The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Fundraising dinner, concert to benefit Rettich Farm
MADISON — Imagine, dinner on the bucolic Rettich Preserve with the Hammonasset River flowing in the background and live bluegrass-old school country music wafting through the air. And, all for a good cause.
The Rettich Preserve Fundraising Barbeque and Concert will take place July 29 at 249 River Road, Madison.
The funds raised during this event will go toward preserving the Rettich Barn, the largest barn currently on the Madison Land Conservation Trust owned property.
The pastoral setting is 11 acres of land, formerly the home of Fred and Rosa Rettich, which was bequeathed to Madison Land Conservation Trust. Rosa died in 2011 at 81 and Fred passed away in 2013 at 97.
The couple worked hard on their farm and enjoyed the land around them. There were grapevines to make their own wine, a productive garden that fed them all year long and a bench overlooking the Hammonasset River that offered a respite with a view.
With lawn chair, blanket, folding tables and a beverage of choice carried in, guests will be treated to a buffet offering tossed salad, chilled tomato gazpacho, watermelon and goat cheese salad, potato salad, grilled corn, roasted summer vegetables, grilled chicken and barbequed pork sandwiches.
“Everything for this event will be sourced from Field House Farm or as much from Madison farms as we can,” said Stephanie Lesnik, owner of Field House Farm and one of the organizers of the community barbeque.
Lesnik is coordinating the event along with fellow Madison residents Leslie Sude and Charlie Shafer.
A year ago, with just over 125 guests, the inaugural barbeque raised $6,000. This year, with room for about 200 guests, the goal is to raise over $10,000.
“We did it last year as kind of a test run,” said Sude, Land Trust board member. “It was spectacular.
“People were in tears, it was so beautiful — the music, the food, the setting” she said. “That particular evening, we were worried about the weather and rain and it turned out to be this magically beautiful day with a breeze. There were no bugs and it was quiet and the band was perfect and the food was delicious and people left completely intoxicated with the vibe and the scenery.”
While there were 24 outbuildings on the Rettich property when the Land Trust acquired it, today three remain.
Preserving the largest structure, the Rettich Barn, is charting new territory for the Land Trust.
“The Land Trust isn’t really in the habit of maintaining and restoring buildings. We conserve land,” Sude said.
“We feel like it’s talking to us,” she said. “If it hasn’t fallen down in nearly 200 years, it’s trying to survive. As more and more farms are disappearing throughout New England, we lose a little bit of that history and while we are a land trust, tasked with conserving land, and this property has taken a step forward into the future in its new presence of a nature preserve, we just weren’t quite ready to let go of the history and we think there might be a reasonable way to connect the two.”
Necessary repairs to restore the barn include replacing the roof, missing siding and rotted sills; shoring up interior beams; securing the interior hayloft; and replacing barn door.
The classic English-style barn was built in the early 19th century circa 1828 and then renovated and expanded in the mid to late 19th century, probably in the immediate post-Civil War era, said Benjamin Diebold, president of the Land Trust. He added that there are still beams with original tool marks on them, but much of the barn is in pretty rough shape.
The barn is listed in the Historic Barns of Connecticut list, which is a project of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation.
While enjoying a summer evening with friends and good food, guests will be entertained by The Page Turners, who play “great old school country music, one of those things that doesn’t really have a genre,” said Shafer. “There can be blues mixed into it, it can be kind of rock ‘n’ rollish at times. It’s just really cool string band music.”
Playing at the barbeque for an encore year, Shafer said it is a lovely venue to perform live music.
“It’s kind of relaxing and you can just kind of feel open and free and at the same time, because everybody’s kind of fairly close, it’s nice and intimate,” he said. “It’s kind of a strange blend of open field, barn party or festival type party and at the same time, you get that close intimacy where you see everybody’s face and you connect with everybody.”
Lesnik, a longtime friend of the Rettichs, said the evening will be in keeping with how the couple lived their lives.
“Anything that I do related to them and that property, I just really want it to be on point with the way that they lived,” said Lesnik.
“To know them was to know that they were extremely resourceful and they ate from the land and they loved their land,” she added. “So if we can share the same love and respect by what we’re doing there and the way we’re presenting that property, then I feel like we’re doing right by them.”
The Rettich Preserve Fundraising Barbeque and Concert is July 29, 4 to 8 p.m., at 249 River Road, Madison. Tickets are $75 for ages 13 and up and $25 for children 12 and under. For information, contact Stephanie Lesnik at 203-779-9187 or stephanie@fieldhousefarm.net.
“The Land Trust isn’t really in the habit of maintaining and restoring buildings. We conserve land . ... As more and more farms are disappearing throughout New England, we lose a little bit of that history.”
Leslie Sude, Madison resident