NCL Homegrown Vol.1 No.1 Fall 2016

Vol. 1 No. 1

Fall 2016

On the Vine Vesco Ridge Vineyards is blooming in the shadow of the Canadian border

Back to Basics

The Deer’s Head Inn epitomizes the local farm to table movement

Local Flavor

Essex Inn chef: The more local the ingredient, the better

homegrown N O R T H C O U N T R Y L I V I N G M A G A Z I N E ’s

Published by: Sun Community News and Printing 14 Hand Avenue, Elizabethtown, NY 12932

Phone: (518) 873-6368 Fax: (518) 873-6360 ncliving@suncommunitynews.com

Editor’s Note

Fall 2016 Edition

The smell of freshly tilled soil after a passing shower.

The satisfaction of knowing where the food you put on the table comes from and how it is handled.

That first sip of homemade wine on your back veranda.

Enjoying a growler of your favorite locally brewed IPA on a crisp autumn afternoon.

A high stack of steaming flapjacks, smothered in real maple syrup and honey butter.

These are just some of the perks of living in a region flush with agricultural opportunities. In fact, the North Country has long been a mecca for aspiring agriculturalists and we’ve all eaten better for it.

But what is transpiring today in the region is unprecedented.

Dan Alexander Publisher dan@suncommunitynews.com

John Gereau Managing Editor johng@suncommunitynews.com

Pete DeMola Asst. Managing Editor pete@suncommunitynews.com

DJ Alexander

Like the logging industry of yesteryear once fueled the economic engines of this region, so too today does the organic farming, brewing and distilling industries.

General Manager dj@suncommunitynews.com

At a time when locals are left scratching their heads as graduates leave for greener pastures, an influx of young, ambitious farmers is migrating to the North Country, eager to take advantage of state incentives and stake their claim in the rapidly growing farm to table movement.

~ WRITERS ~

Recognizing this, local eateries are jumping on the bandwagon, knowing that the demand for locally grown organic foods free of pesticides is exploding in New York as well as nationally.

We at Sun Community News also have recognized this trend which has breweries popping up in fields and abandoned buildings; twenty-somethings moving to the region to raise organic food alongside their children and wine connoisseurs testing cold-hardy vines in the shadow of the Canadian border.

Elizabeth Izzo elizabeth@suncommunitynews.com

Gretel Schueller gretel.schueller@gmail.com

Kim Dedam kim@suncommunitynews.com

Gayle Alexander

With that in mind, we have created a magazine aimed directly at these visionaries. A trade-like publication that pays tribute to and recognizes the hard work and dedication that goes into working the land.

~ MARKETING SPECIALISTS ~

We call it North Country Living Homegrown — you are holding the inaugural edition in your hands — a magazine we will publish each spring and fall.

ashley@suncommunitynews.com

It has been said that the gratification that comes with growing something with your own two hands is a feeling that cannot be explained, only felt by those who have earned it.

ed@suncommunitynews.com

We understand that sense of accomplishment. We know what it’s like to get our hands dirty — what it’s like to take a chance on a long shot idea in hopes it will grow and flourish.

kathi@suncommunitynews.com

In fact, we’ve been doing just that for more than six decades here at our own main hub in Elizabethtown — creating new products and employing local people.

tomh@suncommunitynews.com

What you are holding in your hands is testament to that.

But this publication is not about us.

Instead, it is being brought to you as a tribute to those who put nutritious meals on the plates of our loved ones and locally brewed beverages in our bellies.

We hope you enjoy reading this publication as much as we’ve enjoyed getting to know the local entrepreneurs who do just that.

Thank you and see you in the spring John Gereau, Managing Editor

On the Cover

Dan Vesco inspects some of his cold-hardy grapes at his winery tucked away in West Chazy, NY. Photo by Teah Dowling

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gayle@suncommunitynews.com

Ashley Alexander Edward Coats Kathi Gereau Thomas Hollingsworth Ciara Thompson ciara@suncommunitynews.com

~ DESIGN & COMPOSITION ~ Kelly Bresett Wanda Cox Greg Foster Laurie Goff

Heather Lamb Kerry O’Neill Kasey Rosselli

Contents Fall 2016

Departments

6

Homegrown

Vesco Ridge Vineyards in West Chazy, NY

Back to Basics

The Deer’s Head Inn in Elizabethtown, NY

Farm to Table The Hub on the Hill in Essex

Holistic Approach Mary Heald Reiki in Westport, NY

20

6

14

20 24

Eye on the Arts

28

Great Fall Recipes

32

The Belzer family of Elizabethtown, NY

Social Scene

Venison stew, apple pie, spaghetti squash & pumpkin seeds

Community Calendar 37 Local growers offer plenty to see and do this fall season

28

By Pete DeMola

WEST CHAZY, NY — Dan Vesco strolled across his vineyard and pointed at a grapevine, one of 500 on a bucolic parcel in this fertile stretch of Clinton County.

Try one, he said, pointing at the fruit. You’re going to be surprised.

Vesco plucked a handful of deep blue orbs, the juice running down his fingers.

He was right.

It was good, packing a bold, surprisingly-sweet punch.

Not bad for a region known more for its sub-zero climate than its wine production.

Dan and Nancy Vesco own

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and operate Vesco Ridge Vineyards in West Chazy.

The boutique vineyard and winery, located just 18 miles from the Canadian border, produces between 8,000 and 9,000 bottles of wine each year using all state-grown grapes.

What Vesco doesn’t grow himself he imports from other producers from across the state.

“Everything is pretty much localized in the state of New York,” Vesco said. “As a farm winery, we’re only allowed to produce wines that are made from New York product.”

Vesco is just one of many local producers taking advantage of the state’s Farm Winery License,

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which stimulated the industry by offering tax credits and reducing red tape that growers said hobbled growth.

As such, growth of small wineries has exploded across the Empire State, including this scenic strip of the state that has traditionally been known more for its apples than, say, a nice bottle of red.

Seeds A decade ago, making wine was a hobby for the retired contractor.

Someone had bought him a wine kit in 2004, and he tinkered away in the basement.

“I put the wine kit together and tasted the wine,” Vesco said. “It was so-so. And I decided we could do some things to make it a little better.”

Vesco, an easy-going guy with a quick laugh, put his feelers out for other local producers.

He bought some grapes here and there from well-respected growers and listened to their advice.

And he quickly determined he was on to something.

“I kicked my wife’s car out of the garage and used the garage as the winery,” he said.

Soil testing revealed their acreage, located along a scenic vista that hugs the Adirondack Northway, provided conditions conducive for growing.

After receiving their license in 2009, the couple constructed their current facility on Stratton Hill Road. A tasting room followed in 2014.

Every step has been a learning experience.

Vesco refers to their operation as essentially a

So growers have to use a vine that will adapt to those conditions, Vesco said Fortunately for local growers, the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin have spearheaded research into hybrids that they were able to clone with American rootstock.

small farm. The scene was picture-perfect on a mid-September afternoon.

Gnarled trees lined the country lane, peppered with well-kept farmhouses and rolling fields brimming with produce. Apples rippled on rows of trees stretching into the horizon, and a breeze danced underfoot, carrying with it trace elements of autumn and those cold, chilly nights — the type of weather where you leave the windows open and curl up under that extra blanket with a glass of wine.

HardyVines Northern New York hasn’t historically been known for its wine, with brutal and unforgiving winters.

Growing periods are short, typically just a few months. The reduced season means grapes can fail to ripen, with humidity posing additional threats, including rot.

Enter the cold-hardy vines.

“That’s basically what we can grow up here,” Vesco said. “If you’re looking for Cab Sauvignon, or Merlot locally grown — or something like that — those plants won’t do well here at all. In fact, they’ll die.” >> Continued | pg. 8

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G

rapes to Wine

While harvest season can range from midSeptember to late-October, depending on the varietal, the season came earlier this year.

Vesco spoke to North Country Homegrown in his winery as a ton — literally 2,000 pounds — of Léon Millot intended for one of their 13 brands, Farm Truck Red, fermented in large vats.

The pungent, pleasant scent percolated through the room, a brightly-lit space with a high ceiling.

While making wine may appear daunting, the process is actually simple:

The Marquette, a cold-hardy grape, grows well here, he said, producing a ruby-red hue and a bold taste.

That varietal, he said, has become the flagship of the area, with many growers producing it with much success.

“It turns out to be a very nice grape, as well as a very nice wine,” Vesco said.

The Léon Millot is another varietal that fares well in the North Country. The grape will constantly withstand temperatures of 40 degrees Fahrenheit below zero for a period of time without harm.

“If you can get that grape to grow for the first couple years — get the roots to grow down and get snow to insulate it — they will thrive in here with no problem,” Vesco said. “Once down in the ground, they do very well.”

Other hybrids that can survive low temper-

atures include the Frontenac, Marechal Foch and St. Pepin.

Vesco uses just three, which he has perfected over the years.

Once the vines are planted, the plants can produce grapes after three years, with at least four being ideal for harvesting.

Grapevines essentially look like a stick the first year, Vesco said. Spraying starts the second, and trimming and training commences after three, when branches are clipped to direct energy back to the vine to produce growth.

Once the fruit is picked, another round of trimming and pruning is done to increase yields.

More fruit, Vesco said, isn’t always ideal.

Sometimes it’s better to cut some back and allow the healthy grapes to plump up and ripen.

The basic concept of wine, Vesco said, is taking a grape, crushing it and adding yeast.

Presto, you’ve got wine.

Of course, there are lots of steps in between in order to make the award-winning varieties produced at Vesco Ridge.

After harvest, Vesco places the grapes into a crushing vat, where the fruit is split and broken up. The skin, seeds, leaves and some stems result in a substance called “must,” which is then brought inside for testing.

Vesco runs tests to ascertain pH levels and brix, or the unit of sugar measurement.

As a rule of thumb, each gram of sugar will result in a half-gram of alcohol. Twenty-two brix, for instance, will ferment out to 11 percent alcohol.

Once testing is completed, Vesco makes adjustments — like adding pectic enzymes to the must, or adding sugar to increase the brix, which is allowable in New York State owing to short growing period.

The process also includes selecting and adding yeast, and if necessary, tannins, the natural preservative that provides what oenophiles refer to as a “mouth-feel,” or the finishing element.

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The Sweet Satisfaction How does Dan feel when a batch comes out just perfect?

“I think I get a better satisfaction when I’m out front and I give someone a glass of wine and they go, ‘Oh, I really like that.’

And that makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something.”

The 500 vines at Vesco Ridge will produce about one ton of grapes each season, enough to produce between 700 to 800 bottles.

The rest of the grapes are sourced from state growers, including those in Hudson Valley, Buffalo, Finger Lakes, Niagara and Long Island.

A group strolled into the tasting room and sat down at the bar.

