We always find creative inspiration around the farm and are thrilled when others do.

Artist Mary Connell Gaynor takes her inspiration from life. She is known for her sensitive pastel portraits of children which she has been creating for 30 years. Mary approaches her studies of animals with that same gentle passion.

“I love the challenge of bringing that special something that is behind the eyes of every living thing to life in my art.  There is always something that takes hold of me and won’t let go until I communicate in back in my painting. For the painting “Sweet Silence” I saw a special moment between this young pair of goats that I just had to express on canvas. That is what motivates and inspires me.”

Mary paid a visit to the farm in late Spring and painted a beautiful picture of the goats as a gift to Farmer John (ok, ok, just maybe he got a little teary eyed)

She also took a few photos of some of the farm’s other animals and will debut prints of her Beekman portraits at the 2010 Harvest Festival.  Yet another reason to visit Sharon Springs!

...and put them in a vase

Any time we’re called upon to make a table centerpiece, we always make a dash out to the garden—both the flower and the vegetable gardens–to see what’s there to inspire us.

An abundance of peppers in the vegetable garden led to these fiery creations.

Globe-shaped vases work best

As you are putting your peppers into the vase, press them as tightly against one another and the edge of the bowl as possible.  When you are about half-way around the bowl, cut a cube of floral foam to fit into the center of the vase to keep the peppers in place.  You’ll want this to be a tight fit.  Then continue filling the vase around the circumference.  Use a few small peppers left on the stem in the actual bouquet to tie it all together.

Jalapenos

Once you add the water, the appearance of the peppers will magnify creating a dramatic visual presentation–a great feast for the eyes to accompany whatever you put on the plate.

The Beekman 1802 Mercantile

When we started Beekman 1802, we never imagined opening a bricks and mortar store.  The  bricks and mortar of the farm were  all we would need to run our internet-based business.   But as fortune would have it, our little farm-based business continued to grow.  We added more artists from the community as we developed new products, and before we knew it, the basement, the attic, and even the dining room were being used as storage, packing and wrapping spaces.

We initially thought we would find an empty barn or garage somewhere just to use as additional storage, but a walk down Main Street changed all of that.

The old Roseboro Hotel, one of the most imposing buildings on Main Street in Sharon Springs, was sitting empty.  Anyone who has ever dreamed of revitalizing the Main Street in their own town knows that even one empty storefront sends an unwelcoming message.

What could we do to change that?

So much of what we do at Beekman 1802 relies on the history of the farm and of its founder, William Beekman.   William was a senator and the first judge of Schoharie County, but his wealth came from owning one of the largest mercantiles in upstate NY.  In fact, the entire area surrounding the farm was known as Beekman’s Corners.

So perhaps it is fitting that there is once again a mercantile bearing his name.  With a few phone calls, a tight budget, and a little elbow grease, the Roseboro Hotel, at 210 Main Street in Sharon Springs is now the home of the Beekman 1802 Mercantile.

An old sideboard was painted, the back removed and now serves as the checkout counter and storage space for shopping bags

We created our main display tables using untreated hemlock planks and metal sawhorses.

Inexpensive clip-on light fixtures from the hardware store were used as accent lighting

Galvanized metal is used to display product in a way that makes the look of the store cohesive

Our familiar 'Month of" soaps are displayed on one wall in chronological order

The shop is now the only place in the world where the Limited Edition version of our Year in the Country gift set can be purchased

Our woven silk scarves with the signature Beekman stripe are displayed on a piece of fencing salvaged from the farm

When trying on a scarf, customers can use a vintage mirror found in the hotel

We use the store to test out and get feedback on new products before they go onto the website, like our new collection of hand-woven and hand-quilted pillows...

...and one-of-a-kind pieces like this fallen applewood bench

Outside, the Beekman goats can be seen on weekends as long as the weather permits

The porch offers a nice place to sit after the walk down Main Street (and for patient husbands)

We hope you'll pay us and all the other shops on Main Street a visit sometime very soon

For information about store hours and contact information, click here

Inspired cleaning

Last year, right around this time, photographer Chris Altamari paid a visit to the farm to take some photos.

