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Benner's Farm56 Gnarled Hollow Road

Setauket, New York, 11733631-689-8172bennersfarm.com

PRE SORT STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE PAIDPERMIT #38

E. SETAUKET, NY11733

Current Resident Or:

MonarchsButterflies are self propelled flowers. - R.H. Heinlein

Who doesn’t smile a bit when a colorful butterfly flits by on its erratic course to somewhere. Their seemingly fragile wings move them along in wind and calm, fulfilling their cyclic life. Our most well known and complicated member of the two thousand species is the Monarch. The King! There is something mystifying about these seemingly fragile creatures that travel thousands of miles each year visiting the Americas.

It is amazing how the millions of species of insects work out their life cycles. Most start as an egg, hatch into a larva (caterpillar or grub), pupate and finally develop into an adult. Each of these stages can vary depending on the insect. Some eggs hatch quickly or may take over a year or longer depending on environmental conditions. The larval stage has the same variations. We all know of the seventeen year cicada whose grub spends almost twenty years underground till it appears above ground to pupate then become the noisy cicadas that we hear, sometimes unbearably loud, in the heat of the summer. Flies can lay eggs, hatch into maggots, feed and shed their skins three times, pupate into a brown shell and hatch into an adult in under a week depending on conditions and species! Most insects take longer.

Butterflies do the same. Those flitting wonders find a place, usually under a leaf associated with the caterpillars diet, and lay a cluster of eggs. The eggs hatch into eating factories whose goal is to put on enough weight and nec-essary nutrition so that they may form a chrysalis which develops into an adult healthy butterfly. Gardeners know that if they grow parsley, carrots, and tomatoes that some-times large caterpillars seem to suddenly appear and eat their crops quickly and efficiently. If left to pupate, large black swallowtail butterflies will emerge from the chrysa-lises in a week or so. Cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower growers know when they see small white butterflies flitting around that small green worms are methodically eating their crops and it’s time to pick them off or use BT or bacil-lus thuringiensis on their plants. BT is a bacteria that kills caterpillars. Since it is found in nature it is considered an organic method of killing worm pests. Trouble is it kills all larva that ingest it so may eradicate good bugs as well as bad. Many seeds have been genetically modified to have BT in the plants the seeds grow into. Good for worm-free ears of corn; not so good for all the other insects, bad and good, that might eat that corn.

Monarchs have taken these cycles to another level. They not only go through the four stages during one life cycle, they go through four of those life cycles or generations in one year! Imagine that you are a Monarch hibernating in the mountains of Mexico about two miles above sea level.

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Wash Day

The moisture in the air and cool temperatures allow you to survive the winter without using too much of your stored fat. There are thousands of your kind clustered around you, enough that even though you weigh less than a gram sometimes the branches you clutch break. Millions and millions of you are found on the mountain hillsides. As March approaches warmer weather wakens you from your torpor, you find a mate and then fly north among the clouds of other Monarchs toward eastern Texas.

There you find some milkweed (the only food Mon-arch caterpillars eat), perhaps in the same area that generations of your line has flown to before. You lay an egg under a milkweed leaf. You might lay 100 eggs under 100 leaves. That way each larva has a whole plant to eat. Eventually you die, but leave behind a new generation to continue the yearly cycle. Those eggs hatch in four days and the small caterpillars begin to eat the milkweed. In less than two weeks the caterpillar has molted its skin five times and has eaten up to twenty whole milkweed leaves. It then finds a safe hiding place, usually under a leaf, and forms a light green chrysalis with yellow spots. In two weeks an adult butterfly emerges. This second generation monarch flies north and finds another area rich in milk-weed where it mates and lays more eggs. This happens again and again.

The fourth adult that emerges does not mate and lay eggs but rather begins to migrate south on well traveled highways in the sky, clustering along the way with other Mexican-bound Monarchs. They all converge in the middle of Texas to follow a ridge of mountains to the mountain hillsides where their great, great grandparents started from almost a year before. Eastern Monarchs hibernate in those Mexican mountains, western Monarchs hibernate south of San Diego, California.

