Eco-LOCAL Living Sowing 2010 edtion

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On the Cover

Bright, bold, big, beautiful. These are some of the adjectives that can describe Heirloom tomatoes. Juicy and meaty, these bad boys of summer are too fragile for the long haul from California or Mexico.Their odd shapes and colors are not ready for prime time at the super store’s produce department. Not found in supermarkets or the mega-box retailers, heirloom tomatoes are the prize to be discovered at the countryside farmstand or your community farmers market. It’s a good thing too, because at the farmers markets, you’ll find some great salad greens to go with your heirloom tomatoes. And conversation. And community. The things that are missing in the aisles of the industrial food super centers. These are the tomatoes that are the indicator species of local.Where you find heirloom tomatoes, chances are, you will find vibrant local living. People are yearning for real food, real connections, and real relationships with the people who produce our food for us. And they are finding it, not on the Food Network or the Facebook fan page du jour. They are finding it at the local Farmers Markets and farmstands scattered throughout the region, where real people grow real food. You might say that heirloom tomatoes bring people together. Heirloom tomatoes are the heroes of summer, and we are proud to make them the eco-localizer cover for this Sowing edition of eco-LOCAL Living.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE NEWS and VIEWS……………………………………………Page 6 THE WELLNESS DOC……………….…….…………………Page 8 ASK THE ENERGY EXPERT…………………………………Page 9 MONEY MATTERS…………………………………………Page 10 SUPPORTING LOCAL FARMS Returning to Our Roots……………………………………Page 12 FARM TO FORK GUIDE……………………………………Page 16 CELBRATING THE SEASON With Berries……………………….………………………Page 29 THE NUTIRNENT DENSE CAMPAIGN The Future of eating is in the Soil…………………………Page 30 GROWING NUTIRENT DENSE FOODS………………………Page 32

Sowing 2010 The Sowing season is here, so gardeners and farmers are busy preparing their plots and fields to receive the seeds that will produce food in the months ahead. It is a ritual that mankind has repeated for generations. It is a dedication of both time and money for what is the most important investment of all – growing healthy food in abundance.There is a lot of talk about food security lately, with news of food recalls, chaotic weather, and volatile commodity markets. How secure is our food supply? With most of our food being trucked in from miles away, all it takes is a little disruption in the system – a fuel shortage, a widespread flood or other disaster, a new pesticide resistant super bug that wipes out our monoculture mega farms…actually all of these things are looming on the horizon,which is why the anxiety level is pretty high for those who are paying attention to these things. And if these potential calamities weren’t bad enough, the industrial food that we’ve become addicted to as a nation is slowly killing us. The answer to these crises is to seek food sources that are both sustainable for your health, and sustainable for the planet. Fortunately, in our region, one does not need to go further than one of the many farms and community Farmers Markets in our midst. Here you’ll find the freshest produce and meats that will not only provide you with nutrition, but will increase our local food security. By spending 10% or more of your food budget with local producers, you help insure that the local food supply and marketplace remains vibrant and productive. A vibrant local food economy creates local jobs, preserves open space, sequesters carbon, produces life giving oxygen, and can save your life. Locally produced food is proven to be more nutritious than long distance trucked food. Eat it and you be well fed!

We are fortunate to have a rather large “foodshed”from which to draw from here in eastern New York. The two great river watersheds of New York, the Hudson and Mohawk, merge together here, providing rich soils and ample water supply, yielding some of the best growing conditions in the Eastern US.In this issue, we have put together a special Farm to Fork Guide to show off this region’s best farm and food resources. The participants within this guide have chosen to be listed herein, because they want to do business with you. These producers,shopkeepers and restaurateurs all are striving to deliver the best possible food to you,using sustainable and environmentally safe practices. I find it amazing to have so many caring stewards of our land, water and air dedicating their lives to bring to us their labor of love – true, decent, wholesome food. We ask that you use the Farm to Fork Guide as your resource for connecting with the local living lifestyle. Whether you are a newbie to the Buy Local scene, or a veteran local foodie who is living “La Vida Local,”there is an opportunity here for you to discover something new that will change your life for the better. The listed vendors are people of wisdom and humble grace.Their passion for their craft will move you, and their products and life’s work are willingly shared with you. Pick a place that you don’t know and give them a call. Ask questions. Tell them your story,and listen as they share theirs.

The relationship you have just developed will be lifelong. It’s all here for you.

In the Spring issue, an error was made in the author credits for the cover story about The Saratoga Winery – that story was written by Amy L. Stock. You can find more of Amy’s work in this issue. Thank you for reading, and caring. Please let the advertisers herein know that you appreciate them supporting the eco-local mission!

OPEN LETTER TO FARMERS MARKETS……………………Page 34 EATING ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLE FOODS Doesn’t Have to Bust the Budget…………………………Page 36 4 ecolocalliving.com

- David DeLozier Publisher

Sowing 2010 • Issue 14 PUBLISHER / SALES / MARKETING David Delozier 518-858-6866 advertise@ecolocalliving.com

DESIGN / PRODUCTION Centerline Design 518-883-3872

PHOTOGRAPHY David Delozier

CONTRIBUTORS Bonnie Hoag, Kathleen Quartararo, Dr. Michael Quartararo, Patrick Maloney, Harry Moran, Amy Stock, Annette Nielson, David Yarrow, Derek Christianson, Tracy Frisch, Mary Beth McCue

ADDRESSES 38 Tamarack Trail Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 ecolocalliving.com By reading and supporting Ecolocal you become part of our team - and help the greater community of the Upper Hudson Valley become a healthier place to live, work and play. Please tell our advertisers you saw them here. Ecolocal Living is published bi-monthly & distributed free of charge to over 300 locations within a 50 mile radius of Saratoga Springs, NY. Ecolocal Living does not guarantee nor warranty any products, services, of any advertisers nor will we be party to any legal or civil proceedings to do with any advertisers. We expect advertisers to honor any advertised claims or promises. Ecolocal Living will not knowingly accept any advertisement that is deemed misleading or fraudulent. We reserve the right to revise, edit and/or reject any and all advertising with or without issuing a reason or cause. We will not publish any article or advertisement that is contrary to the best interest of this publication. We reserve the right to edit articles if needed for content, clarity and relevance.

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News and Views Agriculture Alert - Connect the Dots

By Bonnie Hoag In February, 2010, the American Association for the Advancement of Science held its conference in San Diego, California. The agenda included discussion of geoengineering techniques which are currently being seriously considered to mitigate the illeffects of global warming.

Among the techniques being discussed is Solar Radiation Management - SRM. One SRM technique is an aerosol program which disperses reflective particles into the atmosphere, globally, hazes the Sky and reflects direct sunlight away from Earth, effectively dimming the Sun. For its reflective properties, Aluminum Oxide is a preferred particulate.

Aluminum is already in use, globally, as part of the U.S. Air Force’s Chaff program which uses it “as a decoy for radar seeking missiles… The amount of Chaff released worldwide by all of the services is approximately 500 tons per year (2005)… Chaff fibers experience little breakup before reaching the ground.” * Also, Aluminum Oxide was dispersed by a sounding rocket over the Atlantic Ocean on September 19th, 2009, for a Navy/NASA project called C.A.R.E. the Charged Aerosol Release Experiment.** While direct sunlight and reliable day/night temperatures, basic to

successful agriculture, are put at risk by these programs, in this brief article our concern focuses on new, geneticallymodified crop seed which is aluminum-toxicity-resistant.

possession of a global company like Monsanto, what havoc will it wreak on organic gardens and farms? Or will we all be buying from “the company store”?

Given the programs which already release Aluminum into the atmosphere - Aluminum which then falls to Earth and given the proposed geoengineering technique which uses Aluminum Oxide worldwide to mitigate global warming, is it not timely that genetically- modified crop seed (“corn, wheat, barley and so on”***) has been invented which can withstand such an Aluminum assault?

And who owns the patent for these GM seeds? If it ends up in the

*www.af.mil/environment/contrails_fl ares.asp

did. It is very hard to be angry. The holding softens the message and creates a bond that lessens the anger and hurt. Oh let's quote Tommy by the Who (a rock opera from the '60's, yes I was there)… “See me. Feel me.Touch me. Heal me!” Touch is without a doubt, healing. I know of a healing touch practitioner in an operating room at a hospital. His technique has proved to not only calm a patient during surgery, but to speed the recovery process as well. The nurses call him to help on the floors in recovery unit for patients in extreme pain and discomfort. Touch matters.

Touch impacts. Touch changes the playing field. We feel stronger, safer, braver. When children need to feel all

those things, you will find them in their parent's arms. Children are smart and intuitive.

**“Artificial cloud created at the edge of space” by Rachel Courtland, New Scientist magazine September 21, 2009 ***www.technologyreview.com/biom edicine/21454 Thursday, October 2, 2008

See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me

By Kathleen Quartararo Touch. Yup, big time. All the time.

Many times a day. Touch a heart, touch a hand, touch a shoulder, touch a soul. Interaction takes place constantly these days. Faster, and more widespread than ever. And yet we are a nation of people starved for attention, and according to the commercials, suffering from depression, anxiety, sleeplessness and many other types of dysfunction. We are alone, fearful and miserable, despite the gazillion ways to reach people and communicate. How could that be? Is it possible that the type of communication, the vehicle is possibly more important than the amount and frequency? Do you have the friend so connected to the phone; they hold it in their hand - constantly? Text, e-mail, calls… a never ending barrage of communication.

Facebook, Space Book, Twitter, Linkedin, tap, tap, tap on the keys. People talking, walking, ignoring. Not seeing, acknowledging or looking into someone's eyes - just chattering into a microphone or handset, tapping away on a keypad 6 ecolocalliving.com

oblivious of everything in the touchable space surrounding them.

Yes, touchable - the ability to reach out and touch!

Have you ever accidentally bumped into someone on the sidewalk or in a store? “Excuse me! I'm so sorry!” “Don't worry, it's OK!” Have you ever accidentally cut someone off while driving, again, because you didn't see them? Much different interaction with all that steel in between you and the other driver, isn't it? And WE KNOW those weaves and blind spot errors are usually “Oops, I'm sorry!! I should have been paying better attention!”

Now take a minute and think about an angry or aggressive e-mail you've sent.

Can you hear yourself speaking those words? Actually looking into the person's eyes and hearing the words come out of your mouth? I once heard a recommendation for communication: If you have something hard to say, and you are frustrated or angry, hold the hand of the person you are speaking with. I

Oh, hugs. That's right. I think I heard 10 a day are needed for survival. 20 a day for growth. I bet there are many people way below quota. Hugging says I care. Caring says you mean something to me. Meaning something says you count. Counting means you have a say. Having a say means you can make a difference. Making a difference is empowering.

Empowerment creates confidence.

Confidence allows us to hug each other. Everyone single one of us.

Kathleen is the owner of Virgil’s House, at 86 Henry St., Saratoga Springs.

