Sylvester Manor: October — Visitor’s Map / Owl Prowl / Garlic & Farmstand & House Updates

Economic Impact Statement

We invite you to learn more about how we serve the community by reading our 2024 Economic Impact Statement. Sylvester Manor brings value to the community in many ways and we are proud to share our positive impact. Thank you for your continued support.

Garlic at the Goat

Come help your local farmers prepare for another growing season of garlic! It takes a lot of hands to shuck our whole heads of garlic into single cloves – and we need the community’s help. This year our goal is to plant 4,000 feet of garlic. That’s over 20,000 single cloves! The 1901 Grill will be open with food and drink to purchase.

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Friday, October 11
3:00-5:30pm
1901 Grill Lawn
26 Sunnyside Ave, Shelter Island
Open to the public; no charge

Owl Prowl

Join us as we listen and look for owls on the grounds of Sylvester Manor. Tom Damiani will present a short program focusing on the owls that we might find around Shelter Island. We will then strike out into the field to call for owls. Space is limited so please RSVP. 

Friday, October 11
6:00-7:30pm
Old Farmhouse, 82 North Ferry Road
Suggested Donation: $10

Farm Update

We just had our 16th CSA pickup and only have five left. You know it’s Fall when the end of the CSA is in sight and the daylight hours continue to dwindle. Fall crops are starting to come in but we still have plenty of peppers, leeks, tomatoes, basil and greens. We still have some berries and flowers as well. Our chickens, ducks and pigs are all thriving now that the summer heat is behind us and we plan to have additional meat birds for sale at the Farmstand later this month. Planning for 2025 is already well underway and we’re hopeful that our team of farm apprentices are just as good next year as they were this year!

Farmstand Update

Fall has hit the Farmstand! Pumpkins, gourds, cider, squashes–stop by for all your favorite autumn treats. And don’t forget about our woodland-raised pork, pot pies, farm-raised whole chickens, soups, sourdough bread, beef, mac ‘n cheese, baked goods, honey and much, much more!

Farmstand Hours
Thursday-Sunday, through October 13
9am-5pm

Starting October 18
Friday-Sunday
9am-5pm

Manor House Preservation Update

Just in time for cooler weather, we came across this brass kettle designed to make a warming Hot Toddy. With its serpent-like spout, this footed kettle would’ve been used for heating up and holding hot water. It is paired with a stand to hold the kettle over a flame source — an alcohol stove (precursor of Sterno). While the Manor’s kettle appears identical to those produced by James Clews in Birmingham between 1922 and 1948, no such mark is found on this piece.

17,000 Pounds of Scraps & Counting!

Islanders responded enthusiastically to Sylvester Manor’s invitation to all residents to bring household food scraps to the bins at Windmill Field, to be cycled into compost to boost soil health and food production. So far in 2024 we’ve received eight and a half tons of community food waste, more than double last year’s total! Click here for insight from our farmers on why they love compost and the basics of the process.

Trails Open until November 1

The trails and grounds are open for your enjoyment, seven days a week from sunrise to sunset, until November 1 when they will close as part of the town-wide deer management program. Pick up a map highlighting our four walking trails (Creekside, Woodlands, Old Growth Forest and Farm). Paper maps are available at the kiosk at the front entrance to the Manor and also at the Welcome kiosk located by the parking area near the bathrooms. You can always download a digital version by clicking the button below.

Due to storm damage, the Land Bridge is temporarily closed. Please adhere to the posted trail closures.

Leashed dogs are welcome. No bicycles or motorized vehicles are allowed on the trails. The public restrooms are open to the public.

Download the “Sylvester Manor Walking Tour” from the App Store for a self-guided tour of the grounds. Use the app and learn more about our historic property at your own pace.