Mar 26, 2013 — After years as a poet, sculptor, weaver and painter, West Potsdam artist Becky Harblin says she only recently discovered what may well be her real passion for art: pastels.

Originally from Peru, in the Champlain Valley, Harblin has traveled and lived around the country. She worked for The New Yorker magazine in the 80's but decided that a rural life was more fitting to her. She and her husband, Don, raise a small flock of sheep, veggies and herbs on their farm near Potsdam. Her love for plants and the environment has led her to embrace shamanism.

Harblin studied art in college, where she says she dabbled in pastels. It was just last summer that she took the brightly colored sticks of pure pigment more seriously. Todd Moe stopped by her home studio.  Go to full article

Jun 08, 2010 — New restrictions on raw milk sales in Wisconsin and Massachusetts are returning one of America's fiercest food debates to the headlines. More people are seeking out unpasteurized milk. They cite a broad range of health benefits and support for local dairies. But health officials and many scientists insist drinking raw milk is too risky. Even Locavore-in-Chief Michael Pollan cautions raw milk drinkers "not to turn a blind eye to the food safety concerns." In New York, about 30 dairies are licensed to sell direct from the farm, including five in the North Country. The law requires consumers to bring their own containers and actually watch as the milk is poured from the bulk tank. David Sommerstein got an up-close look at the raw milk debate at a farm in St. Lawrence County and has our story.  Go to full article

Potsdam, NY, Aug 17, 2009 — Today we give you another installment in our "Story 2.0" series, where we revisit a story from the NCPR news archives. This time, we check in with Ray and Stephanie Hill and their small dairy farm in West Potsdam. Here's an excerpt from a May 2008 story by reporter Kinna Ohmann.  Go to full article

Apr 11, 2003 — Todd Moe gets the buzz from two North Country residents, Elaine Kuracina and Ethan Allan Morse, who've appeared as "extras" in recent movies.  Go to full article