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Need hand sanitizer? Find it at the market

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, photo by Pattie Garrett

Makers of locally crafted whiskey, gin, and vodka have been a part of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market for several years. Local distilleries such as Springbrook Hollow Farm and Yankee Distillers have shared with their customers spirits made from New York grown grains that have been slowly cooked down, fermented, distilled, and aged. The process was all about care.

Care took on a different meaning when the COVID-19 pandemic erupted two months ago. Hand sanitizer and other cleaning supplies essential to protecting one’s self suddenly became hard to find. Many worried about coming into contact with the virus and not being able to get clean. The distilleries had a solution. Now, bottles of hand sanitizer share space on their farmers’ market tables with the spirits for which they are known.

Yankee Distillers, photo by Pattie Garrett

“We realized that as cleaning supplies started to come into short supply some of the raw alcohol we had on-site could be used to clean things around the distillery,” says Steve Hamilton of Yankee Distillers. “And then when the New York Liquor Authority and the World Health Organization started to publish guidelines for distilleries to transition their production over to hand sanitizer, we realized that we were positioned to provide a product that our community needs right now.”

“We had all the equipment, everything we needed,” adds Tara Amazon of Springbrook Hollow. “We knew we needed to help keep our community safe in whatever way that we could.”

Yankee Distillers makes its sanitizer with alcohol, a bittering agent that denatures it, glycerin to soften it, peroxide, and water. They follow a World Health Organization formula. It is being sold in half-gallon containers for $32 and 4-ounce spray-top bottles for $5. The company also is offering face masks imprinted with its logo.

Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, photo provided

Springbrook’s product is made from grain alcohol, glycerin, and peroxide. It is being sold for $45 a gallon, or $35 a gallon for four or more gallons. Two-ounce spray-top bottles cost $3. Springbrook just donated 5,000 bottles to health care workers in Saratoga, Glens Falls, and Queensbury north to the Canadian border.

Market staff and some vendors also are keeping bottles of their sanitizer on their tables and at cleaning points throughout the market as part of their effort to keep the environment safe.

Making Farmers Markets Into a Movement

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Did you know that farmers markets play a role in fighting food insecurity?

That’s one of many findings that the federal Nutrition.gov website offers. In a report prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on “The What and Why of Local Foods,” researchers argue that the food security of a particular locality in the United States might very well be dependent on the strength and vitality of its local food system.

The report notes that 50 million Americans lack food security, and that at least part of the challenge that they face is that they reside far away from outlets that distribute healthy food. Nearly 25 million individuals who lack food security live more than a mile away from a supermarket, which make access to food a challenge when the individuals also lack cars or access to public transportation. The issue grows more significant in rural areas where the nearest market might be an hour’s drive away.

These statistics highlight the role that highly localized, producer-oriented farmers’ markets might play in strengthening overall access to healthy foods. By having an ability to sell fruits and vegetables at a local market, local farmers are not only able to sustain themselves but also can create more nearby local outlets by which elderly residents and lower income individuals are able to easily access these foods. In addition, a growing number of farmers markets are accepting SNAP benefits and participating in other publicly funded ventures to help make their products available to such individuals.

food-fact-1The Saratoga Farmers Market is participating in these ventures. Our market not only accepts SNAP benefits but also Fresh Connect and Farmers Market Nutrition Program coupons, which enable eligible recipients to receive fresh produce. Farmers then are able to redeem the coupons for cash through the state, which helps make the programs viable for them, as well.

The market’s vendors also have been donating produce and other goods weekly to the Franklin Community Center’s food pantry, as part of this endeavor. Friends of the Market members are organizing this pilot venture, and have a box available at the table for customers who wish to purchase items at the market for donation. Please support these worthy ventures.

More information about the role of farmers markets in communities throughout the United States is available at Nutrition.gov. The site, funded by a number of federal agencies, offers a treasure trove of reports, data, interactive charts, and even cooking tips for seasonal fruits and vegetables. Their underlying message is simple: When you shop at a farmers’ market, you’re not just making a purchase. You’re participating in a community movement that ultimately will be beneficial to all.

How Fresh and Local Supports Food Pantries

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Last week’s Food Fact from the Friends of the Market described a new initiative between the Saratoga Farmers’ Market and the Franklin Community Center’ food pantry, in which market vendors at the end of each Saturday market donate some of their less saleable items to the food pantry. This week, I’d like to share a little bit about how these items are distributed through the food pantry.

The Franklin Community Center expanded its food pantry in 2015. In addition to shelves filled with non-perishable items, the pantry now has large refrigerators and freezers as well as shelves dedicated to holding such items of produce like squashes, onions, and potatoes.

When donations arrive at the pantry, volunteers weigh and sort them. All donation also are entered into an inventory log that includes the name and address of the donor, the quantity and type of donation.

Food items from the farmers’ market and the community center’s garden are treated a little differently. I and other garden volunteers bag fresh kale, chard, and other items and mark the bags with the item’s name, date it was picked, and sometimes with a quick cooking tip. When I bring produce from the farmers’ market, I mark bags with the item’s name if it seems as if it would not be immediately recognizable. I also try to leave notes on whiteboards for volunteers, letting them know how to prepare these items. These little tips are crucial because knowing what to do with a food that is new to one’s diet is crucial to determining whether it will become a long-term addition – and source of support to farmers who grow it in the long run.

