Hello Friends + Neighbors,

With our third proper snow storm behind us, there’s no dispute that winter came in full effect this year. We hope you’re all enjoying the beauty this season brings and staying warm and safe with your families.

We’ve been hibernating quite a bit this month, as we plan out this first exciting year that Ravenwood will open it’s barn doors to the public. Seeds have been ordered and we’re excited about some beautiful new varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers this year.

Maple Syrup

With the help of dear friends (thanks Tait + Patrick!), our new sugaring setup is collecting this year’s sap. We’re hoping to double our yield this season, and will be updating you soon as maple syrup becomes available on our site and at our farmstead. Until then, you can check out the current winter issue of Modern Farmer that features our humble little operation in their article “Tapping into a Simpler Way of Life.” We were thrilled to have our backyard sugaring project, which is still in it’s infancy, highlighted amongst the stories of so many inspiring growers and creative entrepreneurs. More on this experience in our journal entry about our sugar bush.

Join Our Team

Other news on the horizon… As the 2017 farm season kicks off, we’re looking to expand our team out in the field and in the kitchen. Please help us spread the word about these six job listings to those who live in the area and might be interested. (Farm Worker, Kitchen Assistants, Barn Dinner Servers, + Dishwasher)

Dinner Invites

For those of you eagerly awaiting our dinners (can’t thank you enough for your patience + support), we’ll be sending out our first invites in March once we have dates on the calendar. If you know others who might like an invitation, please feel free to point them to our mailing list signup at: ravenwoodny.com/gatherings Also, for a peek at our first barn dinner that took place last season in collaboration with Field + Supply, visit this journal entry for photos and menu details.

That was a night to remember and we are so looking forward to creating many more memorable moments this upcoming season with each of you.

Until next time,
Dana + Chris

Hello Friends & Neighbors! It’s a NEW YEAR! – and one we’ve been anticipating for a VERY… LONG… TIME. We couldn’t be more excited to kick off 2017 and invite you all in to enjoy the completion of our barn space as we host a weekly farm stand and monthly dinner series at the start of the farm season this May.

That may sound like a long time away, but for us, the season begins now.

We’ll be expanding our sugar bush this month with a collection setup that offers us a much greater yield as we begin to harvest maple sap this February. We’ve just purchased 12 adjoining acres to our property which opens up a lot of opportunities for future growth – starting with more maple syrup!

In early March we’ll start our seedlings in the greenhouse and begin implementing plans for this year’s growing season and put our dinner dates on the calendar (sign up here for invites). Because the food we serve in the barn is mostly grown here, our annual seed purchase is directly linked to our menus. Every year our selections change – we learn a little more about what grew well and what didn’t, what we enjoyed working with in the kitchen and what we can do without. The process continues as our menus inspire ideas for the next year’s seedlings.

This collaboration we call Ravenwood is the culmination of many years, starting back in 2010 when we bought our place and started dreaming about how farming, food and design can come together in a space that fosters community and inspires creative exchange. We started planting seeds back then and lugging our harvest to Brooklyn for a makeshift supper club we hosted in our apartment with friends.

It took a long time to figure out our soil and sun exposure, to nurture relationships with other growers and makers, to work with the town and secure permits for our space, to design and build. Seven years later (!), here we are with one beautiful barn dinner under our belt (last October in collaboration with Field + Supply) and finally ready for the start of our first true season.

We are SO grateful for each and every one of you that has patiently awaited these dinners, followed our progress, purchased our eggs + syrup + produce AND most importantly – offered support and encouragement. Trying to sustain a small farm operation is no small feat and the community that has grown around this venture is more precious than we could have ever hoped for.

So, those of you who have picked up a hammer in the barn, lugged heavy buckets of sap, chased our chickens back into the coop, got down on your knees to weed, hand-crafted beautiful pieces for our space, traveled from far to cook and serve our guests – the list goes on and on, you know who you are… this year is for you!

We hope you’ll continue to join in our story and we’re looking forward to some face-to face time at the farm stand this spring as we serve you a nice cold ice coffee and some savory + sweet treats.

See you then!

With Love + Gratitude,
Dana + Chris

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PS. Throughout these winter months we’ll continue to fill our eggbox out front each weekend for neighbors to help themselves to our hen and duck eggs. / We post notices on Instagram (@ravenwoodny) each time we put them out and when they sell out.

Farm, Sugarbush + Eggbox Location: 39 Raven Wood Rd. Olivebridge
Barn Location: (5 miles down the road) 579 Samsonville Rd. Kerhonkson
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*Photo contributions by the talented @christophertestani + @brookefitts