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

Shop Local, Eat Fresh

Balet Flowers and Design

Local farms bring seasonal blooms to the farmers’ market

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By Julia Howard

 

From amaranth to zinnias, local farmers are growing various seasonal flowers and creating exquisite bouquets that represent the rhythm of the seasons from early spring to late fall.   

At the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, flowers and mixed flower arrangements of brilliant sunflower faces, elegant snapdragons, dahlias, and lisianthus, just to name a few, adorn tables in buckets and vases every Wednesday and Saturday. Their petals and colors summon the attention of market-goers.

“I am super passionate about flowers, and I enjoy talking with customers and educating them about different varieties we grow,” says Amy Hoge, owner of Bark Hill Farm in Hebron. 

Bark Hill Farm, photo provided

Bark Hill is one of several farms offering fresh-cut flowers at the farmers’ market this season. “I am trying to have flowers available as long as possible, seeding flowers in January and over-wintering flowers so that they begin growing even earlier,” explains Hoge.

At Old Tavern Farm in Saratoga Springs, Walt Borisenok and his staff work tirelessly at succession planting native plants, starting seeds in winter. This continual planting of flowers ensures that seasonal blooms are consistent for their bouquets.

Old Tavern Farm, photo provided

Corinne Hansch owns Lovin’ Mama Farm, a certified organic farm in Amsterdam. Hansch attests to the process and rewards of growing flowers throughout the seasons. “Local flowers are the best because they represent so completely the season that we are in. Our fresh flower season begins in April with thousands of tulips grown in our unheated tunnels.”

If you’re wondering what’s so special about seasonal flowers, it’s important to understand that locally grown flowers often can’t be found elsewhere.

At Bark Hill, Amy Hoge describes the delicate nature of flowers and how some flowers have a shorter vase life than other varieties shipped to stores, sometimes traveling from other countries. 

Ryan Holub of Scotch Ridge Flower Farm in Duanesburg shares another key aspect of locally grown flowers. “We cut our flowers a day before the farmers’ market, so they are truly fresh and long-lasting. They have no carbon footprint.”

Other local flower farmers echo the “freshly cut” fact, and there are also tips to extending the vase-life of flower bouquets. Walt Borisenok of Old Tavern Farm recommends changing the water daily and trimming the stem bottoms with clean scissors or pruning shears. 

It’s also important to note that some flowers have a longer vase life than others. For example, according to Ryan Holub of Scotch Ridge, lisianthus and marigolds live longer than dahlias.  

Another notable aspect of locally grown flowers includes the positive effects that plant diversity has on a garden ecosystem. Lovin’ Mama Farm experiences this first-hand as they grow diverse flowers and herbs throughout their fields to create a habitat for beneficial insects.

Lovin’ Mama Farm, photo provided

The first frost will signal an end to the growing season for fresh flowers, but flower connoisseurs can enjoy dried bouquets and wreaths endlessly. Bark Hill, Lovin’ Mama, and Old Tavern Farm offer dried arrangements.

 Aside from purchasing fresh-cut flowers at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, many local farms provide flowers for weddings, baby showers, funerals, and special events. To place a custom flower order, please contact farms directly.

“It is such an honor to be a local florist,” says Hansch of Lovin’ Mama Farm. “I feel a deeper connection to my customers and community when I provide flowers for their special occasions.”

You can also find cut flowers and arrangements from spring to fall at Balet Flowers & Design, Burger’s MarketGarden, Gifford Farms, Kokinda Farm, Leaning Birch Farm, Pleasant Valley Farm, and Saratoga Apple.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Smart gardening with starter plants

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Green Jeans Market Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

By Julia Howard

With spring’s last projected frost date safely behind us, gardening enthusiasts take out their trowels and prepare garden plots for planting. But if you’re new to gardening, the process may seem overwhelming. We spoke with Susan Beebe, Assistant Director/Agriculture Issue Leader of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County, to understand the basics of gardening with starter plants.

To begin, determine where you would like to plant. Perhaps you have space for a garden or raised beds in your yard, or maybe planting in containers seems more feasible. If planting in the ground, Susan Beebe explains that the first and most crucial step is to determine the pH of your soil. “Soil pH is important because it will help you prepare to plant your garden,” explains Beebe. To collect a soil sample, walk through the area that you would like to plant and collect soil samples from various places. Dig 3” to 8” deep and scoop about ½ cup of soil into a clean container. Soil samples may be brought to Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener table at the farmers’ market on the third Wednesday of every month or directly to their office.

