How’s this for amazing? Peter Bloch of New London, New Hampshire, takes 200-pound chunks of local aspen wood and turns them into lampshades up to 20 inches in width that weigh less than a pound. “I actually think they are more durable than almost any other kind of lampshade, because they are hard and flexible,” […]
Former shipbuilder Brad Story is inspired by the birds of the salt marshes near his studio and home in Essex, Massachusetts. His Aerodreams wood sculptures, many of which are designed to be hung, have a wingspan of 4 to 7 feet. “Most pieces are figurative, representational, and/or realistic — in the sense that they resemble […]
Balance and harmony are core elements of ikebana, a Japanese style of floral arranging. George Saridakis’s ikebana vases capture these characteristics. He uses maple and holly from the Northeast, plus exotic woods from Africa and South America, such as wenge, bubinga, and bloodwood. Pictured here is a holly and ziricote vase ($120). Each vase comes […]
C. H. Becksvoort of New Gloucester, Maine. It’s a name synonymous with high-quality Shaker-style furniture. Chris Becksvoort uses the same simplicity of design when making music stands (a little-known line of his). “[They] give pleasure, and I think a lot of musicians do appreciate that, whereas the metal folding ones merely hold the music,” Chris […]
Welcome to the August 2007 edition of Jud’s New England Journal, the rather curious monthly musings of Judson Hale, Editor-in-Chief of Yankee Magazine, published for over 70 years in Dublin, N.H. The Social Structure of a New England Town Over the years, it really hasn’t changed all that much …Get Our FREE Yankee Best New […]
In contrast to the grassroots operation of Orb Weaver Farm, Shelburne Farms in Vermont’s Champlain Valley annually produces 100,000 pounds of raw-milk cheddar made from their purebred herd of 125 Brown Swiss cows. The farm is probably one of the most well-known cheese producers in America today. Shelburne Farms is open to the public and […]
Vermont leads the region with small family operations producing world-class cheeses. We are particularly enamored with the following. Appleton Creamery, Appleton, Maine. In addition to fresh chèvre, the Hunter family also makes feta, sheep’s yogurt and a hard cheese they call Crofters. 207-785-4431. appletoncreamery.com Grafton Village Cheese Company, Grafton, Vermont. Grafton cheddar has a sharp […]
To taste the cheeses in this story, check local specialty food shops and farmers’ markets, or visit these Web sites: Hillman Farm: hillmanfarm.com Orb Weaver Farm: orbweaver.comGet Our FREE Yankee Best New England Vacations Guide! Email(Required) Subscribe Willow Hill Farm: sheepcheese.com Does’ Leap: vtcheese.com
In September, the hills of western Massachusetts surrounding Hillman Farm are blazing with autumn color. Carolyn and Joe Hillman’s herd of 50 Alpine goats are outside grazing, as they are for most of the year. This pasturing of goats is largely responsible for the nuances of flavor found in the Hillmans’ Harvest Wheel, a raw […]
Bruce Schwab is only the second American to single-handedly sail nonstop around the globe, a distinction he earned in 2005 when he became the first American to complete the 27,000-mile Vendée Globe sailing race aboard his 60-foot sloop, Ocean Planet. Bruce, who turned 46 this year, lives in Woolwich, Maine, near Casco Bay, which is […]
On a day in early October 1981, Jack Williams, a popular Boston news anchor, met a little boy named James at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline; neither of their lives would ever be the same. Williams at that time was in his late thirties, tall and handsome with wavy blond hair worn fashionably […]
