Our BerkshireTimes Magazine, Spring/Summer 2019

Spring/Summer 2019, vol 52

Complimentary

Our BerkshireTimes

™

Local Events | Art & Culture | Home & Garden | Vibrant Living

Cover Art by Ken Musselman / www.kenmusselman.com

Spring / Summer 2019

Our BerkshireTimes™ PUBLISHERS Kathy I. Regan publisher@ourberkshiretimes.com Kevin J. Regan kevin@ourberkshiretimes.com _______________ EDITORIAL Kathy I. Regan editor@ourberkshiretimes.com

Contents 4

UPCOMING EVENTS FAMILY EXCURSIONS IN THE BERKSHIRES

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TO ADVERTISE CONTACT Account Representatives Kevin J. Regan kevin@ourberkshiretimes.com Debra Johnson mickschix2@aol.com Nina Anderson safe@bcn.net _______________ Our BerkshireTimes is a division of Visionary Group Unlimited P.O. Box 133, Housatonic, MA 01236 Phone: (413) 274-1122 advertise@ourberkshiretimes.com COVER ILLUSTRATION

Berries and Cream by Ken Musselman

www.kenmusselman.com

food & drink UP IN SMOKE

Proofreader Rodelinde Albrecht rodelinde@gmail.com _______________ DESIGN Magazine Design/Layout Kathy I. Regan Brianna I. Regan _______________

art, culture & entertainment

BERKSHIRE ORGANICS SWEET AND SAVOURY

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SIMPLE ASPARAGUS GOLDEN MILK WITH LOCAL SPICES

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home & garden NONCHEMICAL STRATAGIES HOUSEHOLD HACKS

18

shop local PRODUCT SPOTLIGHTS

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animal talk PET FOOD PANIC

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19

health & wellness CHECKS AND BALANCES THE FUTURE OF NONINVASIVE MEDICINE

28

education & workshops FEELING HEARD

30

cover artist spotlight

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featured advertisers THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

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ON THE COVER - Berries and Cream is an 8” x 10” painting by talented local Connecticut painter/illustrator Ken Musselman. We have heard Ken described as an immensely talented artist with a friendly and kind personality and we could not agree more. To read Ken’s bio and view more of his work see page 30 of this issue and visit www.kenmusselman.com. To purchase Ken’s paintings and illustrations, call him directly or go to www.fineartamerica .com/profiles/ken-musselman/shop.

Our BerkshireTimes magazine has been proudly created without Wi-Fi since it was first published in 2009. This publication is printed with soy ink on Forest Stewardship Council® certified paper. Most of our editorial content is contributed by our community members.

All content in Our BerkshireTimes™ is accepted in good faith. We do not necessarily advocate and cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by our authors, illustrators, and advertisers. We reserve the right to refuse advertising for any reason. For printing errors of the publisher’s responsibility, liability is limited to the cost of the ad space in which it first appeared. Unless otherwise noted, we use a Creative Commons License in place of a standard copyright.

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Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

art, culture & entertainment

Explore the Berkshires AND BEYOND - FUN THINGS TO DO!

Spring Flower Walk: Taconic State Park

Cost: Included in admission/free to members

When: Saturday, June 1, 2019, 10am-1pm Where: Taconic State Park (Cedar Brook), Copake Falls, NY Cost: Free

Hear the bellows blow, smell the coal smoke, and watch hot iron worked by hammer and anvil as New England blacksmiths converge at Hancock Shaker Village. Talk with blacksmiths and see traditional and modern methods in use. www.hancockshakervillage.org

Join Claudia Knab-Vispo and Conrad Vispo from the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program in welcoming spring during a walk in Taconic State Park (Cedar Brook), Copake Falls. Participation is free, but space is limited. Please register with Claudia Knab-Vispo at (518) 672-7994 to reserve your space and receive directions. www.hawthornevalley.org

Heirloom By Design Spring/Summer Festival When: Saturday, June 8, 2019, 10:30am-6pm Where: Greylock WORKS, 508 State Rd, North Adams, MA Cost: $5 entry, kids under 12 free Celebrate the Berkshires’ passion for authentic, handcrafted design and local food. Our spring/summer festival features our favorite Berkshire artisans and is complemented by a lineup of local food vendors, talented acoustic musicians and poets, kid-friendly activities, and a full day of delicious programming in the gWorks kitchen. Set in our light-filled weave shed, this unique marketplace brings together regional artisans, curators, chefs, and farmers to delight guests of all ages and interests.

Peruse and procure quality local crafts and discover exciting new flavors. www.greylockworks.com

Berkshire Backyard Beekeepers

Mt. Washington Church Fair 2019 When: Saturday, August 3, 2019 10am-3pm rain or shine Where: Church of Christ, East St and Cross Rd, Mt. Washington, MA Cost: Free and includes a ticket for door prize drawings Come see crafts and art by local artists. Enjoy yummy fresh food from the grill, an extensive salad bar, and treats from our homemade desserts table. Take home mountain-made jams, granolas, cookies, and more! Shop at Second Hand Rose Clothes and the White Elephant Tent. Have your family heirlooms appraised for only $5 by Lenox gallery antique expert Charles Flint at the Antiques Roadshow (until 1:30pm). Enjoy activities for kids and families including an art table, games, face painting, a scavenger hunt, and Silent Auction. Live music provided by local faves Sandy and Sandy! Everyone is invited . . . sorry, no pets.

Celebrating 95 Amazing Summersin Inthe theBerkshires!

Berkshires!

Celebrating 92 Summers 93 97 Celebrating 92 92 Amazing Summers Summers the Berkshires!

93Amazing Celebrating inin the Berkshires!

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When: Tuesday, June 11, 2019, 6pm Where: Berkshire Botanical Garden, 5 West Stockbridge Rd, Stockbridge, MA Cost: Free

Age of Iron When: Saturday & Sunday, August 3 & 4, 2019, 10am-5pm Where: Hancock Shaker Village, 1843 West Housatonic St, Hancock, MA

Enroll Today For Summer 2015 7 Enroll Today Today For For Summer Summer 2015 2015 2019 Enroll Day Camp Camp and and Sleepover Sleepover Camp ~~ Ages Ages 3 to 16 16 Day Day Camp and Sleepover Camp Camp ~ Ages 33 to to 16 Flexible Sessions Sessions ~~ Beautiful Beautiful Lake Lake Buel Buel Campus Campus Flexible Campus Flexible Only555Miles milesfrom fromGreat Gt. Barrington, Barrington, MA Only Barrington, MA Only miles from Gt. MA ~ 888-528-0940 camphalfmoon.com 9 camphalfmoon.com Camp Half-Moon Rd | P.O. Box 188 9 Camp Half-Moon Road Camp Half-Moon Rd P.O. Box 188 188 ~~ 888-528-0940 99 Camp Half-Moon Rd || P.O. Box Great Barrington, MA 01230 Monterey, MA 01245 Great Barrington, MA 01230 Great Barrington, MA 01230 (888) 528-0940 (888) 528-0940 | (413) 528-0940 (888) 528-0940 (413) 528-0940 528-0940 (888) 528-0940 || (413) www.camphalfmoon.com www.camphalfmoon.com

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Join local beekeepers on the second Tuesday of each month at 6pm on the grounds of Berkshire Botanical Garden. Each month’s meeting will involve season-appropriate discussions and demonstrations using the BBG apiary, weather permitting. We will focus on sustainable beekeeping techniques: raising and sourcing bees locally, managing pests and diseases ecologically, and creating beneficial habitats for honeybees and native pollinators alike. All levels of experience are welcome. These meetings are free and registration is not required. Please see the kiosk in front of the Welcome Center for meeting location. www.berkshirebotanical.org

www.camphalfmoon.com

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com | Spring / Summer 2019

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Family Excursions in the Berkshires BREAK OUT OF HIBERNATION / By Nina Anderson

e have skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, and many indoor activities to keep kids smiling during the cold months of winter. But once it starts to warm up we come out of hibernation and start looking around for things to do that are fun for the entire family.

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fishing boats, pontoon boats, and canoes at O’Hara’s Landing.

They even have a nice lakeside restaurant that is open for lunch during the season. Sailing is popular on that lake as well so you may wish to charter a mini-cruiser with the Captain from www.nashallasailing.com.

If your kids are into art, a cool place to visit is the Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio in Lenox, MA. After a short walk (or a ride in the golf cart) through a pineforest and over a stream you come to a wonderful modern building that is filled with cubistic art and even a unique living room floor made from leather. At the end of your tour you will enter the studio and be given a pad and a little drawing instruction to teach you how to draw like the masters. This is always fun for young artists. Fridays are painting demo days outside on the 46-acre estate, with local professional artists demonstrating their techniques and talking about their process.

Nearby in West Cornwall, CT, Clarke Outdoors provides river rafting experiences along with canoe and kayak sales and rentals on the Housatonic River. This section of the river is a mixture of moving flatwater and easy whitewater so is suitable for novice paddlers. The famous Covered Bridge in West Cornwall marks the halfway point of your journey and is a scenic stop for a picnic.