Julie Slovic, who serves as the outreach coordinator for the Franklin Community Center’s food pantry, said that the pantry serves an average of 750 individuals a month, or roughly 250 families. In general, recipients requiring emergency food assistance receive a package once a month that provides enough food for three to four days. Packages are based on the federal government’s Healthy Plate model of balancing proteins, carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables. Some items – particularly bread and fresh produce – are made available in addition to the packages on an open donations’ table.

The share of fruits and vegetables that come not from a commercial can but from fresh produce is growing steadily through weekly deliveries from the Regional Food Bank, and regular and occasional donations from individuals as well as local groceries. Over the summer, donations from community gardens and individuals through a Plant a Row for the Hungry project added to the fresh produce totals. Since October 15, weekly donations from the Saratoga Farmers’ Market have averaged about 50 pounds.

We encourage farmers’ market shoppers to join the effort of getting more fresh and local food to food pantries. A gift box for the Franklin Community Center’s food pantry is available at the Friends of the Market table, if you do wish to make an extra purchase while shopping Saturday for food pantry users. In addition to fruits and vegetables, the pantry can accept eggs, dairy products, honey, maple syrup, and some prepared foods such as pickles, mustards, juices, and cheeses. Thank you for giving this worthy cause some consideration.

kale-for-recipe

Sausage and Kale Skillet

Recipe adapted from www.budgetbytes.com
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Makes 4-6 servings

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

• 16 oz. package ground sausage or links (more or less may be used)*
• 1 bunch kale*
• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms*
• 1 cup diced tomatoes*
• 1 cup soft, mild cheese of your choice – shredded*

Instructions

1 If using sausage links, squeeze the sausage from the casings into a large skillet (freeze the remaining links for later use). Otherwise, cook the sausage over medium heat until fully brown. Break the sausage up into pieces as it cooks. It’s okay if it sticks to the bottom of the skillet a little as it cooks.

2. Remove stems and chop mushrooms thinly and add to the sausage. Cook until softened.

3. While the sausage and mushrooms are cooking, remove the woody stems from the kale, then slice it crosswise into thin strips. Rinse the kale well, then add it to the skillet. Stir it into the sausage and mushrooms and continue to cook until it is fully wilted (this happens within a few minutes).

4. Pour the diced tomatoes over the skillet, then top with the shredded cheese. Place a lid on the skillet and let it simmer until the cheese is melted (about 5-10 minutes).

 

Saratoga farmers helping to fill food pantry with fresh and local items

By

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Did you know…

that the Saratoga Farmers’ Market vendors have donated more than 400 pounds of fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and other food items to the Franklin Community Center’s food pantry in Saratoga Springs since October 15?

food-donationsThe donations are part of a new initiative launched by the farmers’ market and the food project that is being facilitated by the volunteer Friends of the Market group. Its goals are to:

• ensure that produce from local farmers that might be less saleable by the end of a market day but still healthful and flavorful not go to waste;

• build a stronger alliance between the farmers’ market and the communities it serves;

• encourage consumers of all income levels to see the Saratoga Farmers’ Market as a welcoming space where one can purchase locally raised produce and farm produced items at an affordable price;

• encourage food pantry clients and others to use local produce to bolster the health not only of their budgets but of themselves and their families, as well.

The project began as a result of outreach from the Capital District Food Pantries, which is dedicated to helping farmers and food pantries connect with one another. How it works is fairly simple. Toward the end of each Saturday market, Friends of the Market volunteers visit food vendors and ask them if they have any items that they would like to donate to the Franklin Community Center’s food pantry.

I volunteer with both the market and the food pantry. I gather the donated items and transport them to the center. There, I sort out the donations, weigh them, and store them in appropriate refrigerated or shelving spaces.

Often, I leave notes for the other volunteers at the center as to how to prepare such donated items as pea shoots, braising greens, watermelon radishes, pickles, and herbs. All of these items are greatly appreciated by food pantry users but often create an initial question of what to do. My farm-to-fork sampling program at the center and a garden established on site also are part of the project to interest more people in taking advantage of the diversity of produce that our region has to offer.

We would love to see the program expand so that farmers are feeding not only consumers who seek emergency food assistance at the Franklin Community Center but also other food banks in the region. We also commend the many Saratoga Farmers’ Market vendors who have been donating to the effort and thank those who also contribute to other food pantries. These efforts are changing the perception of food pantries as recipients of only surplus canned or boxed items, and are increasing awareness of the value of nutritional health across all income sectors.

The Friends of the Market encourages market customers to join the effort. Shoppers can buy a small amount of extra produce for the Franklin Community Center’s food pantry while making their regular purchases. Donations can be left at the Friends of the Market table (located on the ramp behind Shushan Hydroponics). Please leave only items purchased at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. Other goods can be donated directly to the Franklin Community Center.