Generation Next
Keith Stewart
A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, I ATTENDED A SCREENING of Growing Farmers, a short film about the new generation of farmers on Long Island and the challenges they face. After the
Locally Grown
Drinking it Raw at Freedom Hill
Text and photos Keith Stewart
PROPONENTS OF RAW MILK GENERALLY ACKNOWLEDGE that pasteurization may eliminate bad bacteria and make milk a little safer to drink. But they also argue that the heat applied during pasteurization kills
The Busyness of Bees
Keith Stewart / Illustrations Flavia Bacarella
LAST FALL , A PART-TIME BEEKEEPER AND long-time customer at our Manhattan Greenmarket stand asked me if he could bring a couple of active hives from his rooftop aviary in
Into Africa
Text and photos Keith Stewart
IN MY YOUTH I had a thirst for Africa. I started out hitchhiking in Morocco and Algeria, and later traveled overland from the port city of Alexandria in Egypt to
Eating Local in Sicily
Text and photos Keith Stewart
Sicilians eat far more fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, seeds and nuts (especially almonds and pistachios) than we do in America. They favor seafood over red meat, and they
The School of Hard Rocks
Text and photos Keith Stewart
OUR FARM HAS A LOT OF ROCKS— more than its fair share, I would say. The last glacier that receded some 15,000 years ago was particularly generous to us. Both
Branching Out: The Farmer as Arborist
Text and photos Keith Stewart
WHAT A WONDROUS EXPRESSION of life trees are. Beyond their own existence, there are all the life-enhancing qualities they provide for other species—food, shelter, shade, clean air, protection from wind and
Generation Next Redux
Text and photos Keith Stewart
OUR FARM IS powered by humans. We use tractors and power equipment to mow, prepare fields and help with planting, but most of what happens on the farm is done
Flight of the Monarchs
ON A SUNNY FRIDAY AFTERNOON in late August last year—not too hot, with just a hint of a breeze, the radiant blue sky streaked with a line of feathery clouds
More Dirt on Dirt
Keith Stewart
A YEAR AGO, I RECOMMENDED having soil tested every few years in the interests of maintaining a productive garden (see “The Dirt on Dirt“. A traditional soil test measures pH
The Dirt on Dirt
Keith Stewart
What caused the leaves of the tomato plants to turn purple? Why did my zucchini die off so early this year? Should I have watered my garlic more? THESE ARE
Heirloom Differential
Keith Stewart / Illustrations Flavia Bacarella
YOU HEAR THE word heirloom tossed around a lot these days, not referring to handed-down relics (like your great grandmother’s pearl necklace or Victorian footstool), but referring to food, especially