If you want to immerse your family in history, head to the Trustees’ William Cullen Bryant Homestead in Cummington, MA. Here you can go back in time seeing rural New England life through history, art, food, and nature. Family programs, special events, and farm-to-table dinners bring the Homestead’s stories and landscapes to life! The Homestead’s pastoral landscape, largely unchanged for more than 150 years, includes pastures, fields, maple sugar bush (that has been tapped for more than 200 years), and woodlands. Self-guided trail maps are available as well as tours through the Victorian-style home.

What about water sports? As the season progresses, the Berkshires have a multitude of lakes and rivers that provide great opportunities to cool off. On Onota Lake in Pittsfield, MA, you’ll find Onota Boat Livery that rents fishing boats, pontoon boats, rowboats, kayaks, and canoes. The lake is terrific for fishing as it is stocked each spring and fall with trout, and you can buy fishing supplies right at the Livery store. A little farther south just over the border in Salisbury, CT, on Twin Lakes you can also rent 6

Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

Travel back up north to Lenox, MA, to find Berkshire Canoe and Kayak Tours for fun-filled guided canoe and kayak trips on the Housatonic River. This is a more tranquil section of the river and they also give instruction to first-time paddlers. Along this stretch of the river you will see abundant wildlife including red-tailed hawks, owls, Canadian geese, great blue herons, kingfishers, and many types of foliage. Beavers, muskrats, and turtles will also delight river explorers.

If you have children interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), you may want to introduce them to flying. Berkshire Aviation, at the charming Great Barrington, (MA) Airport, gives introductory flight lessons. I gave one to my grandson when he was nine and he took many lessons as he got older. They also have scenic tours if you want to take the family up and get a bird’s-eye view of our beautiful mountains, farms, and lakes. So, to make the summer one to remember, load the kids into the car and start exploring the many fun, family-friendly things to do in our area. ~ Nina Anderson is a retired jet pilot and author of 18 books, www. safegoodspublishing.com. She is certified in neurolinguistics and Reiki II, and is a specialist in performance nutrition as well as pulsed electromagnetic therapy (PEMT). www.nlpberkhires.com

art, culture & entertainment

Nashalla Sailing

Charter with us!

Twin Lakes, Salisbury, CT

O’Hara’s Landing

Located on beautiful Twin Lakes in Northwest Connecticut

Boat Sales/Rentals/Restaurant 860-824-7583 ● Salisbury, CT

NashallaSailin

g.com

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oharaslanding.com

heilaa Hite Intuitive Counselor

Featured in Paulette Cooper’s directory, ‘THE 100 TOP PSYCHICS in AMERICA’

Boat Sales/Rentals/ 860-824Oharaslanding.com 7583 Salis-

Tarot • Astrology • Palmistry • Psychometry Mediumship • Past Life Regression Hypnotherapy • Life Coach Consultations in Person, by Phone or Skype Classes, Parties and Events

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g Knittin s n Lesso ct je & Pro Help

Enjoy the Natural Beauty of the Berkshires Enjoy the Natural Beauty of the Berkshires

Beautiful selection of name-brand and local yarn, patterns, knitting needles, crochet hooks, gifts, and thousands of beautiful buttons.

Open Tue & Thu 12-5, Wed 12-7, Fri & Sat 10-5, Sun 12-4. Closed Monday

Norad Mill ~ 60 Roberts Drive, Suite 302 North Adams, MA

www.spinoffyarnshop.com ● 413-344-6257 MODERNISM. INSIDE AND OUT.

MODERNISM. INSIDE AND OUT. MODERNISM. INSIDE AND OUT. Berkshire Canoe and Kayak Canoe Tours Berkshire

• Great for Novice or Experienced Paddlers • Approx. 1.5 - 2 hr. Kayak / Canoe Tours $50 per per Child Paddlers •• Great for Adult Novice/or$30 Experienced •• Approx.

Reservations Recommended 1.5 - 2 hr. Kayak / Canoe Tours

and Kayak Tours • Reservations Recommended 413-442-2789 | Berkshirecanoetours.org Road in historic Lenox, Massachusetts. per Adult on / $30New per Child Trips operate out of Deckers• $50 Landing Lenox

Featuring Cubist masterworks, including pieces by Picasso, Braque, Gris & Leger

FRELINGHUYSEN MORRIS HOUSE & STUDIO 92 Hawthorne Street | Lenox | 413 637 0166 | Thursday–Sunday | Tours | frelinghuysen.org

413-442-2789 | Berkshirecanoetours.org

Featuring Cubist masterworks, including pieces by Picasso, Braque, Gris & Leger

FRELINGHUYSEN HOUSE STUDIO Featuring Cubist masterworks,MORRIS including pieces

by Picasso,& Braque, Gris & Leger 92 Hawthorne Street | Lenox | 413 637 0166 | Thursday–Sunday | Tours | frelinghuysen.org FRELINGHUYSEN MORRIS HOUSE & STUDIO 92 Hawthorne Street | Lenox | 413 637 0166 | Thursday–Sunday | Tours | frelinghuysen.org

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com | Spring / Summer 2019

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food & drink

Up In Smoke WITH APOLOGIES TO CHEECH AND CHONG

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By Michael Romano

he smoking of food is one of the oldest methods of preserving known to man. It was probably discovered by accident when one of our ancestors left their fish too close to the fire and found out it stayed edible for a long time. The drying action of the smoke naturally preserves the meat and in older times it was one of the only ways to preserve food besides drying or salting it.

Over the years modern food smoking has evolved into its own sophisticated art form, and what a beautiful evolution it’s been.

The activity has a large and growing culinary following as people are rediscovering this method as a way of flavoring food. It has even inspired television shows; just ask any fan of Steven Raiclen, the PBS host of Primal Smoke. Steven smokes everything from meats, fowl, and fish to veggies, cheeses, fruits, and even hardboiled eggs! Smoking is done less for preservation these days and more for taste and texture.

We have a lot of different types of deciduous trees that grow in the Berkshires whose hardwood can be used for smoking food.

Smoking can take hours or even days – this process is not to be confused with wood grilling which uses a hot, fast fire to sear the meat and impart a rich flavor. Those who remember the Dakota Restaurant in Pittsfield will also remember the smell of food being cooked on mesquite, which is a fast-burning, very powerful-tasting wood. Great for grilling, but not so great for smoking. The harder deciduous woods such as fruit, nut, maple, and others burn evenly and slowly and impart flavors that are perfect for smoking a variety of foods. This does not include any of the softer coniferous woods (pine, spruce, and so forth), which burn fast and leave a bitter, pitch flavor not suitable for smoking or grilling.

Almost as important as the wood, the smokers themselves can range from inexpensive backyard homemade versions to professional multi-floor smokehouses. Foods can be cold smoked or hot smoked and the more indirect the heat source the slower the smoke process. An indirect cold smoke can be as low as 100 to 120 degrees and is usually reserved to flavor cheeses, fish, veggies, fruit, and such. Some foods that are cold smoked can be cooked thoroughly later, like bacon. Hot smoke typically runs between 165 and 185 degrees and is used on foods that can be eaten without cooking, like hams, kielbasa, and some hard sausages. One of the most imaginative smokers I ever saw was an old refrigerator, motor removed, with holes cut in the top and bottom. A remote firebox and adjustable stovepipes made it usable as a cold or a hot smoker, and all you had to do was open the fridge door to obtain the finished product. It actually worked great!

I interviewed several local pit master chefs while writing this 8

Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

piece and each had their own favorite wood and method for smoking their products. Most them prefer to use lighter-tasting woods, many of which come from the area. The knowledge they have acquired allows them to pair certain types of wood with the meat or fish being smoked, much in the same way different wines can be paired with food to complement a dish. The flavors of wood are varied to accompany the heaviness or lightness of the product. The pairing of wood to foods can be different for each chef and recipe. Sometimes a mix of different woods is used for a specific flavor. The milder-flavored woods like apple, alder, and maple (bark peeled) are good with most fish, poultry, cheese, and produce. The medium-flavored woods such as peach, pear, plum, cherry, apple, and oak pair well with poultry, pork, oily fish, and duck. Strong-flavored woods such as hickory, walnut, and other nut woods do well with beef and most pork, but it is a matter of taste. It should be noted that the pit masters stay away from orchard wood as the trees may have been sprayed with pesticides that would transfer to food. You can buy smoking wood in stores, but it is usually chipped for grills and won’t do well in a big smoke project. Most smoke chefs or pit masters prefer wild woods and some cut it themselves for the size they need.

Kevin Beaumont, owner of Bash Bish Brew & ‘Que in Sheffield, MA, and an old friend I know from Cape Cod both use a secret dry rub before anything goes into the smoker. Kevin has two smokers in back of his Sheffield restaurant and he uses apple and pearwood to smoke pork shoulder, beef brisket, chicken, and fish. The pearwood in fact once lined the streets of Great Barrington before the trees were cut down and replaced. Jim Hallock from the Morgan House will only use a local red oak for all his smoking and he peels the bark off each piece of wood because the bark can give an oily taste to the food. He also factors in atmospheric pressure and temperature when doing a batch and he says he would rather smoke in below-zero weather as it’s easier to control the fire. David Pullaro of Fiddleheads has the biggest smoker I have ever seen, capable of holding tons of chicken, whole pigs, and a side of beef.

