BodyHeart: A movement celebrating the ART of the female form

Kristen and daughter Riley Caldwell's self-portrait for BodyHeart's site.

Amber Krzys is on a mission. She's hellbent on changing the way women see and relate to their bodies. Wanting to make a difference, she founded BodyHeart; a movement encouraging women to celebrate the ART of their own form. Women in this campaign inspire by allowing their un-retouched images to capture the truth of how beauty truly comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages.

Submit your photo here.

.

Syracuse Symphony Orchestra Sets Two Watertown Performances

Rounding out a full season of performances in Watertown, N.Y., the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra has slated its final two shows for March 21 and April 28, 2011 at the Dulles State Office Building.

"Broadway Giants: The Music of Gershwin, Ellington, and Porter" is scheduled for March 21. Virtuoso pianist Andrew Russo and the inimitable jazz vocalist Ronnie Leigh—both Central New York favorites—will perform with the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. The concert will include "Rhapsody in Blue" and other great works by Gershwin, Ellington, and Porter. The event will be conducted by Michael Butterman.

"Brilliant Beethoven"is scheduled April 28 and features Daniel Hege as conductor and Andrew Zaplatynsky on violin. To be performed are Beethoven's "Violin Concerto" and "Symphony No. 6".

Tickets are $40. For more information and to purchase seats, click

here

.

'Yoga for Creativity' Workshop Planned

Do you long for the time you once had to make things, play, design, doodle or sing? In the midst of our busy days we forget that we are the creators of our lives and that self-expression is elemental to healthy living. Sound familiar? Then you're going to love "Yoga for Creativity," a workshop scheduled from Aug. 26-28 and led by Lisa Enzer, an M.Ed., RYT-500 hr. educator who is well-versed in experimental theater, drama education, dance, classical yoga, and group facilitation.

In "Yoga for Creativity," Lisa will guide students on an exploration of practices based on ancient wisdom to uncover the freedom that lives inside each of us. Classic yogic practices and philosophy will help remove obstacles, uncover source material, and engender stability in your creative work or daily life. In the spirit of inquiry students will focus on connections between creation and yoga including: allowing intention to arise, anchoring resolution, coping with disturbances, and integrating the will.

You already have the inner resources necessary to participate; whether you are an artist or an ‘everyday’ creative, this program supports a person's needs to express oneself and experience contentment. All art supplies and materials provided.

Yoga experience not necessary; curiosity, courage, and uncertainty are.

To sign up for this workshop and to see a complete list of Better Farm's 2011 programming, click here.

Outdoor Adventure Workshops Scheduled!

Patrick Mostyn scales Hurricane Mountain on an Adirondack High Peaks Adventure hike led by Craig Rice.

Now that we're getting our 2011 programming in order, check back regularly on Better Farm's workshops page for new courses being offered in everything from yoga to timber frame construction. Kicking us off this year are a series of outdoor adventures led by our friend, neighbor, and survivalism and outdoors expert, Craig Rice:

June 10-12

BACKWOODS 101: Introduction to wild edible plants & primitive camping

This course will focus on the importance of properly identifying plants, leaf structures, different parts of plants, harvesting and preparing, as well as positive recognition of poisonous plants. Students will will canoe or kayak down Black Creek looking for edible plants and a good camping area to build a primitive campsite overnight. In the instance of inclement weather the group may elect to use the outfitter’s tent. Participants should bring a bedroll, netting, flashlight, poncho, and water bottle. A daypack for hauling your gear will be beneficial. Pack light! Better Farm will provide food to take along and bug spray. Group will meet at Better Farm the evening of Friday, June 10 for dinner and orientation, heading out for Black Creek Saturday morning and returning Sunday.

