Land Stewards of the Hudson Valley

After the Brueggers Bagel Run on Sunday, Nola invited me to a Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy silent auction and gourmet luncheon.

Having just run 5K, I felt justified in gorging on banquet food and free deserts to my hearts content. But, more so, I was interested in hobnobbing with those who do so much to preserve the working landscapes of the Hudson Valley.

Sitting under tents just outside the historic home (with sneak tours of the inside) of Ted and Sherry Putney, a brain trust of directors, sponsors and benefactors tossed around themes like plant and animal diversity, clear air and water and recreational opportunities.

As my readers know, Nola and I bike in special places with beautiful vistas of the Capital Region and surrounding counties. These scenic areas would easily fall victim to suburban sprawl, big box retailers and power plants if not for ordinances and initiatives.

Also, my invite to the luncheon comes on the heels of watching several documentaries about farmers plight against genetically modified foods. I learned that not just parks, forests and historical sites need intervention but farm land is especially vulnerable to the insidious behavior of big gigantic bio-tech corporations like Monsanto.

Like a horror sci-fi flick from the 70s, I'm thinking Soylent Green, Monsanto appears unstoppable from the books and documentaries I read and saw this summer. Check out 'The Future of Food' for beginners on this topic. Director, Writer and Producer, Deborah Koons Garcia, examines how deplorable thugs like Monsanto prosecute innocent farmers on what they charge is seed patent infringements.

Thankfully, in our area, organizations like Scenic Hudson, the Open Space Institute and the American Farmland Trust aim to provide assurances that farmlands keep their agricultural heritage.

Our 'bread basket' stretches from NYC to the Adirondacks and yields fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, livestock, wool, grain, even wine from 900,000 acres of farmland. There's no reason anyone should go hungry in this fertile valley.