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Top Fathers’ Day Finds at the Farmers’ Market

June 15, 2022 By marketeditor

 

By Julia Howard

 

Dads take the spotlight as we prepare for Father’s Day on Sunday, June 19.  If you’re looking for the right gift, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market has a variety of giftable items for the foodie in your life. There are also practical gifts, local libations, ready-to-eat foods, and so many ideas that we’ve compiled a gift guide to help you.

Food for the Foodie

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is an agricultural hub best known for its incredible variety of locally produced foods. A gift bag or basket with strawberries, cheese, bread, jams and jellies, marinades and rubs, and even a steak may be just the thing to make dad feel appreciated. And there is so much more! 

Muddy Jerky Trail Co., photo by Graciela Colston

Muddy Trail Jerky Co. has grilling rubs, seasonings, and jerky galore for all the dads out there. Ballston Lake Apiaries makes a delicious honey balsamic marinade. Puckers Pickles award-winning pickles and fermented products always make great gifts. Nettle Meadow has a variety of cheeses that pair amazingly with NightWork Bread or Saratoga Crackers. Rum cakes from Goodway Bakery make a giftable sweet treat, as do goodies from Happy Cupcake. Not to overlook any plant-based dads, seasonal vegetables are aplenty, and several local farms bring bountiful harvests to the farmers’ market every Wednesday and Saturday. 

Functional and Practical

For the dad that appreciates function and practicality, Feathered Antler has buttoned-down shirts with handpainted flair. Saratoga Suds ‘n’ Stuff has handmade soaps like exfoliating ‘True Grit’ or ‘Rub a Dub Scrub.’ And Sweetbrier Farms has a variety of useful, handcrafted salves, tonics, and topicals. Plan a visit to Mister Edge Sharpening at the Wednesday market, and have his favorite knives and tools sharpened.

Saratoga Suds N Stuff, photo by Graciela Colston

Local Libations

If beer, wine, and spirits will make Father’s Day more festive, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market has a variety of local wines from Old Tavern Farm and Galway Rock Vineyard and Winery. Springbrook Hollow and Yankee Distillers bring high-quality local spirits from bourbon to gin. And, Mean Max Brew Works has beer to satiate any beer-lovers palette.

Galaway Rock Wine and Vineyards, photo by Graciela Colston

Among all the products and possibilities to show dad your love, perhaps plan a trip to the farmers’ market together. Enjoy the morning or afternoon, sharing the farmers’ market experience: live music, lunch in the park, and local festivities.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga Springs. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: Father's Day, gift ideas, Saratoga Springs, shoplocal

Smart Gardening with Starter Plants

May 18, 2022 By marketeditor

 

By Julia Howard

 

With spring’s last projected frost date safely behind us, gardening enthusiasts take out their trowels and prepare garden plots for planting. But if you’re new to gardening, the process may seem overwhelming. We spoke with Susan Beebe, Assistant Director/Agriculture Issue Leader of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County, to understand the basics of gardening with starter plants.

To begin, determine where you would like to plant. Perhaps you have space for a garden or raised beds in your yard, or maybe planting in containers seems more feasible.

If planting in the ground, Susan Beebe explains that the first and most crucial step is to determine the pH of your soil. “Soil pH is important because it will help you prepare to plant your garden,” explains Beebe. To collect a soil sample, walk through the area that you would like to plant and collect soil samples from various places. Dig 3” to 8” deep and scoop about ½ cup of soil into a clean container. Soil samples may be brought to Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener table at the farmers’ market on the third Wednesday of every month or directly to their office.

Burger’s MarketGarden, photo by Pattie Garrett

If planting in raised beds, Beebe recommends combining potting soil and compost to hold water and prevent moisture from draining out. “Soil is alive and full of microorganisms that plants need to survive,” says Beebe. “Adding green manure, compost, or even a cover crop can keep soil healthy while planting in raised beds.”