Cost: $160

ADIRONDACK HIGH PEAKS ADVENTURE   

Experience two or more nights in the wilderness on one of four mountains:

Hurricane

,

Giant

,

Dix

, or

Whiteface

. We will either camp primitively at a site chosen in the field or ruck out in a lean-to if one is available. All summits are open with tremendous views of the surrounding mountains from New York’s Mt. Marcy and Champlain Valley to the Green Mts. of Vermont. These trips are strenuous and require that you are in good physical condition. Proper attire is mandatory, good hiking/backpacking boots a must. You will be expected to carry a pack weighing 25 pounds or more and partake in setting up and breaking camp. Awesome trips for those tough enough. Trip planning is dynamic, the abilities and desires of your group will form our goals. Outfitting for four people: packs, sleeping bags, pads, Gortex outerwear, and more is available, please contact info@betterfarm.org with your needs. Group will meet at Better Farm Thursday evening for dinner and orientation, and leave from there Friday morning. Group will return to Better Farm Sunday.

Hurricane Mountain:

  June 23-26, Oct 7-9, Moderate, $400, group size limited to 6 

Note: Hurricane is the least strenuous mountain to climb and provides perhaps some of the best views as well as a lean-to. An excellent mountain to consider.

Whiteface Mountain:

  July 28-31  Strenuous,  $450, group size 4 

Giant  Mountain:

Aug 25-28  Moderate, $400, group size 3-6 

Dix & Noonmark Mountain:

Sept 29- Oct 3  Very Strenuous, $500, group size 4

July 15-17; Aug. 12-14; Sept. 9-11; Oct. 14-16

ADIRONDACK ADVENTURE 

Travel to Wanakena, N.Y. in the beautiful Adirondack foothills and put down an afternoon hike to the summit of Cat Mountain with spectacular views of endless Adirondack wilds, a few more miles of hiking, and overnight in an authentic Adirondack lean-to. Go swimming or canoeing while your guides prepare an outdoor banquet that is sure to bring the bears running! The next morning after breakfast, we’ll have a pleasant woods walk along a mostly flat trail back to the trailhead and civilization. Sleeping bag, proper attire, extra socks, hiking boots, and backpack along with a camera will do you well. We’re happy to make our extra gear available if needed.  Each group will meet at Better Farm Thursday evening for dinner and orientation, and leave from there Friday morning. Group will return to Better Farm Sunday.

Cost: $320 includes transportation, three meals and drinks, kayaks and canoes rentals, two guides, and a good time. Please specify in a note on Paypal which dates you are signing up for.

Aug. 19-21

BUSHWHACKING 101: Intro to orienteering & primitive camping    

In "Bushwhacking 101" we will discuss map symbols, contour lines, gradient and route finding, as well as plotting a course, recognizing and using natural features, and establishing a backup plan. We will learn skills to navigate with a compass, variation, declination, taking bearings, following headings, triangulation, dead reckoning, getting lost, and getting out. Students will also learn backup methods for navigating such as wind direction, the sunshine, the stars, etc. We will follow up some classroom time, practice and planning with a bushwhack through trailless woods to our primitive campsite and return the following day.  Each student will receive a quality magnetic compass and topographic maps of the surrounding area for this course. Participants should bring a bedroll, netting, flashlight, poncho, and waterbottle. A daypack for hauling your gear will be beneficial, pack light! Better Farm will provide food to take along and bugspray. Group will meet at Better Farm the evening of Friday, Aug. 19 for dinner and orientation, heading into the woods Saturday morning and returning Sunday.

Cost: $160

Click

here

for a full listing of Better Farm workshops and to sign up.

Video: Growing hydroponic lettuce

An inside look at commercially grown, hydroponic lettuce.

Nominations Sought for 'Arts All Stars'

Athlete of the Week? Academic All-Stars? All great programs. But how about adding Arts All-Stars?

The North Country Arts Council, in conjunction with WWNY TV 7, has initiated a new arts-recognition project to recognize excellence in the arts by area high school students.


All high-school age public, private, and home-schooled writers, painters, sculptors, musicians, dancers, actors, chefs, fashion designers,  or any other sort of creative artists are eligible for this award. Nominations must be made by a public, private, or home school teacher, guidance counselor, or school administrator.

Criteria for evaluation is on the basis of creativity, development of technique, attitude, and work ethic.

The Arts Council will take nominations beginning immediately. The Arts All-Star will receive recognition as a top achiever in Northern New York, a TV 7 news interview showcasing some of the students work, giving background on the student's  arts developments, and sharing plans for his or her future and a certificate of achievement.

