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Author: Kacie Cotter-Harrigan

Giangiulio Trying to Make the Best of It as a New Trainer

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Winner's Circle.

Her horses are running well, but they are getting claimed quickly, as she still seeks her first career win.

Many new trainers find it challenging to win their first race, especially with a small stable.

Michelle Giangiulio’s experience is not much different. However, along with trying to get her first career victory, she has a difficult time of keeping horses.

Since becoming a trainer earlier this year, Giangiulio started four separate horses. While each horse ran well with either a second- or third-place finish, three of those horses have been taken by other owners or trainers through the claiming box.

Wagon Boss was the latest horse taken from her following his third-place finish in the first race of Saratoga Race Course’s Opening Day card.

After the race, Giangiulio went into the racing office and learned that 11 trainers submitted a $12,500 claim for the 8-year-old gelding. Eventually, Jeffrey Englehart became the new owner and trainer of Wagon Boss after the “shake,” a lottery process used when there are multiple claims on a horse.

“I went into the racing office, and it was packed. I didn’t realize they were shaking on my horse,” she said. “My horses keep getting claimed and we are losing shakes. It is tough when you have only 3-4 horses, then you lose one. The hardest part is keeping stock. You never know when you will get another one in [the stable].”

Giangiulio fell into that situation with her first career start and just one horse: Parade Field. She entered that 5-year-old gelding for a $20,000 claiming tag at Aqueduct on Feb. 15. After Parade Field was claimed with his third-place finish, that put her in a difficult situation – no horse to train.

It took a couple of months for Giangiulio to regroup with the help of Marshall Gramm, a founding partner of Ten Strike Racing, Associate Professor in Economics at Rhodes College and two-time qualifier for the National Handicapping Championships. Along with Wagon Boss, Gramm sent her two other horses: Easy Shot and True Castle.

“Marshall Gramm has been so great by sending me horses,” Giangiulio said. “He has been really trying to help me out. He’s really supportive. He actually sent Wagon Boss to Indiana Grand after he claimed him. He told me this horse might be OK going long at Saratoga for $12,500. He looked fantastic.”

While it can be discouraging to lose horses through the claiming box, Giangiulio has a sense of affirmation knowing that owners and trainers are interested in her horses because of their condition going into a race.

“I think it says a lot,” Giangiulio said. “The horses look good. They are running well. Every horse that I have run, except for True Castle, has been claimed. Everyone tells me that it is a good thing. It feels good that someone takes my horses because they are in the right spot. At the same time, it’s part of the mixed emotions because I lose a horse.”

Since being a child and teenager, Giangiulio has always enjoyed being around horses. The South New Jersey native started working and riding show horses while going to Hammonton High School.

After graduating from high school, she became interested in working with Thoroughbreds and crossed the Delaware River to Parx Racing, just north of Philadelphia where Juan Carlos Guerrera, trainer of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile champion Spun to Run, hired her as a groom and an assistant.

Giangiulio got her first glimpse of New York racing in 2014 when she travelled with Guerrera to bring Classic Giacnroll to Aqueduct for the Jerome Stakes and Withers Stakes. Attracted to the New York racing scene, Giangiulio left Parx for Aqueduct and Belmont to work for various trainers, including Chad Brown, Jena Antonucci, Joe Sharp, Thomas Morley, and Kelly Breen.

Giangiulio did not come to Saratoga until 2016 when she was an assistant to Sharp. While Sharp spent most of that season staying in Kentucky, she helped the stable win four races that meet.

“We had a good meet that year,” she said. “Joe had a second baby, so he wasn’t up here as much. I had to run everything up here. We had a solid team. It was fun. From Parx to Belmont, that was a big jump. When I went from Belmont to Saratoga, I said, ‘I am in the big leagues.’ It was awesome.”

That is not the only awesome experience for Giangiulio since coming to New York. Three years ago, she got a chance to see one of her favorite horses who made history: Triple Crown winner Justify.

She had always been fond of the son of Scat Daddy after winning his debut with a 9 ½-length margin in 1:21.86 for seven furlongs at Santa Anita. While Giangiulio was working for Morley, Justify was stabled across the street at John Terranova’s barn prior to the Belmont Stakes.

“I absolutely fell in love with Justify,” she said. “When he first ran, I knew he was going to be a Triple Crown winner. The way he was put together was perfection. He was stunning and a monster of a horse.”

