September 20, 2013

The Great Herb Fair At John Jay Homestead

As I've mentioned in previous years, right down the road from my farm in Bedford is the 62-acre John Jay Homestead Historic State Park. John Jay, (1745 to 1829), was one of America's principal founding fathers.  He was a co-author of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the revolutionary War, and also the Federalist Papers, which aided ratification of the US Constitution.  He served as president of the Continental Congress, as US Secretary for Foreign Affairs, first Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, and as the second governor of New York State.  In 1801, after his distinguished career in public service, John Jay retired to Bedford, where he created a comfortable home and a working farm.  After his death, this profitable farm was looked after by four succeeding generations of the Jay family, before it was declared a State Historic Site.  Many events take place on the grounds of the Homestead, including yesterday's 65th annual Herb Fair, sponsored by the New York Unit of the Herb Society of America, which maintains a showcase garden on the site.  This is always such a fun event!

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