eco-LOCAL 2012 Sowing edition

ecoecoecoeco LOCALLOCALPromoting sustainable communities, healthy lifestyles and local business

Sowing 2012 • Issue 26 • FREETech Valley

A Directory ofLocal Farm and Food Resources

PLUS:Get Wild at Village Pizzeria

Vineyards of the Upper Hudson ValleyLong Lesson Farm

Underground AlchemyFunky Fresh Foods

A Directory of Local Farm and Food Resources

PLUS:Get Wild at Village Pizzeria

Vineyards of the Upper Hudson ValleyLong Lesson Farm

Underground AlchemyFunky Fresh Foods

THE FARM TO FORK ISSUE

2 ecolocalliving.com

ecolocalliving.com 3



7 News and Views

8 Joys of Functional Living

9 Holistic Health

10 Green Designer

11 Money Matters

24 Life…Stylized!

42 Washington County

54 Eco-LOCAL People

12 Take A Walk on The Wild Side at Village Pizzeria

19 Do What You Love, and the Wine Will FlowVineyards of the Upper Hudson Valley

22 Local Fresh FoodsThe Basis of Health

24 2012 Farm to Fork GuideLocal Farm and Food Resources

28 Long Lesson FarmLearning to Love the Land

46 Underground AlchemyA CSA for Herbal Medicine

50 Funky and Fresh

Our cover was produced by Kelsie Seehusen, a student at the WaldorfSchool of Saratoga Springs, Class of 2013. She used markers onillustration board to create the "At the Market" cover. Kelsie wasinspired by the bright colors and variety of vegetables found at theFarmer's Markets, and is a big supporter of local farms. The WaldorfSchool, too, promotes buying local and supporting agriculture. Formore information, go to waldorfsaratoga.org

On the Cover DEPARTMENTS FEATURES


Letter from the PublisherWant a better world? Put your money where your mouth is!We live in very challenging times, with many large problemsthroughout our society. The problems are so daunting that, asindividuals, we may feel that we have no power to influence thesolutions. We have the right to vote, we are told, and that is ourpower to make change. But even that seems to have lost itssignificance. Politics has become the power of the status quo.What then, can we do, if anything, to change the world for thebetter?The answer to many of our societal ails can be cured with onesimple, conscience decision – choose to eat more local, naturally-raised food. This choice, made by one person, has immense power– in fact, it is THE most powerful act that we can do as humanbeings. For what we choose to eat, affects everything else.Pick a societal problem… any one… and it can be remedied bychoosing local food. Let’s look at some of the common things that

plague our world, and see how the simple action of eating locally can move us toward the solution:ESCALATING HEALTHCARE COSTS. Human health is directly related to nutrition. We are what we eat.Eating living, nutrient dense food that is grown near to where we live has been proven to be health giving.Eating dead, manufactured and packaged food that is shipped long distances has been proven to be badfor our health. While much of this type of food has calories, it is devoid of nutrition. Plus, thepreservatives, stabilizers and chemical additives are killing us. Unhealthy people are expensive to care for.Healthy people are inexpensive. If each of us were to choose to consciously eat more locally-sourced food,there will be less people burdening the healthcare system.POLLUTION. It is a fact that our giant factory farms are some of the largest polluters of our environment.GMO contamination, soil erosion, chemical runoff into potable water, manure leachate, e-coli poisoning,fossil fuel consumption and resultant air pollution…all are a product of the corporatization of agriculture.Small family farms – what America was founded on, once ubiquitous, are now the exception. Yet a smallfarmer is a steward of the land. He lives there. Why would he pollute his nest? When we choose tosupport local farms by buying their produce, we are encouraging that good stewardship. More familyfarms equals more local control of the land, and less pollution.VIOLENCE. People act violently towards others primarily because of a lack of empathy. If one has noregard nor respect for another, then violence is a natural regression of such a mind. How does one loseempathy? Either through learning, like watching too much TV, or through isolation or exclusion. Oursociety breeds isolation and exclusion. In all the busy-ness chasing business, we have lost contact withour neighbors and our community. Take going to the grocery store – how many conversations occur? Afew short words to the deli man, or the answer to “paper or plastic” question at checkout is about thesize of it. No wonder we are mad! Now take a trip to the Farmers Market. The place is abuzz with talkingand sharing. You’ll ask the farmer about his products. “how are the animals they raised?” “do you useany chemicals?” You’ll get to know the farmer, and you’ll get to know your food. You are now part of acommunity – a community of people who really care about serving you. Thoughts of isolation vanish intothe warmth of acceptance. If everyone were to shop locally at the Farmers Market, then mutual empathywould prevail, and violence in our society would diminish.WAR. Why are wars fought? Ultimately, it is for control of resources and land. A country that exhaustsits resources needs to go elsewhere to find more. It can trade, but if trade agreements can’t be secured,then war ensues. We are told that there are terrorists that must be vanquished, and the world must adoptdemocracy so that it can find peace. But it’s really all about resources. Resources that can grow food,because every nation must be able to feed itself. In the USA, oil is food, because the energy from oil runsto the tractors and combines, makes the fertilizer, grinds the grain, runs the trains and the tractor trailers,all so you can have food at the grocery store. But if we choose to buy more local food, then there is awhole lot less need for all that oil. Sure, the local farmer has a tractor and it need oil to run, but it’s ahuge difference in scale. Plus the local farmer is more inclined to use natural methods, so there is lessdependency of fertilizers and chemicals that are all derived from oil. Less demand for oil, means we as acountry need less from elsewhere. Perhaps if we are not so obsessed with controlling the world’sresources, the terrorists might calm down and actually find a new occupation. Like growing food. Morepeople growing good food – who’s got time for war?As you can see, these are but a few examples of how one person choosing to eat more locally sourcedfood can have big impact on the world. One person becomes two, then four, eight, and so on. Becausehealthy people talk. And share what they love. And they love local food. It becomes the change webelieve in. In fact, our life, and that of our wonderful planet, depends on it. We’ve all heard the mantra“Think Globally, Act Locally.” I suggest that we change that to “Eat Locally, Impact Globally,” because, inthe end, we are what we eat. Want a better world? Eat more local food!

-David DeLozier, Publisher

Every effort has been made to avoid errors andmisspellings; however, if you see an error, please acceptour apologies. We welcome your ideas, articles, andfeedback so that we can give you the best servicepossible. Eco-LOCAL Living does not guarantee norwarrantee any products, services of any advertisers, norwill we be party to any legal or civil claims or promises.We expect advertisers to honor any claims or promises.We reserve the right to revise, edit and/or reject any andall advertising with or without cause. Liability is limitedto the cost of the ad space in which it first appeared forprinting errors of the publisher's responsibility or if thepublisher fails to print an ad or article for any reason.We reserve the right to edit articles if needed forcontent, clarity and relevance. Unless otherwise noted,we use the Creative Commons License (in place ofstandard copyright), which allows anyone to freely copy,distribute, and transmit all content, although it must beattributed in the manner specified by the author orlicensor, and no one may use it for commercialpurposes, or alter, transform, or build upon it.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR / SALESDavid Delozier 518-858-6866

[email protected]

DESIGN / PRODUCTIONCenterline Design 518-883-3872

PHOTOGRAPHYDavid Delozier, Patricia Older,

Clifford Oliver, stockstudiosphotography.com,Underground Alchemy

CONTRIBUTORSKevin Carey, Sophie Castro, Tracy Frisch,

Dr. Jessica Davis, Arielle Landsberg,Mary Beth McCue, Harry Moran,

Particia Older, Karen Totino

SUBSCRIBEThe eco-LOCAL magazine is a free bi-monthlymagazine for people choosing to lead more

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ecoecoecoeco LOCALLOCAL

News and Views


It began as a simple idea to throw a party at the beach. The objectivewas two-fold: help promote the picturesque park that lies of the banksof the Battenkill in Greenwich, NY and provide outreach for an allvolunteer, non profit organization whose mission is to preserve andenhance the river, the Battenkill Conservancy (“BkC”).Last year's inaugural “party”, pulled together in less than 6 weeks bya skeleton crew of volunteers, met with great success. It quicklybecame clear that the idea was a win-win for all, bringing both longtime residents and outsiders to one of Washington County's mostpicturesque and natural resources, the Battenkill. This year, the festivalexpanded its reach by enlisting the popular 97.7 WEXT public radiostation to co-sponsor “The Local 518” musicians. BkC worked withTown officials to have the festival's date (Saturday, May 26 from Noon- 5PM) coincide with the official kick-off of the summer season. At theApril Town Board meeting, the Board voted to open the area fromdawn to dusk through Columbus Day weekend. It is also consideringBkC's request that it adopt a new and more inclusive name for thearea, The Battenkill Beach Community Park. BkC announced that itwill award its first Community Citizen Award to a local resident activein civic, non profit and educational projects that have resulted inpositive and lasting change in the community with the recipient of thisyear's award to be announced shortly.Initially the vision of a single person, the festival has become a reality

due to the collaboration of public & private organizations and thesupport of numerous individual volunteers, all whom recognize theBattenkill as one of the community's most valuable assets. TheBattenkill Runs Through It Beach & Music Festival offers a way tocelebrate together and a chance to show off the best of WashingtonCounty while reminding us of the importance of caring for theBattenkill watershed.Entry tickets (which include a picnic plate) are $12 for Adults, $8 forYouth, $35 for a family of four (2 Adults, 2 Youth) and Free for Kidsunder 6 and can be purchased at the Greenwich Chamber office. Call518-677-2545 or email [email protected] for advanceentry and raffle tickets ($5 each or 5 for $20). For more information,visit www.battenkillconservancy.org.

The Battenkill Runs Through It Beach & Music Festival Returns May 26th

While growing numbers of people shop at farmers' markets androadside stands, not many have the opportunity to experienceagriculture first-hand… to learn how the food we eat (and some ofthe fiber we wear, or the fuel we consume) is produced. The SaratogaCounty Agricultural Promotion Committee provides that critical linkbetween the farming community and the public-at-large by holding anopen house at a different farm each year. Area residents can visit areal working farm, learn about local agriculture, and realize theimportance of a viable agricultural industry in Saratoga County; anannual impact of approximately $180 Million to our local economy.

Saratoga County's 17th Annual “Sundae on the Farm” will be held onSunday June 17 at Eildon Tweed Farm on 1253 Eastern Avenue in theTown of Charlton. The annual event, taking place from 12:00 pmthrough 4:00 pm, showcases the breadth and significance ofagriculture in Saratoga County and is enjoyed by approximately 2,500visitors each year. The popular farm tour and festival has also beenheld in the towns of Northumberland and Saratoga.

“Sundae on the Farm” is fun and educational for the whole family- aperfect way to spend Father's Day Sunday together. Free eventsinclude guided tours of the dairy farm, children's activities, spellingbee and ice cream eating contest, farm animals to see, horse-drawnwagon rides, live music, agricultural exhibits, and demonstrations by

chefs featuring local farm products. Fifty South in Ballston Spa, andthe Cock 'n Bull Restaurant in Galway, are two participatingrestaurants which regularly use locally produced ingredients.

Plenty of food is served at “Sundae on the Farm” including: hotdogs,hamburgers, sausage & peppers, Stewart's Ice Cream with Sundae'sBest Hot Fudge, strawberries or maple topping, and Pie a la modefeaturing homemade pies from Smith's Orchard Bake Shop.

Take home the bounty of Saratoga County with products from aFarmer's Market on-site. Parking is plentiful and several trams (withfarm-savvy hosts on board for questions and answers) will transportvisitors between the parking area and the farm.

Saratoga County's “Sundae on the Farm”, a successful educationaleffort to promote local agriculture, has become a model emulated bymany other counties. The event is organized by the Saratoga CountyAgricultural Promotion Committee and sponsored by CornellCooperative Extension of Saratoga County, American Farmland Trust,Saratoga County Farm Bureau, and the Town of Charlton with supportfrom the Saratoga County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board.

For more information, please visit: www.saratogafarms.com Thepublic is invited to experience this year's event in Charlton and seewhat all the fun is about!

Sundae on the Farm


...simple ideas thatwill change yourlife.

It use to amaze mehow much we allare so similar in ourpriorities and whatour challenges arein relation to them,especially when it

comes to health. It doesn't any longer. We allneed love and nurturance in order to thrive.Having more accessibility to clean wholesustainable foods provides this and so muchmore in our lives. A clean, whole organicplant-based diet trumped all conversations atevery meeting I attended, lecture I presented,and exhibit I provided in the past couplemonths. It was, and is the priority because itis NOT the norm in our culture to havesustainable foods highly available and

convenient for us to purchase. Theconversations at Donna Karens' home inManhattan in February; a gatheringcelebrating Mark Hymans latest book “TheBlood Sugar Solution”, the main message atthe 4 day seminar on “Food, Mood and theBrain” taught by functional medicinephysicians and psychiatrists, the materials Iprovided at the Autism Fair at SkidmoreCollege, speaking at my old High School, andthe foundation of the conversations in myprivate practice - all have one huge thing incommon….”Living a healthy happy life startswith what we put into our body….period.The best diet is a whole plant based local andsustainable diet.” You can make a hugedifference this season by raising the bar withwhat you eat, and what you grow.

Organic gardening is the oldest,cheapest most simple and most practicalmeans of growing vegetables that hasever, and continues to, exists. There issomething very satisfying and transformativeabout growing and eating your own food. Ifyou think you don't have the space or it is toocomplicated, think again!

Whether you looking to gain energy, loseweight, resolve depression, recover frompain, reverse the aging effects on the body -inside and out, or want to detox, yourintegrative health practitioner will insist youbase your diet plant-based- local andsustainable foods.

Let “simple” be your mantra1- Choose a place and/or method in terms of

the growing space. (See ideas to the right) 2-Go to your local garden store, organic farmer,on-line organic mail order or visit a localcooperative extension such as Cornell in thisarea. www.cce.cornell.edu. 3- Purchaseorganic seeds for 4 - 6 different vegetables.How many can you plant while keeping itenjoyable and simple? Consider choosingvegetables you will use in a salad plus 2 or 3more you can have as side vegetables atdinner meal. 4- Ask for organic soil,preferable composted soil. 5- Learn how tocompost and add to your own soil as yourplant grow.

1 Increase growing space in a small space byusing a wooden pallet garden. 2. Easy HerbGarden can be created in canning jars. 3. RainGutters easily mount to a wall or balconyrailing for plants that don't have deep roots.4. To grow larger plants, create self-irigatingplanters made from plastic tubs are a greatidea.

Complement your garden with biweekly runsto the farmers market for your produce needsand more. Or team with a friend and taketurns picking up produce from local farmers.See what the conversations are at theseplaces and discover more ways people arecreating health and success in their lives.Mary Beth McCue RD, CDN of Saratoga Nutrition is anIntegrative Dietitian & certified Nutritionist in downtownSaratoga Springs, NY with more than 20 yrs experiencein clinical, community, corporate, counseling, speakingand more. She has successfully assisted many -including herself- to health and recovery.www.saratoganutrition.com, and see her blog onSaratoga.com

By Mary Beth McCue, RD, CDN

Joys of Functional Living

Gardening WITHOUT A GARDEN...


DID YOU KNOW...?• Babies and their guts are sterile until they

are born.• We have 10 times as many bacterial cells

as human cells in our body!• Adult guts contain approximately 3 pounds

of bacteria.• Over 70% of our immune system is in thewalls of the gut.

Planting the seeds. So how do you go fromzero to four pounds of microscopic 'friends'? Itall starts at birth. If everything is able toproceed the way nature intended, colonizationstarts with the trip through the birth canal,followed soon after by nursing. Baby's firstbacteria are planted by mom, which shepartially inherited from her mom, and so on.Unfortunately this cycle has been significantlyinterrupted in the last 50+ years, with theprevalence of formula feeding and cesareandeliveries.

WHAT DOES A HEALTHY GUT DO? Digests food: The uses motion and enzymes tobreak down food from bite sized chunks intomolecules of nutrients that can be absorbed andused by the rest of the body.

Provides Immunity: the gut lining is a keycomponent in our immune system, providing animportant barrier. If this barrier is unhealthy or'leaky' - bigger molecules can sneak throughand cause trouble. When these chunks getthrough the first line of defense, other cells inthe immune system react to them as foreigninvaders and cause inflammation and allergicreactions.

Makes serotonin & other neurotransmitters:The gut has its own enteric nervous system. It isessentially a second brain that can actindependently of the one in our heads.

Serotonin, dopamine and others are thechemicals that play a role in depression, anxietyand other mood problems, and are responsiblefor connecting the brain and gut with responseslike “butterflies in our stomach” when we'renervous.

Hosts our bacterial buddies: The gutenvironment maintains the balance of good andbad bacteria. Antibiotics, stress, poor nutritionand other causes can shift the balance andallow the bad bacteria to take over.

Filters water, nutrients and waste: The gutlining lets in the things we need, absorbingwater and nutrients from our food, and keepsout the waste products like undigestible fiberand dead bacteria so they can be eliminated.

Why do we care? When these functions are notworking well, we feel sick, and not just with theusual digestive symptoms like diarrhea orconstipation. Researchers are discovering thatour gut health plays a role in many health issueslike food allergies, autism, ADHD, anxiety,depression, obesity, high blood pressure, heartdisease, cancer, and autoimmune disease.

