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Pine Island is quite literally
surrounded by a sea of "Black Dirt", the richest farmlands
in New York State. The Black Dirt Region stretches
for miles, from just below Goshen to the north down
into New Jersey in the south, from Mounts Adam and
Eve in the east across to the Shawangunk Ridge in
the west.
Originally an ice age
lake, layer upon layer of peat slowly built up until
by the time humans arrived in the area, the entire
valley was a swamp, studded by small dry islands.
In the 19th century waves of German immigrants arrived
and began to systematically drain the swamp converting
the newly reclaimed land into farms. This rich German
and Polish heritage still dominates the area making
for a lively cultural experience. If you love hand
crafted Polish sausage, rich pastries, Jimmy Sturr
and the polka, make sure to spend some time in the
area.
And if you love onions,
you'll just fall in love with Pine Island, the Onion
Capital of the World. Onions are the primary crop
of the Black Dirt Region and in the fall during harvest,
sitting on the side of the road, your eyes will tear
from the aroma. They grow a pungent, strong and delicious
variety of cooking onions, no whimpy sandwich onions
for them! |
