Lucky for us, Ulster County has a great collection of old stone houses. They are sublime. Old stone houses look fiercely elegant in the landscape and their interiors are often charmingly redolent of the past. One such fine house is the Bevier House on Route 209 in Marbletown, now the Bevier House Museum, and headquarters of the Ulster County Historic Society.

The over 300-year-old Bevier House is an amazing asset to our community. The Ulster County Historic Society received the house in 1938 from Louis Bevier and his sisters. They had occupied the house and site for seven generations. The stately house effectively meets the Historic Society’s mission as curator and collector of significant Hudson Valley artifacts, documents, and cultural items and to educate our community and public on the very important role Ulster County has played in the formation of our nation.

The building is of excellent design and contains many items of beauty and interest. Today’s Ulster County residents can find enormous inspiration and practical knowledge within the exhibits and special events.

The house includes a fascinating kitchen dating back to c.1680, and carefully and accurately dressed rooms in the Victorian style. Sometimes, to our modern eye the Victorian home can be overwhelming with its profusion of objects. Victorians loved to decorate—filling almost every open space with some little treasure. Even picture frames were elaborate. You can see some fine examples of pinecone picture frames in the second floor hall. They are a marvel of ingenuity. It took great inspiration and skill to create these. They are astonishing.

Also of note, the tool room, known as the Peter Sinclair Gallery of Early American Crafts and Trades, holds an extensive collection of farm and homestead equipment, many demonstrated in their use. This exhibit is fun and informative—a must for any country homeowner.

On the house’s formidable façade is an intriguing detail, about 12 feet up at the southwest corner, the remains of a vertical sundial is visible. Sundials are fascinating, stimulating with all their complexities. This particular vertical sundial seems a unique addition to a residential home; they were most often installed on civic buildings. The Museum’s director believes that the sundial was built into the second level of the house sometime in the last quarter of the 19th century.

Two upcoming events at Bevier House Museum are an opportunity to see the Museum and participate in their wonderful education outreach. November 26 is A Children’s Christmas, which will include period craft building, carol singing, and snacks plus a visit from St. Nicholas. November 26, 12-3pm. Fee: $5.00, call for reservations. 845-338-5614.

On December 3 and 4, Bevier Museum holds their Holiday Open House and fundraiser. This is a beautiful event and an easy way to support the UCHS. Just pop in and enjoy. The house is decorated in Victorian holiday grandeur, there is music, snacks, and inspiration—and good cheer abounds. December 3 & 4, 12-4pm. Fee: $5 members, $8 nonmembers.

The Bevier House Museum is open May 1 to October 31, Thursday to Sunday, 12-5pm. Admission: $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $3 for students ages 5-15, children under 5 are free. Library & Archives: Open only by appointment. Call or email museum@bevierhousemuseum.org.

November is the month when the Sun moves from Scorpio to Sagittarius. As autumn develops, the theme evolves from the deepest emotional and sexual consciousness (flavored by Days of the Dead in early November) to the most etheric, global, and cosmic. Yet the concepts of these two signs contain one another. Scorpio and Sagittarius present us with an essential diagram of the human experience, representing the two seeming polarities of what we long for. Scorpio endorses desire, which we find within ourselves and ultimately fulfill within ourselves. Sagittarius reminds us that the most cosmic experiences are often the most grounded ones. We can find the truth of God contemplating the Galactic Core or gazing at a flower. What all of this has in common is how we experience our awareness. Whether we experience something as emotional, erotic, mysterious, or natural is all about how we experience ourselves—and this can change from moment to moment.

After a phase of experimenting with your expressive passions, you reach an inner fork in the road: you can direct your creativity into a focused project or vocation, or you can get lost in your doubts and self-criticism. While I'm not a big fan of dichotomies, this one seems to contain some truth, at least this far: you cannot be too self-critical and still be free to express your passions. Self-reflective is one thing. Self-aware is closely related. It's necessary to be able to critique your work without criticizing yourself. You seem determined to make some practical use of your passions, and to keep yourself busy with what actually matters to you. You can do that, though it's going to take a mix of effort and flow, thought and intuition, motivation and attention to detail.

You may feel like you're right near potential that you cannot quite access. This might be in the form of having limited options or feeling like you're boxed into the circumstances in your life. Yet there is something obvious you may be missing, which is that in any given moment, no matter what you're doing, you have the privilege and the ability to express your quest. You may not think you do; you may have the idea that you're not free till you make your great escape. That itself is a kind of trap. Your freedom of existence and creativity is contained in your daily activity. Yet to get there you have to make a decision to think of two things that usually seem separate or unrelated as the same thing, then explore how that feels.

You are in an unusual position to experience the world as the people who are close to you do. This is not the usual mirror effect of relationships but rather the sensation of a world opening. Remember to define the word “relationship” as broadly as you can, remembering that human encounters are as diverse as the people we have them with. Connecting with people is not about getting married or hooking up or doing business—it's vital to be open to any possibility, and greet the many people you encounter with a sense of potential and openness to adventure. That means keeping an open mind, and using your freedom to adapt to the people and circumstances that surround you. You don't need an agenda, though your authentic curiosity will come in handy every day.

