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Christmas gifts

Shop Local at the Farmers’ Market this Holiday Season

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By Julia Howard

 

The holiday shopping season is here, and what’s better than finding unique, local gifts for your loved ones? Finding them in one convenient place at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. We offer a bright, spacious shopping environment featuring 40+ local businesses in the food court of the Wilton Mall.

Saratoga Chocolate Co., photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Vendors offer plenty of locally made giftable items, stocking stuffers, and holiday home decor. Here’s a preview of gifts for everyone on your list.

Scotch Ridge Berry & Tree Farm has handmade wreaths, kissing balls, holiday swag, and tabletop Christmas trees. Gorgeous greenery makes a memorable and personal gift, even more so when it’s locally made.

Zoe Burghard Ceramics has a stunning variety of pottery, including vases, fruit bowls, colenders, spoon rests, rign holders, mugs, and other functional dishes – all created with Burghard’s unique style and brilliant glazes. 

For the spirits connoisseur on your list, Yankee Distillers proudly stands out as an NYS Farm Distillery, where they use 100% unmalted New York State Grain to produce outstanding bourbon, rye, and vodka. 

Feathered Antler, photo by Graciela Colston

Feathered Antler is well known for unique giftable items with a creative flair – all custom-made by Gretchen Louise Tisch. Feathered Antler brings nature-inspired, hand-painted mugs, hats, flannels, baby onesies, jewelry, paintings, stationery, wood art, and home decor items. 

Trendy Empress, photo by Graciela Colston

New this season; Trendy Empress Boutique brings high-quality children’s clothing and accessories that are hand-made in Granville, NY. Select from rompers, unique tops, bottoms, and lounge sets featuring soft fabric in fun and fresh prints.

Kim Dolan Designed makes handcrafted jewelry from gold, silver, and gemstones. Her wearable art includes earrings, necklaces, chains, and rings. Dolan also brings hand-dyed shirts, hoodies, and tunics.

Muddy Trail Jerky Co., photo by Graciela Colston

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is best known for its selection of local foods, so perhaps a gift basket of various goodies would be perfect. Find local cheeses by Argle Cheese Farmer and Nettle Meadow. Puckers Pickles’s award-winning products will be happily received. Muddy Trails Jerky Co. has a variety of jerky, spices, and olive oil gift sets. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market also offers gift certificates and merchandise for farmers’ market enthusiasts.

Many holiday season vendors offer pre-orders for easy pickup and online ordering. Find their website and ‘like’ them on social media to stay up-to-date on their products and specials. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

 

Saratoga Farmers’ Market Brims with Gifts to Suit Everyone

By

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

The final few days before Christmas can be frantic. Gifts must be found, holiday meals must be cooked, and then there’s the issue of trying to get packages shipped to loved ones who live elsewhere.

We at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market invite you to relax. Come to our market on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., grab a warm drink and a pastry or breakfast sandwich, and stroll through the wide variety of specialty foods products, locally made jewelry and artwork, and delicious farm fresh foods, all under one roof at the Lincoln Baths Building. They are filled with an array of artworks, foods, and other gift items homegrown or homemade to fill a variety of needs.

The following guide gives you a glimpse of some of what we offer:

Treats from Mugzy’s Barkery

Artisanal treats. Head upstairs to the second floor for cured meats, hand-cut pastas, handcrafted jewelry, and journals. If there’s a dog in the family, consider a gift box from Mugzy’s Barkery which features a sampler of their dog treats. Terra Sage Gourmet also offers a healthy vegetarian dog food.

  Also on the second floor are first-year agricultural vendors offering such produce as mushrooms, chicken, dried beans, and nutrient dense microgreens.

A spirited sample. Walk to the end of the second floor, and head downstairs. Stop and sample bourbon-infused eggnog, made with Battenkill Valley Creamery’s award winning eggnog and Yankee Distillers’ bourbon. Both items are available from their respective makers at the far end of the market’s first floor.

Sweets to ship. In the main market, you’ll find produce, meats, jams, chocolates, cheeses, peanut butter, and hummus. Many of these items are suitable for shipping, and Slate Valley Farms makes the job easy. They offer a gift box of honey, maple syrup and maple treats in a Priority Mail package that Slate Valley’s Gina Imbimbo will send for you.

Other gift boxes. Head the front end. You’ll find cheese samplers, peanut butters, and mushroom teas from Argyle Cheese Farmer, Saratoga Peanut Butter, and Mariaville Mushroom Men respectively. And, if you like creating your own gift packages, stop by Kokinda Farms and pick up a wicker basket from Laurie Kokinda. Choose a jar of jam and walk through the market again, filling the basket with your favorites.

The Saratoga Farmers Market is 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in the Saratoga Spa State Park. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and on the FreshFoodNY app.