The Columbia Land Conservancy Is Thrilled To Be Thirty
Amy Krzanik reports from Hudson. The Columbia Land Conservancy was “Over the Moon,” as supporters packed the barn at Churchtown Dairy, a working biodynamic raw milk farm, on Saturday, Oct. 8 to raise money and to help the nonprofit celebrate its 30th anniversary. The event drew a lively sold-out crowd who enjoyed a feast prepared by Simons Catering, with many of the ingredients coming straight from Columbia County farms with conservation easements. A highlight of the evening was the keynote address by bestselling author and New Yorker staff writer Malcolm Gladwell [pictured left with Michael Albin of Hudson Wine Merchants and board member Amy Barr], who himself owns a home near Ancram and has placed the majority of his property under CLC easement. To date, the CLC has conserved more than 30,000 acres of farmland, forests and wildlife habitats for agricultural production, scenic beauty and recreation.
Current and founding trustee Michael Polemis with wife Barbara Polemis, who were event co-chairs; musician Jim Wann, Patricia Miller Wann and Ed Strong.
Board member Will Yandik with Jerry Cosgrove and board vice chair Chris Cashen; Jessica Renda, engineer Travis Tucker and mindfulness meditator Anne Renda.
Gary Katz, Suzette Masters, board member Seth Masters and Leslie Katz.
Joan K. Davidson, one of the evening's honorary co-chairs, with NY State Assemblymember Didi Barrett and Josephine Lea Iselin of the host committee; Andrew Goetz, Paul Cassidy, who is the new board chair at Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon, and Vernon Evenson.
Chris Sansbury and host committee member Dawn Fratangelo, both of Old Chatham; Alex Sierck, Elizabeth Adams and Christina Lowery, CEO of Girl Rising.
Conrad and Claudia Vispo of the Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program with Renato Valente and trustee emeritus Tony Cashen; a view of the tables from above.
Mary Jo Gibson and U.S. Congressman Chris Gibson with Tom and Nancy Clark of Old Chatham Sheepherding Company.
Hanging from the rafters, a moon balloon provided ambience. As far as we could tell, no cows were seen jumping over it.
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