Balet Flowers & Design, photo by Pattie Garrett

If planting in raised beds, Beebe recommends combining potting soil and compost to hold water and prevent moisture from draining out. “Soil is alive and full of microorganisms that plants need to survive,” says Beebe. “Adding green manure, compost, or even a cover crop can keep soil healthy while planting in raised beds.”

If planting in containers, Beebe advises using soilless mixes rather than potting soil. “A benefit to the soilless mixes is that they are much lighter than potting soil and allow you to move your containers around. The counterpart is that these mixes have a tendency to dry out, so depending on the location, you may have to water your containers more,” explains Beebe.

Once your soil is ready, it’s time to buy plants. Several vendors offer various herbs, fruit, and vegetable starter plants at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. These plants are typically several weeks old and have been nurtured through the most delicate early stages of growth by professional growers in a greenhouse. If you have questions about what to plant, ask the growers; Balet Flowers & Design, Burger’s MarketGarden, Gomez Veggie Ville, Green Jeans Market Farm, Leaning Birch Farm, Old Tavern Farm, and Scotch Ridge Berry Farm.

Burger’s MarketGarden, photo by Pattie Garrett

Now it’s time to plant. Once you’ve popped the first plant out of the container, pull the roots apart with your hands gently; you can look to see how tightly wound the roots are. “You need to pull the roots apart with your hands gently,” Susan Beebe instructs. “You may even use a little knife to break the roots because the goal is to stop their circling motion so that they can spread into the ground,” she adds. When planting, maintain the level it was grown at rather than planting deeper. “The only exception is leggy tomato plants that you can bury deeper,” says Beebe.

Once your starters are planted, water generously and ensure 6+ hours of sunlight a day. Some leafy crops like spinach can thrive with less sun; however, vegetables like carrots, beets, and peppers need 6+ hours a day.

Fruit and vegetables thrive and produce more with light fertilizing at planting. The appropriate fertilizer depends on how you’re growing and what your growing. Beebe recommends side-dressing again with fertilizer 2-3 weeks after planting to ensure healthy, productive plants.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market Is Also A Gift Market

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By Mary Pratt

Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff, photo by Pattie Garrett

The Saturday Saratoga Farmers’ Market in the Wilton Mall parking lot is exceptionally busy. In addition to selecting veggies, meat, fruits, and prepared foods, customers can explore vendors offering gifts to purchase.

It’s easy to start the Saturday market with Something’s Brewing coffee. Beth Trattel roasts her coffee beans and sells many varieties of Battenkill Coffee.

Other foodie gifts include packaged cheese. In addition to yogurt, Dave and Marge Randles, Argyle Cheese Farmer, prepares cheese varieties. “Amazing Grace” won a silver medal at the NYS Fair. Lee Hennessy, Moxie Ridge Farm specializes in cheese from his Alpine goats. You can choose fresh cheese such as chevre or feta, or ripened Valencia and Cannonball. R&G Cheesemakers in Troy uses goat’s or cow’s milk from nearby farms. Sean O’Connor continuously creates new flavors to accompany his goat’s milk chevre, Camembert, and cow’s milk cheeses. Nettle Meadow also has a unique variety of hard and soft cheeses and chevre.

Or for a sweet treat, shop Saratoga Chocolate Company founded by Hank and Allison Rose. They use “only the highest quality chocolate and ingredients. Each selection is paired with complementary flavors that highlight the tasting notes of each chocolate”. Marcie Place, The Chocolate Spoon, bakes notable cookies, teacakes, and other treats that come in giftable packaging.

If your friends enjoy sipping, try a variety of sparkling cider from Slyboro Cider House. Dan Wilson is in charge of their “small dynamic farm, cider house, and farmstand in the foothills of the Adirondacks. His orchard, Hicks Orchard, continues a tradition of direct connection with the local community that dates back to 1905”.

Mugzy’s Barkery, photo by Pattie Garrett

When visiting friends who have dogs, be sure to bring gifts from Mugzy’s Barkery, named after their Old English Bulldog. The Barkery specializes in natural and organic dog treats that are “handmade, healthy, safe, and delicious”.

As you explore the Market, you’ll notice several talented crafters, including Balet Flowers and Design. Suzanne Balet Haight, a second-generation Market vendor makes functional, creative pottery, such as coffee cups, bowls and plates, and lovely containers that hold the flowers and plants they grow.

After you leave Balet Flowers, go to Feathered Antler where Gretchen Tisch will create a portrait of your pet from a photo. She illustrates clothing with birds, deer, moose, or their feathers and antlers. “They stand out as being the most stunning parts of animals who wear them from the sky to the ground.”

