tinear seasonal is a
small orchard, native garden,
brewhouse and writing project
in rural new york.
what you’ll find here
On this site, you’ll find essays about beer, orchards, food and family from one piece of Niagara County. They all begin with work — brewing, planting, cooking — but they’re really about the lives that grow from the land.
where it began
tinear seasonal sits on family land in Gasport, New York. Three generations of my family have lived here. A fourth now wanders its edges.
The name comes from my late grandmother, Evelyn Kam, who used to warn misbehaving grandchildren, “I’ll put a tin ear on you, kid.” For years, I thought a “tinear” was some unknown, terrifying thing, and I wondered where exactly she planned to put it.
The name stuck.
how I got here
I spent 14 years in Florida before coming home to New York in 2024 with plans to brew more beer. Time and the seasons had other ideas.
Beer refused to ferment in the cold. Trees needed planting before
spring slipped away. Native plants found their way home. My dad died.
My son got older. So did I.
Now I’m putting sweat and blood into the soil to see what springs from it. Not everything will work out. Some trees will die. More batches will fail.
But I’ve found that if I pay attention long enough, this place usually has something to teach me.
follow along
If you’d like to follow along, subscribe to the occasional email or browse
the essays on this site. They’re free, and I hope they earn your time. If
you’d like something to keep, I’m happy to send a copy of the current
essay collection. Just ask.
If you’d like something to taste, stay tuned.
Tinear Seasonal isn’t a business, restaurant or shop. Nothing here is for sale. But if you ever find yourself curious enough to visit, reach out. I’d be glad to show you around.