Over time migration numbers have diminished. Logging and storms in Mexico have reduced some of the mountain-side shelters. The Mexican government has responded by creating large sanctuaries for the Monarchs and restricting access to tourists in some areas. However, the greatest threat seems to be the lack of milkweed for the caterpillars to feed on. Modern farming is very different than just a few years back. Much larger fields, genetically modified seed, and heavy use of herbicides and pesticides has wreaked

havoc with many good insects. Bees are in trouble and so are the Monarchs. All of that clean agriculture has elimi-nated milkweed growing at the edges of fields or among crops. The butterflies can’t find places to lay eggs, or lay too many eggs on one plant, lessening the chances of large plump larva to pupate and make strong adults. We are going to try to help this situation in our area of their domain. Late fall I put a request for milkweed seed on our Facebook pages and received a box full of milkweed pods. We are planning to germinate and grow small plants to give to the many school classes, course and workshop participants, scout groups and of course our spring and summer campers. If you visit the farm ask for a plant or two for your backyard. We are also going to try to find other groups interested in this problem, coordinate our efforts and cover more areas. I can foresee volunteer groups plant-ing along power lines and on empty lots along roadsides. There are a number of organizations online that support Monarchs, or you can contact us as we try to increase their numbers. Hopefully we will once again see the king of butterflies flitting around our neighborhoods.

(See Garden Corner in this newsletter for information about growing milkweed)

When Bob and I were first married we lived in a ship-builders house in Northport similar to but larger then our present farmhouse, both dating back to 1820. It was a three story colonial with high ceilings, spacious rooms, 4 bedrooms, a third floor attic and a basement. The laundry was in the basement, so I regularly carried wash-baskets up and down two flights of stairs. Although there was little

yard space, we did have a laundry line on top of the one car garage which was accessible from a hallway door on the sec-ond floor. Since I am a fan of line-dried fresh linen, I would carry soiled laundry down the two flights, then washed wet things up two flights to hang out. We moved to the farm in 1977 with three small children (4, 2 1/2, and 1), had no washing machine, or even a place to put one, so I traveled, with our bags of laundry, to the laundromat in town once or twice a week. Since Bob had our only vehicle, this had to wait until he returned from work (often after dinner), so

I could use the car. This went on for almost three years, until we began to remodel the old farmhouse. There were two, one-story additions on the back of the main house, an old summer kitchen on one side and an afterthought bedroom on the other. We enlarged and added a founda-tion to this room then divided it to add a bathroom with shower and a laundry nook. So ended my trips to the laun-dromat, but not my love of line-dried laundry. Early visitors to “Benner’s Farm” were often greeted with Sam in a stroller and our back yard ringed with over two hundred feet of clothes-lines hung with drying laundry flapping in the breeze. Long notched poles supported the weight of the wet wash along the spans of wash-line, and a bag of clothes pins always dangled somewhere along its length. These clotheslines replaced the two tall chestnut upright poles topped with horizontal planks in our back-yard that served as Mrs. Bryant's drying racks. I always imagined her laundry draped over those boards, or her rugs waiting to be beaten. Teaching children about pre-revolutionary living on farms in the seventeenth and eighteenth century was enhanced by such a backdrop. When I held up washboards, flatirons, home-made soap and clothes pegs it actually didn’t seem so long ago.

Clothes pins, both the clip-on kind and the one piece “dolly pegs” were not that strange to most of the kids, as they were used in nursery schools to hold pictures on lines while drying, or useful in some craft projects. They laughed to see the ones I had dressed up as little chil-dren's dolls. I began thinking of how long ago the first clothes pins were used, and who came up with the idea.

It didn’t surprise me to find the Shakers involved in the history of such handy items. After their arrival in upstate New York in the mid 1700’s, they began finding and invent-ing creative ways to make work faster and easier. They are credited for making not only clothes pegs but the flat broom, circular saw, packaged seeds, a threshing machine, a washing machine and the list goes on. I can imagine

a Shaker woman carving such a peg, then strengthening it with leather or metal strips to keep it from splitting. I was surprised to find that the first patent for a clothes pin design was given to a man named Samuel Pryor of New Jersey, in 1832. His patent was destroyed in a fire in the

patent office four years later. Subsequently between 1852 and 1887 no less than 147 patents were sought for designs of a better clothes pin.

