Here we are deep into our second year of working “Boudinot’s Garden”, named in honor of the first gentleman farmer to work the land. (For more on Elias Boudinot, click the Estate History link.)
Last summer, the first growing year, the garden became a shared responsibility between the Ross Farm volunteers and a coalition of local churches who dedicate their efforts to growing fresh produce for local soup kitchens and the county food bank in Somerville. The garden was divided into 6 rectangular beds with a perennial/wild flower border. Surrounding the whole is critter fencing to encourage uninvited foraging “guests” to look elsewhere for their meals.
This past spring, the garden manager, Dave Torcivia, with the help of many of our deeply appreciated Ross Farm volunteers, doubled the size of the garden creating 6 new beds which were assigned to the efforts of the church coalition. We as an organization take gratitude seriously so we would like to take this opportunity to express how thankful we are for our volunteers, partners, and sponsors that are so very dedicated to the success of Boudinot’s Garden; Somerset County Park’s Commission, Back To Nature Home and Garden, St Marks Church, St Bernards Church, St John on the Mountain Church, and The New Jersey Herbal Society gardeners at The Wick House Kitchen Garden in Jockey Hollow, Morristown and the many, many individuals both affiliated and unaffiliated with the above mentioned organizations.
But why create a garden in the first place? What was its intended purpose? And how is it being utilized now? In the words of Mr. Torcivia (also known to those who love him as the Grand High Poobah of the garden) ‘the garden was created to address part of the mission of the Board that supports and promotes the Ross Farm.’
In its historical context, the land was always a gentleman’s farm stretching all the way back to its very first owner, William Penn. (Yes, THAT William Pen.) So the garden pays homage to that aspect of the Board’s mission. It also addresses the educational component through its community building move of partnering with the church coalition. The children of the collective churches grew pre-season green bean seedlings which they then planted directly into the garden bed dedicated primarily to their efforts. The coalition also established a perennial/historical herb bed based on the shape of Caroline Foster’s perennial garden (of Fosterfields Living Historical Farm, Morristown) which features herbs and edible plants either gifted from the Wick Farm kitchen garden at Jockey Hollow National Park, Morristown, or along with numerous herbs currently in favor, ones that might have been found in an 18th/19th century kitchen garden. One of the plants in this bed, the Scarlett Runner Bean, originally came from the Plimoth Plantation, Massachusetts, in the form of seeds; a beautiful flowering vine that produces edible string beans while immature and dried beans if left to over-ripen and dry on the vine. (If you visit the garden you will find this plant climbing the spiral trellis in the center of the bed.)The garden also provided an opportunity for Girl Scout Troop #60477 to establish a butterfly garden in one of the original 6 beds lending fluttering notes of beauty to this special place. (The bed to your far right when you enter the garden gates.)
So what’s on tap for the future of the garden? One small section is currently under a “solar blanket” which will kill back the field grasses underneath in anticipation of prepping the soil for an asparagus bed next spring. But if you ask the “Poobah”, the garden will be expanded yet again! Also the lure of re-establishing a fruit orchard is tantalizingly close. (The farm currently boasts two remaining apple trees from former orchards whose fruit will be used in a dessert at the Farm To Table event scheduled for September 24th this year.)The raspberry patch may be expanded and a blueberry field established. Hopefully soon, a bee hive will be set-up in the field north of the garden.
The Friends of the Boudinot Southard Ross Estate expanded our 2016 Music Series with the addition of four more concerts between April 1 and late October!
The Ross Farm will be featured in a TuneTrek, a very cool video project by musician MikelParis . Paris will tour the Ross Farm, its structures and grounds, on Saturday, April 2, when he will interview volunteers, take video and still photos and perform a song composed for the TuneTrek. The following day, Sunday, April 3, Paris will perform a 60-minute set at 3 p.m. on the property. While Paris tours with O.A.R., he has also worked with Pink, Stomp, Jewel, Train, Blues Traveller and more. He infuses his Vocal, Piano and GuitarDrumming skills into a soulful, organic, groove-oriented sound. The gates to the Ross Farm will open at 2:30 p.m. so guests can come in, help themselves to refreshments and get settled in before the show begins.
Tickets are $25 and may be purchased via , a new feature for our concerts this year!
We’re happy to announce that JD Eicher will be back at the Ross Farm on Thursday, June 16! JD sang for us at our first Autumn Acoustic Afternoon last October, and we couldn’t wait to invite him back! The gate will open for this show at 7:00 p.m., with music beginning at 7:30 p.m. We’re hoping for a lovely June evening to host this concert outdoors on our beautiful property, but we can move it indoors if we get a June rain instead! JD lives in Ohio, but you can find him performing all over whether he’s with his band, The Goodnights, or playing solo, or perhaps touring several states in a run with other talented musicians! Come catch him in Basking Ridge while you can!
Tickets for this show are also available via $20.
