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Archive for the ‘art packs’ Category
Monday, July 12th, 2010
I love kale.
 Kale with his pack of kale seeds. (Freeman photo by Tania Barricklo) I love it so much that I named my dog after it. It’s turned out to be his favorite snack as well. I’m not making that up! I actually trained him not to chase our chickens by tempting him with “kale bones”. That’s what we call the woody stem part of the leaf, but to Kale (the dog) those are crunchy kale bones.
Kale (the leafy green) is easy to grow, produces for a long season, is ornamental, edible, and incredibly nutritious, but I’m hearing from gardeners that it often winds up rotting in the garden or wilting in the fridge. Why? Because of people’s kale conundrums. What to do with all that leafy goodness?
First off, harvest leaves by picking them from the outside in. Always leave new growth in the center of the plant. You can pick the leaves at any size. In general, the younger leaves are more tender and the stems get tougher as they age.
 Here are some of the many ways’ we eat kale. Please add you favorite way to eat, prepare, or store kale. Thanks!
If you’re like Kale (the dog) you’ll eat it raw. Raw baby kale leaves are great in a salad mix. I didn’t used to like the larger fronds raw until Sarah Snow (who designed the shape of our seed packs and is in the midst of doing the layouts for next year’s Art Packs) made me a kale smoothie. Just add fresh kale to your regular summer smoothie and you get all the benefits of raw kale in a refreshing drink. You can make kale chips in a solar dehydrator, oven, or electric dehydrator. Just brush the leaves with a little oil and let them dry out on low temp. They will turn crispy and make a great snack. One of my favorite things to do with the flatter kale leaves is remove the kale bone, (save them for Kale), roll the leaves together and make thin slices. This creates long noodle like green strips which I braise with sesame oil and sesame seeds. I add a little tamari at the end and serve it as a warm side salad.
What do you do with kale?
Tags: kale, kale chips
Posted in art packs | 9 Comments »
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
 Painting by Ryan Cronin Seed Swap and first glimpse of Seeds On Wheels (S.O.W.) our work-in-progress artist created mobile seed saving center.
Come see our installation that is part of the SDMA’s annual Hudson Valley Artists show. There’s lots to see in addition to S.O.W. including interesting work from local artists. Plus, you can come and swap your leftover seeds with other gardeners! Don’t worry, you don’t have to bring seeds to come to see the artwork.
 Mike working on the trailer. Sowing the Seeds of S.O.W.
Seeds on Wheels is a collaborative work-in-progress conceived by the Hudson Valley Seed Library. The project will culminate in the creation of a functional seed processing center, mobile seed exchange, and traveling contemporary garden art gallery. S.O.W. will be able to travel to farms, community gardens, farm markets, and community events along with locally grown seeds and a Seed Library farmer. The upcycled 1969 Aristocrat Lowliner trailer (previously named Trixie) will contain everything that is needed for a seed swap, seed-saving workshop, or seed sale.
 One of Ryan's posters for S.O.W. Artist Michael Asbill constructed the installation, painter Ryan Cronin designed three new Seed Library posters, and videographers Emily Bennison and Chris Hewitt created a stop-motion animated film for the Seed Library. The images used on the interior and exterior of the trailer are from the Hudson Valley Seed Library’s commissioned collection of contemporary heirloom art. HVSL has been commissioning artwork from regional artists for the last two years. The artworks are featured on HVSL’s unique seed packs. Packs from the last two years are displayed on the interior of the trailer. The works of over 30 artists are represented as part of this installation and new work will be added each year.
The diversity of the artwork, across mediums and styles, helps communicate that seeds are stories passed from hand to hand, generation to generation, not inanimate commodities lacking history. The artwork is an important part of the Seed Library’s goal of preserving and developing the genetic and agri/cultural diversity of open-pollinated seeds.
Hope to see you there!
Tags: Chris Hewitt, Dorsky Museum, Emily Bennison, Michael Asbill, Ryan Cronin, S.O.W., seeds on wheels
Posted in art packs, pack art, seed saving, seedy events | No Comments »
Saturday, June 5th, 2010
Does your dad garden or grill or both?
 Sly grilling fox by Pack Artist Deb Lucke. Whether he likes to grow food or eat it, we have some special Father’s Day gifts just for Dads. All of our gifts can be found by scrolling down to the bottom of our Full Catalog page.
Our full set of Art Packs makes a wonderful gift and seeds that aren’t planted this year will last until next year’s garden.
If you would like to give a dad something more, we have new Framed Art Packs. There are four choices that we have pre-framed, but for a few extra bucks you can choose any of our packs to have custom framed.
We have also just added these handcrafted Cutting Boards. Perfect for preparing fresh meals from the garden. There are eight one-of-a-kind boards to choose from.
