AUGUST
Birthday Bombes and a call for Craftspeople
BOMBES. We’re churning ice cream cakes! Rhubarb & strawberry swirl, cookies & cream, mint chip. Special order your dream flavor for a feast. We can make one big enough to slice for 150.
Outstanding in the Field. We’re taking the tavern into the field. Join us on Thursday, August 28th for a summer feast at Storm King. Tickets here.
CRAFT FEAST 2025 Applications. Calling all basket-makers, potters, cobblers, quilters, whittlers, welders, and more. If you’d like to show at this year’s Craft Feast, please apply before September 8th.
This button links to a Google Form, you must be signed in to apply. Please email Craftfeast@stissinghouse.com with questions.
Parasol Punch. Our summer punch bowl has botanical vodka, aloe liqueur, and cucumber juice. It's perfect to order with a tower of oysters on ice. Both get a big squeeze of lemon.
Founded in 1942 by Robert and Marion Greig, Greig Farm has been a cornerstone of Red Hook, NY’s agricultural and community landscape for over 80 years. When Norman Greig returned to his family’s farm in 1975, the plan was to help out, not stay forever. He began by renting the dairy operation from his father, but, picking up land piece by piece, he was ultimately farming the entire property. Since, Norman phased out the dairy operation and diversified their crops–and what was previously a 90% wholesale and 10% retail operation has reversed. The farm is now a direct-to-consumer business focused on u-pick berries, specialty vegetables, a café, market, art gallery, and event space–an economically driven evolution.
Over the past 50 years, Greig has witnessed profound shifts. The u-pick model that once brought in large families for a day of berry harvesting and jam-making has changed dramatically; today’s visitors might pick just a couple quarts and spend more time taking photos than freezing fruit. Where u-pick once carried the business, market and café sales now do more of the heavy lifting. Norman continues to adapt, while maintaining the values he grew up with: equity, inclusion, and a deep respect for the land. The son of a mother who integrated the workforce at a WWII lifeboat factory at the age of 23, Norman was raised to believe all people are equal and valuable–an ethic that informs the culture of Greig Farm today.
Norman is quick to say “farming is a tough business,” and he’s at the mercy of the weather, the volume of people who visit and cultural shifts. He grows eight crops annually, and his 70-hour work weeks rarely translate into a living wage. Despite all of this, Norman is resilient and committed to a way of life his son–who came home during the pandemic and modernized the market–may yet carry forward. “The people who make the most money,” he reflects, “want what I have–a beautiful farm. And they hire the farmer to keep it pretty.”
It’s critical that we support local farms, now more than ever. The Secretary of Agriculture reports that 10% of U.S. farms are profitable, 40% are in the black because someone on the farm has off-farm income, and 50% of farms are closer to bankruptcy every day. Ruth Reichl’s documentary Food and Country is one to watch to learn more about the food systems in our country.
Head over to Greig Farm to pick in-season blueberries and raspberries every day from May-October, 10am-8pm.