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The Wellness Doc

By Dr. Michael Quartararo

Conscious Eating How many times have you caught yourself eating something that you knew was extremely bad for you?

You know, that candy bar or the trip to the local fast food joint. After you throw that oversized burger down your gullet you realize, “oh my goodness what have I done?”

We can even take this a step further. How about the amount of processed foods we ingest? The over consumption of sugar and salt. The lack of raw, organic, local and whole foods in our diets. Not having enough pure, natural water every day. The list can go on and on.

This phenomenon is called mindless eating. This eating practice plagues are country and is a major factor in the obesity of our children. We are so far removed from what our bodies genetically need each day that we mindlessly feed ourselves and our families. If we just stopped for a moment and thought about what we were going to eat before we put it on our plates we would all choose better foods and feel better for it.

One of the benefits of conscious eating may surprise you.

Because conscious eating allows you to enjoy and savor your food, and your food is typically more nutrient dense, a side effect is weight loss. You will begin to eat smaller portions and eat slower as you enjoy your food more.

What a concept! This concept is much easier than you may think. And once you start practicing conscious eating, you won't want to eat any other way. Here are some tips for incorporating conscious eating into your life.

1. Stop eating while engaging in other activities, for example watching TV. According to Elizabeth Scott M.S. author of “Mindful Eating for Health”, adults that eat in front of the television tend to eat more and enjoy their food less. Children who watch TV and eat are at a higher risk of obesity for the same reasons.

culture says we need to eat 3 times per day, every day. Our bodies may have different requirements. Pay attention to the signals your body is giving you. When you do you will know when you are full and satisfied.

You won't get bloated and lethargic after a meal. You will feel energized and ready to go on with your day.

2. Pay attention to the taste of your food. Focus on the flavor, how long it lasts and how the food feels in your mouth. Is it crunchy, smooth, creamy? Enjoy it while you recognize all the flavors together.

5. Relax when its meal time. It's hard for your body to digest food properly when your shoulders are tense and your posture is poor. Sit upright, drop your shoulders and relax, you are about to enjoy the best meal of your life.

3. Manage your thoughts while you are eating. It's so easy to think about anything else when you are eating. Quiet your mind and enjoy the task at hand, enjoying your meal.

4. Recognize when you are full. Sometimes we just eat to eat. Our

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After practicing conscious, mindful eating your choices in foods will improve and your overall health will flourish. For more information on mindful eating visit www.about.com and our website www.aacfamilywellness.com. Be well!

Ask the Energy Expert

By Patrick Maloney l Aquila Design

Maximizing Your Home’s Aspect to Earth’s Energy Well spring is here and thoughts of remodeling and landscaping are in the air. We'll take a quick look at both of these from an energy efficiency standpoint.

If you're adding on or remodeling your home, think in terms of using the sun's energy to help warm your home on those cold winter days. Walls facing south will give you the maximum effects of that energy. By placing the majority of windows on south facing walls you allow the radiant energy of the sun's rays to enter your home. This will help you keep warm in the winter and it will provide natural light reducing your electric bill.

Now to really get the most out of this free energy there are other steps you can take.

This energy can be stored using design features and slowly released after the sun sets. These features are commonly referred to as thermal mass. Concrete or stone make great storage beds so an insulated concrete slab that has direct exposure to sunlight will provide warmth well into the night. The top of the line thermal mass is water. So, if you can come up with a creative design to use it on your project it, will pay off for years to come. On the other hand, wood has a limited capacity to store energy in comparison to the above mentioned materials.

Some of you are probably thinking “That sounds great for the winter but won't it turn my house into an oven in the summer?” The answer to that question is, yes, if measures aren't taken. The sun's arc is higher in the summer than in the winter. If you add awnings or build an overhang over these southern windows this would block the summer rays while allowing the lower winter rays in. A simple rule is the overhang should be one foot above the window and two feet out.

There are many variables and concepts out there for passive thermal design, so consult an expert!

Another way to avoid unwanted sunlight is with proper landscaping. Deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the winter will shade

your southern walls in the summer while allowing the light through in the colder months.

The right trees in the right places can have substantial effects on your energy bills. Due to the trees shading and release of water

vapor, the air temperature under your tree can be 25 degrees cooler than the air above your driveway! It's nature's way to reduce cooling costs.

Trees can also help with your heating bill. In our area the dominant winter wind is from the west. A wind break of evergreens will divert this cold breeze up or around your home. A study in South Dakota found that a wind break on the windward side reduced fuel costs by 25 %. The same study showed that wind breaks placed on the east, west, and north sides of homes reduced fuel consumption by an average of 40%.

Great news isn't it? Add beauty, oxygen, refuges for wild life and save money!

Sounds like we all win here.

ecolocalliving.com 9

Money Matters

By Harry Moran, CFP® AIF®

Slow Money: Coming To A Town Near You As a practicing financial advisor for the last 24 years, I've been witness to the destructive impact of a financial system which has become increasingly detached from the needs and realities of our individual lives and the communities in which we live in and believe these are exactly the right questions to be asking. While the 20th century saw an incredible accumulation of wealth by a select few who practiced a “wealth now/philanthropy later” approach, our vision for the 21st century is for an era of “nurture capital, built around the principles of carrying capacity, care of the commons, sense of place and non-violence”. At its essence, Slow Money is about reconnecting investors with their local communities, and creating new sources of capital for small food enterprises so they can survive and even thrive in a world currently dominated by deep-pocketed “agribusiness” competitors.

With the coming of spring, the first “Farm to Fork” Guide in this Sowing edition and Slow Money's Second National Gathering (held in Santa Fe, New Mexico last year) happening almost in our back yards, the stage is set for America, Gary Hirschberg, CEO, Stonyfield an exciting and memorable event. Hope to see Farm, Michelle Long, Executive Director of you there!

BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) and Robert Zevin, the “father” of Harry Moran helps socially conscious investors define the socially responsible investing movement. and achieve their highest goals by aligning their Woody Tasch, author and founder of Slow money with their values. A 23-year veteran Money and a pioneer in merging investing of the financial services profession, Mr. Moran has and philanthropy, will again speak and host held the Certified Financial Planner® designation since the gathering.

1991. He is a network member of First Affirmative

Slow Money is an international movement which is working to bring money back down to earth and to explore the critical connection between money, food and local living economies. Practitioners are working to build local and national networks to support the emerging restorative economy. This economic model seeks to foster investment in local food systems, connect investors to their local economies and build the infrastructure of the As quoted in the Slow Money Principles, Paul nurture capital industry.

Newman once said “I just think that in life we Slow Money's Second National Gathering need to be a little like the farmer who puts (www.slowmoneyalliance.org/nationalback into the soil what he takes out”. gathering.html) will take place at Shelburne “Recognizing the wisdom of these words, let's Farms in Shelburne, VT on June 9-11th. work together to rebuild the economy from Known as “ISM” (“Inspired by Slow Money”), the ground up, asking: this event will bring together an impressive roster of speakers from the social investing, -What would the world be like if we invested philanthropy and natural foods fields. Bill 50% of our assets within 50 miles of where McKibben (author of Deep Economy and we live? founder of 350.org) will kick things off on -What if there was a new generation of Thursday morning. Some of the other companies that gave way 50% of their presenters include Joel Salatin of Polyface profits?

Farm, made famous by Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma and the film, Food, Inc., -What if there was 50% more organic matter Alisa Gravitz, Executive Director of Green in our soil 50 years from now?

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Financial Network, a national professional organization dedicated to meeting the needs of the socially conscious investing community. Mr. Moran can be reached directly at Cornerstone Financial Advisors at hmoran@cornerstonefinancialny.com or 518-877-8800.

Mention of specific securities, funds, or companies should not be considered an offer or a recommendation to buy or sell the security, fund, or company. To determine the suitability of any particular investment, please consult with your investment adviser. Remember, past performance is no guarantee of future results and no investment strategy can assure success. The opinions expressed are those of the author and may change without notice. Harry Moran is a registered representative offering securities through Cadaret, Grant & Co., Inc., member FINRA SIPC. Cadaret, Grant is not affiliated with Cornerstone or First Affirmative.

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Select from 15 hand-crafted wines, including all natural Melomel – made with local honey Take the Horsin' Around Trolley from Saratoga!

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JOIN US FOR WINE TASTING DAILY! Gift certificates and gift baskets, wine accessories and gifts for the wine lover.

ecolocalliving.com 11

SUPPORTING LOCAL FARMS Returning to Our Roots

By Amy L. Stock l Contributing Writer Photos by David Delozier

By now many of us have heard or know the reason's why it's important to support local farms - 1) it helps the environment by reducing the amount of fossil fuel used to transport the food, 2) helps support and maintain local sources for growing food, thereby increasing food security, 3) provides fresh fruits and vegetables often grown with little or no chemicals, and therefore generally overall better and more healthy for you, 4) contributes to the local economy by providing jobs and keeping our money spent on food local, 5) provides a sense of community and offers an opportunity to have a more personal relationship with the person growing your food, 6) overall just makes common sense.

Perhaps for me, it's the sense of community and personal relationship with the person(s) growing my food, which is at the center of why I try to buy local. I regularly shop at the Saratoga Farmer's Market year-round. How great it is to greet Paul Arnold at the winter market and have him ask, “So, how's the house?”, because he's taken the time to get to know me and his other customers and so he knows I bought my first house a year ago.

Or, to be able to comment on the Arnolds “Tour de National Parks” vacation, which they shared with their customer email list last fall. Or, to know I can ask him and the Kilpatrick's where I can find a good source for aged horse manure compost for my own small garden.

Sandy Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm 12 ecolocalliving.com

Liza Porter of Homestead Artisans

I can't get this at the grocery store. Yes, the folks at Hannaford and Price Chopper are very nice and friendly. I do shop at these places and will supplement my veggies from there, usually in the winter. But for the most part, I commit to buying the $3 bag of spinach year-round because I know it's fresh, just picked, and I know it's helping the Arnolds and others stay in business. Having local farmers is critical to a sustainable community. It's also why each week I head to the Farmer's Market to buy a half dozen apples for the week from Saratoga Apple. I haven't bought a grocery-store bag of apples in months! How can I when the apples from Saratoga Apple are less expensive and better quality. Plus, I'm supporting their business and orchard - an amazingly rich cultural and natural resource right here in Saratoga County. And, they are not the only quality orchard in the county contributing to our local economy.

As a kid growing up in upstate New York, my parents always had a thriving garden. With seven kids to feed, my parents supplemented food bought at the grocery store with food they grew in their garden, and the various wild game my avid outdoorsmen of a father would bring home

on a regular basis. In many ways, we ate seasonally.

In summer months fresh veggies from the garden and fresh trout caught in lakes and streams in the Adirondacks were a regular meal. In the fall during hunting season, venison and rabbit were often served at least once a week. My father also hunted squirrel, perhaps one of my least favorite.

