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Saratoga Farmers’ Market Will Open Outdoor Season in Temporary Quarters

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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.”

From Making Cheese to Bottling Milk: Partnership Expands Offerings

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Argyle Cheese Farmer is known for its yogurts and cheeses. Marge Randles spent years working with milk, cultures, and natural flavorings to create a growing array of items ranging from cheese curds and schmears to sweetened and plain yogurts.

Argyle Cheese Farmer, photo by Pattie Garrett.

She and her husband Dave have been part of the Saratoga Farmers’ Market since 2007. Over the past two years, their offerings have expanded – to such items as pizza, baked breads, grab-and-go macaroni and cheese, and now bottled milk.

The changes are a result of a partnership they formed in 2020 with Ideal Dairy Farms whose herd produces the milk for Argyle Cheese Farmer products. Unlike Argyle Cheese Farmer, Ideal Dairy’s business was primarily with wholesale milk purchasers, which meant they lacked local familiarity. By putting both names on most of their new product labels, the partnership has benefited both.

Argyle Cheese Farmer production facility, photo provided.

Take the milk. It is known as A2 and is available at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market in a variety of sizes, and as white milk or in chocolate- and coffee-flavored varieties. The term A2 refers to a protein found in milk, and as Marge Randles explains, this milk contains only that protein.

 

“It’s genetic,” she says. “In Ideal’s herd, there is a group of 250 cows that produce milk that contains only this protein.”

The lack of other proteins make the milk closer in structure to that of goat milk. While the milk still contains lactose, A2 milk often is more digestible for those who have difficulties tolerating milk.

A2 Milk, photo provided.

It also tastes good. It is rich in protein, and high in flavor. This is because it “is a whole milk, almost straight from the cow to container,” says Marge Randles. The milk is pasteurized for safety and homogenized for consistency and texture. However, unlike other milk producers, Argyle Cheese Farmer does not separate the fats from the milk.

The new Argyle Cheese Farmer offerings reflects how some smaller dairy farmers are adapting to changes in local agriculture. Dave Randles is part of a multi-generation dairy farm family. He and Marge no longer keep cows but still put their expertise to good use.

This week’s recipe: Cheeseburger Pie

Parchment Connects to Heritage Through Scandinavian-Style Baking

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By Julia Howard

Isabel Burlingham holds her family, Scandinavian heritage, and traditions close to her heart. Her new baking business, parchment, is, in fact, a culmination of all of her passions.

Burlingham worked as an analytical research chemist for the past ten years but became uninspired by her work. When she heard of a business incubator program through the Troy Waterfront Farmers’ Market, she decided to pursue her passion for baking.

Kardemummabullar variations, photo provided by parchment.

Isabel Burlingham delves deep into her Norwegian roots, baking traditional bread, pastries, and cookies using a combination of family and contemporary Norwegian recipes while acknowledging science for making the baking process possible.

“Scandinavian baking is unique because it is less sweet and uses traditional flavors like cardamom, almond, and pecan,” says Burlingham.

At parchment, everything is meaningful – from the selection of breads, pastries, and cookies to their ingredients, packaging, and business name.“The name parchment comes from parchment paper,” explains Burlingham. “parchment was one of the original writing tools used to record stories that we’ve passed down through the ages. And, parchment is also a baking paper used in modern baking.” Burlingham adds.

Julekaker in three sizes, photo provided by parchment.

For bread, Burlingham makes Rugbrød, a dense and tangy Nordic-style rye sourdough, and Julekaker, a yeasted cardamom bread made in a brioche-style with crystalized ginger and raisins.

Her centerpiece pastry is Kardemummabullar, a slightly sweet cardamom flavored roll with a cardamom filling available in various flavors, including traditional, raspberry, chocolate, almond, and orange.

Traditional cookies are a cornerstone at parchment. Burlingham bakes various cookies, including Pepperkaker, a thin, crisp spice cookie, Lavendelflarn, a crisp, buttery lavender shortbread (with seasonal variations), Pekannflarn, a crisp, lacey pecan cookie with a chewy, caramel finish, and Kniplingskager, a buttery crisp Danish lace cookie with a hint of ginger – just to name a few.

Pebernodder kipful treringer smorkuler pekannflarn drommar, photo provided by parchment.

Burlingham relies on local and organic ingredients whenever possible, and she uses organic flour from New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts.

For Isabel Burlingham, her work is inspiring and rewarding. She loves to share the origins of her products and the stories that go with them.

