Warm Greetings, Friends and Neighbors near and far-
How many different ways can one say that we are Blessed and Grateful? Far be it from me to say the same thing differently twice in a sentence redundantly😉, so here’s the news:
Summer Budget Request
Frolic Invitation
Last Sunday’s Frolic Report
Keeseville Methodist Church Summer Festival
Keeseville 250 Celebration Continues
AuSable Valley Grange News
Gorgeous Pics by Elisabeth
Greetings Neighbors,
This is Adam writing. It can be difficult to describe the work of Sand River Community Farm in a sentence or two. The bones of the project’s story go like this:
1. A single financial gift of half a million dollars purchased the historic Schermerhorn/Adgate Farm in in 2022, removing it permanently from the marketplace. Written into the Farm’s bylaws: nothing from this place will ever be sold again, including the land herself.
2. A year later, the Town of Chesterfield accepted the Farm’s application to abate the property taxes, encouraging us to find other ways to contribute to the shared life of the town.
3. We invite people of all ages and ability levels to gather every Sunday at 2:30 from April through November to learn and lend a hand in the old-fashioned work of growing, harvesting, preserving and sharing local food. Some weeks four people show up, other weeks twenty-five. At 5:30 we share a simple Farm supper. No money is required for participation in any of the Farm’s activities.
4. Outside of Sundays, the Farm runs on the labor of one full-time resident steward (that would be me, Adam) and a whole bunch of passionate, part-time folks who assist in the work of keeping animals fed, tablecloths and dishrags washed and folded, flyers printed and hung, buildings maintained, and so on. We are able to do all of this work for less than $20K per year because the majority of what keeps the effort going is received as a gift, including 100% of the labor.
5. Beyond what we eat during the week and serve at our Sunday suppers, all of the food grown at the Farm is shared as a gift with anyone who is hungry for any reason—as frozen quarts of chili at the library through the winter months, as boxes of grass-fed beef at a stand downtown, as warm bowls of soup around a fire on the main street where neighbors meet one another for the first time, and so on. Here at the Farm, where access to food is no longer determined by dollars, hunger begins to look less like a problem to solve than a deeply humanizing force, a daily invitation to turn toward one another and the land that feeds us.
When I describe this unusual outline to people, I hear a few repeating responses. Most common is, “How do you pay the bills?” Occasionally, someone shakes their head in disbelief, saying, “There must be a trust fund somewhere behind the scenes.”
The only trust fund we rely on is the goodwill of ordinary folks who have chipped in to cover our few monetary expenses. Over the past three weeks, for example, a dozen people have taken the time to drop off a check or make a financial gift online, contributing $2000 out of our $9000 summer budget request (for the 6-month period of June-December 2026).
If you think about it, the phrase “trust fund” is actually quite descriptive of the work we do. Neighbors entrust the Farm with a few dollars or a few hours of labor that they might have otherwise kept to themselves, and we work to pass that goodwill along as quickly as we can.
Would you consider joining the circle of trust that underwrites our work? You can join us for one of our Farm Frolics each Sunday at 2:30, or make a check out to Sand River Community Farm (see address below), or contribute online here-
Once our $9000 Summer Budget Request is covered, no further money will be needed until wintertime.
During the opening circle at our Sunday Farm Frolic, we pause to offer spoken gratitudes before setting into the day’s projects. People say the darndest things when their turn comes around. As it turns out, there is a lot to be grateful for.
As the Farm’s only full-time resident, I can’t help but notice, every hour of every day, that I live from the labors of others. I eat just the vegetables, corn, beef and lamb that grow here, plus a few gifts of honey, syrup, milk, eggs and cookies from neighbors. The firewood that keeps me alive through the winter has been cut, split, and stacked by the folks who show up on Sundays. The dollars that keep the lights on and the well pump running have been gifted by ordinary people who choose to make do with a little bit less so that I might also live and labor on behalf of the possibility of a shared, neighborly life.
The gratitude that builds in the wake of such a chain of goodwill is considerable. It is the deepest honor of my life to be granted the opportunity to work as a community servant and organizer. If enough people vote “yes” with their dollars, their time, and their attention, the work will continue. If not, the Farm will quietly go dormant.
Would you consider joining the circle of trust that allows this Farm to continue sharing food as a gift with anyone in town who is hungry for any reason? A gift of any size, from $5 to $500, would be gratefully received. This Sunday at our weekly Farm Frolic, neighbors will be adding compost and water to the thirsty tomato patch, from which we might yet harvest a winter’s worth of Farm chili to share with folks in town. Others will write notes to people who have supported the Farm in the past. Still others will finish painting one of the Farm’s outbuildings. Others will bake cornbread, warm up soup, harvest a salad, and set the table for Sunday supper. Perhaps we’ll see you there. Everyone is welcome.
With gratitude,
Adam Wilson, Sand River Community Farm, 1044 Mace Chasm Rd., AuSable Chasm, NY, 12911
Adam just described the plans for this Sunday, so need I say more? - I don’t think so! We just ask that you arrive at 2:30 so we can get a head count for dinner and register any dietary requirements, then we’ll divide into work groups that suit your interest and ability level. Be sure to bring your appetite and plan to stay for dinner at 5:30!
Oh my, what a FABULOUS crew surrounded and invaded our hearts last Sunday! The garlic that was planted last fall was finally freed from the nurturing earth that has sustained and held it for so many months. It was cleaned, clustered, and hoisted to the rafters of the work space of the kitchen, to dry until ready for use.
Susan and Elisabeth wrapped the garlic for storage
This was a terrific and beautiful harvest!
We also accomplished the important task of transferring the latest batch of our signature delicious Tomato-Squash Soup from large pans, into the quart containers that will be given as gifts to neighbors, visitors, and folks who spend time with us at our dinner table after our Frolics.
Jody and Elijah filled 100 quart containers of soup!
There’s no requirement to work for dinner; if it better suits your schedule, you are welcome to just show up at 5:30 and join us at the table for a yummy farm-sourced meal, convivial conversation, songs and fellowship!
You know that the bakers of the Harkness and Keeseville Churches are superstars at their craft; and you also know you’ll need to get there early for the best selection!
This Friday and Saturday July 24 & 25, you’ll find a whole lot more than baked goods at the Summer Festival, 1691 Front Street between 9am and 2pm-
Besides live music on Saturday from 10 to noon, there will be books, plants, jewelry, lunch and even the Thrift Shop will be open for more steals and deals. Hope to see you there!
If you live in our neighborhood, you are well aware that we are right in the thick of Keeseville 250, a week’s worth of superb activities all around the towns. Here’s the schedule of events for the next few days:
The Town-Wide Yard Sale is in full swing; here’s a link for a map of where to get the deals.
And here’s more information on the rest of the weekend and other news:
The Grange folks aren’t going to be left out of the Yard Sales around town; check out just a few of the great items that will be available at 1749 Main Street on Saturday from 8am to 2pm!
It was such a treat to have Elisabeth stay with us for a few days along her travels from Denmark. As if her presence and spirit weren’t enough blessings, she took some dazzling photos for us as well! We gratefully share some of them here, to give a peek into the week.
Thank You for taking the time to read this dispatch, to keep track of how we are dancing along with this unique experiment in trust and neighboring! We treasure your attention and support, in all the lovely forms.
Blessings!
Allison
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