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High Rock Park

Saratoga Farmers’ Market Will Open Outdoor Season in Temporary Quarters

April 26, 2022 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta

The month of May will be a bit different for the Saratoga Farmers’ Market this year. Normally, this is when we clang our opening day bells at our outdoor location on Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning at High Rock Park.

This year, we will be elsewhere for a few weeks, and we invite you to join us there.

We kick off our outdoor season at 3 p.m. this coming Wednesday, May 4, outside the City Center Parking Garage while construction crews widen the sidewalks at High Rock Park and build it into the downtown segment of the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail. Our Saturday market will go outdoors at 9 a.m. on May 7 in the parking lot of the Wilton Mall, marking our third year of opening at that locale.

Final 2022 Wednesday Market Map Parking Garage

We look forward to being at High Rock by Memorial Day.

In the meantime, spring is in full spring. Market stalls are brimming over with fresh bags of arugula and spinach, seasonal greens like ramps and claytonia, radishes, pea shoots, and the first chard and kale of the season. Eggs are abundant. Chicken, pork, beef, lamb, rose veal, and goat meat will soon be available. Our chefs will also be in action, offering a range of warm, ready-to-eat items. 

The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with construction prevented the market from operating at High Rock in 2020 and part of 2021. The market was set to return to its usual outdoor location at High Rock Park until we learned in late March that this would not be possible.

The city said it was planning to extend the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail from Lake to Excelsior avenues, right across the lawns outside the High Rock pavilions where the farmers market takes place. Construction would be in progress, and parking would be limited.

Owl Wood Farm by Pattie Garrett

“We were taken by surprise,” admits Mark Bascom of Owl Wood Farm and president of the market’s board.

“We immediately worked to find solutions for our market to return to High Rock Park as soon as possible.”

As of now, work on the Greenbelt is in progress. Lawns outside the market pavilions are being dug up. When completed, this portion of the trail will connect downtown Saratoga to Exit 15 trail at Excelsior Avenue. It will consist of a 10-foot wide ADA-accessible paved path along High Rock and Excelsior avenues and a continuous sidewalk network. The city plans to replace 49 trees with 62 healthier trees.

For many longtime Saratoga Farmers Market vendors, news of the construction turned into an opportunity to build better relationships with city officials. Beth Trattel, owner of Something’s Brewing and market board vice president, praised both the city and the mall for expressing their support for the market’s continuation. 

“The City Center and its executive director Ryan McMahon generously stepped up to let us use the space in front of the parking garage structure for the Wednesday market,” she said. “It has good visibility and will coincide with our goal of providing a vibrant community meeting place that is accessible to all.”

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: City Center Parking Garage, farmers, farmers markets, farms. local farms, High Rock Park, outdoor market, Saratoga Farmers' Market, Saratoga Greenbelt Trail, Saratoga Springs, shop small, shop small business, small business, summer season, temporary location

A fresher way to get through the week

June 15, 2021 By marketeditor

By Emily Meagher

Market at High Rock Park, photo by Pattie Garrett

Weekend farmers’ markets are a great way to unwind from the week, spend time with family and friends, and stock your fridge for the week ahead. But there’s no need to wait until the weekend to do this – the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s midweek market, rain or shine, on Wednesdays, 3-6 pm, offers a way to get the freshest foods – usually picked off the land the day before or even that morning.

This year’s return of the midweek market to downtown Saratoga in High Rock Park offers a more intimate, slower-paced alternative to the Saturday markets. Product offerings include fresh produce, plants and flowers, eggs, baked goods, prepared foods, tool sharpening services, and more.

Scotch Ridge Berry Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Vendors appreciate the market’s different characteristics. “Midweek markets are a great opportunity for farmers since it provides a platform to sell your freshest products that otherwise might not make it to the weekend,” says Charles Holub, owner of Scotch Ridge Berry & Tree Farm. He notes that since his farm doesn’t use pesticides or herbicides, they must pick berries every other day to avoid critters. “And naturally grown fruit doesn’t keep long after picking – just a day or two – so these midweek markets let us sell more of our product,” Holub adds.

