No one is as passionate about supporting local businesses, farmers, craftsmen and charities as Hammertown Barn founder Joan Osofsky, who had a "farm-to-table grazing" party on September 5 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her home furnishings and lifestyle stores at the flagship in Pine Plains. As guests arrived, they were encouraged to buy raffle tickets (for a big Hammertown gift basket) to benefit the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. The cocktail party's menu listed 13 local farms, restaurants and food producers, and the flip side listed the renovation team of 11 individuals and firms who helped create a new open kitchen next door to The Barn, where Osofsky and her son, Gregg, plan to host cooking classes, how-to workshops and salon-style events.
Dana & Joan Osofsky; Pine Cone Hill's Kate Hill Tapia with Rhonda Cayea, manager of Hammertown Rhinebeck.
Berkshire Taconic board member Sally Berg and Rosey Lyons, a member of the BT Fund for Columbia County advisory committee, selling raffle tickets; Lynne & Mike Cimino, who made the artisanal concrete counters for Hammertown's new kitchen.
Cindy Lopez, musician Jeremy Parise and Gregg Osofsky.
Novelists Diane Meier and Frank Delaney; Brooke Lehman and Mark Read.
Dick Novick of Free Range Tomato Farm with his fiance, flutist Eugenia Zukerman, and consultant Gary Delemeester; documentary filmmaker Jay Corcoran with design consultant Wanda Furman and Michael Roberts.
Amanda Stevens, Michael Johnson and Hammertown alumna Elizabeth Johnson.
Brittany Young who works at Hammertown Rhinebeck with her fiance, Amazing Real Live Food cheesemaker Peter Destler ; Mitchell & Daria Schrage.
Bob Murphy & Jack Lindsay; Jill & Paul Choma of Gilded Moon Framing in Millerton.
Kiersten Higgins with Jessica, Anthony & Jayden Silvia.
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
