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Searching for Farms

To the Editor:

Recently, you ran an article on organic meats in the Hudson Valley [2/04, “The Grass is Always Greener”]. Although I was glad to see an article on this important topic, I was disappointed that the article directed people to non-local and retail sources for purchasing meat when there are many local, farmer-direct places to buy organic meats. Why run an article claiming to be about local farms and not even mention our excellent local growers like Four Winds Farm in Gardiner? Buying local meats and produce directly from farms is the best way to support agriculture in our area, protect land from over-development, and eat the healthiest, highest quality, and freshest food. Shopping at Hannaford’s, as your article suggests, means you are buying non-local, mass-produced and processed meats. This supports a large industry, not a local farmer. As a magazine claiming to represent the Hudson Valley, next time you publish an article on Hudson Valley farms, I hope you include a list of our local Hudson Valley farms.

—Ken Greene, Rosendale

Ken Greene’s point about Four Winds Farm is well taken, and we correct our oversight on page 9. Greene is mistaken, however, in his assertion that we did not provide local farm-direct sources for beef; we referred readers to the Valley Marketing Livestock Cooperative (www.valleyfarmers.com), a Dutchess County-based group of local farmers that sell grass-fed beef, veal, pork, and lamb. There are doubtless other sources as well that we did not mention, and many farmers we were/are not aware of.

—Ed.

A Former Zionist Laments

To the Editor:
“The Trouble With Zionism,” Lorna Tychostup’s interview with Joel Kovel [3/04 issue], is a courageous, long-overdue, and insightful commentary. As an old Zionist, may I add the following, some from personal experience: When I joined Kadimah (the Zionist youth organization) in Berlin in the 1920s, “Eretz Israel” meant all of Palestine, a definition from which no Israeli Government has ever deviated. The ever-expanding Jewish settlements and the destruction of Palestinian infrastructure, economy, homes and orchards, are aimed at the ultimate goal of a “Greater Israel.”

Kadimah was part of the strategy to establish Eretz Israel by conquest, with its emphasis on military aspects like “struggle” and “games.” Terrorism was an early part of the strategy: take for example Irgun, of which former Prime Minister Begin was a founding member; Haganah, the “Stern Gang”; and Jabotinsky (who collaborated with Nazis). When General Sharon led a thousand of his troopers onto the grounds of the Al Aktza Mosque, he must have known that his “visit” would provoke a violent reaction from the Palestinians, ultimately leading to the end of any peace agreement and an independent Palestinian state.

I was a once-ardent Zionist, and my wife and I traveled to Israel in 1972, thinking we might settle. As an artist I was interested in visiting an artist colony. We were taken to Ein Hod, nestled in the foothills of the Galilee, a colony of Israeli artists. Noting its ancient houses, I inquired about its original occupants.
“Oh, we kicked them out,” was our guide’s answer. “Where to?” “They’re probably in some Lebanese refugee camp,” I was told. Remembering WWII and its refugees driven from their homes, I realized I could not live in Israel or continue to be a Zionist.

—Si Lewen

Department of Corrections

In our 3/04 issue, we did not print the full text of a haiku by Evan O’Brien. Haiku connoisseurs obviously caught the 3-9-5 syllable mistake we made, which was no blunder of O’Brien’s. (In English, haiku is normally written 5-7-5.) Here is the full text of the haiku:

(Haiku—Mohonk)
i kissed you on the
mountain and you bit me on
the neck i like you

In our 2/04 issue, the article “The Grass is Always Greener” neglected to mention a local provider of grass-fed beef, Four Winds Farm. Grass-fed beef and lamb and pastured pork from Four Winds is sold at farm markets in Cold Spring, Pine Bush, Peekskill, and New Paltz throughout the season, and is available direct from Four Winds by the side or the quarter. Four Winds Farm, 158 Marabac Road, Gardiner, NY 12525. (845) 255-3088. www.bestweb.net/~fourwind/.

Our apologies to Evan O’Brien and Four Winds Farm.