Our Country Home

Editor's note

Posted

“I love the way of life here [in the city.] But I didn’t expect this.”

New York City-based artist Bernard Solco is planning to move to the country; to move here, by preference. He’s not alone.

Nobody expected any of this: the pandemic, lockdown, shortages, the death, the protests, raging at the killing of George Floyd. The sharp taste of anxiety in the air—of a sudden, savage uprooting of life as we knew it. They’re all driving a surge of interest in living in the country.

People want to move here. As writer Linda Drollinger points out, we’ve seen this before and time will tell if this is a long-lasting shift. In her feature, a real estate agent offers perspective on the latest change. 

What draws people here? The stunning beauty. Two artists, Ellen Silberlicht and Lucille Norella, weigh in on seeing our world through their eyes and translating it into creativity. Try it yourself!

In scary times, creativity is calming. Veronica Daub gets nature-inspired DIY tips from Christen Wrighter, who has created functional decor from materials she forages around her home in Narrowsburg.

Our farmers’ markets are also a huge draw, reminding visitors that the region is famous for its agriculture too. Ramona Jan, former OCH editor and well-known DIY-er, offers a farmer’s market bag that you can make from an old t-shirt (no sewing required!) and use to tote your produce.

And about that food: River Reporter food columnist Jude Waterston describes her return to the U.S. at the outset of the pandemic and gives recipes to try on your grill now that we’re all emerging from lockdown.

What do we grill it on? A grill, naturally. We checked in with folks who’d know, here and online, and found out what you need and what you should cook.

Welcome to Our Country Home.

— Annemarie Schuetz, editor

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