The whole process of laundry washing ranges from early women along rivers pound-ing wash on rocks to the later laundress washing with lye soap, then using both lye and urine to bleach and whiten cloth and finally drying on branches, bushes and grass lawns protect-ed from “access by wandering poultry, pigs, calves and puppies

which would cause havoc with the newly washed clothes.” My grandmother told me to lay clothes on grass to whiten them, and I guess that was a common method in the days before bleach or when there were colors on white cloth. Hanging out the wash may seem as old as washing clothes

in the river to some folks, but I always found it satisfying. There’s nothing like the fresh, clean sundrenched scent of line-dried laundry as opposed to the flowery sent of fabric softener on machine-dried clothing. Admit-tedly, towels are softer and less wrinkled when machine-dried, but it always felt like I had ac-complished more by line-drying than just tossing clothing from one machine to the other. My clothes lines, or “wind and solar dryers” also save energy, which makes them a green solution to our modern wash day.

The remnants of the old slat and chestnut pole drying racks are still there. Although pretty broken down they remind me of days gone by. Today our fancy vacuum cleaner, washer and dryer, dish washer and a myriad of other helpful ap-pliances make our lives easier and help us to do more work faster and more efficiently. If you come to the farm and find quilts drying on lines or railings, you will know that I am feeling nostalgic, or ecological, or perhaps a little of both.

Spring 2017, vol. 31:156 Gnarled Hollow Road

Setauket, NY, 11733

Benner's Farm

Since our last newsletter, we and the farm staff have been busy. The summer ended with the completion of our back porch brick paths and patio, and the sculpting and leveling of the lawn area to create a flat, more usable area for festivals, weddings and events that use the back lawn. The old rocky, sandy soil was dug out and switched with top soil from the front pasture. Then both areas were leveled and seeded so that we would have usable lawn for our fall activities. The camp waterslide area and concert stage area were also seeded and new grass began growing all over the farm. Birthday events for kids 1 to 50 were celebrated at the farm this fall. Our fifth annual Fiddle and Folk Fest was held on September 11th. We had wonderful music on three stages, an area to jam with other musicians, a sing-a-long, a chance to meet and interact with local and renowned mu-sicians like Steve Forbert, Jeff Davis and Maria Fairchild, The Fineberg Brothers and the Claudia Jacobs band. The day was beautiful, and ended with a group performance, then a wonderful country dance band comprised of local musicians and finally a contra dance called by Peter Kings-ley. From 11AM to 7PM folks enjoyed the day’s festivities,

food and camaraderie. if you missed it, be sure to circle your calendar for next year’s event on September 10th, 2017. This event is sponsored by three local not-for-profit organizations, so come out and support your community. You can even save by purchasing advance tickets online!

September ended with the 27th annual Long Island Apple Festival held at the Sherwood Jayne farm. This not-for-profit event brings many traditional activities, open-fire cooking, pony and hay rides, old time music and games and an apple pie contest. More than three thousand friends attended this year and we hope with your support we can keep this type of old fashioned educational fun going in our area. Make time to attend and support our local events and the organizations who sponsor them, or better yet join in the fun and volunteer!

October and November flew by with haunted hayrides, workshops, pumpkin picking, lots of school visits and our popular Mommy and Me, Farm Fun and Down on the Farm courses. Our traditional Fall Harvest Festival was rained out this year. We look forward to our next event to be held in February demonstrating how to tap Maple trees and process the sap into delicious maple syrup, maple sugar and candy. December is usually a quiet month on the farm as we prepare for winter, and work on equipment season-ally used and needed in the coming months. This year, we were approached by a member of the band Quarter Horse, who performed at one of our summer concerts, to provide a venue for their new CD release in early December. There was a lot of debate about the feasibility of an indoor concert

considering the probability of cold weather, permits for food and beer/wine, number of people we could accommodate inside, and so on. Ultimately, with co-sponsorship from the Country Corner Grill, Ben, Dave, Sam, Erika, Lindsey and Stacey, and a handful of wonderful volunteers, we success-fully hosted the event. Over two hundred fans attended, and had a lovely night on the farm. Bob and I are proud of their effort and accomplishment.

