Victory gardens came about during World War II, following an idea by George Washington Carver. In March 1917, Charles Lathrop Pack organized the US National War Garden Commission and launched the war garden campaign. To support the home garden effort, a United States School Garden Army was launched through the Bureau of Education. Again in… Read More
Category Archives: Food
New Farm Market Pop-up on Main Street
Common Ground Farm, which this season took over running the Beacon Farmers Market currently located at the ferry dock across from the train station down at the riverfront, has recently opened a pop-up stand on Main Street next to Hudson Beach Glass. The farm’s mission is to provide food access and education to the entire… Read More
Beacon Farmers Are Back To Work
Not that they ever completely stopped, but now the real action begins for our local farmers. We stopped in at Stony Kill at 79 Farmstead Lane off 9D, two miles north of the I-84 exit, to visit the Common Ground Farm fields and ran into farm manager Susan Paykin, who was in the greenhouse… Read More
Local Turnip Greens
From Beacon’s Farmers Market
The last of the trailing hurricane rains left the Hudson Valley on Saturday, and Sunday dawned a classic, sunny October morning. After a quick stop to see what was happening at the Beacon Flea Market, (open Sundays through November 15) my companion and I headed to the Beacon ferry dock to the farmer’s market. Our… Read More
Green Teens Needs Your Help, Beacon!
Lots of stuff coming your way from Wigwam, but wanted to take a second to remind everyone to VOTE for Green Teens to help them win a $15,000 grant. Evidence of the Green Teens program, which recently turned 10, can be seen all over town, with the latest installments being gardens on the west end,… Read More
The Beacon Project
This is the latest update on the status of the former Beacon women’s correctional facility, located just beyond our city’s high school grounds. On Wednesday, December 17th, a number of interested parties toured the site and all the buildings. For almost a year, a group of citizens affiliated with various community organizations, currently known as… Read More
Barb’s Butchery Back on Track
After a number of what can go wrong will go wrong scenarios, including a sewer line break, Barbara Fisher is hesitant to give an opening date for her butcher shop at 69 Spring Street. Initially preparing for an August opening, she is now keeping her fingers crossed and looking at some time in late… Read More
Beacon Needs to Take Control of Former Prison Property
As a cost-saving measure New York State has been closing prisons that it has determined are no longer essential. Our community was affected when the women’s correctional facility in Beacon was closed last September. There will be a community meeting on Tuesday, July 29, at 6:30pm at Beahive, 291 Main Street (South Brett), to discuss… Read More
Beacon Food Truck Finds Success With Plan C
First they tried a zoning variance. Then they applied for a vendor permit. Today The Beacon Bite opened up several feet from the Hudson River, at Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park. They are still waiting to hear about a permit from the city, and are also standing by as the city council considers adapting… Read More
Drink, Beacon, Drink!
Just as a certain political party solved the energy crisis with the dictum “Drill, baby, drill,*” Beacon appears poised to defy a sluggish economy with a veritable onslaught of alcohol-based businesses. The newest member of the club will be at 394 Main Street, sandwiched between Kennedy Fried Chicken and the late, lamented Nichols Hardware, where… Read More
Food Truck Appeals to Beacon
Dalton Edwards bought the empty lot at the corner of Schenck and Main Streets last year, with plans to build a cinema that serves meals, a combination art form that is popular in his home town of Austin. But while those plans are being developed, Dalton and his partner, Josh Venne, thought it would be… Read More
Local Farm Needs Your Vote
One of our local farms, Common Ground Farm, is seeking your help to obtain a grant from the Seeds of Change grant program. All you have to do is vote to help them get into the pool of applications that will be considered for a grant. You can vote once a day till April 21.… Read More
Beacon Micro Craft Brewery Sees Summer Opening
The last time we checked in with 2 Way Brewery at 18 West Main Street, Michael O’Herron and his dad Jim were busy sheetrocking an empty shell. While that onerous task is still not completely finished, the presence of gleaming brew kettles and storage tanks means the reality of a brew pub just up from… Read More
HV Seed Brings On New Educator
Hudson Valley Seed is springing into action with its drive to bring more students into garden programs. This includes raising funds and bringing on another teacher. From the HVS newsletter: Gretchen Larson-Wolbrink has most recently been at home with her three children, Lily, Hope, and Nathan. In spare moments, she’s outside gardening, and has a particular… Read More
A Visit With the Beacon Bee Lady
The Bee Lady, aka Beacon artist and beekeeper Deborah Davidovits, invited Wigwam to watch as she started a new hive. Spring is the time to set up new bee hives. Also along to learn some technique was Avi from Eden Village Camp in Putnam Valley. The first order of business is to go buy a… Read More
Hudson Valley Seed
Launches Spring!
Despite the snow still lingering on the ground, Beacon elementary students are already starting seeds and planning for spring. It’s happening under a program run by Hudson Valley Seed. a local organization dedicated to educating children in nutrition and wellness through curriculum-integrated garden learning. In the last few weeks, students at South Ave, J.V.… Read More
Common Ground Farm Is Growing,
Rolls Out New Programs
Wigwam will check in with Common Ground’s farm manager Arielle Narva throughout the year. We emailed her a few questions to start off the dialogue for the coming growing season. Wigwam: You recently got back into town. Where did you spend your winter? Arielle: I just got back to the States from a few months… Read More
Beacon Bread Company Opens
The bitter cold temperatures made opening day of the Beacon Bread Company all the cozier as those who stopped by due to luck, happenstance, rumor, or inside information were greeted with the smells of fresh baked breads and warm and friendly service from the proprietor and staff. Beacon Bread Company opens at 7am and has… Read More
Drink More Good
Open Real Soon
Barely a year old, Drink More Good has almost completed its move from a small sublet space across from Homespun Foods to more expansive digs next door to the Town Crier. The new location will feature the company’s signature lines of soda syrups and bitters, a small cafe nook, and a tasting bar. The bar… Read More
Beacon School Cafeteria
Recipe Exposed!
Common Ground Farm, in partnership with Hudson Valley Seed and Hudson Valley Farm to School, formed the Beacon Farm to School Collaborative earlier this year. Through a grant from the United Way Community Fund, the J.V. Forrestal School was the first of four schools to have a full year of monthly programming that includes farmer… Read More
Beacon Farmer’s Market
Heads Indoors;
Santa Expected This Sunday, Dec. 15
The Beacon Farmer’s Market has moved south for the winter, from the ferry dock to the big red barn at Long Dock. Although it’s a stone’s throw from the summer location, vendors and customers will be protected from the cold winds snapping off the Hudson this time of year. Market manager Dana Devine O’Malley has… Read More
The Sky Is Falling
As another outbreak of salmonella caused by industrial chicken farming is hitting the country, the City of Beacon is taking steps to make it more difficult to grow your own, including limiting the number of chickens (5), licensing, and heavy fines that include jail time for violations. Here is the introduction to the law: “The… Read More
Sailing freighter will deliver cargo from Vermont to NYC via Hudson River
After a month’s delay, the 40-foot Ceres, a wooden sail barge, is being loaded with maple syrup, organic beans, Maine sea salt, various flours, and heirloom garlic in anticipation of its maiden voyage on October 6, a 300-mile journey from Lake Champlain, through the Champlain Canal, and then down the Hudson, arriving in Brooklyn October… Read More