The vineyard displays their award-winning wines in its tasting room, open to visitors Wednesday through Sunday. Among the bunch is the Vinter’s Choice wine, featuring a blend of marquette and syrah grapes, and the Farm Truck Red wine, a dry red with a cherry finish.

pH levels are also adjusted as necessary. Frontenac, for instance, can be high in acidity, Vesco explained.

Reducing pH is in contrast to the process in climates with longer growing periods — like California, for instance — where acids often have to be added.

“So depending on where you’re at, there is always something you have to do with wines,” Vesco said.

Following the tweaks, Vesco hits the lights and the mixture sits overnight.

Once yeast has been selected and added, the process of turn-

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ing grapes into wine begins.

Fermentation tends to last about two weeks for reds, and a week longer for whites in order to draw out the fruit flavors. The must is pressed into juice, which goes into a tank for 4 to 6 weeks. During that time, the spent yeast and other impurities will fall to the bottom.

Vesco transfers the wine into another vessel to aid with the purification process. After that, the real magic begins when he invites his pals to come over to offer their expert opinions.

Is it good? Could it be better?

Should it sit for a while longer?

Once bottled, the product sits for an additional three months to get over bottle shock.

Vesco greeted them with a smile and engaged in what he said was the most rewarding aspect of the job. >> Continued | pg. 10

After that, the wine is ready to be distributed to 10 retailers in Essex and Clinton counties.

The tasting room, located in the same building as the production room, is responsible for 75 percent of their retail volume.

It’s a long process… and Vesco does all of this himself with just the help of his wife, Nancy.

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A tasting tour will offer a chance to sample all 13 wines. He handed out a palm-sized checklist beginning with white, and then rose, red and sweet.

And the guests tried them all as jazz tinkled on the stereo.

Vesco regaled them each with stories about their inspiration and creation, including Poppy (Foch), a medium bodied red with hints of cherry named for his father.

The winemaker proved to be a gregarious and enjoyable sommelier, part hospitable host, part Wine Whisperer.

Guests can often be intimidated — especially if they are only familiar with a few wines, he said.

“I try to let them know wine is fun,” Vesco explained. “And number two, if you know what you like, then you already know about wine.”

For the uninitiated, he starts at the foundation — What do you like?

— and attempts to find a baseline, loosening guests up through conversation.

What follows is a half-hour quest that will ideally expand their horizons while keeping them close to home.

As he ticks down the list, Vesco also offers a crash course on the world of wine, introducing concepts like notes, pairing and how storage influences the flavor.

“I try to inform them where it’s going,” Vesco said. “It’s more of an adventure as wine-tasting.”

International clients are always fun, he said, citing a group of businessmen from China, whose own wine industry has rocketed into the stratosphere with the country’s economic development.

“You’re my Daddy,” beamed one guest whose English fluency wasn’t enough to articulate how delighted he was with the experience.

“I’m not your wine daddy,” Vesco cracked.

Wine Daddy

Vesco perhaps isn’t his wine daddy, but the handsome tasting room is stocked with a veritable cornucopia of wine and grape-derived products: There are jellies, dips, chocolate wine sauce — even a salsa made from wine.

“They’re all organic, and all fresh products that are made here locally,” Vesco said.

The tasting room is typically open from May 1 to the end of December.

As their roots continue to deepen, Vesco Ridge is also dipping a toe into hosting regular event series.

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Last winter, the couple hosted an intimate concert series that drew local folks together over their love of good music, and of course, good wine.

During the summer, the venue is also available to host private events, including weddings, birthdays, corporate meetings and even bachelorette parties.

And there are just regular customers, too, from the summer residents who load up on cases of their favorite wine ahead of the season, and the 85-year-old who regularly uses their Sweet Melody — which contains a touch of raspberry — in her martini instead of vermouth.

“God love her, she’s doing great,” Vesco laughed.

On the.. Map

The Champlain Valley reached a major milestone in September when it was designated as an American Viticultural Area, the highest level of federal recognition for a wine region, putting it on the same footing as the Finger Lakes and Sonoma and Napa Valleys.

Vesco said the status will be “transformational,” and a huge boost to the region, which covers the Canadian border down to Ticonderoga in Essex County.

Wines produced from grapes grown within the region can be designated as an AVA wine in their promotional materials, and allows vinters and customers an additional sense of pride.

“It basically puts us on the map in the wine world,” Vesco said. It’s pretty important.”

Public attitudes are shifting toward wine, Vesco said, and the region is growing more sophisticated in their palettes.

When Vesco Ridge first opened, tasters overwhelmingly said they favored sweet wines, for instance.

But since then, a lot of those same people now drink dry reds and whites.

“Their tastes have changed, and they’ve been able to appreciate a lot of different wine styles,” Vesco said. “I think the educational level here is starting to grow.”

This shift is also reflected on retail shelves, where retailers are expanding their selections to carry more international wines, and in the number of local festivals and events that have been established in order to cater to this new crowd.

Vesco himself even hosts a workshop for hobbyists.

A lot has happened since 2010. Where would Vesco like to be in another seven?

“We never really thought we would be where we are today,” Vesco said. >> Continued | pg. 12

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When he retired four years ago, he said thought it’d be cool just to sell few bottles here and there.

“We’re doing a lot better than I thought we were going to do,” Vesco said. “So seven years from now? I’m kinda hoping we’re done building.

I’m kinda hoping we’ve found a level where we want to stay at comfortably as far as producing.”

More tanks, equipment and grapes in the works.

The state caps production at farm wineries at 150,000 gallons per year, and Vesco Ridge has a ways to go until they hit that benchmark.

“It seems like every year, we’re growing by 20 to 30 percent, so it’s been very good for us,” Vesco said.

Vesco Ridge Vineyards: 167 Stratton Hill Road, West Chazy, NY 12992 January - April Hours: By appointment and special winter events May - December Hours: Wed - Sun 12pm-5pm or by Appointment 518-846-8544 • vescoridge. com • info@vescoridge.com

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Deer’s Head Inn

FUTURE

AT --------------- IS

PAST

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--------Delivering

home-grown food to home-made tables sustains two centuries of tradition.

By Kim Dedam ELIZABETHTOWN — The menu at Deer’s Head Inn grew with each visit to a local farm.

Food was still pushing up through the soil: The hands that planted it inspired the spread.

Head Chef at the Deer’s Head Inn, Josh Cunningham spent time last spring meeting with the farmers wielding seeds and hoes, touring their fields in Wadhams, Keeseville, Keene and Jay. “It was amazing to see all this produce in the ground,” Cunningham says as he settles to chat for a few minutes between lunch and dinner preparations.

“It’s a labor of love, what they do.”

He had just finished making a maple/ peach mustard for fall.

“It was because the peaches were coming off the tree that day,” he says.

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brisket and Adirondack rib-eye.

Cunningham delivers a passion for working with raw produce and local farm meats.

The rite of serving fresh, the chef explains, lets the harvest speak for itself.

“I view this as a way to showcase the farmers and their products. It’s phenomenal that we get to use this.”

Living greens and savory root crops placed on his plates don’t travel far.

But this is nothing new for the tried and tested Deer’s Head kitchen where thousands of dishes have been set on wooden tables since 1808.

In those early days, bringing food in from foreign countries would have been rare if not exotic, explains Aaron Woolf, co-owner, who reopened the iconic Inn, market and porch tables with business partner Dr. Rob DeMuro last summer.

The past reconvenes in the future here, Woolf mused.

Fortunately, Adirondack soils and mountain fresh water aren’t much changed from two centuries ago.

“We are reintroducing all of these flavors and honing everything to exactly where we want it.”

“Our agriculture, our farmland, our food exists in this sacred space. It is also true that there’s essentially a collective sense of ownership of our food, because we are really vested in our

Flavors like lemon-tyme carrots, smoked

>> Continued | pg. 16

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Deer’s Head Inn food system.”

Part of what feeds the focus on freshness is a need for self-reliance here, Woolf explains, a cycle turned by hard and rugged winters in a cycle of renewal reset each spring.

“We looked to reconvene the past,” Woolf said of rejoining precedent to present.

“A lot of the concept for the Deer’s Head’s restoration came out of looking at 1808, the year this place opened. An Inn then was a place for food, for sleep. It was a place to build and convene community.

Dinner time was often a community event. Someone might be playing pool while a rough conversation was going on at the bar with people having dinner at tables nearby.”

As he sat discussing this, a group of high school teachers settled for lunch not far from a table lined with Red Hat ladies.

Outside on porch chairs, travelers variously clacked and chatted of vacation routes and places they had yet to see.

“The Deer’s Head Inn is like the agriculture.

It kind of belongs to everybody,” Woolf says.

“Everyone around here has a memory of this place. And there is a kind of common ownership that goes with that, a place where all groups can come together.

“Our society has so many divisions: Geographical, economic, the summer versus year-round residents.

There are political divisions. Even Elizabethtown has one foot in the valley and one foot in the mountains,” Woolf reflects.

“But here you can really have both.”

You can, that is, when shared industry gains a common goal.

Which is why Woolf and DeMuro added dozens of market shelves in what once was the Deer’s Head barroom and merged smaller dining rooms into one with a long bar and a pool table.

The market adds a retail point for local farmers, DeMuro says.

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Intended, it resets the market to a local watch in local time, one measured in the turn of seasons.

“As we grow, more and more people will identify with local products, and the market store gives us a chance to highlight those products,” DeMuro says.

The shelves are full. Each item is a tribute to Adirondack farm industry, which is not the same as big agriculture and mass production.

“A hundred and fifty years ago, the people must have dreamed of a big food distribution system,” Woolf reflects.

“Most of human history has been breathtakingly food insecure, so it was essentially the ‘dream’ of humanity to have all this abundance.”

But what got lost as agriculture grew toward mass production?

Cunningham says and Woolf says and DeMuro says nutrition and flavor were left aside.

As medical director at Elizabethtown Community Hospital about two blocks up Park Street, DeMuro sees an essential health value in homegrown food and meats.

“If you’re not getting mass-produced food, there is less chance of contamination.

Bringing smaller amounts right from the field is a much healthier alternative.

We have a real desire to avoid preservatives in what we do here. And if we buy local, we can avoid a lot of that.”

Buying local tomatoes, DeMuro says, also minimizes a community’s reliance on fossil fuels required, for instance, to fly tomatoes in from Argentina.

“The average bite of food in America travels 1,500 miles,” Woolf says.

“What is the untold cost to move that bite 1,500 miles? As farm industry got bigger, it selected and hybridized food to travel well, setting aside flavor and nutrition for increased shelf-life and appearance. With

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(Right) Deer’s Head Inn owner Aaron Woolf shares a shipping box and trophy found in rooms above the restaurant. The trophy was awarded for a golf win from over 100 years ago.

