Saratoga Farmers' Market

seeds

Spring Festival Highlights Local Food Systems

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market hosts its third annual Spring Festival tomorrow. Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., the festival will feature hourly workshops and family-friendly activities aimed at helping both market regulars and newcomers gain a stronger understanding of how the local food system operates.

All of the workshops are free, open to all ages, and will offer attendees gifts. The schedule includes:

  • A 9 a.m. presentation on beekeeping by Rick Green of Ballston Lake Apiaries. Green, a recently retired market vendor, will discuss the life cycle of bees and give an introduction to beekeeping. Hives will be available for purchase, and free beverages will be offered to all attendees.
  • A 10 a.m. session on making the most of your CSA with Justine Denison of Denison Farm. This workshop will offer tips on storing and using produce and will outline the benefits of signing up for a CSA share. Anouk Booneman, co-founder of Spring Into Health will offer a live cooking demonstration during this session, using seasonal produce. Attendees will receive a free Saratoga Farmers’ Market tote bag.
  • A 11 a.m. workshop on seed bombs by Cornell Cooperation Extension Master Gardener Lori Bishop. Bishop will demonstrate how to make seed bombs and will send attendees home with seed packets to create these life giving bombs themselves.
  • A 12 p.m. demonstration on succulents by Suzanne Balet of Balet Flowers and Design. Balet will offer information about planting and caring for succulents and offer all attendees to plant their own succulent to take home.

In addition, the Friends of the Market will host a take-home planting activity for children of all ages and abilities, and the Children’s Museum of Saratoga will offer a spring-themed activity.

Over the past two years, the festival has drawn hundreds of visitors, and in 2016 it prompted I Love NY to declare the Saratoga Farmers’ Market the No. 1 Must Visit Farmers’ Market in the state.

The goal, says market director Julia Howard, is to raise awareness of the value of local food and farming in a fun way. “Getting people involved in their local food scene is a great way to get them to participate in it. The farmers’ market embraces its role in this respect as an educator and resource on local food.”

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in the Saratoga Spa State Park through April. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; and contact friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org for volunteer opportunities.

Planning Spring Plantings

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Ten days ago, as temperatures hit the 60s, I looked at the fresh-cut tree I had gotten at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market in December. It still smelled fresh but was drying out. Time to take it down and to think about filling its space with seed trays for the spring.

Farmers who bring the earliest spring herbs and vegetables to market often start seeds under grow lights, on heating mats, and in greenhouses. They rely on such innovations as high tunnels to prolong the garden season. Backyard gardens usually remain a mass of frozen soil until April.

Still, now is a good time to plan a spring garden, order seeds, and gather supplies.

Local gardening expert Sadie Ross recommends starting seedlings in starter pots or seedling trays and covering them with some kind of clear plastic to simulate a greenhouse. She often uses clear plastic deli tray covers. She recommends filling the starter pots with potting soil, dropping seeds on top and covering them with about 1/8 of an inch of soil. These pots should be watered lightly once a day with a spray bottle until the seeds germinate and sprout two true leaves.

How does one know when to plant certain seeds?

Many experts recommend creating a growing calendar with the last frost date as a pivot point. Charts listing when to start seeds indoors and when to transplant seedlings or direct sow outdoors are widely available on seed company and gardening websites. Nearly all are based on that frost date.

After taking down my tree, I created a growing calendar, based on our area’s last frost date of May 20. Working with charts on the Hudson Valley Seed Company’s website, I found out that while I can start celery and celeriac this weekend, and parsley, onions, and chives next weekend, I should hold off on starting my favorite greens and root vegetables until mid-April, as they’re best transplanted in mid-May.

“There isn’t much that one can start indoors this early,” says Ross. “Wait a few more weeks.”

Patience can pay off. As I’ve learned from years past, poor conditions will kill your plants. But when the time is right, they’ll thrive.

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in Saratoga Spa State Park; follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; and contact friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org for volunteer opportunities.

Seeding a New Year of Growth

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

 

Pleasant Valley Farm selects seeds for a new season

Let’s be honest: As snow blankets the ground and overnight lows dip below zero, going outdoors to garden is probably not on your mind. If you’re like me, you’re most likely keeping yourself warm by a fire.

One of my favorite things about winter, however, is dreaming about spring and the opportunity to create new growth. Aiding those dreams is the stack of seed catalogs that start arriving in my mailbox around mid-November. These catalogs tantalize my taste buds almost as much as my weekly visits to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market do. They expose me to an array of vegetables, herbs, and fruits. They introduce me to historic heirloom varieties and help me imagine what might prosper in my backyard.

For many farmers, winter is a time of rest. Perusing seed catalogs with notebooks, spreadsheets, and garden layouts nearby make that time more pleasurable.

“The catalogs are a great tool,” says Paul Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm. “They help you see what will do well in our climate and can encourage you to try new things.”

The catalogs are booklets – often filled with photos – that describe varieties of seeds that suppliers of seeds produce for farmers, homesteaders, and gardeners. They often include growing tips, histories of particular varieties, and user reviews. You can visit seed company websites online and request their free catalogs. Most companies now offer online catalogs, as well.

Arnold recommends Johnny’s Selected Seeds, an employee-owned cooperative based in Maine, and High Mowing Organic Seed Co., which is based in Vermont. Both have a strong record of producing seeds for varieties that thrive in our colder, northern climate, and are among the 370 companies worldwide that have signed a commitment to raise non-GMO seeds.

Besides Johnny’s and High Mowing, I also like Hudson Valley Seed Co. and Fruition Seeds, both of whom are based in New York, Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co., and the Seed Savers Exchange. Many of these companies will have representatives at this weekend’s Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York’s winter conference at the Saratoga Hilton, which you can register to attend to learn more about seeds as well as farming and gardening.

Visit the Saratoga Farmers’ Market 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays at the Lincoln Baths Building in Saratoga Spa State Park; follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram; and contact friends@saratogafarmersmarket.org for volunteer opportunities.