To submit a nomination, contact the North Country Arts Council at artsallstars@nnyart.org with a short biography of the student,  a brief explanation of why you are nominating the student, and three to five samples of his or her work.

New Art Space Celebrates with Soft Opening Tomorrow!

The North Country Arts Council is celebrating its new home right on Watertown's Public square with a soft opening for the space slated from 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19.

The event will feature work by local artists, networking opportunities for organizations, artists, students, teachers, and corporations, and refreshments.

All arts-related organizations and individuals are encouraged to bring brochures, business cards, and flyers to share. Goal one at this new space is to provide a place for folks to go when looking for local arts information.

Arts on the Square is located at in the Franklin Building at 52 Public Square (formerly the YMCA) in Watertown. Promoting growth in and through all art forms, the space will be open from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays beginning Feb. 23.

Painting Herself Into a Corner

Artist-in-residence Jennifer Crone yesterday ditched her canvases to paint a mural directly into the corner of a Better Farm bedroom.

God she's good.

For information on betterArts' residency program, click here.

The Basics of Natural Farming

We bought our seeds last year from Collected Seed Farm out of Preston Hollow, N.Y. That purchase put us in touch with Mihail Kossev, who was handling the seed orders. When I contacted him last week about again getting our seeds through him, he wrote back saying he was in Bulgaria getting some valuable first-hand knowledge about farming and seeds. Waxing his excitement about the eye-opening lessons he'd be bringing back to the States when he returns, he added that he'd be happy to hook me up with one of his business associates so we could get our order taken care of. Those seeds—enroute to Better Farm as I type—will result in the bulk of our crops this coming season. Stay tuned for lots of information about all that!

He also sent me the link for a video he collaborated on, called "The Basics of Natural Farming." I didn't feel right not passing this little gem along:

and Part II:

Mihail's Collected Seed Farm site is temporarily offline during his travels. If you are interested in buying 50+ seed pack bundles for him for a deeply discounted rate, please contact Better Farm at info@betterfarm.org and we will put you in contact with Mihail.

Introducing betterArts' newest resident, Jennifer Elizabeth Crone

We'd like to extend a warm welcome to Better Farm's newest addition, betterArts artist-in-residence Jennifer Elizabeth Crone.

Jennifer has a BFA in painting and drawing from California State University, Fullerton, and has also studied at Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy, and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Mass.

She paints in oils and mixed media and draws in ballpoint ink and charcoal. She's slated to be in two art shows next month (stay tuned for details) and is beating the particularly wintry chill of the North Country by consuming herself in her most lovely creative endeavors.

She'll be staying at Better Farm through the end of April, when we'll be throwing Jennifer a gallery opening so you can check her gorgeous artwork out in person and support her craft.


Learn more about Jennifer at her Etsy shop and blog.

We All Live Downstream: DIY biodegradable laundry detergent

You'd think we'd give more thought to the ingredients that go into a product we soak fabrics in before wrapping them around our entire bodies. Instead, we favor familiar brands and low pricetags over safety and environmental concerns.

Here's the short list of what's in a bottle of Tide Free & Gentle, one of the leading dye- and perfume-free detergents on the market (32-load bottle retails around $8):

Water
Alcoholethoxy Sulfate
Citric Acid
Ethanolamine
Borax
Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate
Polyethyleneimine Ethoxylate
Laureth-9
Propylene Glycol
Diquaternium Ethoxy Sulfate
Sodium Formate
Diethylenetriamine Pentaacetate (Sodium Salt)
Lauramine Oxide
Disodium Diaminostilbene Disulfonate
Calcium Formate
Protease
Dimethicone
Amylase

Now let's take a look at the ingredients in Ecos, a biodegradable, eco-friendly clothing cleaner (67 loads for $11.39):

Magnolia & Lillies - 100% natural anionic coconut kernel oil-based surfactant, horsetail plant, essential oils of magnolias and lilies, purified water.
Lavender - 100% natural anionic coconut kernel oil based surfactant, horsetail plant, essential oil of lavender (NOP Certified Organic), purified water.
Lemongrass - 100% natural anionic coconut kernel oil based surfactant, horsetail plant, coconut based fabric softener, essential oil of lemongrass (NOP Certified Organic), purified water.

