Saratoga Farmers' Market

Longlesson Farm

10 Things You Might Not Know Are Sold at the Farmers’ Market

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By Julia Howard

Upon the first look, the farmers’ market can be overwhelming. Tables are piled high with produce, coolers are full of meat and cheeses, and display cases tower high with bottles of syrup and jars of jam. In addition, products available at the farmers’ market change slightly each season. Here’s a peek at 10 things you might not know are sold at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

Shaving soap from Moxie Ridge Farm, photo provided

1. Shaving soap
“Soft Serve” shaving cream is an old-fashioned wet shaving soap made from goat milk and pig lard. This nourishing specialty soap is made exclusively at Moxie Ridge Farm. Just add some water, lather with a shaving brush, and enjoy the lather for a smooth shave.

2. Mushroom coffee & teas
Mariaville Mushroom Men have made it easy to enjoy a daily serving of mushrooms with their perfectly blended mushroom teas that come in easy to use teabags. Looking for something a little more robust? Scoop, stir and enjoy their instant mushroom coffee.

The Vermont Spätzle Company, photo provided

3. Spätzle (gluten-free)
The Vermont Spätzle Company has traditional spätzle that is no-boil, ready in 5 minutes, and gluten-free. What’s even better is that this spätzle is as versatile as it is tasty. The Vermont Spätzle Company has dozens of quick and easy spätzle recipes on their website.

4. Goat
Goat has a distinct flavor that is leaner than lamb and can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as being stewed, curried, baked, grilled, barbecued, minced, canned, fried, or made into sausage. Find a variety of cuts, ribs, and roasts at Squashville Farm.

5. Dog treats
Dog treats are serious business at the farmers’ market. Longlesson Farm and Lewis Waite Farm both offer beef bones specifically for dogs. Something’s Brewing makes ‘beastly bites’ dog biscuits from all-natural ingredients. And, Mugzy’s Barkery has a whole line of treats and cakes made from all-natural and organic ingredients.

Earth to Mind, photo provided

6. CBD oil
With high-quality hemp grown and processed here in New York, Earth to Mind CBD products are designed to help relieve stress, soothe pain, and attain a sense of well being when added to your holistic routine. If you’re looking for an alternative form of healing, visit Earth to Mind about adding CBD oil to your holistic routine.

7. Take-home meals
The Food Florist offers a variety of frozen take-home meals made with carefully sourced ingredients so you won’t have to compromise over convenience. The Food Florist offers a variety of casseroles and lasagnas to choose from, even breakfast and gluten-free options.

8. Hormone balancing seed blends
Seed cycling is an easy and functional way to get nutrients in the body to help women rebalance their hormones. Moon Cycle Seed Company blends four seeds: pumpkin, flax, sunflower, and sesame. When ingested in a specific combination daily, they provide the body with essential nutrients.

Pea shoots at Pleasant Valley Farm, photo provided

9. Shoots
Whether you eat them by the handful, put them on a salad or sauté them with garlic, pea and radish shoots offer a burst of nutritious and delicious flavor. Varieties of shoots are growing in the greenhouse at Pleasant Valley Farm and Green Jeans Market Farm.

10. Beef Jerky
Muddy Trail Jerky offers handcrafted beef jerky in 13 flavors. Sweet, savory, or spicy options include Bourbon Barbecue, Habanero Mango, Bacon & Molasses just for starters. Visit their stand for over 50 varieties of dips, rubs, seasonings, and meal starters. Is beef not your thing? Try Zen Jerky by Vital Eats. This flavorful, plant-based jerky is packed with protein.

Cooking Advice for Farm-to-Table Meats

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By Julia Howard

I consider myself to be a decent cook but I will confess that I have always felt insecure preparing dishes with meat. So whenever I want to prepare lamb, beef, goat, or pork I look to the experts; the farmers who raised the animals and know the cuts and flavors best.

Steak from Longlesson Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

An upcoming dinner with friends prompted me to visit the farmers’ market for the right meat and cooking instructions for my visionary main course. First, I visit Christophe Robert of Longlesson Farm. “Keep it simple and cook the meat (steak) at a low temperature and finish with a sear,” Robert advises.

Caroline from Lewis Waite Farm gave similar advice. She explains that pasture-raised, 100% grass-fed meats cook differently. “They have less fat so you need to adjust how you approach cooking it with lower temperatures and less time,” she explains. Caroline recommends flat iron steaks, which are from a tender part of the shoulder. “Just a few minutes on each side on a low-heat pan works great,” says Caroline. The meat may be sliced up for fajitas and soups, or served as a steak.

Mary Pratt of Elihu Farm has a variety of cuts of lamb that may be bought fresh year-round at the farmers’ market. Pratt recommends a lamb shoulder roast or shoulder chops, bone-in neck, and shanks which make excellent stew. “You can use lamb stew cuts in recipes from many cultures,” explains Pratt. One of her favorite recipes is for lamb osso bucco, which can be found in the cookbook From the Earth to the Table. In addition, Pratt recommends lamb recipes from Paula Wolfert’s cookbooks and USA Grilling.

