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Bringing Pork and Greens Together

March 21, 2022 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Isabel Buenaga grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, far away from farming. She went to Lehigh University, where she grew aware of many world problems and was frustrated by a lack of solutions.

Then, she spent the summer of 2016 working at a farm in Vermont. A solution to at least one problem – food waste – started to click. She spent the next few years traveling between Puerto Rico and the Northeast U.S., working at other farms. She started Pork & Greens in 2020.

Two years later, Buenaga is raising pigs and growing pea shoots and other microgreens on leased land in Rensselaer County. The combination brings together animals she loves, foods she likes, and a path toward a more sustainable food system she hopes to help build.

I visited the farm on a mild March afternoon, arriving a few hours after Buenaga brought in the first batch of piglets she plans to raise this year. As the eight-week-old animals oinked excitedly in their new pen, Buenaga and the farm’s assistant manager Emily Liebelt prepared part of the animals’ meal: milk, bread, buns, cookies, and bananas from the Regional Food Bank.

Pork & Greens pigs feast twice a day on such food bank goods along with spent brewer’s grains and whey. This blend gives the animals vital nutrients through food that otherwise would go to waste. As the piglets grow, their consumption increases. They go out onto pastures where they root out grasses and weeds, which can offer future space for the planting of greens and other vegetables.

Buenaga loves her pigs for their silly antics and fondness for belly rubs. She also appreciates how they help eliminate food waste. “Packages get broken or mislabeled, and the food inside them gets thrown out. In addition, a lot of the food we produce generates by-products like whey. Pigs are a good way not to let that all go to waste.”

Buenaga also grows microgreens and hopes to add additional greens. For now, she is starting small. In November, she joined the Saratoga Farmers’ Market as a new vendor and looks forward to her first outdoor season this spring.

This week’s recipe: Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

Local brands boost wellness of customer and community

January 28, 2021 By marketeditor

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.

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.

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.

518 Farms grows close to the earth

October 5, 2020 By marketeditor

By Julia Howard

A variety of mushrooms, Photo provided by 518 Farms

For Jeff Killenberger, growing mushrooms began as a hobby and transitioned to a family farm grounded on natural and sustainable farming methods. Meet 518 Farms, new this year to the Saratoga Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays. Jeff, his wife Megan, and 3-year-old son Finnegan make up the farm team bringing fresh gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, grow kits, and also lavender to the market each week.

“This life is about everything we care about: nature, sustainability, and understanding where our food comes from,” says Killenberger. “We also like a good challenge,” he adds.

Breathe Easy Powder, Photo provided by 518 Farms

For the past three years, the Killenbergers have been growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms on their farm, 518 Farms, in Hoosick Falls. 518 Farms recently expanded beyond their 500 sq. foot growing space to outdoor cultivation in order to expand the variety of mushrooms that they offer.

Throughout the year, 518 Farms grows and sells a wide variety of mushrooms including Blue Oyster, Golden Oyster, Lions Mane, Nameko, Reishi, Shiitake, Chestnut, King Oyster, Morels, Miatake, and Wine Caps. The mushrooms come in pre-packaged, half-pound portions to maintain freshness and also to minimize handling.

“All of our products are GMO-free and grown using organic methods. Even the packaging is biodegradable,” explains Killenberger.

In addition to fresh mushrooms, 518 Farms offers medicinal Breathe Easy Powder and Forget Me Not Powder made from pure reishi and lions mane, and a variety of grow kits for those that want to try their own hand at mushroom cultivation. Grow kits are available year- round, and Jeff Killenberger is happy to share his growing knowledge with interested cultivators.

Megan harvesting lavender, Photo provided by 518 Farms

Fragrant lavender “Munstead” is a new addition to the family farm. Plants are sold as starters in the spring and summer and then as bunches in the summer and fall.

With so much growth within 3 years, the Killenbergers are grateful. “We’ve learned that there is never just one way to do something,” says Killenberger. “Keep an open mind and think like a mushroom,” he laughs.

518 Farms can be found at the Wednesday market through the end of October, and the Saturday market beginning in November. They can also be found at Cambridge and Kingston Farmers’ Markets. For additional information and online ordering, visit their website at 518Farms.com and follow
them on Instagram at @518_Farms.

This week’s recipe: Lion’s Mane Cakes with Tartar Sauce

Echo Creek: A growing family farm

July 27, 2020 By marketeditor

By Madison Jackson

After his first day of work at Pleasant Valley Farm, Mike Palulis came home to his wife Jennifer and told her that he had bought a tractor and wanted to try his own hand at farming. Despite his lack of experience in the field, the efficiency and dedication he saw at the farm resonated with him.

As the owner and operator of The Sushi Bar at Stratton Mountain, Mike’s work was seasonal, and with a growing interest in where his food was sourced, he decided to spend his off-season working with Paul and Sandy Arnold at Pleasant Valley Farm in Argyle, New York. Jennifer, a former gardener, while caught a bit off guard, agreed to dive headfirst into this new adventure with her husband.

*Echo Creek Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett*

Now in their seventh season of farming at Echo Creek Farm and joined by their three children, the Palulis have worked hard to make their small, family-run farm produce top quality, USDA certified organic vegetables that anyone could feel good about eating.

Jennifer speaks very highly of the Arnolds, who also attend the Saratoga Farmers’ Market every Saturday, describing their help as invaluable over the years. The efficiency of Pleasant Valley Farm is what initially grabbed Mike’s attention and impressed him so highly, that it inspired a change in his career and livelihood. The Arnolds have mentored the Palulis over the years on everything from the timing of planting their seeds to new and innovative structures that will improve growing capabilities in all seasons. The mindful manner of farming practiced by the Arnolds has been one of the strongest impressions that influenced Echo Creek Farm over the years.

When asked why Echo Creek chose to become a certified organic farm, Jennifer replied, “we’re a family farm, growing food in a respectful manner is so important”. With their three young children growing up and playing on the property, Jennifer and Mike knew they wanted the farm to be the cleanest possible environment. While it is not an easy process to become certified organic, the Palulis want to grow produce that they can feel good about feeding their children as well as the rest of the community.

Echo Creek Farm attends the Saratoga Farmers’ Market every Saturday, ensuring their natural, organic produce is accessible to all. Along with an assortment of vegetables and greens, Echo Creek also produces honey, eggs, potted herbs, and flowers.

This week’s recipes: Enjoy two of Jennifer’s simple, healthy recipes that are perfect for hot summer days. Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Simple Raw Kale Salad

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