Any of our gifts can be sent with a note– just let us know in the comment section when you check out.
 Framed Fox Cherry Art Pack. Foxy!  Solid ash frame.  Full set of Art Packs.
 Maple, Black Walnut, Hickory Cheese Board by Rustic Stu
Tags: cutting boards, father's day, framed packs, gifts, rustic stu
Posted in art packs, catalog update, gifts for gardeners, pack art | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
 Michael transforming our 1969 Aristocrat Lowliner into Seeds On Wheels. Mostly these days our seeds are seen in situ: on our farm and in gardens all over New York. Our ex situ events have slowed down and we’re focusing on growing next year’s crop of seeds. This month there are only two seedy happenings off the farm. One you can watch from the couch in your living room after tiring yourself out in the garden, and the other will happen in a sleek climate controlled space in New Paltz with snacks and drinks.
DailyCandy included our Art Packs in their “19 Reasons You Need a New Pastime” slideshow post and are continuing to spread the word about us this weekend on TV. The TV spot will be on (I’ll let you know as soon as I know but sometime this weekend 4/5/6). Thanks DailyCandy!
We hope you’ll come to see us on June 26th at the Samuel Dorsky Museum for the debut of Seeds On Wheels. S.O.W. is an ongoing collaborative project between the Seed Library and a group of artists including Ryan Cronin, Michael Asbill, and Emily Bennison. S.O.W. will be a mobile seed saving trailer and Pack Art gallery. Our project was accepted as part of this year’s Hudson Valley Artists show at the museum.
Tags: Daily Candy, Samuel Dorsky Museum, seed scene
Posted in art packs, gifts for gardeners, seed scene, seedy events | No Comments »
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
 Seed Pack Shape Thank you to all of the (over 70!) artists who applied to design seed packs for next year. Your talent, creativity, and willingness to lend your visions to our seeds is inspiring. Now I have the difficult task of choosing just 16 artists. I hope to be able to review all of the submissions and make decisions by Monday.
Thanks again,
Ken
Submission Deadline: May 14 (Must be received by 8am May 15th)
Send all submissions to: mail@seedlibrary.org Subject line: Pack Art.
This year, the Hudson Valley Seed Library will again be commissioning artwork for the covers of our unique seed packs. Each season, we look for a diverse range of artwork, drawing from different styles, materials, and experience. The diversity of the artwork chosen is meant to reflect the genetic and cultural diversity of the varieties offered in our seed catalog.
Entering the call for art is easy. Just send us one image of something you have already made, and one to two very rough sketch ideas for the variety you would like to create an art pack for.
Artists of all kinds are encouraged to submit work. Mediums that will be accepted this year include but are not limited to sculpture, ceramics, illustration, painting, and collage. Photography may only be used if it is a partial element of the piece.
Click on (more…) below to read the submission guidelines.
(more…)
Tags: call for art, pack art
Posted in art packs, pack art | 8 Comments »
Friday, April 2nd, 2010
 Rat Pack: Ceramic Tile by Ayumi Horie for the 2009 Rat's Tail Radish Art Pack Click here for SUBMISSION GUIDELINES.
We will soon (by April 23rd!) be sending out our call for art for the 2011 Art Packs. We’re looking forward to all of the submissions and finding new artists to feature on our unique seed packs.
We will be posting the new guidelines on our blog as well as sending out a call for art through our email list, Facebook, and Twitter. Submissions will only be accepted after the guidelines are posted. If you would like to be notified when the call goes out, please make sure you are signed up for our emails (look to the left to sign up) or are a fan/follower on Facebook/Twitter. If you know any New York State artists who you think would be interested, please spread the word! Thanks!
You can see more of Ayumi Horie’s useful, beautiful, and comforting ceramic plates, platters, mugs, tiles, tea pots, cookie jars, bats, bears, bunnies, goats, whales, birds, and more on her website.
Tags: art packs, Ayumi Horie, call for art, pack art
Posted in art packs | 4 Comments »
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
If you’re looking for immediate gratification, you can check here for a list of shops that carry our Art Packs. As more stores join in, we’ll keep adding to this list. If you have a favorite shop you think should be carrying our seeds, let us (and them) know! We’ll be featuring our retailers in greater detail this winter and spring.