Planting the seeds for a healthy gut. If wethink back to where our gut bacteria come fromand imagine an ideal scenario for gut health, wewould all be born to moms who had naturalbirths and breastfed us exclusively for at least 6months. Baby's first solids would be after 6months, starting with organic veggies and fruits.Families would continue healthy eating habits,with nutrient dense whole foods and healthyfats. We would have far less antibiotics,stomach infections, and toxic exposures fromour environment.

Since it is almost impossible to find anyone whocould meet these criteria in today's reality, andmany of the factors are out of our control, mostof us are walking around with some level of gutproblems. How can we heal our own guts andgive our children the best start with theirs? Staytuned for Cultivating a Healthy Gut (part 2 ofthe series) to learn more!

Jessica Davis MD practices in Stillwater NY as “The NewMom’s Family Doctor”. She is board certified in FamilyMedicine and Integrative Medicine, and also practicesMedical Acupuncture. For more information call 877-664-6116 or visit www.jessicadavismd.com

By Dr. Jessica Davis

Holistic Health

Planting the Seeds for a Healthy Gut


There is something happening inHardwick, Vermont. VermontNatural Coatings is helping leadthe “whey” to a local economythat thrives on food, agricultureand environmentally safeproducts and solutions.

PolyWhey started ascollaboration among farmers,furniture makers and scientists atthe University of Vermont to

expand the value of Vermont’s agricultural and forestry industries. VermontNatural Coatings’ patented natural wood finish formula is an importantadvance over existing water-based finishes in application, quality, andenvironmental safety. By using recycled whey protein they eliminate theneed for heavy metal driers and displace both the toxic co-binders andcarcinogenic solvents typically found in wood finish. Whey is a naturalbyproduct of cheese-making, a traditional strength of Vermont agriculture.Excess whey can end up on fields and in streams. To help keep Vermontfarms and waterways clear of excess whey, their goal is to reuse as much ofthis byproduct as possible in durable, safe coatings for your home. A neutralodor, great coverage, quick drying, and easy cleanup make the PolyWhey

family of finishes tough, environmentallysmart coatings for all interior and exteriorwood surfaces. It’s safe enough tocoat food bins or outdoor raisedplanters that will grow food.

“We are a small company with a bigmission,” says Andrew “If morepeople knew we were available as analternative to chemically basedproducts, we could make a biggerdifference in the market and make homeshealthier while improving the lives of our customers.”

VNC’s founder Andrew Meyer is one of the original members of the Centerfor an Agricultural Economy, a non-profit that conducts research andeducates the community on food and agricultural value-added products.Vermont Natural Coatings actively supports CAE as we work to enhance thestrength of Vermont rural communities, promote stewardship of Vermontagriculture, while protecting and enhancing the environment through theuse of sustainable agricultural practices and products. The Center programsare based on the defining and implementation of a viable 21st century foodsystem which envisions communities capable of dealing with opportunitiesand threats to our regional food and natural resource system.

Next time, when your body alerts you with symptoms, before you reach fora pill to make the painful sign go away, ask WHY! Why is my body actingthis way and what can I do to help it function better. That’s what we do atAAC; evaluate your body and how it’s functioning. Then we can provide theproper care and coach you to make better choices so you can lead ahealthier, happy, drug-free life! Until next time, Be Well!

Karen Totino own’s Green Conscience Home & Garden, 33 Church St, in Saratoga Springs.Green Conscience is the local Vermont Natural Coatings dealer and a retail showroom thatoffers a variety of organic, eco-friendly home improvement products. Call 518-306-5196 oremail [email protected].

By Sophie Castro & Karen Totino

The Green Designer

The Hardwick “Whey”


By Harry Moran, CFP® AIF®

Money Matters

Local First!

On May 17th, Local First of the Capital Regionhosted the first Local Lift Symposium at HudsonValley Community College’s TEC SMART campusin Malta. The event brought together a diversegroup of participants whose work centers aroundthe conviction that supporting and energizinglocal business is the key to a more sustainableeconomic future. While I realize I may bepreaching to the choir, I’d like to take thisopportunity to reinforce the critical importance ofbuying local.

A vibrant, locally owned, independent businesscommunity is essential for building a "local, livingeconomy”. Such an economy is focused on local,independent ownership that enhances the socialfairness, community spirit, financial vitality, andenvironmental health of our region. This iscommerce based on connection and relationships,not on extraction of wealth and resources in acold, fast transaction-based system in which it’srare for consumers to know the producers of thegoods they’re buying. Local businesses add a“sense of place” and heart to the neighborhoodswhere they are located and typically offer uniquegoods and personalized services. They genuinelycare about our region’s environment, quality of

life, and neighborhoods because they and theirfamilies are part of the community. They re-energize areas that may otherwise becomeblighted, and they purchase products from otherlocal organizations, thereby multiplying theimpact of our dollars on the Capital Region'seconomy.

While this emphasis on buying local has the feelof being something new and revolutionary, itreally represents a return to a way of being thatprevious generations enjoyed. Our ancestorsfurthered sustainability as a natural consequenceof their behavior. It was, of course, never anoption for them to buy cheap, low qualitymerchandise made by poorly paid and treatedlaborers from distant lands from big box retailstores who siphoned wealth out of theircommunity. In its current distorted form, globalcapitalism builds great wealth for the select fewbut has created a system which isn’t sustainableeconomically or ecologically.This model requires asteady stream of new consumer markets andcheap natural and human resources to maintainthe growth necessary to perpetuate it. Every timewe go to the gas pump, we’re reminded thatresources like oil are finite and that much higherprices are inevitable over the long run. People canargue over exactly how long it will take toexhaust our oil supplies but there is no argumentthat the day will come. Products that are madelocally will increasingly become more attractiveas energy prices increase transportation costs.This trend will be accelerated if our governmentstops directly and indirectly subsidizing big oil sothat the price of oil and gas accurately reflects thetrue cost, including all of the externalities such asenvironmental degradation that are currentlyborne by taxpayers.

In this season of endless campaign rhetoric anddiscussion of our still troubling unemploymentnumbers, it’s also important to keep in mind thatlocal businesses are the primary engine for newjobs. Small, local businesses contributeproportionately more to the local tax base.Because of their deep roots, they also don’t pickup and move away when offered economic andtax incentives elsewhere. These businesses investin all of our communities, regardless of theirsocio-economic conditions, and therefore arecatalysts for neighborhood revitalization. Localbusiness answers to community stakeholders, notjust shareholders, so they’re not compelled to putprofits before people in order to generate short-term financial gain.

Remember, every dollar we spend, save or investhas an impact. Let’s harness that power to buildthe strong local economy that we need for afuture that is truly sustainable.

Harry Moran helps socially conscious investors define andachieve their highest goals by aligning their money with theirvalues.A 25-year veteran of the financial services profession, Mr.Moran has held the Certified Financial Planner® designationsince 1991. He is a member of First Affirmative FinancialNetwork, a national professional organization dedicated tomeeting the needs of the socially conscious investingcommunity, and a member of the Impact Investing Division ofPortfolio Resources Advisor Group, a registered investmentadviser. Mr. Moran can be reached directly at Sustainable WealthAdvisors at [email protected] or 518-450-1755.Mention of specific securities, funds, or companies should not beconsidered an offer or a recommendation to buy or sell thesecurity, fund, or company. To determine the suitability of anyparticular investment, please consult with your investmentadviser. Remember, past performance is no guarantee of futureresults and no investment strategy can assure success. Theopinions expressed are those of the author and may changewithout notice. Securities offered through Portfolio ResourcesGroup, Inc., member FINRA, SIPC, MSRB, SIFMA.


TAKE A WALKON THE WILD SIDE...

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID DELOZIER

The term “locavore” is often associated with folks who seek thesustenance from a 100 mile radius. It ‘s part of the trend to seekhealthier, “greener” diets and lifestyles, something that we here ateco-LOCAL have been advocating from the start. Here in UpstateNew York, we are blessed with numerous food producers, growers,and farmers markets to choose from to access local food. But onesource for local food is often overlooked, and it’s perhaps the mostnutritious, and arguable the most delicious option, and it’s right underour noses – that is, if we take the time to venture into the wild patchof woods in our own backyards or in one of the many nearby naturalareas in midst. I am talking of course, about edible wild plants. AndSpring is perhaps the best time to “go wild” and forage for somethinggood to eat. Young shoots and developing plants are at their tastiestmoment as they emerge from the ground, but don’t just grabanything. Grab a book on wild-crafting, or find a friend who hasexperience.

One new convert to the wild food foraging is Sandy Foster, proprietorof the Village Pizzeria and Ristorante in West Galway, on Route 29 justwest of Saratoga Springs. I got a call from Sandy a couple of weeksago, and she was bubbling with excitement. For those of you whoknow Sandy, this is nothing new – she is always excited aboutsomething. In this case, it was about what was growing ion thenearby woods. “You’ve got to come see the ramps and fiddleheads!”she exclaimed. I was jazzed, too, because those two items are thetreats of Spring in upstate New York. So I head over to Galway tomeet Sandy. When I get there, she takes me over to the propertyadjacent to the restaurant, just to the west of the parking lot. “Lookat em all!” Sandy squeals with joy, pointing to a large cluster of rampson the forest floors. She grabs a potato hook that had been placedagainst a tree, and proceeds to dig. Sandy pulls the prize from theground and shows them off. Ramps have a small bulb like a green

AT VILLAGE PIZZERIA IN GALWAY



onion but with broad green leaves instead of tubular spikes. The taste is a wonderful sharpgarlic-onion flavor, which is great all by itself sautéed in olive oil and tossed onto a bed ofpasta.

We go back to the restaurant kitchen and immediately goes to work chopping the ramps,and sautéing them in olive oil. She then places the green goodness onto a bed of angelhair pasta and hands me the plate. I dig in, and the flavors explode upon my palate. Thesmooth, fruity olive oil spreads the garlicky sharpness all over my mouth. It’s a wild tastesensation! And so simple.

Sandy explains that she is offering the ramps as a topping on pizza as a seasonal specialty.And she’s making pasta dishes with fiddlehead ferns. “I could take you to my fiddleheadstash but I’d have to blindfold you first,” Sandy laughed. Fiddle heads are the youngshoots of certain ferns, and the just emerging coiled shoots are a delicacy. And alsoavailable for a limited time only. Thus, the secret stash. “There’s all this great food in thewoods,” exclaimed Sandy. “You just have to know where to look.”

There’s another wild side the Village Pizzeria – the wine cellar. Sandy and her husband JoeGuerrera are hard core wine enthusiasts, and have what is probably the best, mostcomprehensive wine collection in the region. Sandy and Joe travel to Italy every Autumnto find great wine for the restaurant. There efforts have won them Wine Spectatorawards every year. In 2011, Village Pizzeria won the double glass award for excellence inwine selection. Sandy invites me down to the wine cellar, which is simply the basement ofthe old roadhouse. It’s more like a cave, with low ceiling, stone walls and portions dug

out of the earth to make room for the wine bottles. Wine bottlespacked into every nook and cranny! This is wild! I have to crouchto negotiate through the labyrinth. Sandy points to a scrolled ironcase, with a lock on it. “That’s the really good stuff,” she says.Nobody goes in there but me.

We return back up to the kitchen, where Sandy’s daughter, Jessica, isprepping the lettuce for tonight’s meal. We talk about the gluten freeoptions on the menu, and how they’ve been received. VillagePizzeria began serving gluten free pizza and pasta and beer for fouryears now, and they’ve now become renowned in the region for it.Jessica explained that they get all their dough from Sherry Lynn’s inLatham. “We keep it separate from all the flour around here, so thatthere’s no contamination,” she said. “It’s been a huge hit,” shecontinued. “We get people in here from all over. We have a familyin Clifton Park that orders take out pizza from us. Imagine all theother pizza shops they must pass by!” That’s wild!

The banter goes back and forth between Sandy, Joe and Jessica. Thisis one wild bunch, who love each other and love what they are doing.And it shows…in the food, in the wine, and in their passion to shareit with all who walk through their doors. There’s a chain Italian jointthat claims that ‘when you’re here, you’re family,” but this is the realdeal. The Village Pizzeria family stretches all the way to Italy, aseveryone who has met Sandy, Joe and Jessica have been enamored bytheir love of life.

Speaking of life...Sandy see every day as a gift. As a breast cancersurvivor, she knows that she is here by the grace of God, and treasures

every moment. Sandy invites everyone to help out in the fightagainst breast cancer, by coming to her “Toast to the Ta-Ta’s” on May24th and august 13th to raise funds for the Avon Walk for BreastCancer. With wine, food, fun, and a silent auction of all locallydonated items, it is one wild party you won’t want to miss!

Village Pizzeria and Ristorante is located 10 miles west of SaratogaSprings on Route 29, in the small hamlet of West Galway. 518-882-5431www.villagepizzeria.com


Sandy Foster, Joe Guerrera and Jessica Mancinone

Think of great wine and the famous viticulture regions of the world should come to mind - Tuscany in Italy, Burgundy in France, Napa inCalifornia, Aconcagua in Chili, the Capital Region in New York…wait - the Capital Region? Since when has the Capital Region of New Yorkbeen know as a place for growing grapes? And growing grapes to make wine? Here? Growing grapes north of Albany is a fool's errand, youmight say. Other regions within New York have certainly become renowned for viticulture - the Finger Lakes, Long Island, even the mid-Hudsonvalley. But the north of Albany? The experts have already spoken…its too cold; it's too humid; there's not enough sun; the growing season istoo short. But don't tell that to the few hardy souls who have gone ahead and are doing just that - growing grapes and making wine - in theUpper Hudson Valley. Good wine. Who are they?

ALTAMONT VINEYARD AND WINERYPerhaps the first brave soul to defy the oddsand plant a vineyard north of Albany wasLarry Grossi, a first generation Italianimmigrant who feel in love with a piece ofland in the hills outside of Altamont, in the

northwest part Albany County. The slopinghillside facing the sun's warmth remindedhim of his boyhood home in Italy. And inItaly, grapes are grown everywhere. So whynot here, Larry surmised. He bought theproperty as a place to retire and live hisdream of being a vintner. He bought somevines from the horticulture lab at CornellUniversity, planted them, and they thrived.Larry expanded the vineyard, experimentingwith many types of grapes. His humbleestate, named simply “Larry's Vineyard,”filled with grape vines - 12 acres of them, andthe wines he produced began to win medals.Sadly, at the peak of his craft, Larry Grossihad succumbed to the ravages of lung cancer.

The vines rested..and waited. Until the daythat Louis DiCrescenzo and son Michael weresomehow called to the property. Louis, toowas an Italian immigrant. He, too, wanted tofind a place to retire and make wine. Andthere it was, Larry's Vineyard, waiting for him.Calling him. It was destiny. The DiCrescenzopair acquired the property, and immediatelyset about cleaning up the vineyard.Overgrown and full of weeds, it was adaunting task. But they got it done, and2010 was their first vintage year.

The DiCrescenzo's found that the “terrior” ofthe place could produce wines similar to theclassic European viticulture regions. Thesedimentary rock soils impart a character tothe grapes that is atypical of other New Yorkwines. The Passionne has the earthy flavorthat people have compared to a SpanishGranache. Their Leon Millot is a niceBurgundian style red, similar to a pinot noir -fruit forward with a nice dry finish. Edelweissis a German style white wine similar to thoseproduced in the Rhine River region.

The DiCrescenzo's were smitten. “It's onething to just make wine from someone else'sgrapes,” said Michael. “But it becomes aspiritual thing to grow the grapes and thenmake the wine from them yourself. You cangrow it a specific way that you want, andharvest it when you feel it is ready, so it hasyour signature all over it.”

The weather certainly has challenged theDiCrescenzo pair. Late frost can kill thebudding vines; sometimes it's too dry, othertime it's too wet. And sometimes, the starsalign and everything is perfect. Through itall, the winemaker must make the wine withwhat nature provides. “I can't imagine doinganything else,' said Michael.

Look for Altamont Winery and Vineyard booth

at the Farmers Markets in Ballston Spa, Troy,Schenectady Greenmarket, and the EmpireState Plaza.

AMICI/AMORICI VINEYARD WINERYJoe Messina has been a foodie all his life.With a flair for food, he was drawn into therestaurant business. From there, he built awholesale gourmet food specialty business,delivering things like wild boar and venisonto some of the trendiest restaurants up anddown the east coast. And through it all, therewas the wine. Messina has been makingwine for most of his life, carrying on thetradition of his family heritage. The businessend was conceived after some wineenthusiast friends were impressed with hiscraft, and asked if he could make some forthem in the next batch. “They were seriouscollectors of wine,” recalls Messina, “so theirenthusiasm inspired me to go into thebusiness of winemaking.” There was also alifestyle change in the new venture. Messinahad been looking for something new, so whynot make more wine? He had moved to afarm in the Town of Easton, WashingtonCounty several years prior, and the land, too,was in need of a new purpose. “When thepeople asked me to make wine for them

privately, I looked at my property here and thought, maybe I havesomething here,” he recalled. “So eight years ago, I bought my firstvine stock.”

