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Spring, amid pandemic, heightens importance of work of farmers

April 14, 2020 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Spring often challenges farmers. As the land springs back to life from winter dormancy, work intensifies. Animals are born; seedlings start to pop up from the soil. Farmers nurture these new fragile beings against gusting winds, chilling rains, momentary patches of sun, sometimes snow.

This year has brought an additional challenge: the COVID-19 outbreak.

Lindsay Fisk of Owl Wood Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Mark Bascom and Lindsay Fisk, of Owl Wood Farm, returned to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market last Saturday, a few weeks ahead of schedule. This was due to an early spring rebound in some overwintered spinach and kale, along with the arrival of two summer interns a month early.

“They were supposed to start on May 1, but they were coming from Kentucky and were worried about state borders closing to keep the virus from spreading,” says Fisk.

Fisk and Bascom had not quite finished work on a house they were building for themselves and were living in the mobile home the interns were to occupy. The interns were willing to live in their van.

“But that would be uncomfortable,” Bascom says, “so we doubled down and pushed twice as hard to get into our home sooner than planned.”

The early arrival turned out to be a blessing. Fisk and Bascom had been trying to work out protocols for social distancing between workers and themselves, and with the interns already on site, some of that concern was eased.

Pleasant Valley Farm, photo provided

Pleasant Valley Farm’s Paul and Sandy Arnold began their winter with a world cruise, which COVID-19 cut short. They arrived home a few weeks ago and self-quarantined to ensure they were virus-free.

But quarantine didn’t mean lying low; the couple’s children, who had been running the farm, invited them to get to work! “We chopped wood, tilled the fields, planted many different vegetable crops, helped organize the computer orders, and did what we could to help with other farm work,” says Sandy Arnold. “We just worked on remote areas of the farm, not production, and did not attend the markets until now.”

Farmers, of course, are not immune to the virus itself. But they are accustomed to working alone and outside. This has helped many farmers gained a new appreciation for what they have and do, as a recent Facebook reflection from Mariaville Mushroom Men’s Bobby Chandler illustrates:

The Food Florist, photo by Pattie Garrett

“When I was a kid, I used to sometimes regret the fact that my Rotterdam parents decided to move to a farm when I was three. It wasn’t that I didn’t love all the land and it wasn’t that I didn’t love the animals. It was purely due to being called a ‘smelly, dumb farmer’ by the other kids. I never understood why I was being put down for this.”

Now, Chandler continued, “This is what I have come to realize: “There is a pandemic wreaking havoc on this country. Many people are out of work and are stuck at home with the children bored out of their minds. While most people are dealing with that, I am here in Mariaville, with my three kids playing outside. We are still producing food while many cannot source the simplest of products. We are farmers, we never stop working. The world needs us now more than ever.”

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News, Uncategorized Tagged With: coronavirus, COVID-19, farm life, Mariaville Mushroom Men, on the farm, Owl Wood Farm, Pleasant Valley Farm, spring

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Our FINAL market at the Wilton mall is tomorrow! S Our FINAL market at the Wilton mall is tomorrow! Starting this Wednesday, June 1st,
High Rock Park will be our new location for both Wednesday 3-6pm and Saturday 9-1pm markets. Rain or shine, we hope to see you there!

#supportlocal #farmtotable #saratogasprings #saratogafarmersmarket
#shopsmall
Swing by our 3-6pm market tomorrow outside the low Swing by our 3-6pm market tomorrow outside the lower city center parking lot! We have several guests including musician @starlitgeneration, as well as some fun kids activities hosted by our friends from @saratogaspringslibrary. Hope to see you there!!!

Parking available in the City Center Lot, free for the first hour and $1/hr after that. 

#saratogasprings #saratogafarmersmarket #shoplocal #farmtotable #eathealthy #upstateny
Come stop by the Saratoga Farmers’ Market tomor Come stop by the Saratoga Farmers’ Market  tomorrow at the Wilton mall! From 9am-1pm you can find some of your favorite produce and craft vendors before we move over to High Rock Park on June 1st. Talented musician Brendan Dailey will be joining us too. Hope to see you there!

Photo 1 taken by Pattie Garrett @mysaratogakitchentable of one of our friends from @themushroomshopllc 

#saratogasprings #farmtotable #shoplocal #smallbuisness #eathealthy
After a much anticipated wait, come June 1st, the After a much anticipated wait, come June 1st, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market will be returning to High Rock Park for our Wednesday and Saturday Markets! Thank you to everyone on our team, our vendors, customers and friends who have helped to make this transition happen. Stay tuned for upcoming events celebrating our move! 

Photo: Flowers from @lovinmamafarm 

Parking will be available on High Rock Ave and in the new City Center Parking Garage (free for the first hour and $1/hr after that) 

#saratogasprings #farmersmarket #farmtotable #shoplocal #june1st #highrockpark

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