Local online newspaper the Madison County Courier has a column written by self described "city slicker" Linda Haley.  This week's column highlights the great things happening at the Great Swamp Conservancy in Canastota.  Here is Linda's column as it appeared in the paper this week. 

(Lenox, NY) It started innocently enough: “Dear Linda, we’ve been told the City Slicker should come out and do a story on the Great Swamp Conservancy, when are you available?”

Uh, SWAMP? Did they write SWAMP? I don’t do swamps. Wet, dark, creepy, full of spiders? Wrong writer, I play farm, not swamp! Curiosity got the best of me: “Why do you want me at this Swamp? Why is it great anyways?”

“Because we’ve got a ton of stuff going on here, and no one knows about it! You like trying new things right? C’mon out, then tell folks so they’ll visit, too, and find out for themselves!”

Huh. OK, but NO SPIDERS, got me? I can take wet, cold, dark, snakes, critters and all the mud ya’ got, but I’m allergic to spiders! Laughing, they promised to keep me safe.

I readied my GPS for another adventure. Turns out it was RIGHT there off the Canastota exit, just past Dick & Bert’s Diner on North Main! There’s a swamp in the middle of Canastota? Who knew?

My GPS was still acquiring satellites. And yes, of COURSE I stopped at the diner – I was going to a swamp people. Can you say ‘last meal?’

Shockingly, it was bright, open, green, diverse and inviting. This is a swamp? What’s going on here? At the cheery visitor’s center I receive a hearty welcome from Mike and Rusty Patane, the visionaries behind the Great Swamp Conservancy or GSC.


 
 
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Are you looking for a fun filled activity to do with your family on the weekend of Sept. 11 & 12? If so, then come to one of the longest running Craft Shows in the region at the Madison County Historical Society in Oneida.
There will be free face painting by Sue Flint of Oneida on Saturday from 1- 3pm. Sue is a former second grade teacher who taught at North Broad Street Elementary for 34 years. Sue is very active in the community lending her hand to many of the Oneida High School musicals as their Art Director. Sue painted a mural for the historical society in the DeBarber Tobacconist and Confectionary exhibit located inside the carriage barn.
The kid-friendly event continues with craft activities for children on Sunday from 1-3 pm. Elaine Clark from the Oneida Library will be making sun catchers and sand art with every child who stops by her booth.
In its 46th year the weekend event continues the tradition of having over 100-juried crafters on site. Whether you browse, buy, or a little of both, there is truly something for everyone. The range of crafters offering their wares is as wide as ever with potters, furniture makers, clock makers, watercolorists, knitters, quilters, jewelers, folk artists, blacksmiths, soap makers, candle makers, and so much more!  Many of our craft vendors will be demonstrating, so stop and chat with them about their skilled artistry.

 
 
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Susan B. Anthony will be the keynote speaker at the In the Kitchen Tea at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, September 26 at 5255 Pleasant Valley Road in Peterboro NY when, once again, the Smithfield Community Center is turned into a lovely tea room. The occasion is catered by The Copper Turret of Morrisville with special menu considerations of Miller’s 1875 In the Kitchen cookbook  The annual tea celebrates Elizabeth Smith Miller, her birthday, the creation of her trouser outfit, and the 19th C. women’s reform movement. Attendees are encouraged to wear mid-19th Century styles – especially bloomers.
This year the tea welcomes Susan B. Anthony, women’s rights colleague and friend of Miller and her cousin Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Anthony was a visitor to the Gerrit Smith Estate in Peterboro in the 1800s. Barbara Blaisdell of Rochester NY will portray Anthony, as she has done at the Women’s Rights National Park in Seneca Falls and at the Susan B. Anthony house in Rochester.
Special tea themed charms will be available for auction to support the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark. The highest bidder will receive a silver bracelet, a matching set of earrings, and the first pick on the charm board.
Reservations for the third annual Elizabeth Smith Miller In the Kitchen Tea can be made online at www.inthekichentea.com. The website for the tea has information on Elizabeth Smith Miller, past events, and a link to PayPal for reservations. Seating for the tea is limited, and reserved on a first-come first-served basis. Forty dollar reservations are due by September 17.
The tea for Miller is one of a series of programs provided by the Stewards for the Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark during 2010 and partially supported by a PACE grant from the Central New York Community Foundation. The Estate is on the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, and the Heritage NY Underground Railroad Trail as part of the New York State Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. For a hard copy invitation, send mailing address to info@inthekitchentea.com or to Gerrit Smith Estate National Historic Landmark, P.O. Box 6, Peterboro NY 13134. Checks payable to Smithfield Community Association / GSENHL. For more information contact 315-546-5583. For a complete listing of programs, contact  SmithfieldCommunityAssociation@centralny.twcbc.com, 315-684-1058, and www.sca-peterboro.com

