WELCOME, OUR WOODLAND STAGE
Our summer 2026 Newsletter
It's been busy around here — lots of development along with harvesting, so this newsletter is going out very late. But I have some big news: we built a stage!
If you were lucky enough to catch one of the handful of music nights we hosted in the vintage garage this winter, wood stove going, you know how intimate and rootsy it felt. We'll bring those back when the weather cools again, but for now, I want to announce our new home for music outdoors: the Woodland Stage.
For decades, a set of sheds stood on this land, built and used by the Rydell family. I loved those sheds — the weight of them, the years in the wood. But they'd reached the end of what they could safely hold, and I was required to take them down.
The intent is simple:
This is a stage for all of us — musicians, songwriters, storytellers, funny people.
So I salvaged what I could and put it aside, with an idea forming: build a stage from those materials. I had amazing friends and craftsmen supporting me, Rick, Jerry, and Will, who were just as excited as getting this stage up as I was. Something that would honor what stood here before, while giving this place a new use.
When we closed Ruthie's — mine and Eric's beloved restaurant in Montclair — I left a piece of my heart there. For years, weekend nights filled up with blues and roots music, and something happened in that space — a kind of community I wasn't ready to give up. So when I looked at these old sheds, the ones I loved and had to take down, I didn't just see material worth saving. I saw a way to keep that love going.
It took a while to get there, but the stage is up now, and it's gorgeous. Tucked into the trees, strung with lights, roofed in salvaged tin. The intent is simple: this is a stage for all of us — musicians, songwriters, storytellers, funny people. It gets used according to our imagination; there's no single program for it, just an open invitation.
I met Mingo Lodge one afternoon at a local open mic and told him what I was picturing — a stage in the woods where musicians and other creatives could connect, work out new material, experiment, and share it with the community around them. He understood exactly what I meant, and he was excited to work with me.
What I didn't know yet was the musical life behind that understanding — years spent working with Pete Seeger on the Clearwater Festival, and a real, lived belief in music as a way to build community and serve each other. With Mingo's lead, we started a Community Jam, held every other Wednesday. He gets the word out to the legions of musicians he knows, and whoever shows up gets a chance to play.
MINGO'S COMMUNITY JAM
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every other Wednesday Eve: 5:30 – 8:30 PM
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Next jam Wednesday August 5th
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MINGO'S COMMUNITY JAM - every other Wednesday Eve: 5:30 – 8:30 PM - Next jam Wednesday August 5th -
At this writing, we've had two jams so far, and both were loved — by the community and the musicians alike. This isn't a restaurant — think of it more like being invited into someone's home. I made grilled cheese sandwiches with bread from our own mill and put out a jar for donations; other people brought corn and sausages to share. The music came from the musicians, the food came from some generous listeners, and the ideas about where this space goes next came from all of us together.
MINGO'S COMMUNITY JAM is every other Wednesday Eve: 5:30 – 8:30 PM. Next jam Wednesday August 5th.
Lily Vakili (duo with Eric Burns) Live Saturday, August 22 • 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Outdoor Songwriting Workshop with Singer-Songwriter Lily Vakili Thursday, August 27 • 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Interested in booking the Woodland Stage
for your own event or performance?
Reach out to
Or Mingo bigbossnews@gmail.com
SUMMER CLASSES
MASTER THE ART OF PIZZA MAKING:
Our class calendar is much leaner during summer months as most folks, we’ve discovered, want to be out in the good weather. But Emily’s class is an exception. Emily Downs is teaching Master the Art of Pizza Making on July 26, 4–7PM, and again on August 30th , 4-7PM
Emily, owner of Emily's Hearth in Sussex, is a master pizza and bread maker, and her classes sell out regularly Grab some friends, bring a bottle of wine, and make yourselves some outstanding pizzas together.
More classes start back up at the Mill after October. In the meantime, if you have a request for a private class — a variety of cooking and baking subjects are on the table — just email us through the website and we'll go from there.
VINTAGE SHOPPING
@Odds & Eras
Natalie's Odds & Era's vintage collection, sold out of Ruthie's Garage at the Mill, just keeps getting better.
She curates a fresh assortment every month, so there's always something new to browse.
She'll be open Saturday, July 25th, and every other Saturday after, unless she posts otherwise — and she's considering opening during our music events too, so stay close to her feed for updates. Reach her directly @oddsanderas.
HARVEST
the Rye is in!
Happy news on the harvest so far this year: the rye came off the field in excellent condition. We're waiting on test results, but confidence is high — our soil practices keep paying off, and the numbers coming off this field improve every year.
Later this week, we're heading to a neighboring farm in Marksboro to help with their oat harvest — John's bringing over the pull combine, and we'll teach them how to use it. A few friends interested in learning to harvest are joining in too, and have been a real help. By October, we'll be in good shape to plant our winter wheat.
HEY FARMER! WANT TO GROW WITH US?
We are always looking to expand our network of farmers to collaborate with.