Congratulations to Brian Hackett and his wife who had their first child, Ace Joseph Hackett, on July 17th. Our friends Curt and Kristina Armbruster announced the birth of their second child, Madeline Ursula, on August 16th. As of this writing she has just learned to roll over and big brother, James, is so excited! On August 27th my cousin’s daughter, Dana Fulton married Scott Janowiak. Her Sister, Kelly, was unable to attend the celebration as she was ready to give birth to her first child. A baby girl, Jade, was born to Kelly and husband Casey Strecker early in September. Congratulations to both sisters, their families and their parents, Barbara and Jamie Fulton. Jennifer M’Buthia had her second child, Nora Malia, on September 10th. Nora came into the world early weighing

five pounds. She and her sister, Olivia, are now both strong and healthy. Juliet Jernigan and David Benner became the proud parents of a bouncing baby boy on September 28th. They named him Benner Hank James Benner, and we are so proud to be his grandparents! Both Juliet’s mom. Janna Jernigan and I were in attendance as Hank was born, weighing in at 9 pounds 13 ounces, 21 inches long, healthy, strong and beautiful!

We wish you all much love and Happiness in this new year and hope all your comings and goings are happy ones.

Garden Corner: Milkweed

Fiddle and Folk Fest

Join us on June 10th and 11 th for an old-fashioned fun-filled and delicious celebration of one of nature's finest treats. Our organic strawberries will be chocolated, sundaed, jammed, waffled and available by the pint or quart. Try a sample of Bob’s famous strawberry ice cream and spend the day on our farm playing old-fashioned games with your children, listening to homemade music, enjoying the farm, the animals, and having some good old-fashioned fun!

Mayday CelebrationOur 26th May Day Celebration will be held Sunday, May 7th. Bring the family and celebrate the coming of spring with live music, dance, and flowers! Dance around the maypole, enjoy Steve and Susan Sanfilipo's music, feed and cuddle our baby animals, and enjoy the tradi-tional crafts, vendors and food at our old-fashioned festival. Proceeds support Homestead Arts Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to enriching our cultural heritage.

We are booking now for both spring and fall school trips. Our hands-on programs allow children to pet and cuddle all our farm babies and learn about life on a farm. Extended trips allow time for group demonstrations and a more involved tour. We also provide hands-on Colonial farm programs for elementary children both in school or on the farm. Experi-ences are designed to show how folks lived many years ago and allow children to try their hand at doing some of the chores and crafts of yesteryear. Call us for more information.

School Field Trips Easter Egg Hunt

Strawberry Fair Weekend

Easter Weekend- April 15th and 16th, 12:30, 2:00 & 3:30 pm Bring your own basket, and a camera so you can capture your little ones as they discover bright eggs filled with treats hidden just for them! Free with ad-mission to the farm. Come early, spots are limited.

Three Stages, Great Music, Dance, Food and Fun. This year featuring three great acts to be announced. This end of sum-mer treat is held on Sept. 10th, 11 - 7

It is odd to be writing an article on how to grow weeds in the garden however this issue highlights Monarch but-terflies and since they primarily eat milkweed and since we will be trying to spread these plants across Long Island and beyond, I thought it would be appropriate.

Milkweed is a perennial, and once established should reseed and continue to flourish in garden beds or suit-able environs. The plant spreads its seeds much like the dandelion by being blown by the wind and dispersed. Its ‘parachutes’ are much larger. In fact, when the tear drop shaped light green seed pods break open, the silky coma can cover a large area of local plants. Hopefully

these seeds find their way to the ground, settling in a damp, sunny, suitable place where they will sprout in the spring and grow into mature plants.

In order to grow them in our gardens and beds we need to mimic natures plan. The seeds should be vernalized, or given a cold treatment before planting, which breaks their dormancy. This is simply done by spreading the seeds on damp paper towels, enclosing them in plastic bags and then putting them in the refrigerator for three weeks or longer. Without this stratification the germination rates are usually low. Milkweed has deep roots and does not like to be disturbed when sprouting. If four seeds are planted a quarter inch deep in peat pots they can be thinned then planted out when they have four true leaves and after last frost. Or they can be transplanted from cell packs into deep well-drained cups. They can even be grown in large deep containers, fed and watered periodically and placed out to attract the Monarchs. Once established, the plants can be top-pinched or cut back, so they will regrow into vigorous plants. The seeds will not germinate above 85º F.

One caterpillar can eat twenty mature leaves before it pupates and turns into an adult, so more than one plant is a good idea. I hope you are successful in attractingthese amazing creatures with your milkweed beds.

