Amee Farm

A Beautiful Wedding

2012-02-08T10:29:00.000-08:00

Liz & Will's (late) autumn wedding at Amee Farm was absolutely lovely. Enjoying the warm fires, great company, chill in the air and peace that settles in the valley just before the snow flies. Photographers Rick and Paula from Cronin Hill captured the relaxed and intimate feel of the weekend. For Liz and Will, a couple that spends most of their free time in Vermont, they were right at home. It was a beautiful event:)

To see the gallery of photos from this wedding please click on this link:
http://gallery.me.com/chphoto#103360&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=71

Thanks to Liz and Will and their great families for choosing The Amee Farm as your destination wedding venue. xoxoxo

Hana & Ethan - An Amee Farm Wedding in August

2011-10-06T11:39:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from Ethan & Hana's super amazing photographer Katie Noble (thanks Katie!)

"I consider Vermont to be my “happy place”– there’s just something about the Green Mountains and fresh air. Add into the mix Hana and Ethan, a group of guests I want to befriend and invite over for a party of my own (they should bring their own musicalinstruments– it’s a talented bunch) and a lovely location and there you have it, a very magical day. Hana and Ethan, congratulations!

For more info on Amee Farm check out http://www.ameefarm.com/."

For a direct link to Katie's blog check out:
http://blog.katienoblephoto.com/wedding/hana-and-ethan-amee-farm-pittsfield-vt/

Amee Farm in Autumn

2011-10-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

The Amee Farm is enjoying an amazingly colorful fall after a big harvest in August & September. Despite Hurriucane Irene's force, the Amee Farm Lodge sustained no damage and was able to provide much needed, fresh vegetables, meats and eggs to the town residents of Pittsfield during the difficult weeks following the storm. A new csa has been formed in our community and is thriving thanks to the local support. And our lodge has enjoyed wedding guests and hiking vacationers all summer and fall. We are very grateful that Pittsfield has quickly rebuilt itself and proud to be part of this special town. Look forward to our October brides and grooms and their families!

Ethan & Hana's Gorgeous Wedding at Amee Farm

2011-09-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

Click here to view this video...
http://traviswilber.wistia.com/m/Jr1zU3

Please send donations to www.pittsfieldhurricanerelief.org so we can continue to rebuild the roads and support the town of Pittsfield that makes all of our weddings so special. Pittsfield is a beautiful town and community and the landscape of mountains, rivers and country roads is what draws everyone to Vermont. Make a donationand tell us your Pittsfield Story (under the "special instructions" section of the website.... we want to know you are and who to thank.

Enjoy this emotional, lovely video:)

Hana and Ethan's Summer Wedding

2011-08-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

Checkout beautiful photos of the Amee Farm and Hana & Ethan's wedding on this gorgeous blog from photographer Katie Noble...

Click below on this green link:
Hana & Ethan's Wedding

Life on the Farm

2011-02-01T10:45:00.000-08:00

Life on the farm is busy busy.... chopping and stacking wood, caring for the animals and plowing the snow, battling freezing temperatures, working in the greenhouse and drinking hot mulled cider! All in a days work! Thanks to Russell, Elizabeth, Tim, Alex, Dana, Matt and Jason!

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home." - Edith Sitwell

Winter on the Farm

2011-01-24T18:26:00.000-08:00

The cows in winter.... just chilling out in the snow, eating hay.

Heather and Bobby's Winter Wedding!

2011-01-18T09:19:00.000-08:00

So as many of you know, we are a lovely farmhouse lodge and garden/farm just down the road from Riverside Farm (www.riversidefarmvermont.com). This past weekend we hosted many of the guests who went to Heather and Bobby's Riverside Farm wedding. It was absolutely spectacular. The couple was adorable and their family and friends loved their Vermont experience. We are looking forward to their return. Here's some pictures from our weekend together!

Bethany & Eric's Amee Farm Winter Wedding Featured

2010-11-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

Check out this great collection of rustic / elegant photos of an Amee Farm wedding in the Barn... it's pretty cool. Thanks to Cronin Hill Photography!

http://blog.weddingwire.com/index.php/weddings/real-winter-vermont-wedding-bethany-eric/

Bethany and Eric had an intimate wedding at Riverside Farm in Vermont. Their decor was a mix of pine trees and white twinkle lights, gorgeous for a snow covered venue! We love the way their photos tell their romantic story. You almost feel like you’re reading out of a storybook when you look at the different little things they did for their guests; from the names on the doors, to the welcome bags. And who doesn’t love a winter wedding? Enjoy!

Cool Save the Date!

2010-11-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

Checkout Ethan & Hana's great save the date postcard.... very charming and vintage... love the Vermont state outline too...very cool! We are all looking forward to their special weekend next July 23rd 2011!

PS: This supercool save the date was the handiwork of Christina Caulfield of Clever Bride Consignment. Check our her website here...http://cleverbrideconsignments.com/

September Farmers Markets!

