Small, local, and organic: New Minglewood Farm
Written by Abby Zlotnick, a summer intern for Saratoga Farmers’ Market and Saratoga Springs native.
This year marks the sixteenth year of Chris Lincoln and Tammara Van Ryn’s commitment to providing local consumers with fresh, local, and organic products.
Lincoln and Van Ryn are the owners of New Minglewood Farm in Greenwich—a local operation in production since 1999—and sell their produce at the Saturday Saratoga Farmers’ Market. The two are committed to producing chemical-free and sustainable food that does no harm to the shopper nor to the land on which it is grown.
New Minglewood Farm is located in Washington County on forty acres of land that is home to the produce as well as to wetlands and wildlife. The farm’s solar panels help it to be as self-sufficient as possible.
The farm is USDA-certified organic and practices sustainable farming. The farm received its certification in 2002 and has been using organic practices since it began. Lincoln and Van Ryn keep detailed records of their vegetables to ensure that no synthetic fertilizers are used, instead relying on compost to feed the soil.
Lincoln and Van Ryn started the farm after Lincoln decided to do something new, after working in forestry for twelve years. He learned a great deal of his farming knowledge from another market farm, Pleasant Valley Farm of Argyle, where he worked before he and his wife purchased their own land. In addition to co-owning the farm, Van Ryn is the executive director at the Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Commission, an organization that works to “recognize community institutions that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever.”
At the market, the farm sells a variety of lettuces including Minglewood Mix, Caesar Mix, Mesclun, and individual baby greens. Also on the farm’s display tables at the market at various points during the season are green sprouts, bean sprouts, sunflower shoots, pea shoots, heirloom and specialty tomatoes, bell peppers, fingerling potatoes, canary melons, cooking greens, green snap beans, and shiitake mushrooms. Two locally-owned retail stores also carry New Minglewood products.
Asian Stir-Fry Greens from New Minglewood Farm can be cooked in a variety of ways, including steaming the greens and serving with eggs, meat, or tofu.
Asian Greens with Brown Rice, Eggs, and Walnuts
*Ingredients available at the market
Serves 4-6, cut in half for smaller amount
Ingredients
1 ½ cups brown rice and 3 cups water
2 bags Asian stir-fry greens*
1 large clove of garlic*, chopped finely
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
2 eggs*, lightly beaten
½ cup toasted chopped walnuts
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan
Directions
Cook the rice in lightly salted water until tender (about 30 minutes).
Rinse the greens and steam whole leaves for 7-10 minutes. Drain the greens, press out liquid, and chop. Toss the greens in a sauté pan over medium heat with the olive oil and garlic and season with salt and pepper.
When the rice is done, rapidly stir the eggs into the warm rice. (The warm rice actually cooks the egg!)
Add the greens and walnuts and stir. Serve with a light sprinkling of cheese. Good for breakfast, brunch, or a light dinner.
