by Dmitry | Jan 31, 2017 | Uncategorized
“Mary, Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow?” While January may seem an odd time to enquire about the growth of a garden, it’s the perfect time to check in on Boudinot’s Garden which is ‘growing’ all the time!
This past fall a large group of dedicated volunteers spent countless hours installing drainage in the garden. Due to the type of soil and slope of the land, it was determined that a) standing ground water needed to be syphoned off into an adjacent section of the meadow and b) the lowest section of the garden needed raised beds with fresh top soil and compost installed. Therefore when you visit the farm this year you’ll notice that while the physical footprint remains the same, the appearance of Boudinot’s Garden will be slightly different.
Speaking of appearance, in previous years the Ross Farm has been the beneficiary of several Eagle Scout Award, Boy Scout projects. The terrific garden shed is the most recent project for which we are enormously grateful! There are a couple more Eagle Scout Award projects teed up for this coming year, one in particular which will make a huge impact on the appearance of the garden. But that’s currently a secret, so stayed tuned.
While this article is an update on the progress of the garden, we would be remiss if we didn’t thank the young ladies of the various Girl Scout troops who have cleaned and planted the property gardens in front of the tack house, next to the barn and around the gazebo. They are also hard at work creating signage for the various types of produce that will be grown in the garden this coming summer.
But back to the question at hand: ‘what do you grow in a garden in January?’ Besides plans, hopes and dreams, the garden was planted in the fall for a spring crop of garlic and shallots. Those crops are currently wintering over until the ground begins to warm around late March and early April, which will then be the time to plant peas, snow peas, sugar snap peas…. As noted earlier, January is a time to plan, hope and dream. One item we can share news on is the goal of creating a dedicated space in the garden for asparagus. Asparagus is a notoriously finicky perennial but if handled correctly and given the proper type “bed” in which to grow it will produce a late spring crop for up to 20 years.
‘What happens to the produce grown in Boudinot’s Garden?’ you may ask. The vast majority of produce is donated to the Somerset County Food Bank. Between our garden and donations from a few other gardens, such as the Wick Garden at Jockey Hollow, Ross Farm volunteers were able to donate approximately 1,000 pounds of fresh produce to the food bank in 2016. Periodically the produce is used in the preparation of food made available at Ross Farm events such as the Weekend Journey Thru History in October. Did you taste the smoked turkey slider with fried green tomatoes? Yum! A perfect use of late season produce.
For now we’re saving seeds and making plans so that Boudinot’s Garden is healthier than ever producing bumper crops this coming summer.
by Dmitry | Jan 31, 2017 | Uncategorized
We’re absolutely delighted with our 2017 Music Series lineup at the Ross Farm and pleased to announce that we’re creating a “Band of Friends” for the music lovers who plan to attend all seven concerts on our schedule. We’re also making it easier to RSVP for concerts on our website
The musicians we’ve hosted since 2015 have discovered our gem of a venue. We’re fortunate many want to come back and have included us on their busy tour schedules! Our first concert, scheduled for Sunday, March 26 , is a combination of Kyle Cox and Matt Hires in a return engagement for both of them. Kyle and Matt are based in Nashville now, and are longtime friends from Florida – this should be a very special show to kick off our 2017 season!
Folks who have attended any of our three previous Christian Lopez concerts keep asking when he’s coming back – and we’re very happy to say he’ll be here on Sunday, April 9 with Don Gallardo, a Nashville songwriter who walks the line between folk, Americana and roots rock. Singer-songwriter Brian Dunne makes his first appearance at the Farm on Sunday, April 23. With his sharp lyrical prowess and country-influenced vocals, Brian has played the U.S. folk scene far and wide, and we’re looking forward to hosting him right here in Basking Ridge.
The Rad Trads are going to bust us out of our folksy, singer-songwriter genre with their unique brand of American rock & roll tinged with blues, jazz, Americana, funk and R&B. This six-piece band will Rock the Barn on Sunday, May 21 – and their trumpet, trombone and saxophone players represent the first horn section to play one of our Ross Farm concerts. Their latest record is “Must We Call Them Rad Trads,” but we’re sure you’ll call them “awesome” once you’ve seen them play! Past tour highlights include jazz festivals in Atlanta, Rochester and Columbus and exciting tours to the Russian River Jazz & Blues Festival, a monthlong European festival tour and performances in Italy, Edinburgh and Borneo. Shortly before their Basking Ridge show, the Rad Trads have a three night run in Switzerland.
Jared Mahone will make his debut at the Ross Farm on Saturday, June 3. Jared’s raw, acoustic songs and storytelling are inspired by his upbringing on 90s soul, R&B, and hip-hop. He creates a sense of intimacy no matter how large the stage, wrapping crowds into a narrative of which they ultimately become the subject. We can’t wait to finally have Jared at the Farm!
Another “Summer Celebration” concert is in the works for late June, after Bernards Township schools close for the summer. We’re keeping it under wraps until we have more details – so stay tuned!
After taking a little break over the summer, we jump back into our music series in October. Last year we hosted a concert on Saturday night of History Weekend and are doing it again by hosting singer-songwriter Taylor Carson on Saturday, Oct. 14. Taylor is an Essex County native who now calls Northern Virginia home. Most recently, he opened for Billboard chart-toppers O.A.R. during their XXmas Wish List Tour celebrating their 20th year as a band.
These artists perfectly fit our Music Series motto, “American Voices: Making Music Where History Made America.” Our musicians have each brought their unique stories and voices to the Ross Farm and they always seem to leave with an appreciation for the beauty and history of the Farm plus as a good number of new fans! They’ve consistently expressed their appreciation for our audiences who truly listen to the music being performed for them.
We have grown a terrific audience for live music on the historic property and are confident returning and new music lovers will support our efforts through their donations. Our bands are paid with donations and any extra funds go directly to the activities supporting the mission of the Friends of the Boudinot-Southard-Ross Estate. For most of our concerts, the suggested donation will be $20 for adults and $10 for students. We ask those who wish to attend a concert to ‘RSVP’ on the website so we can track our expected audiences. Those who RSVP before the concert will be guaranteed to have a spot for the show; walk-ins at the door risk being turned away if we have a capacity crowd. To make things even easier, guests will be able to make their donation on the website as well.
An exciting new offer this season is our “Band of Friends!” If you’re thinking of attending all seven concerts, get a discount by donating $100 and you’ll be in the Band of Friends! You’ll also receive a few special perks related to our concerts and musicians. Become a member of our Ross Farm family by joining the Band of Friends!
All the exciting details for the 2017 Music Series will be added to our website as we get closer to each event. And be sure to “like” the Ross Farm – Basking Ridge on Facebook for updates and links, too!
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