Kaatscast: the Catskills Podcast

Mark Hearon didn't always drink coffee, but when he got started, he was all in. Now, he's roasting fair trade organic coffee at an 1872 general store that also carries gourmet sandwiches and local essentials –– beer, bread, milk, fishing bait, even a fill-up for your car from a vintage gas pump, making it a unique one-stop-shop for both locals and travelers. 
 Joined by his daughter Ashley Hearon-...

Michael Kudish is a Catskills legend and the authority on Catskills trees and forests. In 1971, Kudish earned his PhD with the thesis, "Vegetational History of the Catskill High Peaks." Five decades later, that research is ongoing. In 2000, Purple Mountain Press published his landmark book, The Catskill Forest: A History . Now, an updated 6-volume set is in the works. I met up with Michael at his...

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. Hark! On this day's Kaatscast , we journey to the quaint village of Hunter in fair New York, whereupon Catskill Mountain Shakespeare doth present a stirring rendition of the noble tragedy, Julius Caesar . Attend thee this discourse with the esteemed founder and artistic director, Sarah Reny. And verily, seize thee a billet, for this performance doth...

The Bruderhof is a worldwide community of 3,000 Christians who, inspired by the early church, share their money and possessions, and practice "full-time discipleship," working, dining, and singing together. Perhaps you've bumped into one of their members out in the world (women can be identified by their conservative dress, reminiscent of Amish or colonial attire). Here in the Catskills is a sizab...

Dede Terns-Thorpe is the historian for the Town of Hunter, referred to locally as "the mountain top," and comprising the villages of Hunter and Tannersville, and the hamlets of Edgewood, Elka Park, Lanesville, and Platte Clove, plus the historic private communities: Onteora Park, Twilight Park, and Elka Park. Dede's passionate about the history of this place, and she's got her own history here, to...

Join us for our very first LIVE show, recorded at Emerson Resort & Spa as part of their weekend celebration of Ralph Waldo's birthday (born May 25, 1803). Hear from Catskills scholars and writers Leslie T. Sharpe and Bill Birns , with music by Steve Koester ! Q&A with the audience, and more! --- If you missed the live event, you can still play our trivia! Top three submissions win 2 drink...

Municipal sewer systems are few and far between in the rural Catskills, so chances are high that your home is reliant on its own septic system. And if that system isn't maintained, well, things could get ugly at the most inopportune time. Thanks to some beefy financial incentives from the Catskill Watershed Corporation , there's really no excuse to delay septic maintenance, and maybe even a full s...

In 2022, four Master Gardeners were looking for a new way to bring their expertise to our region, and they did so with a weekly podcast on everything from honeybees to hydrangeas; perennials and pollinators; monarchs, chickens, seeds, goats, and houseplants.  Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley is a production of Cornell Cooperative Extension, Columbia and Greene Counties. And speak...

Paul Misko is an avid Catskills hiker, who –– true to his Boy Scout roots –– is always prepared. As spring rolls in and we pull out the hiking boots (maybe shaking out some nuts and nesting material from winter mouse habitation), Paul offers a refresher on what to pack for our walks in the woods, plus some best practices for hiking with kids and leading a group. For more, check out Paul's blog, Ca...

If you've been tuned in to local media for a while, you might Remember Paul Smart, writer for the Woodstock Times and author of the 1994 book, Rock & Woodstock . Paul lives in Mexico now, but he's still writing about the Catskills. And The Strange Recital , "a podcast about fiction that questions the nature of reality," published Paul's latest novel through their very own book imprint. This we...

Dubbed the "first lady of radio," Mary Margaret McBride was a welcome voice in millions of homes in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, pulling in 6 to 8 million listeners daily! Mary Margaret interviewed 30,000 guests, from Eleanor Roosevelt to the neighborhood plumber, and produced 15,000 shows –– no repeats! Oh, and she was a radio pioneer, broadcasting some of those shows from her converted Catskills b...

Will Nixon has been writing about Woodstock for decades, including a column in the Woodstock Times , and two popular books-- Walking Woodstock , and The Pocket Guide to Woodstock , all in collaboration with writer Michael Perkins, who died in 2022. So when Will suggested we hike Overlook Mountain together to talk 'history,' I knew he'd have much to reveal. On today's Kaatscast: join us for a histo...

When we spoke with Michael DiBenedetto for our special Ukraine report in August, 2023 , he mentioned he'd consider returning in winter, when the volunteer pool was likely to thin. Well, Michael's a man of his word, and we caught up with him this week in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city just about 20 miles from the Russian border. He's volunteering at Hell's Kitchen , where borscht, bread, an...