Goat is another meat option available at the farmers’ market. Jim Gupta-Carlson of Squashville Farm recommends goat rib chops and loin chops. “They are flavorful and quite simple to prepare,” says Gupta-Carlson. Simply season with salt and pepper and sear the chops on both sides on either a grill or skillet. Then let them cook at a lower temperature until they are medium-rare. Gupta-Carlson recommends letting the chops rest for a few minutes before serving.

The farmers’ market will move indoors to the Wilton Mall on Saturday, November 2 from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. There, customers may peruse offerings of goat, lamb, beef, and pork, and gather cooking advice from Elihu Farm, Lewis Waite Farm, Longlesson Farm, Mariaville Mushroom Men, Moxie Ridge Farm, Ramble Creek Farm, Slate River Farms, and Squashville Farm.

Planning a Summer Supper on the Grill

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

A great perk of summer is eating outdoors. My husband and I do this as often as we can manage. About 7 p.m., he gathers up wood and gets a fire going in our old charcoal goal. As the wood burns down to coals, I prep. Then, we cook and eat slowly, sipping wine and beer, watching the sun set and sky darken to dusk.

What goes on the grill? Where does it come from?

Most of what we eat comes from the Saratoga Farmers’ Market or our farm. What goes on the grill depends on what’s in season.

Grilled sirloin from Longlesson Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

The centerpiece of most of our meals is meat, farm-raised and brought to an ambient temperature, maybe brushed with a bit of Dancing Ewe Farm’s olive oil, maybe sprinkled with black pepper or garlic, maybe topped with finely chopped rosemary or sage.

The “maybes” are truly that. Options. The meats our farmers bring to market come from animals that feast on the flavorful bounty of outdoor pastures, and rarely require much to enhance their flavor. We rotate between chicken, goat, pork, fish, lamb, and beef.

With meat as the main course, vegetables in all shapes, textures, and tastes enhance the overall meal.

I plan a supper’s vegetables around three basic cooking styles: roasted, sautéed, and right on the grill. Roasted is usually a starch – such as hakurei turnips, trimmed, wrapped in foil and cooked until fork-soft and slightly caramelized. For sautéed, try a bunch of seasonal greens such as tatsoi, tossed into a frying pan or wok with olive oil, lemon juice, and maybe chopped onion, green garlic, or chive. Stir fry the greens for 2-4 minutes until they have wilted. Right on the grill is anything that likes a slight singe. For instance, zucchini, cooked until tender with a blackened patten from the grill.

Grilled lamb chops from Elihu Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Summer supper possibilities on the grill are endless. Try your own combinations and stop by the market to share your results.

On Wednesdays, locally raised meat and poultry may be found at Ramble Creek Farm, Slate River Farms, and Squashville Farm. On Saturdays, Elihu Farm, Lewis Waite Farm, Longlesson Farm, M&A Farm, and Ramble Creek Farm. Fish and seafood may be found at Pura Vida Fisheries. And, cured meats not for grilling may be found at Dancing Ewe Farm.

How to Buy an Egg

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By Mary Pratt

When shopping for produce or meat in supermarkets, there’s often no information about the origin of those products or how they were raised. At Saratoga Farmers’ Market, customers can easily get the “where and how” from our farmers.

One exception in grocery stores is the overwhelming amount of information on egg cartons. Some information is based on USDA definitions; some is advertising. Farm locations are often on the back of the cartons.

Ramble Creek Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

According to USDA, farms can raise egg-laying hens in various ways. If a carton states nothing, this probably means the hens are in “battery cages,” 67-76 square inches per hen, smaller than a standard sheet of paper.

Other housing methods are cage-free, free-range, and pastured. “Cage-free” hens live indoors, with no requirement for the amount of space for each hen. “Free-range” hens have access to the outdoors, but that area may be very small and covered with concrete.

Otrembiak Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Although USDA hasn’t defined “pasture-raised,” pasture for hens should contain young grass and plants in addition to standard feed. Hens will also catch earthworms and insects. Research done by Mother Earth News and Penn State University concludes that these eggs are higher in Vitamins A, E, and D, and Omega-3 fatty acids, and lower in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Cartons labeled pastured eggs in winter should come from states where grass grows year round such as Texas, California, Georgia, Arkansas. In the Northeast, there is no pasture once the snow falls, until spring comes.

“No Hormones” on cartons means nothing because the Federal government
doesn’t allow hens to receive hormones. “No Antibiotics” means farms add none to the hens’ feed or water.

For eggs to be labeled ‘local’, the 2008 Farm Bill requires flocks to be less than 400 miles from processing, or within the state where eggs are laid and processed. Those eggs may be shipped anywhere in the U.S. By contrast, eggs at our Market come from farms less than 30 miles away.