We’ll take a little break over the summer, but when we open the property for Somerset County’s annual Weekend Journey Through the Past on October 8 and 9, we’ll be adding an exciting new event to our weekend lineup when Brooks Hubbard plays a Saturday evening concert for us! More details will be announced in the coming months, but you’ll want to come see this young Nashville musician right here in Basking Ridge! Our final concert will bring another talented Ohio musician to our Farm when Hebdo plays for us on Sunday, October 23. Stay posted for more details on both of these artists and the Autumn concerts that we are already excited to share!
Be sure to our Facebook page so you can get updates on our music events and the other great things happening at this historic Basking Ridge site!
Two Autumn Acoustic Afternoon at the Ross Farm events featured top-notch performances in October and November and brought new people to the site to enjoy live music and learn a little bit about the history of our property. Hosted by the Friends of the Boudinot-Southard-Ross Estate, each event was a little different from the other, based on the fact that the first one was held in the barn and the second in the home on the property.
The historic, mid-19th century bank barn was home for our first Acoustic Afternoon on October 18, which featured three talented musicians. With mini-bleachers, pews, and folding chairs, the barn held about 65 people. Softly lit with battery-operated candles and fairy lights, and with professional sound provided by Basking Ridge resident David Ferdinand’s One Dream, the barn was transformed into a cozy music venue. Volunteers donated baked goods and appetizers, which were arranged along a curtained wall by teen volunteers and enjoyed by all.
Butch Parnell, Americana artist and lead singer of Runaway Dorothy, opened the show with his gorgeous vocals and lyrics and a fun dose of self-deprecating humor. Parnell, a North Carolina native, now lives in NYC and just recently released his solo project, The Brightness, with songs he had written for his band but felt they stood better on their own without the treatment of a full band. Parnell certainly performed a lovely solo set with these songs. Christian Lopez, a 20-year-old from West Virginia, followed Parnell. He also played solo, away from his Christian Lopez Band for a few shows. He delighted the audience with songs from his latest album, “Onward,” including “Leaving It Out,” which has seen a lot of play on Country Music Television recently. Featured musician JD Eicher hails from Youngstown, OH, where he also has a band, The Goodnights, and was also playing solo for our event. His songs and stories captivated the crowd in the barn, including a beautiful cover of “Hallelujah” and songs from his three-CD series, “The Shape of Things,” “Shifting,” and “Into Place.” Parnell, Lopez and Eicher were kept busy after the show shaking hands, taking pictures and selling CDs and t-shirts to the guests who had come from as far as Pittsburgh and West Virginia to catch this unique show. We were delighted to welcome family members of the musicians as well as fans who had learned about the event from fan websites and our own social media!
We changed things up a bit for the second event on November 18 when the beautiful home on the property became the music venue. The scene was set once again with battery-operated candles and fairy lights, and the musicians performed in front of the fireplace of what we appropriately call the “music room.” Desserts were served in the dining room, while coffee and tea were available in the library, giving guests a nice opportunity to walk through and enjoy the lower level of the home before and after the concert.
The End of America, a folk-rock trio from Philadelphia, captivated the room of about 45 people with songs from their CDs, “Shakey” and “Steep Bay.” The trio includes Brendon Thomas, James Downey and Trevor Leonard, who came together from three different bands to form TEOA. Singer-songwriter Matt Hires entertained the audience with stories from the road and music from several of his releases and even a few new, unreleased songs. Formerly of Florida, Hires now lives in Nashville and a couple of the songs he performed are the result of a songwriting group he has joined in “Music City.” Friends and fans enjoyed sticking around after the show to chat with the musicians and buy some of their t-shirts, CDs and other merchandise.
The audiences at both shows were made up of Basking Ridge residents and friends who were happy to support the activities of the Friends of the Boudinot-Southard-Ross Estate as well as fans of each of the musicians. Social media including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as well as the Ross Farm website (rossfarm.org) reached not only our local friends but fans of the trio and solo musicians, bringing new friends to the farm for the music events.
With the success of these recent music events, our Board is looking forward to bringing more music to the farm in 2016. The second annual Rock the Barn concert is already scheduled for May 7 and will feature a fantastic Columbus, OH-based band, Nick D’ and the Believers – be on the lookout for details shortly after the New Year!
CLASSIC COMEDY MARKS OUR 1st FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT!!! Gates open at 7:30 p.m. movie will begin at dusk, around 8:30 p.m.
Released in 1999, Galaxy Quest is the story of an alumni cast of a space opera television series who must play their roles as the real thing when an alien race needs their help! Rated PG, the film stars Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman. It’s a “wickedly funny look at the SciFi inner sanctum,” and one reviewer says the movie did not rely on vulgarities or overt violence, and didn’t need to resort to meanness or cruel jokes. Parents may want to check the Parents’ Guide on imdb.com for your personal information.
Hosted by the Friends of the Boudinot Southard Ross Estate & One Dream
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