GARDENER'S GUILD: SEED SWAP

Welcome in. Take a seat. I just spotted 12 bird species out my window — hope your day’s going as well as mine. There’s a whole lot in here. Take your time, enjoy it, and I’ll see ya out there.

P.S. It was great to hang with everyone in New Paltz for the Dinner Club. That karaoke was chaotic and it was wonderful. I’ll get another spun up stat.

With spring on the horizon (T-minus 17 days), it’s time to kick off the Gardener’s Guild with our very first COMMUNITY SEED AND CUTTING SWAP.

This here will be a gathering to bring together our local gardening experts and our fellow dirt newbies alike.

Come on out to West Kill Supply on March 21st from 1-5PM. Bring your seeds and bring your cuttings. No RSVPs. No tickets. Just dirt, cold local beer, a DJ, and good times. Reminder: 2% of Brookie sales go toward Trout Unlimited.

Today, I bring you some Big Ol’ Facts about a very small owl — specifically our neighbor, the Northern Saw-whet Owl. Lock in, you never know when these might help you on trivia night.

They are truly masters of disguise, so while they may be hard to spot, you have a pretty darn good chance of hearing their call from the trees.

TOGETHER WITH: FROST VALLEY YMCA

MAPLE FEST WEEKEND is around the corner. Experience maple sugaring firsthand during a special weekend up at Frost Valley. Visit the Maple Sugar House in the Catskills and learn how to identify a sugar maple tree, how sap is collected, and how it is transformed into that oh-so-sweet pure maple syrup.

Enjoy pancakes and waffles topped with fresh local syrup and take part in classic camp activities including crafts, climbing, archery, guided hikes, and more. March 27th to the 29th. Tickets are available here.

Looking for more adventures at Frost Valley? Check out other upcoming spring events, including their Fine Arts and Legends and Labyrinths Weekends. For families hoping to give their kids a place to unplug, enjoy nature, and make new friends, Frost Valley also offers a Summer Day Camps.

CONTRIBUTED BY SANDY

Hey all - I wanted to share a seed starting 101 with you.

I recommend that you invest in a proper grow light. I had suffered my way through starting seeds on my enclosed front porch my first years and the difference between this versus starting under lights cannot be understated. Even seeds started with ample, even southern exposure windowsill light will, in my experience (and as gardening resources and gardeners warned me) become “leggy” — stretching skyward, looking for light. 

I start alliums like leeks and onions earliest and kale soon after. Alliums in particular take a long time to mature. For me, I start these in mid-March or so, about 10 weeks out from my estimated late May last frost date. Look up your own specifics in terms of timing (your location’s USDA zone). 

I tend to favor growing flats such as these. I recommend using potting soil for seed starting specifically, which will be free of pathogens. I’d advise against shortcutting by using old potting soil or whatever — both for nutrient and disease reasons. When sowing, you’ll want to make sure your soil is moist but not damp. Alliums you can sow more thickly than other seeds as they won’t mind having their roots disentangled when you transplant them. I use covers and these mats while seeds are germinating but remove both as soon as anything sprouts. I use this sort of spritzer. Anything young especially you want to make sure doesn’t get dried out. In particular allium seedlings: Always make sure they stay watered.

When onion seedlings have reached about 6” or so in height, you can trim their tops to stimulate growth (what I think of as ‘giving my onion babies a haircut’). Two final thoughts: Make sure the space itself is warm enough and that the grow light is close enough to the plants. Read your light’s instructions but this is often a lot closer than you’d guess. Happy sowing! - Sandy

Mountain Memory is shipping out — Fifty wooden tokens. Twenty-five pairs. Each printed with local celebrities, including black bears, hemlocks, axes, and eagles. Flip them over, test your memory, and see if you can match them all up.

The game comes in a drawstring pouch so you can throw it in your pack, play it on the go or right at home while you wait for your ice dams to melt.

It’s purposefully simple and you can play solo, or with (or against) other humans.

There is probably a significant amount of scientific evidence that’ll back that this game keeps your working memory and processing speed sharp. But truly, it’s just a fun game.

STOCK UP ON SUPPLIES AT THE PROVISIONS SHOP OPEN 24/7

WANT TO PARTNER WITH CATSKILL CREW? REACH OUT AND LET’S SEE IF IT’S A GOOD FIT.

