North Salem Arts & Food Festival

 On Saturday there was a charming small festival near the railroad station in the Croton Falls hamlet in North Salem, New York.  There were booths for artists and crafters, farms and food service businesses (generally organic) and nonprofit organizations serving northern Westchester County.

John is the executive director of the North Salem Open Land Foundation.  They are working to combat the pressure for development by persuading owners of farms and forests and other land to donate preserves or grant conservation easements on their properties so the land can be open into perpetuity.

Mike, Linda and Julia are two out of four generations of the family that owns and operates Salinger's Orchard in Brewster, New York.  I can vouch for their cider, cider donuts and apples.

My sister had a recent birthday.  We never get each other presents on time.  She is a quilter and likes crafts of all kinds.  Bracken is a potter.  In addition to her own production, she manages a pottery workshop and store down the road from the site of the fair.  I thought my sister would like this hand made pitcher to display flowers or -- shockingly enough -- even to hold and pour stuff.

Kate is a theater and film director as well as a chef, graphic artist, crafter and Creative Director of SPACE at Ryder Farm.  The farm is a 175 acre farm with roots back before 1800.  On the one hand, Ryder Farm is a working organic farm.  On the other hand, through SPACE the farm offers a community where 50 playwrights, actors, dancers, visual artists, musicians, and filmmakers live on the farm for one to five weeks and enjoy absolute creative freedom.

Adam is the farm manager at Ryder Farm.

Gina developed The Board Beauty a year ago to sell hand crafted artisanal food boards.  She comes from an Italian family that has worked with foods for generations.

On the way to and from the festival, I walked past a storefront for The North Salem Post.  The door was open, so I walked in and said hello to Sarah.  She moved to North Salem five years ago with her husband and three kids.  Her day job is journalist for an online publication, but on the side she puts out the Post as a a hyperlocal digital news publication serving the community of North Salem and surrounding towns.