News Archive
Monday, July 26th, 2010
Danger Men Cooking is coming to Smokey House! Steven Schlussel, producer and director, and Chef Gary Schmidt of the GNAT-TV program will be with us next week to help prepare our Thursday Lunch and, in the process, produce a new edition of Danger Men Cooking.
Serving Thursday Lunch is a summer tradition at Smokey House. Our crews have planned and prepared fantastic meals, like lasagna with garlic bread and green salad, Sloppy-Joe’s (my favorite), Quiche (also my favorite) and crepes with blueberries and cream (everybody’s favorite). Our crews make the food from scratch using veggies from their gardens and meat from our farm. Each Thursday Lunch includes a hot dish, salad, dessert and a beverage.
Next Thursday when Chef Gary joins the Field Studies crew to prepare lunch the theme will be “The All American Cookout”. Gary will lead our crew through the preparation of hamburgers and BBQ chicken using Smokey House meats, potato and pasta salad from our gardens, blueberry cobbler and iced tea with wild mint. And you can watch the whole thing on GNAT-TV.
Danger Men Cooking and the Smokey House Field Studies crew will show viewers how cooking can be a creative outlet that connects us with the important tradition of preparing food for one another. Look for us later this summer on Comcast channel 15, Thursdays and Saturdays at 6:00 a.m., noon and 6:00 p.m. For more information on the show, go to http://www.gnat-tv.org/dangermencooking
Monday, July 12th, 2010
What is made entirely of wood, makes a fine tasting steak, and is produced by Smokey House Youthworkers? The answer is natural hardwood lump charcoal. The evening of July 12 at The Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, a Smokey House tag team shared their wealth of knowledge about charcoal as part of the store’s monthly “Sustainable Living in Vermont” series. The presentation might have been about a rather black and dusty subject but that didn’t stop the Youthworkers who presented from shining. As Tim Parent noted in his opening “as the only producers of natural hardwood charcoal in the Northeast, I guess we’re the experts.” Youthworkers Jessica and Sierra showed off their knowledge as they shared their charcoal making experience with the audience.
The presentation not only discussed the sustainability of hardwood charcoal but also surveyed the history of charcoal, a history which made its mark on the local economy. In a town known for its pure white marble, local millionaire Silas Griffith made his fortune selling lumber and blackened wood in the form of charcoal. Kilns were scattered throughout the area: several were found in the neighboring town of Mount Tabor and Danby; there was even a kiln on the Smokey House property. Today blackened soil is all that remains of most of the once-productive kilns, leaving Smokey House to produce the only lump charcoal in the region.
Crew leader Jeff Scott also shared knowledge of his own, discussing the ups and downs of Biochar. Biochar technically refers to any organic matter that has been carbonized; it usually refers to charcoal applied to the soil. Used thousands of years ago by indigenous groups to aid soil fertility, biochar has met a resurgence in popularity. While further research is needed, Jeff reported that biochar has promise as an effective soil amendment, retaining nutrients and water when applied alongside a natural fertilizer.
The presentation then moved outside, where the Smokey House crew put their lump charcoal to the test, comparing it with briquettes from the grocery store. The Smokey House charcoal prevailed, being ready much earlier than the briquettes. Watching the grass-fed beef cook, a member of the audience recalled, “When I was young I never remember seeing briquettes, we always used natural charcoal.”
You don’t need to look any farther than the grill to see how Smokey House recalls its Vermont roots – lump charcoal is just one of many ways it does so. As the evening came to a close, the Youthworkers helped load up the grills, happy to have shared their charcoal experience with the greater community.
A PDF version of the presentations can be downloaded here.
Saturday, June 19th, 2010
Are you interested in the outdoors? Do you want to recognize a monarch butterfly when you see it, to know how to tell different birds apart, or to learn to use a GPS? Would you like to help with important environmental research?
If so, A Summer in the Field may be just what you’ve been looking for. Join us for fun and learning as we carry out research on Smokey House Center’s 5,000 acres of forest and farmland.
Join other students from around the area this summer as you conduct real research including amphibian, bird, and macroinvertebrate studies. We may also study butterflies, mammals, and more. The camp will run for two, 3-week sessions from June 29 through August 16, and is open to young people ages 11 to 14. See Youth: Field Studies Program for more information and an application form.
Saturday, June 19th, 2010
Smokey House was thrilled to hear in late April from the Stratton Mountain & Valley Community Benefit Foundation that we were the recipient of a Focus Grant in support of our Environmental Field Studies Program. The $3,500 grant will provide an income-sensitive subsidy to allow middle school students from the Northshire region to attend the Summer in the Field camp at a reduced rate: $225 for a 3-week session.
This grant will allow us to expand our summer field studies program, and to seek out young people who would otherwise not have a summer enrichment experience. These middle school students will have an exciting, alternative learning experience which complements their school-year work. Much of the day will be spent outdoors, as the students observe, learn and have fun collecting environmental data using scientific methods.
In 2008, Smokey House received a smaller grant from the Stratton Foundation to purchase much-needed GPS devices and digital cameras for the Field Studies Program. We are grateful once again to this community-based foundation for their commitment to local youth, and are very thankful for their on-going support.
Friday, May 7th, 2010
Smokey House welcomed 26 new lambs this spring, and by early May they appear strong and confident as they graze in the field beside the older sheep. There is no shortage of crew members volunteering to do sheep chores when the lambs are this cute!
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
With temperatures soaring up to record highs in the 80’s during the first week of April, maple sugaring season came to a sudden end. Smokey House produced 400 gallons of pure Vermont maple syrup this year, despite the short season and quirky weather. We manage our sugarbush for the long-term health of the trees, and use wood from our forests to boil the sap. Furthermore, we follow high quality-control standards and use no synthetic ingredients in the production process. Youthwork students are integral to every aspect of maple syrup production – they manage the sugarbush, maintain and clean the sap lines, split firewood, boil the sap, can the syrup, and assure a high quality and delicious product. Come to Smokey House to purchase our sweet as spring sunshine syrup, or you may call us at 802-293-5121 to place an order.
Danger Men Cooking is coming to Smokey House! Steven Schlussel, producer and director, and Chef Gary Schmidt of the GNAT-TV program will be with us next week to help prepare our Thursday Lunch and, in the process, produce a new edition of Danger Men Cooking.
