NEW LEBANON, NY – The New Lebanon Library will host the launch of Farming the Lebanon Valley (from the Mohicans to the present day), Saturday, November 16  from 1 to 3 PM.  All are welcome to attend. Copies of the book will be available at no cost.

Each person attending the event will receive a free raffle ticket for a gift basket of goods produced by local farmers and artisans. The drawing will be held at approximately 2:15 PM.  This festive, harvest-themed celebration will feature hot and cold apple cider and donuts, a keyboardist, a video presentation of pages from the book, a display of farm-related historical objects and a recognition of the farmers and others who contributed information, pictures and other resources to the development of the book.

Farming the Lebanon Valley, a 64-page book that celebrates the farming tradition in the Lebanon Valley, grew out of the Town of New Lebanon’s NL200 celebration (of the town’s founding) last year. The project was made possible by a grant of state funds by former state Senator Kathleen Marchione to the New Lebanon Library. The Library entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Town of New Lebanon to use these funds to support NL200 activities that met the educational purposes of the grant. The NL200 steering committee, coordinated by Grow the Valley, Inc., determined that a farm-oriented publication would provide a lasting legacy of the bicentennial. The book surveys the history of farming in the valley, presents recollections of townspeople about the farms and farmers from around 1950-2010  and portrays the farms currently operating here.

Fiona Lally, President of the Grow the Valley board, said, “We are proud to be part of this exciting project that highlights farms, farmers and their products. Farming the Lebanon Valley shines a light on the important history of farming in New Lebanon and the big role it plays today. The launch is just the beginning of farm-themed programs.  Watch for announcements of a winetasting at a local farm in early February and an exciting farming project in the spring.”