The Mammals perform to support Farm Project

Anita Varma News Editor

More than 175 Poughkeepsie residents and Vassar students attended The Mammals concert in the Chapel to benefit the Poughkeepsie Farm Project. Organized by Liz Graves '05, the event brought members of the Vassar community and local residents with a common interest in farming together.
While this was the first concert at Vassar to benefit the Farm Project, Graves hopes it will not be the last. "We’re hoping to make it a first annual concert," said Graves.

The Mammals play fiddles, banjos, acoustic bass, and drums. Members include Michael Merenda, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, and Ruth Ungar. They were joined by Chris Merenda and Pierce Woodward. Ungar is the daughter of Grammy-award winning fiddler Jay Ungar.

"The kind of music they play is what people would call bluegrass, when really it's old-time string music, which has been around for a lot longer," said Graves.

The concert was free for Vassar students. Ticket prices for Poughkeepsie residents were $15 for adults and $10 for students or children.

Ticket sales benefited the Poughkeepsie Farm Project's education initiatives and food security. "The farm project is a CSA, which stands for Community Service Agriculture," said Graves. "Food in grocery stores in low-income areas is more expensive than in high-income areas. It’s called a food security issue." Food security is addressed by another group sponsor of the event called Hunger Action.
The Farm Project aims to help small farmers who are often at risk of losing their market to large corporations' farms. They also run a Farmers Market where Vassar students shop.

"People buy shares in the farm and come pick up food every week. Members of the farm share in the risk, and things go really well." Graves added that if there is a problem with the crops, the farmers will not lose their jobs.

Graves became involved with the Farm Project through summer field work. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors. "It’s not an accident that it’s right across from the farm, but [last year] it was pretty separated," she said. "So they thought it might be a good idea to have a student on the board."

"The only official connection between the Farm Project and Vassar is that we lease land from the College, and there is overlap in members who are Vassar faculty and students," she added.

Planners for the concert included Dana Thomas '06 and George Lee '05, co-chairs of Vassar Greens, as well as Vassar Reference Librarian Gretchen Lieb and Urban Studies Professor Lisa Brawley. Lieb and Brawley serve on the Farm Project's Board of Directors.

After weeks of preparation, the event-planners filed into the Chapel for the show. Before The Mammals performed, there were two opening acts. First, Vassar's a cappella group the Axies sang, then Mammals member Pierce Woodward played his fiddle and sang.

The Mammals took the stage 40 minutes after the concert started. As they tuned their instruments, Graves told the audience, "There’s room to dance up here if you want to." Several Vassar students followed this suggestion.

The Mammals performed two sets, filled with more fast-paced songs than slow. As the rhythms became more intense, people began tapping their feet and clapping in time with the music, making the pews shake from the force.

While the audience was predominantly Poughkeepsie residents, Vassar students who attended the concert gave the music favorable reviews. "I think the music is fantastic," said Cerine Jeanty '05.
"I was enticed by the picture of three banjos [on a poster]," added Jeanty’s friend from Brown University, Jennye Greene '05.

Some students came specifically to hear The Mammals. "I came because I saw The Mammals a couple of years ago and they were great. They're even better tonigh," said Maeve Doyle '07. "I told my friend it was worth the late English paper to come."

Co-sponsors of the event were the VSA, the Dean of Students, the Environmental Studies Department, the Axies, and Hunger Action. Also, the concert was considered a Vassar Food Project and Vassar Greens event.