- High Falls Mercantile, High Falls, NY
- Victoria Gardens, Rosendale, NY
- Verde, New Paltz, NY
- Adams Fairacre Farms, Poughkeepsie, NY
- GreenStar Cooperative Market, Ithaca, NY
- Story’s Nursery, Freehold, NY
- The Cutting Garden, Liberty, NY
- Lucky Dog Farm Store, Hamden, NY
- Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Tarrytown, NY
- GRDN, Brooklyn, NY
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden Gift Shop, Brooklyn, NY
- Bowery Bazaar, New York, NY
- The Red Lion Inn Gift Shop, Stockbridge, MA
- Verde, Philadelphia, PA
- Kingdom of Herbs, San Francisco, CA
- Ninety-Six Ten Gallery, Klamath Falls, OR
- Dedrick’s Gifts, New Paltz, NY
- Gossett Brothers Nursery, South Salem, NY
- Rosedale Nurseries, Hawhorne, NY
Tags: art packs, retail stores
Posted in Uncategorized, art packs | No Comments »
Sunday, December 13th, 2009
 Ayumi trimming plates. Ayumi Horie’s limited edition Pest and Pollinator salad plates now on sale. 50% of proceeds will be donated by the artist to the Hudson Valley Seed Library for educational programming. Thanks Ayumi!
Ayumi Horie was one of the first artists to create an Art Pack for the Seed Library. She enthusiastically took on the Rat’s Tail Radish, an oddly but aptly named edible podding radish. There were concerns that it would be hard to make a rodent that many people consider a pest into an attractive seed pack for gardeners. Ayumi overcame the challenge, using her signature Japanese folk art-inspired animal illustration style to create what became a pink pack sensation.
This year, Ayumi has again chosen to draw a pest, the voracious woodchuck, for the subject of her Piracicaba Broccoli pack. We wanted to give Ayumi the chance to exorcise all her inner garden pests–and to redeem herself by drawing some benevolent pollinators. The result is this limited edition line of salad plates, each featuring a creature that is part of our wild and cultivated garden ecosystems. Each of these insects and animals plays an important role in the cycle of seed to garden to plate that we cherish as gardeners. Some we call pests, some we call friends, but all are equal in the natural world–and each is the star of one plate. I like to think of the plates as mealtime reminders that our gardens and farms are inextricably connected to the natural world. We are dependent on these creatures for our food more than we know.
 Bee Plate Each plate is one of a kind, made by hand, and signed by the artist Ayumi Horie. Sales support the artist and the Seed Library; Ayumi has generously offered to donate 50% of each sale to support the educational programs and partnerships of the Hudson Valley Seed Library. Invite your favorite pest or pollinator to dinner with one or more of these limited-edition plates. To buy your plate, visit Ayumi’s website. Last year’s Rat Pack is currently sold out, but Piracicaba Broccoli is still available. Ayumi’s original ceramic tile for the Broccoli pack has already sold, but the original works from the other artists can be purchased by request through the contact us form.
Tags: Ayumi Horie, Pack Artists, pest and pollinator plates, Piracicaba Broccoli
Posted in art packs, pack art | 1 Comment »
Monday, November 30th, 2009
Who puts the culture in agriculture?
Artists are part of a sustainable and resilient economy, one that values the contributions of every member of the community. The 16 artists for this year’s packs each interpreted one variety of flower, herb, or vegetable from our catalog. They used their individual visions, backgrounds, skills, and talent to create their pack art. The resulting eclectic collection represents the diversity of the seeds we offer and celebrates seeds as cultural treasures. Through this series of posts, we hope you enjoy getting to know each artist a bit better and gain some insight into their creative processes and the many connections between art and agriculture. Each post also contains two links. Click on the artist’s name to see more of their work and click on the variety name to see (or buy!) any of the original artworks. Sales of the original pieces support the artists, gallery and us!
Jacinta Bunnell: Calico Popcorn
 Calico Popcorn Original I really have a thing for popcorn. Every Tuesday, I drive my friend Jane from where she goes to school and I go to work, we come to my house, and we set out to do our chores. Hers is algebra homework. Mine is popcorn popping. I have finally figured out how to burn it only occasionally. Mostly, the work comes in the decision about what flavor of popcorn we would like on this particular Tuesday. Will it be buttery cinnamon and sugar? Just plain salt and butter? Will we put honey on the kernels before they even pop, making us our very own kettle corn? Or will we choose our favorite, a light spritz of soy sauce? (more…)
Tags: artists, gifts, pack art
Posted in art packs, pack art, seedy events | No Comments »
Sunday, November 8th, 2009
 Old World Gift Basket While pushing our Art Packs around the region this fall, we’ve encountered our share of incredulous responses. “Seeds in November?” ask the naysayers. “No one will buy them!”
The response is certainly understandable. We have now officially entered the no-man’s land of the gardener’s annual calendar. From October until early February, there are very few seeds that can be sown successfully in northern climates (spinach and other hardy greens are the exception–but even then, they won’t do much growing at all until late winter).
However, we think that our Art Packs make terrific holiday gifts. Here’s why: (more…)
Tags: art packs, garden gifts, gift seeds, gifts, gifts for gardeners, holidays
Posted in Uncategorized, art packs | No Comments »
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