You need a lot of freedom around your work, and this is the time to take it. You know you're not the type to sit in an office, so if you find yourself in one, do your best to get out as much as you can, on whatever excuse or project you can think of. If you're self-employed, experiment with the most creative aspects of what you do, and then as the month progresses, work out of the house as much as possible. Your mind will be happier and your ideas will flow better. This is the time of year when you can connect to your infinite source of creativity. Many have wondered where you get your energy, and whatever the answer to that question may be, these are the months when you connect to your source, refill your well, and guide the abundant activity of the month toward your highest vision.

Expression is the opposite of depression. Keep telling yourself that. You may not be depressed, but approximately two-thirds of the world seems to be—and it has a way of being contagious. At the moment you're especially empathic and absorbent. You can feel just about anything anyone else is feeling, which is good for them. But when the Sun enters your fellow fire sign Sagittarius in a few weeks, you're going to feel like a galaxy of ideas you want to share with the world. I suggest you start sooner rather than later. Clear a table, make space in your mind, and make space in your life as best you can in this busy world, because a wave of visionary creative passion is on its way. This is yours to explore and enjoy, however you can.

You need to learn the art of evaluation. All kinds of spiritual and psychological paths decry the toxin of judgment, but we don't get much information about what to do after that. Virgo is famous for its self-critical nature, and you're now beginning an extended phase of your life when you may be tempted to go there even more than usual. So I suggest that you create alternatives that give you a constructive use of that drive, giving you something useful to do with the energy. Along with this, I suggest you truly explore the concept of being open-minded. Like many things, it's easier said than done, but more valuable than you may realize. One cannot really think, unless they are open-minded. Since you'll be thinking a lot about yourself, it will help to do that in the gentlest, most self-supportive way.

Libra (September 22-October 23)

This has been a rather interesting few weeks in your experience of (and study of) your relationships. I trust that you've left one concept behind—grafting yourself permanently to another person for the rest of your life. Obviously you're someone to whom commitment is deeply important. You believe in fidelity and you thrive on trust. But that is different than the idea of absolute permanence. You have, at least, begun to ask yourself real questions about what it means to be an autonomous, independent person. I would suggest that only such a person is in a good position to relate to someone else in an authentic way. Now and for the foreseeable future, you could say that the theme of your relationships is “love is freedom.”

You're at your most magnetic right now. The Scorpiophobia of the world is melting away and most days it will be more obvious that you're the sensitive, passionate person you know yourself to be. That said, I suggest you remain picky about who your friends are. Fortunately, there will be a self-selection process working for you: the more authentic you are, the more you'll attract the right people and repel the ones you don't want. But don't be too harsh on others; they may not seem to have your sharp wits or your notorious insight into psychology, but there will be certain days when you are feeling especially judgmental of the people around you. Everyone has their positive attributes, and one of yours is being able to notice that.

This is the time of year when you feel the calling to the astonishing adventures for which you came to this Earth. As the Sun moves through your sign, you feel many of your deepest longings and sense of cosmic connection. If you cannot go on a worldly adventure now, make plans to do so. You're being called places; orient on them, collect information, make friends with people who live there. Make time in your schedule at the next possible moment. Set aside some money. Meanwhile, the deeper adventure involves the possibilities for your incarnation on our planet at this time. You came here with a purpose, whether it was to accomplish certain things, to learn, to have fun, or to serve. Connect with that mission now. Give yourself permission to let it be real.

You will get a lot further if you give up caring what other people think about you, but that's another way of saying that self-acceptance is the key to success and happiness. You tend to be a private person, but you must also live with a sense of transparency that can be unnerving. In truth all you can really do is be comfortable within your own skin, though that's a learned skill. Here is a clue: there are a number of people who factor prominently in your life right now, and you don't feel the same way about any of them. If you practice objectivity, which basically means accepting them for who they are without judgment, you're really offering yourself a space of belonging in the world at the same time. Said another way, the more freedom you give people to be themselves, the more you will feel to be yourself.

You may be on an odd emotional edge where what you desire as your greatest success also feels the most dangerous. As you approach an accomplishment or take on new responsibilities, you may have this lurking sense that disaster is looming. You won't be able to tell if it's your intuition or a bit of paranoia, but I would suggest that the closer you get to that feeling, the more effective you're being at working toward a deeply cherished goal. While this sensation is especially poignant for you now, many people experience this sensation—and in running from it, avoid actually accomplishing what they set out to do. Progress demands a measure of uncertainty, and if you can dance with that, you can do anything.

I'm not sure if you have an erotic vision—that is, a dream of how your sexuality would be ideally—but if you do, this is the month to take a real step toward making it real. It would help if you state your ideas outright. This may feel radical; you may have the sense that nobody else will understand. What matters most is that you understand what you want. Why you want it is not so important; I suggest you connect your desire to direct ideas and visualizations. Then, see who and what comes your way, and the influence this has on the relationship experiences you have. What's never said often enough about Pisces is that sex is your true religion, that is, where you seek your God-source. This idea is cosmologically and biologically accurate. It's only judgment that gets in the way.