These are the farms that provide you with delicious, fresh, and truly local eggs: Elihu (Sat.), Gifford (Wed.), Kokinda (Sat.), Longlesson (Sat.), Moxie Ridge (Sat), Old World Farm (Wed./Sat.), Otrembiak (Wed./Sat.), Slate River (Wed.), Squashville (Wed.)

Elihu Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Sweets, Meats, and Other Easter Treats at Saratoga Farmers’ Market

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By Emily Meagher

Easter evokes images of eggs hunts and other community events. We invite you to make next Saturday at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market a part of these events. On Saturday, April 20, arrive early and fill your shopping bags and baskets with our fresh, locally grown, raised and produced foods.

Kokinda Farm Eggs, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Near the market entrance, look for the eggs. Not the edible ones – those come next – but rather the reusable gift containers, available while supplies last. Inside each will be a coupon offering a discount from one of the market vendors.

 

Now, for real eggs. Elihu, Kokinda, and Squashville farms are offering them in abundance. Check out their hues and try them for their fresh, farm-raised flavor. Keep an eye out, too, for rich duck and giant goose eggs.

Saratoga Chocolate Co. Easter Basket, photo courtesy of Saratoga Chocolate Co.

This weekend, the market also will be featuring chocolate eggs. Further in the market are such treats filled with maple cream and maple marshmallow at Slate Valley Farms. Other sweet treats include homemade marshmallows from The Chocolate Spoon, chocolates formed into nest and bunny shapes from the Saratoga Chocolate Co., hot cross buns from Mrs. London’s, and cheesecakes in a range of sizes and flavors from Grandma Apple’s Cheesecakes.

That’s dessert. Now, let’s look for vegetables and main course meats.

Many vendors are offering Easter specials on their farm-raised meats: At Lewis Waite Farm, fresh and smoked ham roasts and steaks are five percent off. Longlesson Farm is offering 10 pounds of ground beef for $60 (instead of $80), and Mariaville Mushroom Men is taking 20 percent off its pork. If poultry is your preference, try Ramble Creek Farm’s turkey or Squashville’s chicken.

And there are the early spring vegetables to consider: Pea shoots from Saratoga Urban and Pleasant Valley farms, along with Pleasant Valley’s super-sweet spring parsnips. Storage vegetables remain abundant at Gomez Veggie Ville and Pleasant Valley, and mushrooms at Mariaville and Ramble Creek.

Looking for libations? Try Saratoga Apple’s farm-brewed hard and sweet ciders, spirits from Yankee Distillery, cyser from Ballston Lake Apiaries, Battenkill Valley Creamery milk and Something’s Brewing’s home-roasted coffees.

And, there’s more: apples, pickles, cheeses, and cured meats.

 

Saratoga Farmers Experience Joy of Animal Births

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Our goat Tory went into labor Sunday afternoon. My husband Jim Gupta-Carlson, who had been keeping watch overnight, was ready with his “kidding kit”: sterile gloves and lubricant; towels to help dry the kids; iodine for cleaning; and molasses in warm water as a treat for the new mother.

Goats most often give birth to twins. The kids usually arrive one a time. Tory’s nearly tumbled out together. Jim donned gloves, applied lubricant, and helped Tory deliver her kids, one by one.

Kids at Squashville Farm, photo courtesy of Squashville Farm

Within an hour, the kids were standing and suckling at Tory’s udders. Spring is the season of babies for Saratoga Farmers’ Market vendors who raise animals. At Nettle Meadow, Moxie Ridge, Lewis Waite, Mariaville Mushroom Men, Squashville, and other farms, chicks, ducklings, and goslings are chirping; lambs and kids are prancing about; and soon piglets and calves will appear in woods and pastures.

In ideal circumstances, the animals birth on their own. But when complications arise farmers help.

At Elihu Farm, 70 ewes are giving birth this spring. One ewe had been in labor for a long time, so Bob and Mary Pratt intervened. Bob held the animal’s head, and Mary found that one lamb was in a breech position. She straightened the legs and pulled it out. A second one followed. Thanks to the intervention both lambs and their mother are doing fine.

At Longlesson Farm, Christophe Robert is looking forward to 35-40 calves in late June. The cows give birth outdoors, and by the end of the day, the calves are running around their mothers, sniffing curiously, shaking their limbs.

“I never tire of watching them,” Robert says. “All that energy.”

Orphaned calf at Longlesson Farm, photo courtesy of Longlesson Farm

Once, he found a calf that had lost its mother lying alone. He carried it indoors to warm it up, and his family fed it with a bottle until it could survive on its own.

At Ramble Creek Farm, Ann and Josh Carnes are preparing for piglets. Last year, Ann recalls, the sows created shelters in bushes as their deliveries drew near. Josh camped out with them in the woods, prepared to help if necessary. But the sows birthed on their own.