In June we sat around our kitchen table most nights for two weeks straight hulling wild strawberries, which my father picked from farmer's fallow fields (For those of you unfamiliar with this term, to hull a berry means to remove the fruit of the berry from the stem.) The berries eventually were made into my mother's jam - a prized commodity in my family.

In August we'd pick blackberries. A few summers we even set up a stand on our front lawn and sold pints of berries, which helped pay for our summer vacation.

In September, we'd spend two weekends drying and cleaning off the 15 bushels of potatoes we grew in a garden plot shared with another relative in the next town over.

We'd eat potatoes for much of the remainder of the year.

I was raised with a sense of eating local and seasonally. My parents grew up in a different generation, a time when many families still owned farms. One of the family cousins still has a small dairy herd on the old family farm in Herkimer County. For my parent's generation and their parents, growing your own food or buying from a local farmer was just what you did. My grandfather kept a daily journal. In it, he notes several times where they stopped at some farm to 'buy chickens', which would later feed the family for the week.

Somewhere our sense of local food got lost.

Times changed. Our lives got busy. With all their kids out of the house, and families and houses of their own, my parents no longer garden. For many of us, we are simply too busy or lack the knowledge to grow our food. Even if we did, growing enough food to feed an individual or a family for a year would be very difficult.

As a community, in order to be sustainable we must at the very core be able to provide for our basic needs of food, water and shelter. Local farmers are critical for providing a sustainable source of local food.

Each day we make choices about what we are going to eat, where we are going to buy it, and whom we are going to give our money to for their labor and effort. I know local food can be perceived as more expensive - and sometimes it is. However, that's because local farmers don't have the

luxury of subsidies to hide the true costs.

However, when I can, I still prefer to give my money to a local farmer or artisan - like Dave and Liza Porter, cheese maker who raise their own goats and sell at the Farmer's Market (Liza is also past President of the Saratoga Farmer's Market.) The quality and value of their product cannot be overstated. They personally care for each goat from birth.

The value I receive from knowing these farmers who are living and working in our community is beyond a doubt the greatest of all. I want to support them because I know they are making personal effort and conscientiously and thoughtfully considering all that goes into growing and selling fresh local food and food products.

Supporting small-scale local farms makes environmental and economic sense I know this. This is a VERY important reason to support local farmers. However, perhaps for me, it's also the sense of value and importance of eating locally grown and raised food which was instilled in me from an early age. Or, my sense of family roots as farmers, which many of us have, and which makes me instinctively want to support other farmers. Or perhaps it's because just walking through the outdoor farmer's market every Saturday morning provides a sense of place and community I never get walking under the bright lights at Wal Mart.

Marge Randles of Argyle Cheese Farmer ecolocalliving.com 13

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FARM to FORK GUIDE Welcome to the 2010 eco-LOCAL Farm to Fork Guide. Here you'll find an amazing bounty of local food and other agricultural products available at farms, grocery stores, restaurants, farmers' markets and retail outlets throughout the Capital/Saratoga Region of New York. Whether you're planning your weekly shopping... heading out for a great meal... or looking for that special gift, we encourage you to visit one of the many farms or businesses featured here and show your support for the people who help keep our local economy strong and vibrant.

Meat/Poutry Cheese/Dairy

Herbs/Flowers

Fruits

Health/Beauty

Vegetables Eggs Canned/Baked Goods

Crafts/Fibers Certified Organic CSA

Why Buy Locally Produced Food?

Fresh locally-grown food tastes really, REALLY good • Buying locally-grown food keeps money in the local economy, supporting your neighbors • Cooking with locally-grown food makes it easy to eat nutritiously • Buying locally-grown food connects you to farms and farmers • Locally-grown food is an investment in our working landscape • Locally-grown food can reduce energy demands through decreased transportation distances and minimal packaging • Local farmers carry on our region's food traditions, including raising heirloom varieties of produce and livestock not commonly found in the commercial marketplace.

Honey/Maple Syrup

Pick Your Own

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FARM to FORK GUIDE The Berry Patch

FARMS ALBANY COUNTY Frantzen's Scenic Acres Dale and Cheryl Frantzen 248 Line Road Berne, NY 12023 (518) 872-1199 frantzensscenicacres@msn.com www.frantzensscenicacres.com Our focus is on sustainable, slow-growing Heritage breeds of animals for their enhanced flavors and natural abilities to grow on grasses. We offer free-range eggs, chicken, duck, goose, turkey, and seasonal vegetables. Limited supplies of Scottish Highland beef is available. All products are free of chemicals, pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Order early for Thanksgiving turkeys - call for prices.

Morning Fog Farm Mark Hoffmann 1207 Switzkill Road Berne, NY 12023 518-872-1772 www.morningfogfarm.com Welcome to Morning Fog Farm, a small scale family farm devoted to our land, animals and customers. We offer the most nutritious and pleasurable eating experience available. Starting with fresh veggies and culinary herbs that will add taste and health to any meal prepared. For the main course, beef pork and chicken are simply the best you will ever taste.

RENSSELAER COUNTY Alpacas of Maggie's Brook Farm Brenda & Michael Truss 366 Hoags Corners Road Averill Park, NY 12018 Phone: (518) 766-3913 Info@AlpacasofMaggiesBrookFarm.com www.maggiesbrookfarm.com We are a 28 acre family owned and operated Huacaya Alpaca farm located just 15 minutes east of Albany, NY. Celebrating 10 years of successful breeding and building our herd to the finest Champion Bloodstock. Our Mission is to breed Happy, Healthy and Reproductively Sound alpacas with dense, full coverage, uniform crimp, soft handling fleece with luster. Now accepting credit cards for livestock purchases.

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Dale Ila Riggs & Don Miles 15589 NY Route 22 Stephentown, NY 12168 (518) 733-6772 rberriesrgreat@fairpoint.net www.theberrypatch.net The Berry Patch has offered exclusively local products since its beginning in 1997. The Berry Patch has the widest variety of locally produced berries, vegetables, fruit, fresh flowers, homemade baked goods and other local foods in the Capital District, Western Massachusetts, or Southern Vermont. Call or visit our web site for hours as they change with availability of product through the season.

Breese Hollow Dairy Chuck and Diane Phippen 454 Breese Hollow Road Hoosick Falls, NY 12090 (518) 686-4044 Breese Hollow dairy is a family run organic, grass-based dairy with a Ney York State permit to bottle and sell farm fresh raw milk. Our hens use a mobile coop to stay on the pasture. We sell pastured poultry and grass fed beef. Products are available in our self-serve store at the farm. We are located south off State Route 7 on County Route 100 - Breese Hollow Road. Come share our passion for holistic farming! We are NOFA-NY Certified Organic for our dairy, pastures and hay.

Denison Farm 333 Buttermilk Falls Road Schaghticoke, NY 12154 518-664-2510 www.denisonfarm.com den_farm@yahoo.com We area family farmers who grow 14 acres of vegetables for a 400 member CSA, and the Saratoga and Troy Farmers Markets.

Denison Farm is fully committed to organic agriculture. We follow the national organic standards, certified by a local agency, Certified Naturally Grown. Our farm is 164 acres of rich bottomland, woods, pasture, marsh, streams, and the home of the first CSA in New York State with a 20 year history of organic management and CSA marketing.

Tilldale Farm 22 Tilley Lane Hoosick, NY 12089 518-677-7779 tilldalefarm@gmail.com The Tilldale Family Farm was established in 1938 along the picturesque Hoosick River. It has recently transitioned from organic dairy to raising grassfed, heritage breed and pasture raised pork. Our primary goal is to nourish our neighbors with wholesome food. We NOFA Certified Organic, which assures you of quality and purity. Try our “Tilldale Certified Organic Meat CSA.� A share consists of 30 pounds of meat (either grassfed beef or pork). Call for details. Our meats can also be found at the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany.

FARM to FORK GUIDE SARATOGA COUNTY Anderson Acres Judy and Jay Anderson 52 Western Avenue West Charlton, NY 12020 (518) 882 6050 or 339-5145 jay@andersonacresny.com Anderson Acres is located just off State Route 147 in the Town of Charlton. Our registered angus beef is naturally raised, producing wholesome and delicious meals for your family. We offer wholesale and retail sales of hay & silage to the local farm community. Look for our farm stand on Route 67 just east of the Scotch Church where we sell our sweet corn, tomatoes and fresh produce. Our flower baskets and bedding plants are proven winners!

Bob's Trees 1227 West Galway Road (Co. Hwy. 45) West Galway, NY 518-882-9455 A family owned and operated Christmas tree and nursery farm since 1942. We grow our own shade trees & evergreens and carry a full line of landscaping plants and supplies. Bob's Trees offers cut-your-own and precut trees, made on the premises, wreaths, garland & kissing balls.

Cornell Cooperative Extension 50 West High Street Ballston Spa, NY 12020 518-885-8995 www.ccesaratoga.org www.saratogafarms.com Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) Saratoga County connects the research-based knowledge of Cornell University to individuals, communities, and families.

CCE provides residents with a local source for reliable information on agriculture, nutrition, youth development, health and safety. Contact CCE for more information on local farms and educational programs on nutrition.

FARMS

Morning View Farms 966 Goode Road Ballston Spa, NY 12020 (518) 885-6693 morningviewfarms@hotmail.com Morning View Farms is a small family farm in Ballston Spa. The farm grows a variety of seasonal vegetables including heirloom tomatoes and other open pollinating favorites. Using only sustainable growing practices, the farm has taken the NOFA-NY Farmers Pledge. Produce is sold at the Ballston Spa Farmers Market on Thursdays 3-6 and Saturdays 9-12, mid June through September. The farm is not able to receive visitors.

Clark Dahlia Gardens and Greenhouses Ken and Anna Mae Clark 139 Hop City Road Ballston Spa, NY 12020 (518) 885-7356 jammaker@nycap.rr.com Our Farm is located on Hop City Road, 3 mile south of State Route 67 west out of Ballston Spa. Herbs, bedding and vegetable plants, hanging baskets, some flowers are in greenhouses. We have a tomato house filled with tomatoes. Our orchard has apples, pears, apricots, and sour cherries. Rhubarb, red and black raspberries, juneberries, red and white, and black currants, Tayberries and jost berries are also grown. All these fruits are made into wonderful homemade jams, available for sale at the Saratoga Farmers Market.

Native Farm Flowers Barbara Jefts Wing Road Greenfield, NY 518-369-8713 www.nativefarmflowers.com Truly loved, locally grown flowers. Native Farm Flowers offers naturally raised flowers that are grown and harvested with care, made into various creations from hand held bouquets to high style arrangements and then proudly offered for sale at the Saratoga and Troy Farmers Markets, special events, wholesale and at the farm by appointment or chance.

