The Cauliflower Festival

By Adrienne Martini

In 1891, William F. VanBenschoten decided to plant some new seeds on his Margaretville farm. Little did he know that this unusual idea would grow into an enterprise that would change the fortunes of the region.

By the 1920s, Catskill farmers had a simple dream. Soon, they hoped, every family in the country would plan their meals around one humble plant: the cauliflower. Given how briskly the crop was selling in New York City, that dream seemed certain to become a reality.

For a few decades, at least, cauliflower and its profits grew abundantly. By the 1940s, most farms in the region harvested an acre or two of this cruciferous veggie. According to historian Diane Galusha, in her book When Cauliflower was King, “Cauliflower profits paid off mortgages, sent children to college, built home additions and barns, and, in one case, a young man used it to set up housekeeping with his new bride.”

“Cauliflower,” a local reporter wrote at the time, “will to a large extent replace dairies as a means of livelihood in this part of the Catskill Mountains.” In its heyday, the cauliflower fields occasionally had to be protected from rustlers who would steal the best heads under cover of darkness.

By the 1950s, however, increased competition from larger corporate farms in California and Long Island killed the local industry. Now, ninety years later, most families can count on one hand the number of they’ve stuck a fork into a steaming platter of cauliflower during the last few weeks. Fewer still know about the region’s history with this vegetable that is a cousin of broccoli and cabbage.

The Greater Margaretville Chamber of Commerce has worked to change that. For the last four years, they’ve praised this region’s agricultural history by throwing a home-grown cauliflower festival. This year’s celebration of the brain-like plant will be held on Saturday, September 29 in Margaretville’s Village Park.

“I think it’s really unique—there’s a lot of places that have a lot of local food festivals but I love that the cauliflower festival is something that’s so uniquely Catskills,” says Challey Comer, the Watershed Agricultural Council’s Farm-to-Market manager. “There’s a lot of levels of history and it’s really fun to work at the festival.”

This year, the festival is adding “Small Plates,” a new event on Friday night that will feature a tasting menu of local foods. Chef John-Paul Biasutto, who took first place in the professional division at last year’s cauliflower cook-off, will prepare the “Small Plates” at Summerfields Restaurant in Margaretville.

“‘Small Plates’ is going to get people ready about the festival—and get them thinking about local food and tasting it,” Comer says, “It’s about connecting the history and agriculture to your palate.”

The food of the region will be celebrated in other ways as well. Guest chefs and local farmers will collaborate on teaching the best ways to prepare local edibles like grass fed beef, swiss chard, apples, pumpkins, and, of course, cauliflower. A Weber Grill will be awarded to the winner the annual Cauliflower Cook-off Contest. Past winning recipes for this noble vegetable include a cauliflower pot pie, a cauliflower chutney and a cauliflower ham and cheese drop.

A special event this year is the launch of A Catskill Kitchen: Seasonal Recipes from Dry Brook Valley by Evelyn Fairbairn Budd. Purple Mountain Press is reprinting this title, previous editions of which have fetched over a $100 from book collectors.

Regional foods can’t be separated from regional history. This year’s festival hopes to take advantage of local visitors’ memories with a coded map that identifies local farms and the products that they grew. “It’s a window to a time when farming was a way of life here and it wasn’t something exclusive,” says Diane Galusha, president of the Historical Society of Middletown. “We’re asking people to come and check out this map. There have been some drastic changes in the last half-century and this is a golden opportunity to document those changes.

“It’s just interesting how this agricultural history is now kind of a footnote. When you start talking about cauliflower farming in this area, everybody seems to have done it,” Galusha adds. “They are not necessarily fond memories because it’s a hard process but people value its history because they valued what it did for their families.”

If visions of cauliflower don’t make your mouth water, there will be a harvest of other activities as well. Antiques expert and collector Bob Connelly of Binghamton will be on hand to appraise the items that festivalgoers have in their own attics. Bill Steward The Fairwaying Stranger, an old-timey folk musician and storyteller, will perform throughout the day. The Schoharie Valley Cloggers will stomp the stage and Hilt Kelly and the Sidekicks will lead the square dancing. Local conservation networks will be promoting watershed protection.

Kids can enjoy pony rides and a petting zoo, a sandbox-based history dig and an arts-and-crafts tent. A special area will be set up for the smaller cooks to make their own snacks out of local products. Those who aren’t skittish around amphibians can explore their inner Mark Twain and his Calaveras County jumping frog during the contests that will be offered during the day.

One of the biggest draws, however, remains the arts and crafts vendors that the Festival attracts. You won’t find ticky-tacky crocheted toilet paper holders here.
Art coordinator Myrna Greenhall says, “we’re going to have many quality craftspeople. We’re trying to make a good, local art presence and we’d love it if people started their Christmas shopping.”

Above all else, the Cauliflower Festival strives to be an authentic and honest celebration of the region’s farms, food and arts.

“There’s just lots for people to do,” Greenhall says. “It’s very family friendly and has a very friendly warm feeling.”

“Small Plates” will take place on Friday, September 28 at 6 pm in Summerfields Restaurant. The cost is $30 per person. Reservations are required. To make a reservation or for further information, please call Carol O’Beirne at 845 586 2219.

Rain or shine, the 5th Annual Cauliflower Festival will be held at the Village Park in Margaretville on Saturday, September 29 from 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is free.

A nominal charge will be in place for antique appraisals by Bob Connelly. Please call Diane Galusha at 845 586 4973 for more information.