2010-10-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Everything looking soooo good at the Farmer's Markets!

PUMPKINS & GOURDS!

BEANS!

Elizabeth & Russell.... the farmers :)

Elizabeth gets serious with her tomatoes...

GOURDS!

CUKES!

CAULIFLOWER!

She Loves Cauliflower.... favorite veggie ever....

Matt the farmer :)

Radishes!

Freshly baked Chocolate Zucchini Bread with Pecans! YUM!

AMEE FARM EGGS!

The Greenhouse - Spring Greens

2010-10-07T11:32:00.000-07:00

Our Greenhouse Loves Greens!

Big Anthony with his greens...

t’s common knowledge nowadays that ortaggi—the Italian word for “vegetables”—are essential for our health and an irreplaceable part of our diet. But, of course, the parts of the vegetable we use in our kitchens varies from plant to plant—for instance, when we eat carrots and beets, we are eating the roots of the plant; when we eat celery we are eating the stems. Eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers are the fruits of the plants; whereas, beans—such as lentils, peas, beans, and chickpeas—are the seeds; cauliflower, broccoli and broccoli rabe are inflorescences or flowers. When we eat greens—such as lettuce, cabbage, spinach, and chard—we are eating the leaves. Leafy greens are kind of miracle vegetables—not only are they are low in calories, rich in amino acids, vitamins A and C, minerals and fiber, they also help with digestion and boost the metabolism. In addition, they are believed to provide a host of health benefits—from building up the immune system to balancing hormones. In other words, you can eat spinach, chard, chicory, and lettuce of all kinds with reckless abandon, and then compliment yourself on your virtuous nature. - Veggie Website

Dinner on the Porch Very

2010-09-18T06:55:00.000-07:00

Last month we had a wonderful family stay with us who was attending Jen and Kate's wedding (lovely people whom we look forward to seeing again this winter). The wedding was held down the road at Riverside Farm and many of their closest friends and family stayed with us here at Amee Farm Lodge. This is the view of a private dinner they had here on Thursday evening (before all the weekend festivities began). It was a warm night, incredible sunset and heartfelt toasts... beautiful.
We are so excited for the "real" pictures to come back from their wedding (stay tuned)... they were so stunning... their gowns were amazing...very classic and sexy.. great combination!

An Intimate Dinner Before the Big Wedding Festivities

Simple and Elegant

Don't you just LOVE long farmhouse-style tables?

Every guest's view from their seat during dinner.... of course the sun sets and there's more candle light
(but you get the picture:)

View of the farmhouse from the organic garden across the street

The Chickens

2010-09-17T17:15:00.000-07:00

Chicken Wisdom

"We can see a thousand miracles around us every day. What is more supernatural than an egg yolk turning into a chicken?” - S. Parkes Cadman

“I want there to be no peasant in my kingdom so poor that he cannot have a chicken in his pot every Sunday” - Mahatma Gandhi

"Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral.” - Frank Lloyd Wright

"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'.”

"The Garden is Thriving!"

2010-09-10T07:43:00.001-07:00

A Glimpse of the farm today.... as we prepare for the harvest festival here's our farm update:)

The Hoop Houses provide lots of lettuce...

What's coming up?

Carrots, beets, radishes, tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, garlic and onions...pumpkins are starting to turn and butternut squash too....

The cauliflower and quash are finishing up...

We've got:

4 Highlander Cattle (2 additional highlanders and 1 holstein were just slaughtered in time for the fall)

5 Rams (male sheep)

9 Ewes (female sheep)

7 Goats -Elizabeth says the are "lots of trouble but the fur is amazing"

3 Beehives of our own and another 5 that are owned by a local beekeeper.

2 Angora Rabbits - We hope they breed soon once the weather cools off. In the winter months they will live inside the greenhouse and their bunny breath (CO2) will help the plants to thrive.

Lots of "Layer Chickens" - producing tons of eggs that we sell at The General Store. "The yolks are BRIGHT orange". We have another 40 young birds who are 4 mos old now and when they turn 6 mos old they will start laying...eggs galore!

50 "Meat Birds"- Free range organic chicken that anyone can purchase right from the Farm. Yum! Contact farmer@ameefarm.com to inquire.

Meet the Amee Farmers - Russell and Elizabeth

2010-09-10T07:42:00.000-07:00

We are in full bloom! All due to Russell and Elizabeth - our super farm team:) A guest at The Amee Farm Lodge will see these guys hard at work everyday, working their chores early morning til night, all over the farm. Today they are preparing for the upcoming Harvest Festival in nearby Rochester, Vermont.

They love teaching people (especially kids) about the values of farming and importance of sustainable agriculture.