You can find parchment at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, the Troy Farmers’ Market on Saturdays, and the Schenectady Greenmarket on Sundays. You can also find parchment’s products at the Honest Weight Food Co-op.

This week’s recipe: A Smorgasbord of Open-face Sandwiches

Starting small begins with dreaming big

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By Mary Pratt

Elihu Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Before Bob and I started Elihu Farm, we lived in New Scotland, self-employed writing about acid precipitation and climate change (before it became a ‘hot topic’).

Eventually one of us said, “We should do something agricultural.” Soon we bought our Elihu Farm in Easton, named for Revolutionary Patriot, Elihu Gifford. Instead of raising vegetables and berries, the book left in our house, “Raising Sheep the Modern Way,” pushed us that way. We’ve raised sheep since 1987. And concentrate on lamb cuts, pastured eggs, and wool.

The way we started has made me curious about how other Saratoga Farmers’ Market vendors began.

Argyle Cheese Farmer, photo by Pattie Garrett

Before we joined the Market, we met Marge and Dave Randles. Dave and his brother ran Randles dairy farm, founded in 1860 in Argyle. Dave explained, “Seventeen years ago, the price of milk was abysmal, so we thought of doing value-added products.”

Making cheese was Dave’s first idea, at Argyle Cheese Farm. But “Marge is a visionary,” he said, “who thought about a variety of products.”

They offer fantastic yogurt, award-winning cheese, cheese spreads, cultured buttermilk, smoothies, gelato, and more. Check out tzatziki sauce, new breads, doughnuts, and baked goods.

Something’s Brewing, photo by Pattie Garrett

When the Market needed a new coffee vendor, Beth Trattel, Something’s Brewing, at first shared a small space with Argyle Cheese Farmer. “The Market was a better fit than my coffee shop in Greenwich.”

“About two years ago, I started coffee roasting.” with sustainable beans. “It’s like making wine, or cooking,” she said. “…more creative and flexible.”

Her Battenkill River Coffee has several varieties, and she blends her own teas, blueberry lavender this week. In addition, she makes lemonade, iced black tea, iced mocha, Italian cream soda.

Mark Bascom and Lindsay Fisk, planted Owl Wood Farm in Salem five years ago. They heard owls in woods at a leased farm and their current farm.

Owl Wood Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

They studied environmental science at two colleges, including sustainable agriculture. Lindsay explained, “We started working on farms during summers, and took various apprenticeships after college.”

After the apprenticeships, they decided to raise Certified Naturally Grown vegetables, herbs, and strawberries. Lindsay said, “It’s a grassroots alternative to the National Organic Program, and we do it so we can be third-party verified.” At Farmers’ Market, salad greens are the most popular.

This week’s recipe: Iced Mocha

Longtime Garlic Grower Finds a New Home at Farmers’ Market

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Photo provided by Saratoga Garlic Co.

Bill Higgins began growing garlic in 1998 on farmland in Northumberland, a community between Schuylerville and Saratoga. He sold the garlic to a food distributor at the Chelsea Market in Manhattan, and over time, began consulting with chefs to create a line of prepared products.

Over the years, his enterprise Saratoga Garlic Co. expanded, supplying grocery stores, restaurants, and wholesalers with sauces and pickled products.

The business kept growing, and then last fall Higgins went small. He applied to become a new vendor with the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, joining the market’s cadre of local farmers, home producers, and artisans.

Photo provided by Saratoga Garlic Co.

Now, Higgins spends Saturday mornings at the market’s winter location in the Wilton Mall, offering samples of their garlic products, greeting new customers, and reconnecting with friends.

Their experience is helping them understand better what their customers like. It also captures the community feeling that the Saratoga Farmers’ Market creates.

“We wanted a more direct connection and additional insight to what our end consumer is looking for,” says Max Higgins, who coordinates sales for Saratoga Garlic and is Bill Higgins’s son.

So far, the experience has been great. “Everyone at the market has been very welcoming and we’ve really enjoyed the positive atmosphere each Saturday,” Max Higgins says.

On top of that, they have discovered that old friends from elementary and high school days are market regulars, as well. And, says Max Higgins, “the live music is great.”

Saratoga Garlic Co., photo by Pattie Garrett

Saratoga Garlic Co.’s signature product is aioli, a garlic sauce with a mayonnaise base. The company offers five varieties, along with a pickled garlic product. The sauces can be used to season dishes, as a spread on crackers or bread, or as a condiment to such things as steaks, pork or goat, chops, or fish.