CHICKENS, DUCKS AND DOGS IN THE VINEYARD? OH, MY!The idea of the winery came from friends sharing wine together. Thus,the name, Amici, which is 'friend' in Italian, is apropos. From theoutset, Messina wanted to grow the grapes biodynamically, withoutchemicals of any kind. A daunting challenge in the humid northeast,even in the best conditions. Many vintners use pesticides to controlthe insect profusion that can plague vineyard in the humid northeast.Messina, eschewing the chemical abatements, has instead brought inchickens. Chicken love bugs. He calls them his Pest Patrol. They eatthe bugs, their larvae, and produce eggs as a by-product. Not bad.

Another problem facing the vintner is the growth of weeds and grassesaround the vines. Left unattended, they compete with the grape vinesfor sun, moisture and nutrients. The common abatement for manyvintners is a chemical herbicide. Messina, looking for natural methods,decided to introduce sheep into the vineyard last year. The result was

good, and bad. The sheep certainly ate the grass, but also took a likingto the grape vines, too. Bye, Bye, black sheep. Undeterred, this yearJoe is trying a new animal companion - ducks. Weed Quackers, to bespecific. A domesticated Mallard, they are voracious eaters of grass,but won't eat woody things like grape vines. And their poo helpsfertilize the soil as they mow. He could be on to something. Whateverthe Weed Quackers don't consume, Messina will occasionally burn theunwanted vegetation with a propane torch.

And then there's Gi Gi, the black lab. “She's an employee here, justlike the chickens and ducks,” Messina points out. His dog is beingtrained to keep out furry predators, like deer and raccoons, which likethe grapes and the foliage. Gi Gi must also protect her featheredfriends, as they are under constant threat of becoming dinner for a foxor fisher.

IN BACCHUS WE TRUSTMessina is quick to point out that he does not make the wine -Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, is at work here. Messina is merelythe agent of Bacchus, blending and nurturing the product that Bacchushas made. Besides his own grapes, Messina uses grapes from theFinger Lakes to produce a strictly New York grown product. He's alsobuying apples from Saratoga Apple in Schuylerville and honey fromBetterbee in Greenwich to make a special Apple Honey Port, an alllocal product. Amici has added a tasting room last year, and will beopen Friday through Sunday through the summer and fall months.There you can sample the Amici Cabernet Franc, Dry Rose, Dry Riesling,Dry Cayuga and the latest creation, the Easy Street Red.

NATURAL SELECTION VINEYARDWashington County is home to another adventurous soul growinggrapes to make wine. Ken Denburg is full time professor at RPI in Troy,but has a part time obsession of growing fruit on his small farm in thetown of Cambridge. I met Denberg in late April while he was pruningthe vines before the start of the spring growth. He meticulously cutslast year's gangly growth from the primary vines. The wine makingprocess begins with the pruning of the vineyard in the spring, he toldme. Attention to detail here will help the vines produce the best fruitto make the wine.

Denberg planted his first vines about seven years ago. He chose thecold-hardy hybrid grapes like the Marquette from the University ofMinnesota, and Geneva Number 7 from Cornell University. “When Istarted, I didn't know anything about tension wires, or spacing,” hesaid, pointing to the rows of grape vines. “But when I see how it'sturned out, it's turned out all right.”

Before the vineyard, Denberg was primarily a hobby gardener and fruitgrower. “I've been gardening all my life, and got into blueberriesalmost 20 years ago. Then I tried raspberries, but quit because theywere too much work and too much trouble when harvested,” he said.Picked raspberries have a short shelf life and mold easily. The southfacing field behind his home on Darwin Road used to grow corn.Fallow for many years with just hay, Denberg saw it as the perfectplace to plant a vineyard.

It takes 5 years to get a grape vine to a productive stage to harvest,and then fermented and aged at least six months for the white and ayear or more for the reds before bottling. Denberg is only just begunto see the fruits of his labor. In 2010, he produced 300 pounds ofgrapes. In 2011, he got 1200 pounds - a marked increase. “I shouldhave gotten a ton, but the huge amount of rain that came withHurricane Irene damaged a large amount of the crop,” he noted.

Denberg's first go at making wine produced from his own grapes waswith that 2010 harvest. “I made about 200 bottles of wine, and Ipractically gave it away, because I didn't know whether people wouldlike it,” he commented. “And it went so quickly, I couldn't believe it.”People were very pleased with it and he was flattered by theircomments about the quality. In 2011, he sold somewhere around 250gallons, with the demand for the outstripping his supply. At the peak,he was selling about 100 bottles a week. When I asked if he wishedhe had more, Denberg said he's that it's a good problem to have.“You want demand high, supply will catch up with it later,” hequipped.

When it works, it works really, really well. With a good crop comesgood wine. When it doesn't work, then it's very frustrating. There area lot of variables, and there's a lot of risk. Mother Nature is in control.“If you're not willing to gamble, then you're in the wrong game,”Denberg advised. “So I'm not quitting my day job…yet.”

In addition to good weather, wine needs time. Denberg lets hissignature Handsome Farmer Red sit for one solid year in oak barrels.It's made of a blend of the Marquette and Geneva grapes. The actualproportions are a trade secret. When it comes to the flavor, Denbergsays that the best strategy is to let wine speak for itself, “I say aslittle as possible. I could say anything about it - it's got this flavor orthat. But people just want to know that it's good!”

Denberg's dream is to retire from academia soon and put his passiontoward the vineyard, and the wine. “It's been quite a time here,” hesaid with a smile. “I wish I had started it twenty years ago!”

LEDGE ROCK HILL WINERYIf some people think it's a crazy idea to attempt to grow grapes in theUpper Hudson Valley, then Gary Akrop must be a real nut job. Akrop's

Ledge Rock Hill Winery is in the Adirondacks, a place better know forSpruces and Pines than grapes. But up on the flank of a mountain justsouth of the Great Sacandaga Lake, Akrop has planted a smallvineyard of Marquette grapes, and now has the coveted distinction of“Adirondack Grown” for one of his many wines.

Going north out of Saratoga Springs, Just south of the village ofCorinth, a little sign on the edge of the road reads simply “Winery”with an arrow pointing left. Follow the signs up and around and thendown. And when you think you missed it, there it is - a gravel driveleading up to an unpretentious board and batten structure tucked intothe woods. Don't let the drive, nor the appearance fool you. Inside,the wine is fine.

Gary Akrop is bit of a control freak when it comes to making wine. Hestarted in the early 1980's, and in his pursuit of good grapes, hewasn't happy just buying the grapes, he wanted to oversee thegrapes. In order to control the process - the pruning, the maintaining,the harvesting, he ended up leasing two blocks of vines from aCalifornia vineyard near Napa. He's since gone on to lease additionalvines in the Finger Lakes of New York for the Marquette grape. “Ideveloped a relationship with these farmers and they allow me tocontrol the process,” Akrop remarked. He travels to visit his grapes acouple of times a year, and has them harvested and shipped to hiswinery on his command.

Akrop seems to revel in the detail. “My approach to wine making isthat, the simpler you make process the simpler the wine becomes,” henoted. “The complexity dies. The harder the process is - lifting thebarrels, cleaning the barrels, things some people try to get away fromthe business, it adds complexity to the wine.” The species of oak, howthey are made, and of course, the grapes that go into them, and the

aging time - all of important, says Akrop. Hepurchases his oak barrels from old worldcraftsmen who build them the same way asthere fathers and grandfathers did. Thebarrel-making is a craft, just as is thewinemaking. And just as important as thegrapes, say Akrop.

Because Gary Akrop's passion is making finewine, his goal has been to feature the best ofCalifornia and New York's Finger Lakes at thisobscure location in the southern Adirondacks.In his desire to make a New York only product,he found the Marquette grape to be wellsuited for cold temperatures. He saw itperform successfully in the Finger Lakes, sowhy not try to grow some in the Adirondacks?Akrop set about clearing about an acre, andplanted a block of the Marquette grapes. Thereached maturity last year, and Akrop nowproudly claims to have made the first winemade with 100% Adirondack grown grapes.He is pretty excited, because his Finger LakesMarquette has been winning medals. “My2009 won a double gold in a contest inFlorida, even though it was a terrible growingseason in the Finger Lakes,” he exclaimed.Akrop continued, “My 2010 medaled inanother contest, and it contained 20% of myAdirondack grapes in it. The 2011 release will

be 100% my own grapes.” “Would you liketo try some?” he asked. Of course, I said, andwith that, he dipped the wine thief into abarrel and poured the contents into a wineglass. The red liquid shimmered in the dimlight of the aging room. I took a sip, and thecherry and chocolate flavor notes danced inmy palette. Hmm - Adirondack Red…it's gota nice ring to it. Sounds like a winner. I'lldrink to that!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:Altamont Vineyard Winery, 3001 Furbeck Rd., Altamont,NY 12009, (518) 355 8100, www.altamontwinery.com

Amici/Amorici Winery, 637 Colonel Burch Rd.,Valley Falls, NY 12185. Call (518) 330-7357.www.amicivineyard.com

Natural Selection Vineyard, 85 Darwin Rd., Cambridge,NY 12816. Call (518) 677-5208

Ledge Rock Hill Winery, 41 Stewart Dam Rd., Corinth,NY 12822 Call (518) 654-5467. www.lrhwinery.com


Now sharpening reel lawn mowers.


Hearty, robust, vigorous, strong, sound,well. What do all these words have incommon? They describe health, a generalphysical condition of wholesomeness,freedom from ailment, in other words,soundness. Health can be used to describean individual, the economy, theenvironment and even a community. Andinterestingly enough, food is the commondenominator for all these not-so-separatesystems. Food connects us all.

Healthy individuals are nourished bywholesome foods, foods that are minimallyprocessed, fresh, and perhaps even locallygrown. We have heard "you are what you eat" for good reason.Consumption of foods with ample nutrients and fiber are what ourbodies need not only for sustenance, but to provide energy, to helpwith immunity and for growth and development in our early years.Empty calories of highly processed foods may give us temporaryenergy, but contribute significantly to our growing obesity. As ourwaist-lines expand, so too does the list of weight related illnesses:heart disease, diabetes, and stroke just to name a few. If we want tobe healthy, we have to eat healthy. We don't necessarily have to relyon medications for treatment to some of these weight-relatedillnesses. We can be proactive. Good foundations not only contributeto solid structures, they also build healthy bodies. A healthy diet is thevery beginning.

We can choose to build that foundation with highly processed foodsor we can choose fresh fruits and vegetables. And better yet ischoosing locally grown fruits and vegetables. In this way we are notonly nourishing ourselves, but with our purchasing dollars we arecontributing to our local businesses, helping to maintain healthycommunities. Agriculture has long been the foundation to small, rural

towns and villages. Farmers buy suppliesand equipment, they require local services,and they participate and volunteer in civicpositions. The money that a local farmerspends travels throughout a community inwhat is known as the "multiplier effect".When you spend your dollar buying aWashington State apple, the money getsdivided up among all those participatingin this long national food system: theretailer, the distributor, the packer andfinally back to the farmer in Washington.But when you buy a New York appledirectly from a New York farmer yourmoney goes directly to the farmer who in

turn purchases, invests and contributes to his or her local community.Being careful about what you purchase is as important as where youpurchase.

Healthy food connects healthy people, healthy farms and healthycommunities. The best source for healthy food is local, naturally raisedfood. Due to the natural aging process, fresh fruits and vegetables thattravel thousands of miles, loose nutrients along the way. Not only islocal food more nutritious but it tastes better. That's becausecommercial varieties were developed for their transportation qualities,not for taste. For example, the most flavorful strawberry is onlyavailable from a local farm, because these berries don't ship well. Youalso don't have to pay for the packaging materials and the shippingcharges when the farm you buy from is just down the road.You reducethe amount of environmental pollutants and contribute to a healthierenvironment. When you get to know your local farmer you get toknow who grows your food, and how it's grown. Developing a goodworking relationship with a local farmer is like developing your ownfood security plan. Healthy people, healthy farms and healthyenvironments are possible when the choice is made to buy local.

LOCAL FRESHFOODS

STORY BY DAVID DELOZIER AND NATE DARROW

FOR THE REGIONAL FARM AND FOOD PROJECT

THE BASIS OF HEALTH

Making a healthy local food choice is not always easy. It might meanan extra stop on the way home from work. It might require givingup a weekend morning to go picking. Buying local may require youto learn some new skills, like cooking from scratch or learning howto freeze, can or dry certain foods. Eating well may require you togive up you favorite fast-food restaurant and to look more carefullyat your home town diner's menu. You may have to make specificrequests of your local farmer, your local grocery store, or even yourlocal school. Honest rewards, like good health, come to those whoare willing to make such an effort.

You will not be alone however. Across this country, around theglobe, people are looking to reclaim their health, their communitiesand their economy and food- nutritious, local, wholesome freshfood- is at the foundation of their fight.

Health is a choice and your purchasing dollar is powerful to buildinglocal health. The decision to buy fresh, wholesome and localpositively benefits yourself, your local farm, your local economy, yourlocal community and your local environment. The choice to buy localmay not be easy, but it will be effective and the results long lasting.We hope you choose to buy fresh and local and we hope that youwill join us to learn more.


Join Us: An Invitation from Slow Food Saratoga RegionIn 1986 Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini stood in front of the Spanish Stepsin Rome, pasta in hand, protesting what would be the first McDonalds in Italy.Meanwhile in California, chef Alice Waters became the leader of farm freshcuisine through her passion to serve the highest quality food in her restaurantChez Panisse. The seeds of the Slow Food Movement were planted whenpeople all over the world sensed a threat to local food culture. Both Petriniand Waters saw that the presence of powerful agribusiness and theirhomogenized food products easily dominated the local farmer growingheirloom vegetables or raising a heritage breed of pig in danger of extinction.Today big business is even more of a threat to local food culture, ourcommunity’s collective knowledge of food, and the diversity that makes itunique and wonderful.

Slow Food is an international movement that supports local food andsustainability. What makes Slow Food unique is that the activism stems fromemotion.At the core of Slow Food is the fact that enjoying food makes life moremeaningful. Some people would argue that there is a lot of joy in a Big Mac,but I think it’s hard to argue that eating a Big Mac is meaningful. When yourespect the food you eat, because you’ve walked on the land where it grew orbecause you know the person who raised it, you show respect for yourself andrespect for the environment. When you sit down with your family for a healthy,delicious meal and everyone is smiling because they can taste the difference,there is so much meaning in that. The kind of meaning that makes lifememorable. It’s not the rushing around, or eating hastily in the car that matters;it’s taking the time to make the right food choices, and putting emotion intopreparing it for the people you love. If you can take the time to make morethoughtful decisions about food (and why can’t you?), slow is better.

Part of Slow Food Saratoga Region’s mission is food education; showing kidsthat carrots come covered in dirt, and exposing people to things they’venever tasted. On a local level we want people to be excited about food. Firstcomes the magic and surprise of tasting something new, then theappreciation, and then respect for the people and land that make it allpossible.

Slow Food’s mission is to support Good, Clean and Fair food and the goal isto make these choices more widely available. The Farmers’ Market may seemexpensive at first, but the truth is that the real cost of food at the supermarketis externalized and the burden falls on the environment. In America webelieve that bigger is better, but if we can downsize our appetites and besatisfied with better quality in a smaller quantity, we’ll be better off. Insteadof eating steak everyday, preparing it once for a big Sunday feast becomes acelebration, something to look forward to and savor.

We also want to get people excited about preparing food. There is so muchmagic in creating a meal that is more than the sum of its parts. Our potluckdinners are a great opportunity for people to come together, share recipesand linger over the wonders of cooking.

In the Capital Region and upstate New York we have a food culture to beproud of. We are surrounded by farms that grow beautiful produce all yearround, and our farmers are open and welcoming. We can find locally raisedmeat and artisanal cheeses and we can buy them directly from the producer.Celebrating food and preserving our local food culture go hand in hand.Come join us for a potluck dinner or one of our restaurant meals, bring thekids to a farm tour, join our mailing list so we can share our passion for foodwith you. By connecting through food and beginning this journey of pleasure,appreciation and respect, our local food culture will grow and thrive.

~ Arielle Landsberg, President Slow Food Saratoga Region


As a young boy in Ireland, living on a remote farm,with no electricity or running water, evenings wereclustered around a huge peat fire, oil lamps andcandles spluttering, as storyteller after storytelleracted out and repeated beloved and familiarstories.

What do I remember? Well – as we suspect -memory is a broken mirror.

Some mirror shards illustrate memories so vividand intense you can smell, hear, taste and relive theoriginal experience. Some are fainter, like old sepiaimages, faded by the sun, and you have to half-close your eyes - to catch faint glimpses. Some aremissing – but this is where your imagination canweave an extraordinary tapestry – connecting andfilling in the gaps, and creating your own beautifulmemories.

I loved rainy weather best of all. Lying in bedlistening to the rain hammer down on the tin roofwas the music of my life. But the next morning, stilldark, farming started – and my first task – was tocatch and put a bridal on that Machiavellian horse!

Needless to say a superior intellect, a oldracehorse’s desire for retribution, and a sense ofhumor won out, in other words the horse alwayshad the upper hoof. After steering me throughevery thistle patch and cow pat cluster in the field,he would allow me to catch-up. I would lie on theground next to this monster, knackered, gulping airlike a drowning man, and I swear the horse wouldsnicker and laugh, as he looked down at me, thosebig white teeth gleaming in the half-light of dawn.