 
 
The 15th Annual Madison County Hop Fest fun-filled weekend starts with a paired beer dinner on Friday night, September 17, at Blue Barbecue in Chittenango at 6 pm. The five-course meal created by Chef and owner, Bob Enigk will be paired with beers from Landmark Brewery, Brooklyn Brewery, Southern Tier, and DogFish Head.
The first course is DogFish Festina Peche steamed clams with garlic, Dijon mustard and heavy cream. The second course is a mesclun salad with tomatoes, crumbly bleu, smoked almonds, and Southern Tier Raspberry vinaigrette.  The third course is Brooklyn Lager braised pulled pork cannelloni with smoked gouda lager cheese sauce, and fried leeks. The fourth course is Grilled Baby Tenderloin, served with beer and bacon mashed potatoes, crimini mushrooms, and Brooklyn Brown Ale Steak Sauce. The fifth course is  the decadent Landmark Vanilla Bean triple chocolate cake with vanilla bean syrup.
Tickets are limited, so reserve your seat by September 7. Tickets for the dinner are $45. Reservations can be made by ordering them at www.mchs1900.org/hopfest, or by sending a check payable to the Madison County Historical Society, or by contacting the Blue Barbecue.
Brooklyn Brewery, Dog Fish Head, and Southern Tier will be on the society’s grounds on Saturday, September 18 under the Beer Tent! Tickets for the brew sampling are ($25 advance and $30 at the door) and available at Kraig’s Kegs/ Corey’s Beverages in Sherrill, the historical society, or online at www.mchs1900.org/hopfest. Tickets for the Taste of Hops are $15 advance and $20 at the door and available at the participating restaurants, or online at www.mchs1900.org/hopfest.
For more information about the 15th Annual Madison County Hop Fest please contact the Madison County Historical Society, 435 Main Street, Oneida, NY 13421, 315. 363.4136, 315.361.9735, www.mchs1900.org/hopfest. All proceeds from the Hop Fest support the educational programming at the Madison County Historical Society.  The Madison County Hop Fest is a 21-year and older event. Admission is charged only for the paired beer dinner, beer sampling, and taste of hops.

 
 
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It is that time of year again for the Madison County Historical Society’s 46th Annual Craft Days! The event held on Saturday, September 11th(10 am- 5 pm) and Sunday, September 12th (10 am-4pm), is organized and hosted by the Madison County Historical Society at the society’s 435 Main Street location in Oneida. This year’s Craft Days will feature over 100 juried craft vendors, food, and entertainment.  Visitors can also tour the society’s headquarters, Cottage Lawn, an 1849 Gothic Revival Cottage, during the event. The Olde Tyme Fiddlers will be returning to entertain the crowd on Saturday from 1-3 pm. On Sunday, we are excited to have Ed Smith performing from 1-3 pm. As always visitors are sure to find a special hand crafted item, a delectable treat, and great music all in one location at the 46th Annual Craft Days at the Madison County Historical Society. Don’t forget to check out the daily demonstrations from our craft vendors. All weekend checkout our craft vendors who will be demonstrating. Don’t forget to purchase raffle tickets to win some fantastic handmade craft items. There will be face painting by Sue Flint of Oneida on Saturday from 1- 3pm and storytelling by the Oneida Library on Sunday from 1-3 pm; so bring your children to this kid-friendly event!

A free park and ride service will be provided in a new location throughout the weekend from the Glenwood Plaza on Route 46 in Oneida to the historical society.  Admission is $4 for adults, children 12 and under are free. Purchase a weekend pass for $6 and join us both days!No animals are permitted on the grounds, and there is no smoking.  For more information, please contact the Madison County Historical Society at 315-363-4136, 315-361-9735, or visit us at www.mchs1900.org.
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Caption: Don Micklon, a woodcrafter from Fayetteville will be returning to the Madison County Historical Society‘s 46h Annual Craft Days on September 11 (10am-5 pm) and September 12  (10am-4 pm).