Of course, his pending visit prompted a mad rush to get the house cleaned.  (Winter on a farm is a dirty thing.)

Now that Spring has once again come to the Beekman we took out the photo album to get some inspiration for a little spring cleaning.

Take a sneak peek at The Fabulous Beekman Boys and let us know if we can possibly live up to that name.

Burdog

One day recently a friend was standing on the porch of The Beekman removing  burdock burrs from his jacket—stragglers from an early-morning walk around the farm.

Not being from the country, he had no idea that trying to remove the burrs (which inspired the creation of velcro half a century ago) while wearing wool gloves would only make the sticky situation worse.

Michael Whaling happened by the farm at just the right moment to come to the rescue.  Being both an artist and a naturalist, Michael never wastes an opportunity to create something from nature.

The result: charming little sculptures easy enough for any-aged child to make

After assembling the basic shape, you can fine-tune the sculpture by mashing in some of the burrs.  Michael used some of the silky hairs from some nearby milkweed pods to create “fur”

We look forward to seeing what ideas you come up with.

Shortly after moving to Beekman Farm, we heard tell of an open house just outside of town at a place called Thistle Hill.   As if we needed any additional reason to go, when we heard the host was a person named Rabbit Goody, our attendance was a foregone conclusion.   (We were raised to never pass up the opportunity to talk to someone who has gone through life with the name Rabbit.)

Thistle Hill Weavers is owned and directed by Rabbit Goody, a nationally known textile historian and founder of the Textile History Forum.  Thistle Hill is a custom weaving mill that specializes in creating accurate reproductions from document patterns and 17th, 18th, and 19th-century weavers’ drafts.  Working closely with designers and individuals, the company creates carpets, fabrics, and trims in short custom runs.

Carpet, fabrics, and trims from Thistle Hill are installed in museums and historic sites across America, from George Washington’s Mount Vernon to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, from the Henry Ford Museum to Lincoln’s Birthplace, as well as at international sites, including historic trust properties in New South Wales.

In addition to working on private homes and historic sites, Thistle Hill Weavers has extensive experience producing custom costume and set fabrics for the film industry.  Recent projects include set and wardrobe fabrics for The Chronicles of Narnia, Indiana Jones & the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the Academy Award winning movies There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men, as well as the Emmy Award winning HBO miniseries, John Adams.

When we found out that Rabbit got her start by weaving scarves for the likes of Gucci and Bergdorf Goodman, we knew we had to work with her to create the first item for the Beekman 1802 Haberdashery.

Learn more about Rabbit and her work at http://www.thistlehillweavers.com

A trivet will protect the surfaces of your furniture and can also help display your dishes in a dramatic way.

Trivets can be fashioned out of almost any flat surface.

Our modern interpretation of the classic farm table begged for something “organic” to soften its dramatic lines.

At a local stone purveyor, we found just the thing…old slate roofing shingles.  They had a large pile in various shapes and colors—for only $1 a piece!  You might also find a similar stash at an architectural salvage company

We cleaned them up and affixed self-adhesive  pads  to  the bottom of each tile.  Rubber pads work better than felt since there’s a high likelihood that the underneath of the trivet will at some point get wet.

Stacking several trivets on top of one another can create additional drama on the table.

You can find slate tiles in many weather-worn colors from green to chocolate to rose

Finding tiles in various shapes and sizes can also add visual interest and make for a more interesting table.  I found an exceptionally large tile that I now use as a beautiful cutting board when I take Beekman 1802 Blaak to cheese tastings.

Narrow tiles might even be used as hor d'oeuvre trays

What other items might make a good trivet?  Share your ideas with the rest of us.

It’s not to say that we don’t appreciate the beauty of trees in every season, but there’s something so dramatic about the bare limbs of a tree against the grey winter sky.

But some trees are little more shy about “baring all”.

