Hancock Shaker Village in the Berkshires is a museum that keeps alive the religion, history and culture of a small and devout group of people who fled religious persecution in England in the late 18th century and moved to find peace in America.
The Shakers are said to have lived a “simple life,” but that strikes me as far too tidy a description. I’m no Shaker expert, but it seems to me that Shakers engaged in complex planning in composing the simple life.
As one peels back the layers on the Shakers, through visit after visit to Hancock Shaker Village, one discovery leads to another.
In this edition, UpCountry Editor Jennifer L. Huberdeau’s article on Shaker headstones explains why it is that the monuments occasionally turn up some distance from the cemetery, incorporated into things like rock walls and walkways. Click here to learn more and find out how you can see the 43 Shaker headstones that made their ways back to the village.
And from headstones, we take a turn toward the apple orchard. It’s harvest season, and Scott Farm in Dummerston, Vermont, not only cultivates scores of heirloom varieties, it has a fellow by the name of Ezekiel Goodband, an apple expert if there ever was one. Zeke, as he’s known, will tell you all about them during the farm’s Apple Heirloom Day in October. Lucky for us, UpCountry correspondent Natalie Wise has a preview and explains why Zeke is a big fan of the Court Pundu Plat.
This edition is packed with great things to experience this September and October. When we launched UpCountry Magazine less than two years ago, we had our fingers crossed and our hopes up that it’d succeed. And right away, that happened. UpCountry continues to expand and grow, thanks to all of you dear readers who tell us they adore this magazine and to our advertisers who love being part of this unique publication. Again, we thank you. Enjoy the UpCountry!
– Kevin Moran, Executive Editor
kmoran@berkshireeagle.com
(P.S. Whoops! I nearly forgot to mention one of the most important parts of this UpCountry: Apple cider doughnuts. Let me repeat: Apple! Cider! Doughnuts!)