Elizabeth Roma

Her love of Farming grew from watching her mother in their family garden. "She had her hands in the soil every summer and I loved watching her work"
Born: Louisville, KY
Education: Green Mountain College (Vermont)
Hobbies: Knitting and Spinning

Russel Lewczuk-Jensen

Born: Brooklyn, NY
Spent his summers living on an organic farm called Spannocchia in Tuscany, Italy. His parents are artists and they would go each summer to paint and be inspired by the natural beauty at this farm. Russell was inspired by the farm life, the gardens, the animals and the Italian style cooking. His loves carrots, beets, prosciutto, making focaccia bread... and is as the gardens blooms and animals are butchered... he has been known to host spontaneous Tuscan inspired bbq's and parties for friends and family. Yum.

Earlier this summer Russell and Elizabeth entertained young farmers-in-training: Jack (4), Charlie (2 1/2) and Kingston (3)..the boys were delighted with the chickens....

When you come to the Amee Farm be sure to introduce yourself....

Rustic Barn Wedding

2010-09-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

Amee Barn Wedding

This past weekend was one of our favorite weddings of all time. John and Celia chose to host their wedding day reception in the Amee Farm barn (an organic farm just a half a mile down the road). They love Vermont, farms and great produce:) and chose the barn as a rustic backdrop for their farm fresh meal. My favorite element of their design was the farm table. They chose locally-made 8 foot, rectangular "farmhouse tables" to set the scene in this intimate space. They chose a sweet, white hemstitch runner and flowers in season (great bright oranges, deep green, reds and cranberry colors) sitting in an tomato tin can. It was just so adorable...I hope my photos do it justice. This dining experience was definitely not your typical (boring) wedding feel....The dinner was buzzing with comfortable conversation and beautiful toasts of friends and family, the setting sun, soft glow of candle light and the simple and classic textures (raw wood tables and white cotton linens) created the perfect mood. It was relaxed and classic and elegant and fun.... just like John and Celia.

Shannon and Ben - a beautiful summer wedding

2010-08-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

June 2010

We had the honor of hosting Shannon and Ben's family here at the Amee Farm for their lovely wedding weekend in June. The weather was perfect- sunny but not too warm. The morning of the wedding all the guests enjoyed hiking, relaxing on the front porch and just chatting with one another. With everyone staying right here in Pittsfield, it made for a very relaxing "family reunion" style event. These families were so laid back and just enjoyed spending the weekend catching up and celebrating with the happy couple. After a long day of lounging at the Amee Lodge, they gathered for a quiet ceremony by the waterfall and then walked over the beautiful candle lit barn and dined together over a fabulous summer farm fare which of course included fresh produce plucked right out of The Amee Farm garden. Lovely weekend. Enjoy the photos courtesy of Courtney Desena:)

Ben and Shannon

Walking together from the pond up the hill to their ceremony...

With live mandolin music being played, the walked hand in hand- their first steps as a married couple

Shannon is so happy... she grinned through the entire ceremony. Love it!

Shannon and Ben are getting married

OK Here is your country wedding in Vermont and this photo is the inspiration you've been needing to break out your paper and pen (or laptop) and write those vows. Grab some tissues and a glass of wine and get to work:)

This is the view from the ceremony... what your bridesmaids, groomsman and officiant will see throughout your private service... pretty awesome.

Mountain view and garden bridge

View from the ceremony site... the mountains, the barns, the pond... Pure Vermont!

flowers....

Ceremony site - waterfall and garden.... remember that it's YOUR choice of chair for your guests... anything from wooden benches, hay bales with mexican blankets, church pews or white wooden folding chairs... anything you want:) We encourage creativity...

There are so many great places to get the "country" shot- with the tall grasses here, behind the stone path...it makes for a fantastic setting for your farm wedding... without the manure smell of course:)

Shannon in the garden

The country garden is in full bloom (June)

Ben and Shannon sitting in the garden

Walking through the garden

View from the ceremony site by the waterfall

Quiet time before the wedding ceremony

A quiet moment in the bridal suite before the ceremony...

Grandmother's golden heirloom pendant

Popular shoe choice among Vermont brides... practical, adorable and comfy!

Beautiful, simple bridesmaid flowers tied with a white ribbon....Thanks to Trish from The Pittsfield Garden Center (her shop is right next door)

Shannon's bouquet... lovely

"Country charm meets city chic" - Sashay Magazine

2010-07-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

Here's a great new article telling the WHOLE story of The Amee Farm & Riverside Farm... the only correction is that The Amee Farm is owned by a group of people including Michael Halovatch (great friend of The Desena's) and others...

Sashay Magazine...Summer 2010

"And so their search began. They clipped newspaper ads and hunted for barns. They sought out country real estate agents. On weekends, they cruised the byways of upstate New York and the New England states, all without success until the day they boarded a plane for a western ski vacation. A magazine left on their seat lay open to a picture advertising the 300-year-old Riverside Farm in the heart of Vermont ski country.

