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Anticipating Fall Frosts

September 26, 2016 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Frost 1
Frost 2
Frost 3
Photos by Pattie Garrett

Frost advisory. That phrase popped up on my iPhone’s weather app last Saturday morning. My husband and I had a busy day, but we knew we would have to hustle if we wanted to save what was left of our garden.

Frosts are like bookends to a gardening season: The last frost in May marks the point where one can start thinking about transplanting and direct sowing the rich fruits of summer while the first frost in September signifies the end of the harvest of those fruits.

Like many others, my husband and I enjoy eating a wide range of seasonal vegetables and fruits, obtained from our favorite farmers at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market or grown ourselves. Yet, the first frost of fall often catches us by surprise.

Longtime Saratoga Farmers Market farmers, however, have learned to prepare for frosts in advance. Justine Denison, of Denison Farms, for instance, notes that advance preparations for frost begin well before one needs to worry about the sudden advisories. By the time a fall frost arrives, the summer crops have mostly been harvested, and either sold or stored, and Denison is busy preparing its fall crops for harvesting, curing or storage.

A light frost doesn’t have to mean the end of your gardening season. In fact, frosts can improve the flavor of some vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, kale, collards, and other hardier greens. Mark Bascomb and Lindsey Fisk of Owl Wood Farms, as a result, work at lengthening the season of their summer crops with row covers and tunnels. They also keep summer crops like eggplants in storage for as long as they’ll remain fresh.

It helps to have some understanding of the hardiness of various plants, and to start keeping records of what works in your own background. One small scale farmer, Pam Dawling, has come up with a good working list for her book Sustainable Market Farming: Intensive Vegetable Production on a Few Acres. She notes, for instance, that basil will usually die at 35 degrees Fahrenheit, while chives, collards, leeks, and kale can still be flavorful at 0 degrees.

But inevitably seasons change, and that’s not a bad thing.

After all, as Bascomb puts it, “eating locally means eating seasonally,” and even as winter approaches, the offerings of local produce still carry a lot of diversity.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is at High Rock Park through October, from 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.


 

Cold Hardiness Guidelines

Pam Dawling, author of Sustainable Market Farming: Intensive Vegetable Production on a Few Acres, has created this set of guidelines for the temperatures in Fahrenheit for when some commonly grown fruit and vegetable plants will likely die. This list covers temperatures for plants with no row cover or other added protection. You can find more at her website www.sustainablemarketfarming.com/. Keep in mind that hardiness will vary with the location and growing conditions of your garden.

 

Temperature Vegetables
35 Basil
32 Bush beans, cauliflower curds, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, okra, peppers, tomatoes.
27 Outer leaves of most varieties of cabbage
25 Broccoli heads, outer leaves of Napa cabbage, dill, most Asian greens (tatsoi, pak choi, etc.) fennel, large leaves of lettuce (onion scallions, radicchio.
22 Arugula
20 Beets, radishes, turnips
15 Broccoli leaves, cilantro, endive, kohlrabi, some varieties of kale
12 Carrots, multicolored chard, leeks
10 Brussels sprouts, green chard, collards, kale

Filed Under: Featured Article, News Tagged With: Conscious Farming, Fruit & Vegetable Facts, Gardening

Reader Interactions

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Happy National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day! Here a Happy National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day! Here are a few of our favorite peanut butter products from around the market:

🥜Assorted Peanut Butters- Saratoga Peanut Butter Company
🥜Roasted Peanut Chocolate Chip Cookies- The Chocolate Spoon 
🥜PB Cookie Cups Organic Dog Treats- Mugzy’s Barkery 
 
Online preordering for curbside pickup this Saturday opens tonight at 9 pm, be sure to stock up on these tasty treats and more! Just click the “Shop Now” button on our page.
 
What’s your favorite peanut butter product from the market? Let us know in the comments! 
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#saratogafarmersmarket #farmersmarket #saratogany  #upstateny #saratogasprings #peanutbutter #peanuterbutterlovers #peanutbutterloversday #518eats #farmersmarketfinds
Have you tried any of @nettlemeadowfarm's newest S Have you tried any of @nettlemeadowfarm's newest Schroon Moon spreadable cow's cheeses yet? Go for savory or sweet with 5 different flavors. Pick some up at this Saturday's market - we'll be open 9:30am - 1:30pm at the Wilton Mall food court!
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#farmersmarket #saratogafarmersmarket #saratogasprings #saratogany #wilton #518 #518eats #farmfresh #nofarmsnofood #dairy #cheese
We are honored to be nominated as one of the Best We are honored to be nominated as one of the Best Farmers’ Markets in the Capital Region for the Times Union’s Best of 2021! Thank you to all of our amazing customers and community for your continued support! You can vote for us daily under the category “Goods & Services” using this link: https://www.timesunion.com/bestof2021/ 
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#timesunionbestof2021 #timesunionbestof #saratogafarmersmarket #farmersmarket 
#supportlocal #shoplocal #saratogany #saratogasprings
Starting off the week with another MCM (Market Cru Starting off the week with another MCM (Market Crush Monday!) This week we talked to Kim from Mugzy’s Barkery who brings healthy, locally made dog treats to the market. 
 
1. How did Mugzy’s Barkery get started? 
My sister Jaime started the business just over 5 years ago to have a healthier treat option to give her beloved Olde English Bulldog, Mugzy. Our treats are all natural and organic, providing a healthy alternative to mass-produced treats for caring dog parents. 
 
 2. What’s your favorite part about vending at the market?
Definitely getting to see all the dogs! The funny thing is I know all our regular customer’s dogs by name, not the owners. 
 
3. What are your most popular treat flavors?
Pumpkin paws (grain-free biscuits) and the pupcakes (a bite-sized treat) are really popular with the dogs but we also have flavors like PB cookie cups, apple cheddar training treats, banana buddies and more, so something to fit any pup’s tastes!
 
The PB cookie cups have been tried and approved by our market assistant’s dog, Lacey! 
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#saratogafarmersmarket #farmersmarket #saratoga #upstateny #shoplocal #saratogadog #farmersmarketfresh #mugzysbarkery #dogtreats #healthydogtreats

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