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FARM to FORK GUIDE Saratoga Apple 1174 Route-29 Schuylerville, NY 12871 (518) 695-3131 Saratoga Apple is a family owned and operated orchard and farm stand open 7 days a week, 12 months a year. The Darrows have been growing apples for 5 generations. We sell a wide variety of apples, cider, fresh baked goods, and produce. We also stock an assortment of local, natural, and healthy food and gifts. Apple cider donuts are made daily all year round. Pick Your Own apples in September and October. Come apple-picking on a weekday for a discount, or visit during weekends for the festive atmosphere, wagon rides, and special events. A limited quantity of biologique apples are available upon request.You can find us at many regional farmer’s markets.

FARMS

SCHENECTADY COUNTY Roots and Wisdom 107 Nott Terrace, Suite 107 Schenectady, NY 12308 (518) 372-1622 x286 Root and Wisdom, a youth agriculture and community service program, brings together Schenectady County youth to grow organic vegetables for donation to local pantries and for sale at local markets and restaurants. This year the youth will be selling our Schenectady grown produce onsite at our farmstand at our Fehr Avenue garden located across from Park View Cemetery in Schenectady, just off State Street. Please stop by our farmstand Tuesdays from 3-7pm or call 372-1622 x286 for information.

gifts and books stock the shelves of the country store.

Comprehensive, educational tours are available year round. The farm also produces lumber, firewood, barns/sheds, horse jumps, biodiesel, crops and vegetables. Open year round, call ahead for hours and directions or visit the wesite.

Nagimor Farm & Kennel Gil & Nancy Chichester 165 HIte Road Warnerville, NY 12187 518-254-0021 nagimorfarm@gmail.com www.nagimor.com Our passion is raising beef, lamb, pork and chicken as naturally as possible. All beef & lamb are raised strictly on grass. Pigs and chickens require supplementation and we use feeds containing no antibiotics, hormones or animal by-products. We value the long term relationships we develop with our customers. We deliver in the Capitol Region throughout the year. Border Collie puppies available this summer.

Sap Bush Hollow Farm 1314 West Fulton Road Warnerville, NY 12187 (518) 234 2105 sapbush@midtel.net www.sapbush.com Grassfed, pastured beef, lamb, pork, gourmet sausages, poultry, eggs, Thanksgiving turkeys, honey, and crafts. Wholesale and retail.

In Schoharie County, 15 minutes from Cobleskill, 45 minutes from Albany. See website for our next announced sale day, or call for an appointment. We also sell at the Pakatakan/Round Barn Farmers' Market in Holcottsville on Saturdays, 9-2.

SCHOHARIE COUNTY Maple Hill Farm Enterprises, LLC

WASHINGTON COUNTY Amici Vineyard Winery

107 Center Crapser Road Cobleskill, NY 12043 (518) 234-4858 mhfarmvcrb@wildblue.net www.maplehillfarms.biz Maple Hill Farm is a fifth generation diversified farm. Pure maple syrup, maple products, local and organic foods, unique

Joe Messina 637 Colonel Burch Road Valley Falls, NY 12185 (518) 469-0680 joe@amicivineyard.com www.amicivineyard.com The Amici old world standard of natural, minimally processed

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Farm to Fork Listings Farms

FARM to FORK GUIDE winemaking honors the perfect grape. When the grape is respected and traditional winemaking methods are followed, the result is gracious collaboration with Mother Nature and a beautiful wine. Amici Vineyard Winery is committed to sustainable agricultural practices and operates in a n environmentally conscious manner to its fullest capability.

Research is continual to minimize the Amici carbon footprint and leaves Mother Earth healthy for future generations. Amici Wines DO NOT contain enhancers for flavor, color, or potassium sorbate.

Argyle Cheese Farmer Marge and Dave Randles 990 Coach Road Argyle, NY 12809 (518) 638-8966 cheeseplanning@yahoo.com www.cheesefarmer.com Argyle Cheese Farmer is located on Randles Fairview Farm, a family farm since 1860. The cheese, yogurt and frozen desert processing facility is located less then 200 feet from the barn that houses' the cows that produce the raw resource, milk, Dave and Marge Randles started producting and selling yogurt and cheese in 2007. The fresh, high quality milk source allows Argyle Cheese Farmer to consistently products that make you smile in good health.

Battenkill Valley Creamery Seth McEachron 691 County Route 3 Salem, NY 12865 (518) 859-2923 seth@battenkillcreamery.com www.battenkillcreamery.com In 2008 Battenkill Valley Creamery began processing and bottling milk on their fifth generation, family farm, located in Salem, NY. Over the past year they started producing their truly homemade ice cream and as of this May, they are offering Home Delivery in Saratoga Springs. Battenkill Valley Creamery is the only local farm producing and bottling their milk in Washington, Warren, and Saratoga County. Come taste the difference!

FARMS

Brookefield Farms Barry and Ami Goldstein 65 Gibbs Road Granville, NY 12832 Brookefield Farms was established in 1997 as a registered Black Angus herd; but our family history in agriculture runs back over 2 centuries. Originally based in Western Pennsylvania, our family’s commitment to the earth and our animals runs deep.

We raise grass-fed, corn-finished, natural beef; that has never been confined to a feed lot. We welcome phone calls and visitors.

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FARM to FORK GUIDE Brookside Farm

Egg Mountain Farm

Dick & Peggy Ayers 125 County Rte. 45 Argyle, NY 12809 (518)638-8972 brooksidefarm@dishmail.net www.brooksidefarm.biz Brookside Farm is located in Argyle, NY near the beautiful Adirondacks and a stones throw away from Vermont. We enjoy working with animals, raising veal, beef, chicken and turkey.

Brookside Farm strives to raise a high quality product using good animal husbandry practices. All of our products at Brookside Farm are free from antibiotics, hormones and animal bi-products.

Cindy Miller 535 Beattie Hollow Road Salem, NY 12865 (518) 854-3003 eggmountainfarm@yahoo.com www.eggmountainfarm.com Our small Goat Dairy Farm in Salem is where we make all natural soaps and skin care products. My goat milk soap and lotion are made from my goats milk! I make my soaps and lotions the old fashioned all natural ingredients along with the fresh goats milk. You can order my soaps and lotions on my website, or by telephone. We guarantee satisfaction!

Common Sense Farm

Mary and Bob Pratt 654 Beadle Hill Road Valley Falls, NY 12185 518-753-7838 elihufarm@localnet.com Elihu Farm, on 150 scenic acres in Easton, has produced products on pasture since 1986. Lamb was and still is the mainstay of our farm. We have since added hens for eggs, then geese for holiday festivities. Our products are available at the Saratoga Farmers' Market and on the farm by appointment.

We've permanently protected most of our farm for agriculture.

FARMS

41 North Union Street Cambridge, NY 12865 (518) 677-0224 www.commonsensefarm.com We are the creators of the Common Sense Farm Body Care line.

Many of the herbs used in our line of products are grown here on the farm. Products include: Lotions, Castile Soaps, Massage Oils, Ointments and Daily Necessities - fragranced only with natural essential Oils. Available at the Common Ground CafĂŠ in Cambridge or online at www.commonsensefarm.com

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Elihu Farm

FARM to FORK GUIDE Gardenworks Farm LLC 1055 Route 30 Salem, NY 12865 (518) 854-3250 www.Gardenworksfarm.com Gardenworks is a family farm nestled in the Black Creek Valley where fertile farm fields meet the foothills of theTaconics. This specialty farm grows annuals & perennials & herbs as well as UPick blueberries & raspberries, flowers, fresh and dried, and a wide variety of gourds, pumpkins and winter squashes. For the Christmas season, Gardenworks sells Fraser Firs and Balsams along with their farm crafted wreaths & kissing balls. The renovated dairy barn is a bustling marketplace of local foods (cheeses, meats, organic vegetables, honey & maple products), handcrafts, floral designs and local art. Gardenworks is open everyday from April through December.

Gillis Acres Farm 139 Petteys Road Greenwich, New York 12834 (518) 692-7673 gillisacres@hvwisp.net We are a small family run dairy goat farm, since 1994 we have been raising, breeding, and milking alpine dairy goats that enable us to produce a full line of dairy products. We use sustainable and natural farming practices; we do not use any hormones, antibiotics or pesticides. As of December 2009 approx. 60-70% of our electricity is powered by our solar panels.

Homestead Artisans Enterprises Liza & Dave Porter Ft. Edward, NY 12828 638-8530 homesteadartisans@gmail.com Who We Are: A 42-acre farm on a hillside in Argyle, NY, with a great view. A modern experiment in small-scale, sustainable, integrated agriculture. The farm centers around our beautiful herd of Alpine goats that give milk for fine seasonal farmstead cheeses. Our pigs drink the whey which is a byproduct of cheese making. Rotating flocks of broiler chickens help improve the outer pastures for the goats. A colorful flock of 35 free-range laying hens maintains the barn and close-in pasture, as well as the lawns. We purchase the high-quality cows' milk from our friends Doug and Janelle Moores, who have a fine 'cheese herd' of Jersey, Brown Swiss and Ayrshire cows. From their milk we produce our famed array of artisanal cows' milk cheeses, and make more whey for the pigs. It all goes around in cycles - everybody helps and together we make the farm go. Come see us at the Saratoga Farmers Market!

the Vermont border. As a four season farm, we grow and sell crops year round, through farmer’s markets, and our Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA). We are strong supporters of Organic Agriculture and have been Certified Naturally Grown since 2005. We look forward to serving you.

FARMS

Lewis Waite Farm 135 Lewis Lane Greenwich, NY 12834 (518) 692-3120 nancy@lewiswaitefarm.com www.lewiswaitefarm.com Our hilltop 450 acre farm is certified organic by NOFA-NY. The grasses, herbs, forage, and trees that grow here are the feed for our 100 or so cattle and 30 or so pigs. We raise our own food in our large garden. We love our rural way of life and enjoy the great scenery as much as our animals do. Come see us at the Saratoga Farmers Market!

Long Days Farm Debby Jaffe & Edwin Schiele 42 Durfee Road Buskirk, NY 12028 (518) 677-8128 longdaysfarm@hvwisp.net www.longdaysfarm.com Our small farm and stand are located in South Cambridge, NY. We grow a wide variety of vegetables and berries, including many unusual varieties, using natural and sustainable practices. Our Heritage laying hens wander freely throughout our property and produce fantastic eggs. In the fall, we sell pasture-raised broilers and roasters. Look for our painted signs on County Rt. 74 in southern Washington County.

