It seems my last post got the fur flying and ruffled some feathers over at the MFAA, Millstone Farm Animal Association. There was umbrage taken by its membership, including (in alphabetical order so as not to give precedence to any one species): alpacas, bees, chickens, ducks, geese, goats, lamas and peacocks. Umbrage about the bees, their swarm and their star turn in the July issue of Organic Spa being singled out, because back in June the alpacas, chickens, goats, lamas and peacocks were cited in an article entitled 7 Hotels with Adorable Animal Employees on VetStreet.com.

Now, please cease and desist with the rumors about me showing favoritism to the bees.

While I now risk being accused of having a chicken bias, I think our flock of heritage hens makes a valid point about their eggs being just as important to our operation here at Buttermilk Falls Inn + Spa as the bees honey. You see their eggs are harvested daily to make the cooked to order portion of our guests’ breakfast, as well as for use in Henry’s at the Farm’s kitchen in our house-made scones presented at afternoon tea and in the scrumptious desserts by our new pastry chef Tammy Ogletree, who happens to be married to Henry’s new executive chef, Chad Greer, which warrants a whole post in and of itself. But I digress. Back to the chickens.

Wondering what the word “heritage” means in relation to our hens? It’s pretty much like the more common usage in connection with tomatoes – our hens represent breeds (varieties in the case of tomatoes) that have fallen out of favor in the face of the competition from hybrids commercially bred for quick growth and optimal production or eggs or meat and are therefore at risk for extinction.… Read the rest

Since things have quieted down over at the MFAA (Millstone Farm Animal Association), I thought I’d turn my attention to some of the humans who play important roles at Buttermilk Falls Inn + Spa.  Specifically Chad Greer,  our newbie executive chef for Henry’s at the Farm.  Chad, and his wife Tammy Ogletree who doubles as his pastry chef when she’d not teaching Pilates, comes to us from the highly acclaimed and much mourned by many Beso in New Paltz, where Chad and Tammy worked their culinary magic very successfully for six years.   Having bailed on Beso to take some time off and plot the next chapter of their lives, they’re back in the kitchen here at Henry’s.  And we couldn’t be more excited, because they – along with Sarah Zeidner, their manager at Beso, who has taken charge of the service – have renewed Henry’s and are making it into the restaurant our owner, Robert Pollock, always envisioned.  One that will serve the dining desires of area residents, as well as Buttermilk guests.

And when I say “renewed” I mean it, even though Henry’s isn’t very old, having open in April of 2011.  With the new chefs have come new menus and even a new name, which maybe you’ve noticed.  It’s now Henry’s at the Farm (as in Millstone Farm, our 40-acre organic working farm that supplies so much of our produce, along with all our honey and eggs), as opposed to the original Henry’s Farm to Table.  That turned out to be a bit of a misnomer because, in this climate, there is no way a restaurant can be all farm to table all the time. … Read the rest

Location: Henry at the Farm