Bill Higgins worked with a number of chefs to perfect his recipes over the years. He and his family still grow their own garlic, which is German white, a porcelain variety known for big bulbs, a robust flavor, and high tolerance to his sandy soil. The family also occasionally grows dill for their pickled products and has discussed the prospect of trying out such items as saffron, which flavors one of their aioli sauces.

This week’s recipe: BLT Burritos with Sambal Aioli

Local Businesses Expand Roots in the Community

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By Julia Howard

At the farmers’ market, Saturdays are an opportunity to stock up with local products for the week to come. But what if you didn’t have to wait for Saturday to stock up on your favorite farmers’ market foods? Mangiamo, Saratoga Chocolate Co., Nettle Meadow, and Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery have big news to share as they work to ease access to their products by opening new locations and expanding their offerings locally.

Mangiamo

Mangiamo, photo provided

Mangiamo, a business offering a variety of homemade pasta, has recently opened shop in Grant Plaza at 75 Woodlawn Avenue in Saratoga Springs. “The only reason I was able to open a retail shop was because my market customers were looking to buy pasta during the week,” explained Rose Contadino, owner of Mangiamo.

Contadino began Mangiamo in May 2018 and sold her fresh pasta exclusively on Saturdays at the farmers’ market.“My customers have been very supportive of me opening the shop, and I am extremely grateful for all their wishes to see me succeed,” said Rose.

Mangiamo’s new location is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store enables Rose to make pasta on the premises and also to expand her offerings as the business grows. “At the shop, I offer a variety of weekly flavored pastas like roasted garlic and herbs and I always have cheese raviolis and a special ravioli for Friday and Saturday,” she explained.

Saratoga Chocolate Co.

Saratoga Chocolate Co., photo provided

Saratoga Chocolate Co. will bring sweetness to downtown Saratoga Springs when their new shop opens on the lower level of the Saratoga Marketplace this spring. “We’re excited to create a space where people can experience and enjoy chocolate,” said Allison Rose.

Chocolatiers Allison and Hank Rose started Saratoga Chocolate Co. in 2016 and have worked to grow the business while balancing an active work and family life. At the farmers’ market, Saratoga Chocolate Co. quickly earned its reputation for hand-crafted truffles and decadent chocolate bark and bars.

This spring, the store location will offer a variety of their chocolates, and shoppers may also watch the sweet confections being made. “The farmers’ market community has really supported us and helped us to develop our business,” Allison explained. In addition to chocolates and truffles, the Roses are planning to offer a variety of cocoa infused food and drinks at the new location.

Nettle Meadow

Nettle Meadow, photo by Pattie Garrett

Nettle Meadow began the year with exciting news of their new cheese plant, aging space, and retail space at the historic Hitching Post restaurant on 9N in Lake Luzern. “We will have a much larger retail space for customers to come and try our cheese and buy cheeses and other local products at a more convenient location,” said Sheila Flanagan, one of the farm owners.

Nettle Meadow started selling goat cheeses on a small scale around 1992. Sheila Flanagan and Lorrain Lambiase bought the business and expanded production in 2005. “Farmers’ markets are one of the most important aspects of our business because it gives us direct interaction with our customers,” said Flanagan. “We look forward to reaching more people through tastings and direct sales at the new location in Lake Luzerne.”

Nettle Meadow’s new location plans to open on Memorial Day weekend with a Grand Opening celebration. The retail location will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and the tasting room will be open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery

Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, photo provided

Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery has completed plans for a new taproom and production facility directly off of Rt. 149 in Queensbury. The expansion is planned to be completed by the end of 2020 and will feature a 100-person taproom where patrons may enjoy local cider, wine, craft beer, and a variety of Springbrook Hollow’s hand-crafted, artisanal spirits including vodka, gin, moonshine, and award-winning limoncello.

Springbrook Hollow Distillery opened in 2014 and has expanded its reach throughout New York, Vermont, New Jersey, and Connecticut. “We love the hands-on experience of sharing our products and our story with customers and want to enhance this experience on-site,” said Matt Colucci, one of the distillery owners. For Springbrook Hollow, this new facility means more production, upgraded equipment, and a place for people to gather and enjoy local beverages.

While these businesses work to offer customers new shopping experiences and a wide variety of products, you can continue to find them together in one place every Saturday at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.