Supporting small businesses is always a must in our eyes, but this year it’s more important than ever. Not only does it give our local economy a boost, but you’re more likely to find unique gifts for your loved ones.
The Saratoga Farmers’ Market offers a spacious shopping environment featuring 50+ local businesses, with some attending exclusively for the holiday season. These holiday season vendors will rekindle your excitement for shopping and finding the perfect gift.
Sweetbrier Farms makes small-batch, plant-infused wellness and beauty products. They offer hand-made soaps, tinctures and glycerites, herb-infused raw honey, salves and balms, and teas. Sweetbrier’s products are made from “responsibly wildcrafted ingredients” – many from their farm in Salem.
With seasonal favorites like eggnog and hot cocoa, Grandma Apple’s Cheesecakes make great gifts for any “sweet tooth”. Grandma’s handcrafted, artisanal cheesecakes come in various flavors and sizes that make the perfect cake easy to find.
For the spirits connoisseur on your list, Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, nestled in the foothills of the Adirondacks, produces hand-crafted, high-quality spirits in a natural and innovative process. They make award-winning vodka, gin, rye whiskey, moonshine, Limoncello, Orangecello, and Cowboy Coffee.
Scotch Ridge Berry & Tree Farm has handmade wreaths, kissing balls, holiday swag, and tabletop Christmas trees all this month. Gorgeous greenery makes a memorable and personal gift, and even more so when it’s locally made.
Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff makes soap the “old fashioned” way – “by hand, in small batches, using fat and lye and some essential oils to scent it.” For the holidays, find soaps in the shape of gingerbread men, Christmas trees, and other fun seasonal shapes alongside their traditional soaps.
Goodway Bakery has been baking cookies, cakes, pies, and brownies in Troy for over 40 years. Their rum cakes, in particular, have an excellent shelf life for 2-3 weeks at room temperature, making them perfect gifts.
For the farmers’ market enthusiast in your life, Owl Wood Farm has freshly-harvested, Certified Naturally Grown produce every Saturday in December. Assemble a gift basket of produce, purchase a gift certificate, or buy a 2021 CSA subscription for a friend or family member.
Amazing authentic Indian food for Christmas? Why not! Daily Fresh Food makes to-go curries, vegan samosas, soups, and other specialty dishes that make a great gift and offer a break from cooking.
Many holiday season vendors offer pre-order for easy pickup as well as online ordering. Find their website or like them on social media to stay up to day on their products and specials.
This week’s recipe: Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
Goodway Bakery has been baking a variety of cookies, cakes, pies, and brownies in Troy, New York for over 40 years. However, the bakery’s roots dig deeper than a passion for sweet confections explains Goodway’s marketing manager Danielle Croley.
This purpose became known as the Founder’s Choice Scholarship program and has helped bring Goodway Bakery’s confections across the country as organizers use Goodway’s baked goods to fundraise in various cities and states. Through this exposure, Goodway Bakery’s products have made a reputation for themselves. The bakery’s notable cookies, cakes, brownies, and pies have become sought after nation-wide.
Since COVID 19, Goodway Bakery has made yet another shift; from traveling the country to pursuing a more local customer base through farmers’ markets. Their variety of sweet, moist rum cakes, as well as macaroons, cookies, brownies, and pound cakes, can be found at several regional farmers’ markets.