Read Eric Francis daily at PlanetWaves.net.

Taking to the streets in order to protest an injustice is as American as apple pie. Students of this nation's history will note, for example, that the revolution which eventually secured our independence from Great Britain was touched-off by a group of individuals who no doubt would have been described as "rabble" by their British overlords. When you mix in the destruction of private property—i.e. the boxes of tea dumped into Boston Harbor—it's easy to envision an alternate history, one written by the victorious colonial power that depicts these patriots as nothing more than a bunch of terrorists. Had the fledgling United States lost that war, effigies of Thomas Jefferson, et al. might be going up in flames alongside Guy Fawkes each November 5.

Enter: Occupy Wall Street. This movement has been described as rudderless by the mass media. "They don't know what they want," we hear on a regular basis. "They're nothing but a bunch of unwashed, unemployed ne'er-do-wells looking for a handout. I worked for my money." But an awareness of injustice can come in many forms. It can come from the knowledge that good wages and benefits, as many of our parents experienced during the boom years of the mid-to-late 20th century, are a thing of the past. It can come in the form of an awakening to the fact that the current economic system is unsustainable, and that for every winner there must be dozens, hundreds, thousands, of losers.

Thus, one of the things the Occupy Wall Street protestors are, well, protesting, albeit indirectly, is the relentless corporate consolidation which in recent decades has led to a severe erosion of consumer choice, and with this an erosion of our standard of living. For every new big-box store, with all of its convenience and alleged low prices, more and more small businesses go belly-up, as they are simply unable to compete with the economies-of-scale that make an item manufactured and shipped halfway around the world cheaper than the same item manufactured just up the road.

And there appears to be little we can do about this continued consolidation. The United States Justice Department, at least in recent years, has never met a cartel it doesn't like. And can anyone remember the last time a merger between two corporate behemoths was scrapped by the feds? It appears that the disconnect between Washington, DC and the voters has become fait accompli. Or, as GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said recently, "Corporations are people." But these corporate persons don't need clean air or water, they can theoretically live forever, and their sole purpose is to come up with new ways to make more profit, even at the expense of the communities in which they are located.

How can we fight such potential super-villains? By spending our money, and taking our business elsewhere. Deciding to spend your money at a local business, even if that means paying slightly higher prices, will send a message that will be heard loud-and-clear in boardrooms across the country and around the world. Like the Occupy Wall Street movement's spread into other cities, and other countries, consumers must make a decision as to whether they will stand with their neighbors, or if they will be given to the ersatz allure of cheap junk from overseas.

A 2007 study funded by a pair of civic associations in Kent County (Grand Rapids), Michigan found that when consumers did their business at locally owned banks, restaurants, pharmacies, and grocery stores, only 32 percent of this money left the local community, this in the form of items imported from outside the area. Conversely, spending money at a non-locally owned business saw 57 percent of this economic activity leave the local community. The out-of-area companies, in addition to stocking imported supplies, spent money on marketing as well as factory-farmed products that were produced at facilities in other parts of the country (and the world, even). An item such as signage, for instance, which for small businesses is almost always produced on the local level, the big retailers almost always produce either in-house or through another large, non-local company.

The most startling finding, however, came in the form of some tangible numbers. The Kent County study concluded that locally owned businesses annually generated $140 million in completely new business activity. This, in turn, led to the creation of an additional 1,600 local jobs, with a commensurate increase in local wages totaling $53 million. To bring this down to our scale, Ulster County has just under one-third the population of Kent County.

An even more dramatic finding came during a 2003 study of businesses in the mid-coast region of Maine. Funded by the Minneapolis-based Institute for Local Self-Reliance, the study concluded that locally owned businesses spent more of their dollars in-state. These businesses relied upon local vendors for their inventory. These vendors, in turn, employed people locally, as did their vendors, and so on. The impact this kind of spending had on these local communities cannot be overstated, given that these businesses spent approximately 54 percent in-state, with 44.6 percent of their revenue being spent within two local counties. Conversely, the big retailers spent just 14.1 percent in-state. The rest of this economic activity left the area, enriching shareholders and executives rather than family farms and mom-and-pop businesses in the area.

Another telling statistic from this study relates to the impact big-box retailers have on local charities. The study found that for every $1 million in sales, big-box stores gave approximately $1,000 to local charities. Conversely, locally owned businesses gave more than $4,000 per $1 million in sales—a fourfold increase. For communities strapped by the current slump, charitable giving is an important component of the local economy. Buying at a big-box retailer offers very little assurance that the money you spend will be helping your neighbors.

We've seen the signs as we drive throughout the Ulster County area. These signs admonish us to spend our money at locally owned businesses. And when it comes to the farm stands in our area, buying local isn't just a way to improve the economy, it's also a way to improve the food you see on your dinner table, and often at lower prices than what you might pay at the local supermarket.