Photos by Kim Dedam 1,500 miles to travel per bite, shelf-life was set as quality number one.

And guess what quality is number two?”

Appearance.

Thus people began to believe that if something looked perfect and lasted on the shelf, then it was good food.

“Once you bit into it, you already bought it,” Woolf summed.

“We are working to reverse those priorities: Flavor and nutrition should be at the top.”

Earth’s Nuance In the Deer’s Head kitchen, Cunningham is working on that with sharp knives and big pots.

“I view this as a way to showcase the farmers and their products.

It’s phenomenal that we get to use this.”

A bite at the Deer’s Head traveled maybe two or eight or 23 miles.

Though not delivered by horse-drawn wagons, the local farmer’s fields may have been plowed with horses.

“I’m not afraid to use a tomato that is a little bit ugly because the flavor is there,” the chef says.

“Big Ag business leaves behind all the nuance of the Earth. It’s about responsibility and acting appropriately, not just destroying crops and animals because we want to eat them,” Cunningham says.

“If your goal is to be sustainable, that’s very different than having something to retire on,” Woolf says.

It is about a continuity of service.

What will they prepare come winter?

- Head Chef Josh Cunningham

Storing, conserving, putting-by and getting ready are traditions as old in the Adirondacks as humankind.

It’s a matter of retaining those values, the proprietors say.

With the north wind promising its bluster, the Deer’s Head readied for a menu shift.

There will be root crops and pungent, smoky scents rising from the outdoor smoker. Maybe venison and turkey, or fresh-farmed trout.

Cunningham has begun working with Jori Wekin to make sausages and bratwurst by hand at the Hub-On-The-Hill production kitchen in Essex. He cuts his own pasta, brings in fresh cheeses from Jay and Wilmington and Keeseville.

“Winter is going to be interesting,” Cunningham admits.

“But I think people are responding well to what we’re doing. Everyone is fulfilling their part for the love of it, and that shines through.”

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---- Health & Wellness ----

+

EAT L L E W

EXERCISE - By Rob Demuro, M D-

----------------As a physician, I know that taking care issues is rarely a “one size fits all”

of patients’ health science.

Many factors are taken into account: effects of specific medical conditions can vary from person to person; prescription medicines can affect people differently; a patient’s age can change the way physicians treat their medical issues.

BUT, there is one piece of health advice I can offer that applies to everyone, regardless of medical history, age or chronic condition: Eating well and engaging in physical activity (even moderately) provides health benefits for everyone.

The human body responds the moment we begin making healthier choices. These changes can reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, cancer and diabetes, while simply making us feel better.

That’s not to say that chronic conditions or other medical situations won’t occur; but it does mean that those conditions can be more effectively managed if we make some simple changes in terms of eating well and taking part in some form of physical activity.

Eating Well Boosts Our Health

Healthy eating is part of a healthy lifestyle. Eating foods that are nutritious, prepared in a way that maximizes their benefits, improves our health. In fact, it improves everything from heart health to the appearance of our skin.

Eating a balance of fruits, vegetables, protein and fat helps to ensure that blood sugar levels remain steady, without sharp fluctuations that can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Development of an overall healthy eating plan with limited “treats” will help manage weight gain; carrying extra weight can lead to a number of medical conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Generally speaking, maintaining a healthy weight and supplying the best nutrition possible encourages the body’s positive response to illness, disease, chronic conditions and healing. For those diagnosed with a chronic condition, healthy eating habits can make that condition much easier to manage.

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In our region, we farms that provide own small gardens locally grown foods. (both frozen and products.

have seen a rise in the number of local meat and vegetables – many of us have our and farmers’ markets offer a great deal of Even our grocery stores offer produce fresh), fresh meats and low-fat dairy

Physical Activity Plays a Role

We do not need to be athletes to experience the benefits of physical activity. What’s important is that we avoid being inactive. Adopting a more active lifestyle is an important part of health management – for those working to manage a chronic condition, recover from illness or simply maintain their health.

Physical activity obviously improves our muscle tone, strength, and balance – changes that can be seen over time. Changes to our bodies that can’t be seen (but can still be measured) include improvements to blood pressure, heart strength, and cholesterol levels. It also boosts our immunity and benefits our mental well-being by reducing stress levels and allowing for more restful sleep.

Regardless of chronic condition, physical limitation or other barriers, everyone benefits from increased physical activity. If you have a chronic health condition such as arthritis, diabetes, or heart disease, speak with your doctor to understand if your condition limits your ability to be active. Physical activity can easily be adapted to match just about any ability.

Throughout our communities, we are fortunate to have walking and hiking trails that can be used year-round. Even working in our own gardens and being active with our families in the backyard or in our local communities offers health benefits. Our beautiful, natural environment provides a ready-made space in which we can be active at a variety of levels.

Eating well and taking part in physical activity is one of the best things we can do for our health. It is one of the factors that we can completely control, when it comes to our overall well-being. The healthier our choices – even making some simple changes – will provide a long-term prescription for improved health.

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COMMUNITY At the new food hub in Essex, farmers and food producers are finding ways to spread the interest --- in ---

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By Gretel H. Schueller

One thing’s for sure, on pretty much any given day you’re sure to smell something delicious coming from the kitchen: caramelized onions and sausage that will be part of farm-fresh meals to go, sweet red peppers roasting in the oven destined for jars, giant pots of bubbling tomato sauce, juicy melon getting sliced and frozen, fragrantly-spiced meat being slow-cooked for tacos, vinegary brine pouring into jarfuls of garlicky scapes.

What’s even more impressive, almost all the ingredients come from about 18 local farms and food producers.

Welcome to the Hub on the Hill, a new nonprofit venture run by Essex resident Jori Wekin. Once a hardware store, then abandoned for years, and more recently a storage facility, the 3,000-square-foot building offers a broad collection of resources and tools for farmers and food producers.

At the intersection of Middle Road and Route 22 in Essex, the Hub on the Hill literally sits on a hill. At its center is the bustling commercial kitchen decked in shiny stainless steel, featuring large-scale food processing equipment, such as food grinders, dehydrators, steam kettles, a flash freezer, and a vacuum-packer. The new facility and equipment complies with state Department of Health commercial kitchen regulations, as well as those of the State Department Agriculture and Markets.

The kitchen has only been up and running since January 2016. And yet in this short time, more than 100,000 pounds of local vegetables and fruit have already moved through it, getting transformed in dozens of delicious value-added products.

“I originally was thinking we’d do about 50,000 pounds of food,” says Wekin. “So this is huge.”

It’s not unusual in the height of summer for Essex Farm, for example, to drop off 700 pounds of tomatoes, stacked high in crates. By the end of the day, those tomatoes have been washed and chopped—along with farm-sourced cilantro and hot peppers—then cooked and packed into jars of spicy salsa destined for stores and farm share members.

Value-added products like this one not only help increase a farmer’s bottom line, it also helps secure the year-round availability of local food.

The food hub in Essex is part of a larger national trend of a relatively new food distribution model that works to improve access to local foods. >> Continued | pg. 22

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Photos by Gretel H. Schueller

While each varies, food hubs usually buy from local growers and sell to schools, institutions, stores, and restaurants. They have become popular because of the increasing consumer demand for fresh, local food.

Food hubs offer a bridge between food producers and consumers, providing a mutually beneficial relationship across both ends of the food system: Institutions don’t have time to buy food from a dozen or more separate farms with different invoice systems and delivery dates, so hubs simplify matters by becoming a single, go-to source. The success of food hubs across the country shows that local food is no fad.

The number of food hubs has doubled over the past eight years, to more than 350 across the country. A national survey of 107 food hubs in 2013 showed that nearly two-thirds of them were less than five years old. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as numerous philanthropic organizations, recognize the important role food hubs can serve—particularly in underserved and rural communities.

In fact, the Hub on the Hill was awarded $95,000 in partnership with Adirondack North Country Association (an economic development nonprofit) as part of a pilot program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For Wekin, the key word and unifying theme in everything that she does is community collaboration. She, her husband, and two young sons moved to the area in 2010, after living in a cooperative community situation in Vermont. The funny thing, she says, is that “we would often drive by [the hub building] and think it would make a great community space.”

Inside the entrance is a retail market and gathering space. The wide variety of products available represent the inclusiveness Wekin is hoping to foster. Susie Smith, owner of Flying Pancakes Catering and one of the managers at the Hub, sells her “grab-n-go farm-fresh meals” and her DAK Bars, a whole-food energy bar, here.

Other products available include yogurts, cheeses, and frozen yogurt from North Country Creamery in Keeseville; Reber Rock Farm’s coldpressed sunflower oil, maple syrup, and medicinal tinctures and dried herbs from Juniper Hill Farm in Wadhams.

Bloomingdale-based Adirondack Rhubarb Traditions sells rhubarb vinaigrette, chutney, and syrup made in the Hub’s kitchen. There are also two local honey makers and fruity shrubs from Forever Wild Beverage Co. While many producers involved are located in and around Essex, others extend as far north as Keeseville and as far away as Lake Placid and Saranac Lake.

In that same vein of inclusiveness, the market also sells a variety of locally-crafted, nonfood items—although the soaps from Harvest Hill Farm do sound good enough to eat. Carrot-ginger soap, anyone?

Other offerings include cutting boards by local furniture-maker Courtney Fair; fruit- and herb-based lip balms from Wadhams-based

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Mad Crazy Flowers; potted herbs and other plants grown by Linda Carson and colorful glass earrings made by Beverly Eichenlaub, owner of Essex Glass.

Wekin is currently reaching out to other vendors and encourages food producers to contact her.

In addition to the kitchen rental and copacking services and market, the Hub offers office space, dry storage, cold storage, a fermentation room, and a workshop. These shared-use spaces with communal resources foster a true community spirit, explains Wekin.

When the Wekins first moved to Essex, the family ran a community farm next to a school, but they soon realized that there were plenty of farmers already in the area. Wekin recognized that what these farmers really needed was a way to develop wholesale processing, bottling, storage, and distribution systems.

“By offering shared services and space, you’re helping remove one of the largest stumbling blocks to North Country startups,” she said.

So she founded Dak & Dill, the in-house copacker that provides the licensing, labor, packaging and labeling needed to turn the bounty of raw farm ingredients into consumer-friendly value-added products. Her tasty foods include pickled scapes, relish, ketchup, tomato juice and BBQ sauce. Two products to debut this summer include an immuneboosting elderberry elixir and a variety of salad dressings made with local herbs.

“I really had fun experimenting with those.”

And a new product in the works is fruit leather, including spinachrhubarb flavor. Healthy and great-tasting!

For several years, Wekin helped develop the kitchen at the Whallonsburg Grange Hall into a commercial community kitchen. But she quickly outgrew the space. About 10,000 pounds of food were typically processed per year at the Grange — small potatoes compared to the 100,000 pounds of food processed so far in 2016 at the Hub on the Hill. (The Grange continues to provide cooking workshops and commercial kitchen space.)