Then - collecting eggs, milking, cleaning up, and a

monster breakfast of eggs, toast, butter, jam, springcabbage, fried mushrooms, and meat or fish whenwe had it. Then often my grandmother would giveme a list of herbs, lichens, mushrooms and roots,nuts and berries, I needed to collect in the fieldsand woods above the farm.

By noon I would often sit down on the hillside,watching the wind-shadows waving the high grassaround me, as though I was on a raft on the ocean.And I would look down at the farm. I know nowthe sense of joy I felt was familiarity andbelonging, community and family, and the reality ofbeing connected to something meaningful.

And now I find myself so far from my roots, farfrom my connection, from my investment in theearth, far from my community - it seems I amlosing part of my memory.

My portal to my past, to my history, to myexperiences are in the Farmer’s Market in SaratogaSprings, or in the one Port Townsend, Washington,or in Freemont in Seattle, or wherever the roots ofmemory force their way through and remind me ofa different time and a magical place.

I feel a deep sense of gratitude to these wonderfulpeople, who provide us with food neitherprocessed nor packaged; preserved or transported;enriched or sweetened; enhanced or modified, orhermetically sealed and needing a label to warnsus about a chemical brew of ‘extra’ ingredients,which have been proven non lethal to rats.

And yes, I am guilty of taking for granted theprocess of getting food onto my fork. Where did itcome from, who grew it, what is their story, andwhy do they persist in a lifestyle, which isbecoming increasingly difficult?

I used to bury my hands in the black earth ofcentral Tipperary – now I put them in my pocket fora credit card or phone, which magically makes foodappear?

I can see my grandparent’s faces, and while theyembraced technology, a crackling radio running offa tractor battery, I am not sure they would see theconnection. And unfortunately, I am not sure I doanymore?

However, I am sustained by Yeats again…

By Kevin B. Carey, Communication Coach at lifestylized.com

Life… Stylized!

Memory is a Broken Mirror

“Think you're escaping and run intoyourself. Longest way round is the shortest way home” -James Joyce

“The innocent and the beautiful haveno enemy but time.” -Yeats

“I hear the wind a blow, I hear the grassa grow, And all that I know, I know.

But I will not speak, I will run away” -Yeats

“Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him

through temporary periods of joy.”

The area code for all phone numbers is 518, unless otherwise specified.

Featured Listings:

Ballston Spa Farmers MarketWiswall Park, Ballston Spa Thursdays 3-6PM; Saturdays 9AM-noonwww.ballston.orgLocated in the charming Village of Ballston Spa, The Ballston SpaFarmers Market offers customers a great selection of local productsincluding seasonal fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese,yogurt, honey, maple syrup, and a large variety of locally madegourmet foods. The market also has several bakers, greenhousegrowers, quality handcrafted items and a knife sharpening service.Come see our variety and small town charm!

Saratoga Farmers MarketHigh Rock Park Pavillion, High Rock Avenue, Saratoga Springs.Saturdays 9AM-1PM; Wednesdays 3-6PM.www.saratogafarmersmarket.orgEverything sold at the Saratoga Farmers Market must be grown orproduced by the vendors. This has been our policy since our firstmarket opened 33 years ago! You'll find an abundance of fruits,vegetables, meats, eggs, poultry, milk, cheese, baked goods, soaps,jams, yogurt, bedding plants, cut flowers, herbs, apples, honey andso much more! Don't miss the live music, special events and foodtastings. Come for the food, stay for the fun. We zccepts EBTcards and FMNP coupons

Schenectady GreenmarketAround City Hall, Jay Street, SchenectadySundays 10AM-2PM www.schenectadygreenmarket.comSchenectady Greenmarket is a year-round market held Sundays 10-2. November-April inside Proctors, May-October around CityHall. Enjoy live music, prepared food and the region's freshestgreens, herbs, vegetables, fruit, cider, eggs, milk, cheese, bakedgood, muesli, peanut butter, honey, jelly, jam, tea, beef, chicken,pork, wine, pesto, artisanal wares, plants, flowers, pottery,demonstrations, children's activities and community groups!

Farmers Markets

Garden with Local Plants this year!

High Rock Park PavilionSaturdays 9am-1pmWednesdays 3-6pm

www.saratogafarmersmarket.org

High Rock Park PavilionSaturdays 9am-1pmWednesdays 3-6pm

www.saratogafarmersmarket.org

Welcome to the 2012 eco-LOCAL Farmto Fork Guide. Here you'll find anamazing bounty of local food and otheragricultural products available at farms,

grocery stores, restaurants, farmers' markets and retailoutlets throughout the Capital/Saratoga Region of NewYork. Whether you're planning your weeklyshopping...heading out for a great meal...or looking forthat special gift, we encourage you to visit one of themany farms or businesses featured here and show yoursupport for the people who help keep our localeconomy strong and vibrant.

Buying locally-grown food keepsmoney in the local economy,supporting your neighbors •Cooking with locally-grown foodmakes it easy to eat nutritiously • Buying locally-grownfood connects you to farms and farmers • Locally-grownfood is an investment in our working landscape •Locally-grown food can reduce energy demands throughdecreased transportation distances and minimalpackaging • Local farmers carry on our region's foodtraditions, including raising heirloom varieties ofproduce and livestock not commonly found in thecommercial marketplace.

FARM to FORK GUIDE



Troy Waterfront Farmers Market Wednesdays 2:30-6PM on 3rd Street at the entrance to the AtriumSaturdays 9AM-1PM on River Street www.troymarket.orgWe are more than a farmers market! For over 11 years we’veprovided a community gathering place with music, great food, andfamily activities! Savvy shoppers from across the Capital Regioncome to shop, dine, gather and enjoy with family and friends. Weare now open on Wednesdays in front of the Troy Atrium on 3rdStreet. Won’t you join us?

Warrensburgh Riverfront Farmers MarketRiver Street, across from Curtis LumberFridays 3-6 PM www.adirondackharvest.orgThe best of the north country farms is available to you from May -October at The Warrensburgh Riverfront Farmers' Market, a"producer only" market, limiting sales to locally grown, raised andprepared products including produce, plants, cut flowers, dairy,poultry, meats maple syrup, honey, wine, preserves, baked goods andrefreshments.

Additional listings:Altamont Farmers Market, Orsini Park, Altamont Train Station, Main Street and Maple Avenue, Altamont. Saturdays, 9 AM-1 PM.Brunswick Farmers Market, Rt. 7 at the Town Office, Saturdays, 9AM - 1PM. Burnt Hills Farmers Market, Dollar General Plaza, 772 Saratoga Rd. (Rt.50), Saturdays, 9AM - 1PM. Cambridge Farmers Market, Cambridge Freight Yard, Cambridge.Sundays, 10AM-2PM.Clifton Park Farmers' Market, St. George's Church, Rt. 146, CliftonPark. Thursdays, 2-5PM July - OctoberCapital District Farmers Market, 381 Broadway, Menands. Saturdays,8AM-1PM; Sundays, 12-4 PM. Wholesale Farmers Market is held everyMonday, Wednesday and Friday. The Saturday Retail Market is from 9AM-1PM.Central Avenue Farmers Market, 339 Central Ave. (the Linda/WAMC parking lot), Albany. Saturdays, 10AM-1PM.Cohoes Farmers Market, parking lot next to Smith's Restaurant, Cohoes.Fridays, 4-7PM.Farmers Market at The Crossing, Crossings Park, 580 Albany ShakerRoad, Colonie. Saturdays, 9AM-1PM.Delaware Area Neighborhood Farmers Market, St. James Church, 391Delaware Ave., Albany. Tuesdays, 4-7PM.Delmar Farmers Market, First United Methodist Church, 428 Kenwood Ave., Delmar. Tuesdays, 2:30-6PM.Delmar Saturday Farmers Market, Bethlehem Central Middle School,322 Kenwood Ave., Delmar. Saturdays, 9AM-1PM.Downtown Albany Farmers Market, Tricentennial Park, Broadway,Albany. Thursdays, 11AM-2PM.Duanesburg, Canal Street Station Farmers Market, Canal St. Station Railroad Village, 2100 Western Turnpike, Duanesburg,Wednesdays 4PM-7PM, Sundays noon-3PM.Empire State Plaza Farmers Market, north end of ESP opposite theCapitol, Albany. Wednesdays and Fridays, 10AM-2PM.Fort Edward Farmers Market, Broadway Bowl parking lot, Route 4, FortEdward. Fridays, 10AM-1PM.Fort Plain Farmers Market, Legion Street lot, behind Haslett Park.Thursdays 4-7PM.Glens Falls Farmers Market, South Street Market Pavilion, Glens Falls. Saturdays, 8AM-noon.Gloversville Farmers Market, Bleeker Square, pavilion behind Church,Gloversville. Saturdays 8AM-noon.Granville Farmers Market, Main Street, next to the old train station,Granville. Mondays, 2-5PM.


Greenwich - Farmers Market at 70 Main, 70 Main St., Greenwich.Wednesdays, 3-6PM. www.seventymain.comHudson Falls Farmers Market, Sutherland Pet Store, 1161 Dix Ave.,Hudson Falls. Tuesdays, 10AM-1PM.Malta Farmers Market, Malta Community Center, Rt. 9, MaltaTuesdays 3-6PM. Middle Granville Farmers Market, Middle Granville Road, Granville.Mondays, 2-5PM.New Baltimore Farmers Market, Wyche Park, New Baltimore Road,New Baltimore. Saturdays, 9AM-1PM.Prestwick Chase at Saratoga Farmers Market, 100 Saratoga Blvd.,Saratoga Springs. Mondays, 3-6PM.Queensbury Farmers Market, Elks Lodge, 23 Cronin Road,Queensbury. Mondays, 3-6PM.Salem Farmers Market, Salem Village Park, Salem. Saturdays, 10AM-1PM.Schenectady Farmers Market, in front of City Hall, Jay Street,Schenectady. Thursdays, 9AM-2PM.Schenectady Union Street Farmers Market, Upper Union Street behindTrustco Bank. Saturdays, 9AM-1PM.South Glens Falls Farmers Market, Village Park, Glens Falls. Mondays,10AM-1PMState Campus Farmers Market, Harriman State Office Campus VendorPark. Thursdays, 10AM-2PM.Voorheesville Farmers Market, 68 Maple Ave. (Rt. 85A), Voorheesville,Fridays 3PM-6PM. Accepts EBT.Waterford Farmers Market, Waterford Visitors Center, One TugboatAlley, Waterford. Sundays, 9AM-2PM.Watervliet Farmers Market, 13th Street and 2nd Avenue, Watervliet.Tuesdays, 2-5PM.

Featured Listings:

Cambridge Village Co-op,1 West Main Street, Cambridge, Washington County 677-5731 www.cambridgefoodcoop.comThe Cambridge Food Co-op has been serving the Battenkill Valleytowns with wholesome, affordable natural foods for over 30 years.Our store serves both members and the public, selling local organicproduce and products, like fresh cheeses and fresh baked whole-grain breads. We carry a broad variety of delicious, natural,wholesome foods, wild fish and pasture-raised beef. We cater toindividual nutritional concerns by carrying a wide selection ofgluten-free products. Special orders are also available. We alsoindulge our palates with international gourmet foods. We provideshopping efficiency with bulk and case-lot pre-ordering and wepass on greater savings with bulk food pricing and inexpensive bulkseasonings and grains. Open Mon - Sat 10 -6, Thurs until 8pmSunday 11-2:30.

For Earth's Sake120 West Avenue, Suite 102, Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County306-6605, [email protected] www.forearthssake.comA Unique Health Food Store and Eco-friendly boutique Wesupport local food and flavors, featuring many locally produceditems. We also carry a full line of whole food vitamins andsupplements, natural cosmetics, and cool gifts with a conscience.Come and see what all the excitement is about!

Four Seasons Natural Foods & Cafe33 Phila St. Saratoga Springs, SaratogaCounty 584-5670 www.fourseasonsnaturalfoods.comFour Seasons Natural Foods Store and Cafe is located inDowntown Saratoga Springs, New York. In our retail store, weoffer a full array of natural foods groceries, organic produce, teas,coffees, supplements, personal care and aromatherapy. We carrymany locally produced items as well. If you can't find it, just ask!Our cafe serves lunch and dinner and is unique in the area. Weoffer hot and cold entrees, soups, salads, fresh breads and muffins,homemade desserts, teas, coffees and cold beverages. Most dishesare vegan and all are vegetarian. Since 1988, we have been serving ourcommunity with natural products and healthy fare in a wholesome andfun setting!

Green Grocer1505 Route 9, Halfmoon, Saratoga County383-1613 [email protected] www.thegreengrocer.comThe Green Grocer is committed to your health and well being.Not a chain or franchise, but a real locally-owned and operatedgrocer - something of a rarity these days. Come in see whatpersonal service is all about. We have all your vitamin andsupplement needs, and of course the best in organic produce andbody care. Conveniently located on Rt. 9 in Halfmoon, we are justminutes away from where you are.

Glens Falls Food Co-op1338 Route 9, at exit N'way 17N, Moreau, Saratoga [email protected] www.gffoodcoop.orgThe newest food co-op in the community is now open, inside theRock Hill Bakehouse, just off exit 17N. Open to the public, orjoin as a working member and help build a community asset. Westrive to bring the best of what's available locally and regionally.Keep you money working in the community - shop the co-op!

Honest Weight Food Co-op484 Central Avenue, Albany, Albany County482-2667 www.hwfc.comHonest Weight Food Co-op is the Capital Region's onlycommunity-owned and operated-grocery store. Our mission is toprovide the community with affordable, high quality natural foodsand products for healthy living. Specializing in organic & locallygrown produce, bulk foods, natural groceries, local meats, gourmetcheese & specialty items, natural health and body care and muchmore! Open Mon-Friday 7am- 9pm, Sat-Sun: 8am-8pm

Medusa General Store6 Red Barn Lane, Medusa, Albany County239-6980 Faceboock.com/MedusaGeneralStoreHaven't been to Medusa? Then where have you been? You MUSTset your GPS and go to the Medusa General Store, up in thesouthwest Albany County hilltowns. MGS is a living, breathingexample of the Ma and Pa country store, complete with its oldschool post office and single gas pump. Owners April and JasonCaprio have updated it to include local produce and meats, and afull line of cool organic and natural products. MGS is truly one ofhidden gems of the Capital Region.

Food Co-Ops and Markets

FARM to FORK GUIDE


Rooted In Nature63 Main Street, South Glens Falls, Saratoga County223-0870 Facebook.com/Rooted In NatureWe carry fresh local produce, meat, eggs, milk, yogurt, cheese, bakedgoods and more. We offer gluten free and hard to find specialty items.Special orders available. Some local farms we work with are BrooksideFarm, Kilpatrick Family Farm, Windsong Farm, Battenkill Creamery,Argyle Cheese Farmer, Sugarloaf Farm and Puckers Pickles. Locatedjust over the bridge, open 7 days a week.

Additional listings:Farmiemarket.com, An online farmers market delivering your custom orderto your door weekly; produce, eggs, poultry, meat, herbs, teas, bakery,syrup, honey, wool and more.Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market, 51 N Main St, Gloversville, FultonCounty, 706-0681, Open the public, Mohawk Harvest strive to offer thebest in local and organic produce, and a strong emphasis on locallyproduced food products.Mildred's Meadows, 6560 Duanesburg Rd. (Rt. 7), Duanesburg,Schenectady County, 518-231-2946. Offering locally grown produce,horticulture, artisan food items and crafts.Wild Thyme Whole Food & Tea Co., 108 Milton Avenue, Ballston Spa,Saratoga County, 885-7275. Apothecary and health food store.

Featured Listings:

Battenkill Valley Creamery 691 County Route 3 Salem, Washington County859-2923, [email protected] 2008 Battenkill Valley Creamery began processing and bottlingmilk on their fifth generation, family farm, located in Salem, NY.Battenkill Creamery was awarded the distinction of Best Milk in NewYork” at the 2010 State Fair in Syracuse. Our farm store featuresmany local products and our homemade ice cream. Be sure to stopon by when in the Salem area! We deliver our milk and many otherlocally crafted foods to homes and businesses in the Saratoga Springsarea. Battenkill Valley Creamery is the only local farm producing andbottling their milk in Washington, Warren, and Saratoga County.Come taste the difference!

Berle FarmBeechwood Road, Hoosick Rensselaer County 686-3249www.berlefarm.comProprietor Beatrice Berle has been entirely dedicated to pursuing andexecuting the most environmental and healthful farming practices since1995. Now fully solar powered, Berle Farm is a blend of old and newtechnologies. This beautiful farmstead produces hand-stirred artisancheeses, yogurt, organic beef and seasonal farm goods.. All cheeses areAurora Certified Organic. All grains and grasses for the goats and all themilk for pasteurized and raw milk cheese are produced on the farm.Find our products at Honest Weight Food Co-op, The Green Grocer,and the Cambridge Co-op. Ask for them by name!

