Our country home

Editor’s letter

Posted

Dear reader,

When you think of the Catskills/Upper Delaware, what comes to mind? This time of year, it’s probably flannels, knit hats, warm boots… but really, what makes our area so distinctive?

There are a multitude of things that make our area stand out.

“There’s a rawness, a realness to the area,” notes Christine Monello, chief revenue officer for Foster Supply Hospitality—itself a home-grown success story with a string of rural, independent local small hotels and restaurants. She’s right: You won’t find scrubbed-clean, concrete towns around here.

We have farms. We have farmer’s markets with funky potatoes, as Jude Waterston fondly recounts in her ode to the spud.

We have wide creeks with one-lane bridges you need to cross to reach super-cool farmhouses, like this month’s featured home. And about those farmhouses: Barbara Winfield shows us what country style means in her nifty decorating story (hint: it’s not stuffy!)

The wide variety of agriculture around here also sets us apart. Kristin White shows us the importance of patronizing local shops and farmstands; even if you have big dreams of “living off the land,” there’s bound to be a local store or two that carries just the things you haven’t thought of growing or raising or making. Plus, you might find a gadget or seedling you’ve never heard of, but end up loving. That was the case for me, when I discovered ground cherries. What the heck are those, you may ask? Read this issue and find out.

After exploring the raw, real, rural land around here, feel free to tuck yourself in at home with a nice meal (may I suggest Jude’s gratin?) and keep warm by a cozy fire. Ron Litchman’s firewood tips will keep you toasty all season long.

So revel in the woods, the creeks, the changing seasons that all combine to make this little corner of the world so very dear to our hearts.

Enjoy!

Jane Anderson

Section editor

our country home, Catskills, Upper Delaware, farm, creeks, agriculture

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here