If Joe and Courtney Desena, the proprietors of historic Amee Farm in Pittsfield, Vermont, don’t seem like typical innkeepers, it’s because they’re not. Only seven years ago, they were the model Manhattan couple: smart, young sophisticates living in the city and working in the fast-paced world of high finance.

Nor is Amee Farm a typical inn. It retains the architectural charm of a traditional New England farmhouse built about 300 years ago – which it is -- but within its historic exterior there’s up-to-date technology that reflects a contemporary respect for sustainable ecology that includes geothermal heating and soy insulation. And Amee Farm’s garden is organic.

Just as rigorous are the standards for hospitality. Guests

have a choice of double, queen or king-sized beds dressed in

organic sheets. Private bathrooms are outfitted with

organic towels and organic toiletries.

The genesis for Amee Farm also is organic. It grew naturally. Before Joe and Courtney decided to marry, he asked, “How do you feel about old barns?” His beautiful, dark-haired bride-to-be listened as he told her that his childhood in upstate New York had nurtured an enduring fondness for old barns. If she agreed, he wished to be married in one.

Courtney and Joe visited the New England Village of Pittsfield, population 427, and the historic farmstead, one of the first dwellings in the Green Mountains region. They fell in love with the decaying barn that begged for TLC. The covered bridge was a plus. The combination was irresistible.

But when their parents saw it, they shuddered. The neglected property was a disaster. How could a couple of young city-dwellers possibly cope with the extensive repairs and maintenance the decrepit buildings required?

Undiscouraged, the engaged couple went ahead and purchased the 300-acres with the dilapidated house, crumbling barn, bridge, and outbuildings. For a year, they devoted themselves to rehabbing the barn. And when they were done, Joe’s wish came true. They married in the meadow, then danced and dined with guests in the handsomely restored barn. Townsfolk talked about the beautiful barn and romantic wedding for months.

After a honeymoon in India, the newlyweds returned to the city. They planned to use the barn as a weekend retreat, a ski house for nearby Killington in winter, a country home in summer.

One day Courtney opened the barn door to a woman she did not know. “I’ve heard that you host lovely weddings here,” said the stranger. Before Courtney could correct her, the woman continued. Her daughter was being graduated from nearby Bennington College and had set her heart on a country wedding. “We’d like to rent the barn,” she said.

Courtney was about to explain that the barn was not available for rentals, but Joe, who overheard the conversation, encouraged her to consider the idea. Courtney had researched caterers, florists, ministers, photographers, and transportation for her own wedding. She had a bulging file of local resources. Before she knew what had happened, she found herself planning the Bennington College grad’s wedding.

Word got around about the weddings at Riverside Farm and other couples asked to marry there. Soon Courtney had made an unintended career change and was busy as a professional wedding planner. The new trade was good for the local businesses and the town. Courtney found it increasingly difficult, however, to coordinate the many details of Vermont weddings from New York.

Vermont beckoned. With each stay, their barn had become more special. Courtney and Joe packed up their belongings and moved to Pittsfield. Joe restored one of the outbuildings on the farm for an office and, thanks to the Internet, manages investments from Pittsfield. They also restored two small houses on the farm. One is a feminine bride’s cottage decorated with local crafts. The other is the groom’s house, a rustic cabin where guys can put up their feet and not worry about beer bottles leaving rings on the furniture.

When Courtney and Joe noticed that historic barns around New England were disappearing faster than they could be preserved, they began a rescue effort. They hired craftspeople familiar with traditional building techniques to dismantle the antique barns, number the boards, and to resurrect the barns at Riverside Farm, where they are meticulously maintained. Now couples have a choice of four barns for their wedding.

To accommodate guests, Joe and Courtney also restored nearby Amee Farm, preserving its charming architecture in a green building. Each guest room is uniquely furnished in casual luxury with antiques Courtney personally selected. It is another way of recycling.

She also purchased the work of local artists and artisans. Award-winning chainsaw artist Barre Pinske, whose carving of a bear the U.S. Government presented as a gift to the Russians on the signing of a treaty, constructed much of the furniture. Whenever possible, he recycled fallen trees and other discarded wood on the property. Expressing his witty sense of humor with a board he found in the cow barn that was scarred by hooves of cows, he attached four legs and carved cow feet at the bottom. It’s now a comfortable bench beside the sitting room fireplace. He also designed and made the custom headboard and the wardrobe in each of the twelve guest rooms.

The Amee Farm art gallery showcases local talent. On opening nights, there’s a wine and cheese reception for the artist and guests. It’s a taste of Manhattan in Vermont. Like Courtney and Joe Desena, Amee Farm brings together country charm and city chic."

Shirley Moskow traded work as a newspaper editor for the life of a footloose freelancer. She writes for magazines and newspapers about her two passions, the arts and travel. Currently, she's putting the finishing touches on her third book, first novel.