Nettle Meadow Farm484 S. Johnsburg Road, Warrensburg, Warren County, 623-3372,[email protected], www.nettlemeadow.comHappy Goats (and sheep) - Great Cheese! Nettle Meadow Farm is a50 acre goat and sheep dairy and cheese company in Thurman, New

Dairy


York just below Crane Mountain. The Farm was originally foundedin 1990 and is the home of over 300 goats, several dozen sheep anda variety of farm sanctuary animals. Nettle Meadow Farm is trulycommitted to the artisanal nature of each of our cheeses, the use ofnatural and organic ingredients, and the well-being of all ouranimals. The farm is normally open Thursday through Mondayfrom 11am to 3pm for cheese sales. Tours are given at 12 noon onSaturdays only.

Additional listings:Argyle Cheese Farmer, 990 Coach Rd., Argyle, NY 12809. 638-8966. Farmstead cheese, yogurt sold at the farm and the Glens Falls, Saratoga and Troy Farmers MarketsBreese Hollow Dairy, 454 Breese Hollow Rd., Hoosick, RensselaerCounty. 518-686-4044. Organic, grass-based dairy permitted to sellfarm fresh raw milk. Pastured poultry and grass fed beef. Homestead Artisans Enterprises, Ft. Edward, Washington County. 518-638-8530, Makers of artisanal cows' milk cheeses, sold at theSaratoga Farmers Market!King Brothers Dairy, 311 King Road, Schuylerville, Saratoga County. Call 695-MILK. A local home delivery business. Our desire is to providethe local community with fresh foods produced right here!Meadowbrook Dairy, RR 443, Clarksville, Albany County. 768-2451.Hormone/antibiotic-free milk in returnable glass bottles, heavy & lightcream. Home delivery in Capital District.Willow Marsh Farm, 343 Hop City Rd, Ballston Spa, Saratoga County.885-8731. Farm store selling, milk, farmstead cheese and greek yogurt, beef veal and pork.Worldling's Pleasure Fine Gourmet Specialties, 1533 8th Ave.Watervliet, 879-2306. Gourmet cheese spreads and condiments usinglocally sourced ingredients

Featured Listings:

Rock Hill Bakehouse and Café16 Exchange St. Glens Falls, Warren County, 615-0777 www.rockhillbakehouse.comThe one that started the artisan bread revival! Handmade time-tested methods of baking bread that have set the standard for craft.We are eco-local - procuring our flour from New York farms andmills, minimizing waste, recycling everything, and donating to thelocal food pantries! We feed your mind as well - we supportalternative films and entertainment for the thinking person. Findus also at the Saratoga Farmers Market and the bakeshop on Rt. 9in Moreau, just off Northway exit 17N.

Additional listings:All Good Bakers, 160 A. Quail St., Albany, 463-1349. The CapitalRegion's first Community Supported Bakery ("CSB"). Linda's Country Kitchen, 56 Bridge St., Johnsonville, RensselaerCounty, 753-4726, Homemade pies and baked goods, using local fruitingredients sold at the Saratoga Farmers Market on Wednesdays and theTroy Farmers Market on Saturdays.Murray Hollow Bakers, 392 Murray Hollow Rd., Shushan, WashingtonCounty, 518-854-9790. Baking artisan bread in a wood fired brickAvailable at the Cambridge and Saratoga Farmers Markets and otherselect retailers.

The Placid Baker, 250 Broadway, Troy,Rensselaer County. 326-2657. Bakeshop andcafé, also found at the Troy Farmers MarketRoundhouse Bakery at Pompanuck Farm,494 Chestnut Hill Rd., Cambridge,Washington County. 677-5552. Handmade artisan bread, available atthe Cambridge Village Food Co-op.West Village Café, 63 West Main St., Cambridge, Washington County.677-2777. Bakeshop and Café, also found at the Saratoga FarmersMarketX's and O's Vegan Bakery, 97 4th St., Troy, Rensselaer County. 238-3311. Delicious treats baked from scratch without dairy or eggingredients.

Featured Listings:

Blakemore Farm110 County Route 59A Buskirk, Washington County 677-3677Blakemore Farm grazes a herd of Belted Galloways followingManaged Intensive Grazing (MIG), know as rotational grazing.Cattle are grass-fed start to finish, without grain or addedhormones. Belted Galloways are a heritage breed, generally leandue to extra insulating hair. Our farm is Animal Welfare Approved(AWA). Primary sales are sides of beef, but individual cuts may beavailable.

Bakeries

FARM to FORK GUIDE

Meats / Poultry


Cornell Farm292 Lower Pine Valley Road Hoosick Falls, Rensselaer County 686-5545 www.cornellfarm.netSince 1940 the Cornell Family has produced brown eggs that arerange raised, cage-free, using NO antibiotics or hormones. We mixour feed using our own non-GMO corn, oats, and alfalfa. Over 50types of vegetables & small fruit are grown utilizing seasonextension and many no-spray techniques. Maple Syrup, beddingplants, hanging baskets, fall mums, and vegetable starts areavailable seasonally. We can be found year-round at the TroyWaterfront Farmers Market and the Schenectady Greenmarket.Small square hay bales are also available at the farm. Farm does notreceive visitors.

Elihu Farm 654 Beadle Hill Road, Valley Falls(Easton), Washington County,753-7838, [email protected] pastured life has been the best life for our livestock and poultrysince 1986. The sheep, lambs and poultry often graze 9 months ofthe year, and eat hay outside in winter. The geese are great grazersand are protective companions for the ducks. At fairs and festivalsour sheep, lambs and shorn wool have won many awards. Visit usat the Saratoga Farmers' Market or at Elihu Farm.

Frantzen's Scenic Acres 248 Line Road, Berne, Albany County, 872-1199,[email protected] organic practices we raise your table vegetables, eggs, chicken,Heritage Turkey, goose, duck, rabbit, and Scottish Highland beef.Our animals are raised on pasture where they enjoy foraging andrunning around, while our ducks and geese enjoy swimming in apond. Purchase our products from our table at the Delmar SaturdayFarmers Market or by appointment from the farm. Inquire about ourWinter CSA for 2013. Like us on Facebook!

Long Lesson Farm444 Goosen-Regan Rd., Buskirk, NY 12028, 753-0356www.longlessonangus.comLonglesson Farm is home to North Country Daylilies andLonglesson Angus. We raise all-natural purebred Angus beef on our450 acres. Cows are rotationally grazed during the growing seasonand fed our own hay during the winter. We feed no grain. A grain-free diet is natural and beneficial to the cows, and also better for us,the consumer. We process our meat locally at USDA inspected EagleBridge Custom Meat and Smokehouse. Find our beef at EmpirePlaza, The Crossings, Malta, and Cambridge Farmers Markets, atMax London's and Local Pub in Saratoga Springs, and 50 South inBallston Spa, or visit us at the farm for both beef and daylilies.

Mack Brook Farm312 McEachron Hill Rd., Argyle, Washington County638-6817, [email protected] www.mackbrookfarm.comWe sell 100% grassfed, pasture-raised Angus beef that is good foryou, good for the environment and ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!We are a small, fourth-generation, family-owned farm. Ouranimals are born and raised on our farm and eat only our grass andhay. We sell individual cuts of meat from the store at the farm andwelcome visitors.

Mountain Winds Farm12 Williamson Road, Town of Berne, Albany County, 872-0513, [email protected], mountainwindsfarm.comMountain Winds Farm is family owned and operated. We are thesecond generation on the farm and are raising the third generationto appreciate the effort that farming entails. We raise all naturalBroiler chickens and our laying hens are free ranging. We use noantibiotics, hormones, or preservatives in the feed our chickens eat.Our maple syrup operation is coming into its third season and isunder constant improvement and expansion. We also raisevegetables in season and this year we started harvesting some of ourChristmas trees.

Susie's Climax Creations LLC140 Titus Mill Rd. Climax, Greene County 755-1705,[email protected] www.susiesclimaxcreations.comWe are a small organic fowl farm, with homemade jelly, jams &pickles, located 25 miles south of Albany or at the SchenectadyGreenmarket. Through Permaculture and Sustainable farmingpractices, our birds are provided with quality forage and a humane,productive lifestyle. Using strict organic values, the birds are fed ahand-mixed soy-free feed. Our birds run wild, free, in a naturalenvironment with humane treatment during their entire lifetime.

Tilldale Farm22 Tilley Ln. (just off Rt. 7, 1/4 mile east the Hoosick Riverbridge), Hoosick, Rensselaer County, 686-7779,[email protected] Tilldale Family Farm was established in 1938 along thepicturesque Hoosick River. We raise 100% grassfed, heritage breedcattle and pasture-raised pork. We are NOFA Certified Organic,which assures you of quality and purity. Our primary goal is tonourish you with wholesome food. Come out to the farm and seefor yourself, or find us at the Delmar Farmers Market and the newCheese Traveler shop at 540 Delaware Avenue in Albany.


White Clover Farm20 Graham Lane, Argyle, NY 12809, 638-8263,[email protected], www.whitecloverfarmny.comWhite Clover Farm is a 125 acre farm in Washington County,New York practicing responsible, humane, and environmentallysound livestock management. We're small family farm that iscommitted to providing our customers with healthful anddelicious 100% grass fed and finished beef and pastured heritagebreed pork. Chemicals or pesticides of any kind are NEVER usedon our pastures. Our Animal Welfare Approved herd of BeltedGalloway and Angus cattle enjoys fresh air, sunshine, lush greengrass, fresh water, a stress-free life and stunning views ofVermont's northern Taconic Range. Content and happy cattlemake for delicious and healthful meat.

Additional listings:Anderson Acres, 52 Western Ave., West Charlton, Saratoga County. 882-6050 Angus beef vegetable and flower baskets. Farmstand on Rt. 67 inCharlton Brookside Farm, 125 County Rte. 45, Argyle, Washington County. 638-8972 veal, beef, chicken and turkey. Dall Hollow Farm, 7047 St. Hwy 22, Granville, Washington County,642-9059 USDA Processed lamb and 2 year old classic English muttonas whole and half carcasses, and free range meat chickens and eggs.Free Bird Farm, 497 McKinley Road, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428. 518-673-8822. Certified organic produce and pasture-raised eggs andpoultry available at regional farmer's markets and through our CSA.Foster Farm, 220 W. River Road, Schulyerville, Saratoga County 695-3058. Pasture-raised sheep and poultry.Garden of One/Lady Liberty Farm, 60 Thunder Hill Rd.,Rensselaerville, Albany County, 797-3373. We are an Eco/HolisticEducational Organic Farm & Retreat Center specializing in spirituality,sustainability, heirloom produce, heritage livestock, flower essence,aromatherapy and herbal products.Gordon Farms, 144 Beebe Road, Berne, Albany County 573-7732,Chemical-free, pasture-grazed beef, raised and delivered with the lowestcarbon footprint possible using a local USDA-inspected processingfacility, solar-powered electric fences and geothermal water heating.King Crest Farm, 831 Grooms Road, Rexford, Saratoga County 371-5069. Various cuts of beef and pork.Lewis Waite Farm, 135 Lewis Lane, Greenwich, Washington County518-692-3120. Grass-fed, grass-finished beef and pastured pork.Lane Farm, LLC, 12362 Route 22, Whitehall, Washington County, 499-0229.Maple Hill Farm, 110 Ashdown Road, Ballston Lake, Saratoga County399-4097. Hormone-free, grain-fed beef from polled Hereford cattle.Merck Forest & Farmland Center, 3270 Route 315, Rupert, VT.802.394.7836. Selling pasture-raised lamb and pork, eggs from pasturedhens, potatoes, garlic, yarn, fleeces, maple productsNagimor Farm & Kennel, 165 Hite Road, Warnerville, SchoharieCounty 518-254-0021 Naturally raised beef, lamb, pork and chicken. Padgett Farm, Salem, Washington County, 854-9035. Naturally raisedbeef with no antibiotics, no steroids and no growth hormones. Saddled Duck Deer, 14 Whites Beach Road, Ballston Lake, SaratogaCounty. 399-4516. Farm-raised, antibiotic- and hormone-free venisonand rabbit.Sap Bush Hollow Farm, 1314 West Fulton Rd, Warnerville, SchoharieCounty, 234 2105. Grassfed/pastured beef, lamb, pork, gourmetsausages, poultry, eggs, Thanksgiving turkeys, honey, crafts. South Farms Longhorns, 1417 Peaceable St., Charlton, Saratoga County,518- 882-1571. Grass fed Texas Longhorn Beef available at the farm.

Sweet Tree Farm, 138 Karker Road, Carlisle,Schoharie County, 234-7422. Various cuts ofgrass-fed beef, pork and chicken.

Featured Listing:

Locust Grove Smokehouse4725 Route 40, Argyle, Washington County638-8591, [email protected] region's premier USDA processor for beef and pork, operatedby the Tripp family. We support the local farmer and provide andan efficient way for them to bring their product to the market.Our Animal Welfare approved facility ensures that the animals weprocess are humanely treated. Our retail butcher shop features finemeats and many locally crafted products. We are worth the “Tripp”from anywhere. When in Washington County, stop by, we'd loveto see you!

Additional listings:Double L Ranch, 7181 Dunnsville Road, Altamont, Albany County.355-6944 Eagle Bridge Custom Meat and Smokehouse, 139 Center Rd., EagleBridge, Washington County, 677-2702. USDA Inspected, AnimalWelfare Approved.Garden of Spices, 49 Clarks Mills Rd., Greenwich.695-6801. USDApoultry processor.

Featured Listings:

Denison FarmRetail and wholesale market vegetables333 Buttermilk Falls Rd. Schaghticoke, Rensselaer County664-2510 [email protected] www.denisonfarm.comWe are a community supported family farm in the Hudson Valley,farming in Schaghticoke for seven years on the fertile soil that hasbeen the home of the oldest CSA in New York State - ButtermilkFalls Organic Farm. We are certified by a local agency, CertifiedNaturally Grown and we adhere to national organic standards. Weprovide over 470 families a weekly share (22 weeks) of freshvegetables. We deliver to Albany, 2 sites in Clifton Park,Guilderland, Delmar, Niskayuna, Troy, Saratoga, and Round Lake.Shares can also be picked up at the farm and at the Troy andSaratoga Farmers Markets where we sell each Saturday from Maythrough January.

Kilpatrick Family Farm 9778 State Route 22, Middle Granville, Washington County300-4060, [email protected] www.kilpatrickfamilyfarm.comWe are a family-run vegetable farm located in upstate NY near theVermont border. As a four season farm, we grow and sell crops yearround, through farmer's markets, and our Community SupportedAgriculture program (CSA) in Glens Falls and Saratoga. We arestrong supporters of Organic Agriculture and have been CertifiedNaturally Grown since 2005. Learn more about our CSA, Farmers'Markets we attend, and much more on our website. We lookforward to serving you.

FARM to FORK GUIDE

Meat Processors

Produce


Long Days Farm42 Durfee Road Buskirk, Washington County [email protected] www.longdaysfarm.com Our small farm and stand are located in southern WashingtonCounty. We grow a wide variety of vegetables and berries, includingmany unusual varieties, using natural and sustainable practices.Our Heritage laying hens wander freely throughout our propertyand produce fantastic eggs. In the fall, we sell pasture-raisedbroilers and roasters. Look for our painted signs on County Rt. 74in South Cambridge.

New Minglewood Farm99 County Route 52 Greenwich, Washington County692-8579, [email protected] www.newminglewoodfarm.comNew Minglewood Farm grows a wide variety of vegetables,specializing in salad and cooking greens, heirloom tomatoes,sprouts, and shoots, fingerling potatoes, and shitake mushrooms.All of our products are Certified Organic and available from Mayto October at the Saratoga Farmers Market. We pride ourselves onproducing the highest quality 'hand-crafted' food possible! Farmdoes not receive visitors.

Additional listings:Black Horse Farms, Route 9W, Coxsackie, 943-9324. Seasonal cutflowers and vegetables.Country Garden, 3712 Consaul Road, Schenectady, 346-1996. Seasonalfruits and vegetables, pick-your-own berry patches.Freebird Farm, 497 McKinley Road, Palatine Bridge, 673-8822. Garlic.Fox Creek Farm, Fox Creek Farm Road, Schoharie, 873-2375. Organicgarlic.George's Farm, 240 Wade Road, Latham, 785-4210. Various seasonalvegetables.Glenville Berry Farm, 653 Swaggertown Road, Scotia, 399-3549.Vegetables, berries and melons.Happenchance Farm, 396 County Rt. 68, Eagle Bridge WashingtonCounty, 686-0750. Certified Organic family farm growing mixedvegetables, greens, melons, flowers, strawberries, vegetable & herbtransplants.Krug Farm, 65 Everett Road, Albany, 482-5406. Greenhouse products,sweet corn and vegetables.Lansing's Farm Market, 204 Lishakill Road, Colonie, 464-0889.Seasonal produce, pick-your-own vegetables and berries.OAFP Farm Stand, 296 Town Office Rd., Brunswuick, RensselaerCounty. 279- 9721, Growers of heirloom vegetables, berries and saladgreensOreshan Farms, Route 9, Latham, 785-0217. Seasonal vegetables, sweet corn.Our Family's Harvest, 245 New Scotland Road, Slingerlands, 768-2344. Retail outlet for Stanton's Feura Farms seasonal produce.Paper Dragon Farms, 4683 Route 9, Corinth, 893-0726. Organicvegetables, tomatoes and pumpkins.Pigliavento Farm, 3535 E. Lydius St., Schenectady, 356-9188. Seasonal produce.Quincy Farm, Easton, Washington County, 290-0296: Naturally-grownveggies for Ballston Spa CSA and local farmers' markets."Slack Hollow Farm, 177 Gilchrist Road, Argyle, 638-6125. Organicseasonal vegetables.Tarbox Earth's Bounty Farm & Market, 1533 Rt 7, Brunswick,Rensselaer County, 518-279-9517. Seven miles east of Troy. Open Daily

9 AM - 6 PM. The farm raises a variety of vegetables, and small fruit,and USDA beef cuts. Underwood's Shushan Valley Hydro Farm, 588 Juniper Swamp Rd.,Shushan, Washington County, 518-854-9564. Growing Hydroponictomatoes and herbs. Available in Hannaford supermarkets or the majorFarmers Markets

Featured Listings:

Clark Dahlia Gardens and Greenhouses,Anna Mae's Jams 139 Hop City Road, Ballston Spa, Saratoga County, 885-7356,[email protected] Farm is located on Hop City Road, 3 mile south of StateRoute 67 west out of Ballston Spa. Herbs, bedding and vegetableplants, hanging baskets, some flowers are in greenhouses. We havea tomato house filled with tomatoes. Our orchard has apples,pears, apricots, and sour cherries. Rhubarb, red and blackraspberries, juneberries, red and white, and black currants,Tayberries and jost berries are also grown. All these fruits are madeinto wonderful homemade jams, available for sale at the SaratogaFarmers Market and select retailers.

