• 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!

celebrating small

Friend the Market!

January 2, 2019 By marketeditor

By Kristin Cleveland

Connecting with community, supporting local agriculture and small businesses, and discovering new foods and recipes — that’s what motivates the Friends of the Market. The Friends organization was created in 2011 to support vendors and customers of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market and to help educate the larger community about the benefits of locally sourced food.

Alexandra Morgan, one of the original Friends, recalls “My favorite memory is of helping a vendor who was overwhelmed with customers. That situation led to a valued friendship. To be able to step into a situation and help out is very gratifying.”

Friends of the Market volunteer Chris Toole enjoys helping out. Photo by Pattie Garret.

Chris Toole, another long-time Friend, encourages others to volunteer for this “ambassador-like” position, particularly if they love meeting and helping people. She explains, “the joking and camaraderie of the vendors is a joy. I’ve made wonderful friends in all of the people here. They make me laugh and I’m always learning things.”

Often these lessons are about new foods to try. Toole describes, “The best new food I ever heard about here, from Pura Vida Fisheries, was for Blowfish Tails. I sautéed them in butter and garlic and they were marvelous!” Since Toole found that Blowfish Tails are only available seasonally, she now asks the Pura Vida folks for other recommendations depending on the season. Another Friend, Sally Willse, also loves a recipe she learned from a market vendor, The Vermont Spätzle Company, which combines their gluten-free spätzle with local Brussels sprouts, bacon and maple syrup. 

Friends help out in various ways depending on their talents and interests. Tasks include greeting customers and answering questions, helping people transport purchases to their cars, covering vendor stalls while the farmers and chefs take breaks, taking photos for use in social media and educational presentations, and teaching people of all ages about cooking and local food. Willse describes her favorite market experiences, “The times I help with kids’ activities. Once the kids were drawing vegetables at the market; it was fun to see and hear their perspectives about their favorite foods.”

Alexandra Morgan helps with a market children’s activity. Photo by Pattie Garrett

Darlene McGraw sums up her reason for becoming a Friend this way: “I volunteer because I love to support local small businesses. I celebrate ‘Small Business Saturday’ every week!”

To learn about joining the Friends of the Market, e-mail friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org or come to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, currently at its winter home in the Lincoln Baths on Saturdays, 9 am – 1 pm.

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: Blowfish Tails, celebrating small, Friends of the Market, Market Volunteers, Pure Vida Fisheries, Small Business Saturday, volunteer, volunteering

Before Footer

Instagram

Today at our International Flavor Fest! Thank you Today at our International Flavor Fest! Thank you to everyone who came by today. We hope you had fun! 😋🌎🌾
Exciting news! The Saratoga Farmers’ Market Flav Exciting news! The Saratoga Farmers’ Market Flavor Fest is happening tomorrow! 🎉🍴 Our vendors have amazing samples for you to taste, including mouth-watering chorizo and bratwurst from Hebron Valley Meats and delectable Chicken Briyani from Perfect Plant Farm. 😍 Don't forget to grab your passport for a chance to win a prize by collecting stamps from market vendors! 🛍️ @worldkidsmuseum will also be joining us with a fun kid's craft to make your own fortune cookie 🥠, and CCE food is back with a fermentation activity. 🌱 See you there! ✈️🌎😋

#saratogafarmersmarket #saratogasprings #thingstodoinupstateny #internationalfood #flavorfest #farmersmarket #kidsactivities #smallbuisness #shoplocal
Get ready to mushroom into a world of flavor at th Get ready to mushroom into a world of flavor at the Saratoga Farmers' Market! 🍄🌱 This week, we're thrilled to highlight the Mushroom Shop and their incredible selection of locally grown and harvested mushrooms. We spoke with owner's Jacob and Elysee to learn more.

Q: What are some of the health benefits associated with consuming mushrooms?

A: Mushrooms contain a multitude of medicinal compounds. The mushroom species Cordyceps militaris contains cordycepin, which increases your blood's ability to absorb and transport oxygen, improving exercise performance. Mukitake or Panellus serotinus possesses compounds that have shown in recent studies to improve liver function in people suffering from fatty liver disease. Reishi mushrooms improve immune health, warding off sickness and reducing inflammation. Other medicinal mushrooms include Turkey Tail, Chaga, Agarikon, Maitake, and Lions Mane.

Q: What inspired you to start selling mushrooms at the farmers' market?

A: We initially got our inspiration from a mushroom farm based in Tennessee called Mossy Creek Mushrooms. They have many videos on Youtube covering every aspect of operating a mushroom farm from building and maintaining equipment to harvesting and marketing mushrooms. Jacob has had an interest in growing mushrooms as a hobby for about eight years when he discovered a patch of oyster mushrooms growing in the wild. We got the opportunity to lease land in the beginning of 2021 and shortly after started selling at farmers’ markets.

Q: How do you recommend customers prepare and cook the mushrooms they purchase from you?

A: At our farmers markets we always provide printed recipes that utilize the mushrooms available during the current season. Like meat, mushrooms can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as sautéing, roasting, and grilling to create a flavorful dish. One of our recent favorites is a Spicy Crispy Lion's Mane Sandwich- a thick slab of Lion's Mane mushroom battered and fried on a toasted bun with spicy mayo and pickles. This is a delicious take on a chicken sandwich made entirely of whole, natural produce. 

*Find the Mushroom shop year round at our Saturday markets!*

#saratogafarmersmarket
Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure! 🍴🌍 Get ready for a mouth-watering adventure! 🍴🌍 Join us on Saturday, March 25th from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm at the Saratoga Farmers' Market's International Flavor Fest in the Wilton Mall food court! 🎉 Indulge in frgál cakes, julekaker, burek, curries, samosas, and more, representing cuisines from all around the world! 🌎 There will be live music, family-friendly activities, and food tastings that will take your taste buds on a journey around the globe! 🎶👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Plus, our friends at the World Awareness Children's Museum will be hosting a paper fortune cookie making session for the kiddos! Don't forget to pick up your passport for a chance to win a prize by filling it with stamps from market vendors! Let's celebrate our traditions, history, and community through the language of flavorful food! 😍🍴

 #InternationalFlavorFest #SaratogaFarmersMarket #FoodieAdventure #CommunityConnection

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
    • 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!