TAUNY - News

Photo caption: Presenters at the Grow and Tell Project’s first garden tour at littleGrasse Community Farm on July 10 included farmers Flip Filippi and Bob Washo, TAUNY (Canton, NY) Folk to Table Director Camilla Ammirati, Rose Rivezzi of Big Spoon Kitchen (Potsdam, NY), and Rosanna Mosher of the Adirondack Mennonite Heritage Farm (Croghan, NY).

Earlier this month, there was a wonderful gathering of community members at the first garden tour of the season for the Grow and Tell Project, a 2021 partnership between TAUNY and littleGrasse Community Farm. The July 10th kickoff tour at littleGrasse, a community farm at the edge of the village of Canton, NY, brought an enthusiastic group of visitors from not only Canton and Potsdam areas, but locations ranging from Massena to Lowville to Philadelphia, NY. Walking through the bursting green gardens on the bright summer day, the group learned about the farm’s mission and operations and heard special guests share stories of how plants grown at the farm help connect them to their own family and cultural food traditions.

The tour began with an overview from littleGrasse farmers Flip Filippi and Bob Washo about their mission—including their philosophy “not to sell food, but to feed people”—and how they farm on a subsistence and preservation model of feeding the community not only throughout the growing season, but with crops and methods that support preserving the bounty for healthy and delicious eating throughout the year. TAUNY Folk to Table Director Camilla Ammirati then shared an overview of the Grow and Tell Project and some highlights from the stories and recipes project participants from around the North Country have shared so far for the project.

Highlights of the day included presentations by special guests Rosanna Moser of the Adirondack Mennonite Heritage Farm (Croghan, NY) and Rose Rivezzi of Big Spoon Kitchen (Potsdam, NY), about the meaningful connections people make to their own heritage and community life through particular plant varieties. Rosanna began with the story of the “Virkler lettuce,” a buttercrunch-like variety brought to the North Country in 1834 from Alsace-Lorraine, France, and grown over generations but more recently largely lost from the Lowville-area Mennonite community. Rosanna shared her own joyful memories of the lettuce as part of her childhood food traditions. She then said the AMHA is especially pleased that through TAUNY’s research for the project, they learned of the AMHA’s “quest for the obtainment of the seed. Camilla took the bite and connected with Bob at littleGrasse, who in turn moved forward to finding a source. We are looking forward to having this seed once again to share with our 20 Mennonite immigrant family descendants and community.”

The group moved on to hear from Rose Rivezzi about “Poppa Rivezzi’s Garlic,” a soft-neck variety her father grew for decades and that is now growing at littleGrasse as well as in Rose’s own garden. Rose grew up helping tend the garden with her father, including many rounds of planting, harvesting, braiding and preserving, and cooking up this garlic. As Rose says, "The connections we have with people so often revolve around food. Garlic is my connection to my dad. He had been planting the same garlic for over 60 years and I was thrilled when littleGrasse was willing to keep Poppa Rivezzi Garlic going in their fields after he passed away." Rose not only shared her story but, as part of the event, provided the option of a delectable lunch of basil garlic scape pesto knots, pickled vegetables, and a sour cherry baked treat from Big Spoon Kitchen for participants.

TAUNY and littleGrasse wish to thank all who attended the tour and the many people locally and from around the region who have shared their stories for the Grow and Tell Project. Please contact Camilla Ammirati at camilla@tauny.org to share your own stories of rooted recipes, meaningful meals, and foods you grow or get locally that are connected to your traditions. The Grow and Tell garden tour series continues with additional tours at Jane Desotelle’s “Plattsburgh Botanical Sanctuary” (Plattsburgh, NY), Jean Williams’s home subsistence garden (Blue Mountain Lake, NY), and further tours at littleGrasse Community Farm focusing on subsistence and preservation gardening and seed-saving. Spots are limited and registration is required for all garden tours. See tauny.org for more.

The Grow and Tell Project, part of TAUNY’s new Folk to Table initiative, is a 2021 partnership between TAUNY and littleGrasse Community Farm highlighting the local food and food traditions that help sustain us, through a series of garden tours, kitchen demonstrations, video and digital features, and more. Additional partners in the project include GardenShare (Canton, NY) as well as varied home cooks and gardeners from around the region. The Grow and Tell Project is made possible by a grant from the Cloudsplitter Foundation.

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