Because evergreens are, well, ever green, you very rarely get to see the beautiful underlying architecture of these branches

Each Christmas, after all the gifts have been unwrapped, and after all the ornaments have been carefully packed for their year-long hibernation, we’ve had a tradition of offering up the Christmas tree to the goats.  They attack the branched buffet with gusto, and within an hour there’s nothing left but the spindly, splendid skeletal remains.

Beautiful.

This inspired an idea for our “naked” Christmas tree. (Along with our annual viewing of the Charlie Brown Christmas Special)

(If you don’t have a herd of goats to help you remove the needles, here’s a tip.  Using  a pair of rubber kitchen gloves, pull each branch straight  and brush from the tip of the branch toward the trunk of the tree.  The gloves help catch the needles and also keep the sticky pine tar from your fingers)

We’ve always been intrigued by the idea that when the Beekmans inhabitated the house, they likely had real candles aglow on the tree.

Here’s our modern (and safer) version, using glass orbs left over from the finale of America’s Oldest, Largest Garden Party and some battery-powered tea lights.

With all the lights turned off in the grand hallway,  holiday visitors were greeted by a swarm of hovering lights.  Marfa simply cannot compete!

How did you see Christmas different this year?  Let us know in the comment section below.

Many of our crafting projects begin with a walk around the farm.

We recently found inspiration in the austere, architectural beauty of the sumac that grows along the border between Beekman Farm and our neighbors at Dharma Lea Farm.

The fruits form dense clusters of reddish drupes at the tips of each branch.  Known as sumac bobs, these clusters are what make the plants such a striking part of the autumn landscape.

We clipped the branches about 3 feet long, when possible trying to find a branch that had a fork.

Once home we sprayed the bobs with a light spray adhesive and then gently dusted with a fine glitter that matched the color of the fruit (we used Martha Stewart Glitter in the color Brownstone)

In order to support these top heavy arrangements, we used our B. 1802 Iron Blocks.  If you are using a lighter vase, place a heavy metal frog in the bottom for stability.

Does nature inspire your creativity?  Share your ideas with the rest of us.

(We’re already thinking of what to do with next year’s growth of cat tails)

(Attn NYTimes readers: to purchase the spoons featured in today’s Home Section, visit here.)

When we created Beekman 1802, our goal was to breathe life into the historic 19^th century farm and into the mercantile business that the honest William Beekman founded over 2 centuries ago and at the same time provide opportunities for our neighbors in the surrounding village to thrive as well.

From the beginning, we’ve been devoted to the artisanal, the hand-made, and to the belief that each season gives us cause for celebration and we are pleased to announce the b. 1802 Rural Artist Collective.

Over the next year, we’ll be working with local craftsmen skilled in traditional methodologies to develop new and beautiful items for your home, hearth, and pantry.  Bringing a little piece of Beekman 1802 into your home supports the preservation of these true American masters.

It has been a tradition in many countries for wealthy godparents to give a silver spoon to their godchildren at christening ceremonies.

Regardless the origin of the phrase, you, too, can have a “silver” spoon in your mouth.

Our exceptional b. 1802 Fruit Spoon is fashioned from Britannia, a metal alloy common in the 18^th century.  The alloy becomes molten over hot coals and is then hand-poured into an authentic  18^th century spoon mold.

“The trifid spoon with it’s broad handle face and it’s tripartite top and its oval bowl with level edges and it’s long rattail on it’s underside, inaugurates the modern phase of spoon design.  It arrived in England in developed form from France around 1660.

The portraiture on the handle of the spoon is of Queen Anne, homely as she was, and this would date the mold from 1665 – 1714 : the decorations seem to confirm this, having gone out of style soon thereafter.

The b.1802 mark on the stem of each spoon was designed to imitate owner’s stamps of the period, very common on pewter of the time.

See how metal artist Michael McCarthy crafts each spoon exclusively for Beekman 1802.

Visit the Beekman 1802 Mercantile to see more of the collection.