The Claverack Podcast

Jeffrey Kiplinger

We talk with people who care about the past and future of our little town in New York's Hudson River Valley.

  1. Jul 2

    Brenda Shufelt

    Brenda Shufelt was born and raised in Claverack, but left home at a fairly young age for education and career with no particular intention to return.  Older, looking toward retirement, and married she found that Columbia County and Claverack were calling her back.  There aren't many places like this, are there? We talk about her background and how the things she experienced away from here gave her the self-confidence and drive to not only come home but to find ways to contribute to the town and county's future.  Brenda has been an educator, a mentor, a candidate for local government, and runs - with a team - the history room at the Hudson Library.  Lots of interesting local knowledge here - I hope you enjoy the conversation.

  2. May 26

    Sarah Katan

    Sarah Katan and her family are transplants, but in the years since they arrived Sarah has become deply embedded in our community.  As an educator Sarah creates programs that connect kids (and adults) to the outdoors, to the history of the area, and - recently - to themselves. Sarah teaches personal storytelling and hosts storytelling events at the Ancram Center for the Arts, and even tells her own stories there. I admit this is a performance art that fascinates me, and I wanted to learn more about it and about Sarah. We found out we have a lot in common.  I've dropped the ball a little this spring on my usual posting schedule, so I realize it's been a minute. I spend a little time filling you in on what's been going on for me. You can forward to about 9 minutes in if you're more interested in hearing Sarah!

  3. Feb 23

    Max Morningstar and Maria Zordan - the MX Morningstar team

    Max and Maria own and operate MX Morningstar Farm, in the heart of Claverack on route 9H.  Their farm store sells produce from theirs and other local farms, as well as food products from all over the world for those who want a one-stop store for dinner prep.  If you're a Claverackian, you know the place. We talk about how Max and Maria came to Claverack, why they're staying, the ins and outs (and economics) of modern 'mid-scale' farming.  And we talk about why they love it here and what they hope the town can become.

  4. Feb 9

    Vince Pomilio

    Vince Pomilio is an artist who was part of the vanguard of NYC-based artists who began moving to the Hudson area in the 1970s.   He has a flawless memory for names and events, and tells stories from 1978 to the present about the fascinating characters who have been in and out of the area's transition from sleepy backwater to "destination".  I pretty much turned the mics on and let Vince go.  This one is a little longer than some other shows, but worth it if you're interested in origin stories!

  5. Jan 27

    Anya Bonanno and Project SCAPE

    Anya is leading a project called SCAPE, Stewarding Claverack and Philmont's Environment.  This means the built environment (town, farms, history, etc) as well as the natural environment.  SCAPE (projectscape.org) ties in nicely with the efforts by our town governments to redraft their comprehensive plan, capturing residents voices and views on what matters most to them.  Lots of local residents have been interviewed, but if you check the website or attend one of the two local events in February, your voice can be heard too. SCAPE plans a chili supper 5-8 pm on February 5 at the Churchtown Firehouse, and a brunch at 10:30-12 on the morning of February 21 at the Claverack Free Library.  Free! Meet your neighbors, talk about what matters, and add your voice to the SCAPE project!

  6. Jan 14

    Bryan Fox and Peggy Gould

    Brian and Peggy bought a house here in Claverack 15 years ago, coming up from Queens to the beauty of the countryside.  Both having backgrounds in performing arts, they decided more or less on a whim to create an outdoor movie experience for their neighborhood, and the idea took off.  Stickles Cinema has grown, but it's still a word-of-mouth neighbor-to-neighbor discovery.  The danger of listening to this podcast is that you too will be drawn into this intentional/unintentional community.  And our world needs more communities like this...

  7. 12/16/2025

    Jeff Unpacks Election Results

    It's only me this week, folks, your host Jeff Kiplinger.  I promised to 'unpack' data from the November 4 town and county election to see if we could learn anything about the winners, the losers, and the residents (that's us, and I hope we end up winners).  I uncovered, I think, some interesting things that the major parties may not have noticed.  By the way, if numbers and analysis make your head spin, you might want to skip ahead to about 8 minutes from the end for a summary.

  8. 12/05/2025

    Katy Cashen

    Katy is a long time Claverackian, with a background and a track record of getting stuff done in both local and national government.  We talk about what brought her family to the area, to the farm where she still lives, and about her journey into government.  She's one of an increasingly rare breed who believe that government's job is to help, rather than to turn everything into a partisan fight.  Katy spent 12 years serving Claverack on our Town Board, and we talk about her accomplishments.  We also dig into the complexity of the job - it's harder than I thought - and talk a little about where the money to run a town comes from.  This is a great conversation.

See All (13)

4.6
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

We talk with people who care about the past and future of our little town in New York's Hudson River Valley.

Information

  • Creator
    Jeffrey Kiplinger
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Claverack Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Claverack Podcast

You Might Also Like