Snow Farming, long dismissed as commercially unviable, has become a

Catskills success story. "People are used to seeing snow fall from the sky,

of course," relates snow farmer Silas Eventide. "So their startled to see

snow growing on the ground and floating up into the clouds." Pellets 

filled with ground divinity and helium are planted one to three inches

beneath the surface of the soil as as soon as temperatures dip below

freezing. "Right now we mostly use the technology to give lawns that

'White Christmas' look," Eventide says. "But I have no doubt that we'll

replace snowmaking at ski resorts worldwide soon. Zermatt is growing

snow; so is  Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy. Grow it, blow it, ski it, that's

our motto," Eventide says, blowing a handful of fluffy white flakes into

the air and watching them drift up into the morning sky.