Amee Farm & Riverside Farm are Going Green

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

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.

Hikers Work For Food on the Appalachian Trail

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More than 1,400 hikers attempted to trek the entire Appalachian Trail this season. Many swapped work for food and a place to stay along the way.

"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.

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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

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

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

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/