I have maple, black walnut, oak, and crab apple growing in my yard and an old smoker coming up from the cellar. I’m inspired! It’s trout season and we love smoked trout so if I happen to catch a few “we’ll be smoking.” Just follow your nose! ~ Michael Romano, has lived with his wife, Susan, in Great Barrington, MA, for almost 40 years. He is a retired chef, an avid fisherman, and writer.

food & drink SMOKED MEATS & BBQ 90+ BEERS & WINE 10 DRAFT LINES PIZZA & DAILY SPECIALS CATERING & PRIVATE PARTIES BREAKFAST ● LUNCH ● DINNER

413-248-1232

113 Main Street, Sheffield, MA www.bashbishbrewnque.com

Take $35 off when you spend $100 or more* *Please present this coupon found in Our BerkshireTimes Magazine to server at start of meal. Offer expires Sept 30, 2019. Not valid for wine dinners or holidays.

One coupon per table. Cannot be combined with other offers or promotions.

“Come taste the ancient flavors of authentic Pompeian brick oven cooking and grilling, savored in an elegant, romantic, intimate setting in downtown Pittsfield.” ~ Davide Manzo, Proprietor/Chef Dinner daily starting at 5pm. Closed Tuesdays. Reservations suggested.

10 MILL RIVER, GREAT BARRINGTON RD, MILL RIVER 413-229-2663 ● VISIT US ON FACEBOOK

26 McKay Street, Pittsfield, MA (413) 499-1192 • www.trattoria-rustica.com

½

entrées available

Blue Hill Flowers, Country Store and Cafe

Wedding & Special Event Flowers ● Gifts ● Cafe ● And More!

176 Ashley Falls Rd., Canaan, CT ● 860-824-0808

NORTH EGREMONT COUNTRY STORE

D-e-e-licious!

NEWLY EXPANDED DELI - FOOD MENU!

Wholesome ● Homestyle ● Delicious SoCo Ice Cream ● Local Free-Range Eggs Milk ● Liquor ● Beer ● Wine ● Pastries Lotto ● Post Office ● Fishing Bait Photo by John Phelan

Route 71, North Egremont, MA (Near Prospect Lake)

Tues-Sat dinner only • 150 Main St., Lee 413.243.6397 cheznousbistro.com

Call (413) 528-4796

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com | Spring / Summer 2019

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food & drink

Sweet (and Savoury) Somethings

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GRAND OPENING MID-MAY! / By Rodelinde Albrecht

ungry for something special? Here’s great news for those who find themselves in Lee, MA, at breakfast, lunch, or snack time! Livia Landry, proprietor of Sweet and Savoury on Main in Stockbridge for more than three years, now offers her delectable creations in Lee. The grand opening of Sweet and Savoury on Main at 56 Main Street in Lee (the former site of the Cakewalk Cafe) is scheduled for mid-May. Sweet and Savoury will continue as a boutique bake shop, with all goodies baked from scratch, by hand, from locally sourced ingredients without the use of preservatives, additives, pesticides, and dyes; wheat-free and grain-free items are also available. Livia bakes the way your grandmother did, with care and consideration, creating wholesome, nourishing food. “Good baking is not to be hurried,” says Livia; she cuts the butter into the flour by hand, not with a machine!

Enter the welcoming, comforting, yet sophisticated premises of Sweet and Savoury on Main in Lee and make yourself at home.

In the morning (starting at 7:30), indulge yourself with breakfast sandwiches. For lunch, try Livia’s panini or her savoury hand pies stuffed with portobello mushrooms, caramelized shallots, and fontina or with sundried tomato, roasted garlic, and artichoke

hearts. Mmmmm! My mouth is watering just thinking about these. Livia also offers locally made soups at lunchtime.

And when your sweet tooth starts acting up, treat yourself to pound cake or coffee cake or – one of Livia’s specialties – Mexican chocolate pumpkin seed cake. Smaller, locally handmade confections are also on offer, including sweet and salty caramels, and modjeskas (marshmallows dipped in chocolate or caramel).

You can wash down your meal or treat with locally sourced coffee and espresso, Harney & Sons tea, or a cold beverage.

Here’s more good news, especially for you doughnut fans: John and Debbie Scalia will be making their handcut Home Sweet Home Doughnuts specifically for Livia’s Sweet and Savoury on Main in Lee. Livia prides herself on using the finest available ingredients sourced locally from family-run businesses. The quality of the ingredients is manifest in the quality of the finished products.

Sweet and Savoury on Main offers a discount to active military as well as to veterans. Visit sweetsavourymain.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram. ~ Rodelinde Albrecht is a writer, proofreader (see ad on page 25), and owner of Concerned Singles, www.concernedsingles.com.

boutique bake shop on main street in lee, ma small batch ● handcrafted on the premises daily locally sourced when possible ● scratch made

Doughnuts made by John and Debbie Scalia, formerly of Home Sweet Home Doughnuts. pastries ● savoury hand pies ● soups ● specialty cakes ● paninis ● coffee & espresso breakfast & lunch | 413-243-7777 | 56 main street, lee, ma | www.sweetsavourymain.com 10

Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

food & drink

Berkshire Organics even more great products, develop practical recipes and cooking instructions for you to use, and will be offering products and tools to help empower you to feel your best.

Home Delivery and Online Shopping In addition to replenishing the stock in our market, we’re working tenaciously to offer exciting new home delivery baskets every week packed full of produce grown right here in the Berkshires. We also encourage everyone to check out our website at www.berkshireorganics.com to see how easy it is to order online. Have all the grocery staples you need for meals, picnics, and snacks delivered to your door. Customers control the frequency and contents of every order, and are never locked in.

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or more than a decade Berkshire Organics has been connecting customers with scores of farms in the area and delivering the bounty year-round to homes and businesses throughout Berkshire County. Their market in Dalton is open daily. New owners Shaun and Amanda Opperman have been involved with the business for many years. They say “The heart of the business is our home delivery service because we can reach people who otherwise would not have access to nutrientpacked food every week of the year. It’s like bringing the farmer’s market directly to their door. It’s a commitment to the ancestral production of food. It’s all the benefits of a CSA. It’s organic for any budget. And it’s conveniently ordered online and delivered.”

Keeping Our Doors Open We look forward to rebuilding the business and are enthusiastic about what the future will bring. Our sincere appreciation for your continued support.” ~ Shaun and Amanda Opperman Where to Find Us Berkshire Organics is conveniently located at 813 Dalton Division Road in Dalton, MA. Our market is open seven days a week and you can also order online through our website at www.berkshireorganics .com at any time. We look forward to meeting you!

We Make Organic Affordable “Because we work closely with our local farmers we are able to offer exceptional produce at amazing prices. It’s absolutely false that organic food must be expensive. In addition we accept SNAP benefits, offer purchase discounts to everyone including seniors with our stamp card loyalty program, and always have imperfect “second chance” produce available at a fraction of the retail price.

Food Our Ancestors Would Recognize Our commitment to ancestral, organic, and biodynamic growing practices ensures the production of nutrient-rich food; we simply refuse to settle for less. Nothing we offer is grown conventionally.

We also know our customers are faced with a daunting amount of information about what and what not to eat; it can be extremely confusing for health-conscious consumers. Our market is stocked only with real food options so customers can thoroughly enjoy their shopping experience, develop a nourishing relationship with food, and ultimately have a love affair with cooking and cuisine. Using our knowledge of the human body and nutrition (we both have medical backgrounds), and collaborating with likeminded folks in the area, Amanda and I are working to bring in

HE OF T T S D BE VOTE

IRES H S K BER

Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

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Golden Milk with Local Spices

By Guido’s Fresh Marketplace

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healthy, delicious treat, this warming milk uses fresh local ginger and turmeric from Mill River Farm. Make a big batch, and drink right before bedtime. Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients 3 c. canned coconut milk 3 c. plain unsweetened nut or dairy milk 3 T grated fresh young turmeric

2 T grated fresh young ginger 2 cinnamon sticks 2 T coconut oil 2 T maple syrup or honey, or more to taste

1 pinch salt Several grinds of black pepper

Directions Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture is hot and the liquid is infused with spice, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain if you wish. Taste, and add more turmeric, ginger, or sweetener if desired. ~ Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, www.guidosfreshmarketplace.com

Like our style?

In addition to magazine publishing and ad design, we also offer other marketing services including newsletters, website design, business card design, and more.

Let us know how we can help!