Kilpatrick Family Farm Philip & Michael Kilpatrick 9778 State Route 22 Middle Granville, NY 12849 (518) 642-4713 info@kilpatrickfamilyfarm.com www.kilpatrickfamilyfarm.com We are a family-run vegetable farm located in upstate NY near

Marge Randles, Cheesemaker • David Randles, Farmer 990 Coach Road Argyle NY 12809

Phone 518.638.8966 Cell 518.222.0667 Email cheeseplanning@yahoo.com

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FARM to FORK GUIDE Manx Station Farm

Padgett Farm

987 County Route 60 Greenwich, NY 12834 (518) 692-9836 growsw@hughes.net www.manxstation.com Manx Station Farm is committed to raising animals in a natural environment, producing healthy food, and conserving Heritage breeds including our Belted Galloway cattle and Manx cats. Our livestock enjoy fresh air and the hilly pastures from birth. Our chevon and grassfed beef is produced on land free of pesticides and herbicides, and without steroids or hormones. Galloways frequently rank first in taste tests. We love to share that message

Lisa and Anthony Padgett Salem, NY 12865 (518) 854-9035 info@padgettfaram.com www.padgettfarm.com Padgett Farm is a family owned and run beef business, where we focus on flavor and quality. We raise mostly Angus stock with some Hereford or Shorthorn crossing. Our cattle are raised on grass, pure spring water and a bit of daily grain for flavor and just the right amount of marbling. Our cattle are raised naturally, which means no antibiotics, no steroids and no growth hormones. Visit us at www.padgettfarm.com, or contact us at info@padgettfarm.com

New Minglewood Farm

588 Juniper Swamp Road Shushan, NY 12873 (518) 854-9564 peunderwood@wildblue.net www.shushanvalleyhydrofarm.com Providing herbicide and insecticide free tomatoes and herbs on a year round basis. A well, fed from the pristine hillside of this old dairy farm that encompassed over 200 acres of pasture and woodland, provides plenty of the purest water for the operation. Nutrients are mixed into this water to produce lush tomato plants for about ten months per year. The plants are an indeterminate variety, i.e. the vines continue to grow as long as the fruit is picked slightly before it ripens fully. Find our tomatoes and basil in almost all the Hannaford supermarkets in the Albany region, or at the Schenectady Greenmarket, Troy Waterfront Farmers Market, and the Saratoga Farmers Market.

FARMS

Chris Lincoln & Tammara Van Ryn 99 County Route 52 Greenwich, NY 12834 (518) 692-8579 vanlinc@juno.com www.newminglewoodfarm.com New Minglewood Farm grows a wide variety of vegetables, specializing in salad and cooking greens, heirloom tomatoes, sprouts, and shoots, fingerling potatoes, and shitake mushrooms.

All of our products are Certified Organic and available from May to October at the Saratoga Farmers Market. We pride ourselves on producing the highest quality 'hand-crafted' food possible!

Farm does not receive visitors.

Mack Brook Farm Karen Christensen 312 McEachron Hill Road Argyle NY We are a small, family-owned farm in the eastern foothills of the Adirondacks in New York State. Our goal is to provide our customers with 100% grassfed and grass-finished, pasturebased Angus beef that is a tastier and healthier alternative to commercially raised beef, while practicing farming techniques that benefit the environment. Our cattle DO NOT get antibiotics, growth hormones, or genetically modified feed.

Our cattle DO GET grass and hay from our fields, acres of pasture to wander, and lots of TLC. We are not certified organic but operate using what we consider “best practices� for the animals and the environment. We are proud to say we received the Animal Welfare Approval seal, certifying humane treatment of our animals from birth through processing. In order to qualify for this award, both our farm and our processor were audited by Animal Welfare Approved, which is an independent certifying organization. We sell sides of beef and individual cuts of meat from the farm and welcome visitors. Please note, we are a small producer so not all cuts are available at all times.

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Underwood's Shushan Valley Hydro Farm

FARM to FORK GUIDE Green Pea Market and Café Local, Natural, Organic™ 70 Main Street Greenwich, NY 12834 518-692-2103 margaret@greenpeamarket.com www.greenpeamarket.com The Green Pea Market and Café (formerly the Greenwich Local Market) is the realization of Margaret P. Jones’ dream. She wanted a store where people came to connect with each other and the community as well as to buy the essentials they needed. Margaret is committed to knowing the names of her customers as well as being able to provide them with the products they want. She willingly special orders those items she does not regularly stock. In addition, she has a special relationship to the children who are frequent shoppers and tries to make their trip to the store a fun one.

Honest Weight Food Co-op 484 Central Avenue Albany, NY 12206 (518) 482-2667 Honest Weight Food Co-op is a member-owned and -operated natural foods cooperative committed to providing the community with affordable, high quality natural foods and products for healthy and ecologically sustainable living.

Specializing in local & organic produce, bulk foods, natural groceries, gourmet cheese & specialty items, local meat, natural health and body care and so much more! Open Mon-Sat: 7am 8pm, Sun: 9am - 7pm

Lakeside Farms Country Store, Restaurant and Garden Center 336 Schauber Road Ballston Lake, NY 12019 (518) 399-8359 www.lakesidefarmscidermill.com We welcome you to slow down and relax. Stop by and browse through our country store full of specialty items, unique crafts and gifts. Lakeside features an on premise bakery, deli, fresh produce, cheddar cheeses, maple syrups, honey, molasses, and the original apple cider donut. Breakfast and Lunch served daily.

Pioneer Market, Troy's Community Food Cooperative, is currently under construction and looking for new members! We are a community-owned, downtown supermarket offering wholesome food at affordable prices. Our mission is to support local agriculture, stimulate community revitalization, and be a collaborative community partner. If you would like to become a member please visit troyfoodcoop.com.

STORES

Wild Thyme Whole Food & Tea Co. 108 Milton Avenue Ballston Spa, NY (518) 885-7275 willdthymewholefoodandtea@yahoo.com Wild Thyme is a family run natural food store with a focus on Local, Organic, and Allergy Free products. Owner Jill Lyons and her husband strive to make your experience a pleasant informative one.

With a huge selection of Organic, Biodynamic and Fair Trade teas, locally made All Natural soaps and candles, and fresh baked Gluten Free goods, our customers are sure to leave satisfied! Wild Thyme maintains a Co-op feel as special orders are welcome and bulk discounts are always available! For questions, requests, or information please contact us.

Worldling’s Pleasure 1533 8th Avenue Watervliet, NY 12189 (518) 879-2306 heidi@worldlingspleasure.com www.worldlingspleasure.com The fresh produce, apples, herbs, maple syrup and honey in our gourmet spreads and baked goods are from local farmers. Our main cheese source is Herkimer. We use local brews (Olde Saratoga and Brown’s), wines, (Chatham) and other products and packaging from within a 100 mile radius whenever possible. We are a “Pride of NY” company. OUR GARLIC IS NOT FROM CHINA!

The Saratoga Winery 462 Route 29 West Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 584-WINE (9463) www.thesaratogawinery.com The Saratoga Winery is located three miles West of Broadway on Route 29 in Saratoga Springs. We offer 14 varieties including 8 exceptional traditional styles and 6 all natural Melomel wines.

Tastings are available during all business hours. Sit back and relax at our comfortable Adirondack style tasting bar as you experience great wine.

Troy Community Food Cooperative, Inc. 77-81 Congress Street Troy, NY 12180 (518) 424-1131 1info@troyfoodcoop.com ecolocalliving.com 23

FARM to FORK GUIDE Ballston Spa Farmers Market Wiswall Park, Front Street Ballston Spa, NY 12020 (518) 885-2772 info@ballston.org June – September Thursdays 3-6, Saturdays 9-noon. Located in the charming Village of Ballston Spa, The Ballston Spa Farmers Market offers customers a great selection of local products including seasonal fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, yogurt, honey, maple syrup, and a large variety of locally made gourmet foods. The market also has several bakers, greenhouse growers, quality handcrafted items and a knife sharpening service. Come see our variety and small town charm!

MARKETS

Saratoga Farmers Market High Rock Avenue (under the pavilions) Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 Saturday 9am ~ 1pm & Wednesday 3pm ~ 6pm Rte 146, 1 mile W. of N’Way Exit 9, St. George’s Church Clifton Park, NY Thursdays 2pm ~ 5pm July through October www.saratogafarmersmarket.org Everything sold at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market must be grown or produced by the vendor. This has been our policy since our first market 32 years ago! You’ll find an abundance of fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, poultry, milk, cheese, baked goods, soaps, jams, yogurt, bedding plants, cut flowers, potted plants, decorative planters, herbs, peanut butter, apples, honey, and so much more! Don’t miss the live music, special events and food tastings! Come for the food, stay for the fun! Check us out at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org

Schenectady Farmers Market May through October the Schenectady Farmers Market is each Thursday 9am-1:30pm in historic downtown Schenectady at City Hall in the heart of the downtown arts, shopping, and dining district. Each Tuesday the market is located at the Ellis Hospital-McClellan Campus parking lot on the corner of McClellan Street and Bradley Boulevard from 9am-1pm.

Credit/Debit Cards and Food Stamp (SNAP) benefits accepted.

Schenectady Greenmarket Schenectady Greenmarket is a year-round market held Sundays 10-2. November-April inside Proctors, May-October around City Hall. Enjoy live music, prepared food and the region's freshest greens, herbs, vegetables, fruit, cider, eggs, milk, cheese, baked good, muesli, peanut butter, honey, jelly, jam, tea, beef, chicken, pork, wine, pesto, artisanal wares, plants, flowers, pottery, demonstrations, children’s activities and community groups!

Troy Neighborhood Farmers Markets Good Food, Good People in two locations - Downtown Farmers Market Tuesdays, 10:30am - 1:30pm, June 1st - Sept. 28th 6th Ave. between Fulton and Broadway. Little Italy Farmers Market Wednesdays, 3-6pm, June 2nd - October 13th, Hill Street between Washington and Liberty FMNP, WIC, credit/debit cards accepted rain or shine. www.troyneighborhoodmkt.com.

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Troy Waterfront Farmers Market Just off River Street, Downtown Troy, Saturdays 9-1. We’re more than a farmers’ market—for over 10 years, we've provided a community gathering place with music, great food and family activities! Each Saturday, thousands of savvy shoppers from across the Capital Region come to shop, dine, relax and visit with family and friends. Visit www.troymarket.org for more information!

From our farms to your family! Won’t you join us?

FARM to FORK GUIDE MARKETS

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FARM to FORK GUIDE Beekman Street Bistro 62 Beekman Street Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 581-1816 www.thebeekmanstreetbistro.com We are committed to using local and sustainable products in the dishes we create. Saratoga Springs being the heart of Upstate NY’s farming country makes this relationship a great fit. The farming communities offer and abundance of the freshest seasonal produce and meats which make it possible to practice the philosophy of “Farm to Table.” The evolving menu ensures that every dining experience is as fresh and innovative as the first!

DINING

Farmhouse on Top of the World Kimberly Feeny 441 Lockhart Mountain Road Lake George, NY 12845 (518) 668-3000 kim@topoftheworldgolfresort.com www.topoftheworldgolfresort.com The Farmhouse on Top of the World is a chef-owned and operated restaurant which showcases produce from our farms and meats, dairy and cheeses from area farms. Our menu changes to reflect the best local and seasonal products and sustainable seafood. Delicious wine, beer and cocktail lists.