UNSCRAMBLE: SALAMANDER

PROPERTY: c. 1787 Bovina (read the story)

PETS: The sweet girl Layla (who just went to the dentist), Cosmonaut the cat, and Aldi the pigeon who currently resides in the big city but would be happier in the mountains.

SKY: Today in the Catskills the full moon put on a show: it coincided with a total lunar eclipse (the last ‘blood moon’ visible in North America until 2029). Our March moon goes by many names, including the Worm Moon, Sap Moon, Crow Moon, and Sugar Moon — all signs that spring is near.

SIGHTINGS: Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Your contributions go directly toward keeping Catskill Crew alive and well so we can have more fun and build a stronger community. I appreciate any and all support my friends! - Michael

ADD AN EVENT

Rae’s, Margaretville - Birthday pup bash for Nigel at 5PM bring your doggies

White Feather Farm, Saugerties – Full Moon Eclipse at 6PM discover

Tubby's, Kingston – Tunes with Lucid Express, HIGH, and New Vision at 7PM tickets

People's Place, Kingston – Intro to Astrology with Kris at 2PM kris is cool have fun

Colony, Woodstock – Lisa Markley CD Release Party at 7PM tickets

Rough Draft, Kingston – Brian Jones (Black History is for Everyone) at 6PM discover

Unicorn Bar, Kingston – Queer Trivia at 7:30PM hope there is owl trivia

Left Bank Ciders, Catskill – Community Soup Night at 5PM mmm french onion

West Kill Supply, Kingston – Open Bluegrass Jam at 6PM

Creative Legion, Hudson – Monologue Workshop Series at 6PM rsvp

Avalon Lounge, Catskill – On the Fly Story Slam: Madness and Mayhem at 7PM discover

Colony, Woodstock – Brass Against at 7PM enjoy yourselves

Keegan Ales, Kingston – Open Mic Comedy at 8PM

Unicorn Bar, Kingston – Queer Classics Book Club: "The Color Purple" at 6PM read more books followed by Line Dancing at 7:30PM

Thomas Cole National Historic Site, Catskill – Women’s History Tour at 11:30AM cool

Athens Cultural Center – Confluence / Convergence Exhibit Opening Reception at 5PM details

Catskill – Catskill First Friday at 5PM

Tortillería Y Cafetería Guatemalteca Har-Sinaí, Kingston – “Knowledge that Heals” at 5:30PM ancestral wisdom

Bearsville Theatre, Woodstock – Tophouse at 8PM tickets

Park Theater, Hudson – DUUNES at 8PM get tickets

Return Brewing, Hudson – Mario Kart Tournament at 6PM red shells

Lemon Squeeze Tavern, New Paltz – Brazilian Girls at 8PM tickets

Bridge Street Theatre, Catskill – Palatable Gay Robot see dates

The Parlor, Narrowsburg – Stand Up Comedy at 8:30PM enjoy

CCE Ulster, Kingston – 2026 New Beginning Farmer Workshop at 9AM details

Return Brewing, Hudson – DJ Cooper Gangemi at 9PM

Bearsville Theatre, Woodstock – eucademix (Yuka Honda) with Nels Cline (solo) at 8PM tix

Levon Helm Studios, Woodstock – Midnight Ramble ft. Caleb Caudle at 8PM p.s. community special tix in-person wednesday 3-6pm

Phoenicia Playhouse – FUN HOME Auditions until March 8 at 10:30am sign up now

Slopes Bar, Restaurant & Billiards, Tannersville – Ski House Project at 9PM reserve now

Adaptive Sports Foundation, Windham – StorySlam at 5PM face your fears

Kingston Maennerchor and Damenchor – Trivia Fundraiser at 6:30PM german choir

DVAA, Narrowsburg – Yarnslingers: Wonder Women at 2PM details

Agroforestry Resource Center, Acra – Cornell Cooperative Extension Maple Fest at 10AM sweet

Palatine Park, Germantown – Soup and Steam Nick Suarez and Tivoli Mushroom at 12PM good stuff

Blooming Hill Farm, Monroe – Vineyards Wine Dinner at 4PM chef chris grare

Pearl Moon, Woodstock – Queer Trivia at 5PM

St. Gregory's Episcopal Church, Woodstock – Juilliard Young Artists Concert at 3PM classical

Night School, Athens – Open Mic at 6PM

Rough Draft, Kingston – Upstate Reads Book Club at 6PM