Summer Camps

Workshops for KidsSpring Break Fun...on the farm!(children ages six to ten)

Designed for those of you who are not going on vacation over the spring holiday. What better way to spend your spring vacation than joining in the outdoor fun we have planned here on the farm! Kids will start seeds for their own gardens, watch chicks hatch from eggs, help with farm chores, and care for the new little goats and lambs, play lots of games, make unique crafts and enjoy tractor rides and trips to the big swing. The days will fly by and the memories will last for years to come! (9AM.-1PM. $250) If you are busy part of the week, you may register for a day or more at a daily rate. ($60) April 10th - 14th

Register Online for Courses and Camp, www.bennersfarm.com

Workshops for Adults

Bunny Blast (kids 4 and up), April 8thThis hands-on bunny workshop allows children to hold and snuggle with some of our new baby bunnies. Children will learn about the care and feeding of rabbits, make a soft bunny craft and more. Taught by Judy Wilson 10-12 $35Caterpillars & Critters (kids 3 and up), April 22ndMake and take home a foot-long caterpillar that will grow into a flower garden. Learn about the bugs and critters that live in the garden. Taught by Erica Heilman 10-12 $35Cuddle and Care for Barnyard Babies (kids 3 and up), April 29th & May 20th Our popular introduction to our new baby animals will run twice. Children will be introduced to all of our baby animals and discover what they eat, how they grow and how we take care of them. Choose the best one for your schedule. Taught by Farm Staff, 10-12 $35Feather their Nest (kids 5 and up), May 6thThe Baltimore Orioles have returned to the farm! Help all our feathered friends build the softest nests ever by filling a mesh bag with all sorts of surprising materials to take home. Watch to see what the birds chose and see if you can find

where they built their nests.Taught by Erika Heilmann 10-12 $35Grow and Taste Garden (kids 5 and up), May 13th It's Spring! Let's get our hands dirty and plant some seeds! We'll plant an edible vegetable and flower garden to take home, pick from our early spring garden and taste what your seeds will grow to be! Taught by Erika Heilmann 10-12 $35Sensational Strawberries (kids 4 and up), June 3rdJoin us as we hike to the strawberry field, pick ripe fruit and make deli-

cious goodies to eat, take home and enjoy. Help transform our delicious strawberries into jam, ice cream, cupcakes and more. Farm Staff, 10-12 $40

Natural Fibers Workshop May 14th learn how to card, spin, weave and dye in this comprehensive workshop featuring wool from our sheep. Bring a child for $10, Jean Benner, 1 - 3, $40

Programs are available by the week, half-day (AM, 9-12 & PM, 1-4) or Full Day (9-4) for kids 3-16. With a different theme each day, campers are busy learning about animals, plants and nature, history, science, crafts, and food. With fun and games of all kinds, special guests, and creative endeavors, our campers are assured of a wonderful and entertaining sum-mer experience. Seven full weeks are available this year. Every camper gets a special limited edition farm T shirt. Snacks are provided morning and afternoon. Full-day campers must bring their own lunch. Our Kinder Kamp group is specially designed for tots and early school-aged children. We maintain a 6:1 camper to counselor ratio with this group. This active hands-on program will surely delight your youngsters as they experi-ence and learn about the animals and plants of the farm. Crafts, snacks, music, and lots of fun will be had by all. Classes are small, so register early! Ages: 3 through 6 years. Our Explorer group follows children through most of their elementary years. It is the largest group of campers and they participate in a range of exciting farm, nature and craft experiences. Ages: 7 to 11 years. The Senior camp group is designed to accommodate our 12-16 year-old campers. These older campers will spend their time delving deeper into the workings of the farm as well as exploring interests in our ecological, his-torical and natural surroundings. Additionally, they will be encouraged to participate in creative independent and group projects and presentations. All of these groups will be in close proximity to one another and we are sensitive and flexible with siblings and friends who wish to interact with one another. Counselor In Training (CIT) program for select 15 through 16 year-olds who apply and meet our criteria. (Call for information)

Before and After-Care Available! 8-9AM or 4-5PM

Chicken Workshop May 6th Basic strategies to raise a small flock. Housing , breeds, care, incubation, legality, fertilizer and benefits will be discussed, 1-3 $35

Putting up Jams and Jellies Workshop June 17th Learn to make and preserve early garden fruits into deli-cious treats. 10-12 $40

Milking to Cheese Dairy Workshop May 20th Learn about dairy animals, milk a goat, prepare the prod-uct, make butter and simple cheeses 1 - 3 $40

Exit 62 L.I.E. North, (Nichols Rd.), to 25A, East 5 lights, Right on Old Town Rd. (at Apple Bank). Right at Stop sign, (Gnarled

Hollow Rd.). Second and Third driveway on Right side.