Open Tuesday – Sunday on the east side of Lake George. Come see our beautiful views, and share our passion for local food!

Member of the Slow Food Co-operative.

Fifty South Restaurant & Bar 2128 Doubleday Avenue (Route 50) Ballston Spa, NY 12020] (518) 884-2926 www.fiftysouth.com Located just 3 miles south of SPAC, open for breakfast lunch and dinner 7 days a week. We are dedicated to using local, organic, and sustainably farmed products. We have a boutique wine list and love to accommodate peoples dietary concerns.

We are vegan and vegetarian, Gluten free. Reservations acceptable. Join our family. Kisses kk

Lakeside Farms Country Store, Restaurant and Garden Center 336 Schauber Road Ballston Lake, NY 12019 (518) 399-8359 www.lakesidefarmscidermill.com Enjoy a meal in our country dining area where we offer made-to-order fresh cooked breakfasts and specialty lunches every day.

We feature grilled and deli sandwiches on home-baked breads, homemade soups, delicious deli salads and fresh vegetables.

End your meal with a decadent dessert from our bakery shop.

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Max London's Restaurant & Bar 466 Broadway Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 587-3535 eatmax@gmail.com www.maxlondons.com Max London’s is a restaurant and bar committed to a high standard of food and drink, where using what is local and seasonal affects all of our menu choices. We strive to create an atmosphere that is sophisticated yet comfortable, where one can enjoy a glass of organic wine, a pint of craft beer brewed twenty miles away or simply a wood-fired pizza. Stop in when you’re in Saratoga Springs for Sunday brunch, lunch, dinner, or late night.

New World Bistro and Bar 300 Delaware Avenue Albany, NY 12208 (518) 694-0520 www.newworldbistrobar.com Global Flavor - Local Pride.

New World Bistro Bar features Chef Ric Orlando’s “global soul food,” emphasizing local and sustainable meats, produce and seafood. The healthy, lustily seasoned and assertive dishes of the American Melting Pot. Creative vegan, vegetarian and glutenfree dishes. Many of our ingredients are regional, organic and sustainable and that list keeps growing! We use fresh local tomatoes in summer, dried in winter, fresh corn in summer, polenta in winter... Simple stuff, right? We can all live better if we begin to expect restaurants to make great meals without encouraging chemists to invent indestructible foods. Dinner 7 days a week at 5 pm, Sunday Brunch 11am – 3pm. Catering available.

One Caroline Street Bistro 1 Caroline Street Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 (518) 587-2026 www.onecaroline.com A busy little bistro located off Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs, featuring what we like to call global comfort food from local sources. Our cozy atmosphere, live music and utilization of

FARM to FORK GUIDE the freshest ingredients create an experience that will tantalize all of your senses. We also feature many vegetarian choices. Live music nightly during the summer months and certain week days and weekends during the fall and winter. We take pride in our relationship with our local farmers and want to share our and their hard work and enthusiasm by providing a flavor packed meal made from fresh and sustainable ingredients leaving you and the environment happy and healthy. We feature high quality organic and heirloom vegetables from local farms.

We use free-range, hormone and chemical free lamb, beef, chicken, veal and other quality meats. All of our fish and seafood is purchased thoughtfully and with great concern for the environment.

whole wheat pizza and pasta and gluten-free beer available.

We grow many of our vegetables on site in our gardens. Check out our award winning wine list, you will be amazed! We also have covered patio seating to enjoy al fresco dining and a bocce court to pass the time. We also have live entertainment to keep you amused.

DINING

Spoonful Kitchen and Catering, LLC Sue Quillio & Tim Holmes 11800 State Route 40 Easton, NY (518) 692-9037 susan@spoonfulcatering.com Facebook ~ Spoonful Kitchen and Catering We prepare handcrafted, authentic food sourced from local farms, regional producers and purveyors of quality foods.

This sustainable practice is the foundation of our business and supplies us with some of the best foods we've tasted, supports our local economy and connects us to the land.

Catering your next barbeque birthday bash, coming out celebration, coffee klatch, family fete, movable feast, holiday get together, ladies lunch, summer shindig, solstice soiree weddings and commitment ceremonies!

Village Pizzeria & Ristorante 2727 Route 29 East Galway, NY (518) 882-9431 www.villagepizzeria.com Enjoy an Italian family atmosphere and REAL homemade Italian dishes, generous portions at moderate prices, served with our famous Old-Fashioned bread. Choose from our entrees of pasta, seafood, veal, chicken and beef or choose from our creative daily specials. Enjoy our selection of pizza, Specialty pizza, gourmet Pizza, Stromboli, and Calzones. Your health is our concern - we now have gluten-free & ecolocalliving.com 27

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Celebrating the Season with Berries

By Annette Nielsen

Although you'll see an abundance of produce early on in the season at regional farmers' markets and farm stands, nothing is a more welcome signal of the warmer season than fresh-picked berries. The burst of sweetness never seems to last long enough, but with a little forethought, you can preserve your harvest for use throughout the year.

Strawberries are the first out of the gate (mid- to late-June) and are packed with Vitamin C, and they also provide a punch of iron and potassium. Think beyond the traditional strawberry shortcake, with chilled strawberry soup, strawberry coulis (a thick puree) or a bright salsa to accompany a tuna steak or chicken breast. Desserts like macerated strawberries (strawberries soaked or marinated in a liqueur) or strawberries with zabaglione (a frothy custard made from marsala and egg yolks and served over cake or fruit) are all favorites that augment your menus through the early summer.

Blueberries and early raspberries are next up (mid- to late-July) and provide ample opportunity for creative cooking. Cobblers, tarts, pies, soups, and smoothies - colorful and nutritious additions to warm-weather cuisine.

As the summer winds down, the late harvest raspberries are in abundance as the last kiss of summer. The majority of the raspberries we find are red, with varieties of black and golden also available. Since these berries are quite delicate, they don't ship well (another reason why procuring at the farmers' market, a farm stand, or at a u-pick farm is a good idea) and can't withstand the treatment you might give a strawberry or blueberry. Enjoyed fully on its own, justpicked without adornment, raspberries are also an indulgence appreciated with a bit of whipped cream or dropped in a glass of bubbly mineral water or champagne.

When scheduling a family outing at a u-pick farm, know that you're getting an experience that not only provides you with the best tasting fruit, but that you're supporting your local farmers and producers as well as your local economy.

Some tips to make your berry-picking experience a fun one: DRESS FOR THE WEATHER. Since you'll be outdoors, bring along a light jacket or sweater for early morning (cooler

temperature) picking and don't forget to apply sunscreen, even for the cloudy days; CALL AHEAD FOR PICKING SCHEDULES. Weather plays a major role in the availability of crops -- typically mid- to late-June starts the strawberry season, while blueberries are available during July, and raspberries (depending on the variety) are available starting mid-July for the summer variety and fall-bearing raspberries like Heritage and Autumn Bliss allow for picking until midOctober (or when the temperature dips to 28 degrees F.) BUCKETS. Most farms supply buckets that you can use to pick the fruit, but you can usually save money by bringing your own container in which to transport your berries home; BUGS. You'll be picking your berries out in nature's kingdom - the home of bees, ants, birds, and butterflies. If you have an allergic reaction to bees or bug bites, bring along the appropriate medications; PICK ONLY THE RIPENED FRUIT. Blueberries tend to drop into your hand when ripe, and raspberries pull easily from the cluster.

Blueberries, for example, are ripe when they have turned a purple-blue color, not reddish

blue, but can ripen left at room temperature and will keep in the refrigerator for almost a week; WAIT TO WASH the fruit until you're ready to use it -- water on picked berries promotes mold growth; IF YOU'RE FREEZING THE FRUIT, try to freeze as close to your harvest time as possible.

Use either freezer-quality plastic containers or if you're using non-rigid containers (bags), make certain they are also the thicker, freezer-quality variety to protect the fruit from freezer burn. Berries are delicate and if you're freezing in bags, the bags shouldn't be stacked until they are frozen; REMEMBER that our farmers and producers grow the fruit, mow, prune, weed, and fertilize the plants from which you pick -- all taking time and money. Their return on this investment is the income from the fruit. Be aware that eating more than a small handful of berries while picking is, inappropriate -and may also mean that a farmer can't stay in business over the long haul if they aren't fairly compensated for the fruit they produce. Berry picking etiquette also includes paying for all that you pick -including the unripe ones you might have inadvertently picked.

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THE NUTRIENT-DENSE CAMPAIGN the future of eating is a secret of soil

By David Yarrow

2010 marks 20 years since Congress created USDA Certified Organic. Foisting this on a reluctant, resistant USDA was a grassroots Green Revolution in its time, empowered by a wave of citizen activism unprecedented since the Vietnam War resistance.

Appropriately, 2010 will birth a new movement to go “beyond organic”—a new Green Revolution—to grow and market foods with a new standard of true quality: nutrient content. This Biological Agriculture is a giant step ahead to nutrient-dense standards of farming and food quality—the foundation for a sustainable food system.

In the 80s, when we started organic certification—reluctantly, unhappily, we restricted anyone from marketing organic food with any nutritional claim. At the time, we couldn't reliably produce, verify and authenticate such food.

Now, 20 years later, food with higher nutrient content can be reliably grown by standardized practices. We can now easily verify this nutritional quality. We can now track foods from farm to market to assure authenticity. We can now go “beyond organic.”

In early February in Barre, Massachusetts, over 100 growers attended Dr. Arden Andersen's 3-day training on Soil Mineral Nutrition, co-sponsored by the Real Food

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Campaign, Remineralize the Earth and NOFA-MA. At the end, growers gave Dr. Andersen a long, enthusiastic standing ovation. Clearly, the next revolution in farming and food quality is underway.

(NOTE: This 3-day training is available on CD from NOFA-MA.) Arden Andersen grew up on a Michigan dairy farm. He took early interest in connections between soil fertility, crop quality, nutrient content, and animal health.

He left the farm for college, then medical school, but never lost his focus on agricultural roots of health and disease.

Arden got a PhD in Biophysics, and began to see organisms and ecosystems as energy, not just chemistry.

AS A MEDICAL DOCTOR, ARDEN QUESTIONED patients on diet, and counseled them on food quality and nutrition. Arden saw farm families with degenerative conditions from toxic chemical exposure. Among all clients, he saw increasing allergies and reactive illness.

After years of medical practice, he realized modern agriculture can’t grow food with adequate, healthy nutrition.

Thus, Arden began a journey back into agriculture, working with farmers to grow crops with higher nutrient content. Along the way, Arden studied under Carey Reams, Dan Skow, William Albrecht, and other pioneers in soil fertility and crop quality.

In two decades as a farm consultant on three continents, Dr. Andersen taught growers how to successfully increase their soil minerals and biology, and boost crop quality. Arden insists he simply applies to soil the same principles of science he learned in medicine apply to a human body.

Fertility, like our blood, begins as a complete mineral menu—major, minor, trace elements, and even the least of all—the nano- and pico-elements.

