• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Shop Local, Eat Fresh at the Saratoga Farmers' Market | Food, Crafts, Music in Saratoga Springs

Shop Local, Eat Fresh

  • Markets
    • Our Markets
  • Vendors
    • Vendor Directory
    • Becoming a Vendor
  • About Us
    • SFM Association
    • History
  • Programs
    • SNAP/EBT & FMNP
    • POP Club for Kids
    • Summer Internships
    • Compost Collection
  • Get Involved
  • News
    • Featured Article
    • Seasonal Recipes
    • Weekly Newsletter
  • FAQ
  • Contact us
    • Message us!

Family Ties Strengthen Longlesson Farm

February 18, 2016 By marketeditor

By Jeremy Riccardi

Longlesson 1
Longlesson 2
Longlesson 3
Longlesson 4
Longlesson 5
Longlesson 6
The owners of Longlesson Farm have turned their passion for farming into a thriving family run operation that sells beef, pork, and chicken at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. “It is this lifestyle that we try to share with our customers whether it’s a roasted chicken, a smoked ham or braised beef,” says co-owner and family member Shannon Mason.

Bob and Melanie Mason started Longlesson Farm in 1987. In 2008, their daughter  Shannon Mason and son-in-law Christophe Robert and their children joined the business.

Longlesson Farm represents an important sector of the Saratoga regional economy as well as the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The federal agency cites statistics from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization that show about 86 percent of all farms in the United States to be run by families, with one or more family member providing the main source of labor

At Longlesson, each family member contributes. “Working as a family is not always easy,” said Mason. “You can’t close the door and go home at the end of a hard day. The farm is both a business and a lifestyle. It is the unconditional love of family that binds the farm and pushes us through the hard times.”

For Mason, it’s a mutual enjoyment of animals and of sharing family time that makes the hard work worthwhile. “At the end of the day, we stop and gather around the dinner table to share a fine meal,” she said. “Long walks through the fields with the dogs, a leisurely ride on horseback, the children catching crayfish in the creek are reason enough to keep the farm going.”

Working the farm as a family helps each member feel they are a valued part of the business as well as stewards of the land. “It is important to take a step back and remember why you do what you do.”

For the family members, the love of land, family, and experiences at the farmers market contribute to their success. “Farmers markets allow our family to share our experiences as well as our fine beef, pork, and chicken with our friends and neighbors and the local community.”

You can visit Longlesson Farm every Saturday at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market from 9am-1pm at the Lincoln Baths building in Saratoga Spa State Park.

 

Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs
Adapted from Chef John’s recipe on www.allrecipes.com
Prep time – 20 minutes
Cook time – 2 hours 35 minutes
Ready in – 2 hours 55 minutes
* Ingredients can be purchased at Saratoga Farmers’ Market

Ingredients
– 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces *
– 3 – 3 1/2 lbs. beef short ribs *
– salt and ground black pepper to taste
– 10 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped *
– 1 bay leaf
– 1 onion, diced *
– 4 cloves garlic, minced *
– 2 tablespoons flour
– 1 cup dry red wine *
– 1 quart beef broth (broth may be made from beef bone) *

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer crisped bacon with a slotted spoon to a Dutch oven. Retain bacon drippings in the skillet.
3.Generously season short ribs with salt and pepper.
4.Heat bacon drippings in the same skillet over high heat. Cook short ribs in hot bacon fat until browned and caramelized on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer ribs to the Dutch oven, reserving drippings in the skillet. Add thyme and bay leaf to the ribs mixture.
5.Reduce heat under the same skillet to medium. Cook and stir onion in the skillet until soft and golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6.Whisk flour into onion mixture and stir until the mixture becomes paste-like and light golden brown, 1 to 3 minutes.
7.Pour red wine into onion mixture; cook until thick and hot, about 2 minutes. Pour onion-wine mixture into Dutch oven; add beef broth and salt to taste. Bring ribs mixture to a simmer and cover the Dutch oven with a lid.
8.Transfer Dutch oven to the preheated oven and cook until short ribs are fork tender, about 2 hours. Remove ribs to a serving dish, reserving sauce in the pot.
9.Set Dutch oven high heat and boil sauce until reduced and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Spoon reduced sauce over ribs.

Filed Under: Featured Article, News, Seasonal Recipes

Reader Interactions

Before Footer

Instagram

Produce from some of our amazing agriculture vendo Produce from some of our amazing agriculture vendors at today’s market!
Attention granola lovers!! Today is National Grano Attention granola lovers!! Today is National Granola Day. In honor of this, all sales with our friends from @toganola are 10% off this Saturday only! Their granola products are packaged in sustainable packaging and free of gluten, dairy & soy. 

Our winter market runs today from 9:3-1:30 in the Wilton Mall food court. Hope you can make it!

Photo of and provided by @toganola 

#saratogasprings #saratogafarmersmarket #farmersmarket #granola #toganola #thingstodoinupstateny #organic #shopsmall #shoplocal #nationalgranoladay
Our new 2023 Freshconnect $2 coupons arrived today Our new 2023 Freshconnect $2 coupons arrived today! For every $5 you spend using your SNAP/EBT card at our market, receive $2 in coupons. FreshConnect bucks can be used to buy: vegetables, meat, milk, eggs, honey, baked items, jams, plants that bear food, and prepared foods that are packed to eat at home. Plus, there’s no cap on issuance! Stop by our information stand to learn more. We’ll be open 9:30-1:30 tomorrow. ❄️🌾

#freshconnect #snap #ebt #nutrition #health #agriculture #shoplocal #shopssmall #farmtotable #saratogasprings #saratogafarmersmarket #farmersmarket #thingstodoinupstateny @wilton_mall_leasing
Interested in growing your business? Farmers’ ma Interested in growing your business? Farmers’ markets are a great way to start networking and finding your customer base. For 45 years, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market has provided a platform for local farmers, artisans, bakers and more build their businesses into what they are today. If you’d like to join our community, please submit your 2023 Summer Vendor application. The link can be found in our bio. Last day to apply is January 31st. DM us here or email me at sfma.manager@gmail.com with any questions!! 

#farmersmarket #startup #smallbusiness #shoplocal #entrepreneur #community #saratogasprings #thingstodoinupstateny #growyourbusiness
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details.

Footer

With support from our friends at:

Copyright © 2023 · Saratoga Farmers Market · Design by REACH CREATIVE

    COVID-19: Check our latest Safety Guidelines!
  • Markets
    • Our Markets
  • Vendors
    • Vendor Directory
    • Becoming a Vendor
  • About Us
    • SFM Association
    • History
  • Programs
    • SNAP/EBT & FMNP
    • POP Club for Kids
    • Summer Internships
    • Compost Collection
  • Get Involved
  • News
    • Featured Article
    • Seasonal Recipes
    • Weekly Newsletter
  • FAQ
  • Contact us
    • Message us!