For customers, the smaller size of the Wednesday market is a draw, especially this year. “Many customers prefer the smaller crowds – plus it makes it easier to have more meaningful personal interactions with customers,” says Becky Dennison of Shushan Valley Hydro Farms. “Since there’s less traffic, products don’t sell out as quickly, and there’s not such a rush for customers to get to the market. The atmosphere is very laid back,” adds Charles Holub.

Owl Wood Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

A family-friendly affair, this season’s Wednesday markets will offer the Power of Produce Club with themed activities for children of all ages (running June 30th through September 1). Market-goers can also expect weekly live music and community guests (including the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners offering gardening tips and soil testing every third Wednesday of the month). Also, on Wednesday, July 21 and Wednesday, August 11, representatives from the Office for the Aging will hand out free Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program coupons to be spent on fruits and vegetables at the farmers’ market.

Visit the Wednesday market every week, 3-6pm at High Rock Park!

This week’s recipe: Pasta with Spring Vegetables

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: 2021 season, Cornell Cooperative Extension, coupons, Farmers Market Nutrition Program, fresh food, High Rock Park, Master Gardeners, midweek market, Office for the Aging, POP Club, Power of Produce, Wednesday Market

Saratoga Farmers’ Market to begin 43rd outdoor season in two locations

April 27, 2021 By marketeditor

Outdoor Saturday Market, photo by Pattie Garrett

By Madison Jackson

Spring is in the air, and we are eager to move outdoors for our summer market season. May 1st marks the beginning of the 43rd outdoor market season for the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, the area’s longest-running, producer-only farmers’ market. The Saturday market will open at the current location, the Wilton Mall Bon-Ton parking lot, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Wednesday market will open at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga Springs from 3 to 6 p.m. every week.

The location split results from various factors, including COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, customer parking, accessibility, and community feedback. A recent survey with more than 700 responses resulted in an even split in public opinion on holding markets downtown versus the Wilton Mall.

Balet Flowers & Design, photo by Pattie Garrett

This year’s weekly Saturday markets will feature more than 70 vendors selling fresh produce, dairy products, eggs, meat, poultry, flowers, prepared foods, and more. The Wednesday markets will feature about 20 vendors with a similar range of products. Both markets will also include music, community guests, and periodic special events like Saturday’s Blueberry Festival in July and Power of Produce (POP) Club for kids on Wednesdays this summer.

We are excited to welcome new and returning vendors into the mix carrying a variety of products. Some to look out for include Capital Greens NY, Charlton Woodworking, Dancing Ewe Farm, Grazin’ Acres Farm, Leaning Birch Farm, Lovin’ Mama Farm, M & A Farm, Mirage Waterless, Native Farm Flowers, Night Work Bread, Old Tavern Farm, TogaNola Snack Company, Vashti’s Kitchen Delights, and Nine Pine Soup and Design.

Shushan Valley Hydro Farms & Underwood’s Greenhouses, photo by Pattie Garrett

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market has remained committed to creating a safe environment for both vendors and customers, including handwashing and sanitizing stations, social distancing, and mask requirements. As we move into the summer season, we will continue to enforce these state-issued regulations for the health and safety of our community.

The addition of an online ordering and curbside pickup program has provided an alternative for customers to safely and conveniently access local goods without having to shop inside the market. Orders can be placed online each week between Monday at 9 p.m. and Thursday at 9 p.m. for curbside pickup on Saturdays.

“Warming temperatures are a sign that the summer market season is about to begin, and we can’t wait for all it will bring this year: spring flowers, summer produce, live music, and community in the great outdoors,” says Market Administrator Emily Meagher.

Find our full listing of summer vendors in our Vendor Directory.

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: 2021, High Rock Park, new vendors, outdoor markets, summer 2021, summer season, Wilton Mall

SARATOGA FARMERS’ MARKET OPENS 2021 SUMMER SEASON IN TWO LOCATIONS

April 1, 2021 By marketeditor

Saratoga Springs, April 1, 2021 – The Saratoga Farmers’ Market, the area’s longest running farmers’ market, will open their 43rd outdoor market season on Saturday, May 1 at its current location at the Wilton Mall, in the former Bon-Ton and Bow Tie Cinemas parking lots. Their Wednesday market will open on May 5 at downtown Saratoga’s High Rock Park.

