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Every day is Earth Day at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

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By Emily Meagher

Sustainable mushroom boxes at 518 Farms, photo by Pattie Garrett

Happy Earth Week! Some places celebrate Earth Day, others make it a weeklong event, and still others organize month-long festivities. At the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, we like to think that every day is Earth Day.

Farmers’ market operations are inherently more sustainable than factory and grocery store operations. Most obviously, vendors produce food locally, cutting down on transportation impacts. The Farmers Market Coalition cites that, on average, food travels over 1,000 miles from the point of production to the retail store. In contrast, practically all vendors at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market live just a county away from the market.

Many grow and produce their food with extra care for the environment, for instance by growing organically or choosing sustainable packaging. Think compostable mushroom boxes, egg carton returns, or glass deposits on items like maple syrup, yogurt, or kombucha. “It’s obvious to consider the earth when you’re a farmer; your hands are literally in the dirt. But other food producers are equally responsible for operating sustainably,” said Shane Avery, owner of Junbucha.

Reusable bags and package free produce at Owl Wood Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

That green focus is evident in customers’ minds, too. Customers are prepared to shop with reusable totes and netted produce bags. They religiously return their empty containers. They often choose the more sustainable options even if it costs a little more. Julia, one market customer, stopped by to return her glass maple syrup jar, calling choosing glass over plastic “the intuitive choice.” She chooses jars as they are reusable, returnable, recyclable, and she uses them to store granola at home before returning them.

Composting at the Saratoga Farmers Market, photo by Madison Jackson

And then, there are the green choices that extend further than the farmers’ market. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s partnership with the Franklin Community Center is a prime example: customers drop off compost at the farmers’ market to be used in the Center’s community garden, while vendors donate unsold food to the food pantry.

All these green efforts point out a quiet strength of farmers’ markets: their belief in the efficacy of traditional ways, where less is more, quality trumps quantity, and there is a deep-rooted connection to the earth.

This week’s recipe: Local Bacon and Cheese Quiche

Local brands boost wellness of customer and community

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Photo courtesy of Shane Avery

By Emily Meagher

If you’ve seen Shane Avery at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, you’ll know he’s a busy man operating two businesses at once. Avery started at the market as Saratoga Urban Farm, selling microgreens and wheatgrass shots. The latter inspired him to make holistic wellness products more accessible to customers. The creation of both Earth To Mind, a CBD product line, and Junbucha, a green tea and honey-based twist on kombucha, soon followed.

Photo by Laura Kenny

Earth To Mind was born at just the right time: “People were asking if anyone at the market produced CBD products, so it seemed like a great opportunity for me to try to fill that gap,” says Avery. Earth To Mind’s product line includes tinctures, topicals, rubs, and now also soft gels. Its CBD Assistance Program aims to improve accessibility and gives 40% off to veterans, low-income customers, and those on disability. And CBD isn’t limited to humans; the products are also great for pets, to calm anxiety and to ease inflammation.

Photo courtesy of Shane Avery

The origins of Avery’s Junbucha, “the champagne of kombucha”, were also at the market: loyal customers demanded more of the homemade kombucha that Avery would share. “Jun is a tough to brew culture, but the honey makes for a lighter, floral brew that still has those same probiotic properties.” Made with organic ingredients, Avery produces flavors like blueberry & lemon, pineapple & turmeric, and ginger & yerba mate. Cold-pressed juice is added just before bottling to make a fruitier brew than the often vinegary kombucha.

Avery’s companies both aimed to fill customer demands at the farmers’ market. The regard for community wellbeing is evident from the way they operate, whether it be through sourcing local ingredients to support other small businesses or renting out their shared commercial kitchen space for others to incubate new ideas. “You need a healthy ecosystem for your business to grow in, and I try to take an active role to help sustain that ecosystem for others.” The brands also value environmental sustainability, using recycled packaging and reusable bottles (a recent favorite was a customer using bottles for sand art). “It’s obvious to consider the earth when you’re a farmer; your hands are literally in the dirt. But other food producers are equally responsible for operating sustainably,” Avery says.

Avery is grateful for the platform that the farmers’ markets have given him. “In my opinion, it’s the best place to incubate new products and ideas. You get instant feedback, and customers reviews are honest, accurate, and high-quality. As a farmer or producer at the market, you’re adding value to a larger marketplace of ideas.” Find Earth To Mind and Junbucha at the farmers’ market every Saturday, or order online on earthtomind.com and junbucha.com.

Are you looking to grow your business in 2021? Vendor applications for our summer markets are open until January 31! Local farmers, artisans, crafters, and specialty food makers are welcome to apply. For more information visit saratogafarmersmarket.org/vendor.

Sustaining sustainability at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Photo by Pattie Garrett

Farmers lived sustainable lives long before climate change became a pressing issue. Members of multi-generation farm families tell stories of how nothing went to waste. Bones from a roast chicken became broth; food scraps from meals were turned into compost; old storage bins were repurposed to create walking paths or signposts.

Sustainability is gaining a new meaning in 2020 for farmers, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, and all of us. Beginning March 1, a statewide ban on the distribution of single-use plastic bags at retail outlets takes effect. Farmers and other vendors at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market will no longer be able to offer such bags as a convenience to market shoppers, though certain items such as bags for storing meats and produce are exempt.

The market has been preparing for several months with information tables and market tote bags available for a nominal fee. Vendors have been reducing their supplies of plastic bags, replacing them with those made of paper or other materials.

We invite you to help us make the market more sustainable. Here are a few ideas:

Reusable mesh produce bag in use at Pleasant Valley Farm, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

Bring your own bags. Washable mesh or net bags made of recycled plastic offer an easy-to-carry means of storing such items as leeks and greens.