Predel's Ranch59 Garnsey Road, Rexford, Saratoga County, 399-0265www.predelsranch.comPredel's Ranch is a farm, store and one-stop shop for locallysourced food and non-food items. We offer our own pasture-raised Angus beef, with no hormones or steroids and we don'tcolor our meats with dyes. We also have naturally raised pork andchicken, and our eggs are from happy free-ranging chickens. Wealso stock many locally made items such as Alabu soaps and Pedebrothers pasta sauce. Stop in and see why we say, “Naturally it'sgood…it's from Predel's!” Garnsey Road is just a quarter mileeast of the Rt. 146 4-way intersection at Rexford.

Gardenworks Farm LLC1055 Route 30 Salem, Washington County 854-3250www.Gardenworksfarm.comGardenworks is a family farm nestled in the Black Creek Valleywhere fertile farm fields meet the foothills of theTaconics. Thisspecialty farm grows annuals & perennials & herbs as well as U-Pick blueberries & raspberries, flowers, fresh and dried, and a widevariety of gourds, pumpkins and winter squashes. For theChristmas season, Gardenworks sells Fraser Firs and Balsams alongwith their farm crafted wreaths & kissing balls. The renovateddairy barn is a bustling marketplace of local foods (cheeses, meats,organic vegetables, honey & maple products), handcrafts, floraldesigns and local art. Gardenworks is open everyday from Aprilthrough December.

Heather Ridge Farm989 Broome Center Road, Preston Hollow, Schoharie County239-6234, [email protected] to our solar-powered Farm Store and Bees Knees Café!Great lunches right on the farm! Enjoy mountain views fromshaded picnic tables or eat inside our 1820s farmhouse. Serving our

Orchards, Fruit & Farm Markets


own grassfed meats and pastured poultry with local organicproduce. Saturday lunch, Sunday brunch buffet. 11am-3pm. Farmstore open with retail cuts. Catering available. Farm tours. Year-round meat/poultry CSA.

Lakeside Farms Country Store,Restaurant and Garden Center336 Schauber Road Ballston Lake, Saratoga County399-8359 www.lakesidefarmscidermill.comWe welcome you to slow down and relax. Stop by and browsethrough our country store full of specialty items, unique crafts andgifts. Lakeside features an on premise bakery, deli, fresh produce,cheddar cheeses, maple syrups, honey, molasses, and the originalapple cider donut. Breakfast and Lunch served daily.

Saratoga Apple1174 Route 29 Schuylerville, Saratoga County 695-3131www.saratogaapple.comSaratoga Apple is an orchard and farm market open 7 days a week,12 months a year. We sell a wide variety of apples, cider, freshbaked goods, and produce. We also stock an assortment of local,natural, and healthy food and gifts. Apple cider donuts are madedaily all year round. Pick Your Own apples in September andOctober. Come apple-picking on a weekday for a discount, or visitduring weekends for the festive atmosphere, wagon rides, andspecial events. We grow our apples with great care, using low-spraytechniques and micronutrient fertilization. A limited quantity ofbiologique apples are available upon request. You can find us atmany regional farmer's markets, including both summer andwinter markets.

Shaker Shed Farm Market945 Watervliet Shaker Road, Colonie, Albany County518-869-3662, [email protected] the Shaker Shed Farm Market the greenhouses are full ofbedding plants, Proven Winners plants, hanging baskets,perennials, herbs, rose bushes, and vegetable plants. Some localproduce is coming out, including strawberries and asparagus.When July rolls around, the Shaker Shed is known for its sweetcorn which is picked fresh daily. There are also local tomatoes,peppers, and fruits. Take a break and visit our café, open 9am-3pmdaily.

Additional listings:Altamont Orchards, 6654 Dunnsville Road, Altamont, 861-6515,altamontorchards.com. Apples, cider, cider donuts, pies and specialtyitems; pick-your-own on weekends.Buhrmaster Family Farm, Scotia 518-399-5931A family farm offering fruit, vegetables and annuals. The Berry Patch, 15589 NY Route 22, Stephentown, Rensselaer County.733-6772 Locally produced berries, vegetables, fruit, fresh flowers, home-made baked goods and other local foods.Bowman Orchards, 141 Sugar Hill Road, Rexford, 371-2042, Apples,berries, pumpkins, peaches, pears, sweet corn, soups, syrups, fruit butters,donuts.DeVoes' Rainbow Orchard, 569 Route 9, Clifton Park, SaratogaCounty, 371-8397. apple orchard, farm market local products. Gade Farm, 2479 Western Ave., Guilderland, 869-8019, gadefarm.com.Various seasonal vegetables and fruits, baked goods, dairy, jams andjellies, salsas, soups and syrups.

Golden Harvest Farms, 3074 Route 9,Valatie, 578-7683, goldenharvest farms.com.Open-air fresh farm market, pick-your-ownapples weekends Sept.-Oct.Goold Orchards, 1297 Brookview StationRoad, Castleton, Rensselaer County, 732-7317, goold.com. Pick-your-own apples and berries, produce, cider and cider donuts, fresh-baked andfrozen pies, winery.Hicks Orchard, 18 Hicks Rd., Granville, Washington County, 642-1788.Pick you own apples and fruit, Slyboro Cider maker, August.- OctoberIndian Ladder Farms, 342 Altamont Road, Altamont, Albany County,765-2956, Apples, pumpkins, berries, cider and cider donuts, bakery,café, family activities. Knight Orchards, 325 Goode St., Burnt Hills, Saratoga County 399-5174,. Apples, pears, peaches, plums, vegetables, cider, pies, syrup, honey.Kristy's Barn, 2385 Brookview Road, Castleton, Rensselaer County, 477-6250. Vegetables and fruits in season. Liberty Ridge Farm, 29 Bevis Road, Schaghticoke, 664-1515, Farmmarket, pumpkins, pick-your-own berries, café, family activities.Lindsey's Country Store, Orchard: 267 Sugar Hill Road, Rexford,Saratoga County, 371-5785; Store: 1537 Route 9, Clifton Park, 371-3100. Malta Ridge Orchard & Gardens, 107 Van Aernem Rd Ballston Spa,Saratoga County Call 365-6015. Pick your own apples in season, bakeryitems and produce available at the farm store.Sheldon Farm Market, 4363 State Rte 22, Salem, Washington County,854-9252. Farm store with a diverse selection of local, regional andinternational products.Smith's Orchard Bake Shop, 4561 Jockey St., Charlton, SaratogaCounty882-6598. Farm store features meats, eggs, fruits and vegetables grownon the farm as well as our famous baked goods from the kitchen.Yonder Farms Cider Mill & Bake Shop, 4301 Albany St, Colonie,Albany County, 456-6823. Bake Shop and Gifts

Featured Listings:

Balet Flowers & Design5041 Nelson Ave. Ext., Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County584-8555, [email protected], www.baletflowers.comBalet Flowers and Design provides high quality plants, flowers, andpottery to customers around the Saratoga region. Our greenhouseand flower farm produces vibrant annuals, perennials, vegetableand herb plants and cut flowers as well as seasonal plant and flowerarrangements. We also work with wedding parties and others,planning special occasions to create elegant floral designs withunique country flair. Find us at the Saratoga Farmers Market!

Bob's Trees1227 West Galway Road, West Galway, Saratoga County 882-9455, [email protected], www.bobstrees.comLooking to beautify your yard, buy local & help the environment?You can do all three when you shop at Bob's Trees Nursery andGarden Center. There are now over 275 acres planted with shadetrees, crabapples, ornamentals, evergreens and shrubs, plus over ahundred acres planted with cut-your-own Christmas trees. Bob'sTrees has become the area's largest grower of nursery stock andChristmas trees. Because our trees and evergreens are grown here,

FARM to FORK GUIDE

Gardening/Horticulture


in our own nursery, they are hardy for this area and are alreadyacclimated to our climate. We take extreme pride in what we growand are constantly looking for ways to make our products better.

Emerich Sales & Service Inc.187 Valentine Road, Charlton, Saratoga County 399-8574 www.emerichsales.comHeavy gardening equipment sale and service. We are known for our" out in the country " low prices and friendly service. At Emerich'sour parts department is staffed with a knowledgable professional staffthat want to ensure you get the part you need the first time and at afair price. We have the largest parts inventory in the area and carryparts for all the makes and models that we sell. In addition we carryparts for other competitive brands, to better serve your needs.

Free Spirit Farm Garden Center39 Atwell Rd. South Corinth, Saratoga County495-8119, [email protected] are a husband & wife operated greenhouse business whichoffers a wide selection of vegetable and flowering plants, hangingbaskets, fall mums & pumpkins, Christmas trees, weaths, kissingballs & fresh silk décor. We utilize safe fertilization on all ouredibles, and keep in mind that we are eating what we grow! Ourgoal is to provide a natural, knowledgable, friendly environmentthat you and your family will enjoy visiting for years to come. Stopin and ask how it all started because of six cucumber plants! Open10-7, May-mid July; Labor day - Halloween; Thanksgiving-Christmas Eve. Call for additional availability.

Additional listings:The Botanic Barn, 1570 Route 7, Troy, 279-3080. Nursery, gardensupplies, personalized design services.Colonial Acres Nursery, 2552 Western Ave., Altamont, 456-5348. Faddegon's Nursery, 1140 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham, 785-6763.Gardening and nursery supplies since 1920.Harvest Moon, 141 Remson St., Cohoes, 266-0370. Organic indoor andoutdoor garden supplies and accessories.Healthy Harvest, 63 Broadway, Fort Edward, 480-4698. Organic indoorand outdoor garden supplies and accessories.Hewitt's Garden Centers, Route 9 and Sitterly Road, Clifton Park, 371-0126; Route 4 and I-90, East Greenbush, 283-2159; 605 Feura BushRoad, Glenmont, 439-8169; 1969 Western Ave., Guilderland, 456-7954;1129 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham, 785-7701; 294 Quaker Road,Queensbury, 792-3638; 3 Charlton Road, Scotia, 399-1703; Route 9,Wilton, 580-1205. Garden supplies and accessories; nursery andgreenhouse plants, shrubs and trees.Hilltown Farm & Garden, 6003 State Route 32, Westerlo, 797-3697.Seeds, bedding plants, fertilizers, natural & organic solutions.Kulak Nursery & Landscaping, 1615 Route 146, Rexford, 399-2404.Garden center, nursery, landscaping.Olsen's Hardware & Garden Center, 1900 New Scotland Road,Slingerlands, 733-5868. Hardware store with nursery, garden supplies.Osborne Mill Nursery, 231 Osborne Road, Albany, 482-8150. Plants,trees, and shrubs.Organica, 296 Delaware Ave, Albany, 618-7666. Organic indoor andoutdoor garden supplies and accessories.Patroon Nursery, 500 West Sand Lake Road, Wynantskill, 283-3807.Flowers, plants, trees, shrubs, accessories and supplies.Price-Greenleaf Store & Nursery, 14 Booth Road, Delmar, 439-9212.

Nursery, plants, garden supplies, trees.Saratoga Organics, 19 Front Street, Ballston Spa, 885-2005. Organicindoor and outdoor garden supplies and accessories.Troy's Landscape Supply, 1266 New Loudon Road, Cohoes, 785-1526.Nursery, garden supplies, landscape design and installation.Van Geest Nursery, 43 Donna Drive, Albany, 459-1093. Nursery,landscape consulting, period gardens and contemporary designs.Wunsapana Farm, 4557 Hurst Road, Altamont, 861-6612,wunsapanafarm.com. Llama beans (manure) for soil enhancement-gardens love them! Visit the farm website for more details andtestimonials. Bags of beans are available at Altamont Agway and GadeFarm (on Western Avenue in Albany).Zema's Nursery, Inc., 154 Presbyerian Hill Road, Stephentown,733-5868. High-quality plants and trees.

Featured Listings:

One Caroline Bistro1 Caroline St. Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County 587-2026 www.onecaroline.comA busy little bistro located off Broadway in downtown SaratogaSprings, featuring what we like to call global comfort food fromlocal sources. Our cozy atmosphere, live music and utilization ofthe freshest ingredients create an experience that will tantalize all ofyour senses. We also feature many vegetarian choices. Live musicnightly during the summer months and certain week days andweekends during the fall and winter. We feature high qualityorganic and heirloom vegetables from local farms. We use free-range, hormone and chemical free lamb, beef, chicken, veal andother quality meats. All of our fish and seafood is purchasedthoughtfully and with great concern for the environment.

The Beekman Street Bistro62 Beekman Street Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County581-1816 thebeekmanstreetbistro.comWe are committed to using local and sustainable products in thedishes we create. Saratoga Springs being the heart of Upstate NY'sfarming country makes this relationship a great fit. The farmingcommunities offer and abundance of the freshest seasonal produceand meats which make it possible to practice the philosophy of“Farm to Table.” The evolving menu ensures that every diningexperience is as fresh and innovative as the first!

DISH Bistro / Restaurant93 Main Street Greenwich, Washington County, 692-0200 dishbistro.wordpress.com facebook.com/dish-bistroA cozy, casual natural foods bistro in the heart of historicGreenwich (a beautiful 20 minute drive east of Saratoga Springs onRoute 29). Enjoy our eclectic menu featuring local & organicfoods, check out our local artwork and visit our website for specialevents and weekly dinner specials! Lunch: Tuesday - Saturday,11am - 3pm / Dinner: Tuesday - Saturday, 5pm - 9pm / ClosedSunday & Monday

Farmhouse on Top of the World441 Lockhart Mountain Road Lake George, Warren County668-3000, [email protected]

Restaurants


topoftheworldgolfresort.comThe Farmhouse on Top of the World is a chef-owned and operatedrestaurant which showcases produce from our farms and meats,dairy and cheeses from area farms. Our menu changes to reflect thebest local and seasonal products and sustainable seafood. Deliciouswine, beer and cocktail lists. Open Tuesday - Sunday on the eastside of Lake George. Come see our beautiful views, and share ourpassion for local food! Member of the Slow Food Co-operative.

Fifty South Restaurant & Bar2128 Doubleday Ave. (Route 50) Ballston Spa, Saratoga County 884-2926, [email protected] www.fiftysouth.comFifty south your Ballston Spa farm to table restaurant proudlyusing locally and regionally sourced organic and biodynaicallyfarmed food, beer and wine. We support dietaryaccommodations. Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan. Preferreservations Open Wednesday through Saturday 4:30-close ofdinner service Sunday 9am-2pm Breakfast and lunch. Sunday2pm-8pm dinner. Private Parties, Special events, live music, winetastings and much more. Thank you for being a part of ourfamily.

The Hungry Fish Café461 Main Ave.,Wynantskill, Rensselaer County,874-4573 www.Thehungryfishcafe.comHungry Fish Cafe and Country Store focuses on locally grownproduce and quality that can't be beat. We offer only the freshest,from-scratch food prepared daily on site and delicious pantryitems to enhance your own recipes at home. Join us for breakfastand lunch featuring gourmet soups, salads and sandwiches madewith only the best Boar's Head deli products. We offer dailyspecials, fresh homemade baked goods and gifts including mugsand kitchen towels, locally made soaps, spices and more! We willbe relocating to 615 Pawling Ave. in Troy, with a Grand Re-Opening slated for August.

Lakeside Farms Country Store,Restaurant and Garden Center336 Schauber Road Ballston Lake, Saratoga County 399-8359,[email protected] www.lakesidefarmscidermill.comEnjoy a meal in our country dining area where we offer made-to-order fresh cooked breakfasts and specialty lunches every day.We feature grilled and deli sandwiches on home-baked breads,homemade soups, delicious deli salads and fresh vegetables,.End your meal with a decadent dessert from our bakery shop.

