Holiday Open House at Pompanuck Farm December 6

(White Creek, NY) Pompanuck Farm invites the community to a seasonal celebration and a visit to the Pompanuck Store on Saturday, December 6 from 10:00am – 6:00pm. Enjoy a warm beverage; sample something delicious from the kitchen and chat with your neighbors while you customize some gingerbread at the gingerbread construction table. And of course, don’t miss the Store. Pompanuck Store offers simple, beautiful and practical gifts many of which are made on site or by local artisans and craftspeople.

The store was conceived of as a means of funding Pompanuck programs and as an outlet for Pompanuck-made items. Revenue from the store helps fund Pompanuck Farm’s educational and mentoring programs and other youth organizations and supports the continuing education in environmentally sustainable practices that work in rural Washington County. An underlying ideology of the store is that it is an integrated part of Pompanuck’s educational program, which is inspired by the model of Berea College in Kentucky. Young people of all ages are taught the step-by-step process of making handmade, beautifully crafted products. Most materials for these products come from the land or local recycled resources. Pompanuck hopes to draw on the many teachers of indigenous crafts in our area to expand the line of handmade items and to keep local handcrafts alive. Merchandise includes: Pompanuck’s organic garlic, traditional babkas in three sizes, wood-fired Rosemary bread, clothing adorned with Pompanuck’s logo or vintage quilt blocks, house wares, jewelry, books, and cds from diverse artists who have performed at Pompanuck.

Several items in the store are made from recycled materials. For example, the Birch Tube - at first glance it appears to be a length of birch tree with a smooth papery skin but in fact it is a sturdy, highly versatile cylinder which comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be used for everything from extra seating (with an optional sturdy lid) to storing kibble or holding umbrellas. What makes this item unique is that it was designed around available resources. The basic structure consists of a heavy weight cardboard tube or core, the type discarded from paper factories in our area. Another example is the industrial-strength pot holders constructed of recycled bath towels. This useful item is designed using geometric shapes in pleasing patterns and is sure to protect your hands from the heat.

The Pompanuck Store is open Thursdays- Sundays from 10 – 6, December 4 –Dec. 24 or by appointment. Please call 677-5552 to preorder holiday-baked goods. Pompanuck Farm is also hosting A Solstice Celebration on December 21. Please visit www.pompanuck.org

Pompanuck Farm is a 501c3 eco-retreat center dedicated to experiential education and sustainable exploration in a range of performing, healing, movement and nature arts, located at 494 Chestnut Hill Road in Cambridge NY. Call 518-677-5552 or email: info@pompanuck.org for more information.

Pompanuck Farm Presents Songwriters Exchange December 7th

(White Creek, NY) Following the success of November’s songwriter’s event Pompanuck Farm will be presenting their second songwriters showcase on Sunday, December 7th at 6:30 pm. This time the event will feature two accomplished songwriters from the surrounding region. The artists will share original material with the audience and then discuss the songwriting process in an open forum setting. Audience members and the songwriters are encouraged to participate in a lively, in-depth conversation about the creative process of forming original music. Joining co-hosts Scott Carrino and Deena Chappell Smith the featured songwriters will be Aislinn O’Connor and Ferrilyn Sourdiffe.

The featured songwriters will be:

Scott Carrino: Scott spent his early years listening to and singing along with the radio and "playing" percussion on whatever surface that he had nearby. Scott started writing songs the moment he picked up a guitar at age seventeen. Often, in those early days when he attempted to learn a favorite song, a heartfelt song of his own would emerge. He has surrendered to the process and knows that songs will come through him when he is open and able to hear them. Scott continues to play percussion any chance he can and was a founding member of "Conundrum" a local percussion ensemble made up of drumming friends and their drums and a very popular local jam band in the 1990's.

Deena Chappell Smith: Born into a family of musicians, Deena Chappell Smith has been performing professionally since the age of fourteen. Her vast musical background includes performances in Bluegrass, Rock and Roll, Folk, Swing and Jazz. Deena was also the co-creator of the popular “Musical Chairs” children’s program where she has led countless children of all ages and backgrounds through the songwriting and recording process. However, her career as a singer/songwriter is just beginning. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree at Goddard College where she is creating a body of music that reflects her understanding of and experience with the ‘voices’ of archetypal theory. www.deenachappell.com

Aislinn O’Connor: Songwriter and bassist Aislinn O’Connor founded The Feral Throes in Johnson City, Tennessee, in 2005 with Scot Hinson on guitar, Mike Brobeck on lead guitar and Sam Quinn of The Everybodyfields on drums (later replaced by Stephen Bashor of 1986). After releasing Envy’s Pretty Sister in 2007 and the EP Blacktop in 2008, core members O’Connor and Hinson relocated to New York. Influenced by rock, post-punk and folk, O’Connor melds melodic bass lines with brooding vocals that tell stories of unshakable pasts, lingering desires and other quirks of the human condition. Sonicbids.com/FeralThroes, Myspace.com/TheFeralThroes.

Ferrilyn Sourdiffe: Ferrilyn has performed with the group Dafé Brudäjo since 1996 as well as various other groups in the area. Her musical interests range from folk to jazz to rock and roll and the blues. In 2005 she co-founded the acoustic folk group Adesso (www.alcorngallery.com/adesso) with whom she also performs regularly. Her recordings have been heard on Wanda Fischer's Hudson River Sampler on WAMC and she has been heard live on WSPN's Sunday morning folk show Simpatico and WAMC's Performance Place. She wrote and recorded the song “Oh Alan” for Alan Chartock of WAMC (as well as a phone number jingle) to help promote upcoming fund-drives. She has performed at Caffè Lena, The Harte Lounge at The Egg, the Bennington Center for the Arts and many other venues throughout the tri-state area. Ferrilyn's original material is solidly within the Americana tradition, drawing from the blues, country and folk genres that have shaped her music since childhood.

There will be an $8 charge for audience members. Desserts, coffee and tea will be available for purchase.

Please contact Scott Carrino or Deena Chappell Smith if you'd like to sign up as a performer for future Exchanges.
Please visit www.pompanuckfarm.blogspot.com for more information and other events, as well as, directions to Pompanuck Farm 494 Chestnut Hill Road Cambridge, NY 12816 518.677.5552
This program is sponsored by Pompanuck Farm Institute, a not for profit educational retreat center dedicated to sustainable community and individual potential through the visual, musical, movement, environmental, and healing arts.