If you are someone who shops for produce on a regular basis, you cannot help but be appalled, for instance, at the quality of the tomatoes encountered in the produce sections of the big retailers. They are often overpriced, pinkish in hue, grainy, flavorless, and unappealing. At the same time, taking a short drive to scope-out a local farm stand reveals that prices are often the same or lower (typically $1.49-$2.49 per pound, or even less), and for tomatoes that actually taste like tomatoes. Local farm stands sometimes have excellent tomatoes for about $1 per pound or less during the growing season. And don’t forget all the other items, such as locally produced organic, grass-fed beef for very reasonable prices (ground beef for just $4.99 per pound is just a little bit more than the who-knows-what-it-is you buy at the supermarket).

Another way to send a message without taking to the streets is to move your money. In recent weeks the Occupy Wall Street movement has been focusing on the negative impact the big banks are having on our economy. Like vast vacuum cleaners, these banks, despite trillions in bailouts, are still seeking new "profit centers." One national bank recently announced that it will start charging customers $5 per month for the privilege of using a debit card. For some, this was the final straw.

The Move Your Money project is a national campaign that is designed to help individuals who are looking to divest from these “Too Big to Fail” banks, with the project encouraging people to instead join local credit unions and smaller, locally owned banks. According to the Kent County study, local banks loan most of their money to people in the local community. Instead of investing in something outside your region, by depositing your money in a local bank you have some assurance that your money will be put to good work in your own neighborhood.

There are, no doubt, many other ways to become more locally centered when it comes to how you spend your hard-earned dollars. Some communities have even gone so far as to develop local currencies. Whatever you do, taking the time for some exploration—away from the mall and the big-box stores—means better food for your dinner table, it means that you're helping to boost the local economy, and it also means that you're getting to know your neighbors—folks, like you, who have a stake in what's happening in your community.

This month is dominated by Aries and Libra—the polarity of “I am/we are.” This astrology peaks with the Aries Full Moon of October 11. Inside of our relationship dramas, sagas, and desires, our DNA and hormones are humming along, giving us instructions to reproduce the species. And at the same time, there is an epic political battle being waged between men and women involving who controls reproduction. “Anti-government” and “anti-regulation” activists make one exception: the uterus. This standoff is illustrated by two little-known planets that the Full Moon aligns with exactly: Aries Moon conjunct Bienor (the strong man of Greek mythology) and the Libra Sun conjunct Haumea, a Hawaiian fertility goddess. We could look at this another way: who controls creativity? If you don't take over the creative process within yourself, someone is going to do it for you.

You might want to pause and ask yourself what you're trying to prove. There is little you can accomplish by conquering anything or anyone, and plenty of damage you can do. While you seem to be past the emotional restrictions and frustrations that dominated your summer months, it would be unwise to overcompensate in the other direction. Therefore, I suggest you tamp down any competitive feelings and establish harmony with your environment. People around you will be eager to return the favor. If you push the limits in any situation, you're likely to encounter a boundary of some kind; notice if that happens, and revise your approach. You might experiment with things like negotiation, using a more creative method (rather than confrontational), and understating rather than exaggerating.

You may be feeling out of your element, but be gentle with others when you feel inclined to blame them for your feelings. There is an easy solution—which is likely to be the one you think is too “easy”. But that's the whole idea: there is a relatively simple and direct approach to what may seem like a complicated or exaggerated emotional situation. Meanwhile, I suggest you do what you can to keep your emotions in perspective. Ask yourself how important something really is before you make a big deal out of it. Don't look for conflict where there is none to be found. If you look for the common ground you share with others, you're likely to find it, and that in turn is likely to lead to some rewarding episodes of unexpected growth.

If you have an intuitive feeling, follow it. It may be an idea, it may be a caution of some kind; if you think something is worth doing, it probably is. If you have an uneasy feeling about going somewhere, or doing something, I suggest you take that under advisement. You may run into a situation where the decision you want to make ruffles the feathers of someone because it's based on no special information other than what your own inner senses are telling you. Then you'll have to pause and determine whether you want to have the approval of someone for doing what is wrong for you—or whether you want to miss an opportunity that you know is right. You've been here before; you've already decided this one.

This is an unusual time in your professional life, and aspects this month seem ready to demonstrate just how true that statement is. There are many open doors, and the world's prevailing state of strangeness, confusion, and even chaos can work entirely to your advantage. The one thing for which to be mindful is a false lack of confidence. There used to be a concept called false confidence, but that seems to be the prevailing state of affairs on the planet. It's also possible to lack faith in yourself when it's the most obvious thing you should have. The only way to find out if you're really capable of something is to try and see if you can do it. This includes taking concrete steps to improve your income. You have the talent. You also have the guts.