“The response from the community has been very supportive,” she notes.

In addition to the five paid employees who work at the Hub, Wekin receives a significant amount of help from volunteers eager to see the Hub succeed.

Still in its growing stages, Wekin has big goals. She will soon be selling products at the Plattsburgh Coop, and she’s working with a farm to school initiative to bring local farm products into school cafeterias.

But what remains most important, she notes, “is that it’s available to everyone.”

For more information, contact Jori Wekin at hubonthehill@gmail.com

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Improving vitality through reiki

With the seemingly insurmountable amount of responsibilities in our daily lives, it’s not easy to prioritize our health above our work.

Stress has a tendency to sneak up on you.

Imagine now that you carry that stress into a dimly lit room. There’s a pleasant aroma. A calm voice tells you to lie whichever way is more comfortable. And then a person places their hands on your back.

And those problems melt away. In their wake, a shroud of healing warmth.

Inside Mary Heald’s Westport practice

By Elizabeth Izzo

This is reiki; an ancient East Asian form of holistic healing, where practitioners use their hands to channel energy into their patient by using distinct hand motions.

It’s a mystical practice with roots in Japan. And one could be mistaken for thinking it is only practiced in exotic neighborhoods in bigger cities.

But you can also experience reiki in Westport, NY.

LIBRA Down a long, winding road on the outskirts of Westport, there lies a comfortable oasis in the form of Libra, a reiki practice run by longtime resident Mary Heald.

The practice, with its dim, intimate setting, is operated from Heald’s home.

The house is surrounded by forest and greenery, lending the site a removed, natural feel.

Heald has worn many hats through the years; reporter, shepherd, flax farmer and owner of Sylvanbrook Spinnery, mother, English teacher, and since retiring, now full-time reiki practitioner.

Reiki has been an interest of hers for a good portion of her life, according to Heald, who said she first began practicing over 20 years ago. encoun“I can still remember the first time I encoun tered anything like reiki,” she said. “A friend asked me to drive her to Plattsburgh for a some‘Healing Touch’ class. I went with her some what reluctantly. I didn’t believe in that sort of thing.

Mary Heald at her Westport practice.

“It was held by a nurse, who used reiki in a hospital setting to establish healthy balance in individuals she was treating. I went to her guinclass, and the nurse really used me as a guin ea pig. She asked, ‘Why are you here?’ And when I said I was here because of my friend, not because I was interested, she said, ‘We’ll use you.’”

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Mary Heald discusses reiki technique.

ple feel nothing, some people may feel tingling or heat. It really depends on the person.”

DRAWING POWER FROM THE UNIVERSE Heald takes pride in her practice being private, non-judgemental and a “safe place” for people to come seeking a positive environment.

When receiving reiki, clients typically lie on their back or stomach, according to Heald.

The practitioner then uses very gentle hand placement on or above the body to provide comfort, and to direct energy to certain chakras in the body.

Reiki allows “one person to direct energy to another,” according to Heald. She likens it to tai chi, an ancient Chinese form of martial art oftentimes used to achieve greater longevity, or qigong, a form of Chinese moving meditation. “We all have a certain vitality, and reiki is used to try to improve vitality and wellness.”

“When I first received reiki, I could feel the energy in my body,” said Heald. “I was freaked out at first.”

She said that not all will react this way to the practice.

“The sensation varies,” she said. “Some peo-

Chakras are points of energy that correspond to massive nerve centers in the body. Each of the seven main chakras, which align along the spine, are thought to contain “bundles of nerves and major organs, as well as the psychological, emotional and spiritual states of being.” >> Continued | pg. 26

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With reiki, for example, a practitioner may see a client and note a blockage at the fifth chakra, which is located in the area of the throat. This chakra represents expression, and one’s ability to express themselves and speak truth. When a person has a blockage there, according to Heald, it may also indicate illnesses of the neck, thyroid, jaw, mouth or more. So a practitioner may choose to send reiki to that

particular area of the body, in hopes that a client may feel calmed or relieved there.

“Reiki allows practitioners to draw power from the universe, and it becomes your power,” she said.

Heald stresses that though reiki may help clients with stress, anxiety and other things, it is not a medical practice.

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“It doesn’t take the place of receiving medical care, or going to the doctor,” she said.

In the years Heald has been studying and practicing reiki, there is one thing about it that she loves dearly: the fact that it is the goal of reiki professionals, like doctors, to do no harm.

“The thing about reiki is it’s never negative,” Heald said.

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A fit built to last: Belzer’s artistry A fit built to last: shines in wood Belzer’s artistry and stained glass shines in wood Retired Industrial Arts and Home Economics and stained glass teachers exemplify the spirit of DIY Daniel Belzer, a retired Industrial Arts teacher in Elizabethtown, demonstrates how to smooth the sharp DanielofBelzer, a retired Arts teacher Elizabethtown, demonstrates how to smooth the sharp edges glass with a wetIndustrial sanding technique at hisinglass studio on Lord Road. edges of glass with a wet sanding technique at his glass studio on Lord Road.

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Photos by Kim Dedam

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Retired Industrial Arts and Home Economics teachers exemplify the spirit of DIY

By Kim Dedam ELIZABETHTOWN — Elegant stained glass artwork, windows and light fixtures aren’t the only items crafted carefully by hand at the Belzer home and studio on Lord Road.

Everything here is.

Much of the furniture, cabinetry, counters and the house itself were built by Daniel Belzer and his wife of 62 years, Mary Jane.

Mr. Belzer, 91, is the former Industrial Arts teacher at ElizabethtownLewis Central School. He met his wife, a retired Home Economics teacher, here in town at a school picnic.

And since then, Mr. and Mrs. Belzer have built their lives and livelihood.

Nearly every standing piece of furniture was individually turned and trimmed in the shop he keeps tidy beside the garage.

The entire house, in fact, was built from their design and labor.

Mrs. Belzer, 84, keeps steady pace with her husband, part helpmate, part designer, part comedienne.

On a recent visit, she smoothed her apron pockets and offered a tour of their home, answering the telephone from time-to-time, adding quips and insight into the thought that went into each piece and fixture.

A perfectly fitted oak coffee table in the couple’s den matches exactly the angle of the cushioned heather colored couch.

The table’s edges are soft, sanded to a curve, as is every corner throughout the home.

An elegant peacock glances askance from a window in the Belzer’s Lord Road home in Elizabethtown.

Stained glass nightlights shine from the custom glass shop owned by Dan and Mary Jane Belzer.

>> Continued | pg. 30

The table’s clear finish allows the golden wood tones to glow.

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“That’s the nice thing about doing it yourself -- it fits,” Mr. Belzer says.

A tour through the various rooms reveals magnificence in wood and finish work. Moldings match — elegant finial edges turned smooth by lathe — from table to window crown to trim moulding.

Curio cabinets; a tall hutch that lines the entire dining room wall; end tables; pantry shelves and even the kitchen drawers were all cut crafted by hand over the past 15 years by the two retired teachers. They bought the land in 2001, overlooking the vale above Barton Brook.

The screened in back porch is a study in handmade cedar paneling with a scalloped wood valance built-in around the top.

“He let me cut the scallops,” Mrs. Belzer says with a laugh.

Mary Jane Belzer shares a look at the kitchen drawer she designed and her husband built to fit in their spacious, hand-crafted kitchen cupboards.

Mr. Belzer measured the spot and fit the table to the couch.

“You don’t have any choice,” he says of doing all of the cabinetry and furnishings to correspond with each angle they put in the house.

“It’s either that, or you don’t do it.

“I do the sanding, plugging in the nail holes. He lets me plaster in the corners,” she grinned.

They raised four boys in their first house here, and built this one to welcome visits home. The entire game room downstairs was designed for their boys and their families, including an octagonal game table with a hinged top. Inside the table are slots and curved holds for cards and game pieces.

The Belzer’s shared their penchant for DIY with each son, a heritage

that has now crossed four generations.

“It’s my life,” Mr. Belzer says of growing up in a carpenter’s family, which led to his teaching degree in Industrial Arts and Automotive Shop.

In the kitchen, Mrs. Belzer rolled out a wide drawer, lined vertically with slots to fit her myriad of baking pots and sheets.

“I had one good idea,” she quipped, having designed the drawer to sort and store kitchenwares.

“We haven’t even seen the glass shop yet,” she informed.

The Belzer’s handcrafted hutch features finials and stencil work, one of dozens of fine furnishings they built together over the past 15 years.

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There’s so much more.

Stained glass craftwork accents each corner of the Belzer’s home. It is their other hobby, one they also complete together in a corner basement shop.

Mrs. Belzer’s “Irish” hall is lined with lucky shamrocks and glass wound in Celtic knots, a tribute to her heritage.

“You make this to fit the window,” Mr. Belzer says of the vivid rose glass array bounded by gold and green and cream paisley teardrops.

A stained glass peacock peers aside from another window, its long, plunging tail a study in gold, orange, blue and green.

White rippled glass in an eight-sided star is edged in crisp metal “came:” Each piece cut individually to fit the black frame, sometimes bound in copper leaf.

The Belzers sell the work from their shop on Lord Road in Elizabethtown, custom fit, as they have done inside their own home. They have duplicated several of the furniture designs, end tables and desk accessories.

“A lot of it is started by doing it,” Mr. Belzer says of how he began crafting wood and glass years ago.

“You learn as you go,” he said.

The finished work speaks clearly of artistry.

The Belzers have many unique woodwork items and stained glass fixtures for sale from their glass studio and woodshop. They also custom design items, including stained glass street numbers.

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Local Flavor: The

Essex Inn Chef Jordan Sauter:

“The more the ingredient, the better”

local

The Essex Inn, built in the early 1900s. The Inn’s tavern is currently open from 5-9 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Photo by Elizabeth Izzo

By Elizabeth Izzo

ESSEX – The historic Essex Inn, built in the 1800s, welcomed new talent to its kitchen this year in the form of Philadelphia-born chef Jordan Sauter.

Sauter is young and lean, with a shock of red hair on his head and a beard to match. He moves through the kitchen at the Inn with purpose; exuding calm with his calculated, assured stride.

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The menu, which features handcrafted, gourmet Italian-American dishes, is his own creation. There is no brigade de cuisine; no sous chef, no prep cook, no expediter. In the kitchen, it is Sauter and his creations alone.

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Jordan Sauter poses behind the Inn’s tavern bar.

Photo by Elizabeth Izzo

A DAY IN THE LIFE Sauter begins his day in the early hours of the morning.

up his ingredients; beef from Donahue’s in Malone, chicken, cauliflower and basil from Essex Farm.

comes in on the weekends to help with dishes and some of the plating,” he said. “But other than that, it’s just me.”