The Local Pub and Teahouse 142 Grand Avenue, Saratoga Springs, New York 12866587-7256, [email protected],www.thelocalpubandteahouse.comThe Local Pub and Teahouse serves traditional English and Irishspecialties with a unique selection of craft brews and organic teasfrom around the world. Now in their 5th season, The Local hasrecently received accolades such as “Best Pub” by Capital RegionLiving Magazine; “Best Bar, Best Restaurant off-Broadway andFavorite Local Neighborhood Bar” in the Local's Choice Awards.Stop in for lunch, dinner, or weekend brunch, enjoy dining insideor out, live music, or simply relax in a “Local” Adirondack chair in

the pub garden. For more informationon upcoming events & specials, send anemail with a subject line of 'add me to thelist' to: [email protected] or call518-587-7256.

Mouzon House1 York St., Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County, 226-0014,[email protected] www.mouzonhouse.comThe Mouzon House is a restored simple Victorian home, focusedon sourcing local ingredients from small farms that are sustainablein their practices. Our meats are grass fed and free range; wesource local artisan cheeses, eggs, dairy and vegetables. Inaddition to local farms we also grow many of our own herbs, fieldgreens and flowers in our gardens. We specialize in vintagecocktails at our soon to be open outdoor bar and featureoutstanding live local music out doors weather permitting. Ourbrunch menu is fresh local and creative offering delicious healthychoices and decadent choices for special celebrations, with aLouisiana flair!. We offer gluten free, vegan and vegetarianchoices as well. Thursday night we feature an extensive 3 coursemenu for $25.00 thru June. Hope to see you soon!

New World Bistro Bar300 Delaware Avenue., Albany, Albany County, 694-0520,[email protected], www.newworldbistrobar.comWe are a cozy Bistro featuring Chef Ric Orlando's GlobalNeighborhood cuisine. Our menu includes local produce,sustainable seafood, free range meats, creative vegetarian, veganand gluten free options. Voted Best International, Best American,Best Vegetarian and Best Place to Take a Date in the 2012Metroland "Best Of" poll. Open 7 Nights and Sunday Brunch.

Village Pizzeria & RistoranteRoute 29, East Galway 882-9431 www.villagepizzeria.comAt the Village Pizzeria, a family owned & operated localrestaurant, just ten miles west of Saratoga, we've increased the sizeof our gardens to sustain our kitchen. We have gluten-free pizza,pasta & beer. The Patio is now open; enjoy dinner & a greatbottle of wine al fresco nestled in our beautiful gardens. View ourmenu & award winning wine list at our website. Join our mailinglist or become a fan on Facebook to receive info about ourupcoming events. Join us for the "Toast to the Ta Ta's" fundraiserand wine tasting for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer - May 24th,Aug 13th, and a Golf Tournament Sept 22. See website fordetails.

Featured Listings:

Altamont Vineyard and Winery3001 Furbeck Rd. , Altamont, Albany County, 355-8100,

[email protected], www.altamontwinery.comTake the sort drive out to the Altamont countryside and discoverthe region's premiere vineyard and winery, producing adistinguished selection of fine wines from more than 20 varieties ofgrapes grown and harvested in the Helderberg hills. Our uniqueviticulture produces vintages comparable to European wines, andunlike any other in New York. The Tasting Room and Gift Shop

FARM to FORK GUIDE

Wineries


is available for private gatherings. The stunning views, pond, andwalking paths all make the perfect backdrop as a destinationlocation within the Capital Region.

Amici/Amorici Vineyard Winery 637 Colonel Burch Road, Valley Falls (Easton), WashingtonCounty. 469-0680, [email protected]/Amorici Vineyard Winery is committed to sustainableagricultural and operates in an environmentally conscious manner.It strives to leave mother earth better for future generations byminimizing it carbon footprint and works to leave its communitywith more than it takes. We are a New York farm winery thatproduces all it own wine on premise using only New York growngrapes, apple, and honey. The wines of Amorici are Riesling,Cabernet Franc, Cayuga, Rose, Apple Honey Wine & AppleHoney Port. Amorici also produces Artisan quality old worldnatural vinegars including Traditional Red Wine, Red WineStandard, Red Wine Raspberry, Red Wine Strawberry and RedWine Wild Blueberry.

Johnston's Winery 5140 Bliss Road, Galway, Saratoga County, 882-6310,[email protected], www.johnstonswinery.comLocated just off Galway Road, 4 miles west of Ballston Spa, Johnston'sis a small family run Winery producing all of our own wines, jams andjellies. We always have our high quality wines available for sampling.We make all of our own wines from the freshest fruit, honey andgrapes available. The winery also carries a huge selection of wine andbeer making equipment backed up by experienced wine makers. Takea short country drive and come see us!

Ledge Rock Hill Winery41 Stewart Dam Road, Corinth, Saratoga County, 654-5467,[email protected], www.lrhwinery.comWe are a family run operation with a dedicated love andappreciation for the art of fine wine making. We specialize inlimited vintage production of hand-crafted wines made frompremium grapes. We take pride in producing wines that are customcrafted from the highest quality fruit available. Fruit that is harvestedfrom our own vineyard as well as a select few partner vineyards thathave been able to consistently meet our high quality standards.Come visit our Adirondack tasting room just off Rt. 9N in Corinth,and discover our passion for good wine! Look for the signs.

Natural Selection Farm Winery85 Darwin Rd., Center Cambridge, Washington County677-5208, [email protected] in scenic Center Cambridge between County Rts. 60 and74, we are a micro winery making wines in small batches fromgrapes and blueberries harvested on our farm, and from New YorkState juice. We feature burgundy dry reds: St. Croix, Geneva Red7, Marquette and blends. Our dry white wines are Vidal Blanc,and Diamond. Rhapsody in Blueberry, a 100% blueberry wine, isa farm specialty. Our artfully handcrafted wines can be sampled atthe winery and at local wine shops. Vineyard and winery toursupon request. Open daily from June - October, and 1-5 PM onwinter weekends.

Additional listings:Colebrook Country Wines, 562 Colebrook Road, Gansevoort, SaratogaCounty, 261-1877. We make our own wine from grapes and fruit. Youcan find us at most Farmers' Markets.The Saratoga Winery, 462 Route 29 Saratoga Springs, Saratoga County.584-WINE. Diverse wines made by carefully hand selecting the finestgrapes, primarily from the Finger Lakes region. Adirondack style tastingroom open daily with live music and dinner served on Fridays.

Adirondack Gold, 90 Bear Pond Rd, Thurman, Warren County 623-9718Dry Brook Sugarhouse, 432 Chambers Rd, Salem, Washington County854-7651Grottoli's Maple, 91 Ritchie Rd, Middle Granville, Washington County642-2856Mapleland Farms, 647 Bunker Hill Rd, Salem, Washington County 854-7669Nightingale's Maple Farm, 4767 Jersey Hill Rd, West Galway, SaratogaCounty 882-9334Rathbun's Maple, 181 Hatch Hill Rd, North Granville, WashingtonCounty 642-1799Sugar Mill Farm, 2469 St Rt 29, Greenwich, Washington County, 692-2486Valley Road Maple Farm, Valley Rd., Thurman, Warren County 623-9783Toad Hill Maple Farm, 151 Charles Olds Rd, Thurman, Warren County623-4744

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County 50 West High Street, Ballston Spa, NY 12020, 885-8995,[email protected], www.saratogafarms.comCornell Cooperative Extension builds partnerships and coalitionswith individuals, communities, organizations, government agenciesaround issues of mutual concern; develops local leaders who use CCEknowledge to inform decisions; promotes youth developmentthrough 4-H clubs and other experiences; strives to help participantsmake informed choices using the best knowledge available.

Regional Farm and Food ProjectPO Box 621, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866,www.farmandfood.orgFounded in 1996 to promote sustainable agriculture and local foodsystems. RFFP is a member supported, farmer focused, non-profitgroup serving the greater Hudson-Mohawk Valley foodshed of NewYork State. Our Irene Relief Fund has directly assisted many farmsthat have suffered under the devastating flooding in August 2011.

Slow Food Saratoga Regionwww.slowfoodsaratoga.com.Our membership supports and promotes the unique local foodculture of upstate New York. We educate people about local food, andprovide insight into what makes our region and cuisine worthpreserving. Join Slow Food Saratoga Region's newsletter to getupdates and news about local initiatives, great food, and gourmetevents. Join us and celebrate Slow Food!

Maple

Organizations

“We were not born farmers,” explains Melanie Mason, in contrast toher neighbors in the scenic Hoosick River Valley countryside ofnorthern Rensselaer County. “We had to learn it the hard way,making mistakes and correcting ourselves along the way.” Thus thelong lessons, and the subsequent naming of the farm that todayconstitutes 450 acres of lush green pastures, woodlands, and scenicvistas looking north upon the hills of neighboring WashingtonCounty.

Bob and Melanie Mason were living what many would consider theAmerican Dream - living in suburban Stony Brook, Long Island, on a3 acre mini-farm where they had a few horses. Bob was a vascularsurgeon, the guy that would be called if your aorta burst open.Saving lives was his daily work. Melanie raised a family and tried tokeep up with the demands of being married to an in-demandsurgeon. The schedule was rigorous, and Bob was on-call prettymuch all the time. Vacations and time off were a rarity. “It's not likehe could just say “today is Saturday, I can't come in;' it doesn't workthat way,” said Melanie. Because of the constant demands on theirtime, when they did get a chance to get away, Bob and Melaniewanted to get AWAY! Away from phones, beepers, TV... everything.They opened up a map and drew a circle representing a 5 hour drivefrom Stony Brook. That line on the map, and a phone call to a farmrealtor, lead them to a 67 acre tract near Buskirk, New York. They fellin love with it immediately, and decided that this was the place.There was no house, and they did not want a house, initially, just aplace to get away from it all for a week or so. The Masons wouldspend the first few years just camping out - one tent for the girls,another for the boys, and a third for Bob and Melanie. The horsescame too, and they were just turned out into the fields. Everybodyloved it. The neighbors referred to them as “those crazy LongIslanders.”

GREEN ACRES - A LOVE STORY OF BARNS AND FIELDSA house did finally get built, and the Masons began to experimentwith the farming life. It started with cutting hay and selling it tonearby farmers. They fell in love with a handsome old barn onadjacent property, owned by the Pratts. When the Pratt familydecided to sell the property, they offered it to the Masons, whojumped at the chance. “By that time we didn't have any money, butthe kids had a college fund, so we used that,” chided Melanie. That

Long Lesson FarmLEARNING TO LOVE THE LAND

THE DOCTOR IS OUT... STANDING IN HIS FIELD

STORY AND FARM PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID DELOZIER

FOOD PHOTO BY STOCKSTUDIOSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM


parcel more than doubled the size of the farm. With all the newlyacquired field and barn, the Masons decided to add cattle to expandtheir farm income. The decision to feed the cattle only grass was a no-brainer. The expanded farm was primarily open pastures, and wasperfect for grazing cattle. And by this time, they had gotten a handleon making hay, so instead of selling it, they'd use it for their owncattle..

Several years later another adjacent farm owned by the Marpe family,became available, as the Marpe's were looking to divest of their land.Again, the Mason's stepped up and bought it and expanded their farmto what is today. The path from suburban hobby farm to full-scalecattle farm was realized. It has been a journey that has been filledwith it's share of trials and tribulations, but also has been an immenselearning experience for the Mason's. “We knew nothing going intothis,” exclaimed Melanie. “I didn't know what a hay rake or tedderwas, a round baler or a square baler, what's the difference? I had noidea.” She continued, “We've learned that you can get bulldozersstuck in the mud. We've learned you can get tractors stuck, too.We've learned all about calves, and bulls, and steers.” Cows don'tcome with an instruction manual. But observing them, handlingthem, moving them between fields, they quickly tell you want can andcan't be done. “Finding the right way to do something after doing itthe wrong way is the long lesson,” she quipped.

WHERE’S THE BEEF? The Mason's initial goal for raising beef was for seed stock, orbreeding animals for genetics. They chose the Angus breed for theircold-hardiness and their value as breeding stock. The market for

breeding stock turned out to be more complicated and less profitablethan first thought, so the Masons began to seek out a market for themeat. Fortunately for them, the demand for local, grass-fed meat wasgrowing. Farmers Market patrons and local restaurateurs wereseeking local grass-fed meat sources, as news of the poor conditionswithin the huge confinement animal feeding operations (CAFOs) gotinto the mainstream consciousness. Also in their good fortune, therewas a custom meat cutter in nearby Eagle Bridge who had recentlyconverted over to a USDA inspection facility. The mature animalstravel less than five miles for processing into the chops, steaks andground beef that the marketplace wants.

THE LOCAL CONNECTIONAs the term locavore has entered the lexicon of our language, somerestaurateurs are now offering a 'farm-to-table' dining experience,where much, if not all of the meal is locally sourced. The Masons andtheir grass-fed beef have been embraced by local chefs Kim Klopstockat Fifty South in Ballston Spa, Max London at Max London's SaratogaSprings, and Tim James at The Local Pub and Teahouse, also inSaratoga Springs.

In the case of The Local, the discovery of Long Lesson beef came whenco-owner John Hines had gone to lunch over at Max London's onBroadway. He ordered a hamburger, and was so impressed with theflavor, and thought to himself, “I've got to get this for The Local! Hewent back to his executive chef, Tim James, and said, ”get a hold ofthese folks and get some of their beef.” Long Lesson beef in now thefeatured lunch special on Mondays, as an eight ounce hamburger


plate. It started off slow, but as word got outabout how the good it was, an otherwiseslow lunch day of the week has become verypopular. The feedback from customers hasbeen terrific. “People love the burgers, andI've many people ask for us to put it on theregular menu item,” said Tim. He said he'sbeen tempted to do so, but he likes the ideaof keeping it as a once a week special,because it is just that. “If we had it every day,then it's no longer special,” he said. “Wewant it to be fresh, too. We don't make up awhole bunch of them in advance andrefrigerate leftovers. When they're gone,they're gone.”

The Long Lesson burger is a greatcomplement to The Local's menu, which Timhas tweaked to give local food top billing.Locally sourced items like the Long Lessonburger are specifically mentioned by theservers and identified as such in the menu.“We are big on advertising local, which iswhere we get 90% of our products. We areproud to be able to promote our supplierswhenever we can and they are proud of thefact that we sell their stuff as well,” said Tim.The Local, from its inception, has beencognizant of the importance of supportingthe local suppliers. Even when items are

sourced from larger companies, they seek outthe family owned operations.

It's really changed me, working here, saidTim. “I look for the local, now. Once you getover the 'oh, that's hard to do' mentality, it'sactually pretty easy. I shop the farmers'markets now, and for the quality you get, it'swell worth it.” He continued, “The pricepoint on the Long Lesson is a bit higher thanour regular burger, but the flavor issignificantly better, so it's worth it. And itsells out every time it's offered. And it helpsthe local economy around here. Anytime Ican buy locally we'll spend the bucks to makeit happen.

WHAT COMES AROUND, GOES AROUNDIt's all about relationship. It builds a networkof interconnectedness. When the productthat The Local and other restaurants buy fromLong Lesson Farm, they're not only helpingthe Mason family, they're also helping nearbyEagle Bridge Custom Meat who does theprocessing, who in turn can support otherlocal family businesses who create jobs intheir community.

We can be the beneficiaries of thisrelationship, when we, too, choose local first.By simply choosing that Long Lesson Farm

burger for lunch, it supports a whole series ofactions that have occurred prior to your order.Cattle are raised on a small family farm,thriving on native grass and sunshine,handled with respect their entire life,processed humanely into ground beef, anddelivered with pride by the farmer to therestaurant, where it is then hand-formed as ahamburger, cooked to perfection and servedto you with a smile, for your enjoyment andnourishment. Bon Appetit!

Long Lesson Farm is located at 444 Goosen-Regan Road, off Route 67 in Buskirk, New York.753-0356 • www.longlesson.com. Long LessonFarm is also home to North Country Daylilies.www.northcountrydaylillies.com.

The Local Pub and Teahouse is located at 142Grand Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York. 587-7256 • www.thelocalpubandteahouse.com









When Rebecca Hein handed me a mug of tea she had brewed, I got ataste of the exceptional quality of Underground Alchemy, her microherbal enterprise in Albany's South End. The Elderberry blend was rich,flavorful, smooth and almost thick in body. It couldn't have had less incommon with the mass-produced commercial herbal teas that havelost all their goodness by the time they end up in your cup. Anappropriate analogy would a fresh-off-the-vine, fully ripened heirloomtomato with its juices dripping down your chin versus a pale, hardcardboard winter tomato from God knows where.

Trained both as an organic grower and as an herbal practitioner,Rebecca champions the traditional role of herbalism as "the people'smedicine." For over a decade she has been growing and harvestingplants for medicine and making remedies for family and friends. Last

fall she launched the region's first and only Herbal CSA (communitysupported agriculture). It allows her to do two things she loves, workwith herbs from the ground up and serve as a "health resource in mycommunity."

"I was pushed to do something more formally with herbs by peoplearound me," she said. "It feels really organic in the way it hashappened... It feels truly community supported."