413-274-1122 ● www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

Berkshire Record’s ‘Best of the 2017’ Voted Best Shop and Best&New York Style Deli NYBagel STYLE BAGELS 17 FLAVORS OF CREAM CHEESE

BAGELS BAKED FRESH DAILY SMOKED FISH PASTRAMI • SOUPS SALADS CATERING FOR ALL OCCASIONS

777 MainBARRINGTON, Street, Great MA 777 MAIN ST. GREAT MA Barrington, 01230 ● www.gbbagel.com 413.528.9055 413.528.9055, GBBAGEL.COM 12

Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

food & drink

Simple Asparagus QUICK AND EASY RECIPE / By

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pring comes to the Berkshires at more or less the same time every year. Even so, year after year, we await its arrival with an edge of despair, half-believing it might not ever come. We sit tight and try to be patient. We complain of the April snow. (Even though we get it every year!)

We commiserate about how long this winter has been. (In truth it’s about the same length it was last year.) And then eventually, inevitably, thankfully, the sun does shine, the earth does warm, and we are rewarded for our patience when the surest sign of spring arrives . . . local asparagus!

Trading favorite asparagus recipes is as much a rite of spring as raking out your flower beds. Crêpes, stir-fries, and risottos are delicious. Grilled, roasted, or even pickled are good too! But, here at the Co-op, we think the first crop of asparagus is best enjoyed in a simple preparation.

Otherwise, err on the side of undercooked and let the residual heat do its thing.

Toss the spears in the best olive oil you have and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. For a bright finish, grate some lemon zest over the top.

Take a taste and savor the moment . . . spring has indeed finally arrived, and it’s as delicious as you’ve been dreaming it would be! ~ Berkshire Food Co-op, located in downtown Great Barrington, MA, (413) 528-9697, www.berkshire.coop. Photos by © New Africa/Adobe Stock, © geniuslady/Depositphotos.

Our recommendation?

Blanch your asparagus quickly so that it stays bright green and firm. Aim for just barely done. If you’re feeling ambitious, shock the cooked spears in ice water to halt the cooking process.

same SMilEs, WIder AiSLEs! Opening this summer!

located in downtown Great Barrington | www.berkshire.coop

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com | Spring / Summer 2019

13

Nonchemical Strategies FOR MANAGING INVASIVE SPECIES IN YOUR BACKYARD / By Jessica Toro

M

any of us understand the ecological concern of the impact of invasives on our natural world. But it’s also important to be aware of how invasives directly impact you. Barberry is increasing tick abundance and the number of infected ticks found both in the natural landscape and in our lawns. Giant hogweed can cause second-degree burns to exposed skin. Invasive plants degrade garden beds and vegetable gardens, and impact farming on all scales. We need to broaden our perspective that invasives are damaging just nature, and also include ourselves as being threatened by these species.

When considering nonchemical strategies to control invasive species, this subset of approaches includes hand pulling (hand removal), mechanical, propane torching, biocontrol, smothering treatments, grazing, or a combination of these strategies to manage a variety of invasive plants.

Paramount to the success of your project is the need to evaluate the entire property for the presence and absence of invasive species, environmental conditions, and the context of the site in the larger landscape. This will help you determine the size of the project and whether you want to tackle control efforts all at once or in phases. Once you have a list of invasives, think about the biology of each species. Are some a greater concern or have a greater urgency for control?

It may be best to start with the species that has just entered the property and has spread the least. They will be fewer and smaller, making it easier to control them with nonchemical methods.

You will be preventing them from spreading and becoming more problematic. If working in phases, you may want to consider looking where there are no invasives and expanding that area instead of dealing with the heaviest invasion first.

It is important to understand the environmental conditions of your property. If it is wet, even nonchemical approaches may need wetland permits. In a garden setting, you may not want to smother all the plants.

Think about how your property fits into your neighborhood and larger landscape. If all your neighbors have bittersweet vines, there is a seed source to reinvade your property even after you have gained successful control. You may wish to prioritize species for control that don’t have nearby seed sources. In this vein of thinking, highway departments are one of the most common spreaders of invasive species along roadsides. You may want to work with them so that their mowing equipment does not bring seed and plant material onto your property. In the end, prevention is the cheapest approach for invasive control.

The two greatest things you will need are patience and commitment.

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Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

Nonchemical strategies require longer periods of time and greater repetition to achieve desired goals. Start small and be successful!

Manual control includes hand pulling, cutting of seedheads, and digging up smaller shrubs, trees, and vines. The manual approach is great for herbaceous invasives (garlic mustard, dame’s rocket, narrow bittercress) and when shrubs, trees, and vines or knotweed are small. The area you can cover is directly related to the amount of time you have, and the size and abundance of the invasives.

For many landowners, an area over a half acre may not be feasible for handpulling. Digging in wetlands or wetland buffer should be discussed with your local conservation commission.

Mechanical treatment can be accomplished with brush cutters, chain saws, tractors with brush hogs, or larger equipment such as forestry or flail mowers. This could be a good option if you have larger-sized invasives like honeysuckle or buckthorn trees.

Large equipment will even mulch up the vegetation, returning the nutrients to the ground. Mechanical treatment can be timed when the invasive’s root storage is depleted, which requires the plants to put energy into regrowth instead of restocking the root reserves through photosynthesis.

Mechanical is also good to do prior to grazing or propane torching. Propane torching is another tool that is selective for invasives and can be used easily in garden, landscape, and farming areas. It works better on certain species than others.

The downside to propane torching is that you are using fuel to power the torch and multiple tanks over small areas. How quickly you cover an area is dependent on the size of the torch and the number of plants.

For specific species such as purple loosestrife, biocontrols have been very successful. Unfortunately, most biocontrols are still in development.

Each approach is a different tool that should be kept as an option. Every situation is different, and each management tool has its limitations. To achieve success, landowners need to match their goals, site, species, and biology to the appropriate management options. ~Jessica Toro is the co-owner of Native Habitat Restoration, based in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She has designed and implemented many invasive control and restoration efforts over the past 18 years.

Prior to starting Native Habitat Restoration, Jessica worked for 11 years at the Nature Conservancy as the conservation program manager of the Berkshire Taconic Landscape. www.nativehabitatrestoration.weebly.com

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15

Dress Up Your Windows Solar Shades

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Household Hacks

M

By Kevin J. Regan

ake your sink fixtures gleam with wax paper.

First scrub them with a little baking soda and a damp sponge, rinse and dry, then polish them with some wax paper. The wax will help remove water spots and prevent future stains.

Vinegar. It can do so much. We get the inexpensive large bottles of white vinegar at the supermarket to use for cleaning.

It’s a good counter disinfectant, especially when applied directly after a quick spray of hydrogen peroxide. It can be used in your washing machine (see the final hack below) or in your dishwasher to help make glasses sparkle (add 1½ to 2 cups to the bottom of your dishwasher). Vinegar does a great job cleaning hard-to-reach areas in coffee makers (fill the reservoir with a few tablespoons of white vinegar mixed with water, run the coffee maker, then rinse). It’s extremely helpful for cleaning mineral buildup in toilets – whenever you won’t be using the toilet for a few hours fill up an empty jug of water and quickly pour down the toilet without flushing to lower the water level.

Then, add a few cups of vinegar and let soak for several hours.

Vinegar can also be used to clean clogged shower heads (soak overnight), and to prevent soap scum build-up – wipe tubs and shower doors with a sponge soaked in distilled white vinegar.

Clean and remove difficult stains on your wood cutting boards with lemon and salt. After washing, sprinkle kosher salt on your cutting boards and use a half of a lemon to rub it in.

Let the mixture sit on your boards for a few minutes, then rinse with clean water.

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Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

One of my pet peeves is secondhand chemical-scented detergent and dryer sheet odors wafting around the neighborhood. Not only is the odor overpowering, it also exposes us (both by breathing it in and by dermal absorption) to an unhealthy chemical cocktail of known carcinogens and hazardous endocrine-disrupting pollutants. Our current US Consumer Product Safety Commission does not require dryer sheet manufacturers to list actual ingredients, including the chemicals used for fragrances. The solution? Instead of using chemical dryer sheets, try adding a quarter cup of white vinegar to your washer’s rinse cycle and then place wool dryer balls in your dryer for the dry cycle. You can also add a few drops of organic essential oil to the wool balls to add a natural pleasant scent. The Berkshire Food Co-op in Great Barrington carries essential oils, and you can purchase wool dryer balls directly from Community Access to the Arts, (CATA), at www.cataarts.org/product/dryer-balls. CATA is a wonderful local nonprofit organization that unleashes the creative talents of people with disabilities, using the arts to connect them with the wider community. ~ Kevin Regan,

Hartsville Design, www.hartsvilledesign.com

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Mountain Electronics

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In business since 1996, helping you keep your music and memories alive!

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einer White & Sons, a family-run business since 1988, is known for attention to detail and quality work. Our company offers a wide variety of industry contacts and is able to meet all of your construction needs. Whether you’re thinking of a new home, or would like to renovate or add onto your existing home, contact us today so we can discuss your project and help make your dreams a reality.

New Construction ● Additions ● Remodeling ● Siding ● Windows Decks & Porches ● Sunrooms ● Kitchens & Bathrooms ● Roofs Interior Finishes ● Trimwork & Moldings ● Free Consultation & More

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American National is a group of companies writing a broad array of insurance products and services. Products and services may not be National is a group ofeligibility companies writing a broad array of insurance products and services. and services may not be available in allAmerican states. Terms, conditions and requirements will apply.

