• 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
    • Winter Market
    • Saratoga Outdoor Markets
    • Clifton Park Market
  • Vendors
    • Become A Vendor
    • Winter Vendors
    • Saratoga Outdoor Vendors
    • Clifton Park Vendors
  • About Us
    • SFM Association
    • History
  • Programs & Events
    • SNAP/EBT & FMNP
    • POP Club for Kids
    • Summer Internships
    • Compost Collection
    • Workshops
  • Get Involved
  • News
    • Featured Article
    • Seasonal Recipes
  • Contact Us

Saratoga Farmers Embrace ‘Rain or Shine’

July 18, 2017 By jhoward

By Julia Howard, Market Director

The bell rang at 9 a.m. Saturday, announcing the start of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. Then, the clouds opened. Rain poured in sheets, drenching everyone, creating pools on vendor tents, and a creek between Dickinson’s Delights and the Feathered Antler.

Such has been the scene often this summer, with our more-frequent-than-usual rainfalls. Does this matter? To market goers? To vendors? To me, as the market director tasked with the job of ensuring that all who visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market have an enjoyable yet safe experience?

“We’ve had a lot of cool weather and recently some very heavy downpours at the market,” said Sean Dean, of Nettle Meadow Farm. “I don’t worry if it’s raining when the market begins because ten minutes later it could be a beautiful day.”

Our customers seem to agree, as our market has been as busy as ever. Most of our regular customers are like our market – rain-or-shine shoppers. For that, I am grateful.

“I think these rainy days are an adventure,” said market regular Pattie Garrett. “And, kids love splashing through puddles. Everything is under a roof. You just need to dash between tents and pavilions.”

To keep vendors and customers safe, we take precautions. We weigh down tents with concrete-filled buckets, sandbags or disc weights. We monitor the pavilion gutters for leaks and are prepared to move vendors if necessary. Vendors come prepared with rain jackets, boots, and increasingly brooms or sticks to help shake accumulating water off the tops of their tents.

Stored on-site are tarps and tent panels, extra tent weights and rope in case of high winds, a flashlight, and a variety of tools that a pop-up market might suddenly need.

While heavy rains have damaged crops, farmers are replanting and continuing to offer the best of what they have. And with the rain the best often is even better. Think of stalks of Swiss chard freshly (rain) washed; beets, carrots, patty pan squash and zucchini in brilliant hues, the white salad onions tasting even sweeter.

Meanwhile, I monitor forecasts on two weather apps. I watch the sky and try to get a feel for the humidity. Regardless, I know we’ll be open, rain or shine.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at High Rock Park. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

 

Blueberry Freezer Jam

Adapted from recipe by Amy Johnson, She Wears Many Hats
Serves: about 3 cups
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients

*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

  • 2 cups fresh blueberries*
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (.875 ounces) no-sugar-needed fruit pectin (like Sure.Jell in the pink box)

Instructions

  1. Place blueberries and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Use a potato masher or flat bottom glass to mash the berries. Mash them as well as you can, but don’t worry if you don’t have them all mashed.
  2. Bring berry mixture to a boil.
  3. Add granulated sugar and return to a boil. Continue to boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Stir in pectin, bring to a full boil and boil hard for only 1 minute. Remove from heat.
  5. Transfer to canning jars or freezer containers leaving ½-inch space at top. Seal jars/containers. Let stand at room temperature until cool.
  6. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 6 months.

 

Notes: This recipe is for a small batch. Easily double the recipe if needed.

Filed Under: Featured Article, News Tagged With: High Rock Park Saratoga, Saratoga Farmers' Market Recipes