Amee Farm featured on GreenYankee.com

2010-05-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

As the warm weather approaches The Amee Farm (the lovely farmhouse that is home to weddings and special events) has been creating quite a buzz in the eco-friendly community. Check out this website: www.greenyankee.com where they featured "The Inn at Amee Farm" in their Eco Tips Travel section. Pretty cool!

What is Green Yankee?

"GreenYankee™ is a central reservoir for people, places and products which can help us simplify our lives, spend less, buy less, and inspire a more environmentally sound daily practice. GreenYankee.com is a practical place which I hope you’ll find useful every day."

David Z.
founder
david@greenyankee.com

Amee Farm & Riverside Farm are Going Green

2010-04-29T09:49:00.001-07:00

The Inn at Amee Farm and Riverside Farm have each been been officially designated as 2010 "Vermont Green Hotels"... which means we are getting closer to our goals. What sort of things are we doing to achieve this GREEN status?

Conserving energy, water and other natural resources
Reducing waste, recycling and purchasing recycling products
Composting
We are committed to pollution prevention and use geothermal heating and cooling in our buildings

Other Good Things We Are Up To?

Growing our own produce (flowers, herbs and veggies) and eggs on our farm and using organic inputs in the soil
We Re-use everything:) We love antiques and always look for a fun and unique way to utilize old furniture and interesting items (especially wagon wheels, doors and windows)
Agritourism mission to educate people about farming and animals
Positively impacting the local economy by recommending the best vendors Pittsfield and surrounding towns has to offer in the wedding market (caterers, photograpgers, B&B's, floral designers, musicians, transportation companies and more!)

Trailing Indicators: Out of a Job, Some Decide to Take a Hike

2010-03-30T11:04:00.000-07:00

Amee Farm in the Wall Street Journal (August 2009)

RUTLAND, Vt. -- Unable to find steady work in a dismal Florida job market, Dan Kearns did something a lot of gainfully employed Americans can only dream of: Ditch the straight life and hike the length of the Appalachian Trail.

DAN KEARNS

Shouldering a 50-pound backpack, the 32-year-old construction worker hopped onto the trail in April at Neels Gap, Ga., joining other "through-hikers" bound for the AT's northern end point, nearly 2,200 miles away in Maine's Baxter State Park. He sold his car for $1,000 to finance the first leg of the trip, relying after that on handouts and the occasional farm job -- often backbreaking work weeding vegetable beds or rolling bales of hay.

"I wouldn't do this if I was employed," the New Jersey native explains. "I couldn't find any work, so I just decided to take a walk."

He also took a trail moniker, "Snipe," and joined two hikers in Virginia who called themselves "Angry Hippie" and "Dance Party." Over Labor Day weekend, the three trudged into Rutland, the final stop before the slog through New Hampshire's White Mountains and Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness.

An economist might have another name for Snipe and his fellow travelers: trailing indicators. Depending on one's level of optimism, an Appalachian Trail through-hiker is either a symbol of a jobless recovery or of a still-deepening recession.

In any case, there has been a surplus of hikers this year on the Appalachian Trail, which was unexpectedly in the news in June when South Carolina's Gov. Mark Sanford used the excuse of hiking the trail while pursuing an extramarital affair in Argentina. Typically, about 1,000 hikers leave Georgia each spring in hopes of completing the trail in one all-out trek. This year, trail monitors say, close to 1,400 hikers were in the first wave, with hundreds more following behind through early summer.

Now, as the last of the north-bounders -- known as NoBos -- enter New England, they're meeting lagging south-bounders, or SoBos, racing toward Georgia. Hikers say they budget $1 a mile for food and the rare motel stay, making life on the trail cheaper than life in town -- and much more socially acceptable.

"If you do this on the trail, you're a hiker," says The Druid, a 48-year-old south-bounder from Tennessee. "If you do this off the trail, you're a bum."

NoBos and SoBos are reminiscent of the hobos of the Great Depression, though there aren't so many of them this time. Moreover, they're a throwback to a simpler economy, where swapping short-term labor for food and shelter was common.

That barter system remains today. Dozens of "Trail Angels" provide free meals and lodging to hikers who are short of cash. "I was shooting pool in Duncannon, Pa., with a hiker named Big Camera. I heard a guy at the bar offering $12 an hour to clean his yard," recalls Jack Magullian, a 55-year-old through-hiker whose trail name is Archaeopterix.

Motel operator Ron Haven of Franklin, N.C., is known as a generous soul, willing to exchange nights in beds that have real sheets for light labor like cleaning guest rooms.

Elmer Hall at the Sunnybank Inn nearby in Hot Springs is another soft touch. "People will stay for a week or a month," says Mr. Hall, who hiked most of the AT himself in 1976. He pays $8 an hour to anyone who stays more than a week and does chores. This season he has employed about 75 through-hikers, he says, mainly to toss feed to his ducks and chickens, or to pick berries or weed his organic garden.

"I saw more people who are out of work this year," Mr. Hall adds. "You get six months' government unemployment, and it's cheaper to live off the land."