Then, Sauter arrives at the kitchen and lays out his ingredients.

This position, which allows Sauter to run the kitchen at the Essex Inn, is the result of a lifetime of work.

“I like to see what I have,” he said.

Sauter crafts menus weekly, sometimes daily, based on the availability of ingredients.

Sauter showcases his hand-picked local mushrooms.

Photo by Elizabeth Izzo

“I live in Jay,” he said, “So I drive [to Essex], and on the way I stop at local trails to forage for mushrooms.”

>> Continued | pg. 36

“Sometimes you need, like, 20 pounds of potatoes and they don’t have enough.

So you have to improvise and maybe use cauliflower instead, you know? You have to be on your feet, adaptable.”

“I found these this morning.”

Service starts at 5 p.m., with every dish, from appetizers to desserts, crafted by Sauter.

Chef Jordan Sauter puts together a party-sized pan of tiramisu for a private client.

Next, he visits a variety of local farms to pick

“There is a kid who

From the cooler, he pulls a handful of enormous mushrooms, which he says are “chicken of the woods,” or laetiporus mushrooms.

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Below is one of Sauter’s recipes, which he believes is a simple way to translate refined Italian cuisine to something that can be made any day at home.

RICOTTA GNOCCHI

By Jordan Sauter Serves 2-4 Ingredients: 2 cups ricotta 2 egg yolks 1.5 cups flour

“I’ve been cooking since I was 2 years old,” said Sauter, citing his grandmother as his support and inspiration. “I had a weird fascination with food from a very young age. My brother would watch cartoons, and I’d be sitting there watching ‘The Frugal Gourmet’ with Jeff Smith on PBS.”

Sauter’s black pepper pappardelle.

He got his first job in a professional kitchen at 14 years old.

Pinch of nutmeg 1 tsp salt Bench flour Directions: First, put on a pot of boiling salted water.

Place ricotta in bowl. Add egg yolks, salt and nutmeg, and thoroughly mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Add flour and mix well, but do not over mix, as this will make for tough gnocchi. I mix by hand, but you could carefully use a standing mixer with a dough hook. Reserve a baking sheet that has been oiled to rest your gnocchi after boiling.

Cut your dough into 4 or 5 pieces, roll into “snakes” about the diameter of a penny, and dust with bench flour. Cut the snakes about 3/4 of an inch thick and immediately place in boiling water. The water must be at a rolling boil.

Boil for 1.5 minutes and remove them from water using a slotted spoon or sieve. Place the gnocchi on the oiled baking sheet to rest.

Now you can get creative. Start simple with tomato sauce or butter and parmesan. Try using a creamy canned soup as the sauce, or toss the gnocchi in some seasonal, local vegetables. Add some of your favorite seafood or pancetta/bacon.

The possibilities only end when you let them. This is a great, hearty and versatile pasta for the upcoming colder months.

“I started working with my uncle David, who did high-end catering,” he said. “I worked 40 hours a week through high school.”

Photo courtesy of Essex Inn

color. Sauter said that the Adirondack Blue potato is a great example of something truly local.

“I get these from right down the road,” he said.

Sauter left high school and enrolled in a Penn State satellite campus, but something changed on the way.

The Adirondack Blue potato was created by Cornell University’s Robert Plaisted, Ken Paddorck and Walter De Jong in 2003.

“I just thought, ‘I can’t do this anymore,’” he said. “I turned around and went straight to Rembrandt’s.”

His philosophy is that the more local the ingredient, the better.

Rembrandt’s is a popular gastro-pub in Philadelphia’s Fairmount art district.

“I met with the head chef and asked him to give me a chance,” he said. “He asked me to answer four questions, and in retrospect they were pretty basic cooking questions. But I didn’t get a single one right.” Sauter laughed. “He hired me anyway.”

Later, Sauter left Rembrandt’s for the highly regarded Modo Mio, to work under chef Peter McAndrews, before eventually finding his way to the Adirondacks.

“It’s important to use local ingredients,” said Sauter. He said that using local ingredients naturally encourages seasonal-minded cuisine.

“Apart from supporting the local economy, when you use what’s naturally growing at the time you’re making the dish, using what’s available in your area, that’s how you get the best flavor out of your ingredients.”

In late September, the menu at the Inn’s tavern featured dishes like Donahue Farms ribeye with Adirondack Blue potatoes; charred broccoli and umami jus; black pepper pappardelle and Dalton Farm pumpkin agnolotti.

‘SIMPLE AND SATISFYING’

FARM TO FORK CUISINE Though Sauter is a Philly native — his move to the North Country fairly recent — he has already embraced the breadth of ingredients and flavors unique to the area.

Ricotta gnocchi.

Photo by Sarah Hough Saute

An ingredient Sauter loves using is the Adirondack Blue potato.

As he spoke, he pulled a steel canister filled with them from his prep area, pointing out the vegetable’s royal blue

“I think because of the popularity of food television, people have it in their minds that food needs to look a certain way,” said Sauter.

He said this may contribute to why many people feel intimidated by cooking at home.

“But it’s so simple and satisfying to cook our own food.”

OCTOBER KEESEVILLE — Keeseville hosts a farmer’s market every Thursday through October at 122A Robare Rd. from 4-6 p.m.

SARANAC LAKE — A farmer’s market can be found in Riverside Park every Saturday through Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market will move to Harrietstown Hall from Oct. 15 to Dec. 17. For more information, call 608628-7386.

to 12 p.m. The winter market will be held at Christ Methodist Church. For more information, call 792-0198.

NORTH CREEK — The Tri-County Nursing Home will host a farmer’s market through Oct. 7, from 3-6 p.m. For more information, visit northcreekfarmersmarket.com.

QUEENSBURY — The Queensbury farmer’s market will be held on Rte. 9 across from Fun Spot every Monday through Oct. 24. Hours are 3-6 p.m. For more information, call 6386301.

WARRENSBURG — A farmer’s market will be held in the Warrensburg Mills historic district, on River St., through Oct. 7. Hours are 3-6 p.m. For more information, call 466-5497.

LAKE PLACID — The Lake Placid Farmer’s Market will be open at Simply Gourmet on Saranac Ave. every Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in October.

Festivals

PLATTSBURGH — Fledging Crow Vegetables can be found selling produce in uptown Plattsburgh’s Consumer Square every Thursday through October from 3-6 p.m.

PERU — Peru’s Harvest Weekend will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 15-16 at the Babbie Rural Farm & Learning Museum.

Attendees can take $1 off admission if a nonperishable item is brought for the Interfaith Foodshelf.

KEENE VALLEY — Keene Valley will host a farmer’s market at Marcy Airfield on Sundays through Oct. 9. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

TICONDEROGA — The Ti Farmer’s Market will be open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market will host their final event for the season on Oct. 15. For more information, call 585-6619 or visit ticonderogany.com.

PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Winter farmer’s market can be found indoors at the City Recreation Center every Saturday until Christmas. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit plattsburghfarmersmarket.com.

UPPER JAY — The Sugar House Creamery will host a snowy grocery market every Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., through May 2017.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ TheSnowyGrocery.

MALONE — A farmer’s market is scheduled to take place at the Malone Airport on Wednesdays through Oct. 12. Hours are 12 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit adirondackfarmersmarket.com.

GLENS FALLS — The Glens Falls farmer’s market will be held at the South Street pavilion on Saturdays through Oct. 29, from 8 a.m.

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The event will feature demonstrations on corn harvest, granary, hit and miss engines and blacksmithing.

The cost for $7 for adults, $4 for children 3-13. Children under three are free.

For more information, call 643-8052 or visit babbiemuseum.org.

NORTH CREEK — Gore Mountain will host a free Harvest Fest on Oct. 8-9. The fest will feature a “hearty fall food and drink menu,” according to organizers, with local favorites like maple glazed donuts, hot and cold cider, turkey drumsticks and a vegetarian BBQ selection. Live music and an array of Adirondack vendors will be on site all weekend. To see the full schedule of events, or for more information, visit gore-

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mountain.com or call 251-2411.

LAKE GEORGE — Adirondack Brewery will host its 11th annual Oktoberfest on Oct. 15 from 1-5 p.m. This brewfest will feature beer from all across New York state. Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door. Proceeds from ticket sales will go toward the Adirondack Mountain Club. For more information, visit lakegeorgeoktoberfest.com.

BEEKMANTOWN — The second annual Celtic Crafter Harvest Festival is slated for Oct. 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Activities on tap are an apple crisp eating contest, bakery contest, mason jar contest, cupcake decorating class and more. For more information, visit facebook.com/celticcraftershandmade.

Arts & Entertainment

Farmer’s Markets

events

FALL EVENTS 2016

North Country Homegrown

PUTNAM STATION — Billy Bob’s Orchard will host an apple fest on Oct. 1-2. The orchard invites visitors to join them for a weekend of apple picking, hay rides and pumpkin picking. For more information, visit billybobsorchard. com

Adirondack Brewery will host its 11th annual Oktoberfest on Oct. 15 from 1-5 p.m. in Lake George.

For more information visit lakegeorgeoktoberfest.com

| North Country Living Magazine’s Homegrown | 37

FALL EVENTS EV 2016

Arts & Entertainment

TICONDEROGA — Fort Ticonderoga’s Heritage Harvest & Horse Festival is scheduled for Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From 10 - 4 p.m., a harvest market will be set up with locally grown and locally made products from vendors from all around the region. The market will have artisanal cheese, produce, maple syrup, apple products and more. For a full schedule of events, or for more information, visit fortticonderoga.org or call 585-2821.

LAKE GEORGE — The Lake George Harvest Festival, held this year at the Festival Commons in Charles R. Wood Park, will be open from Oct. 21-23. The LG Harvest Fest will celebrate the season with farm stands, bakery selections, international foods, a harvest craft beer garden, harvest parade and much m o r e .

There will

Rulf’s Orchard in Peru offers free wagon rides to their pumpkin patch every weekend during the month of October from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 643-8636 for more information.

be fireworks in the evening. For more information, visit lakegeorgeharvestfestival.com.

LAKE PLACID — Whiteface will host an Oktoberfest celebration from Oct. 1-2. The fest will feature authentic music, food and beer.

This Whiteface event was named one of the 5 Must-Visit Oktoberfests in North America by SKI Magazine, according to the event website.

Tickets are $35 for both days, $16 for one day.

For more information, visit whiteface.com.

Classes PLATTSBURGH — The Strand Center for the Arts will host an all-ages Gourd JackO-Lantern carving class at 11 a.m. on non-memOct. 15. Tickets are $40 for non-mem inforbers, $35 for members. For more infor mation, visit strandcenter.org.

SCHROON LAKE — True North Yoga will host a free “Reiki Share and Healing OrCircle” event on Oct. 20 from 7-9 p.m. Or opporganizers say that this event is an oppor tunity to “join with other energy modality practitioners for meditation and then share in the giving and receiving of healing energy.”