You may encounter a mental block when trying to solve a problem. And, if that happens, I suggest you take a more disciplined approach to your work. There is something to be said for applying yourself to a project every day, even perhaps several at the same time. Many have discovered the benefits of discipline in turning creative energy into something tangible and useful. Energy is the one thing you have right now. Focusing your efforts in a way that may seem businesslike, or “un-artistic”, will help you bring in a new vision, one with which you'll be able to sustain yourself for many years. That's not going to happen automatically. You cannot catch lightning in a bottle, but you can definitely gather your thoughts and get yourself onto a new level of creative potential.

You know best what is good for your health—the key will be listening to yourself, and following your own advice. We all know how diligently people ignore precisely these things; I don't suggest you do that. Remember that the most important dimension of health involves your mind. Meanwhile, you may be in a relationship situation that is causing an unnecessary stir in your life. That's something to watch as well, making sure that you're not engaging a tradeoff of sex for chaos. You have the potential for an extremely interesting sexual journey in these years of your life. It can be something that nourishes you, keeps you young and serves to liberate you. If something is demanding too much time, money, or energy, I suggest you really ask yourself whether it's worth it.

You're likely to show up as the voice of reason and the example of maturity in a close personal situation. This is nothing new, but you may have the feeling that someone has an advantage over you based exclusively on brute strength. That may be true temporarily, but it's not going to last long. You have the advantage of persistence, discipline, and a sense of balance. Make sure you keep your flexibility. The one risk you run is backing yourself into a corner, closing off your options, or taking too hard of a line. You can afford to take a mellow approach to existence, and give any situation a chance to play out in its own way. Remember, no matter how hot under the collar anyone may be, or is trying to make you, time is on your side.

The thing you think is bothering you isn't—but something else is. You seem nervous with how visible you are, and how far out on a limb you have to go to hold things together. It's as if the people who actually hold responsibility don't want to back you up, even though you've been left to do their bidding. If you suspect you've been set up to take the heat for something, you're probably correct about that. The question is, how can you shift responsibility back to where it belongs? The first step will be by taking no heroic measures to set things right. It will take some chutzpah to let things fall apart, but if you stick to your actual responsibilities and don't take on anything extra, the truth will be obvious when the cookie crumbles.

You must not take a shortsighted approach to long-term plans. However, it would seem like something you've been wanting to do for a long time is ready to happen right now. Before you take action, make sure that this opportunity really does match up with the ambitions you've been stating for months or years. Once you set things into motion, they're likely to stay that way, and take on a life of their own. And more people than you will be drawn into the process. It seems you're on the brink of a decision, so be clear about what you need to know in order to make the choice that is right for you. Once you understand that, the next step is to take the leap—or to walk away from the matter entirely. Be sure that your choices are aligned with your motives. Hesitating will no longer work.

I cannot explain your apparent lack of confidence on something that really should be simple—but maybe you can. What I can tell you is that the core issue is emotional (rather than practical). You may have this idea that your identity is not sufficiently stable to take on the kinds of challenges that are being presented to you. But what exactly do you think builds your sense of identity, your confidence or strength to stand up to the challenges and opportunities of existence? That would be direct experience. At a certain point it's necessary to reach beyond what you've done in the past, so that you can do something new, or something that exceeds what you thought were your prior limitations. And when you do that, your ideas about “security” must play second fiddle to the fact of being alive.

Life is not a matter of theory—but the great thing about theory is how manageable it is, compared to what actually happens. What actually happens is different than what you might fear happening (that, too, is a matter of theory). This said, it seems to be time for you to spark up some actual movement in your life, and your next step should be according to some kind of structured plan. I don't mean a 100-page business plan; five or six possible steps thought through carefully and written in your notebook would be adequate. Those are different than what will actually happen, but at this stage I suggest you work with a mix of about 10 percent theory, 85 percent action, and a dash of faith that you're doing the right thing.

By several measures, you're in a phase of reevaluating the events of this very eventful year, and are considering your various plans for the future. This said, there is something that is demanding your attention now. While others are taking a by-the-book approach, presented with this opportunity you seem more inclined to take a chance and do things your own way. Get used to the fact that there is no certainty, even though others around you are acting as if there is. It's precisely the uncertainty factor that is working to your best advantage. You have the gift of flexibility as well, though I will suggest this: you don't have to work as hard as you think to create one particular goal. You need to apply the right thought and the right effort, but no more.

Read Eric Francis daily at PlanetWaves.net.

If you don't have your own black walnut tree, you're sure to find one not far away, covered with bright green tennis ball-sized globes. The first nuts of the year, in August, tend to be empty, but the ones on and under the trees now are mature. Even the husk is fragrant, but beware—this plant is called black walnut because the husk is infused with a brownish-black pigment so potent and permanent that it was commonly used as hair dye.

Black walnuts are delicious toasted and sprinkled on ice cream or on sweet potatoes, used in baked goods, and, my favorite, sprinkled on whipped-cream topped pumpkin pie. I tend to use them sparingly, more like a spice than a food ingredient.