Some people complain of aggressive panhandling, robberies and homeless hikers blending in with genuine backpackers to take advantage of free food or work-for-stay opportunities.

View Full Image

Joel Millman/The Wall Street Journal

Andrea Wilkins, from Maryland, and Jon Letteer, a Texan, are two south-bounders.

"The biggest problem is the have-nots latching onto the haves and trying to mooch their way up the trail," says Jeff Hoch, who runs The Hike Inn close to where the Appalachian Trail enters Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "This creates stress around the campsites."

Up in New England, through-hikers have become a popular form of just-in-time labor for rural businesses, especially for organic farmers like Joseph De Sena.

He operates Amee Farm in Pittsfield, Vt., which lies a few miles from a trailhead. Mr. De Sena says that in a good year, "hikers could provide 50% of the labor we need," doing everything from watering lettuce in the greenhouse, to weeding the garden to shearing the sheep.

He estimates that hiring similar labor locally, if he could find it, would cost $50 to $75 a day. He does a barter deal with hikers who stay at the farm in exchange for their labor. No money is exchanged.

But it isn't always an easy fit, Mr. De Sena says.

"We thought there was a correlation between people who would hike the 2,200 miles and an incredible work ethic," says the 40-year-old entrepreneur, a former Wall Street trader who, besides farming, also operates an asset-management firm. "Turns out those people tend to be athletic hippies, just looking to have fun forever."

He lucked out when he met Wes Foster and Stacy Burdett, two through-hikers from Tampa, Fla., who recently completed their journey. The couple decided to winter at Amee Farm, swapping their labor for room and board and the chance to learn organic farming.

"I'd love to have a farm like this one day," says Ms. Burdett, who has a degree in massage therapy and worked in theater production before hiking the trail.

Dominic Palumbo's Moon in the Pond organic farm in Sheffield, Mass., is another AT neighbor who harvests through-hikers' labor.

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Joel Millman/The Wall Street Journal

Wes Foster and Stacy Burdett swap work at farms for lodging along the Appalachian Trail.

Mr. Palumbo's efforts began in 2005, when a former through-hiker named Rich Ciotola came to work at Moon in the Pond as an apprentice.

"We were short of hands, and had no money to hire anyone," the 53-year-old farmer recalls. "Rich just ran up the trail and came back with some guys." Mr. Palumbo has been relying on hikers ever since, even publicizing his work-for-stay swap in trail guides. This summer Mr. Ciotola began working his own farm, employing hikers from his old mentor's spread whenever he had extras to spare.

Andrea Wilkins, from Maryland, and Jon Letteer, a Texan, were two south-bounders who worked at Moon in the Pond this month. The two labored 14-hour days in the late summer sun but were grateful for a respite from walking.

Mr. Letteer, 23, has a job waiting for him in Austin, but his 22-year-old hiking partner doesn't. She says that once she finishes hiking, she hopes to join the Peace Corps and go to Africa or Micronesia. "They asked if I had farming experience when I applied, and I hadn't," she says, stretching as she weeds onions. "But this is farm experience that could go on my résumé. Man, they would love it!"

"Greener Pastures" - Amee in NY Times

2010-03-30T10:09:00.001-07:00

Amee Farm in the New York Times Travel Magazine!!

Sunday March 28th 2010

This season, stylish travelers are indulging their pastoral fantasies.

Just as bushy beards and Hunter boots have captured the pastoral fantasies of the urban fashion tribe, a taste for field and stream is driving the travel avant-garde. Nowadays, rural pleasures — whether it’s picking your own asparagus or indulging your inner ranger — have given rise to a new breed of back-to-the-land destinations.

Membership in Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (wwoofusa.org), an organization that matches ‘‘wwoofers’’ with farms where they’re expected to work for room and board, rose last year by almost 10,000. And they’re not just college kids. Jane Eckert, founder of the national agritourism registry Ruralbounty.com, says that in the last few years there’s been a dramatic surge in people seeking a ‘‘simpler life.’’ Whether in reaction to economic uncertainty or as a desire to go back to their roots, Eckert says, ‘‘they are coming to the countryside and wanting to live the life they can’t have in the city.’’

Along with the agritourist has risen a new kind of country squire. James Manley, a banker, always dreamed of owning a ranch; this spring, he’ll open the Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana on 6,600 acres of pristine countryside. And John Pritzker, who started as a teenager in his family’s Hyatt hotel business, is diving back into hospitality, not with what he calls an ‘‘urban box’’ but with 500 acres in the fruit basket of California. When his redo of the Carmel Valley Ranch opens this summer, guests can learn everything from organic gardening to beekeeping. ‘‘It’s summer camp without the discipline,’’ he says.

Considering that half of American travelers say they’re looking for ‘‘cultural authenticity,’’ according to the research firm PhoCusWright, it’s not hard to see how fetching eggs from the coop seems thrillingly real, even revelatory. As Luite Moraal, the founder of the farm-stay group Feather Down Farms, says, ‘‘People grow up thinking milk is cold.’’

