Mercy Ingraham "is a hearth cook, the culinary equivalent of one of those Revolutionary War re-enactors, and it is her conviction that the invention of the stove, while it's sure saved wood, has not been without its drawbacks."....On September 13th, Mercy invites you to join her over an open hearth, as she kindles memories from the first days of our 1780's Federal manor, and teaches this very special cooking class on preparing historic food atop the windy hill at Howard Hall Farm. The class will be followed by a signing of her new book, which will be available to purchase after the class. Lunch and dinner are included!  Workshop fee: $150  Free to press.

In addition to discussing techniques for working with grass-fed and pastured meats, participants will learn lacto-fermentation techniques for making authentic sauerkraut, and will have an opportunity to compare local, sustainably-sourced ingredients with their conventional, industrially-produced counterparts.  Participants are encouraged to bring any questions they may have about working with local farms, grass-fed meats, and seasonal cooking and food preservation.  while the emphasis of this program will be on fine Spring feasting, this will also be an opportunity to explore some of the nutritional advantages of sustainably-sourced foods, as well as some of the social and political issues that make responsibly sourced food even more delicious. The book signing is free and open to the public. This is the first in a series of two cooking classes being offered at Howard Hall Farm this Fall.

Howard Hall Farm is both an historic restoration project and a vehicle for educating people in sustainable, environmentally conscious restoration techniques. The site of our learning laboratory is a 1780s Federal stone manor in the heart of the Hudson River Valley.  As preservation architect Carl Elefante says, "The greenest building is the one you don't build."   In our restoration we are focused on dovetailing an acute attention to historic detail with the newest green technology, which will allow historic homes to go into the future as modern, functioning dwellings with minimal impact to the house and the environment.  Our mission is to investigate, restore, and revive every facet of this structure in a green manner, and provide a forum for other interested homeowners and craftspeople to learn to do the same.  In an effort to educate ourselves, we bring in preservation and restoration experts from all over the country to train us and everyone who attends our workshops in green techniques to preserve and revive our homes while minimizing their impact on the environment.  Join us in our effort to RESTORE GREEN.