Preparing black walnuts is a bit time-consuming, but their flavor is so powerful that you'll only be using a few per serving, so it won't take long. If you've got a sink in the basement or garage, you might want to set up there. Don a pair of rubber or gardening gloves. Use a vise, hammer, or large pliers to crack the husk, then remove it with your hands and toss it out before it stains anything. Sue Bruck, who's been experimenting with black walnuts this fall, recommends cleaning the nuts under water with a steel or heavy duty brush to get the husk fibers out of the shell ridges. After they're cleaned they are good to crack and eat or to dry and store to eat later (they'll be good up to New Year's if you keep them in a cool place).

If you'd like to grow a domesticated nut-bearing plant, I'd recommend the hazelnut, an ancient source of nutrition, and a delicious one. We planted a tiny hazelnut on Homegrown Mini-Golf five years ago and it's a beautiful, full, seven-foot tall bush bearing nuts every year. Hazelnuts, sometimes called filberts, look kind of like tiny savoy cabbages, wrapped in a cowl of leaves. They have a wonderful umami richness and are great with chocolate (think Nutella) as well as savory foods. Chopped finely or ground in a food processor, they make a crunchy crust on fish or chicken.

This is also the time of year to look out for chestnuts. I've never found a chestnut tree, since most of them died from a blight that swept the county in the early 20th century, but last year my neighbor Cynthia kindly shared some from her tree and they were amazing! If you've never had truly fresh chestnuts, you're in for a real treat. They are kind of like those yummy Lunar New Year cookies that are sold in Chinatown—sweet, fragrant, rich, and almost cakey in texture.

Now, a shoutout on behalf of the people who produce food on a professional level, our local farmers. Many of us have been affected by recent storms and flooding, and that's been awful enough, but few of us have sustained as much destruction as some of the local farms. The storms arrived at the height of the growing season, destroying crops and damaging equipment and terrain with flooding and winds. Many will never forget the sight of hundreds of pumpkins washing down-creek in High Falls and Rosendale. Inspired by a payment check sent to a farm by one of the people who rescued a pumpkin from the swirling water, the Rondout Valley Growers Association has rolled out an effort to raise money for a farm disaster fund. The Paper Pumpkin Project is appearing in farm stands and retail outlets throughout the Rondout Valley—purchase a paper pumpkin with a generous donation, support your local farms, and the farms will be there to support us with fresh, healthy, local food grown by people we know and trust in years to come. There is no better investment.

The final weeks of summer 2011 are likely to stick in the collective memory of Ulster County residents for many years to come. With two unprecedented rainstorms—beginning with Hurricane Irene and culminating (we hope) with the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee—some area residents experienced nearly two feet of rain in a little more than a week. This rain caused unprecedented damage throughout the county, with many areas completely inundated by the runoff.

But it was in the higher elevation areas that things were particularly frightening. The rains pummeled these areas, the sheer volume of water overwhelming the capacity of the numerous small streams and river valleys. Roads and bridges were washed away, utility poles and trees creating piles of debris that in some areas will likely take months to clean up. More importantly, homes and businesses were totally destroyed, with hundreds of residents forced to flee to shelters. Many of these folks are now also left homeless, having lost everything as the fast-moving waters undermined their lives as well as their physical property.

Ulster County Executive Mike Hein has seen much of the devastation firsthand, having toured the county both during and after the storm—in particular those areas that saw the worst of the flooding in the western part of the county. Hein said that the last several weeks of August and September were trying, to say the least, with nature seeming to go out of its way to remind us of its primacy over us mere human beings.

"In those two weeks we had an earthquake [referring to the Virginia-centered quake that rattled our area], we've had a hurricane, and we've seen the remnants of another hurricane," Hein said. "That's a rough two weeks. We've seen the worst natural disaster in the history of Ulster County."

Hein said that geologists have been saying that the flooding is a once-in-400-years event, and that nothing like this exists in any of the records for Ulster County.

The morning that Hurricane Irene struck, Hein said he was traveling to his office in order to begin monitoring the storm situation when a manhole cover on Washington Avenue in Kingston was literally blown into the air in front of him.

"The manhole cover launched about 10 feet into the air, and the geyser blew about 35 feet into the air right in front of me because of the water pressure," Hein said. "It was like a depth charge. That was my introduction to Hurricane Irene."

Hein said that, as the storm unfolded, he had asked the sheriff's office for reports on different areas that were expected to be hit hard. But road conditions made this difficult.

"It quickly became obvious that all the major arteries in Ulster County—Route 28, Route 209, Route 299, Route 32, and the Thruway—were all cut off," Hein said.

Later, Hein and his team made their way up Route 28 from Kingston, where they saw that a number of cars had been swept off the road.

"These cars had literally been tossed around like ragdolls," Hein said.

The vast size of Ulster County, according to Hein, means that its geological makeup is quite varied.

"We have farms and low-lying areas that tend to flood, which lasts much longer [than flashfloods] and cause significant crop damage," Hein said.

But it's the mountainous areas that can really be hit hard when a tremendous amount of rain falls in a short time. As the runoff from the storm accumulates in the gullies, streams, and river valleys at higher elevations, it simply has nowhere to go but down. And, as more rain falls, the volume and speed of this runoff can quickly become a force of nature that is capable of destroying just about anything in its path.

