This new chapter of Hudson River Flows comes at an inflection point in our times. The path forward is uncharted. Many of us may experience this moment as terrifying, but if we push through our fears we can also seize opportunities, as individuals and as a society, to entertain ideas and collaborations we never thought possible.  
 
Hudson Valley farmer Jay Goldmark, the subject of a short documentary we will be releasing this summer, took that leap into the unknown when, for the first time, he planted 100 acres of organic wheat on his family’s third generation grain and cattle ranch in Washington State. On the other side of that leap a new sense of joy and belonging to his community and the natural world would reveal itself.  Jay now manages Stone House Farm, a diversified grain farm and feed business in Hudson, New York.  Although Stone House is NOFA-NY and Real Organic Project Certified, Jay farms there in a deeply holistic way that certification labels can’t entirely capture. Our documentary draws on Jay’s life trajectory and his storytelling gifts, to illuminate the art and science, the heart and soul, the setbacks and the ultimate rewards of farming in right relationship.
 
In coming months we will also be sharing Jay’s deeper-dive reflections on the challenges of building an organic farm business, Stone House Farm’s partnership with Cornell’s Sustainable Cropping Systems Lab, myth-busting the critiques of farming without chemicals, and more. We will also be posting more stories of local farmers who are building a resilient local food community here in the Hudson Valley from the soil up. Please subscribe to our newsletter to be alerted to new content.