Once these elements are in proper proportion in liquid solution, then biology gets organized for optimum function. When the Soil Food Web is resident in stable, functional communities, micro-organisms manage soil for the farmer —adjust pH, digest organic carbon, maintain calcium & phosphorus, capture & release nitrogen, water storage, and more. This new Green Revolution moves agriculture from a 20th century chemical mindset to a biology

paradigm that recognizes the soil is a community, beginning with the least and smallest life.

THIS NEW MOVEMENT SPROUTED last December in St. Louis at the Acres USA conference. After months of plans and preparation, no press conference or flashy publicity trumpeted this sprout. Just a new booth in the trade show staffed by one young man: Daniel Kittredge—an earnest farmer from Concord, Massachusetts— historic site in America’s Revolution. A farmer who went to India to work with Dr. Vandana Shiva to resist GMO seeds muscled into markets by Monsanto. A farmer who herded sheep on Navajo Reservation in the Southwest. A farmer who decided to spark a new, true green revolution.

Since Dr. Andersen’s February training, Daniel has taught “nutrient-dense” all over the Northeast. Many more growers signed up to learn how to grow crops with higher nutrient content. Daniel created The Real Food Campaign website, and opened a warehouse to distribute equipment and supplies for nutrient-dense production. He is raising money from memberships and sales to finance the complex organization required to deliver a certified and authentic product to the market.

All while he bought a farm of his own, rehabbed the old farmhouse, and managed another farm nearby. His family moved in this April.

The emerging biological paradigm for farming requires a more rigorous discipline than organic. Growing nutrient-dense food begins by boosting and balancing the soil’s major minerals and trace elements. This simple, elemental soil science starts with careful soil tests and direct mineral applications, supplemented by soil drenches and foliar sprays of trace elements and inoculants.

Once minerals are restored and in balance, microbials are introduced by various strategies and substances. This begins the shift from chemical to biological agriculture.

The goal of a nutrient-dense grower is to create optimum living conditions for the Soil Food Web. Since chemically drenched soils are largely sterile, new growers must import these micro-organisms, or culture them on their farms.

Once healthy, stable communities exist in soil, the microbes feed the plants in exchange for some solar sweetness, and insect and disease troubles evaporate.

To monitor plant health and nutrient density, growers measure their crops’ “Brix”—named for a French scientist who developed a device to assay sugar in wine grapes. Brix measures the solids dissolved in plant sap, which is mostly sugar—carbon fixed into carbohydrates by photosynthesis.

This sunshine sweetness in solution is liquid energy to power cells and organisms.

A routine practice of nutrient-dense growers is to daily collect leaves from plants in the field. A drop of sap is squeezed from a leaf petiole onto a prism in a refractometer, a simple hand-held device to measure the angle light is bent (refracted) passing through the plant sap.

Plants with Brix levels above a minimum have adequate energy and nutrients, and will thrive without pests or disease to yield nutrient-dense crops. But if Brix is low, plants are starving for energy, short on nutrients stressed, not metabolizing properly.

The goal of a nutrient-dense grower is to grow crops with consistently high Brix level.

The foundation is soil with balanced, full spectrum minerals, and microbials to digest and feed the plants. With steady supply of sugar, minerals and bionutrients, plants are strong and vigorous, and don’t need rescue with toxic chemicals.

Consumers can measure Brix in markets to evaluate nutrient content, and thus nutritional quality.

TRAINING NUTRIENT-DENSE GROWERS is Dan’s immediate challenge. Unless farmers

decide to change their methods, and embrace newer, higher standards, nothing will change. Many quality-conscious, earthaware farmers and gardeners are signed up for the training. Each needs perhaps two years to apply materials, master methods, improve soil fertility, and upgrade production practices. Soil, too, needs two years to become well-endowed, organized and functional. This new green revolution needs a few growing seasons to get started.

But the Organic Revolution wasn’t won by farmers. Many facets of the food system united to force federal adoption of “unscientific” and “anti-chemical” food quality standards. Farmers joined by consumers, processors, retailers, gardeners, environmentalists, artists, actors, even some scientists. This unprecedented activist army made “organic” the fastest growing sector in the food economy.

In the 21st century, a similar alliance—this time with science—must empower a new transformation in markets.

This year Daniel will launch an online directory of nutrient-dense growers and a library of literature—especially scientific research reports—on nutrient density. He is recruiting a panel of experts to draft Production Standards to identify and certify nutrient-dense growers. Another lengthy process is needed to establish credible third party certification.

These complex processes of deliberation will evolve in the next two years.

This new Green Revolution underway in the Northeast is sprouting elsewhere in North America, and also in Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand. A minimum of education and promotion should make Nutrient-Dense food quite visible and popular among conscious consumers, provoking steady, strong market demand, and premium prices for farmers who grow these foods.

Every day every human must eat. “You are what you eat” applies to personal biology, but also to our collective economy. In any community, food is the fundamental, universal commodity and service that generates true wealth, and circulates to create an economy. If this ceaseless daily appetite of humans is harnessed to social change, technological revolution and ecological restoration, this transformation to a sustainable society can happen.

Soon, consumers can choose to go "beyond organic" for their appetite and money and buy food with verifiable higher nutrient content. Then we can literally "eat our way to the future.” ecolocalliving.com 31

Growing Nutrient Dense Foods

By Derek Christianson

“[the foundation of health] is diet and the nutritional integrity of the food we eat and the nutritional integrity of the soil upon which the food is grown. To me, this is real medicine…”

-Dr. Arden Andersen, Real Medicine Real Health The era of “industrial agriculture” has greatly increased the total quantity of calories produced on farms in the United States; unfortunately this increased production has been built upon unsustainable growing practices. A few of these practices are 1) a reliance on fossil fuels for inputs, 2) a heavy use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, and 3) tillage and soil management practices that result in widespread soil erosion.

Unfortunately, this increase in quantity has been accompanied by a simultaneous decrease in quality. We have experienced widespread nutrient decline in our grains, fruits, and vegetables. This decline has been well documented over the past 5 years. This decline is attributed to a number of factors especially long-term soil degradation, and breeding crops for size and shipping quality instead of flavor and nutrition.

Minerals and nutrients are naturally distributed throughout the globe by three methods: 1) volcanism 2) glacial deposits and 3) siltation from erosion and floods. Some nutrients are held in the soil, either in organic matter or attached to soil colloids. Overtime rock and other parent material will degrade to increase nutrient availability in the soil; but this build up will be offset by losses due to crop uptake and leaching due to precipitation. Northeast soils are often acidic; a low pH usually indicates hydrogen has replaced calcium and other nutrients in the soil. Understanding the link between the sustainable management of soils and the nutrient content of the foods grown in them helps you make healthy food choices for your family. Keep in mind the following guidelines when growing your own food.

WHAT CAN I DO? 1. Take an annual soil test to measure the amounts and balance of nutrients in the soil. If possible, also submit a soil test to a lab that performs weak-acid tests such as Int’l Ag. Labs to gauge available nutrients.

2. Use fertilizers, amendments, and soil practices that build up soil biology, balance the minerals, and create the ideal physical structure.

Examples include hi-calcium limestone and soft rock phosphate, as well as other organic and/or rock mineral fertilizers.

3. Include a focus on available Calcium (Ca) and Phosphorous (P) levels in the soil; Ca levels impact the availability of other soil nutrients and Phosphorous is a catalyst necessary for photosynthesis.

4. Purchase a refractometer to measure the brix (dissolved sugar levels in a liquid, a gauge of photosynthetic activity which is often correlated with overall nutrient density) levels in the plant and fruit.

5. Learn More! Real Medicine, Real Health” by Dr. Arden Andersen, Holographic Health Press (2006), “Still No Free Lunch:Nutrient Levels in U.S. Food Supply Eroded By Pursuit of High Yields” by Brian Halweil. Worldwatch Institute (2007) at www.organiccenter.org/science.nutri.php Derek Christianson is the owner of Brix Bounty Farm in Dartmouth, MA. Brix Bounty Farm aims to produce and promote the production of nutrient dense foods, using sustainable growing methods that focus on improving soil health for long-term agricultural viability.

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The Importance of Integrity in local foods: An Open Letter to Farmers Markets

By Tracy Frisch Photos by David Delozier

In the commodity world of the industrial food system, standards reflect the convenience of the distributor and manufacturer, not nutrition or taste. In contrast, local food implies food with a face and a place -- raised with care and integrity by a particular farmer. It’s a corrective to anonymous food that only PR firms stand behind.

With the local foods movement going mainstream, it was inevitable that Big Food (Food, Inc.) would latch on to the banner of local. After all, they have grabbed onto natural, sustainable, and every other term that emerged at the grassroots to distinguish more authentic food. Mega brand Frito-Lay presents a particularly cynical example with its advertisements in Maine and Idaho of their “local” potato chips!

Numerous sales outlets, many of them small, are also benefiting from the local foods movement while selling foods that aren’t from local farms. One example is small slaughterhouses whose retail shops sell midwestern beef and pork that they cut and wrap or make sausage from. Another would be farm stands that sell jams and jellies labeled for a local farm by the factory that specializes in this type of business. In neither case do the end sellers have to engage in any false advertising for customers to get the wrong impression.

But bemoaning such travesties is not the point of this open letter. Instead in the best tradition of the Regional Farm & Food Project, I want to call attention to our responsibility to put out own houses in order. Let us consider the truthfulness of our homemade institutions.

The Troy Waterfront Farmers Market Vision In the late 1990s, I spearheaded the committee that envisioned and then started the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market. As a cofounder, I recall our sense of purpose. The market was formed as an opportunity for local farmers as well as a community gathering place, or modern commons, if you will.

The market founders were absolutely committed to the concept of producer-only.

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grew on their farms. We recognized that allowing vendors to buy in any products at all would lead to a slippery slope fraught with consumer confusion and enforcement difficulties. Allowing exceptions can cause resentment and division among vendors.

Above all, we wanted the public to trust that the farmers raised the produce and animal products that they were selling. And similarly, for them to be able to trust that the craftspeople and food processors made their goods themselves.

I recall more than one organic farmer telling me of customers at little farmers markets asking why they didn’t have tomatoes in June. When the farmers said theirs weren’t mature yet, they were advised to buy some from a wholesaler. That was not what we desired.

Farmer involved in the beginning of the Troy Market wanted a level playing field, as they generally still do. Reselling purchased farm products can yield more profits for vendors than actually growing them, and it takes much less effort! Savvy farmers predicted dire consequences resulting -- a race to the

bottom with lower process and poorer quality.

PREPARED FOODS CAN BE LOCAL, TOO. In the first year of the Troy Farmers Market, we were eager for prepared food vendors.

