This Month’s Featured Articles…
Sticks & Stones: Tattoo artist Nalla Smith shares all about his compelling creative journey and new Hillsdale, NY, shop with wife Christine Cherbonnier
“Like any kid who drew, I was lucky enough to have friends that were better than me at it,” quips tattoo artist Nalla Smith, owner of Sticks & Stones Tattoo in Hillsdale, NY. “So, that kind of showed me some tricks, but also gave me goals to get better at it.” With Nalla having drawn seriously since the age of eight, in tandem with healthy competition and “a social approach to artwork” with his friends, his talents went noticed by his mother, and Nalla was [...]
Shop small. Shop local.
A few months ago, there was a bit of buzz about shopping small. Back in late February, the media blasted a message encouraging shoppers to participate in an “economic blackout.” Consumers would refrain from spending at major retailers such as Target, HomeGoods, and Lowe’s and would opt to spend at local businesses instead. On that day, I happened to drive to Cold Spring, NY, to meet my friend, Julie for our regular outing, which involves day tripping to one of the many towns in the [...]
Another opening, another show
Above: Tony-nominated Kate Baldwin and John Scherer in The Prom (2024, Sharon Playhouse), Directed by Carl Andress. Photo by Aly Morrissey. “Give my regards to Broadway” … and a pile of money, too. It’s been quite a year for shows playing on the Great White Way. With the arrival of Othello starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal – a show that got lukewarm reviews, at best – that was quickly surpassed in box office revenue and very positive reviews by George Clooney in Good Night, and Good Luck, [...]
Farm to fork: How local farms are using social media to build community and maintain transparency
Above photo by Makani Kirwin These days, it seems like it’s nearly impossible to run any type of business without a social media presence. Whereas years ago business would spread by word of mouth, in this day and age, if you don’t have an Instagram or Facebook page, people almost always ask “Why not?” Increasingly, more farmers and agriculturalists are turning to social media platforms to build connections with their consumers, share their experiences and stories, and even to educate people about where their food [...]
Sky High Farm: Promoting food sovereignty and addressing rural food insecurity
Above photo by Walter Hergt. Sky High Farm is not your average Upstate New York farm. A registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, since its inception, Sky High Farm has donated 100% of the vegetables and protein grown and raised on the farm to food access partners throughout New York state. Located on 40 acres off of Hall Hill Road in Ancram, New York, the land that would later become Sky High Farm was purchased by artist Dan Colen in 2011. While Colen didn’t initially have grandiose [...]