Catskill Neighbors , whose mission it is to "help seniors wishing to remain safe and comfortable in their own homes," was born of necessity in the wake of 2011's Hurricane Irene. Founder, Reverend Ralph Darmstadt, died in January, 2024 , but his legacy lives on in an organization that serves seniors in parts of Ulster, Delaware, and Greene counties, where social services are lacking and/or sparse....

Before cell phones, before touch tone, before dial tone, even, if you wanted to make a phone call, you'd pick up the receiver and talk to an operator. If that call was placed in the Catskills in the late 1940s through the early 1960s, Lula Anderson might have been working the switchboard. Lula invited me to her home in Greene County, where she recounted tales of the telephone, and growing up in th...

Plattekill Mountain , in Roxbury, is the last of the Catskills' independent ski areas, boasting 1100 vertical feet, 40 trails, and 4 lifts. But those statistics aren't necessarily the draw at this laid-back family-run resort. Plattekill's rustic lodge, with its rough pine walls and wood burning stove, is reminiscent of other small ski areas that were more prevalent a few decades ago. When we reach...

Happy new year , and welcome to the first episode of our 5th season here at Kaatscast. To ring in the new year, we thought it would be fun to raise a glass with the owners of  three breweries across the region. And the breweries we're highlighting don't just call the Catskills home ... the Catskills are brewed into every pint, whether that's by starting with clear mountain spring water –– at Sulli...

A visit to the North Pole! In an hour and ten minutes? Where can one catch this train, you ask? Why, the Kingston Plaza parking lot, of course, where the Catskill Mountain Railroad embarks on a magical Christmas expedition every holiday season. And while Santa's schedule is booked solid this time of year, you can still ride with him through December 29th! On today's show, production assistant Moll...

Cheyenne Mallo and partner Zac Schiff are the makers and purveyors of Cheyenne Mallo Pottery , in Olivebridge, NY. Their signature mugs feature raised topographic maps of Catskills places, like Overlook Mountain, North South Lake, Kaaterskill Falls, and West Kill. Mugs feature black topographic lines transected by red dotted hiking trails, and unique features like fire towers, lakes, and waterfall...

When it comes to Thanksgiving feasting, 2/3 of Americans prefer side dishes to the main entrée. So we visited two of the Catskills' best chefs for a fresh take on the beloved side dish! At Tannersville's craftsman-style Deer Mountain Inn , chef Corwin Kave shows us how to whip up a fresh and flavorful Charred Broccoli Di Cicco with preserved lemon aioli and crispy garlic. And at Big Indian's Peeka...

On today's Kaatscast, we checked in with Bill Merchant, Deputy Director for Collections, historian, and curator at the D&H Canal museum, recently transplanted to the historic Depuy Canal House in High Falls, NY. Not every visit to the museum comes with Bill's VIP tour, so here's an opportunity to soak up his encyclopedic footnotes before embarking on your own to the D&H Canal Museum . Many...

Bill Abranowicz is a renowned photographer who started snapping pictures 50 years ago. Bill's career has taken him around the globe many times over, taking pictures for the likes of  Condé Nast Traveler , The New York Times Magazine , Vanity Fair , Architectural Digest , Vogue , Bon Appétit , Martha Stewart Living , and the list goes on. In his latest photography book, Country Life: Homes of the C...

On the heals of Indigenous People's Day, Kaatscast sat down with Justin Wexler, of Wild Hudson Valley , for an overview of the Catskills' own native history. If you've ever wondered about the people who came before us, and where they are today, consider this "Indigenous Catskills 101." For a glossary of terms and recommendations for further reading, download Justin's handy Lenape Resources PDF . K...

Welcome to a special edition of Kaatscast: the Catskills Podcast . This is episode 100 , and we've got lots in store –– including a conversation with a 100-year-old Catskills native; an interview by Mollie Zoldan with the host of this podcast ... me! And a top 10 list of our most listened-to stories. Got a few minutes? We'd love to get your feedback -- here's a link to our listener survey . Send u...

In late September, the basketball court at Shandaken's Glenbrook Park serves as a community dance floor, where area residents and visitors are transported through music to eastern Europe. This year marks the third anniversary of the  Balkan Mountains Music Festival . Hear from organizers Beth Waterman, Max Fass, and Samantha Awand-Gortel about this festive Catskills tradition. Thanks to our sponso...