For more information, call 810-7871.

PLATTSBURGH — The Strand Center will also host classes on making decorative ‘Santa Ice Skates’ and ‘Santa & Snowman Hockey Pucks’ on respecOct. 18 and 29, respec tively. The decorative beice skate class be gins at 5 p.m. The hockey puck class begins at 11 a.m.

Tickets are $35 for the ice skate decoration, $25 for the hockey instrucpuck instruc tion. For more information, visit strandcenter.org.

WHALLONSBURG — The Whallonsburg Grange will host “Eat Like it’s 1799,” a cooking class that focuses on historic Essex County dishes, on Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. The class, lead by Chef Lela Niemetz, will use local ingredients. The cost to attend is $15, which includes food. Sign up in advance thegrangby calling 963-4170 or visit thegrang ehall.info.

paintPLATTSBURGH — A wine glass paint Champing workshop will be held at Champ lain Wine Company on Oct. 2 from 1-3 p.m. Attendees will be able to paint two stemmed or non-stemmed wine glasses to take home. Cost is $25 and includes complimentasupplies, instruction, and a complimenta ry beverage to enjoy during the class. Space is limited. To reserve a seat, call 564-0064 or visit champlainwinecompany.com.

38 | North Country Living Magazine’s Homegrown | Vol. 1 No. 1

PORT HENRY — Lightworks Reiki in Port Henry will hold an “After Hours” evening seminar, open to beginning and experienced reiki students, from Oct. 17 to Oct. 21.

Attendance at all 5 class sessions is required to receive a Jikiden Reiki® Certificate.

Jikiden Reiki® Seminar is for anyone interested in learning or deepening their current Reiki practice.

Cost to attend is $350. Pre-registration is required. A $150 non-refundable deposit is requested. For more information, visit lightworks-jikidenreiki.com

U-Pick PLATTSBURGH — Banker Orchards will offer pumpkin picking, wagon rides and pony rides throughout the month of October. The orchard is open from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. every day. For more information, call 5615234.

OLMSTEADVILLE — It’s About Thyme Farm will offer pumpkin picking through Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit itsaboutthymefarm.com.

PERU — Rulf’s Orchard will offer wagon rides to their pumpkin patch every weekend during the month of October, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. After riding out to the pumpkin patch, visitors are encouraged to pick their own pumpkin to bring back with them. For more information, call 643-8636 or visit facebook. com/rulfsorchard.

PUTNAM STATION — Billy Bob’s Orchard will be open for apple and pumpkin picking through October. Hours are Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit billybobsorchard.com or call 547-8309.

PERU — Applejacks Orchard will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of October.

The orchard offers around 20 different apple varieties, many of which will be at the peak of ripeness around the start of the month.

Applejacks will also have pumpkins on site for patrons to take home. For more information, visit Applejacks on Facebook or call 6432268.

CHAZY — Visitors will be able to pick their own apples and peruse a full bakery and farmer’s market at Chazy Orchards throughout the month of October. The orchard is open from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. seven days a week. For more information, visit chazyorchards.com or call 846-7171.

GRANVILLE — Hick’s Orchard will offer apple picking on weekends through mid-October. On site the orchard offers access to a corn maze, bouncy barnyard and a small barnyard petting zoo. For adults, Hick’s has a hard cider tasting

ncliving@suncommunitynews.com

room, complete with their award-winning hard ciders, sparkling ciders and ice ciders. Applewood-fired pizza will be offered on the weekends. The orchard is open weekdays 12 - 6 p.m., weekends 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. After apple picking has closed for the season, the store will remain open until late December. For more information, visit hicksorchard.com or call 642-1788.

Wine, Cider, Brews and Spirits GRANVILLE — The Slyboro Ciderhouse will be open through the fall from 12 - 6 p.m. For more information, visit slyboro.com.

PLATTSBURGH — Elfs Farm Winery and Ciderhouse will host a “Friday Night Wine Down” every Friday night through October and November. At the Friday Night Wine Down events, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy live music, wine, hard cider and beer by the glass. Live music starts at 6 p.m. Normal tasting room hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 12-5 p.m.

For more information, visit elfsfarm.com.

PERU — Livingood’s Restaurant and Brewery will be open year round.

Livingood’s opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the beer selection available, visit livingoodsrestaurant.com or call 643-2020.

GLENS FALLS — The Mean Max Brewing Company taproom is open Tuesday through Thursday, 5-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 3-11 p.m.

Mean Max specializes in handmade ales and lagers. The taproom also carries six wines from Amorici Vineyard in Valley Falls. For more information, visit meanmaxbrew.com or call 793-2337.

SCHROON LAKE — Paradox Brewery in Schroon Lake will be open yearround, with their tasting room hours shifting with the seasons. In the fall, their hours will be Friday, 12 - 7 p.m., Saturday, 12 - 6 p.m. and Sunday, 12-4 p.m. Representatives of Paradox say that it is always best to call ahead to assure hours. For more information, visit paradoxbrewery.com or call 351-5036.

WEST CHAZY — Vesco Ridge Vineyards will be open for wine tastings through the season. Visitors will be able to experience vineyard tours and wine tastings Wednesday through Sunday, 12-5 p.m. Private tastings are available by appointment by calling 846-8544.

FORT ANN — The Lake Placid Distillery in Fort Ann will be open to visitors Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 12 - 5 p.m. The distillery manufactures moonshine, whiskey, bourbon and more. For more information, visit lakegeorgedistillingcompany.com.

LAKE PLACID — The Goose Watch Winery on Main Street will be open Sundays, 12-5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Goose Watch produces a large range of flavors varying from the Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Riesling-Gewurztraminer and Traminette to Lemberger, Merlot, Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon. For more information, call 523-1955.

LAKE GEORGE — The Adirondack Winery tasting room will be open yearround. In October, the tasting room is open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. On Oct. 29-31, the Adirondack Winery will host a “HalloWine Weekend,” which will feature free samples of their witches’ brew wine cocktail. For more information, visit adirondackwinery.com.

AU SABLE — The Ausable Brewing Company taproom is open to visitors on Thursdays and Fridays from 2-8 p.m. and Saturdays, 12-8 p.m. The brewery now serves over ten unique beers on tap. For more information, visit ausablebrewing.tumblr.com.

SARANAC LAKE — The Blue Line Brewery will be open seven days a week, year round. Hours are Monday, 5-8 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 12-7 p.m. Blue Line serves a variety of local ales, including the Old Mountain Milk Stout, Black Fly BIPA and the Wawbeek Ale. For more information, call 354-8114.

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| North Country Living Magazine’s Homegrown | 39

FALL EVENTS 2016

Arts & Entertainment

GLENS FALLS — The Common Roots Brewing Company in South Glens Falls manufactures a variety of brews, from the Belgian Style Honey Ale, Coffee Cup stout to Bright Light BPA and more. Taproom hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 4-9 p.m., Friday, 4-10 p.m., Saturday, 12-10 p.m. and Sunday, 12-6 p.m. For more information, call 409-8248 or visit commonrootsbrewing.com.

PLATTSBURGH — On Oct. 15, the Oval Craft Brewery will host the Plattsburgh State homecoming alumni for a craft beer tasting event. Organizers encourage visitors to come and enjoy a craft beer made by a Plattsburgh alum. Oval Craft Brewery is open to visitors Wednesday through Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. For more information, call 324-2739.

LAKE GEORGE — The Adirondack Brewery Brewpub, which has on tap a wide assortment of Adirondack ale, opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and noon Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit adkbrewery.com.

PLATTSBURGH — The Champlain Wine Company will be open year-round for wine tastings. Hours are Sunday through Tuesday, 12 -6 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday, 12-8 p.m. For more information, visit champlainwinecompany.com or call 564-0064.

Local Eats PLATTSBURGH — The Valcour Brewing Company will host a Murder Mystery dinner on Oct. 29-30. Tickets are $70 and include a special three course meal with craft beer pairings, dessert and the murder mystery dinner theater. For more information, visit valcourbrewingcompany. com.

WADHAMS — The Dogwood Bread Company, makers of artisan wood-fired pizza, bread, coffee, sandwiches and more, will reopen on Oct. 6. Hours are Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 962-2280.

ESSEX — The Essex Inn, open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5-9 p.m., features the culinary work of experienced chef Jordan Sauter. The Inn serves dishes crafted by their in-house chef, using almost exclusively local and seasonal ingredients.

For more information, call 963-4400.

LAKE PLACID — The new Big Slide Brewery & Public House in Lake Placid will be open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 12 - 10 p.m. The brewery will also be open to tours upon request.

For more information, visit bigslidebrewery.com.

NOVEMBER Farmer’s Markets PLATTSBURGH — The Plattsburgh Winter farmer’s market can be found indoors at the City Recreation Center every Saturday until Christmas. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit plattsburghfarmersmarket.com.

UPPER JAY — The Sugar House Creamery will host a snowy grocery market every Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., through May 2017.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ TheSnowyGrocery.

GLENS FALLS — The Glens Falls winter market will be held at Christ Methodist Church on Saturdays through November, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. For more information, call 792-0198.

Classes

WHALLONSBURG — The Whallonsburg Grange will host “Great Tasting and Gluten Free,” a cooking class focused on teaching attendees how to create a delicious, entirely gluten-free meal, on Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. Cost to attend is $15, and will include food.

Sign up in advance by calling 963-4170 or visit thegrangehall.info.

MORRISONVILLE — Hid-In Pines Vineyard will be open for wine tastings every day from 12-5 p.m. For more information, visit hipvineyard.com.

GLENS FALLS — The Cooper’s Cave Ale Company will be open yearround. Hours are Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call 792-0007.

PLATTSBURGH — The Everett Orchards Tasting Room will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The orchard has on tap a number of hard ciders, including the semi-sweet hard cider, a blend of McIntosh and bittersweet apples; and “Hailstorm,” a blend of Michelin, Chisel Jersey, Brown Snout, Summerset Redstreak and Kingston Black apples. On Sundays, the tasting room does not open until 10 a.m. For more information, call 563-2438.

40 | North Country Living Magazine’s Homegrown | Vol. 1 No. 1

The new Big Slide Brewery in Lake Placid will be open Monday Through Saturday, 11:30 am to 10 p.m. and Sunday, noon-10 p.m. For more information visit bigslidebrewery.com.

ncliving@suncommunitynews.com

PLATTSBURGH — The Strand Center for the Arts will offer instruction on making a winter glass block nite light on Nov. 19. This beginner acrylic class is $35 for non-members, $30 for members and includes materials.

For more information, visit strandcenter.org.

Wine, Cider, Brews PLATTSBURGH — Elfs Farm Winery and Ciderhouse will host a “Friday Night Wine Down” every Friday night through November. At the Friday Night Wine Down events, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy live music, wine, hard cider and beer by the glass. Live music starts at 6 p.m.