Life insurance and annuity productsProducts are issued through available in all states.

Terms, conditions and eligibility requirements will apply.

Life insurance andNew annuity American National Insurance Company, Galveston, Texas; or Farm Family Life Insurance Company, Glenmont, York.products Property are andissued through American Nationalare Insurance Company, Galveston, Farm Family Life Insurance Glenmont, casualty products and services made available through FarmTexas; FamilyorCasualty Insurance Company,Company, Glenmont, New York.New York. Property and casualty products and services are made available through Farm Family Casualty Insurance Company, Glenmont, New York.

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www.OurBerkshireTimes.com | Spring / Summer 2019

17

SPRING/SUMMER 2019

shoplocal IN THE BERKSHIRES!

Cream & Sorbet / Chocolate Springs ENJOY Ice Enjoy delicious, creamy, freshly made ice cream, gelato, and

sorbet at Chocolate Springs. This European-style chocolate and dessert café run by proprietor Joshua Needleman, who has decades of experience in crafting the finest handmade bonbons from natural ingredients, is located conveniently in Lenox, MA. Chocolates at the café (and for online purchase) include milk and dark, truffles, award-winning ganaches, and amazing hot chocolate using only the finest seasonal and organic ingredients whenever possible. In addition to the treats mentioned above, enjoy coffee, espresso, specialty desserts, and much more. Buy gifts online at any time, or stop by in person to visit the café at 55 Pittsfield Road, Lenox, MA. (413) 637-9820, www.chocolatesprings.com

CELEBRATE

Be Berkshire Ready / Bella Flora

If you are Berkshire proud, come on by and check out our “BRK” offerings at Bella Flora. Great for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Graduation Day, heck why not Every Day! Bella Flora, a family-based company that is fueled by passion and creative energies, is dedicated to local artisans, sustainable products, Fair Trade, and the latest styles. Owners Annie and Chris Whalen offer beautiful floral arrangements, gift baskets, plants, personal accessories, and more. Bella Flora is located in Guido’s Fresh Marketplace in Great Barrington and Pittsfield, MA. Their Pittsfield location is bigger, better, and even more beautiful than ever. Local delivery available. Order today!

(413) 496-8242, www.bellafloraberkshires.com

10% OFF

Fishing & Boating Await You / Onota Boat Livery

Onota Boat Livery is your one-stop shop for all fishing and boating needs. The store is open seven days a week and offers a huge variety of fishing tackle, live bait, marine accessories, and boat/motor sales. Boat rentals are available and include kayaks, canoes, small fishing boats, and pontoon boats.

The Livery offers a full-service marine repair shop and has a huge inventory of engine repair parts. Dock slips are also available. Located on Onota Lake at 463 Pecks Road, Pittsfield, MA. Visit our website at www.onotaboat.com or call (413) 442-1724. Mention this ad to receive 10% off your tackle/rental purchase.

(413) 442-1724, www.onotaboat.com

DELIGHT

Fly with Berkshire Aviation

Berkshire Aviation, LLC, has been serving aviators and the flying public for more than 65 years at the Great Barrington Airport, providing maintenance, flight instruction, and scenic flights. It is home to both private and businessowned general aviation aircraft. Whether you are looking to see the Berkshires from the air, want to learn to fly, are looking for a charter flight, need aircraft maintenance, or are an aviation enthusiast, the staff invites you to the friendliest airport in the Northeast. 70 Egremont Plain Road, Great Barrington, MA. (413) 528-1010, www.berkshireaviation.com

DAZZLE

Glass & Sterling Silver Bracelets / Cheshire Glass

Glass bead and sterling silver bracelets are eye-catching and unique. Earthy with an elegant flair. Sure to get compliments! These beautifully handcrafted beads are made right here in Berkshire County at Cheshire Glassworks by artist Jill Reynolds. Jill’s independently owned studio and gallery, located in the northern Berkshires, is filled with sparkling pendants, earrings, bracelets, rings, glass vases, and imaginative sculptures. Jill lovingly creates each one-of-a-kind piece with the magic of fire, glass, and brilliant color. Now celebrating 12 years in business!

Custom orders are always welcome. Located at 24 South Street, Cheshire, MA. (413) 743-7828, www.cheshireglassworks.com

RELIEVE

Heritage Hemp CBD / Berkshire Food Co-op

All-natural, high-quality CBD products from Heritage Hemp CBD are organically grown and crafted in small batches right here in Western Massachusetts.

Heritage grow and process their own cultivars of full-spectrum hemp with high levels of CBD and never use artificial colors or flavors. Third-party tested for purity, Heritage Hemp CBD products contain less than .3 percent THC. Find hemp extract gummies (shown at right), tinctures, capsules, and salves right here at Berkshire Food Co-op, located in downtown Great Barrington. Watch for our grand opening this summer! We’ll be bigger and brighter than ever with more than 700 new products available!

(413) 528-9697, www.berkshire.coop

EXPLORE

William Cullen Bryant Homestead

Join the Trustees at the Bryant Homestead this summer and explore rural New England life through history, art, food, and nature.

From its iconic red barn to the elegant allée of maples leading to the main house, this lovely property is testament to the celebrated poet’s ideal of living mindfully on the land. Family programs, special events, and farm-to-table dinners bring the Homestead’s stories and landscapes to life! Whether it’s our Homestead History Days, a hike through old-growth forest, or enjoying a beautiful meal surrounded by the Berkshire hills, come experience the beauty and history of the Bryant Homestead this summer. 207 Bryant Road, Cummington, MA. (413) 200-7262, www.thetrustees.org/bryanthomestead

www.OurBerkshireTimes.com | Spring / Summer 2019

19

animal talk

Pet Food Panic SEPARATING THE FACTS FROM THE RHETORIC

By Kristina Dow

I

n July 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an alert that it was investigating a possible link between canine heart disease and grainfree dog foods containing white potatoes, peas, lentils, and other legume pulses as main ingredients. Reports to the FDA of an increased incidence of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) occurring in breeds not typically genetically prone to the disease, along with anecdotal evidence of a connection to grainfree diets, prompted the pet food alert.

An update notice in February 2019 revealed little more, noting only that the potential association between grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs was proving to be a complex scientific issue involving multiple factors. The statistics accompanying that update were, however, quite sobering. Between January 1, 2014, and November 30, 2018, 294 cases of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs were reported; however, of those 294 cases, 273 were reported just since the FDA’s July 2018 public alert. And with some of the total 294 reports involving more than one affected pet, the total number of individual case reports totaled 325 and included reports of 74 deaths.

If pet owners weren’t concerned after the FDA’s July alert, they certainly were after the FDA’s February update, especially in light of the ongoing, expanding FDA recalls of both dry and canned pet foods for toxic levels of synthetic vitamins.

What is Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)?

The canine heart disease in question, DCM, is a serious, sometimes fatal disease in which the muscles of the heart weaken and the heart’s ability to pump blood is compromised.

As the disease progresses, the chambers of the heart enlarge, the heart continues to lose muscle efficiency, and fluid begins to accumulate in the lungs, causing congestion and coughing. Left untreated, the eventual course of the disease leads to congestive heart failure, and, in some cases, sudden death.

DCM can be hereditary, dietary, or idiopathic (of unknown origin), or a combination thereof. Early signs of DCM can be lethargy and/or a persistent cough. As the disease progresses, shortness of breath, rapid or excessive breathing, or difficulty breathing may be observed, along with episodes of sudden collapse.

Factors Leading to DCM Certain breeds of dogs are recognized as being genetically predisposed to DCM, although we are not sure why. Large or giant breeds such as Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Doberman Pinschers, 20

Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

English Setters, Great Danes, Saint Bernards, Newfoundlands, and Irish Wolfhounds, and particularly males of middle to older age, would seem to be among those at greatest risk of developing DCM. Although the incidence of DCM is less common in small and medium-sized breeds, American Cocker Spaniels are also among those that would seem to be genetically predisposed.

A primary concern raised by the increased numbers of cases of DCM reported to the FDA was that the cases involved a wide range of dog breeds and ages not thought to be genetically predisposed to the disease. However, consistent with what has been observed with the genetic form of the disease, the recent cases reported to the FDA have also shown a greater proportion of males affected than females. Are we, therefore, looking at a male/female metabolic distinction that makes males more vulnerable, regardless of breed and breed predisposition? Are we looking at a case of more breeds being genetically predisposed than we’d thought? And how does pet food factor into this? Is it nature? Is it nurture? Or is it a perfect storm of a variety of factors?

Nutritional Aspects of DCM When we talk about the nutritional aspects of heart health, the essential amino acid taurine invariably jumps to the top of the list.

Taurine is a free-form amino acid found in animal tissue and blood, and is absolutely essential for heart health. Taurine is not, however, present in vegetarian protein sources such as grains and legumes.

We already know that without the provision of sufficient amounts of free-form taurine in their diets, cats can rapidly develop DCM and die. Dogs, however, are known to be able to manufacture their own free-form taurine from its two amino acid precursors, cysteine and methionine.