"It was like a bowling alley," Hein said. "You had huge rocks smashing into other huge rocks. I saw a house ripped off its foundation, turned 180 degrees, and then thrown 100 yards downstream. It was the equivalent of Colorado rapids, is probably the best way to describe it. The most frightening part was, there were two adults on the roof and a child."

The weather was so bad that it was too dangerous to fly a chopper in to rescue the family. In the end, members of the Ulster County Dive Team, along with local firefighters, rigged rescue lines and were able to reach the family before their house crumbled into the raging waters.

"The rescuers literally risked their lives to save these people," Hein said. "It's one thing when you read about it in the paper, it's another thing when you see it firsthand."

The Ferrante family has seen its share of flooding. For just over 50 years they've operated Wallkill View Farm from its location right outside New Paltz on Route 299. The farm's close proximity to the Wallkill River means that late winter/early spring floods have become almost a matter of routine, according to Carol Ferrante, who with her husband Peter founded the farm in 1960. But this year's flooding is nothing like what the family has experienced in the past.

"This is the worst we ever had," Ferrante said.

The big problem with this particular flooding event was its timing, according to Ferrante.

"We've never had a flood in August," Ferrante said. "We were in the heart of our picking season on the farm—and this year's crop is totally destroyed."

And it was really two floods after which the Ferrantes had to clean up. The combined losses from these events include corn, pumpkins, tomatoes, peppers, and other late summer vegetables. But this loss is going to carry over into the fall.

"We also lost all the crops for the fall, all the cauliflower, the broccoli, leeks, kale," Ferrante said. "The losses are too numerous."

After the devastation caused by Irene, the whole family pulled together and engaged in a monumental cleanup effort. They were just about ready to reopen for business when the remnants of Lee came through.

"We got it all cleaned up," Ferrante said. "Extended family came down, the kids came home for the [Labor Day] holiday weekend, the grandchildren, everyone helped out. Two days later the second storm hit."

Ferrante said that she stood at her living room window and watched as "acres and acres" of pumpkins simply floated away. She said the feeling of powerlessness she experienced is something she will not soon forget.

The Ferrantes, however, have been resilient in the face of adversity. As of the weekend of September 17, the farm stand has reopened, with the family bringing in vegetables grown at other farms in the local area.

"It's going to take a little while to get over it," Ferrante said. "But we're back, we're open, and we're ready to move on."

Shandaken Shaken

Town of Shandaken Supervisor Robert Stanley had his hands full both during and after the storm. The town is one of those regions with high, mountainous areas crisscrossed with narrow river valleys that received a high concentration of runoff. Stanley says that there is nothing in the record books that compares with what the town has witnessed during and after the storms.

"All the gauges, all the records indicate that this is the worst storm on record here in the Esopus Valley and here in Shandaken," Stanley said. "We were anywhere from five to 10 percent above previous high-water records."

These high waters meant that many bridges and culverts were washed out in the early hours of the storm.

"We lost just about every bridge on Oliverea Road," Stanley said. "Everything except for McKinley Hollow Bridge."

Given the immediacy of the situation, the town had to move quickly to ensure public safety.

"We were in relief mode as soon as Irene hit," Stanley said. "We had several water rescues and several areas that were cut off."

Stanley said that first responders had to take to ATVs in order to reach certain locations, running medical and food supplies to those in need.

"We have an intimate knowledge of the area, so we know where people are located, and how to get to them through the backwoods," Stanley said. "We were able to circumvent the usual thoroughfares."

At the nearby Belleayre Mountain, an emergency shelter was set up. More than 120 adults and 40 children stayed at the lodge the first night of the storm. In the ensuing days, they also helped to provide more than 1,200 hot meals, as well as acting as a distribution center for more than 4,000 Meals-Ready-to-Eat provided by the Red Cross.

Stanley said that one of the good things that came out of the devastation is the large number of volunteers who came out to help their neighbors. The town had previously discussed the possibility of creating a Civilian Emergency Response Team (CERT) in order to have people in place who are ready to volunteer during such disasters. Stanley believes that there is now a good nucleus of people for the CERT proposal to move forward.

For more information on the relief effort, how to get involved, and other information such as bridge and road closures, be sure to visit www.co.ulster.ny.us/recoveryinfo.html. You can also visit Belleayre Mountain's website at belleayre.com. Wallkill View Farms can be accessed and supported at wallkillviewfarmmarket.com.

Each year a garden or farm produces many more seeds than vegetables. These seeds have the potential to become a new plant, bursting with thousands of its own seeds, and so on. This is precisely how plants carry forth their genetics. Those juicy, sweet Cherokee purple tomatoes that you enjoyed popping in your mouth on summer afternoons can be yours all over again next year—if you save the seeds.