Normal tasting room hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 12-5 p.m. For more information, visit elfsfarm.com.

GLENS FALLS — The Mean Max Brewing Company taproom is open Tuesday through Thursday, 5-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 3-11 p.m.

Mean Max specializes in handmade ales and lagers. The taproom also carries six wines from Amorici Vineyard in Valley Falls. For more information, visit meanmaxbrew.com or call 793-2337.

SARANAC LAKE — The Blue Line Brewery will be open seven days a week, year round. Hours are Monday, 5-8 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 12-7 p.m. Blue Line serves a variety of local ales, including the Old Mountain Milk Stout, Black Fly BIPA and the Wawbeek Ale. For more information, call 354-8114.

SCHROON LAKE — Paradox Brewery in Schroon Lake will be open yearround, with their tasting room hours shifting with the seasons. In the winter, their hours will vary. Representatives of Paradox say that it is always best to call ahead to assure hours. For more information, visit paradoxbrewery.com or call 351-5036.

GLENS FALLS — The Common Roots Brewing Company in South Glens Falls manufactures a variety of brews, from the Belgian Style Honey Ale, Coffee Cup stout to Bright Light BPA and more. Taproom hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 4-9 p.m., Friday, 4-10 p.m., Saturday, 12-10 p.m. and Sunday, 12-6 p.m. For more information, call 409-8248 or visit commonrootsbrewing.com.

LAKE PLACID — The Goose Watch Winery on Main Street will be open Sundays, 12-5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Goose Watch produces a large range of flavors varying from the Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Riesling-Gewurztraminer and Traminette to Lemberger, Merlot, Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon. For more information, call 523-1955.

PERU — Livingood’s Restaurant and Brewery will be open year round.

Livingood’s opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the beer selection available, visit livingoodsrestaurant.com or call 643-2020.

WEST CHAZY — Vesco Ridge Vineyards will be open for wine tastings through the season. Visitors will be able to experience vineyard tours and wine tastings Wednesday through Sunday, 12-5 p.m. Private tastings are available by appointment by calling 846-8544.

FORT ANN — The Lake Placid Distillery in Fort Ann will be open to visitors Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 12 - 5 p.m. The distillery manufactures moonshine, whiskey, bourbon and more. For more information, visit lakegeorgedistillingcompany.com.

LAKE PLACID — The new Big Slide Brewery & Public House in Lake Placid will be open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 12 - 10 p.m. The brewery will also be open to tours upon request. For more information, visit bigslidebrewery.com.

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| North Country Living Magazine’s Homegrown | 41

FALL EVENTS 2016

Arts & Entertainment

GRANVILLE — The Slyboro Ciderhouse will be open through the fall from 12 - 6 p.m. For more information, visit slyboro.com.

PLATTSBURGH — The Champlain Wine Company will be open year-round for wine tastings. Hours are Sunday through Tuesday, 12 -6 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday, 12-8 p.m. For more information, visit champlainwinecompany.com or call 564-0064.

LAKE GEORGE — The Adirondack Brewery Brewpub, which has on tap a wide assortment of Adirondack ale, opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and noon Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit adkbrewery.com.

PLATTSBURGH — Oval Craft Brewery is open to visitors Wednesday through Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Oval Craft boasts a tasting room with a bar, an event room for up to 45 people and in-house brewery. For more information, call 324-2739.

MORRISONVILLE — Hid-In Pines Vineyard will be open for wine tastings every day from

12-5 p.m. For more information, visit hipvineyard.com.

PLATTSBURGH — The Everett Orchards Tasting Room will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The orchard has on tap a number of hard ciders, including the semisweet hard cider, a blend of McIntosh and bittersweet apples; and “Hailstorm,” a blend of Michelin, Chisel Jersey, Brown Snout, Summerset Redstreak and Kingston Black apples.

On Sundays, the tasting room does not open until 10 a.m. For more information, call 5632438.

LAKE GEORGE — The Adirondack Winery tasting room will be open year-round. In November, the tasting room is open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, visit adirondackwinery.com.

GLENS FALLS — The Cooper’s Cave Ale Company will be open year-round. Hours are Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call 792-0007.

The Everett Orchards Tasting Room in Plattsburgh is open every day from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 563-2438.

Local Eats PLATTSBURGH — “Taste of the North Country,” a silent auction and sampling event, will be held at the SUNY Plattsburgh Field House at 5 p.m. on Nov. 17. Ticketholders will enjoy a wide variety of food and beverage samples from local restaurants. Tickets are $12 in advance, $18 at the door and include all tastings. For more information, call 563-1000.

WADHAMS — The Dogwood Bread Company, makers of artisan wood-fired pizza, bread, coffee, sandwiches and more, will be open Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Dogwood Bread Company utilizes many local ingredients. For more information, call 9622280.

ESSEX — The Essex Inn, open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5-9 p.m., features the culinary work of experienced chef Jordan Sauter. The Inn serves dishes crafted by their in-house chef, using almost exclusively local and seasonal ingredients. For more information, call 963-4400.

DECEMBER Classes WHALLONSBURG — The Whallonsburg Grange will host “The Root Cellar,” a cooking class focused on exploring cooking methods for different types of root vegetables, on Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. Cost to attend is $15, and will include food. Sign up in advance by calling 9634170 or visit thegrangehall.info.

PLATTSBURGH — The Strand Center for the Arts’ Lorrie Mandigo will guide attendees through instruction on creating a snowman out of a gourd on Dec. 3. Parents are encouraged to bring their children. The class, which begins at 11 a.m., will cost $40 for non-members and $35 for members, and include materials. For more information, visit strandcenter.org.

Wine, Cider, Brews WEST CHAZY — Vesco Ridge Vineyards will be open for wine tastings through the season.

Visitors will be able to experience vineyard tours and wine tastings Wednesday through Sunday, 12-5 p.m. Private tastings are available by appointment by calling 846-8544.

42 | North Country Living Magazine’s Homegrown | Vol. 1 No. 1

PERU — Livingood’s Restaurant and Brewery will be open year round. Livingood’s opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the beer selection available, visit livingoodsrestaurant.com or call 643-2020.

ncliving@suncommunitynews.com

LAKE PLACID — The new Big Slide Brewery & Public House in Lake Placid will be open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 12 - 10 p.m. The brewery will also be open to tours upon request. For more information, visit bigslidebrewery.com.

SCHROON LAKE — Paradox Brewery in Schroon Lake will be open year-round, with their tasting room hours shifting with the seasons. In the winter, their hours will vary. Representatives of Paradox say that it is always best to call ahead to assure hours. For more information, visit paradoxbrewery.com or call 351-5036.

SARANAC LAKE — The Blue Line Brewery will be open seven days a week, year round. Hours are Monday, 5-8 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 12-7 p.m. Blue Line serves a variety of local ales, including the Old Mountain Milk Stout, Black Fly BIPA and the Wawbeek Ale. For more information, call 354-8114.

GLENS FALLS — The Common Roots Brewing Company in South Glens Falls manufactures a variety of brews, from the Belgian Style Honey Ale, Coffee Cup stout to Bright Light BPA and more. Taproom hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 4-9 p.m., Friday, 4-10 p.m., Saturday, 12-10 p.m. and Sunday, 12-6 p.m. For more information, call 409-8248 or visit commonrootsbrewing.com.

LAKE PLACID — The Goose Watch Winery on Main Street will be open Sundays, 12-5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Goose Watch produces a large range of flavors varying from the Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Riesling-Gewurztraminer and Traminette to Lemberger, Merlot, Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon. For more information, call 523-1955.

PLATTSBURGH — Oval Craft Brewery is open to visitors Wednesday through Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Oval Craft boasts a tasting room with a bar, an event room for up to 45 people and in-house brewery. For more information, call 324-2739.

LAKE GEORGE — The Adirondack Brewery Brewpub, which has on tap a wide assortment of Adirondack ale, opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and noon Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit adkbrewery.com.

PLATTSBURGH — The Champlain Wine Company will be open yearround for wine tastings. Hours are Sunday through Tuesday, 12 -6 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday, 12-8 p.m. For more information, visit champlainwinecompany.com or call 564-0064.

AU SABLE — The Ausable Brewing Company taproom is open to visitors on Thursdays and Fridays from 2-8 p.m. and Saturdays, 12-8 p.m.

The brewery now serves over ten unique beers on tap. For more information, visit ausablebrewing.tumblr.com.

FORT ANN — The Lake Placid Distillery in Fort Ann will be open to visitors Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 12 5 p.m. The distillery manufactures moonshine, whiskey, bourbon and more. For more information, visit lakegeorgedistillingcompany.com.

Local Eats WADHAMS — The Dogwood Bread Company, makers of artisan wood-fired pizza, bread, coffee, sandwiches and more, will be open Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Dogwood Bread Company utilizes many local ingredients. For more information, call 962-2280.

ESSEX — The Essex Inn, open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5-9 p.m., features the culinary work of experienced chef Jordan Sauter. The Inn serves dishes crafted by their in-house chef, using almost exclusively local and seasonal ingredients. For more information, call 963-4400.

Arts & Entertainment

GLENS FALLS — The Mean Max Brewing Company taproom is open Tuesday through Thursday, 5-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 3-11 p.m. Mean Max specializes in handmade ales and lagers. The taproom also carries six wines from Amorici Vineyard in Valley Falls. For more information, visit meanmaxbrew.com or call 793-2337.

Chisel Jersey, Brown Snout, Summerset Redstreak and Kingston Black apples. On Sundays, the tasting room does not open until 10 a.m. For more information, call 563-2438.

FALL EVENTS 2016

GLENS FALLS — The Cooper’s Cave Ale Company will be open yearround. Hours are Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call 792-0007.

JANUARY Classes PLATTSBURGH — The Strand Center for the Arts will offer a class on creating pinch pot animals at 9 a.m. on Jan. 29. The class, for ages 9-12, will instruct attendees on how to use the pinch pot method to mold clay into animal-shaped containers, and how to apply underglazes for coloring. Cost to attend is $35 for non-members, $30 for members and includes materials. For more information, visit strandcenter.org.

Wine, Cider, Brews LAKE GEORGE — The Adirondack Brewery Brewpub, which has on tap a wide assortment of Adirondack ale, opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and noon Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit adkbrewery.com.

MORRISONVILLE — Hid-In Pines Vineyard will be open for wine tastings every day from 12-5 p.m. For more information, visit hipvineyard. com.

LAKE GEORGE — The Adirondack Winery tasting room will be open year-round. In December, the tasting room is open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, visit adirondackwinery.com.

