Firmly planted in family

By PAMELA A. GIBBS

Traffic zooms along Route 9, on the northern edge of Saratoga, darting in and out of pizza shops, car dealerships, and a garden center. The modern world of commerce speeds along, back-lit by brake lights and turn signals.

Yet, less than a mile away, down winding Smith Bridge Road, the earth returns to its natural cycle, slows itself, takes a deep breath and embraces the season at the Vincek family farm.

Since 1919, Vinceks have dug the earth, tilled the fields, stacked hay, gathered vegetables, and fallen into bed at night, muscle weary but spirit proud. The "back to the earth" movement never made inroads in this farming family, since it never left the bounty of the earth to begin with.

"John is The Farmer, in capital letters," said wife Laura Vincek, on a recent visit. "From a very young age, when he could first get on a tractor, you couldn’t keep him away. He’s never done anything else, really."

John Vincek, who stopped for a polite howdy-do in mud-stained work clothes, obviously needed to get back to the fields where, on a glorious October day, the pumpkins needed harvesting.

"My grandfather, George, bought the farm in 1919," said John Vincek. "We have 125 acres, with another 100 acres up the road that we lease or rent. We produce hay, straw, grains, vegetables, corn, winter wheat, rye, barley and probably 4,000 to 5,000 pumpkins each year."

With his duty to the visitor done, John disappeared into the fields with his cousin Ed. Wife Laura was left to tell the family story, a task the enthusiastic, effervescent mother of five obviously enjoyed.

"Our kids are all gone, except Nathaniel, 20, who’s in college and has been running the farm stand this summer," said Laura Vincek. "Dana, Josh, Stacia, Josiah, who range in age from 29 on down, all took their turns at the stand over the years."

The farm stand, featuring in late fall unusual gourds, Indian corn, green beans, tomatoes, and sweet corn, is next to the family home, which the Vinceks built in 1989. Across the street is a small barn full of "field corn" which John grinds into feed for another cash crop - free range turkeys for Thanksgiving.

"We’ll probably sell all our pumpkins, but if we don’t, they’ll get thrown over the fence to the turkeys, which eat every bit, skin, pulp and seeds," she said. "Our turkeys are so delicious and healthy - pumpkin is full of antioxidants, you know?"

So popular are the Vincek turkeys that they are already "sold out" - even though Thanksgiving is more than a month away on this particular day.

"People who get our turkeys sign up again for next year, the day they pick their birds up," said Laura. "Some of our big birds can go up to 40-pounds in weight, but you can order anything from 15-pounds on up."

Laura, who calls herself her husband’s "secretary, bookkeeper, assistant, girl Friday, gofer, errand-runner, chief cook and bottle washer," next leads the way across the street to the original Vincek home, which was lovingly restored by the whole family, kids and adults alike, from 1998 to 2000.

The six-bedroom home, which features walls that are four-bricks thick, is now being used as a vacation get-a-way by visitors to the area. Family reunions, bridal parties, and even a fellow who wanted to "pop the question" to his unsuspecting girlfriend, have utilized the home.

"It was built in the 1700s, we were told, but another historian claims it was earlier, the 1600s," said Laura, leading the way into the charming kitchen. "This was a house originally owned by a very rich family, as evidenced by the high ceilings, huge windows and large rooms. In most homes, back in those days, the rooms were tiny and they hardly had a portal for windows, because of the difficulty of heating them."

The layout of the home seems to include space for indentured help, to chop wood, cook meals, spin wool, and tend to the family babies. A loft above the main house was apparently used for their quarters.

"John’s grandfather, George Vincek, immigrated here from Austria/Hungary, which is now Slovakia," she said. "He lived in New Jersey, then came here and had six children, most of whom were born in this house. My husband is very sentimentally attached to this house because he was his grandfather’s sidekick."

When they tackled the renovation of the nearly 300-year-old home, Laura said they removed dark fake-wood paneling, took out dropped ceilings, scraped layer after layer of wallpaper, repaired a leaky roof and replaced plumbing and electricity.

"We know the electricity was done in 1921, because the wires were wrapped in tape that had that date on it," she said, " and all the rooms had one light fixture with a pull chain, but no outlets."

The home, which is available for rent on a three-season basis, also features a huge cooking fireplace, original to the structure. It also encompasses some modern changes, like the addition of two bathrooms.

Laura Vincek said she discovered, by chance, who were the original owners of the home.

"Two years ago, I had a knock on my door and a man from Glens Falls introduced himself," she recalled. "He said he was Glen Pearsall, and his ancestors had lived in this home. He also said the family had diaries revealing that the home was built in the 1600s. My husband still doesn’t believe homes like this were built in the 1600s, but I don’t know, now . . . "

To view the Vincek Guest house, visit www.racingcityrealty.com under Saratoga vacation homes, 6 bedrooms. To contact the Vincek family farm, call 518-587-0837 or e-mail them at vinceks@nycap.rr.com.