Kokinda Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

On her Kokinda Farm, Laurie Kokinda produces vegetables, fruits, jellies, and jams. Equally practical are her sewn products, including aprons and one-piece quilted hot pads. In the future, she’ll bring catnip pillows.

If you’re looking for handmade jewelry, Big Breath Wellness has handmade earrings and pendulums.

Mary Jane Pelzer, Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff, a third-generation soap maker, has been producing a large variety of natural handmade soap in small batches for over 40 years. Look for basic body bars, hand soaps, and soap in special shapes such as lambs, flowers, fish, and eggs.

Food security can begin right on your patio

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Photo by Pattie Garrett

May means garden season, and this year, amid predictions of food shortages, growing your own food might be a vital source of sustenance.

“I always feel a few pots of easy vegetables or a small garden should be a part of life for any family,” says Sandy Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm. “It’s so easy.”

Yet, many claim they can’t grow food, citing past failures as evidence.

We at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market want you to try again.

Burger Farm and Balet Flowers & Design are selling vegetable, fruit, and herb seedlings to help you start. Others such as Gomez Veggie Ville make it even easier with pre-planted culinary herb mixes in a pot.

Culinary herb pots at Gomez Veggie Ville, photo by Pattie Garrett

Here are some suggestions of my own:
● If you love peas, snag a bag of seeds and plant them now, up against a wire fence or trellis. They’ll start producing pods around July and will flourish for about three weeks. Plant more peas in three-week intervals through mid-July to ensure an ongoing supply.
● Hardy root vegetables such as radishes, carrots, turnips, and beets also are easy to start by seed, though sometimes seedlings are available. Radishes and turnips grow fast and will be harvestable in four to six weeks. Beets and carrots take longer. Plant these vegetables several times, as well.
● Plant lettuce seedlings from Burger or Balet and start harvesting the outer leaves in about two weeks. Keep harvesting like this or wait for the plants to grow larger and then cut all the leaves at the base. They’ll grow back, but you also can keep planting lettuce from seed to ensure a steady crop.
● Burger and Balet also have kale, Swiss chard, pac choi, and other leafy greens seedlings. Plant and harvest the leaves when they are eight inches long. These “cut and come again” plants, produce through late fall.
● You also can get broccoli, cabbage, and brussels sprouts seedlings now. Consider a second planting of broccoli and cabbage in late June.
● After June 1, start planting summer seedlings. These include tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squashes, melons, and basil. They’ll begin producing fruit in several weeks and will continue until the fall frosts arrive.

Transplants at Burger’s Market Garden, photo by Pattie Garrett

This week’s recipe: Farmers’ Market Green Salad

 

In Full Bloom at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

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Written by Catherine Morba

Robin Holland, owner of Goode Farm, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

A bouquet of cut flowers will brighten a room and the mood of anyone who lays eyes on them. “It is easy to talk about local and seasonal food, but it is very exciting to see people turning on to flowers again, reclaiming a local craft that essentially skipped a generation since trade policy put flower farmers out of business in the early eighties” muses Robin Holland. Holland is the owner of Goode Farm, a flower and specialty vegetable farm located in Ballston Spa.

Goode Farm is shaking up the local flower business with their unique Flower Club subscription service, in which members get 6 centerpiece arrangements whenever they want them throughout the course of the season. “Designing with honest materials and their innate surprises and quirks has always been a constant fascination. I was never drawn to flower design until, in my attempts to landscape, I found myself surrounded by healthy and fragrant flowers, coordinated and in balance with season and place.”

Several market vendors offering a selection of cut flowers graciously offered tips for choosing the stems, arranging, and preserving freshness for days on end.

Balet Flowers & Design, photo courtesy of Suzanne Balet-Haight

Selecting Stems:
“My favorite flowers change as the seasons change,” says Suzanne Haight of Balet Flowers & Design. In the spring, peonies are stunning in bouquets and have an amazing fragrance. In summer, my favorites are Sunflowers and Zinnias for bright colors. In fall, Gomphrena and Hydrangea, fresh or dried. Succulents and Narcissus in winter, for their texture and because they can still be forced as a cut flower.” Haight also suggests Snapdragons, named for their resemblance to a dragons head when the sides of the flower are pushed together. Another aptly named flower, Chelone or “Turtlehead” is unique for its turtle shape and native origin in eastern North America. Both are whimsical and especially fun for children.