This year’s weekly Saturday markets, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., will feature over 70 local vendors selling fresh produce, dairy products, eggs, meats, flowers, baked goods, prepared foods, and more. At Wednesday’s markets, weekly from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., 20 vendors will be providing a similar range of items.

The decision to start the summer season in two locations was made to keep market vendors and customers safe while the COVID-19 pandemic still requires social distancing. The smaller Wednesday market fits comfortably at High Rock Park, but for the larger Saturday market a more expansive footprint is still needed. A survey conducted among customers, which gathered over 700 responses, indicated an even split in their location preferences.

The markets will continue to follow current COVID-19 safety guidelines for farmers’ markets by hosting socially distanced markets, offering hand washing and sanitizing opportunities, and following mask requirements for vendors and customers. The Saturday market will continue to offer its online preordering and curbside pickup service. Market staff will continue to assess market safety and updated operational guidelines for farmers’ markets and does not rule out moving back downtown when it is deemed safe to do so.

 

Wilton Mall 2020, photo by Pattie Garrett

 

High Rock Park 2019, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 2021, High Rock Park, opening, Summer, Wilton Mall

A ‘new normal’ for Saratoga Farmers’ Market?

March 8, 2021 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

The outdoor season for the Saratoga Farmers’ Market begins in eight weeks. What will that mean for vendors, market staff, and the market’s many loyal shoppers as Saratoga and its surrounding communities start to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic?

The market was in a state of flux, even before the pandemic. It moved its indoor location in 2019 from the Saratoga Spa State Park, where it had been for six years, to the Wilton Mall. The market shut down for a week in March 2020 when the strictest restrictions were imposed but was able to reopen quickly by moving outdoors to the empty mall parking lot outside the shuttered Bon Ton. Summer construction work and continued safety concerns made a return to its traditional outdoor locale at High Rock Park impossible, so the market remained at the mall.

Lindsay Fisk of Owl Wood Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

That decision proved successful in keeping the market strong, says Mark Bascom, co-owner of Owl Wood Farm and president of the market association’s board. “It wouldn’t have been possible without our dedicated customers who have kept on supporting us through our transitions.”

Now, with a new outdoor season approaching, the market is unsure where its summer home will be.

Bascom said a survey of vendors shows they are split between moving back to the park or remaining at the mall. The market board plans to survey customers, as well.

The mall’s outdoor parking lots are spacious, which creates space for many vendors to operate with appropriate distances between them. Creating that kind of space at and around High Rock Park would require some reconfiguring, says market manager Emily Meagher. Still, to many vendors and shoppers, High Rock is home.

Overall, farmers’ markets nationally have had an increase in business throughout the pandemic, according to retail analysts. This increase has been somewhat true for the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, as well.

“During the first few months of the pandemic, when farmers’ markets seemed to be one of the only trusted places to shop, business was really booming for our food vendors,” says Meagher. “That was due in large part to being outside.”

“When we moved back indoors, our market tapered down,” she added. “That’s to be expected. A lot of our customers just don’t feel comfortable shopping indoors right now.”

Madison Jackson organizes Local Line orders, photo by Pattie Garrett

The market has responded to that discomfort by establishing an online pre-ordering service. Online shoppers may view offerings from 9 p.m. Monday through 9 p.m. Thursday and place orders for a large variety of goods. Market staff gather the items from vendors and package them for customers to pick up at a site just outside the market.

Some vendors also have chosen to cease attending because of safety concerns. However, newer vendors have joined and are energizing the market as “customers catch on to their presence and the high-quality products they offer,” Meagher says.

Nettle Meadow & Ballston Lake Apiaries, photo by Pattie Garrett

Other vendors are learning to adjust to changing conditions. Beth Trattel of Something’s Brewing used to draw much of her business from sales of hot and cold beverages sold on the spot. Those sales have fallen as customers have begun visiting the market more to shop and less to hang out. However, Trattel has seen more robust sales of her fresh-roasted coffee beans that customers take home to make. This shift also has been real for some prepared food vendors. Giovanni Fresco, for instance, offers take-home meals as well as fresh pasta.

