Maxfield chose the ogre-faced spider because of its “two huge front-facing eyes... I figured that people tend to connect better to animals that have big round eyes like that.” Insect declines are having knock-on effects up the food chain on animals like birds and spiders, whose webs have fewer bugs in them these days. ( Illustration by Zoe Maxfield) The good, the bad and the bugly I freely admit, when it comes to healthy living from the ground up, I am a newbie. One of the most difficult challenges I’ve... Features 20 Jul 2021 | 02:01
Sarah Hambrick with a flat of marigolds growing in a greenhouse in Chester. ( Becca Tucker) ‘Bride’s best friend’ grows local roots Sarah Hambrick was 19, bouncing from major to major at Dutchess Community College, the winter she took a seasonal job at... Features 23 Jun 2021 | 03:13
Everett Cox on Memorial Day ( Photo by Dorathea Hahn) ‘They’re facing their mortality, my generation’ I never imagined that lonely old vets – from WWII, Korea, Vietnam – or their caregivers would hold my hand while crying and... Griterati 04 Jun 2021 | 12:27
Cecropia Moth Caterpillar ( Illustration by Zoe Maxfield) We should all be bug people. (Yes, that means you.) Are you old enough to remember splattered bugs on your car’s windshield? Back in the day — let’s say 40 or 50 years ago —... Features 14 Apr 2021 | 10:39
Martha Echevarria, 64, after a Sunday walk at Veterans Memorial Park in Warwick. She has lost 30 pounds since her doctor gave her an ultimatum. She had lost weight before, but it had always returned. This time, with her life on the line, it feels different. ( Becca Tucker) A heavy toll Martha Echevarria, of Greenwood Lake, NY, had always been on the chubby side. “But in the last 10 years, I guess when I start... Features 16 Mar 2021 | 03:31
Zeke and his mom, the author Jesse Clark, who captioned this photo: “Nothing more precious than the people who know when you need a hug.” ( PHOTOS PROVIDED) Living our lives label free Jesse Clark, farmer and committed free spirit, gave birth to her fourth baby two Thanksgivings ago, shortly after launching... Features 02 Dec 2020 | 01:53
Humble Procrastinator began last year when an Adirondack mom put out a Facebook invite to friends to try her eco-friendly wares, which she stitches in her basement. Stuff we dig Quilly Nearly a billion birds die each year flying into windows, according to the Audubon Society, almost twice as many as... Home 11 Sep 2020 | 03:00
Malaak, 7, holding a hen ( Michael Bloom) Keeping the faith... in farming Growing up Muslim in 1980s Rockland County, NY, meant spending a lot of Saturdays in church basements. Nascent community... Features 09 Sep 2020 | 01:18
The coming of age of a Black woman farmer Editor’s note: This first-person piece was originally published in Dirt’s January ‘18 issue. I grew up in Missouri, the “show-me”... Features 23 Jul 2020 | 01:04
The Apollonia sailing down the Hudson toward Rondout Lighthouse in Kingston. Undeterred by the prospect of towing a 64-foot schooner over 70 miles of road festooned with power lines, Merrett bought the ship for one-thirteenth the asking price. ( Paul Jahn) Bringing slow cargo back to the Hudson Apollonia. Meaning belonging to the Greek god Apollo, patron and protector of sailors. Docked alongside the pier at the Riverport... Features 20 May 2020 | 11:37
Sidestepping angst A series of clear glass pillows enveloping delicate salt erosions are arranged on a table in Mollie McKinley’s home studio.... Home 18 May 2020 | 03:21
Kathy Thomas, 79, started smoking around 30. She has smoked on and off since then and always found it "a wonderful energizer." Marijuana-years* We know pretty well how getting stoned works in the brain, and how it feels: the hilarity, the brightened colors, the quicksand-nature... Features 09 Apr 2020 | 06:25
Mike Grant playing ultimate for Canadian team Furious George. After he quit playing the sport that seemed made for him, "There was the huge void again. It was the same void that existed before, and now it was exposed completely." ( Scobel Wiggins) Rock bottom and up again - “And so the question isn’t why the addiction, but why the pain.” – Dr. Gabor Mate On February 19, 2018 I walked into Together... Features 09 Apr 2020 | 06:26
This is sort of what Bob thinks his brain looks like after 40 years of synaptic pruning from the constant consumption of intoxicants. "The good news is they will grow back just like a plant. New shoots will form when I replace bad activities with good. The rate of new growth is slow, so I need to be very patient and keep doing the right things." - Bob S. ( Bob S.) Re-wiring my brain I get addicted to about anything. Even though I won’t ever take a drink again, I am addicted to alcohol and many things that... Features 20 Mar 2020 | 12:37
P.M. with his kids. "We've been finding ourselves again, giving ourselves a reprieve from feeling like we're failing at being a family." - A.M. ( A.M.) Raising a family in the shadow of alcoholism 'He was loving even as he withdrew' I started drinking at 14. My parents didn’t touch the stuff, but had a stocked liquor... Features 19 Feb 2020 | 04:11