Arranging Bouquets:
“Fillers or accents for bouquets are what steals the show,” says Erin Luciani of Lot 32 Flower Farm. Luciani gravitates towards Scabiosa or Scabiosa Seed Pods, Gomphrena, Poppy Pods, and Ammi, otherwise known as False Queen Anne’s Lace. If arranging a full bouquet seems intimidating, Debbie Stevens of Butternut Ridge Farm suggests sticking with Sunflowers. “They speak for themselves,” says Stevens. “Just intermingle the dark-colored with the light-colored, and you’re set.”

Arrangement by Goode Farm, photo courtesy of Robin Holland

Preserving Freshness:
When asked for the best way to keep flowers looking fresh, one tip was widely agreed upon. “You should change the water every other day, if not every day,” says Burger Farm’s Andy Burger. “Not many people think to do that, but it’s important to prevent the stems from deteriorating.”

The type or quality of the water can also play a role in flower longevity. “Zinnias do not like city water, but Sunflowers and Gladiolas don’t mind it.” Says Linda Gifford of Gifford Farms. “If you have city water, use distilled or filtered water instead.”

“Recut the stems at an angle, underwater if possible for maximum absorption,” adds Haight from Balet Flowers & Design. “Also, place flowers in a preservative solution such as 2 drops of bleach, 2 drops of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of sugar.”

Saturday Cut Flower Vendors:
Balet Flowers & Design, LC
Clark Dahlia Gardens & Greenhouses
Lot 32 Flower Farm
Kokinda Farm
Pleasant Valley Farm
Saratoga Apple
Scotch Ridge Farm

The usual – and the unusual – at Saratoga Farmers’ Market

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Many regulars treat their trips to the twice-weekly Saratoga Farmers’ Market as opportunities to stock up on provisions for the week.

But going to the market also can be an opportunity to discover something new – an unusual fruit, an heirloom vegetable, a different kind of homemade sauce. To bring out that adventurous spirit, we asked our summer interns, Laura Kenny and Elizabeth Horgan, to explore the market and share their favorite finds. Here’s a short list of what they came up with:

1/ Lovage. Its flavor and smell can be described as a mix of celery and parsley, but with a higher intensity of both of those flavors. This herb is delicious in salads and soups. Find it at Otrembiak Farm.

2/ Lions Mane. This poofy mushroom sold by Mariaville Mushroom Men and Ramble Creek Farm is often equated to a steak or a lobster. Slice it thinly, cook it in a hot, unoiled saucepan for 3-4 minutes. Then add oil and seasonings of your choice. Turn off the heat and let it rest. It will taste a little like steak or lobster.

Celtuce, photo courtesy of Squashville Farm

3/ Garlic Scapes. These green curlicues are the flower of the garlic. Farmers cut them off to help their garlic grow and invite you to enjoy them as a vegetable or meat seasoning, atop pizzas, in pasta sauces, pickled, or stir-fried.

4/ Celtuce. This Asian green is harvested usually in late summer for its stem. Its young leaves, however, also are delicious in a quick stir fry with oil, red pepper, and peanuts. Find the leaves at Squashville Farm.

5/ Salsa Gardens. If all the fresh food makes you want to grow your own, check out the salsa and pizza “gardens” that Balet and Burger nurseries offer. All you need in a single pot.

Vital Eats, photo by Laura Kenny

6/ Kettle Corn. The Proper Popper turns this fair-like treat into a weekly market affair. Find them Saturdays with the other prepared food vendors.

7/ Chickpea cheese dip. Vital Eats offers its So-Cheezy and Zesty-Cheezy vegan condiments on Saturdays. These flavorful sauces are nut, soy, and dairy free. Chickpeas and vegetables pack creamy, tangy flavor that’s full of antioxidants, and protein.

Otrembiak Farm, photo by Laura Kenny

8/ Scallop squash. We often think of patty pan squash as small and yellow. But it can be big and multi-colored, as many vendor stalls attest. Small to medium scallop squash can be treated like zucchini. The skin is thin and the seeds are small enough you can slice and cook however you would like. You can pickle, saute, grill, or even bake this squash. Larger pattypan squash needs a little extra TLC, but they are the ultimate vessel for stuffing and baking.

9/ Spatzle. The Vermont Spatzle Co. offers a gluten-free version of this German specialty on Saturdays. Ask them for their list of recipes.

Photo courtesy of Feathered Antler

10/ And for that newborn, check out the hand-painted onesies at the Feathered Antler.

Of course, the interns made many more discoveries. We invite you to join them and explore.