for kids

Learning about the importance and tastiness of local farming

June 22, 2021 By marketeditor

By Emily Meagher

Friends of the Market Host POP Club, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

School’s out for summer! That means a few months of family fun, relaxing, and, well… boredom. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s Power of Produce (POP) Club is here to keep local kids active and learning all summer long with educational activities, interactions with their local farmers, and challenges to try fresh market produce to get even the pickiest eaters to try new fruits and veggies.

This year’s POP Club, now in its 6th season, will run June 30 through September 1, every Wednesday at the High Rock Park market. Children may show up any time between 3-6 pm to participate in a fun, educational activity. Every week’s activity will be hosted by a community guest, including the Saratoga Springs Public Library, Cornell Cooperative Extension Food & Nutrition, Caffe Lena Music School, The Children’s Museum of Saratoga, Northern Rivers, and C.R.E.A.T.E. Community Studios. Children may participate in cooking demonstrations, scavenger hunts, crafts, gardening, and farmer meet and greet that provide nutrition and education.

Children who participate are given a $2 POP coin to spend on fresh fruit and vegetables at the market, and they will earn a stamp in their POP Passport – four stamps earn them a prize.

Buying produce with a POP coin gives kids the opportunity to meet farmers, learn money skills, and make smart food choices. “It’s great to see kids as young as kindergarteners come up to our stand, excited to shop for themselves. Especially when that week’s POP tasting has been a fruit or vegetable they hadn’t tried before but realize they like, and then spend their token to get more,” says Mark Bascom, owner of Owl Wood Farm and the market association’s president.

POP Club is open to all local children but is especially geared toward those aged 5-12. It is a free program, made possible through the generous support of the Christopher Dailey Foundation and the Adirondack Trust Company.

On Wednesday, July 7, 3-6 pm, don’t miss POP Club at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s ‘End of School Celebration’. This free family event will offer activities for children of all ages and a concert by Jack and Steve Zucchini (formerly of The Zucchini Brothers)!

This week’s recipe: Popsicles for All

Find more information and get updates on this season’s POP Club on our Facebook event page!

Apple Cinnamon Fruit Roll-Ups

October 12, 2020 By marketeditor

Recipe by Rian Handler, featured on delish.com
Makes 4 – 6 servings
Prep time: 20 mins
Total time: approximately 4 hrs

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 4 c. assorted apples* (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp), peeled and chopped
● 1/3 c. water
● 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
● 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
● 1 tsp. cinnamon*

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 175°. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment and lightly grease with cooking spray.
2. In a medium saucepan, add apples, water, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, then simmer until apples begin to break down and liquid is mostly evaporated for about 15 minutes.
3. Transfer to a food processor and blend until very smooth. Spread evenly onto the prepared baking sheet and bake until dried out and no longer sticky, about 3 to 4 hours.
4. Using scissors or a paring knife, cut leather into vertical strips and roll up.

Sensible Snacking On-The-Go

October 12, 2020 By marketeditor

By Madison Jackson & Julia Howard

We know how busy life can get. Whether packing school lunches or struggling to find time to eat during the workday, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market makes it easy for you to eat healthy, locally produced food even when you’re in a rush. Here are some of our favorite snacks at the farmers’ market this month.

*Saratoga Crackers, photo by Madison Jackson*

Fruit smoothies & Sweet Greek Yogurts
Argyle Cheese Farmer has probiotic-packed smoothies and mini sweet Greek yogurts in flavors you will love. Smoothies include vanilla chai, mocha, ginger pear, and others. Mini sweet Greek yogurts include chocolate raspberry, maple, blueberry, and others.

Apple chips
Saratoga Apple has some of our favorite fall treats and we think their apple chips make a great healthy and mess-free snack option.

Crackers with toppings
Saratoga Cracker Co. has prepackaged crackers in flavors like garlic parmesan, everything, rosemary olive, and many more. Pair with some artisan cheese from Moxie Ridge, R&G Cheesemakers, Nettle Meadow, and Argyle Cheese Farmer. Freddy’s Rockin Hummus makes a variety of dippable hummus with organic chickpeas. Saratoga Peanut Butter Co. has many flavors to spread on those crispy crackers.

Jerky & snack sticks
Muddy Trail Jerky Co. makes hand-crafted beef jerky and meaty snack sticks in 13 flavors like teriyaki beef, jalapeno lime beef, and more. Vital Eats offers their plant-based, probiotic, vegan Zen Jerky in hot ranch buffalo and BBQ.

Honey sticks & maple sugar candies
Ballston Lake Apiaries offers wildflower honey sticks that satisfy any sweet tooth. Slate Valley Farms has a variety of honey sticks in flavors like tangerine, wildflower, cinnamon, and raspberry. Slate Valley Farms also has maple candies that are a delicious melt-in-your-mouth treat.

*Moon Cycle Seed Company, photo provided*

Granola & Seed Squares
The Chocolate Spoon offers freshly baked and individually wrapped granola and cookies that make sweet grab-and-go treats. Moon Cycle Seed Company has seed squares that contain your daily dose of seed blends in a tasty on-the-go bar made with natural and organic ingredients. These bars are specifically prepared to help women rebalance their hormones.

Fresh fruit & vegetables
This list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning some of the fresh snackable fruits and vegetables at the farmers’ market. Snap off a stalk of crisp celery or snack on sweet carrots. Cauliflower florets and cherry tomatoes also make healthy and satisfying snacks. Apples, pears, and plums are still in season and can be easily tossed into lunch boxes or briefcases.

This week’s recipe: Apple Cinnamon Fruit Roll-Ups