In the Hudson Valley, we are fortunate to have access to many heirloom plants to use in our flower and vegetable gardens. Heirloom plants are a good place to start if you are intending to seed save. An heirloom plant is an open pollinator (Mother Nature does the pollination with the help of bees, wind, birds, rain, and other natural sources) that has roots (pun intended) in the region for generations. Some heirlooms go back hundreds of years, being passed down from generation to generation of farmers. There are crops that have been traced to pre-colonial Native America ancestry, and some European heirlooms have been dated back to 400 years. Asian and African heirlooms have been traced even further back.

Heirlooms have many advantages over hybrid commercial plants. Hybrid plants don’t retain the characteristics of the mother plant. They are unpredictable and result in a new plant that is the combination of parent plants. Hybrid plants are artificially cross-pollinated to create specific characteristics, like higher yield or uniform size. These practices aid in the ease of large-scale manufacturing. The hybrid seeds, however, create second-generation hybrids that lack the strong genetic history of heirloom plants, and therefore haven’t built up the same survival skills as heirlooms. They are more prone to insect damage, disease, and just plain old genetic flaws.

Additionally, multinational corporations like Monsanto are purchasing and turning farms around the world into hybrid monocultures that not only don’t produce viable seeds, but also can cross-pollinate and hybridize neighboring heirloom crops. This trend threatens our ability to access true heirloom seeds.

Gardeners and farmers are able to reverse this trend by saving local heirloom seeds and spreading them through the community. Before there were seed companies, seeds were in the hands of the communities rather than institutions. We have the resources in our community to protect our rich history of heirloom varieties.

Not only will returning to our seed saving heritage ensure sustainability of our food supply, it will improve the quality of our local foods! With a little self education, seed savers can begin to hone in on the strongest seeds to save—seeds that have insect and disease resistance, climate hardiness, and amazing flavor. Picking the most beautiful plant of each species will carry forth that plant’s strong genetics for the next generation.

The very best motivation to seed save, however, is not politics or even ethics, it’s a positive motivation. The number one reason to seed save is because you found the perfect plant variety and you love it so much that you just must have it again next year (and the year after that and the year after that!). It could be that zingy hot pepper or abundant and bright calendula, or the perfectly round, bright orange pumpkin that you want for next Halloween. Whatever the calling, you can have that plant again and again by seed preservation. If you got that plant from a seed company, preserving its seed is really the only way to ensure the product is not discontinued, literally.

So where to begin?

You can begin your seed-saving journey with either heirloom seeds from a reputable source (check out Hudson Valley Seed Library at seedlibrary.org for an amazing selection…and join the local seed saving community too), or you can begin with starter plants of the heirloom varieties that you’d like to propagate. Many of our local farms and shops sell heirloom varieties, but you should inquire to be certain. Four Winds Farm in Gardiner, Back to Basics in Kerhonkson, and many of our local farm stands are a great source for heirloom vegetable plants and flowers.

The easiest plants to save are self-pollinated plants. This reduces the chance that plants are cross-pollinated by wind or insects, thus ensuring they stay true to their parent plant characteristics. Some self-pollinating varieties include beans, tomatoes, lettuce, and peas.

There are basically two methods of seed saving: wet and dry. Many seeds can be saved simply by collecting the dry seeds. The dry method of seed saving can be used for plants like beans, broccoli, peas, carrots, onion, and corn. When seeds are ripe they usually turn from white to cream colored or light to dark brown. Allow the seeds in pods to mature and dry on the plant, but don’t wait so long that other animals or birds get to them before you. There are several ways of collecting the seeds. You can pull the plant before it is totally dried and put it in a paper bag to finish its drying process, or pull the seeds from their plants or pods and dry in a single layer, well ventilated.

The wet method of seed saving works for tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, melons, and squashes and is just a bit more involved. Pull the vegetables from your nicest plants when they are over-ripe and cut open to scrape out the seeds. These seeds have a gelatinous covering that makes it difficult to properly separate and dry them. To remove this clear, mucus-like substance, soak the seeds and their pulp in water and let ferment for two to four days. A layer of mold may form at the top, or if the fermentation starts bubbling, it’s time to stop the process or your seeds may germinate. At the end of the fermentation, strain the seeds and rinse them well to get rid of the pulp. You can then lay the seeds out on a plate to dry, shaking them daily to make sure they are drying well and aren’t clumping.

Make certain the seeds are completely dry before you store them, or they risk molding or rotting in storage. You can store seeds in a paper envelope. Mark each envelope with the seed variety and year. The longer the seeds are in storage the less vital the resulting plants become, so use your seeds abundantly! Place the envelopes into an airtight container (like a canning jar) to help elongate the life of the seed. Store the seeds in a dark, dry, and cool location for the following year (although some varieties last several years). Then, get to planting your seeds in the spring! A variety of methods are available to you, learn about seed planting in upcoming issues of Country Wisdom News.

Despite all of the politics, economics, and biotechnology controversies around seeds and seed companies, seed saving is just plain old fun! It is so rewarding to actually witness a plant becoming stronger and more acclimated to its unique ecosystem each year. Seed saving can quickly become a hobby that leads to the sustainability efforts of our community in ways we may not even recognize yet. And to think it also saves you money. Remember, spread your good seed!