#42 - An introduction to Rural NY

Wednesday, February 15

Today I am thankful for pizza purveyors.  I purchased a pachydermal package of pizza the night past, pleasantly preserved in my pico-refrigerator.  Leftovers leave me lethargic.

Since the beginning of this job offer process, my former Manhattanite brother has referred to where I live as rural NY.  I fought the designation for a few weeks.  After being here for 10 days, I must agree with him.  As a native and nearly lifelong Oregonian, I understand ruralness in a certain way.  The schools are bad; there are lots of cheap drugs (weed); lots of poverty; commerce is limited to a bar, a grocery store, a feed store, a gas station; its residents speak with a southern drawl, even though they've never left Oregon; there are large farms and pastures everywhere; getting anywhere interesting entails a drive of an hour or more.

That, I think, is a relatively accurate stereotype of rural Oregon.  There are exceptions, of course.  The fact that you point out exceptions is proof that the stereotype is fairly accurate.  Rural NY is different.  This area has little poverty that I  can see.  I've seen a few run-down houses and old mobile home parks.  There are employers here where a person can earn a good wage.  2 IBM factories are within 20 minutes of where I sit.  There are several colleges, and a fair portion of the people commute to Manhattan every day.  It's in the outer limits of a commute, but within the outer limits.  I can find almost anything I want to buy within a 30 minute drive.  No book stores yet (there was a Borders, but of course it's closed), but everything else is here.  I have no information on drugs, and that is a good thing.

And yet - people own forest here.  And they just let it be forest.  They don't farm it.  Tonight's photo series is from Fairacres Farms.  It's a farmer market, nursery, and locally-produced everything store.  It has classes in cooking, a greenhouse, a section of locally made goodies (locally as in within 10 miles of the store), toys and games, and a full grocery, again populated as much as possible with locally grown produce.  I fell in love with the store as soon as I walked in. Food prices for fresh things are as good as WalMart for the most part, but the selection is beautiful.  I love this store.  So glad it's on Rt 9, possibly on my commute route.

I won't add more comments to these.  Just enjoy them.  I did.