Episodes

In the early 20th century, ⁠Cauliflower Was King⁠ in the western Catskills, and –– especially in the good years –– farmers called it "white gold." Historian Diane Galusha describes the origins of cauliflower farming in Margaretville, the rise and fall of the industry from the 1890s to the 1950s (and beyond), and the notable contribution of the Van Benschoten family. Plus, voices from the annual ⁠Cauliflower Festival⁠ , celebrating its 20th year on September 21, 2024. 00:00 Introduction to Caulif...

In this episode of Kaatscast , we explore the journey of Emily Li Mandri, founder of the women's accessories brand MLE , based in Saugerties, New York. Emily shares insights into the challenges and rewards of running a fashion brand in Upstate New York, her commitment to eco-conscious materials and sustainable fashion, and the influence of her family's background in apparel. We also hear from her assistant, New Paltz theater grad Kiana Duggan-Haas, about the importance of sustainability in the f...

Mark Hearon didn't always drink coffee, but when he got started, he was all in. Now, he's roasting fair trade organic coffee at an 1872 general store that also carries gourmet sandwiches and local essentials –– beer, bread, milk, fishing bait, even a fill-up for your car from a vintage gas pump, making it a unique one-stop-shop for both locals and travelers. Joined by his daughter Ashley Hearon-Smith, the store’s part-time publicist and social media manager, Mark shares his journey from discover...

Michael Kudish is a Catskills legend and the authority on Catskills trees and forests. In 1971, Kudish earned his PhD with the thesis, "Vegetational History of the Catskill High Peaks." Five decades later, that research is ongoing. In 2000, Purple Mountain Press published his landmark book, The Catskill Forest: A History . Now, an updated 6-volume set is in the works. I met up with Michael at his home/research library in Delaware County, to hear about his latest research sampling Catskills bogs ...

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. Hark! On this day's Kaatscast , we journey to the quaint village of Hunter in fair New York, whereupon Catskill Mountain Shakespeare doth present a stirring rendition of the noble tragedy, Julius Caesar . Attend thee this discourse with the esteemed founder and artistic director, Sarah Reny. And verily, seize thee a billet, for this performance doth breathe new life into a timeless saga. --- Thanks to this week's sponsors: Briars & Brambles Books ,...

The Bruderhof is a worldwide community of 3,000 Christians who, inspired by the early church, share their money and possessions, and practice "full-time discipleship," working, dining, and singing together. Perhaps you've bumped into one of their members out in the world (women can be identified by their conservative dress, reminiscent of Amish or colonial attire). Here in the Catskills is a sizable community of 240 residents, in Greene County's Platte Clove. They invited me in for a firsthand l...

Dede Terns-Thorpe is the historian for the Town of Hunter, referred to locally as "the mountain top," and comprising the villages of Hunter and Tannersville, and the hamlets of Edgewood, Elka Park, Lanesville, and Platte Clove, plus the historic private communities: Onteora Park, Twilight Park, and Elka Park. Dede's passionate about the history of this place, and she's got her own history here, too, which is mostly what we talked about when we met at Tannersville's Mountain Top library. We were ...

Join us for our very first LIVE show, recorded at Emerson Resort & Spa as part of their weekend celebration of Ralph Waldo's birthday (born May 25, 1803). Hear from Catskills scholars and writers Leslie T. Sharpe and Bill Birns , with music by Steve Koester ! Q&A with the audience, and more! --- If you missed the live event, you can still play our trivia! Top three submissions will win 2 drink tokens to the Catamount bar + a CD of Henry David Thoreau's Autumnal Tints ! In the case of a tie, we'l...

Municipal sewer systems are few and far between in the rural Catskills, so chances are high that your home is reliant on its own septic system. And if that system isn't maintained, well, things could get ugly at the most inopportune time. Thanks to some beefy financial incentives from the Catskill Watershed Corporation , there's really no excuse to delay septic maintenance, and maybe even a full system replacement. In 2023 alone, the CWC subsidized 312 septic repairs/replacements and 680 mainten...

In 2022, four Master Gardeners were looking for a new way to bring their expertise to our region, and they did so with a weekly podcast on everything from honeybees to hydrangeas; perennials and pollinators; monarchs, chickens, seeds, goats, and houseplants. Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley is a production of Cornell Cooperative Extension, Columbia and Greene Counties. And speaking of Cornell, the seed for this podcast was planted in the midst of the American Civil War. Tune in...

Paul Misko is an avid Catskills hiker, who –– true to his Boy Scout roots –– is always prepared. As spring rolls in and we pull out the hiking boots (maybe shaking out some nuts and nesting material from winter mouse habitation), Paul offers a refresher on what to pack for our walks in the woods, plus some best practices for hiking with kids and leading a group. For more, check out Paul's blog, Catskill Forest Adventures . And if you'd like to hear John Burroughs' own account of that ill-fated h...

If you've been tuned in to local media for a while, you might Remember Paul Smart, writer for the Woodstock Times and author of the 1994 book, Rock & Woodstock . Paul lives in Mexico now, but he's still writing about the Catskills. And The Strange Recital , "a podcast about fiction that questions the nature of reality," published Paul's latest novel through their very own book imprint. This week, I sat down with Brent Robison and Tom Newton, both of The Strange Recital and Recital Publishing, to...

