HUDSON VALLEY HARVEST

Ric Orlando

Ric Orlando has been called the Pioneer of Hudson Valley Farm to Table cooking. His tireless work in promoting the farms, products, people, and beauty of the Upstate NY region combined with his quirky sense of humor and rock and roll pedigree has made him one of the leading culinary spokespeople and best foodie draws for events, fundraisers and festivals. Ric’s cultural roots stem from the underground music and art scene in New York, New Haven, and Boston, where he also gathered his passion for Global flavors eating urban ethnic cheap eats. Ric’s Potato Latkes beat Bobby’s on the Food Network and he also won on the show Chopped twice. In the 2013 World Food Championships, Next Top Product Category, his Eggplant “Meatballs” won the top prize for the Northeast region. He also has appeared over a dozen times on the NBC TODAY show, PBS’s Simply Ming, NPR, Discovery, MTV, Sirius Radio, as well as many other regional media appearances. Ric produced, wrote and starred in the 13- episode regional Public Television series Ric Orlando’s TV Kitchen. Ric currently curates and cooks in the New World Bistro Bar kitchen. He has won The Albany Times Union Reader’s Poll Best Chef 5 years in a row from 2015-2019. He also hosts a popular podcast “One Million Stringbeans” and contributes to many regional and national food blogs.

Yard Owl Craft Brewery

James and Michelle Walsh combined their excitement for the restaurant business and opened Mudd Puddle Café in New Paltz, NY. Fresh roasted coffee, hand crafted food, and a warm community space has been the focus since day one. In 2012, they expanded their passion for fine crafted beverages and food by opening Yard Owl Brewery in Gardiner, NY. Here, the team comes together to brew and serve expressive Belgian inspired ales paired with house-made pickled vegetables and eggs, and beer mustards that are served with cheese, charcuterie, and pretzels. This venue has enabled them to create a second community space and expand their creativity into another area of the food and craft beverage world.

Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez

Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez is a singer/composer based in Brooklyn, NY. Rooted in Jazz and R&B, Raina builds a unique sonic world with harmonic nuance and lyrical poetry. Releasing her four debut singles in 2018, Raina has over 600k streams on Spotify and a budding global audience. “Raina will leave you defenseless – her infectious voice will tear apart your guard and leave you bare to soak up the emotional sounds.” (Music Ninja)

Paul Huth

Paul Huth brings nearly 50 years of natural and cultural history research on the Shawangunk ridge, mostly concentrated at Mohonk and the surrounding Mohonk Preserve. He worked for 15 years with the Preserve’s 1st Director of Research, Daniel Smiley, and with his brother Keith, founders of the Mohonk Trust in 1963. Paul followed Dan as the Preserve’s 2nd Director of Research and served for over 20 years. Paul authored and coauthored over a hundred Research Reports and published papers on a diversity of subjects, including the century old Mohonk Lake Cooperative Weather Station, where Dan and Paul both served as long-term Cooperative Observers for the National Weather Service. Paul’s decades of service insured the future of Dan’s science legacy, now being digitized, for future generations.