Forgo bags altogether, if you can. This might not be possible for fragile items such as pea shoots or salad greens. But it’s do-able for carrots, turnips, cabbage, apples, and other items that are featured in the market’s winter months. Foods such as fish and fresh pasta also can be placed upon purchase in storage containers you bring from home.

Return such items as egg cartons or glass jars to vendors for reuse. Vendors who sell eggs, cheeses, pickles, jams, corn, milk, yogurt, and other foods appreciate such returns as it helps reduce the costs incurred in obtaining these items.

If you eat at the market, consider bringing your own plate, bowl and silverware.

Argyle Cheese Farmer accepts glass jar returns, photo by Pattie Garrett

Finally, shop the market for crafts items that can further make your lives more sustainable. Many crafts vendors offer coffee mugs, reusable egg crates, bowls, and boxes.

 

This week’s recipe: Whatever Soup

Going Green at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market

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By Catherine Morba

Since 1994, the number of registered farmers’ markets nationwide has increased from under 2,000 to more than 8,600. Communities have renewed interest in eating locally grown food, a change that for many is motivated by the desire to be more environmentally conscious. At its core, buying local is a sustainable choice because of reduced transportation and food packaging. There are simple ways to make market shopping that much more (or rather, less!) impactful on the planet. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market collaborated with Sustainable Saratoga to compile tips for shoppers to be as “green” as the leafy collards we covet.

Photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

1. Write a shopping list: Check the refrigerator to see what groceries you already have before leaving the house. A list will also limit the number of shopping trips you’ll take for forgotten items throughout the week.

2. Carpool: Trade off driving with family and friends to save on mileage and emissions. Bike or walk if you are able! Remember that on November 2nd, the market will move to Wilton Mall, where it will be held from 9:30-1:30 every Saturday in front of the Bon Ton entrance.

3. Take a bag, leave a bag: Have a stock of reusable bags at the ready. The Friends of the Market volunteers offer a “take a bag, leave a bag” initiative for those who forget to bring them, and also accepts donations of reusable totes.

Battenkill Valley Creamery, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

4. Return packaging: When making a purchase, ask the vendor if they reuse packaging. Battenkill Creamery sterilizes and reuses all of their glass dairy bottles that are rinsed and returned by customers. Bring back egg cartons, berry boxes, plastic planters, glassware, or rubber bands. Dump sturdier produce into a bag and return the packaging on the spot.

5. Buy in bulk: Buying large quantities of staple items saves on packaging, especially when you bring containers from home. Vegetables, cheeses, and meats can be repackaged and frozen for later use.

6. Contribute Compost: Divert food from the waste stream by bringing food scraps from home to add to the market compost bin, located near the market administrator’s table. The compost is brought to the Franklin Community Center and used for soil enrichment in their community garden.

Gomez Veggie Ville, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

7. Ask a vendor: If you’re looking for tips on proper food storage, returning packaging, buying in bulk, or cooking seasonal recipes, the best source of information is the person who grew, raised, or made the product.

Roasted Duck

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Adapted from a recipe from Maple Leaf Farms

* Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Ingredients

One whole fresh duck*

Optional seasonings

1 T. kosher salt

1-1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. paprika

1 head garlic* or 1 onion*
celery* stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Remove duck from bag and pat dry.
  3. Place duck in roasting pan, and rub salt, pepper and paprika over outside and inside, if using. Place garlic or onion and celery into cavity, if using.
  4. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and lower heat to 350 degrees.
  5. Cover duck with foil and continue to cook for approximately 10 minutes a pound, turning meat halfway through the cooking time. 
  6. Remove from oven and let duck rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

*You can prepare a fresh turkey following this recipe, as well. Simply add 3 minutes per pound of cooking time in step 5.

Traditional Holiday Turkey and Duck Fresh and Sustainable from the Farmers’ Market

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By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

The season of feasts creates a reason to focus on holiday birds such as turkeys and ducks. This fresh and sustainable poultry can now be found at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market. 

For turkey, check in with Ramble Creek Farm and Mariaville Mushroom Men. For duck, speak with Squashville Farm. All of these farms encourage advance orders.

In an era of convenience cooking, the prospect of roasting a bird as big as a turkey (10 pounds at a minimum) or a duck (six to eight pounds) might seem daunting. Why do it? And how? Let’s start by looking at what makes these poultry so flavorful.

Ramble Creek turkeys grazing by their mobile roost.

Ramble Creek owner Josh Carnes explains, “our turkeys arrived on farm as little poults on July 18, and grew to maturity on pasture.” He adds, “Turkeys forage a lot, way more than chickens. If moved to fresh grass on a regular basis, they get a large amount of their diet from the land.”

Squashville Farm owner Jim Gupta-Carlson notes that all of the animals raised on his farm – chickens, ducks, and goats – play a role in supporting the health of each other as well as the soil and vegetables that the farm cultivates. For example, “Ducks are particularly vital to keeping the populations of snails, which are pests to goats, under control.”  Additionally, Gupta-Carlson says, “Because the ducks are raised outdoors, they run and they fly, and they live and eat like ducks.”

All of these local farm animals live to near-maturity and are processed on site. According to Carnes, this eases stress on the “one bad day” and helps create “an extremely high quality and flavorful finished product.”

As for cooking, simpler is better. Our accompanying recipe shows that there is no need to do such things as piercing the skin, parboiling in advance, or adding a lot of seasonings because, as Carnes notes, “the flavor of pastured birds truly stands on its own.” The basic steps involve roasting for 15 minutes at a high heat, then lowering the heat to continue cooking. Let the meat rest about 15 minutes before serving. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays in the Lincoln Baths Building, Saratoga Spa State Park. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the FreshFoodNY app.