If planting in containers, Beebe advises using soilless mixes rather than potting soil. “A benefit to the soilless mixes is that they are much lighter than potting soil and allow you to move your containers around. The counterpart is that these mixes have a tendency to dry out, so depending on the location, you may have to water your containers more,” explains Beebe.

Once your soil is ready, it’s time to buy plants. Several vendors offer various herbs, fruit, and vegetable starter plants at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. These plants are typically several weeks old and have been nurtured through the most delicate early stages of growth by professional growers in a greenhouse. If you have questions about what to plant, ask the growers; Balet Flowers & Design, Burger’s MarketGarden, Gomez Veggie Ville, Green Jeans Market Farm, Leaning Birch, and Old Tavern Farm.

Green Jeans Market Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Now it’s time to plant. Once you’ve popped the first plant out of the container, pull the roots apart with your hands gently; you can look to see how tightly wound the roots are. “You need to pull the roots apart with your hands gently,” Susan Beebe instructs. “You may even use a little knife to break the roots because the goal is to stop their circling motion so that they can spread into the ground,” she adds. When planting, maintain the level it was grown at rather than planting deeper. “The only exception is leggy tomato plants that you can bury deeper,” says Beebe.

Once your starters are planted, water generously and ensure 6+ hours of sunlight a day. Some leafy crops like spinach can thrive with less sun; however, vegetables like carrots, beets, and peppers need 6+ hours a day.

Fruit and vegetables thrive and produce more with light fertilizing at planting. The appropriate fertilizer depends on how you’re growing and what you’re growing. Beebe recommends side-dressing again with fertilizer 2-3 weeks after planting to ensure healthy, productive plants.

With your new garden well underway, Beebe has some takeaway points. “You need trial and error, so don’t be scared by anything. And, each year, try something you haven’t tried before. It’s not always going to work, but you will continue to learn.”

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wilton Mall and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at the City Center parking garage. Markets return to High Rock Park on June 1. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Filed Under: Featured Article, homepage feature, News Tagged With: eathealthy, farmtotable, Gardening, Local, regional, Saratoga Farmers' Market, Saratoga Springs, shoplocal, shopsmall

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Schools out for the summer!! Stop by for some brea Schools out for the summer!! Stop by for some breakfast sandwiches and fun at our market tomorrow from 9-1pm. We’ll have live music by Matt Griffin and Rick Russo plus guests @headcountorg and @ccesaratoga Master Gardener!! Hope to see you there!!

Photos by: Pattie Garrett @mysaratogakitchentable 

#saratogasprings #saratogafarmersmarket #farmtotable #agriculture #shoplocal
Our Wednesday markets go from 3-6pm every week! St Our Wednesday markets go from 3-6pm every week! Stop by for some live music by LB Waller, activities with @northernriversfostercare, and @ccesaratoga. Hope to see you there! 💐

Photos by: Pattie Garrett @mysaratogakitchentable 

#saratogasprings #farmtotable #saratogafarmersmarket #summersolstice
🍓🍓🍓 The SFMA Strawberry Festival is tomor 🍓🍓🍓
The SFMA Strawberry Festival is tomorrow (9-1) at High Rock Park! Here’s a sneak peek at some of the goodies we have lined up for tomorrow. 😍🥰🍓 

Our farmers will be bringing the best of their strawberry harvest, and several of our vendors have fun strawberry-themed goodies!!

Take part in our strawberry corn hole and grab an SFMA Strawberry Festival sticker from our info booth! Be sure to grab some Father’s Day gifts, too, and enjoy live music with fresh, local breakfast and lunch options. 

We’re looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow! 🍓
Our Wednesday markets go from 3-6pm at High Rock P Our Wednesday markets go from 3-6pm at High Rock Park Pavilion every week. 🌾Swipe right to see some of our first tomatoes 🍅 of the season!! 

#shoplocal #saratogasprings #farmtotable #saratogafarmersmarket #healthyfood

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