THE HERBAL PRODUCTSEvery month Rebecca distributes a selection of medicinal herbalproducts out of her apothecary to her members. All the plant materialthat goes into these tinctures, salves, infused oils, teas and her otherproducts come from Streetlight Gardens where she grows organically

UndergroundALCHEMY:

A COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE FOR HERBAL MEDICINE

STORY BY TRACY FRISCH PHOTOS BY UNDERGROUND ALCHEMY


at her home in Albany's South End or fromher ethical wild-crafting in local fields andforest.

Her list of products is quite extensive, somemore familiar than others. They includeelderberry syrup, wild cherry cough syrup,rosehip syrup, propolis sage throat spray, firecider, immune formula, echinacea extract,digestive bitters, nervous system tonic, roseglycerite, St. Johnswort oil, calendula salveand muscle salve.

For tinctures Rebecca steeps plant materialsin 190-proof organic grain alcohol. If shewants to draw out water-soluble bioactiveconstituents, she dilutes the alcohol withwater. In place of alcohol, she also makestinctures with glycerin. Apple cider vinegar isused to extract minerals from herbs, for hercalcium tonic, for example.

"I try to keep it somewhat seasonal," shesaid. Thus she offers herbal products withburdock for the spring cleanse, and ambrosia(ragweed) for allergy support. "It's notcommercially viable. If you call it ragweed, noone would take it!" she laughs.

HEALTH CARE SERVICES AND PHILOSOPHY

All members in the Underground AlchemyCSA receive a personal health consultation

from Rebecca plus a custom herbal formulathat she creates to address an aspect of theirwellness. She enjoys educating people abouthealth and supporting them in their healthcare. (She does not diagnose.)

Rebecca works from a "whole self, wholebody" perspective. For her in-depthconsultations, she starts with a health historyand considers the emotional component, inaddition to a person's current complaints. Shefinds it more effective to treat constitutionaland underlying imbalances, rather thansimply treating symptoms.

Prevention is always the most desirableapproach to health care, and becoming aherbal CSA member makes it easy to useherbs in that spirit. Sometimes people tell her,'I'm not sick. I don't need anything.' ButRebecca counters that this is really the besttime to take herbal teas and tonics.

On the other hand Rebecca has the wisdomto "meet people where they're at." In manycases this involves a "harm reduction"approach, rather than going straight to theroot of the problem. "A little relief can go along way," she asserts.

"A lot of alternative health practitionersdemand that people changes their lifestyle,"Rebecca said. Of course, breaking free of

engrained patterns like bad diet, lack ofexercise or high stress levels brings benefits.But she recognizes that if you push too hard,you may turn people off and then they maynot be willing to take any steps at all.

SOCIAL JUSTICE IN HERBALISMIt's very important to Rebecca to make herservices financially accessible to people whoaren't affluent. She adamantly objects toherbal medicine becoming elitist and "set upin a boutique manner," instead of serving asactual health care.

For this reason, she offers her CSA shares ona sliding scale. For six months of herbalproducts she suggests a price between $175and $400, depending upon a person's incomeand what they can afford.

Earlier Rebecca had co-founded theNortheast Radical Healthcare Network whichbrought together people involved with freeclinics, sliding scale work and grassrootseducation. For several years starting in 2006she organized a three-day gathering calledthe Northeast Grassroots Community HerbalConvergence, which she described as a"great space to discuss topics not beingtalked about in herbal circles - race, class,accessibility, cultural competence." Nowcommunity activists in the herbal field have

You have to piece it together and make your own path

“ “


turned their focus to local projects. I waspleased to hear about a movement that I hadbeen unaware of.

FINDING HER WAY INTO HERBALISMIn the United States herbalism is not alicensed practice so there is no standard orcomprehensive program of study. "You haveto piece it together and make your ownpath," Rebecca explained. As a collegestudent she had been bitten by the farmingbug. But even while apprenticing on anorganic farm, she "got as interested in weedsas the plants we were trying to grow."

Later, around 2001 she and her partner(NAME) were selected for a coveted two-yearstint as the caretakers at the Good LifeCenter, the Scott and Helen Nearinghomestead in Harborside, Maine. They had"an amazing opportunity to learn all kinds ofskills," Rebecca said. And the presence of anherbalist in the neighborhood deepened hercommitment to learning all she could aboutherbs.

Subsequently with Nancy Phillips atHeartsong Farm Healing Herbs in NewHampshire's White Mountains she completelyimmersed herself in growing herbs, startingplants and making medicine. Rebecca wenton to study with herbalists like Adam Sellar atthe Pacific School of Herbal Medicine as wellas his more famous teacher, Michael Moore.Both approached herbs physiologically. Shealso took anatomy and physiology courses atcommunity colleges.

Rebecca ultimately landed in Albany after afruitless quest for land to farm in the HudsonValley. She and her partner realized that they

were "more culturally at home" in an urbanenvironment, and that they didn't need to bein a rural community to pursue their goalsand interests. Albany, once known as 'the cityin the country,' has been a good choice. It hasa big community garden movement and itdoesn't take long to get out of the city.

THE HERBSWhen Rebecca beckoned me into herapothecary, I found myself in a pleasant littlewindowless room that seemed to be in thecenter of the three-story house that shebought five years earlier and shares with herpartner and a couple other housemates. Alarge collection of jars containing her herbsand herbal concoctions filled floor-to-ceilingshelves on several walls and a bookcase heldan impressive book collection on all thingsherbal.

Later we went outside into the herb gardenas big as a city house lot, where Rebeccagrows over 75 different species of medicinalplants. The soil looked good and loose.Rebecca told me that the previous owner -and award-winning gardener -- the lateElfreda Textores, was a community activistwho started the community garden acrossthe street.

On that bright sunny day in early April someof her perennials and self-sowing annualswere peeking out of the undulating raisedbeds. I jotted down the names of some ofthem -- Codonopsis, Bloodroot, Echinacea,Valerian, Lungwort, Black Cohosh, Monarda,Mullein, Vitex, Anise Hyssop. Then I crouchedto admire the gorgeous blooms of Pulsatilla(pasqueflower or prairie crocus), a diminutive

flower that's more familiar to me as ahomeopathic remedy.

Every year Rebecca puts a few more herbsunder cultivation. Generally she starts themfrom seed. In a backroom of her home sheshowed me a long bank of grow lights overtrays of seedlings. Most were her vegetablegarden, which is another story, though thereis some crossover. For instance, this year sheis growing okra for its roots, reputed to havemedicinal properties similar to marshmallow!

There are still a few herbs that Rebecca needsfor her formulas but doesn't grow. Ginger andturmeric, for example, are tropical roots.Noting that the spice trade has existed forthousands of years, she acknowledges having"purist tendencies."

BUSINESSRebecca is striving for balance doingsomething she really loves while trying tomake it part of her livelihood. (She managesthe bulk herb and tea section at HonestWeight Food Coop as her part-time day job.)Running a small business is an interestingproject for someone like her who holds"strong anti-capitalist values!" When sheenrolled in an entrepreneurial boot campwith the Chamber of Commerce, she realizedthat she had strayed from what she believes.

For now Rebecca wants to take her newbusiness slowly. Her CSA is small, which suitsher at present, and members are giving her alot of positive feedback. Most of her CSAmembers are people she already had someconnection with. Almost all of the fifteenmembers in her Winter share (October -March) signed up again for the Summer share(April - September). Now she's up to eighteenmembers. In response to demand, she starteda family plan under which additional familymembers receive a personal consultation andcustomized formula.

As her business grows Rebecca expects tostart also selling at farmers' markets. In thelong run, she has a vision of creating anintegrative health clinic where severalmodalities of healing are offered. It mighthave a nurse practitioner "because beingable to take insurance is huge foraccessibility," she said.

"We need more bridges. The allopathic[modern, western medicine] and holisticworlds need to work together," she said.

Contact Rebecca Hein at 518/463-54738, [email protected] or on Facebookat www.facebook.com/undergroundalchemy.


If you love delicious, organic food with a Mexican flair then travel tothe Saratoga Farmer’s Market for some mouth-watering burritos madewith market fresh vegetables and home made wraps.

Funky Fresh Foods, owned and operated by Laura Weil, offers a fullmenu of wraps made from locally grown vegetables, free-range eggs,black beans and rice, home made red sauce and guacamole, andhand-made burrito shells.

“I really love burritos; and Spanish, Mexican, and Latin Americaninspired foods,” said Laura, whose background includes a stint as achef at a large estate in Wales owned by a Countess, an A-1 Spanishfood restaurant in Albany, and a Ballston Spa health food store. “Iwanted a cooked food business at the market – no one else was doingit and I thought it would be successful.”

That business would become Funky Fresh Foods – a small, cookedfood stand operated at the Saratoga Farmer’s Market – the first of itskind in the Spa City – and one that offers an array of menu itemsincorporating food items purchased right from the market itself.

“I was a vegetarian for a long time, but working at the marketchanged that when some of the vendors encouraged me to try someof their foods,” explained Laura, who was employed by an organicfarmer for several years before deciding to embark on her ownadventure as a business owner. “I still do not eat red meat, but I keepeverything [on my menu] fresh and healthy.”

Continuing, she said some of the reasons she decided to market fooditems that embraced the organic and fresh ideal was her childhood ina farming community, her career as a chef, and her own personalallergies to certain spices. That background, she said, kept her keenlyaware of the need to provide a product that most people would likeand enjoy, as well as well as one that was healthy and local. “I wantedto make food that was different from what anyone else was doing, butalso make the items with all fresh ingredients from local vendors, andusing fresh seasonings.”

Noting that all of the seasonings she uses are “Spanish-inspired,”such as the fresh chilies, many, she admits, are a trade “secret.”

“That is what makes my burritos so good.”

Laura’s background in food service began as a child, growing up in ahousehold where her parents introduced her to locally grown fooditems. Laura explained that her mother was a vegetarian and hergrandmother a master cook in the family kitchen.

“My parents both ate healthy – my mother was a vegetarian, sheintroduced me [to the lifestyle,]” Laura said. But, she continued, it wasin her grandmother’s kitchen where her love of cooking was born.

“I remember peeling my first potato when I was five,” said Laura,whose grandmother ran a strict kitchen, rarely letting anyone interfereor help with the cooking process. So, she says, when her grandmotherset her up at a place in the kitchen to help with the family dinner, sheremembers the joy she felt at creating a meal. “I was so excited,” saidLaura. “I still remember that day.”

As a young adult, Laura was offered the opportunity to travel toEngland – a long ways from her roots in Johnstown.

“I was graduating with a two-year degree in Liberal Arts and agirlfriend of mine was going to England. She invited me,” explainedLaura, adding that at first, she thought it would be financiallyimpossible. That is when her mother told her of some money set asidefor her future.

While the thought of traveling so far from home was daunting at first,


FUNKYAND FRESH

STORY & FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BY PATRICIA OLDER LAURA WEIL PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID DELOZIER

LOCAL FOOD STAND OFFERS FUN, HEALTHY FOODS


those fears did not deter the curious and adventurous young woman.With money in hand, Laura said the decision was pretty easy for her.“I said yes!”

England proved to be another growing experience for the buddingchef and entrepreneur, where she worked at a variety of jobs fromretail work to a chef at a private estate. It was also in England whereshe met her future husband, Paul, who moved back to the States withher.

Sharing many of the same ideals on healthy lifestyles, the coupleworked for a number of years as co-owners of a local health foodstore – the first of its kind in growing Ballston Spa. “We both workedat Wild Thyme,” said Laura, who also works part time as a coordinatorfor a homeless awareness group.

But, it was her time working at the Saratoga Farmer’s Market thatchanged her course in life and hatched the seeds of thought for herown business.

As Laura explains it, she was an employee of an organic farmer whosold his food stuff at the market. She continued, noting that she fell inlove with the rhythm and flow that resonated through-out themarketplace. She felt at home at the market, she said, and shared acommon bond with the vendors and customers alike..

Realizing that it would be easy to incorporate her knowledge oforganic and locally grown vegetables and farm products, along withher experience as a chef, into a business that could offer a unique andfun menu for customers, Laura set out to open Funky Fresh Foods.

“I was working for one of the organic farmers and I loved it so much,I thought I could incorporate their food stuff with the business,”explained Laura, adding that the most difficult part of starting thefood stand was the actual licensing process.

“The hardest part was all the licensing because there had never beena cooked food vendor [at the Saratoga Farmer’s Market,]” shecontinued.

The menu she said, while containing one meat item – the pulled porkburritos – offers a mix of burritos from the Full Monty which featuresa combination of the breakfast and lunch burrito to the full-bodiedLassi, a mango, strawberry, and yogurt drink that hails from India and

similar to a Smoothie.

“I have the one meat item now – pulled pork – but most of our itemsare made with vegetables,” said Laura. “My pulled pork is really good,but I didn’t want to do an all-meat menu.”

But, Laura, said, even though she does offer a meat product, as aformer vegetarian, she understands and resects the importance of notmixing the food items. “Everything is kept separate so our veggiecustomers do not have to worry,” she said.

But it is the breakfast and lunch burritos, crafted with fresh, home-made burrito shells, that the customers, most of them regular clientsreturning week after week, that keep her busy cooking.

“We offer breakfast burritos using vegetables purchased that morninghere at the market, free-range eggs, market home fries, cheddar, ahome made red sauce, sour cream,” said Laura. “And for lunch, thereis the burrito made with black beans and rice, red sauce, sour cream,and cheddar cheese.”

And everything, she said, is offered with home made guacamole.

Laura added, though, customers could have whatever they want ontheir burritos – creating their own special wrap. “A customer can addwhatever they want,” she said.

But what truly make the wraps delicious are the fresh, home madeburritos. Made the night before, the burritos are a four-part processthat takes several hours and two people. “Paul helps me and we havea set system for making the burritos,” Laura noted. She said they renta professional kitchen in Johnstown while their own kitchenundergoes renovation to make the burritos.

While she loves what she is doing now, Laura does not dismiss thenotion of expanding her popular food stand. “A lot of customers keepasking me if I am going to open my own place,” admits Laura. “Thatwould be a big leap. You never know, but for now, I love what I amdoing.”

Funky Fresh Foods, which also caters for special events, can be located atthe Saratoga Framers Market on Saturday mornings, 9 – 1, located at DivisionStreet School during the winter months, and on High Rock Avenue Parkpavilion in the summer and Fall. They are also featured the third Wednesdayof every month at the Market Bistro feature of the Farmer’s Market.


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If “eco-LOCAL” were to be embodied in a store, then For Earth’s Sakeis it. Tina has created a unique, healthy shopping experience,researching and hand-selecting each product line. Everything in thestore has an eco-consciousness integrated within it. And Tina livesand breathes the eco-LOCAL message. Tina’s passion is informingothers how simple and easy it is to make healthy choices in our fast-paced world. And now, with For Earth’s Sake, she’s helping to makethese choices readily available to her customers. Also, Tina feelsstrongly about supporting our local farmers. She is excited and proudto carry many products from farmers in and producers in SaratogaCounty and the surrounding area. As a family-run business, Tina andher family will strive to bring the best in healthy living to your family.Thank’s for leading the charge, Tina!

Eco-LOCAL Living: How long have you been in business and whatinspired you to get started?TB: Going on four months now. I wanted a store where everythingis eco-friendly. There’s so much cool stuff out there, but what is theimpact on the planet and our future? I did a lot of research, and theresult is what you see in this store!

ELL: What's the best part about your job? TB: I love meeting so many awesome customers that want to makethe world a better place!

ELL: Why do you choose to operate your business in Saratoga Springsas opposed to somewhere else?TB: I love Saratoga Springs... it's a great town that has so much tooffer, easy to get around & safe. And it’s got a lot of great small,locally owned businesses that make it a real special place.

ELL: Why do you think it’s important to keep it local? TB: Where do I begin?... environmental impact is reduced, small localbusinesses are the largest employers nationally, customer service isbetter, local businesses are invested in the community's future, whenyou purchase at locally owned businesses, more money is kept in thecommunity.

ELL: What locally owned business (other than your own) could younot live without? TB: The farmers at the local farmer's markets... our community is sofortunate to have them sell their products each week.

ELL: What are some of the things you do to help make the world alittle bit better? TB: We smile a lot and treat all our customers like VIP's... hopefullymake their day a bit more pleasant and RECYCLE!

ELL: What do you like to do in your free time? TB: Spend time with friends & family, swim, love to fish & garden abit too... love to be outdoors.

ELL: What's the best advice you've ever received? TB: Cherish every moment with your children... especially thechallenging times... laugh at myself :-)

ELL: Our Facebook fans want to know: What is it that sets you apartand promotes loyal, repeat business?TB: We are a unique natural health food store... we carry local food,fun eco-friendly gifts & our skincare lines are naturally derived andorganic & affordable... our store is open, roomy, sunny and we are afun, friendly bunch!

ELL: Our Twitter followers want to know: What drives you to keepdoing what you do?TB: It's my passion to carry healthy products, learn, educate, supportlocal farmers & be conscious of our carbon footprint.

For Earth's Sake is located at 120 West Avenue,Suite 102, next door to the Fortunate Cup Café in Saratoga Springs. www.ForEarthsSake.com

Tina Bakkalapulo

Eco-LOCAL People

Owner of the NEW For Earth’s Sake eco-emporium at 120 West Avenue in Saratoga Springs


eco-LOCAL 2012 Sowing edition

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