Country Living
Agritourism is gaining ground coast to coast. At Feather Down Farms (above;featherdown.com), a company that started in Holland and recently came stateside, guests can help stock the hayloft and go bird-watching. The Amee Farm in Vermont (ameefarm.com), a renovated farmhouse on a homestead that dates back to 1793, includes an organic vegetable garden and an old general store.

Summer Camp for Adults
Out west, there’s a mini-explosion of places where travelers can rough it (within reason). The Ranch at Rock Creek (theranchatrockcreek.com) incorporates luxury cabins into its back-in-time atmosphere. Opening this summer, Carmel Valley Ranch (carmelvalleyranch.com) will let guests make s’mores over a campfire. And in Montana, the Resort at Paws Up (pawsup.com) is adding tents with wood floors and fireplaces.

Stay for the Food
Building a weekend around one great meal is a familiar concept in Europe that’s slowly taking hold here. Riverstead (above) in Chilhowie, Va., is the guesthouse component of the Town House restaurant (townhouseva.com), where the chef John B. Shields came directly from the Chicago gastro-temple Alinea. At the Inn at Serenbe in Georgia (serenbeinn.com), guests can cook alongside visiting star chefs.

Rustic & Organic Themed Wedding

2010-02-05T08:58:00.001-08:00

Eryn & Steve: August 2009

Featured Wedding in latest Vermont Vows Spring/Summer 2010 Issue!

Hot Off The Press!!!

"Eryn and Steve wanted a rustic, organic-themed wedding that was

comfortable and fun. They embraced the mix of rural elegance

they found at The Amee Farm and built on it for their celebration."

"The couple felt comfortable trusting their vendors to

pull off the celebration they’d planned, so they were able to just relax

and enjoy their special day. “It was really nice to feel so at ease the entire weekend,” says Eryn."

Here's how the issue highlighted this wedding... I know it's small but it gives you an idea... we love this first page with the fantastic green/tree logo... Nicole, the graphic designer from Vt Vows came up with this cool layout. She's awesome. You'll have have to pick it up and read it in person...

OK Here's what the story says:

"Eryn Giroux and Steve Stetson lived just a few miles apart from one

another in Dallas, but they didn’t meet until Eryn was visiting her

family in Upstate New York and happened to ﬁnd Steve’s ad on an

online dating site. Intrigued by what she saw, she sent Steve a note,

and the two made plans to meet for dinner as soon as Eryn returned

to Dallas. They clicked almost instantly and started dating seriously

just a few weeks after that ﬁrst dinner.

Eryn and Steve's relationship was so easy and comfortable that Steve

planned a laid back, Christmas Eve proposal at Eryn's parents' house.

“My mom didn’t believe us at ﬁrst — she thought we were joking,”

says Eryn. “When we ﬁnally convinced her we were serious, she

started calling everyone to share the news.”

Eryn had grown up in a little town called Chazy, New York, located

just across the lake from Burlington, and she’d always loved the

area, where many of her closest friends and family still lived. When

she and Steve discovered The Amee Farm, an organic working

farm in Pittsﬁeld, they knew they’d found a location that suited

the natural feeling they wanted their wedding celebration to have.

The farm, tucked into the dazzling green ﬁelds you only seem to

ﬁnd in Vermont, boasts an unbeatable combination of luxury and

sustainability, mixing elegant antique ﬁnds with rustic craftsmanship

for a style that really is the best of both worlds.

Eryn is a graphic designer, and naturally paid special attention to the

wedding invitations and other printed materials for the ceremony,

enjoying the chance to be her own client for a change. She included

a charming bird motif across their wedding stationery, a whimsical

touch that went perfectly with the quirky elegance she and Steve

planned for their wedding. She sourced recycled paper products for

the wedding’s print elements and tracked down rare vintage stamps

on eBay to match her wedding design’s theme and color scheme. Her

simple Kraft paper envelopes inspired raves from other brides-to-be

when they were featured on StyleMePretty.com.

Eryn and Steve wanted a rustic, organic-themed wedding that was

comfortable and fun. They embraced the mix of rural elegance

they found at The Amee Farm and built on it for their celebration.

Eryn chose a natural green-and-brown color scheme, accented with

hints of red, pink, and orange. The bridesmaids wore simple, grass-

green dresses by Amsale. Eryn’s dress, by Lian Carlo, spilled from

a plain bodice into a pretty tumble of rufﬂes that were feminine

The wedding itself was a warm, welcoming celebration that brought

together Eryn and Steve’s far-ﬂung family and friends for the day of

merrymaking. The couple felt comfortable trusting their vendors to

pull off the celebration they’d planned, so they were able to just relax

and enjoy their special day.

“It was really nice to feel so at ease the entire weekend,” says Eryn.

