The Quarantine Postings: Opus News, Resources and Hello

 

Hello out there and in there,                                     

Here on Fite Road, the forsythia is in full regalia, creating a glowing golden entrance to Opus 40. Spring is moving forward, no matter that so much has been stalled by the threat of Covid 19, no matter that it snowed last night and we have more freezing nights in the forecast. I do so wish we were able to open our doors to visitors this weekend as planned…but Opus 40 will be here, rock steady and ready to inspire, when the tide turns and it is safe for everyone to gather again.

Our farmers are no strangers to the power of nature, they weather the good with the bad and keeping on growing. The economic hardship caused by late frosts, floods and drought are a constant threat and impossible to control but still they keep on sowing, year after year, and thank goodness for that. For information about how to support local farms and a guide to alternative food source solutions, check here:  http://ulster.cce.cornell. This is also an amazing resource for all your home grown food production needs…from starting a vegetable garden to raising chickens. 

There are so many lessons to be learned in the garden, and this year they seem uniquely poignant. I find dandelions especially inspiring, how tough they are, beautiful and useful too. It’s amazing to me the energy some people spend trying to eradicate them. Harvest them instead for a free nutrient packed early green. If you are looking to learn about common wild foods like dandelions and nettles check out the beautifully illustrated and beginner friendly  Foraging & Feasting: a Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook by local author Dina Falconi. Signed copies are available at the https://opus40.org/store/  along with other books about the natural history of the Hudson Valley. Dina is posting free mini tutorials here: https://www.instagram.com/foragingandfeasting. 

I know I am not alone in finding great solace in nature right now and in the local beauty that we are so fortunate to share here in the Hudson Valley. The earth has so many gifts and she is so generous with her giving. Wednesday, April 22 is Earth Day and we are unintentionally giving the earth the best gift ever..during this great pause cities around the world are experiencing an unprecedented drop in air pollution. It is strange to think that what is causing the human population such hardship is actually giving the earth a much needed respite from our constant moving about, and that what heals this earth heals us, as ultimately all things are connected. 

I hope you can find some joy in this staying home time, and when you do need to get out and about, we are so lucky to have such amazing outdoor places to explore, here are a few of our favorite places:

https://www.scenichudson.org/explore-the-valley/our-parks/

https://www.woodstocklandconservancy.org/

http://catskillcenter.org/events

And since masks seem likely to be part of our new normal, the local makers below are selling masks to the local public, which then helps them donate masks to our healthcare workers: 

https://glambergeroriginals.com/collections/face-masks

https://www.etsy.com/shop/UpstateThreads

Here is a little encouragement from artist and environmentalist Robert Bateman to help me close…

If you find yourself worrying, go outside, take three breaths, address a tree and quietly say, ‘Thank you’. If you can’t find a tree, a dandelion will do….nature is magic.

 Thank you, for staying in, for taking care and being here.

Looking forward,  Eileen McClatchy, Managing Director of Opus 40

Resource Roundup #3

Shout Out To:

Practical Information & Grant Information etc:

Resources from Around the InterWebs:

  • The amazing Dina Falconi, live on Instagram HERE.
  • Also live on Instagram out there in nature, check out The Outside Institute HERE.
  • Nature walks with Julia Sforza HERE.
  • A free mini class with Susun Weed on Immunity-boosting HERE.
  • The stinging nettles are almost here. Mountain Rose herbs has recipe and video HERE.

Stay Safe, all!