Before Footer

Instagram

We are here today! Amazing music … fantastic ve We are here today!  Amazing music … fantastic vendors … added crafters … and we’re here until 1:30!
#saratogafarmersmarket
We are excited about tomorrow's Holiday Craft Fair We are excited about tomorrow's Holiday Craft Fair  at Wilton Mall in the food court.
Here are some of the vendor highlights. We look forward to seeing you from 9:30 to 1:30 to celebrate the holidays.
* Hepatica Farm: Holiday Egg Sale: get 2 dozen of our Pastured Certified Organic Eggs for $12 or 1 dozen for $8. We also have ground chicken.
* Muddy Trail: We have 8 varieties including Alphabet Soup, Fiesta Chicken Tortilla, Ginger Scallion Ramen, Spinach Tortellini & more.  Serves 6-8! 
* Mugzy's Barkery: Mugzy's Barkery offers a variety of gift items. Pre-orders for Custom Bones begin now!  Text 518-573-0400, message us on fb or insta, or email  mugzysbarkery@gmail.com 
* Jireh Organic Farms & Livestock: Purchase $40 of meat - get Non-GMO Eggs half price!  GMO Free Pork: Bacon, Hams, Tenderloins, Hot Italian Sausage links, Breakfast Sausage, Ground Pork, Hocks, Organs and more!! GMO Free Chickens (whole & cut-ups), soup parts, feet for bone broth / collagen, livers, etc....
* Owl Wood Farm: Come out this Saturday to get delicious greens for the week. We still have a full selection. We plan to be attending a couple more markets so stock up on bulk root bags.
* Saratoga Peanut Butter:pick up our Classic and Holiday gift sets.
* Squash Villa Farm: Find us INSIDE starting this Saturday with our delicious meats and more.
* Scotch Ridge Berry & Tree Farm: Scotch Ridge will have our farm made all natural Christmas decorations available just outside the main market entrance each Saturday until Christmas. 
* Vashti's Kitchen Delights: Come and enjoy the fusion of Caribbean and American flavors at Vashti's Kitchen Delights. Our authentic cuisine is prepared with fresh herbs and spices! 
* Nally Coffee: Get a FREE cup of coffee with your purchase of any 1lb bag of coffee!
* Lovin’ Mama Farms: Happy December!  We have 5 greenhouses loaded with greens and potted herbs, and coolers full of storage roots.  It's amazingly fun and creative to eat local this time of year with seasonal greens and root veggies. 
* Hebron Valley Meats: We will be missing the farmers market this week but look forward to seeing everyone at the 12/9 market. 
#saratogafarmersmarket
This weekend discover fabulously fresh products fo This weekend discover fabulously fresh products for all of your holiday baking…
* Buttermilk and Greek yogurt from Argyle Cheese Farmer.
* Honey, which makes a fantastic sweetener in many recipes, can be found at Ballston Lake Apiaries and Slate Valley Farms, as can maple syrup, which you can also find at Slate Valley Farms.
* Applesauce, cider, and fresh apples are always available at Saratoga Apple; equally good alternative sweeteners to consider, and applesauce can be an excellent replacement for oils in many recipes.
* Looking for deliciously locally made jams that are perfect for thumbprint cookies, Linzer cookies, and anything jam-filled? Visit Kokinda Farm.
* Consider making your peanut butter cookies pop this holiday season with unique flavors from Saratoga Peanut Butter.
* Are you making Tiramisu? Grab locally fresh-roasted coffee from Nally Coffee.
* And, of course, there are fresh farm eggs at Hepatica Farm, Grazin’ Acres Farm, and Jireh Organic Farm & Livestock.
* Is bread pudding on your holiday menu? Grab that main bread base from Katie Bakes Gluten-Free, NightWork Bread, or The Bread Butler.
* And check out Muddy Trail and their Perpetual Vanilla; it’s fantastic. They also have nine convenient baking mixes to browse and explore!
If you don’t want to bake, that’s A-OK, too! The Saratoga Farmers’ Market has the non- baker, ‘need a break,’ or ‘need something quick’ covered too. Just visit one of the pre-
made sweet treat vendors;
Goodway Gourmet
Katie Bakes Gluten-Free
NightWork Bread
Parchment Baking Company
Sweet Treats by Jennifer
Perogi, Pierogi, Pyroogi
#saratogafarmersmarket #saratogafarmersmarket🔆 #bakingseasonhasbegun #holidaybakingbegins #locallymadegoods
This weekend we have special guests at the Saratog This weekend we have special guests at the Saratoga Farmers' Market for our first pop up holiday crafters market.  They will be joining our regular (and fabulous) weekly vendors for the beginning of our holiday season.  They are here for one week only!!!
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, December 2nd at the Wilton Mall in the Food Court.  The market is open from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. 
#saratogafarmersmarket #saratogafarmersmarket🔆 #holidaycraftfair #popupholidaymarket #supportlocallymade

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

With support from our friends at:

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

    COVID-19: Check our latest Safety Guidelines!
  • Markets
    • Winter Market
    • Saratoga Outdoor Markets
    • Clifton Park Market
  • Vendors
    • Become A Vendor
    • Winter Vendors
    • Saratoga Outdoor Vendors
    • Clifton Park Vendors
  • About Us
    • SFM Association
    • History
  • Programs & Events
    • SNAP/EBT & FMNP
    • POP Club for Kids
    • Summer Internships
    • Compost Collection
    • Workshops
  • Get Involved
  • News
    • Featured Article
    • Seasonal Recipes
  • Contact Us