In the ongoing FDA DCM case studies, the availability (presence within the body) and the bioavailability (delivery and utilization within the body) of taurine and its precursors have been at the forefront of the investigations, but no definitive connection to taurine, methionine, or cysteine deficiencies has yet to be established. Nevertheless, the possibilities for those deficiencies remain a core concern. Even though those amino acids appear to be supplied at adequate levels in the foods being scrutinized, their availability and bioavailability across the broad spectrum of cases remains a looming question.

The Path to Plant-Based Pet Foods Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the diets of domesticated dogs were generally reflective of the diets of their class of owners.

animal talk

While some shared their owners’ pâté de foie gras, others shared their owners’ meager scraps. But with the Industrial Revolution, many things began to change, including how people fed their pets. Everyday life began to move more quickly, convenience was elevated to a necessity of life, and inexpensive and easy-toserve manufactured dog cakes and biscuits, made from grains and vegetables and held together with a bit of animal blood, dominated the American dog food market until the early 1920s and the introduction of canned dog food.

The invention of the automobile in the early 1900s caused horsemeat prices to drop, an opportunity that Illinois horse dealer P.M. Chappel used to his advantage, introducing canned horsemeat for dogs in 1922 under the brand name Ken-L Ration. The manufacture of canned dog food stumbled a bit with the setting aside of tin for the WWII war effort, but as that demand eased, the manufacture of canned dog food picked up again, and canned dog food was the choice of most consumers into the mid-1950s when, with the development and refinement of extrusion processing, inexpensive and convenient “kibbled” dog food rapidly began to gain acceptance.

Inasmuch as the extrusion process of making kibble required a certain dough consistency that could only be met with a fair amount of starch in the recipe, large quantities of starchy grains replaced the taurine-rich meats in canned dog foods, and our carnivorous dogs were subsequently gratuitously declared to be omnivores.

But the recipe changes replacing meats with starchy grains were not extrusion processing’s only threat to taurine levels and heart health. The high-temperature processing required to produce extruded, plant-based diets not only damaged free-form taurine and its precursors, but also created a perfect environment for freeform taurine and its precursors to be bound up and eliminated with bile salts in the small intestine, as well as for a phenomenon known as the Maillard Reaction to advance the destruction of free-form taurine in the large intestine. (In the world of haute cuisine, the Maillard Reaction is known as a flavor-producing, browning reaction, but in the world of pet food production, the Maillard Reaction is known for rearranging amino acids and simple sugars into a taurine feast for large intestine bacteria.)

And then we must account for the threat to taurine levels and heart health brought about by the use of nonnutritional dietary fibers in extruded pet foods. Required to promote firm stool formation when a carnivorous mammal is fed a plant-based diet, nonnutritional dietary fibers have been found to adversely affect free-form taurine levels in blood plasma. Recent studies have exonerated rice bran, but beet pulp and other nonnutritional fibers have been implicated as culprits in the decreased bioavailability of free-form taurine and its precursors, with a resultant elevated incidence of dilated cardiomyopathy in large-breed dogs.

Reduced by recipe changes, degraded through high-temperature food processing, carried out of the body bound to bile salts, destroyed by intestinal flora, and removed from circulation by nonnutritional dietary fibers, it’s a wonder that any free-form continued on page 22

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Lamb Rice formulas, with over 80% the Lamband and Rice formulas, with overanimal 80% of of the protein protein in in those foods coming from animal sources. thosefoods foodscoming coming from from animal animal sources. sources. those Check out Abady’s canned formulas that begin with your Check out Abady’s canned formulas that begin with your Check out Abady’s canned formulas thatneeds beginof with your pup’s weaning and carryformulas through the all life Check out Abady’s canned that begin with your pup’s weaning and carry through the needs of all life pup’sweaning weaning and carry through the needs of all alldog. life stages, including the special needsthe of needs your older pup’s and carry through of life stages, including the special needs of your older dog. stages,including includingthe thespecial specialneeds needs of of your your older older dog. dog. stages, Learn about Abady’s low-carbohydrate dry “granular” Learn about Abady’s low-carbohydrate dry “granular” Learnabout about Abady’s low-carbohydrate dry “granular” “granular” specialty formulas, with over 90% of the dry protein in those Learn Abady’s low-carbohydrate specialty formulas, with over 90% of the protein in those specialty formulas,with with overfrom 90%of of the the protein protein in those those formulations coming animal sources.in specialty formulas, over 90% formulations coming from animal sources. formulationscoming comingfrom fromanimal animal sources. sources. formulations And if you’re in the market for an affordable, And you’re in the market for an affordable, Andifififand you’re inthe themarket market fordiet, an affordable, affordable, complete balanced raw food Abady brings it And you’re in for an complete and balanced raw food diet, Abady brings brings it complete and balanced raw food diet, Abady homeand in 1lb and 3lbraw chubs fordiet, dogs and cats. complete balanced food Abady brings itit home in 1lb and 3lb chubs for dogs and cats. homeinin1lb 1lband and3lb 3lbchubs chubsfor for dogs dogs and and cats. cats. home Abady is a family-owned and operated northeast brand, Abady isisaafamily-owned and operated northeast brand, brand, Abadyis family-owned andand operated northeast manufactured in Poughkeepsie, delivered direct brand, to us from Abady a family-owned and operated northeast 940 Main Street, Great Barrington, manufactured in Poughkeepsie, and delivered direct to us from from manufactured inPoughkeepsie, Poughkeepsie, anddelivered delivered direct to MA us (and by) thein good folks at theand Abady Dog Food Company. manufactured direct to us from (and by) the good folks at the Abady Dog Food Company.

413-528-4940 (and by)the thegood goodfolks folks●at atwww.bensdotters.com theAbady AbadyDog Dog Food Food Company.

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www.OurBerkshireTimes.com | Spring / Summer 2019

21

animal talk

Pet Food Panic SEPARATING THE FACTS FROM THE RHETORIC

Continued / By Kristina Dow taurine and its precursors are available to dogs and cats fed extruded plant-based kibble!

How Legumes Got Into Pet Food Travel back perhaps 10 to 15 years ago and we find the indie pet food sector having finally succeeded in eliminating corn and wheat as carbohydrate-fiber sources in extruded kibbles. For far too long, those high-gluten grains had been pet food staples that clogged pets’ intestinal villi, damaging them beyond repair, and leaving in their wake leaky gut syndrome, with symptoms including systemic food sensitivities. Gut-damaging soy had also disappeared. But, unfortunately, it was not all good news. In place of the corn, wheat, and soy was white potato, a nightshade family vegetable known to be high in solanine, a plant toxin produced as a defense against insects and herbivores, and decidedly not good for digestion. But white potato was not to be long in pet food . . .

Fast forward a few years, and we find bags of kibble touting their contents to be both grain-free and white potato-free. It seems that the surge in inflammatory bowel disease, symptomatic of solanine poisoning, caused a rethink of the use of white potato, and a new trend emerged with legumes (primarily peas, chickpeas, lentils, and beans) as a white potato substitute. Those legumes supplied the starch and fiber necessary to make extruded kibble, and came with an added bonus of a cheaper protein boost than meat would afford. They, however, did not come problem-free.

At the outset, there were predictably two problems with feeding pets a diet high in legumes. The first was legume phytates, and the second was legume lectins. Both are classified as antinutrients as a result of their action as binders that inhibit the complete digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. As such, and not unlike soy and white potato, both of those legume binders were known to cause intestinal inflammation. In addition, the legume lectin binders, not unlike corn and wheat glutens, were known to cause the breakdown of the lining of the intestine and lead to leaky gut.

As the use of legumes in pet food gained popularity, yet a third issue with legumes began to manifest as veterinarians became heavily invested into the notion that poultry, meat, and fish proteins were responsible for an epidemic of yeasty, itchy dogs.

While poultry, meat, and fish proteins manifested as the problem, legumes were actually responsible for it.

Just as with white potato, legumes brought with them naturally occurring plant toxins that protected the legume pulses from insects, herbivores, and scavenging carnivores. In a more natural setting, those legume plant toxins would either heave out of the body with violent vomiting, or trigger the gut to empty prematurely, causing the herbivore or scavenging carnivore to spew diarrhea.

22

Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

Either way, the herbivores and scavenging carnivores would teach their young to avoid legume pulses, just as nature intended. For pet owners, however, the effects of legume plant toxins were not always so clear. While vomiting might occur, diarrhea was often masked by the large volume of fiber added to extruded kibble in an effort to ensure the production of firm stools. Although the premature emptying of the stomach would occur, there would likely be no sign of diarrhea. But the effects of the digestive disruption would manifest in other ways.

In the case of poultry, meat, and fish proteins, when those complex, long-chain amino acids would enter the intestines and bloodstream completely digested, they would be seen by the body as the same amino acid units that would naturally occur in the body itself, and they would not prompt an immune response. If, however, the breakdown of those complex, longchain proteins was disrupted so as to leave protein chains sufficiently intact to be recognizable to a dog’s or cat’s immune system as something other than the dog or cat itself, then an immune response would be prompted and the undigested proteins would register as an allergen. But the poultry, meat, or fish proteins themselves would not be the problem; rather they would be a manifestation of a problem with digestive disruption caused by natural legume toxins.