Bascom said warmer weather might allow the market to move outdoors earlier than usual, which would help ease safety concerns. “Farmers markets always are changing,” he says. “That keeps things interesting for the customer. But overall, we are glad that they are viewed as an integral part of the food system.”

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: coronavirus, COVID-19, curbside pickup, High Rock Park, online preordering, pandemic, summer 2021, Wilton Mall

Saratoga Farmers’ Market summer season starts Saturday

April 27, 2020 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Pleasant Valley Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is kicking off its summer season this weekend with many changes, as the region continues to adapt to the Coronavirus pandemic.

The market hours will shift to 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays. The market also will not be returning to High Rock Park this summer. It will continue to operate outdoors at the Wilton Mall.

High Rock Park is not available this year because of ongoing construction and potential road closures. In addition, social distancing protocols would not be able to be maintained in and around the market pavilions.

“The mall’s management has been extremely supportive of us,” says Saratoga Farmers’ Market Board president Beth Trattel. “Their flexibility has helped us keep the market going.”

Nettle Meadow & Ballston Lake Apiaries, photo by Pattie Garrett

The market had been operating in the mall’s food court area before the pandemic. It closed for one week in mid-March, and then reopened outdoors in the parking area between the former Bon Ton and B.J.’s Wholesale Club six weeks ahead of schedule.

The market has been following strict social distancing requirements. Vendors are spaced several feet apart and keep gloves, disinfectant wipes, and hand sanitizer on their tables. Face coverings must be worn. Customers are asked to remain six feet apart from vendors and each other, not handle produce, and to leave their dogs at home. No music or other entertainment will be offered at this time. Only food and hand sanitizer produced by local distilleries has been available for purchase.

Saratoga Farmers’ Market, photo by Pattie Garrett

These restrictions are expected to remain in place through the summer, says market administrator Emily Meagher. Meagher anticipates 65 vendors will participate in the Saturday market at the season’s peak, and 20 on Wednesdays. The market also has established a drive-up curbside service for pickups of preordered items.

Meagher adds that while the pandemic conditions have made the market less sociable than it usually is, vendors are receiving a lot of customer love.

“Our aim is to continue to provide our community with fresh and safe local food,” Meagher says. “We are less festive, but with farmers markets deemed an essential service in New York, we are celebrated now more than ever.”

 

List of vendors for summer 2020

 

2020 SFMA Summer Layout

 

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: coronavirus, COVID-19, High Rock Park, layout, map, opening, social distancing, Summer, Wilton Mall

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Produce from some of our amazing agriculture vendo Produce from some of our amazing agriculture vendors at today’s market!
Attention granola lovers!! Today is National Grano Attention granola lovers!! Today is National Granola Day. In honor of this, all sales with our friends from @toganola are 10% off this Saturday only! Their granola products are packaged in sustainable packaging and free of gluten, dairy & soy. 

Our winter market runs today from 9:3-1:30 in the Wilton Mall food court. Hope you can make it!

Photo of and provided by @toganola 

#saratogasprings #saratogafarmersmarket #farmersmarket #granola #toganola #thingstodoinupstateny #organic #shopsmall #shoplocal #nationalgranoladay
Our new 2023 Freshconnect $2 coupons arrived today Our new 2023 Freshconnect $2 coupons arrived today! For every $5 you spend using your SNAP/EBT card at our market, receive $2 in coupons. FreshConnect bucks can be used to buy: vegetables, meat, milk, eggs, honey, baked items, jams, plants that bear food, and prepared foods that are packed to eat at home. Plus, there’s no cap on issuance! Stop by our information stand to learn more. We’ll be open 9:30-1:30 tomorrow. ❄️🌾

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Interested in growing your business? Farmers’ ma Interested in growing your business? Farmers’ markets are a great way to start networking and finding your customer base. For 45 years, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market has provided a platform for local farmers, artisans, bakers and more build their businesses into what they are today. If you’d like to join our community, please submit your 2023 Summer Vendor application. The link can be found in our bio. Last day to apply is January 31st. DM us here or email me at sfma.manager@gmail.com with any questions!! 

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