Dubbed the "first lady of radio," Mary Margaret McBride was a welcome voice in millions of homes in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, pulling in 6 to 8 million listeners daily! Mary Margaret interviewed 30,000 guests, from Eleanor Roosevelt to the neighborhood plumber, and produced 15,000 shows –– no repeats! Oh, and she was a radio pioneer, broadcasting some of those shows from her converted Catskills barn. When I learned about Mary Margaret, I picked up a copy of Susan Ware's biography , "It's One O'...

Will Nixon has been writing about Woodstock for decades, including a column in the Woodstock Times , and two popular books-- Walking Woodstock , and The Pocket Guide to Woodstock , all in collaboration with writer Michael Perkins, who died in 2022. So when Will suggested we hike Overlook Mountain together to talk 'history,' I knew he'd have much to reveal. On today's Kaatscast: join us for a history hike, with Will Nixon. --- From Atlas Obscura : "Overlook Mountain House: The Skeletal Remains of...

When we spoke with Michael DiBenedetto for our special Ukraine report in August, 2023 , he mentioned he'd consider returning in winter, when the volunteer pool was likely to thin. Well, Michael's a man of his word, and we caught up with him this week in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city just about 20 miles from the Russian border. He's volunteering at Hell's Kitchen , where borscht, bread, and other foods are prepared daily for soldiers on the front lines. Liuda is a cofounder of the organi...

Catskill Neighbors , whose mission it is to "help seniors wishing to remain safe and comfortable in their own homes," was born of necessity in the wake of 2011's Hurricane Irene. Founder, Reverend Ralph Darmstadt, died in January, 2024 , but his legacy lives on in an organization that serves seniors in parts of Ulster, Delaware, and Greene counties, where social services are lacking and/or sparse. Listen in on our conversation with organization officers Patricia Ruane and Gary Kusen, plus a visi...

Before cell phones, before touch tone, before dial tone, even, if you wanted to make a phone call, you'd pick up the receiver and talk to an operator. If that call was placed in the Catskills in the late 1940s through the early 1960s, Lula Anderson might have been working the switchboard. Lula invited me to her home in Greene County, where she recounted tales of the telephone, and growing up in the Catskills. Many thanks to the Nicholas J. Juried Family Foundation for their generous support of t...

Plattekill Mountain , in Roxbury, is the last of the Catskills' independent ski areas, boasting 1100 vertical feet, 40 trails, and 4 lifts. But those statistics aren't necessarily the draw at this laid-back family-run resort. Plattekill's rustic lodge, with its rough pine walls and wood burning stove, is reminiscent of other small ski areas that were more prevalent a few decades ago. When we reached out for an interview, our email was quickly answered by none other than the owner. Join us for a ...

Happy new year , and welcome to the first episode of our 5th season here at Kaatscast. To ring in the new year, we thought it would be fun to raise a glass with the owners of three breweries across the region. And the breweries we're highlighting don't just call the Catskills home ... the Catskills are brewed into every pint, whether that's by starting with clear mountain spring water –– at Sullivan County's Upward Brewing ; incorporating flavorful foraged ingredients -- at Greene County's West...

A visit to the North Pole! In an hour and ten minutes? Where can one catch this train, you ask? Why, the Kingston Plaza parking lot, of course, where the Catskill Mountain Railroad embarks on a magical Christmas expedition every holiday season. And while Santa's schedule is booked solid this time of year, you can still ride with him through December 29th! On today's show, production assistant Mollie Zoldan and I scored two coveted golden tickets to the North Pole. Come along for the ride! Many t...

Cheyenne Mallo and partner Zac Schiff are the makers and purveyors of Cheyenne Mallo Pottery , in Olivebridge, NY. Their signature mugs feature raised topographic maps of Catskills places, like Overlook Mountain, North South Lake, Kaaterskill Falls, and West Kill. Mugs feature black topographic lines transected by red dotted hiking trails, and unique features like fire towers, lakes, and waterfalls. On today's Kaatscast, maps to drink by, crafted in the Catskills. "Mug shot" courtesy of Cheyenne...

When it comes to Thanksgiving feasting, 2/3 of Americans prefer side dishes to the main entrée. So we visited two of the Catskills' best chefs for a fresh take on the beloved side dish! At Tannersville's craftsman-style Deer Mountain Inn , chef Corwin Kave shows us how to whip up a fresh and flavorful Charred Broccoli Di Cicco with preserved lemon aioli and crispy garlic. And at Big Indian's Peekamoose Restaurant and Tap Room , chef Devin Mills takes us through the steps of a savory sweet potato...

On today's Kaatscast, we checked in with Bill Merchant, Deputy Director for Collections, historian, and curator at the D&H Canal museum, recently transplanted to the historic Depuy Canal House in High Falls, NY. Not every visit to the museum comes with Bill's VIP tour, so here's an opportunity to soak up his encyclopedic footnotes before embarking on your own to the D&H Canal Museum . Many thanks to this week's sponsors: ⁠Briars & Brambles Books⁠ , ⁠ The Mountain Eagle ⁠ , and the Central Catski...

Bill Abranowicz is a renowned photographer who started snapping pictures 50 years ago. Bill's career has taken him around the globe many times over, taking pictures for the likes of Condé Nast Traveler , The New York Times Magazine , Vanity Fair , Architectural Digest , Vogue , Bon Appétit , Martha Stewart Living , and the list goes on. In his latest photography book, Country Life: Homes of the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley Bill turns his camera on our very own Catskills, and a portfolio ...