And now, in the midst of this DCM crisis, it begins to become clear why legumes might well be a factor in the crisis, both as antinutrients inhibiting the complete digestion of food and absorption of nutrients, and as digestive disruptors interfering with the breakdown of complex, long-chain proteins into amino acid precursors.

Recommended Feeding Options With so many questions remaining unanswered regarding plantbased diets and the associated risk factors for canine heart disease, prudent alternate feeding options for dogs specify diets that demonstrate the inclusion of high amounts of quality meat, poultry, or fish proteins, along with the elimination of any reliance on plant-based proteins, and a limited use of nonnutritional dietary fibers. Avoid corn, wheat, soy, white potato, and legumes, even as starch and fiber alternatives (corn, wheat, soy, white potato, and legumes all interfere with healthy digestion). Instead consider white rice or brown rice, barley, millet, or oatmeal as viable starch and fiber alternatives in dry, kibbled foods.

And now might be a good time to consider feeding your pet a traditional complete and balanced raw food diet, naturally high in quality animal proteins, naturally devoid of plant-based proteins, and naturally low in dietary fiber. Beware, however, of some of the newer raw food diets that contain pea or other

animal talk

legume proteins. They are an affront to the notion of a natural, biologically appropriate raw food diet for both dogs and cats.

If you think raw-feeding might be an option, go online to the Our BerkshireTimes magazine archive and read the article about raw-feeding on pages 18-19 of the Autumn 2018 vol. 50 issue.

That will get you started with some myth-busting facts.

CARING FOR FOR PETS SINCE SINCE 1957 CARING CARING FOR PETS PETS SINCE 1957 1957 CARING FOR FOR PETS PETS SINCE SINCE 1957 CARING 1957

Caveat Emptor When you’re evaluating a pet food, remember that ingredients on a pet food label are listed by weight, and that a named meat, poultry, or fish on the label is listed with its water weight included unless it is listed as a meat meal, poultry meal, or fish meal. Using water weight to their advantage while fractionating (splitting up the weights of) dried grains, legumes, and potatoes, allows a pet food company to include far more plant protein than animal or fish protein, even though the named meat, poultry, or fish appears first on the ingredient panel. As such, a pet food may appear, with meat, poultry, or fish as the first ingredient(s), to have a high inclusion of animal or fish protein, but, in reality, an overwhelming amount of plant protein may dominate.

And One More Word . . .

The FDA’s initial July 2018 alert sparked a great deal of concern and discussion among pet owners and throughout the pet food industry. Fueled by the fact that the initial FDA statement revealed little by way of substantive information, speculation was rampant and tensions and tempers flared. The FDA was accused of colluding with the big grain Big Pet Food manufacturers, and those Big Pet Food manufacturers certainly did not waste the opportunity to ride full throttle over their grain-free competitors. It’s been nasty out there.

But in all of the back-and-forth, I found one rebuke to be particularly appropriate. After a commentary on the FDA alert found its way into publication in the December 2018 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, a preeminent veterinary hematologist issued a sharp reprimand to the quintet of veterinary nutritionists responsible for the commentary. In delivering her scolding to the group for its characterization of the issues under review as a problem with “boutique, exotic, grain-free” diets, she denounced their “BEG” acronym as inflammatory rhetoric and observed, “Again, there is too much narrowcasting. We need to broaden our view and think about DCM and nutrition more holistically.”

Some months after the initial FDA alert, an FDA official characterized the initial alert as a mechanism for the FDA to solicit more information from veterinary cardiologists who might have information to share, but that message translated into a rather oblivious accounting of the FDA’s actions considering the tailspin the alert has created, and which the FDA should have anticipated. ~ Kristina “Tina” Dow is sole proprietor of BensDotter’s Pet, a retail pet supply store in Great Barrington, MA. www.bensdotters.com

B ENS DOTTER OTTER’’SS P PET ET B ENS B ENSD D OTTER 940 MAIN STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON 940 MAIN B ENSSTREET, D OTTER ’S PET 940 MAIN GREAT 940 MAIN STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON BARRINGTON B ENS D OTTER ’and SP ET Quality Supplies Quality Foods, Equipment 940 MAIN STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON Quality Foods, Equipment and Quality Foods, Equipment and Supplies Conventional Diets 940Conventional MAIN STREET, GREAT BARRINGTON and Raw Food Conventional and Quality Foods, Equipment andDiets Supplies Conventional and Raw Raw Food Food

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Nature’s Logic complete and balanced kibble, Nature’s Logicascomplete complete and balancedcoupled kibble, Abady’s expertise veterinaryand nutritionists, with Nature’s Logic balanced kibble, canned, and raw frozen pet foods provide some of canned, and raw frozen pet foods provide some of their decades of manufacturing experience, has enabled Abady’s expertise as veterinary nutritionists, coupled with canned, and raw frozen pet foods provide some of the highest quality and safest nutrition in pet foods their decades of manufacturing experience, has enabled them to make what we think are among the very best pet theNature’s highestquality quality andsafest safest nutrition inpet petfoods foods Logiconly complete and balanced kibble, the highest and nutrition in today.

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Inpets using only foods in recipes, that your will not be exposed to toxic levels synthetic vitamins and minerals. and legume-free dry, with kibbled Chicken and Rice or in synthetic vitamins and minerals.

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Learn about Abady’s low-carbohydrate dry “granular” And Nature’s Logic petcontain foods contain contain hydrolyzed LogicNature’s dry foodLogic recipes millet, no a gluten-free, And pet foods no hydrolyzed Learn about Abady’s low-carbohydrate dry “granular” specialty formulas, with over 90% of the protein insugar. those And Nature’s Logic pet foods contain no hydrolyzed proteins.

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suitable for diet rotation: rotation: Beef, northeast Chicken,brand, Duck, Abady isfor a family-owned anddiets operated suitable diet Beef, Chicken, Duck, complete balanced areChicken, available in a Abady is aand family-owned and operated northeast brand, suitable for diet rotation: Duck, Lamb, Rabbit, Sardine, Turkey, Venison. manufactured in Poughkeepsie, andBeef, delivered direct to us from Lamb, Rabbit, Sardine, Turkey, Venison. variety of proteins, formulated so as to be manufactured in Poughkeepsie, and delivered direct to us from Lamb, Rabbit, Sardine, Turkey, Venison. (and by) the good folks at the Abady Dog Food Company. (and by) the good folks at the Abady Dog Food Company. suitable for diet rotation: Chicken, MA Duck, 940 Main Street, GreatBeef, Barrington, Lamb, Rabbit, Sardine, Turkey, Venison.

413-528-4940 ● www.bensdotters.com www.OurBerkshireTimes.com | Spring / Summer 2019

23

health & wellness

Checks and Balances AND VACCINES / By Adam Kerzner, DC

A

ll across our country there is an effort to remove our legal rights surrounding the health choices for ourselves and our children. Why are there dozens of bills introduced in state legislatures over the past few years to limit or abolish vaccine exemptions?

Is it just a coincidence? How do we maintain our legal rights of privacy and autonomy if we lose our freedom of choice? What are the implications of changing these laws?

which gives us the right to seek a trial for harm done to us. There is no other commercial product that enjoys such limited liability while admitting the product is harmful. So, we and our children can be injured and even die from a vaccine but have no legal right to sue for damages. Instead, our only recourse is to bring our case to the vaccine court with the hope that in a few years we may receive money to help us care for the injured party – and even then only if we have an allowable diagnosis. (This is one reason there is so much pushback on any suggestion that vaccines may All products, whether they are drugs (including vaccines), tools, or be implicated in causing autism. It would cost them trillions toys, have the potential to cause harm. In fact, of dollars if that diagnosis were added to Our government has paid our government has paid out more than four the list.) But here comes what may be the out more than four billion billion dollars in health damages to individuals most unbelievable part. The injured child is and families affected by vaccine injury, and still required to keep receiving vaccinations! dollars in damages to there are thousands more cases waiting to be Medical exemptions are difficult to get even individuals and families processed. And yet, all of this has happened where they are allowed. This is where our affected by vaccine injury without any liability on the part of the drug right to choose comes into the picture. and there are thousands more companies that created and sold these vaccines.

The States Where are the checks and balances in our legal cases waiting to be processed.

