoing strong winds dry the land out further and stress plants, so all aspects of the environment will benefit from this rain.
What is particularly exciting is that thanks to the rain it’s time say Hello! to mushrooms. It has gone from a wasteland to a mushroomer’s delight. I’ve been seeing, gathering and eating oyster mushrooms. They are wonderful in sautés, then baked on a focaccia bread, on omelets, in quiches, and they make awesome gravy.
Just sautée the oyster mushrooms with a little olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper. Even closer to paradise is the perfect spring combo: ramps, oyster mushrooms sautéed and served in or with polenta.
And then we have the mushroomer’s mushroom about to arrive. Morels, are weird looking until you get used to them, but easy to identify. The trick to knowing the difference between a true morel and a false morel is that true morel has a hollow, tubular stem. Almost no one will tell you where to find morels. Even the best of the friends will not share this information! However, I will disclose that round the roots of dead elm trees or around the roots of live apple trees is a good place to start. You cannot eat mushrooms from under commercial apple trees because of the chemicals they use to spray the trees. An old long abandoned orchard would be a good place to consider. There is actually a symbol on topographical maps for abandoned orchards, look the for the light green dots.
When doing any kind of foraging, before seeking your wild food, seek permission of the property owner. In Spain and other European countries it is forbidden to forage for mushrooms using anything other than a basket. Because the basket allows the spores to be spread whereas paper and plastic bags do not.
As soon as we get our mushrooming act together look for them on Wild Hive Menus.
There are true symbol of nature’s bounty and a bellweather of mid spring in the Hudson River Valley.
Don Lewis
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Wild Hive Farm Receives Glynwood Harvest Award
Wild Hive Farm was in excellent company at the Glynwood Harvest Awards presentation at Vassar College on Sunday, April 22nd. The other recipients were Farm to Table Co-Packers, in Kingston, NY; Hudson Valley Fresh, Poughkeepsie, NY; and the Northeast Livestock Processing Service Company, Sprakers, NY.
For the past 10 years, the Harvest Awards were given to national organizations and producers. However, Glynwood President Judith Labelle, said that the transformation of Hudson Valley farming and sustainable agriculture was such that this year the awards could be given to local organizations.
All of us at Wild Hive are honored to have received such an important award and feel inspired to work hard to take our quest for a sustainable grain based food system to a new level.
In the photograph are: (left to right)
Judith LaBelle, President, Glynwood, NY
Don Lewis, Founder and Miller, Wild Hive Farm
Kathleen Harris, Processing and Marketing Coordinator, Northeast Livestock Processing Company
Jerry Simonetty, Board Chair, Hudson Valley Fresh
Stephani Van Wagenen, Operations, Farm to Table Co-Packers
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Dinner & Live Music at the Hive
(See Café Tab for Menu and Band Details)
Farm to Table – Family Style Dinner
Thursdays 5:30-9:30pm
Live Jazz
Friday Burgers & Beer & Music
Fridays 5:30-9:30pm
Live Acoustic Americana Music
Saturday Night Live at the Hive
Saturdays 5:30pm-9:30pm
Live Acoustic Music
Come support local beer and wine, local food and local music!