And since it’s not really a farm unless there’s a little poultry, Eryn and

Steve’s photographer suggested a photo session with the neighbor’s

chickens. It seemed like an odd idea at the time, but the photos

ended up being among Eryn and Steve’s favorites of the day. After all,

they had their happy ending, and there was no question of anyone

counting their chickens before they hatched."

ENTERTAINMENT: ARTIST ENTERTAINMENT AGENCY

FLORAL DESIGN: PITTSFIELD FLOWER SHOP

INVITATIONS: MISSING Q PRESS & ERYN GIROUX DESIGN

LOGO DESIGN: (ON PAGE 49) BETSYWHITE

BETSYWHITE.COM without being fussy. Eryn opted for tree seeds as wedding favors, in keeping with their ceremony’s eco-friendly theme. She designed the labels for the seeds herself and wrapped them in organic cotton ribbon for a clean,elegant presentation.

ERYN'S SIMPLE KRAFT PAPER ENVELOPES INSPIRED RAVES FROM OTHER BRIDES- TO-BE WHEN THEY WERE FEATURED ON STYLEMEPRETTY.COM."

eryn’s tips

~ as simple as it sounds , try not to do everything at once

~ make a schedule so you can tackle a few things each week ~ stick by it and you won’t get overwhelmed by the process.

(and yes this wedding has been published before on stylemepretty.com. We 're not trying to brag or anything but everyone "in weddings" just loves THIS AMEE FARM wedding...and we are so proud to have been a part of it. Sometimes we luck out and just get to do what we love and work with wonderful people. Plus, we adore how Vt Vows wrote the story and did the layout - so you MUST run to Barnes and Noble and check this out!)

Eryn's Own Words:

August 2009

"Dear Liz , Courtney and to all of your staff-

I just wanted to thank you for helping me plan my wedding from afar. Living in Texas, booking your site unseen, and not managing a time to get away from work until the Friday before to come up in person, I placed a lot of trust into you and your operation to bring my ideas to life.

After all that is said and done, I can say the weekend was nothing short of a fantasy. Everything that we put together, the vendors you collected for me and the setting you created was exactly as I had envisioned it.

Thank you so much.

Eryn Giroux"

To see our previous story on this wedding go to:

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2009/10/01/green-wedding-in-vermont/

Cara & Andrew's Modern Farm Wedding

2010-02-05T08:41:00.000-08:00

Andrew & Cara - October 2009:

Featured Wedding on Ruffled.com - awesome wedding blog!

Looking back at 2009- this was one of our favorite couples who graced the Amee Farm and hosted a lovely wedding. They are a very creative couple and together planned a weekend that was incredibly personal and unique. Check out the link below to see more details of their wedding!

"We really lucked into the Amee Farm in Pittsfield, Vermont. I did lots of internet searches and came across it. We knew right away when we saw the house that it was the perfect place to throw a big family party. It was really intimate and felt authentically Vermont. They are very sweet and helpful and helped us with a lot of the logistics for the weekend."

- Andrew & Cara Sutherland

For their whole wedding story & more pictures: http://ruffledblog.com/2009/10/cara-andrews-modern-farm-wedding-part-ii/

Featured "GREEN Wedding in Vermont" on STYLE ME PRETTY.com

2009-11-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

Eryn and Steve - August 8, 2009

Gorgeous wedding...very green...very relaxed yet totally stylish. Read more on:

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2009/10/01/green-wedding-in-vermont/

June: Beautiful Wedding & Relaxed Family Reunion

2009-07-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

Mike & Kate
June 5th 2009

Mike and Kate Halovatch - (Owners of The Amee Farm)
First Wedding of the summer! It was a very intimate wedding with friends and family.... amazing weekend with a heartfelt ceremony

Kate and Mike were looking for a non traditional wedding, a more laid back weekend to spend quality time with their families... The Amee Farm was a perfect setting. They served local, vegetarian friendly food, full of produce off their farm... They wanted to show their familieswhat they loved most about Vermont- the outdoors! The early summer weekend was full of golfing, swimming in the local pond, road biking all over Vermont, hiking all over Pittsfield's "Green Mountain Trails", late night poker and plenty of laughing with brothers and sisters reminiscing old family stories ... The Giant wraparound porch was the setting for the 50 guests gathered for the ceremony... pretty incredible views and very intimate ceremony... friend Anthony Cotter was ordained online and served as Officiant! Though they wanted a low key wedding Kate surprised everyone with a fun bagpipe medley that led her and her father down the aisle... (bagpipes are so cool)...not to mention his stockings!

The had the most beautiful vows... totally unrehearsed, extremely honest and sweet. There wasn't a dry eye in the house...

Kate looked stunning in her non traditional knee length floral dress... a natural beauty, her hair was swept back in loose curls and she looked beautiful

Family Reunion

The Father of the Bride definitely enjoyed the festivities...