And yet, all of this has system to protect the public? In a country that prides itself on individual freedoms, our happened without any liability Most states have some legal exemptions, based on medical, religious, or philosophical legal system is failing us. on the part of the drug companies that created and grounds. But for how long? There is a The Congress coordinated effort to pass new legislation sold these vaccines. Where including dozens of bills introduced in many The Vaccine Injury Compensation act was are the checks and balances in states the past few years to limit or get rid of passed by Congress in the 1980s protecting drug our legal system to protect the exemptions. This is being funded at least in companies from being sued for any damages part by drug companies. These new laws would public? In a country that their childhood vaccines may cause. A limit our rights of privacy and autonomy and that prides itself on vaccine court was set up to compensate families take away the need for any informed consent. individual freedoms, our who have been harmed by vaccines, thus taking legal system is failing us. away our right to have a normal legal recourse Whatever you feel about vaccines – pro, con, in front of a jury of our peers. That also means there is limited questioning, or neutral – we need to be vigilant in maintaining discovery of facts in these cases. There is a list of diagnoses that our legal rights. We have quadrupled our vaccine schedule since are allowed (autism not being one of them) and it can take years for Congress acted to protect the drug companies. Vaccine injuries these families to see any money. This law does not limit its protection claims have soared in recent years. If the present efforts succeed, only to current vaccines, so drug companies continue to add then there is nothing stopping drug companies from an evermany new childhood vaccines to the market knowing they have increasing vaccine schedule throughout life, without consent or virtually no legal liability for the safety of their products. choice. We have a constitutional right to privacy, autonomy, and informed consent, which needs to be considered and protected.

The Supreme Court

United States law regards vaccines as “unavoidably unsafe” and as such places significant limits on a person’s legal recourse towards the drug company, or doctors involved, regarding a child’s injury from a vaccine. The court limits our Sixth Amendment rights, 24

Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

~ Dr. Kerzner, Body Connection Chiropractic located in Great Barrington, MA, has been in practice in the Berkshires since 1997. The focus of his work is building health and well-being in his clients through gentle handson spinal care, and to empower people in their healing choices through education and self-discovery. www.adamkerzner.com

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25

health & wellness

The Future of Noninvasive Medicine RECHARGING CELLULAR FUNCTION

By Nina Anderson

T

he Berkshires are filled with energy healers from all modalities and the people who have sought out these integrative therapies have, in most cases, received wonderful results. Technology that used to exist strictly in the realm of sci-fi movies and for astronauts is now becoming more available to everyone.

One such treatment is pulsed electromagnetic therapy (PEMT), which utilizes pulsed electromagnetic frequencies (PEMF), developed by NASA in the late 1960s to help astronauts stay alive while in orbit and away from the earth’s magnetic field. PEMT therapy has developed from many years of worldwide research by reputable scientists and has been utilized by thousands of doctors, chiropractors, and trained therapists. PEMT is designed to strengthen the health of the body’s cells by utilizing pulsed magnetic waves, allowing your cells to absorb more oxygen and nutrients, store more energy, detoxify all your systems, target specific maladies, reduce pain, and facilitate the healing process.

The therapy increases energy levels in the cells, causing greater activity and increased ability to heal or fight bacteria and other pathogens. PEMT has been used to help manage pain and to enhance treatment for hard-to-treat illnesses like fibromyalgia, Lyme, arthritis, and many other conditions.

Because our cells and organs are electrical by nature, there is validity in treating the body as an electric being with each cell being described as an energy producer – as if it were a little battery. And just as when a regular battery runs down, your cells can become tired and worn down from lack of proper nutrients, Wi-Fi and dirty electric exposure (harmful frequencies), age, stress, overuse, or damage, making it more difficult for them to fight off any type of potentially damaging force or illness. Through PEMT therapy (beneficial frequencies), your batteries (i.e., your cells) essentially become recharged. This makes it easier for your body to restore its health naturally, simply by using the electrical currents and impulses that are already interacting within and throughout your cells. In essence, PEMT is like a battery recharger for your depleted cells.

For those who regularly walk around barefoot outside, the 26

Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

electromagnetic fields created by the earth recharges them. But for the majority of the time shoes are the norm, preventing our bodies from receiving these important health-promoting frequencies. The good news is that for the last century there have been great strides in the creation of machines that can replicate our earth’s generating fields to help provide us with the frequencies necessary to charge up our cells.

When utilizing low-frequency electromagnetic fields generated from a device, even the weakest frequencies pass right through the body in a safe manner, penetrating every cell, tissue, organ, and even bone, but many biological interactions do occur at the cellular level. As electrical and chemical processes in the tissues are stimulated, cell metabolism, regeneration, and tissue repair is improved. It is understood that when such an instrument is running on any frequency, the body takes on an electrostatic charge. This process raises the electrical voltage of the cells, which excites the cells in the body and enables them to communicate with each other more effectively (unlike Wi-Fi exposure, which confuses and disrupts cellular communication). The enhanced communication made possible by PEMT assists the body in becoming more balanced – working towards homeostasis.

Based on the premise that all living matter (including pathogens) vibrate to a specific frequency, it has been discovered that when you match that same frequency with a PEMF device the life force of the pathogen is immobilized or devitalized over time.

The receiving subject may then experience a temporary herx or detox, but ultimately the immune system becomes healthier, the nervous system relaxes, and the bones and joints become stronger. Targeted pulsed electromagnetic therapy addresses dysfunction, and on a grander scale helps the body reset its cellular energy and function. ~ Nina Anderson, author of 18 books on natural health, is an NLP practitioner, Reiki II, and uses PEMT therapy with a PEMF device with clients. www.nlpberkshires.com/pemf

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Engaging children 15 months through 8th grade

Montessori means

expression

education & workshops

Feeling Heard: The Practice of Active Listening

By K. Meagan Ledendecker

R

ecently my son was exploding in frustration when I responded to him. He would ask a question and then, when I would try to answer, he would shout, “Stop interrupting me!”

At first, I was baffled. I didn’t think I was interrupting at all.

He would ask a question. I would answer. But my answer was coming immediately after his question. There was no pause.

No reflection. As he was asking, I was already formulating my response. And this clearly irritated him.

Twenty years ago, in my graduate program, the students and teachers practiced a technique of leaving space after another person’s comments or questions. In discussions, the expectation was that there would be a pause before anyone responded. If a thought came to mind, you would allow room for it to breathe and sometimes others’ responses might enter into the space first. This practice required an intense amount of patience and mindfulness. We became very attuned to noticing body language and subtle clues that might indicate another person’s desire to participate in the conversation. We became more thoughtful about different perspectives. We became less attached to inserting our ideas.

As I went about my week, I thought about this process of pausing and listening. In meetings I focused on really hearing colleagues who wanted to express their concerns. When a parent needed to talk through a challenging process, I didn’t focus on my own thoughts or potential responses, but rather opened my heart to everything she had to say. I realized that at home I also needed to show my son that I was giving his thoughts and questions this kind of careful consideration.

To reset my thinking, I turned to Positive Discipline and the approach of active listening. Rather than a quick retort, I worked to reflect my son’s request back to him.

When he asked, “Can I watch a movie?” I paused, took a breath, and thoughtfully responded. “It sounds like you’d really like to watch something. I understand how fun that can be. I’m not willing for you to watch something, though, because we had a movie night last night.” Certainly he didn’t like all of my responses, but when I practiced active listening, he was calmer and less prone to react emotionally.

I begin to try the approach at other times, too, like when he would angrily say, “I hate you!” Using active listening, I would reflect back that it sounded like he was upset or angry with me. I focused on validating his emotions and in the process helped him identify feelings that could be hard to name. On good days I could allow him to explore even more deeply by asking, “Is there more?”

As a result of my active listening, my son began to feel heard and his behavior shifted. He was more regularly brimming with goodwill and cooperation. Which makes sense, because don’t we all just want to feel heard? ~ When life gets really busy, K. Meagan Ledendecker has to work harder to practice active listening with her family. Her husband, her sixteen-year-old, and her almost-elevenyear-old tend to be more understanding in these busy times. But her six-year-old son is always a good barometer about the importance of slowing down. www.berkshiremontessori.org www.OurBerkshireTimes.com | Spring / Summer 2019

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Ken Musselman

OUR BERKSHIRETIMES MAGAZINE'S SPRING/SUMMER 2019 COVER ARTIST

B

All images © Ken Musselman

orn and raised in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, Ken Musselman was interested in art from a very early age.

Although a primarily self-taught artist, he spent his teenage years taking Saturday morning classes at the Cooper School of Art.

From that point on, although his job descriptions have varied, Ken’s hand has always been in art one way or another, from illustrating technical manuals and missiles for the navy to designing beach T-shirts and hand-drawn layouts for Preppy jewelry catalogs and resort hotels, as long as there was a pen or brush involved.

Ken’s heart’s desire was to continue studying art in college.

However, upon his high school graduation he followed his father’s advice to “take up a trade” and joined the U.S. Navy to train as a structural mechanic. While attending technical training in Memphis, Tennessee, Ken’s artistic talent could not be subdued and he found an outlet in painting murals on the walls of the base’s dining and entertainment facilities. His superiors soon observed that he could better serve the Navy as an illustrator/draftsman, and Ken’s career as a mechanic came to an end.

This same theme continues with Ken’s palette and subject range.

On his easel, at any given time, you may find a rustic barn scene, someone’s favorite island bar, a group of whimsical animals, a vintage automobile, or a pop culture icon. Every day he goes where the winds of inspiration may take him.

30

Spring / Summer 2019 | www.OurBerkshireTimes.com

To see more of Ken’s paintings, upcoming shows, and galleries that exhibit his work, visit his website at www.kenmusselman.com as well as his Facebook page.

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