 
 
I know, we are still squeezing the last official weekends of summer out, but keep in mind soon the leaves will be changing, and you will want to know where the best place to see color is.  So make sure you start coming back on September 9th as we will update the color report every Thursday morning, until the leaves are gone.
 
 
The 39th annual edition of Wheel Days will roll on to the Madison County Fairgrounds, Sept 24th-26th.  Everyone can join in on the fun; either as a wheel watcher or a wheel turner.
Friday evening the wheels start spinning with the 4 wheel drive truck pull.  Saturday will feature a special display of antique tractor, racecar, and snowmobiles.  The Garden Tractor’s will be wheeling their way down the track Saturday morning, followed by an evening of squealing wheels with the ever popular Smash’em Crash’em Demolition Derby and Rollover Contest.  The wheel excitement continues Sunday with the stock and modified tractor competition in front of the grandstand, while “Just Cruise-In” welcomes the polished wheels on all Classic, Custom, Antique, and Muscle vehicles to the fairgrounds.
The weekend long event will include live music, gas engine show, BCS Senior auction, flea markets, crafts, BBQ, and plenty of wheel turning action.
FREE Gates & Parking
Grandstand Admission $5
Anyone interested in vending or participating should contact:
Vendors:  Josh 941-6133
Tractor & Truck Pullers: Frank 507-7017
Garden Tractor: Bob 899-2048
Demolition Derby:  John 368-7957 (jking6@twcny.rr.com)
Just Cruise-In Car Show:  Annette 380-8669 (tanet8@yahoo.com)
For a complete schedule of events visit us online at www.madisoncounty-fair.com
 
 
Here is a sample of the chatter around the Blogosphere related to the 2010 Madison Bouckville Antique Week.
Capers of the Vintage Vixens --They made the 4 hour trip here.
Maya Made -- Spent most of their time outside the main field.
Michelle Palmer - Returned to her roots for a visit
Syracuse.com -- Covered the show from many angles.
Oneida Daily Dispatch -- Caitlin Traynor covered the show
Matt's Memo -- A local TV wonk wonders if it is trash or treasure
Antique Show Wanderer -- They wondered though last week
Diane Knott's Musings -- She found tea cups at the show
V&M --Late Summer Treasuers
My Vintage Soul -- Taking a trip to Bouckville
Rugs Below -- A photo show of Oriental Rugs for sale at the show
South Street Shabby -- At the show with friends
Gardening with Soule -- It's an end of summer tradition for them!
 
 
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Michelle Gabel, Syracuse.com
The Northeast Hop Alliance will be celebrating its second 2010 Field Days event, the Hop Pickin’ Picnic, August 28th from 10am-3pm at Foothill Hops Farm in Munnsville, NY. Tickets are $10 for NeHA members and $20 for non-members. A delicious lunch will be provided by Holy Smoke BBQ along with thirst-quenching samples of Empire Brewing Company’s Empire State Pale Ale – brewed by Brewmaster Tim Butler with 100% local hops grown from Foothill Hops Farm. To register, please call 315-684-3001 ext. 125. The Northeast Hop Alliance is 501(c)(6) not-for-profit created to reestablish a hop culture in New York and the Northeast and to preserve the hop heritage and architecture of the past.
Kate and Larry Fisher, owners of Foothill Hops Farm (Larry is also President of the Northeast Hop Alliance) have been growing and selling hops for 9 years. They started with one rhizome in 2001 and have grown their operation to over 2,000 hills. The Hop Pickin’ Picnic provides a hands-on opportunity to walk through the hop fields and see the Foothill Hops harvester and separator – build by Larry using expired patents. The Fishers will be harvesting Willamette and Cascade varieties this year along with several varieties of certified organic hops. The Fishers sell pelletized and dry leaf hops to local breweries and home brewers. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to witness a small-scale “field to dryer” operation.
Following the Hop Pickin’ Picnic will be an exquisitely prepared four course dinner and beer pairing at the Ye Olde Landmark Tavern in Bouckville. Cooperstown Brewery will be in attendance to showcase their variety of brews. The dinner will begin at 5pm and is $40 per person, tax and gratuity not included. Seating is limited, so call (315) 893-1810 to reserve your seat today. If you are traveling from far, the Ye Olde Landmark also has a limited number of colonial style rooms still available for an overnight stay. To reserve a room, call (315) 893-1810. The dinner and beer pairing menu is as follows:

Summer Vegetable Terrine
Arugula pesto, parmesan crisp
Nine Man Golden Ale

Spicy Corn Soup
cilantro oil, crispy tortilla
Back Yard India Pale Ale

Grilled Pork Loin
molasses barbecue sauce, toasted barley salad, roasted green beans
Strike Out Stout

Pecan Brownie Tort
buttermilk ice cream, caramel sauce
Benchwarmer Porter

The Hop Pickin’ Picnic is brought to you by the Northeast Hop Alliance, Madison County Agricultural Economic Development Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County, New York State Brewers Association, Madison County Tourism, and the Empire Brewing Company.
 
 
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The Colgate Inn's Chris Angle
On Saturday, September 18 from 12-2pm at the Madison County Historical Society, 435 Main Street will be The Taste of Hops: a food and beer pairing. This event is one of the many activities happening at the 15th Annual Madison County Hop Fest on September 18th!
From 2:30-5:30 on the society’s grounds under the Beer Sampling Tent come sample over 40 styles of craft beer from the following breweries: Matt-Saranac; Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, BluePoint; Butternuts; Magic Hat; Southern Tier, Long Trail, Ithaca, Sam Adams, Empire, Middle Ages, Cooperstown, Ommegang, and more!! Tickets for the Beer Sampling are $25 advance and $30 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at Kraig’s Kegs/ Corey’s Beverages in Sherrill, the Madison County Historical Society, or online at www.mchs1900.org/hopfest.
In its fourth year, the Taste of Hops: a food and beer pairing matches an area restaurant with a craft brewery to create an appetizer that uses beer as one of the ingredients. The restaurants participating this year are: Blue Barbecue of Chittenango; Colgate Inn of Hamilton; Johnnie’s Pier 31 of Canastota; Someplace Else of Canastota; Ye Olde Landmark Tavern of Bouckville; and Zabroso of Oneida. Tickets are limited- only 150 will be sold.   Tickets are $15 advance or $20 at the door if available. Tickets can be purchased online, or by sending a check payable to the Madison County Historical Society, or by contacting the participating restaurants.
The Hop Fest opens on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 11:00 am- 5:30 pm with video presentations on a variety of hop related topics throughout the afternoon and the crowning of the Madison County Hop Fest King at 2:00 pm. Stop in the Hop Shop for some hop-related items and hop plants, and beer pint glasses. Throughout the afternoon purchase your raffle tickets to win great beer related merchandise. Visit with the American Home Brewers Association all day. Stop by the North East Hop Alliance tent and Foothill Hops and learn about the many developments of hop growing in Madison County today. Check out the Great Lakes Brewing News booth and the Beer Connoisseur Magazine booth.  Make your reservations now for the paired beer dinner at Blue Barbecue on Friday, Sept.17. Tickets for the dinner are $45. Reservations required by Sept.7.
For more information about the 15th Annual Madison County Hop Fest please contact the Madison County Historical Society at 435 Main Street in Oneida, 315-363-4136, 315-361-9735 or www.mchs1900.org/hopfest. On Facebook you can find us at Madison County Hop Fest. All proceeds from the Madison County Hop Fest support the educational programming at the Madison County Historical Society.   There is no admission to attend the Hop Fest. Admission is charged for the Paired Beer Dinner, Taste of Hops, Beer Sampling. No one under the age of 21 will be permitted to enter the events where beer is served. Proper id is required for entrance to all areas where beer is served! Please do not bring children, strollers, or pets to the event. Tickets will be available for designated drivers (who must be 21 years of age) at the entrance of the beer-sampling tent.
Last year, Colgate Inn Chef, Chris Angle won Best of the Best at last year’s
Taste of Hops. At this year’s Taste of Hops, come vote for the restaurant that you think has the Best Food and Beer Pairing; Best use of local products; and help us choose the location of the 2011 paired beer dinner.