E-Mail address: folks@bennersfarm.comWeb site: www.bennersfarm.com

Register for Courses and Camp online!

Directions to Benner's Farm

CALL FOR DATES AND TIMES631-689-8172 or bennersfarm.com

Benner’s Farm is open to the public six week-ends, 12-4 P.M. from Easter Weekend, April 8th & 9th through our Strawberry Festival weekend June 10th & 11th. Our nominal fee of $8/Adult and $6/Child (tax included) entitles you to visit with our animals, walk through our nature trails and partici-pate in special events and public talks. Our special Baby Barnyard weekends will be featured April 8 & 9, May 20 & 21 to introduce you to all our new animals. Birthday Parties, Weddings and Private Parties can be arranged by calling our office at 631-689-

After School for Kids

Calendar Saturday Events

The Little Store

Mommy and Me Our popular program for 2 and 3 year olds in which parent (or care giver) and child explore their senses as they learn about the farm by seeing, touching, smelling, hearing and even tasting. A snack, a song and activity complete the fun of each session. Farm Fun is for young farmers aged 4-6. Meet and learn about a new animal each session. Learn about spring on the farm by growing plants and holding and feeding farm babies. Down on the Farm Boys and girls 7 and up learn about farm life through hands-on experience with animals, gardens and chores. This spring we will study baby animals, incubate and hatch eggs, plant seeds and grow food. This active hour reinforces re-sponsibility and group cooperation.

A large assortment of seasonal goods: garden seedlings, produce, eggs, t-shirts, jams, honey, soaps and other farm products. Open weekends in the spring, noon till four

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Old Town Rd

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Lower Sheep Pasture Rd

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Long Island Expressway I 495

Exit 62 Exit 64

Nichols Rd (Rt 97)

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Rt 347 (Nesconset Hwy)

February, Violet 1 Online registrations begin 2 Groundhog Day 10 Full Snow Moon 14 Valentines Day 23-26 Workshops/visits for scouts 25 Maple Sugaring DeMonStration 28 Mardi GrasMarch, Daffodil 12 Daylight Savings begins 20 Vernal Equinox, Spring begins 6:29 EDT 13 Full Sap MoonApril, Daisy 1 April Fools Day 8-9 Baby Barnyards Begin, open Weekends 12-4 8 Kids Workshop, Bunny Blast 10-14 Spring Break Fun on Farm Camp 10 Easter Flowers Sales begin 11 Full Egg Moon 15 Easter Egg Hunts at 12:30, 2:00 & 3:45 16 Easter, Easter Egg Hunts at 12:30, 2:00 & 3:45 18 1st session of Mommy and Me and other courses begin 22 Earth Day, Kids Workshop, Caterpillars and Critters 29 Kids Workshop, Cuddle and CareMay, Lily 6 Kids Workshop, Feather their Nest, Chicken workshop, adults 7 MayDay Celebration

10 Full Flower Moon 13-14 Mothers Day Herb and Plant Sale Wkend 13 Sheep and Fiber Day, Kids Workshop, Grow and Taste Garden, 14 Sheep Shearing, Natural Fibers Workshop 16 2nd sessions of Mommy and Me and other 20-21 Baby Barnyard Weekend 20 Kids Workshop, Cuddle and Care, Dairy Workshop, (10-adults)June, Rose 3 Kids Workshop, Sensational Strawberries 10-11 Strawberry Fair weekenD

10 Full Strawberry Moon 17 Jam Workshop 21 Summer Solstice 12:24 AM EDT 26 First week of camp, other weeks start, July 10, 17, 24 31, August 7,14 July, Larkspur 4 Independence Day 9 Full Buck MoonAugust, Gladiolus 7 Full Sturgeon Moon 12-13 Perseid Meteor showers 28 Jupiter and Venus together tonight