Watershed Grants Benefit New York Artisans: An Innovative Source of Craft Business Funding
By Loretta Anne Castagna
This article was reprinted with permission from The Crafts Report magazine. It was originally published in The Crafts Report's May 2004 issue.

A majestic 20-foot walnut totem pole on Oscar Newman's property in Hensonville, N.Y., overlooks a glorious sweep of the Catskill Mountains. Sunlight casts shadows on the stylized heads of foolish young men, tormented salmon and sage frogs. A harsh myth of the Northwest Nootka tribe, "How Man came to Understand Nature," reads downward from the pole's lofty top.

The late Oscar Newman, a Catskill totem pole artist

Newman carves his works from native species, and the use of local wood allowed him to apply for an Economic Action Program (EAP) watershed grant. The EAP grants are funded by the United States District of Agriculture Forest Service and distributed by the Watershed Forestry Program to businesses using wood harvested from the New York City watershed.

Forestry is promoted as a viable business activity through the grants. A well-managed forest is the preferred way of protecting water quality. Developed land has an abundance of impervious surfaces (pavement and rooftops) that channel water directly into drain systems. "In a forest," explains Forestry Program specialist Collin Miller, "water percolates through the soil. If there are any impurities in the water, a lot of them can get filtered out through forest soils."

Newman, whose great-great-grandfather was from the Nootka tribe, retired from a career in architecture and planning. His family owned an extensive collection of Northwestern Indian art. "Having been born and raised among these artifacts," Newman recalls, "I always wanted to carve the imagery of my Indian side."

Newman prefers to carve wood that is cracked and deemed "secondary." His grant application "showed a use for local wood that would otherwise be broken down for firewood." The grant allowed Newman to expand his studio and advertise. One of the advertisements, in the "Catskill Mountain Region Guide," caught the attention of Peter Finn, chairman of the Catskill Mountain Foundation. "It resulted," Newman says, "in the Foundation asking me to write a book about my work."

Grants Average About $25,000
In 2003, the Watershed Agricultural Council and USDA Forest Service provided watershed grants totaling $323,207 to 13 New York businesses, with an average grant award of $24,862. Grants are used to pay for technical assistance, information, and studies; create innovative marketing links for a wood product; or improve the equipment and physical plant of a business. Grant recipients range from large commercial wood operations to small craft businesses.

Grant amounts are distributed to recipients in thirds. Each portion must be matched with cash or "in-kind" services. Grant awards are matched in many ways, the most common being salary/wages (sweat-equity), cost of supplies and materials for the project, assets, or capital equipment.

Publicity Leads To New Opportunities
Romancing the Woods of Woodstock, N.Y., received an EAP watershed grant to upgrade equipment and fund marketing efforts. Partners Marvin Davis and Robert O'Leary harvest eastern red cedar for their rustic outdoor furniture and structures. Every bark-covered branch of the tree is utilized for their gnarled rustic gazebos and bridges. "The more bent and weirder the tree is shaped," O'Leary says, "the better it is for us."

Romancing the Woods printed new folders and brochures and placed advertisements in two magazines: Period Home and Traditional Building. "Through the advertisements," O'Leary says, "we made contact with a lot of landscape architects." Landscape architects ordering structures for their wealthy clients have grown to half of Romancing the Wood's business.

Apprenticeships, Marketing Funded
GreenTree of Delhi, N.Y., produces a line of studio furniture and home accessories distinguished by environmentally sound finishes, elegant contemporary styling and impeccable craftsmanship. Jenifer Green and her husband, Don, were awarded two EAP watershed grants. "We fit in perfectly with the grant criteria," Jenifer Green says. "We focus on using domestic hardwoods for our work."

The first grant allowed GreenTree to hire an apprentice, Steve MacClintok, for one year. "An apprentice enabled Don to concentrate on new areas," Green says, "and he was able to develop a new studio furniture line." The second grant provided funds for a Web site and catalog to market the new collection. The new furniture was well received at the wholesale markets and upscale retail shows where GreenTree exhibits. "The bottom line," Green states, "is the marketing increased our sales."

Richard Johnson of Sculptural Furniture studied sculpture with renowned designer Wendell Castle in college before he set up a studio in Andes, N.Y. Although custom cabinetry provided the bulk of his income, Johnson wished to pursue more one-of-a-kind furniture projects. An EAP watershed grant allowed Johnson to purchase new equipment and hire a part-time apprentice, Nobuto Suga. Suga is Japanese and brought a fresh perspective to the shop. "The grant helped smooth out that transition from being just a one-man shop like I've always been, to taking on an employee," Johnson says. Training Suga freed Johnson to expand the custom furniture side of his business.

Renovated Studios, Enhanced Businesses
Judd Weisberg, a rustic designer in Lexington, N.Y., expanded his studio with an EAP watershed grant. A new 440-square-foot addition increased his workspace by one third. "The new addition has enabled me to take on multiple projects," he says, "and enabled me to do larger work in-house rather than having to rent a larger location." In the past, Weisberg rented studio space two hours away when he needed to fabricate the larger work he creates - massive rustic railings and custom architectural installations. Recently, Weisberg assembled an elaborate floor-to-ceiling birch bark mural in the renovated studio, a large work that would have been completed off-site in the past.

Jerry and Jessica Farrell of Once Upon a Forest build high-end rustic furniture in the Adirondack tradition. They are best known for their ornate rustic grandfather clocks. Intricately built by Jerry Farrell, the clock faces are adorned with Jessica Farrell's wildlife paintings. Their workshop, an old barn on their property in Sidney Center, N.Y., is being renovated through an EAP watershed grant.

"The barn was in pretty bad shape," Jerry Farrell says. "It would have actually fallen down. The grant provided the money to go to town on it." The Farrells shored up the structure and added improvements including an air collection system and new gas furnace. The grant also allowed Once Upon a Forest to upgrade their kiln drying system. The Farrells provide rustic raw materials - birch bark, twigs and some larger logs - to other rustic artists.

More Participation Wanted
The EAP watershed grants give craftspeople a boost to help their businesses develop and thrive. Miller is hoping to get word out to more businesses, especially in the watershed area east of the Hudson River, where forestry programs are not as popular. "We've seen no participation whatsoever from the east-of-Hudson region" Miller says, "and I'm not sure what the reasons are, or if they are completely unaware of the program."
And Miller hopes the program's goals reach consumers as well. He would like the people who purchase a handsome rustic clock or a towering totem pole to also appreciate the connection between the artisan's business, "sound forestry management, and the clean water that flows from their taps."

Loretta Anne Castagna a writer and jewelry designer in Albany, N.Y., was recently awarded a New York State Council for the Arts grant The application deadline for the next round of grants is Oct. 31, 2004. Applications are available online at www.nycwatershed.org. A map of the Catskill and Delaware New York City Watersheds on either side of the Hudson River is also at www.nycwatershed.org under "Clean Water." For more information, contact Collin Miller, Forestry Program Specialist at the Watershed Agricultural Council, (607) 865-7790