PLATTSBURGH — The Everett Orchards Tasting Room will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The orchard has on tap a number of hard ciders, including the semi-sweet hard cider, a blend of McIntosh and bittersweet apples; and “Hailstorm,” a blend of Michelin,

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| North Country Living Magazine’s Homegrown | 43

FALL EVENTS 2016

Arts & Entertainment

Oval Craft Brewery is open to visitors Wednesday through Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Oval Craft boasts a tasting room with a bar, an event room for up to 45 people and in-house brewery. For more information, call 324-2739.

SCHROON LAKE — Paradox Brewery in Schroon Lake will be open year-round, with their tasting room hours shifting with the seasons.

In the winter, their hours will vary. Representatives of Paradox say that it is always best to call ahead to assure hours. For more information, visit paradoxbrewery.com or call 3515036.

PLATTSBURGH — Oval Craft Brewery is open to visitors Wednesday through Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Oval Craft boasts a tasting room with a bar, an event room for up to 45 people and in-house brewery. For more information, call 324-2739.

LAKE PLACID — The Goose Watch Winery on Main Street will be open Sundays, 12-5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Goose Watch produces a large range of flavors varying from the Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Riesling-Gewurztraminer and Traminette to Lemberger, Merlot, Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon. For more information, call 5231955.

GLENS FALLS — The Cooper’s Cave Ale Company will be open year-round. Hours are Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For more information, call 792-0007.

PERU — Livingood’s Restaurant and Brewery will be open year round. Livingood’s opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the beer selection available, visit livingoodsrestaurant.com or call 643-2020.

AU SABLE — The Ausable Brewing Company taproom is open to visitors on Thursdays and Fridays from 2-8 p.m. and Saturdays, 12-8 p.m. The brewery now serves over ten unique beers on tap. For more information, visit ausablebrewing.tumblr.com.

GLENS FALLS — The Mean Max Brewing Company taproom is open Tuesday through Thursday, 5-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 3-11 p.m. Mean Max specializes in handmade ales and lagers. The taproom also carries six wines from Amorici Vineyard in Valley Falls.

For more information, visit meanmaxbrew. com or call 793-2337.

SARANAC LAKE — The Blue Line Brewery will be open seven days a week, year round.

Hours are Monday, 5-8 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 12-7 p.m. Blue Line serves a variety of local ales, including the Old Mountain Milk Stout, Black Fly BIPA and the Wawbeek Ale. For more information, call 354-8114.

PLATTSBURGH — The Champlain Wine Company will be open year-round for wine tastings. Hours are Sunday through Tuesday, 12 -6 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday, 12-8 p.m. For more information, visit champlainwinecompany.com or call 564-0064.

LAKE GEORGE — The Adirondack Winery tasting room will be open year-round. In January, the tasting room is open Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit adirondackwinery.com.

MORRISONVILLE — Hid-In Pines Vineyard will be open for wine tastings every day from 12-5 p.m. For more information, visit hipvineyard.com.

FORT ANN — The Lake Placid Distillery in Fort Ann will be open to visitors Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 12 - 5 p.m. The distillery manufactures moonshine, whiskey, bourbon and more. For more information, visit lakegeorgedistillingcompany. com.

LAKE PLACID — The new Big Slide Brewery &

44 | North Country Living Magazine’s Homegrown | Vol. 1 No. 1

Public House in Lake Placid will be open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 12 - 10 p.m. The brewery will also be open to tours upon request. For more information, visit bigslidebrewery.com.

GLENS FALLS — The Common Roots Brewing Company in South Glens Falls manufactures a variety of brews, from the Belgian Style Honey Ale, Coffee Cup stout to Bright Light BPA and more. Taproom hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 4-9 p.m., Friday, 4-10 p.m., Saturday, 12-10 p.m. and Sunday, 12-6 p.m. For more information, call 409-8248 or visit commonrootsbrewing.com.

PLATTSBURGH — The Everett Orchards Tasting Room will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The orchard has on tap a number of hard ciders, including the semi-sweet hard cider, a blend of McIntosh and bittersweet apples; and “Hailstorm,” a blend of Michelin, Chisel Jersey, Brown Snout, Summerset Redstreak and Kingston Black apples. On Sundays, the tasting room does not open until 10 a.m.

For more information, call 563-2438.

Local Eats WADHAMS — The Dogwood Bread Company, makers of artisan wood-fired pizza, bread, coffee, sandwiches and more, will be open Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Dogwood Bread Company utilizes many local ingredients. For more information, call 962-2280.

ESSEX — The Essex Inn, open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 5-9 p.m., features the culinary work of experienced chef Jordan Sauter. The Inn serves dishes crafted by their inhouse chef, using almost exclusively local and seasonal ingredients. For more information, call 963-4400.

ncliving@suncommunitynews.com

FALL EVENTS 2016

FEBRUARY Festivals LAKE GEORGE — The Barrel Festival will return to Lake George for its sixth year on Feb. 25. The fest, billed as a “premier beer aficionado event,” will feature over ten aged in the barrel Adirondack ales, rare barrel brewed beers from guest breweries and more. Tickets are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. For more information, visit barrelfestlg.com.

Wine, Cider, Brews LAKE GEORGE — The Adirondack Brewery Brewpub, which has on tap a wide assortment of Adirondack ale, opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and noon Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit adkbrewery.com.

GLENS FALLS — The Mean Max Brewing Company taproom is open Tuesday through Thursday, 5-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 3-11 p.m. Mean Max specializes in handmade ales and lagers. The taproom also carries six wines from Amorici Vineyard in Valley Falls. For more information, visit meanmaxbrew.com or call 793-2337.

PLATTSBURGH — The Champlain Wine Company will be open year-round for wine tastings. Hours are Sunday through Tuesday, 12 -6 p.m. and Wednesday through Saturday, 12-8 p.m. For more information, visit champlainwinecompany.com or call 564-0064.

PERU — Livingood’s Restaurant and Brewery will be open year round. Livingood’s opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information on the beer selection available, visit livin-

nclmagazine.com

goodsrestaurant.com or call 643-2020.

MORRISONVILLE — Hid-In Pines Vineyard will be open for wine tastings every day from 12-5 p.m. For more information, visit hipvineyard.com.

GLENS FALLS — The Cooper’s Cave Ale Company will be open year-round. Hours are Sunday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call 792-0007.

SARANAC LAKE — The Blue Line Brewery will be open seven days a week, year round.

Hours are Monday, 5-8 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 12-7 p.m. Blue Line serves a variety of local ales, including the Old Mountain Milk Stout, Black Fly BIPA and the Wawbeek Ale. For more information, call 354-8114.

PLATTSBURGH — Oval Craft Brewery is open to visitors Wednesday through Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. Oval Craft boasts a tasting room with a bar, an event room for up to 45 people and in-house brewery. For more information, call 324-2739.

GLENS FALLS — The Common Roots Brewing Company in South Glens Falls manufactures a variety of brews, from the Belgian Style Honey Ale, Coffee Cup stout to Bright Light BPA and more. Taproom hours are Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 4-9 p.m., Friday, 4-10 p.m., Saturday, 12-10 p.m. and Sunday, 12-6 p.m. For more information, call 4098248 or visit commonrootsbrewing.com.

LAKE PLACID — The new Big Slide Brewery & Public House in Lake Placid will be open Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 12 - 10 p.m. The brewery will also be open to tours upon request. For more information, visit bigslidebrewery.com.

Vol. 1 No. 1

SCHROON LAKE — Paradox Brewery in Schroon Lake will be open year-round, with their tasting room hours shifting with the seasons.

In the winter, their hours will vary. Representatives of Paradox say that it is always best to call ahead to assure hours. For more information, visit paradoxbrewery.com or call 3515036.

Arts & Entertainment

The Ausable Brewing Company taproom is open to visitors on Thursdays and Fridays from 2-8 p.m. and Saturdays, 12-8 p.m. The brewery now serves over ten unique beers on tap. For more information, visit ausablebrewing.tumblr. com.

AU SABLE — The Ausable Brewing Company taproom is open to visitors on Thursdays and Fridays from 2-8 p.m. and Saturdays, 12-8 p.m. The brewery now serves over ten unique beers on tap. For more information, visit ausablebrewing.tumblr.com.

LAKE PLACID — The Goose Watch Winery on Main Street will be open Sundays, 12-5 p.m., Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Goose Watch produces a large range of flavors varying from the Pinot Grigio, Viognier, Riesling-Gewurztraminer and Traminette to Lemberger, Merlot, Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon. For more information, call 523-1955.

FORT ANN — The Lake Placid Distillery in Fort Ann will be open to visitors Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, 12 - 5 p.m. The distillery manufactures moonshine, whiskey, bourbon and more. For more information, visit lakegeorgedistillingcompany.com.

PLATTSBURGH — The Everett Orchards Tasting Room will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The orchard has on tap a number of hard ciders, including the semisweet hard cider, a blend of McIntosh and bittersweet apples; and “Hailstorm,” a blend of Michelin, Chisel Jersey, Brown Snout, Summerset Redstreak and Kingston Black apples.

On Sundays, the tasting room does not open until 10 a.m. For more information, call 5632438.

| North Country Living Magazine’s Homegrown | 45

A special

thank you to these local business.

2 Loons Apothecary ................................p13

Elizabethtown Community Hospital ..p48

Pray’s Farmers Market...........................p27

Ganienkeh Territorial ................................p3

Shady Grove Farm ....................................p43

Adirondack Chocolates ..........................p13

Fledging Crow Vegetables ....................p39

Bechard Farm Equipment LLC ..........p41

Lake Champlain Yoga and Wellness....p12

Champlain Valley Milling ......................p41

Mace Chasm Farm ....................................p46

Amazing Grace............................................p11 Bankers Orchard .......................................p10

Ben Wever Farm ........................................p23 Cedar Run Bakery .....................................p13

Charm’s Hands ...........................................p23 Chauvin Agency Inc .................................p18 Crest Solar LLC ..............................................p2

Deckers Flats Greenhouse....................p39

Dragoon’s Farm Equipment ................p18

Forrence Orchards ...................................p23

Lake Placid Choclatier ............................p11 Light Works Reiki & Yoga......................p39

Miner Institute............................................p23 Moody Tree Farm......................................p27 North Country Food Co-op ..................p39

North Country Creamery......................p10 Parker Family Maple Sugar Farm.....p18

Puppy Style Dog Treats..........................p26

Reber Rock Farm.......................................p25

Shelley Fracaiossi/Jade Tree Tax......p27

Sugar House Creamery ..........................p26

Tap Root Apothecary ..............................p10

Triangle Electric.........................................p18

Vesco Ridge Vineyards, LLC.................p10

Wheeler Homestead................................p23 To advertise in our next edition contact Ashley at 518-873-6368 ext 105 or e-mail ashley@suncommunitynews.com

By supporting one another, together we can all continue to make our communities a better place to live.

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46 | North Country Living Magazine’s Homegrown | Vol. 1 No. 1

ncliving@suncommunitynews.com