Community
Like a mosaic comprised of hundreds of tiny pieces of colors and textures that, together, form a much larger image depicting a landscape or portrait, the third annual Black Dirt Feast held Aug. 2 at the Scheuermann Farms & Greenhouses was a genuine example of such a piece of art that we call “community.” Each year it takes months of planning and dozens of volunteers for this event that has always been sold out, and this year was no exception. All have earned a very deserving thank you: Committee members Nancy Scheinert, in charge of event volunteers and staff liaison. Each year, she recruits and organizes a willing group of students from the Warwick Valley Central School District who learn about service and teamwork, and who eagerly donate their time and effort in order to make our guests feel welcome. We also want to thank parent volunteers Tara Wood and Pam Grandinali for their time, as well as Tara Jordan, Designs 4 Balance, for her involvement in the event and its planning and for the program cover design. We are grateful to Mary Juliano for her tireless role in lending the setup assistance from the Boy Scouts of Troop 38. Publicity kudos go to Jeanne-Marie Kardell, Write on Point Communication, for her role in ensuring the media learned about our event in a timely fashion. Jeanne Fox, Vault Music Services, for her effort in securing entertainment for the event. Chefs There were eight of the top chefs in the region who all volunteered their time and culinary creativity to prepare the dinner itself: Chef Ed Fava from The Catering House of ED Fava in Greenwood Lake; Chef Dan Lemire, co-owner of Chumley’s BBQ, in the Village of Florida, with Fred Whittle; Chef Heather Kurosz, of W. Rogowski Farm Black Dirt Gourmet in Pine Island; Chef Erik Johansen, of the Iron Forge in Bellvale; Chef Jim Haurey, of The Crystal Inn in the hamlet of Amity in Warwick; Chef Esteban Javier of Yesterday’s in Warwick; Chef Rob Stella from Glenmere Inn in Chester; and Chefs Georgette Storms and Brittany Hiller from La Petite Cuisine in Warwick. Beverages The organic wines introduced during our meal were provided by two of the community’s wine and spirit shops, Peck’s Wines & Spirits and Pine Island Wines & Liquor, as well as a timely donation by Frey Vineyards from California. Entertainment The Hudson Opera Theatre, with principal soloists, Mariella Nocetti and Justin Randolph, under the direction of Ron DeFesi The Jeff Ciampa Trio, featuring Dave Edwards and Eliot Zigmond; Denim-Ed Vandercliff also helped by providing the sound system. Sponsors Orange County Party Rentals. Lowland Farm Beef. Union Square Group. Johnny On The Spot. State Farm Insurance Agent, Bonni Masi Oswald. Panco Home Heating Oil. HDR Engineering. SureHands Lift & Care Systems. Pharmline Inc. Special acknowledgment The students from Warwick Valley Central School District. Culinary arts students form Orange-Ulster BOCES. Preston McClanahan for the design of the event logo. Photographer Bob Breese (Breesepix.com) for allowing use of his photography. Guy Bogart of Warwick Sanitation for supplying containers and garbage pick-up. John Panebianco of Panco for providing propane and ice. Neil Patel of the Pine Island Deli for additional ice. Potter Andrea Kimball. Finally An event like this could not be possible without the sustained support and generosity from Bob and Sally Scheuermann, a fifth-generation family who provided the space for the event, kept it manicured, supplied all the cut flowers that decorate the tablescapes, supplied the refrigeration and freezer storage, provided all the logistical support for the transport of supplies and equipment onto their spectacular great lawn area, arranged parking for the guests’ cars, and looked after everyone to ensure their safety and well-being during the entire event. We would also like to thank The Pine Island Chamber of Commerce and president Marlene Caraballo for their continued support of this event. Sondra and Peter Hall Event co-chairs, Annual Black Dirt Feast