Rural Intelligence (Page 663)

Parties

An Elegant Way to Shop Local in Lenox

On Saturday night, Michele O'Hana unveiled LOCAL, her sophisticated new shop in the Lenox Commons. A combination gallery, workshop, salon, and meeting place, it features handcrafted work by dozens of local artisans, including paintings, photographs, jewelry and ceramics. Some of the most beautiful objects are the ethereal porcelain

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Style

Urban Intelligence: Road Testing Hudson

From the city, to the country, then back to the city again; this seems to be a growing trend hereabouts. People leave New York for greener pastures, then come to realize that they miss some of the simple pleasures of urban life—taking a morning stroll to get the paper

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Parties

Storefront Artist Project 12 x 12 Auction

Since its founding in 2002 by the painter Maggie Mailer, the Storefront Artist Project (SAP) has been a cornerstone of Pittsfield's reincarnation as a creative center, offering residencies and mentoring programs that support a diverse range of artistic endeavors. The annual 12 x 12 auction features 100 twelve-

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Food

Limited Addition: Tivoli Bread & Baking’s Bûche de Noël

By Kathryn Matthews “If it’s not in my heart, it’s not on my counter,” says Mike Gonnella, a.k.a. “Mikee,” the baker and owner of the perennially popular Tivoli Bread & Baking. This holiday, he shares l’esprit de Noël in his heart by making a limited

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Food

AgriCulture: Food Politics

AgriCulture bloggers Peter Davies and Mark Scherzer are the owners of Turkana Farms in Germantown, NY. This week Mark writes: You know you’re living in agitated times when the usual torrent of year-end charitable solicitations in your in-box is dwarfed by a tsunami of political entreaties, beseeching

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Style

The Wandering Eye: Christmas Decorations

Our blogger, interior designer Carey Maloney, and his partner Hermes Mallea, an architect, are principals in the M (Group). My Rural Intelligence buddy Marilyn (think Rumpole’s She Who Must Be Obeyed) suggested a blog on Christmas decorations. She knows we have decorated The New York Public Library for years

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Arts

Video Intelligence: The RI Interview with "Hero" Author Michael Korda

Michael Korda at home on his farm in Dutchess County. Apple-cheeked and clutching a steaming cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee, the best-selling author Michael Korda doesn’t look tired when he strides from the stables at his Stone Gate Farm in Pleasant Valley, NY, on a recent Sunday

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Style

The Virtuous Shopper: Chatham's Do-Good To Do-Well Scheme

Many small towns in these parts are the picture of innocence, but Chatham is one that does not just look the part. Shopkeepers here tend to bring lofty ideals to their business practices—terms like local, sustainable, Fair Trade, vegan, and U.S.A.-made get tossed around a lot.

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Food

AgriCulture: Self Sufficent To a Point

AgriCulture bloggers Peter Davies and Mark Scherzer are the owners of Turkana Farms in Germantown, NY. This week Peter writes: Thanksgiving is over and gone but not in my thoughts. I keep returning to this matter of self-sufficiency or, as it is reframed these days, the size of our

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Community

Winter Stroll & Great Shopping in Great Barrington

Chestnuts roasting over an open fire? Crêpes being made by a Frenchman on the sidewalk? The First Selectman grilling sausages? On Railroad Street in Great Barrington on Saturday, December 11? You bet. The town is pulling out all the stops for what is effectively its first Holiday Stroll (last year&

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Parties

Berkshire Creatives Sparkle at the Crane Model Farm

The Berkshires is betting on artists and other creative types to keep the local economy growing by making sure there are plenty of opportunities to spark innovative creative collaborations. The annual Berkshire Creative holiday "Sparkle" party seemed especially glamorous this year for it was held at a venerable

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Parties

Holiday Cheer at Mills Mansion

By Kathryn Matthews It felt like 1910 again. On December 3rd, guests, dressed in festive attire, gathered at Mills Mansion in Staatsburgh, NY, for its annual holiday party, hosted by The Friends of Mills Mansion (FOMM). Decked out in its Edwardian holiday finest through December 31st, the mansion—the late

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