 Local Yurt Company to Hold Open House—Launch Plan to Help Local Farms NEW PALTZ, NY – October 20, 2011 On October 29th and 30th, from 1-5 pm, Matt Rogers of Clean Air Yurts and Highland Farmer Billiam van Roestenberg of Liberty View Farm will team up to present a new company specializing in custom handmade yurts along with a plan to help local farmers in the Hudson Valley and beyond. In this economy, most businesses are sending their manufacturing overseas to save on costs, but according to owner Matt Rogers, “local handmade goods are integral to a community. They enhance a community by creating partnerships and strengthen the local economy.” Having recently started Clean Air Yurts, a company building local handmade yurts and custom furniture, Rogers has committed to remaining local by opening a new facility in New Paltz. “Today’s yurts are derived from the traditional buildings of no- madic Mongolians, “ Rogers explains, “but they’ve come a long way. Clean Air Yurts has taken the concept to a new level of comfort and style.” In the wake of Hurricane Irene, Rogers, who lives on Dancing Meadow Farm in Gardiner, NY, saw first- hand the struggle small farmers go through in order to grow sustainable, organic food for themselves and their communities. These problems escalated as Irene hit, with many farmers watching helplessly as their crops, and sometimes even their soil, washed away with the flood waters and others, like Liberty View Farm, looked on as their ripe vegetables rotted from moisture and blight. So, Rogers and long-time friend van Roestenberg hatched a plan to save small farms from their economic troubles. Yurts have the potential to help local farms in the area stay afloat by providing an alternative rev- enue stream. Since June, van Roesteberg has been renting out a small Clean Air Yurt nestled in the apple orchard of Liberty View Farm. Using the website www.Airbnb.com, he has offered his yurts and rooms in his farmhouse for local tourists to rent, most coming up from the NYC area. “It’s been wonderful for farms like mine,” says van Roestenburg, “people like to stay in yurts because it’s a unique and beautiful ex- perience not found in hotels. They are looking to do things down to earth, they understand sustainability.” |
| Clean Air Yurts 30 Crispell Ln, New Paltz, NY 12561 http://www.cleanairyurts.com |
| Rogers has had the opportunity to travel around Europe, and while in his home town in Sicily, he noted the prominence of Agriturismo. Agriturismo is popular on farms across Italy, providing rural vacations that bring visitors to farms and ranches for overnight stays and often farm-fresh meals. This trend is quickly becoming popular in the United States and especially the Hudson Valley, where city dwellers can find some rest and relaxation while experiencing farm life. “Yurts are perfect for farmers who don’t want strangers in their homes,” says van Roestenberg, who sees yurts as serving dual purposes, “we’ve used the yurt to dry herbs and flowers, and the smaller model can be easily moved around the farm so I can place it where it best suits my needs at any time.” Clean Air Yurts provides different styles of buildings, from those made for camping, travel, company advertising and other temporary uses, to yurts that are permanent and durable meant to stay in one place, and last a hundred years or more. The next generation of yurts, created by Rogers, is of the more perma- nent variety, eliminating the toxic PVC-coated canvas used by other yurt companies and instead feature- ing thick, fully insulated walls, wooden siding, and durable metal roofs. “Our new designs will have all of the comforts of a fully insulated house. Real glass windows, wooden siding, and blown-in recycled cellulose insulation as well as the ability to wire and plumb them just like any house. But the real benefit is that they can be built on a site in less than a week, eliminating the hassles of having construction crews on a property,” Rogers explains. “Yurts were originally used as a temporary structure that could be easily moved from place to place. Today, people tend to set them up and leave them in the same place. This new design caters to that need and makes them more comfortable, as well as durable” This is the type of yurt purchased by van Roestenburg, and for display during the October 29th and 30th open house. One may question how small farms, already struggling, can afford to purchase these yurts, which can range from $2,000 to $30,000 depending on the size and style. Rogers and van Roestenberg have a plan for that, too. Clean Air Yurts will offer a payment plan for farms looking to participate in agro-tourism. “That way, they can put half the cost down to start, then pay the rest off over the next year using the money they earn through rentals,” Rogers explains, “easily recovering their investment without going fur- ther into financial hardship.” Rogers and van Roestenburg also plan to help farmers advertise their farms, hold fundraisers, and set up accounts and utilize the website Kickstarter.com, a funding program where farmers can setup fundraising accounts and donors can invest anywhere from $5 to $2,000 or more, re- ceiving unique products and experiences in return for their money. |
| Clean Air Yurts 30 Crispell Ln, New Paltz, NY 12561 http://www.cleanairyurts.com | ||
| For more images of Clean Air Yurts, contact: Matt Rogers, 30 Crispell Ln, New Paltz, NY 12561 610-295-4681 matt@cleanairyurts.com
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