Now let's say you don't want to spend so many dollars on your detergent, nor do you want to put harmful chemicals into the very products you lay so close to your naked skin, nor do you want to search high and far on the Internet and specialty, overpriced markets every time you need a new bottle of detergent. How about making your own?

Here's a very simple laundry detergent recipe safe for any graywater, septic, or sewage system. All of us downstreamers say thank you!

Basic Biodegradable Laundry Detergent
4 cups of water
1 bar of vegetable-based soap (avoid any soap with heavy fragrances)
2 cups of washing soda (available in most supermarkets)
2 cups of Borax (available in most supermarkets)
A big wooden spoon
A measuring cup
A grater

Method:
Pour 4 cups of water into a pot and heat. The water does not need to boil.
Grate the soap bar.
Remove hot water from heat, add grated soap, and stir with wooden spoon until soap is completely dissolved and you have some highly soapy water.
Pour in Borax and washing soda and stir.

When the solution is liquid, you may choose to add 1/4 cup liquid bluing to make whites brighter without the use of bleach. You may even add in some liquid castile soap for a little extra cleaning boost and scent. Add enough hot water to make 4 gallons to 5 gallons laundry detergent.

Store the solution into a 5-gallon container with a lid or use your old laundry detergent bottles. Let the solution sit overnight and in the morning stir again. For each load of laundry, use about a 1/2 cup of your homemade laundry detergent.

We All Live Downstream: Biodegradable haircare

The "organic" labeling of haircare products is hyperbolic; with everyone from

Pantene

to

Tresemme

hopping onboard the proverbial "natural" bandwagon.

But the truth is, a lot of these so-called "organic" and "natural" products are

chock-full of harsh chemicals and ingredients

that wreak havoc on your hair, your body, and, of course, the environment.

When you wash something down the drain, all you're doing is sending it out into the open ground; either through a sewer, graywater, or septic system. Leeching harmful chemicals into the ground may put it out of sight and downstream, but remember that old adage: We

all

live downstream.

One of my New Year's resolutions was a commitment to buy only biodegradable products for anything going down the drain, including laundry detergent, kitchen cleanup supplies and dish soap, and hair and body care. But in addition to the scarcity of these products (only two shampoos at my local, heady organic mecca

The Mustard Seed

are listed as biodegradable), it's unbelievable how much you're expected to pay for fewer ingredients and synthesized chemicals. Since when are avocado oil, castile soap, and rosehips so pricey?!

Here are a few easy, inexpensive recipes that will keep your hair clean and lovely without a bunch of nasties doing damage to ecosystems we all depend on in one way or another.

Basic Shampoo Recipe

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup liquid castile soap (

buy

or

make your own

)

1/2 tsp. sunflower oil or any light vegetable oil

Mix ingredients together and shampoo your hair as usual.

Moisturizing Avocado and Jasmine Shampoo

1/2 cup natural shampoo base

1/2 cup aloe vera gel

3/4 tsp. avocado oil

3/4 tsp. jasmine essential oil

Mix together all ingredients and pour into a container with lid. Let sit for a few hours so the mixture thickens and the scents take hold. Work into hair, let sit for several minutes, and rinse.

Banana "No Split" Hair Conditioner

1/2 mashed banana

1 tbs. honey

1 tsp. coconut oil

3 drops spearmint oil or 3 teaspoons fresh mint leaves

Mash the banana and mint leaves. Add honey and oil. Combine well. Mixture should be creamy. Apply to freshly shampooed hair. Leave on for at least 15 minutes. Rinse well.

Get more great hair recipes

here

.

Before & After Shots

As we continue moving forward with renovations at Better Farm (including the barn, upstairs common area, the last couple of bedrooms, basements, and outbuildings), we thought we'd take a moment to look back at what we've accomplished so far. Sometimes we get so caught up in how much more there is to do (a Sisyphean task with an old house), we forget to pat ourselves on the backs for how much change has already happened in such a short period of time. Check out these dramatic before and after shots!

 Dining Alcove

 Green Bathroom

 Blue Room

 Library

 Loft

Side Entrance

 Upstairs Kitchen

 Upstairs Common Area

 Kitchen/Wood Stove

 

Bunk Bed Room

Guest Room #1