In keeping with the mission of the market, we requested prospective vendors use local ingredients when available. For the most part, they said they couldn’t, due to higher prices. That was almost ten years ago. While some prepared food vendors use their own or other local foods, often from fellow market vendors, the issue has dropped off the radar I got another perspective in September when I attended the Maine Common Ground Country Fair, that state’s largest fair, along with 51,000 other people. The sponsor, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, has always required vendors to use only Maine organic ingredients in the foods they sell at this spectacular four-day event. The rule, like the fair, is over thirty years old. Fair organizers took a leap of faith with it and they showed what is possible. It’s

been a tremendous success, and a boon to local farmers and processors.

RECOMMENDATIONS TO REACH TOWARD THE FUTURE The local foods movement is ready to forge ahead to the next level. Let’s push the envelope, rather than rest on our laurels.

Here’s my recipe to ensure that produceronly markets are what they claim to be -and that they stretch to all that they can become!

1. Farmers markets must decide to stop looking the other way at infractions, large and small, to their producer-only rule. At the premier area farmers markets such as Troy, farmers buying in and reselling product are pretty rare, but it has been allowed to occur.

2. Each farmers market, preferably in a multi-market collaboration, should begin routinely inspecting all farms, with other vendors phased in, too. Inspectors must be knowledgeable and trained. Greenmarket in New York City is a resource for organizing a viable program.

3. All credible complaints must be aggressively investigated to dispel suspicion of reselling. Vendors breaking this cardinal rule undermine the whole community.

4. Effective enforcement is essential to deter cheating, even when it requires withdrawing someone’s privilege to be a vendor in the market.

5. To raise the bar for processed and prepared foods, start by taking stock of what is sold at your market. Which prepared and processed foods are made from scratch? Are any local ingredients used? Do food vendors get ingredients that could be sourced locally

from area farms, including their own, or from local and producer-only deserves a wholesalers or somewhere else? deliberate discussion. For instance, if a type Then consider what constitutes an of craft can be made with local raw appropriate processed food. Does peanut ingredients, should this be required? In the butter fit the definition? Should the product greater Capital Region of New York, we add anything to the local farm economy? enjoy good access to top quality local foods.

What does handmade mean? Does the Our star farmers markets have contributed market allow another food processor (or a mightily to this ready availability. In the factory) to “co-pack” prepared foods? process they have created what some would Where does it draw the line? call a “brand” that signifies integrity and 6. Market organizations should take steps to authenticity. We need to preserve – and help customers become better informed, so build on -- the enviable and fairly unique they don’t hold false assumptions. Some situation that we have created. Over the last market goers hold unfounded beliefs such as decade, the environment has changed. Today words like “local food” are banded about that all produce there is organically grown almost indiscriminately, and more or that the meats all come from pastured competition has developed from all quarters. livestock. Full and accurate disclosure is key, Let’s be vigilant to protect what makes us whatever way a market decides to assist special. We must continue to differentiate shoppers in distinguishing among products ourselves and keep our edge sharp and clear. and vendors.

As we forge ahead, we can stay true to our 7. Finally, for crafts vendors, the meaning of mission and more fully realize it!

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Eating Organic & Sustainable Foods doesn't have to Bust Budget

By Mary Beth McCue RD LDN CDN Integrative and Functional Nutritionist

So often I've heard people claim “eating healthy is too expensive”. With our current economy, many people are buying more into this claim. I think #1: The method of marketing foods in our culture, #2: The American “food service culture”, and #3: The family norms around food are important components of our lives that have become so steered away from whole, more sustainable foods, that sustainable whole foods eating has become a thing of the past for many people. Organic “clean” eating has become more of an art form and a challenge than it needs or should be. And therefore, economics is tied all around these challenges.

It is very possible to eat healthy and not spend above the food budget. I see my clients achieve this all the time. Creating a (eating) life-style that uniquely works for oneself and supports a healthy and affordable diet, is very significant to living and “enduring” the times we live in. Doing so really will support everything in a persons life.

And as we know, it is very significant to the preservation of our land and animals as well.

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Some of the life-style factors, and therefore changes, this involves are the locations of where to purchase foods, the type of foods to purchase and how foods are prepared and cooked. The change(s) does not have to be a 360 degrees change from where you are; that usually does not work. Choose one or more factores that are “doable with some effort” and then build by choosing more from there. Below is a list of life-style changes that will help anyone stick to a budget while eating healthy.

Sustainable Nutrition 22 Healthy Eating Affordable Health

By Mary Beth McCue www.SaratogaNutrition.com Below is 1/2 the list. For the other 1/2, please pick up the current issue of The Healing Springs Journal. Cut out both articles and place on your refrigerator door at home and at work. This can be your first change accomplished.

1. PLAN A MENU. Plan a two-week menu ahead of time for each season, and build from here. This will help with a shopping list. Go to whole foods websites like wholefoodsmarket.com, traderjoes.com, retreat centers like kripalu.org or our local Honest Weight Food Co-op at hwfc.com.

These all have simple, whole foods, plant based recipes that center around local seasonal sustainable foods.

2. FARMERS MARKETS: Many markets now run year round - as they do in our area. We have a year round farmers market in Saratoga & Troy. They are more economical then conventional grocery shopping because the middle man between the farmers and yourself are eliminated. In addition, since they are local, transportation cost are lower than costs to ship from non-local areas, there are no packaging costs, no food washing or preparation (cutting) costs. This is all beneficial to the environment as well.

Most valuable is that the foods are organic or sustainable (ie. may have a very mild

pesticide spray or just not certified organic) and are picked at ripen stage and therefore at the highest nutritional state. This is not the case for any plant foods that are not local. Most organics produce in chain grocery stores do not contain the nutritional value that local or regional plants have. They are devoid of the one important element you need from them - nutrients. Most are from out of our region, such as California. Try to make the farmers market a regular part of your life, even if you go once every 2 or 3 weeks. Bring your kids and teach them about real healthy foods.

3. CONSIDER HOME DELIVERY ORGANICS: Take turns with friends going to the farmers markets, or picking-up your weekly farm share, and deliver a bag to a friends' door.

Or consider an organic home delivery service. A new service in our area can be contacted at www.clkorganics.com.

4. SHOP AT FOOD CO-OPS/BUY IN BULK: We have two in our area. The Niskayuna Coop and the Honest Weight Food Co-op.

Produce is similar to the farmers' market advantages, and most are regional. There are many items like grains, nuts, legumes, flours, etc. that can be purchased in bulk. In addition, there are church or other community groups that purchase bulk several times per year.

5. DECREASE MEAT AND “COMPLETE PROTEIN” CONSUMPTION. We do not need to eat these foods daily for health. Decrease weekly food costs by replacing meat or fish meals with nut butter sandwiches, hummus on flat breads with sliced tomatoes and sliced cucumbers, and a plethora of dishes one can do with other legumes such as lentil soups, chili, baked beans, chick peas and seeds on salads, kidney beans and fresh tomatoes and pesto on pastas, and the list goes on.

6. NAVIGATE THE SUPERMARKETS WISELY. For those that purchase in traditional grocery stores, try to eliminate a lot of unnecessary purchases by starting on the outside ring and try to purchase there the majority of the time. This is where you will find fruits and vegetables, meats, dairy products, and some of your grains. This area is where the majority of whole foods are.

This is also where the prepared meals, bakery and other tempting foods are that can greatly add to your food and health costs - while providing little to no nutritional value.

7. BATCH COOK. You may choose to cook more than you need and freeze the leftover's for another time. Many items like soups, stews, chili, and meatballs can be

easily batch prepared. Try it once a month. This cuts down on food preparation.

In addition, seasonally available, locally produced organic foods can be frozen, dehydrated or preserved to further contain a family's monthly food costs. Do this with friends and trade foods that you prepare for storage.

8. CHANGE YOUR PROGRAMMING. If your programming (what you tell yourself and others) about whole sustainable eating is “This is going to be hard, or I do not have any time for this, or this is expensive, etc. etc. “, then it simply will be. What ever you declare to be your reality in life will be, and will continue to be your reality.

It is what you will continue to manifest. Educate your self, as in this article. Start with small steps in whatever unique way you need to and once you shift your reality to doing something different and see the benefits, you will continue to do it and you will continue to draw more of it into your life. It is that simple.

9. EATING LESS OF THE PLETHORA OF “EMPTY-CALORIE” FOODS available everywhere, like chips, soda, cookies and candy, or a drivethru. Improve your health and prevent unnecessary spending. Go into a convenient or grocery store sometime just for the purpose of looking around at all the prepared foods that are barely a food. You can buy a lot of apples, carrots, potatoes, bananas, etc. for the price of large bags of chips, boxes of cookies, containers of ice cream, etc. etc.

10. TRY A NEW RECIPE once every week or two to help increase your variety of home whole foods cooking. Start a Recipe Swap, or meal swap with friends to create some fun with this. There are many whole foods recipe websites. Go to whole foods websites like wholefoodsmarket.com, traderjoes.com, retreat centers like kripalu.org or our local Honest Weight Food Co-op at hwfc.com.

11. GET SUPPORT. We all need support and help, especially when we are creating new life-styles. Seek a friend, find a group that supports the changes - such as members at an organic farm or people at the farmers market Consult with a professional to help implement these changes.

The best investment you will every make can be from eating in a way that supports your health. This will positively affect the environment and everything in your life. It is a “full-cycle” process that benefits and gives back to all.

Most, if not all, of the negative conditions the body experiences, come from stress and/or toxicity. Overweight, underweight, heart

disease, digestive imbalances, depression, aging are just a few conditions on the menu of items many people are challenges with.

Eating non-whole foods the majority of the time, taking pharmaceuticals to “replace nutrients” needed to resolve health conditions are two major reasons why our culture is experiencing such decline in health. Choosing a more sustainable diet of whole foods that are mostly or all devoid of chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, etc. is the foundation to doing your part for your body and your life.

Mary Beth McCue RD, LDN, CDN is an Integrative and Functional Dietitian, certified and licensed Nutritionist in NY and MA.

Cheap & Delicious Recipe Doubly Red Potato Salad 6 cups quartered small red, or any other, potatoes (about 2 lbs) 1 pound small red, or any other, beets, tops trimmed 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup diced red onion (1 large fresh dug spring onion, if available) 1/2 cup minced fresh dill 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise 1/2 box Mori Nu lite silken extra firm tofu 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1/4 cup vegan sour cream or 1/4 cup soy yogurt Conventional Directions: Steam the potatoes over boiling water until they are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and cool. Cook the beets, until they are tender, about 12 to 15 minutes, in enough boiling water to just cover them. Drain, cool and slip off the skin. Cut the beets into 1-inch cubes.

Gently combine the potatoes and beets in a large bowl, along with the salt, onion, dill and olives. Put the tofu in the blender with the vinegar. Blend until smooth and pour into a small bowl. Stir the vegan sour cream into the tofu blend and fold into the salad. Chill and serve, or serve at room temperature.

Note:You can substitute 1/2 cup regular or vegan mayonnaise for the blended tofu mixture. Serves 8-10.

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