2012 Delaware Water Gap Earth Fair & Enviro-Film Fest

was a huge success! Vendors and attendees were thrilled and I'm happy to say we did right by our excellent films, Living Downstream by Sandra Steingraben, and Queen of the Sun: What the Bees are Telling Us from filmmaker Taggert Siegel. 

On Sunday April 15, 2012 from 11 am-5 pm, Dutot Museum and the borough of Delaware Water Gap hosted the Delaware Water Gap Eco-Film Fest and Earth Day. The Earth Fair is free, with Educational booths and presentations by Josie Porter Farm & CSA,  Forwardian Arts, Brodhead Watershed, Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation, Dierdre Nonnemacher Jewelry, Youth Infusion and Trips for Kids, Lehigh Valley Gas Truth, Stop Fracking PA, Liz Forrest for 189, Maureen Madden for 176, Cartwright for Congress. Musical performances by Lois "Earth Lovin'" Heckman & Maxwell Kofi Donkor, Seed Mandala Necklaces for Kids w. Flora and Friends. Organic popcorn, snacks and munchies will be provided by Black Bear Farm Organic Catering!! 

Documentary film screenings include "Queen of the Sun, What the Bees are Telling Us?" with a  1 hr. Family Screening @ 11, and a full screening at 3:20. "Living Downstream" , by Sandra Steingraber, Phd, documents the scientist's personal journey through cancer and her observations on the ecology of industrial contamination, screened at 1:30 and 5 pm. Advance tickets are $4 for the family screening for one adult and up to two children, and $5 for the full screenings for ages 12 and up, available at the Deerhead Inn during regular business hours. Door tickets will be $5/$6, and seating is limited.

Festival Events will take place at the Dutot Museum, the Deerhead Inn and the Castle Inn. The Dutot Museum is at 24 Main Street, Delaware Water Gap, PA 18327. More information, please contact Black Bear Farm, (BlackBearFarmFun@gmail.com)

Thanks to:

The Dutot Museum for being such a gracious host,  Josie Porter Farm for sponsoring Queen of the Sun and Brodhead Watershed Association for sponsoring Living Downstream. The Fair would not have been the special community event it was without the loyal participation of our vendors: Genesis Farm, Lehigh Valley Gas Truth, Monroe County Democratic Progressive Club, Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Josie Porter Farm, Flora Schubert Children's Activities

Read more about this event!
Pocono Record Article 1 "People & Owls Enjoy the Delaware Water Gap Eco-Film Fest"
Pocono Record Article 2 "Movie Screenings Part of Delaware Water Gap Earth Fair" 

Good Night Irene!

Hurricane Irene came to Black Bear Farm, and she hit with a vengeance! We were blessed with only one tree down, on the neighbor's powerline! Increased dramatic weather events as a result of climate change, and increased demand on power grids due to overuse are certain to result in more "domestic inconveniences". In the meantime, I think figuring out how to be sustainable at home is a good idea. I'm looking for small scale solar panels for a micro grid to power the essentials~water pump, laptop, and cell phone. We have firewood and a fireplace for heat, and there's always the gas grill for cooking. We also hope to retrofit our oil burner for waste vegetable oil. Here's my favorite link to info on the WVO oil furnace retrofit . What a great time to attend Pennsylvania's Alternative Energy Fest. This year, it's September 16-18th,  just two weeks away!

Autumn Planting Garden Prep

Image: HobbyFarms.com

Wednesday morning, I found a great sale at Johnny's Seeds, and got all my autumn crops ordered for just $8.95, including shipping! For more on organic seeds, check out the Organic Seed Alliance. 

I am hoping to get a greenhouse over my raised beds, using some scrap 2 x 4's and rated greenhouse polymer film. My garden soil is high mineral, low nutrient . . . "I've lost my shirt" was a common expression in my art school days, referring to everything from misplaced glue to emotional distress. Well, yesterday at Twin Willows Farm, I truly "lost my shirt"! I planned to bring home a bag or two of aged manure from the barn  to amend the soil with much needed nutrients, but it seems I left the bags on the parking lot last night! Whoops! "Lost shirt"? My bad! Wonder who will find my dark and smelly treasure? 

Full Steam Ahead!

I've been spending a lot of time at Mountaindale Farm as an intern and CSA volunteer. I've learned a lot, and met some great farmers, including Jeff and Mary Jean Henry of Cranberry Creek Farm, and Tom Dente of Jones Farm. I'm ready to embark on my own initiative, getting my kitchen licensed to produce jams, jellies, baked goods, flowers, herbs and medicinals.

Mountaindale Farm, which has been operated on chemical free, sustainable agriculture principles for three generations, in Minisink Hills, PA.

 

"From Keith's Farm". Flavia Bacarella Woodcuts at the Patisserie in Milford, PA

"A Farmer and His Dog" Flavia Bacarella woodcut, $350 framed, at Patisserie, from the book "It's a Long Road to a Tomato"

 

I often sneak up through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, north from Black Bear Farm  on Route 209 along the Delaware River,  a most beautiful and reflective drive at any season. One of my favorite stops is Patisserie, on Broad Street. My friends Mark Edmonds and Christian Garcia run an amazingly exquisite business, featuring organic foods that I love! I'm happy to say, the Patisserie is currently the ONLY retail outlet offering Black Bear Farm Maple Syrup. In 2009, I purchased a book there, "A Long Road to a Tomato", a collection of narrative essays of life as an organic farmer, written by farmer Keith Stewart, who supplies the Patisserie with organic produce, and illustrated with the inspired woodcuts of Flavia Bacarella, Keith's wife. Flavia's original woodcut illustrations are currently shown at the Patisserie, and a visit to "Keith's Farm" is one of my favorite farm visits.

Heidi Secord represents WAGN in the Land Down Under!

Heidi Secord is an inspirational friend first met at a community yoga class, now running the Josie Porter CSA. She is an amazingly informed farmer, a Northeast Regional Representative for Women's Agricultural Network, and has been invited to attend a women's agricultural conference in Australia, where she is giving the closing speech! Here is a blog about her trip!

The Lands at Hillside Farms........

            Hillside Farms is the farm where one of my good friends from Moore, Marion Mills, an incredible painter and colorist, grew up. It is a dairy farm in Shavertown, and was the last working, cow to bottle farm in Pennsylvania west of State College. The farm incorporated as a non profit not too long ago, and typical "Dallas" PA style  ( kicking butt must go with the name) it is up and running and absolutely fantastic. I hope to have a meeting soon with the farm manager, and will report back!! Rock on Hillside!