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Upcoming April Music Events
Thursday, April 26th, 6:30-9:30pm
Susie Deane Trio—Jazz
Friday, April 27th, 6:30-9:30pm
Grass Fed Bluegrass Band
Saturday, April 28th, 6:30-9:30pm
Hot Club of Clinton Corners—Gypsy Jazz
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May/June Music Events
Thurs. May 3–Glenna Gibson Duo
Fri. May 4–Krewe de la Rue
Sat. May 5–Mama Tried
Thurs. May 10–Hot Club of Clinton Corners
Fri. May 11–Chakra
Sat., May12—TBA
Thurs. May 17–Anita Merando Combo
Fri. May 18–Dos Diablos
Sat. May 19–Bob Stump
Thurs. May 24–Susie Deane Trio
Fri. May 25–Mama Tried
Sat. May 26–Hot Club of Clinton Corners Gypsy Jazz
Thurs. May 31–John Scanlon Combo
Fri. June 1–Bert Carey
Sat. June 2–TBA
Thurs. June 7–Pete Redmond Trio
Fri. June 8–Chakra
Sat. June 9–Bob Stump
Thurs. June 14–Hot Club of Clinton Corners Gypsy Jazz
Fri. June 15–Mama Tried
Sat. June 16–TBA
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Upcoming Sunday Events
Cajun Dancing with ZydeGroove
Sunday, May 6th, 3:00-6:00pm
Easy going, fun, layed back, warm, romantic, fresh, melodic, and retro — ZydeGroove promises a great dance experience above all else. We’re a friendly band of folks from the Hudson Valley and nearby. ZydeGroove has a great repertoire culled from years of immersion in Zydeco — it’s a mix of good old zydeco and fun you can really groove to.
Music and Dancing begins at 3pm. (Beginners lesson FREE with dance admission) Light Wild Hive menu available—Always fresh, local & seasonal! $10.00 Cover Charge; No partner necessary; Non-Smoking; Wood dance floor; Plenty of parking available.
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Wild Hive Gardening Series
Container Gardening Class
Saturday, May 5th, 10:00-11:00am
Location – Wild Hive Mill/Granary
2645 Salt Point Turnpike, Clinton Corners
Whether you are downsizing your garden, have limited space or just want to add a touch of color to your home, containers are the perfect solution. (Read More) Explore the possibilities of creating gardens in these small spaces. Choosing containers and plants, design, potting and care will be demonstrated.
Instructor: Michelle Keeley is a freelance garden designer in Clinton Corners providing garden design and installation, consulting and coaching. She has taught garden design and ecological landscape design at the Institute of Ecosystem Studies. A lifelong gardener, Michelle has certificates in landscape design and gardening from the Institute of Ecosystem Studies. She is a Master Gardener Volunteer with the Cornell Cooperative Extension where she has worked on designs for the Bird and Butterfly garden, various display gardens, lectures and information desks. Class Fee: $20
Introduction to Organic Vegetable Gardening Class
Saturday, May 12th, 9:00am-1:00pm
Location: Wild Hive Mill/Granary
2645 Salt Point Turnpike, Clinton Corners
Whether you’ve been gardening your whole life or don’t know what dirt is, this course will give you the tools to raise delicious, healthy vegetables using organic techniques. Topics will include the whys and hows raising vegetable organically, the differences between organic and conventional gardening, composting, controlling pests naturally, seed starting and many others.
Instructor: Jay Levine has been raising vegetables for over 40 years and runs the Hudson Valley Backyard Farm Company which installs and maintains organic vegetable gardens.
1 session (4 hrs); Class Fee- $45
Register for all classes by emailing cindi@wildhivefarm.com
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Farm Partner Spotlight – Harpersfield Cheese
Brovetto’s Dairy Farm in upstate New York
Experience Cheese
Made the Old World Way
Harpersfield Cheese is aged naturally and crafted by using milk from our cow dairy located in the northern Catskills of Delaware County. Our herd has been bred over the past forty years to provide a proper balance of natural nutrients to make our unique cheese.
Each step in the cheese making process is carefully crafted by the cheese maker. The cheese is aged in an underground area where the temperature and humidity are controlled until the full flavor is developed. During the aging period, each wheel is washed and examined with care.
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Wild Hive Catering Brings the Local Touch to Your Celebration!
Wild Hive Catering brings a fresh approach to catering. Everything is made from scratch with top quality local ingredients. We source from our fellow local farmers who are as committed as we are to raising food that is primarily organic, and is respectfully and humanely raised here in the Hudson River Valley. The care and integrity that goes into our food enhances any occasion at which it is served. Let Wild Hive Make Your Spring Party or Celebration Wildly Successful! To plan your menu Call Chef Sylvan Perez at 845-266-5863.