Through many memorable experiences with horses for more than a decade, Giangiulio is hoping to build off of that as a one-person stable right now. While the days can be long, especially starting at 4 a.m., she does like to be her own boss.

“I love not having a boss,” she said with a little laughter. “For my whole life, I wanted to be my own boss and train my own horses. Everyone who I worked for was great and they knew what they were doing, but I love to see what I can do and see a horse progress from decisions that I made.”

“It’s really rewarding,” she added. “I knew all along that I could do it with all of the horses running good. That has been a really awesome part. I cannot be disappointed at all. I have a lot to look forward to the future.”

Sprinters, Three-Year-Olds and a Jim Dandy of a Week

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Winner's Circle.

Week three of the 2021 racing season at Saratoga Race Course beginning July 28 will contain 8 stakes races, 5 of which are graded.

The highlight is expected to be the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at the sprint distance of 6 furlongs, but the richest race will be the Grade II Jim Dandy for three-year-olds at one mile and an eighth. Both will be run on Saturday. The full week offers stakes races at a wide array of distances, surfaces, ages and gender.

The biggest race of the week will be Saturday’s Grade II Jim Dandy at a mile and an eighth for three-year-olds. The race is named after the winner of the 1930 Travers – Jim Dandy – who pulled off one of the most famous upsets in racing history. The longest shot in a small field of four, Jim Dandy defeated Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox and multiple Saratoga winner Whichone.  Taking advantage of a sloppy track that he relished and a speed duel between the two favorites, Jim Dandy bounded up along the rail to an astonishing winning margin of 8 lengths at odds of 100-1.  Legend has it that the win was such a windfall for the bookmakers and so devastating a loss for the betting public that many fans left immediately for the train station to return south to New York City.  Attempting to save the remainder of the race meet the suddenly flush bookmakers sent people to intercept the dejected fans before they boarded the train.  With promises of free meals and free drinks all night at local establishments many bettors did return to town to drown their sorrows. The phrase heard for many years of “that was a Jim Dandy of a night!” paid homage to the Travers winner and the circumstances that ensued. The gambit of the bet takers was successful as once Monday rolled around the New York City bettors had forgotten their losses and faced a fresh week of betting challenges.    

Traditionally a prep race for the Travers’ Stakes to be later in the meet (eleven runners have won both), the $600,000 purse assures a quality field and this year the expected favorite is Belmont Stakes winner Essential Quality.  The Godolphin homebred has won 6 of 7 lifetime races, with his only loss coming in a good effort in the Kentucky Derby. Widely considered the best three-year-old in the country – wins in the Jim Dandy and Travers would assure his spot as champion three-year-old of 2021.

The Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap also on the Saturday card is a top-notch Grade I affair. This sprint at 6 furlongs offers a purse of $350,000 and is named after racing icon Alfred G. Vanderbilt Jr., the former Chairman of the Board of the New York Racing Association and owner of Champion racehorse Native Dancer.  This race is a handicap race with runners carrying different weights to make the race competitive among all runners. The expected high weight and race favorite is Whitmore an 8-year-old gelding who won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint and was named Champion Sprinter of the Year. Whitmore was second in this race last year and despite being second in two of his three starts this year seems to have maintained his form. A winner of 15 races and $4.4 million, Whitmore is a fan favorite and is taken to find the winner’s circle here as he seeks to make it to the Breeders’ Cup sprint again to defend his title.

Saturday will also feature the Bowling Green, a grade II run on the grass at the marathon distance of one mile and three-eighths. The Bowling Green is expected to produce a large field with nominees including last year’s winner Cross Border and stakes winners Arklow, Colonel Liam, Channel Maker and Gufo.

Before the big Saturday races, Wednesday features a sprint handicap at six furlongs for fillies and mares. The Honorable Miss is named after the stretch running stakes winner of the mid 1970s who had a penchant for beating males with her tremendous closing kick. This year the expected high weight and favorite is Kimari, a filly trained by Wesley Ward who has won 6 of 10 races, including one at Saratoga and notably has been second twice at Royal Ascot. 

Wednesday also has the New York Sire Stakes series named after famed musician Cab Calloway. At a mile on the grass for New York breds the race is expected to produce a competitive field.

Thursday again features horses bred in New York with the John Morrissey – a handicap at 6 ½ furlongs offering a purse of $100,000. 

Friday’s stakes race is a restricted stake named after Curlin at a mile and one-eighth. This race is restricted to aspiring three-year-olds who have not won a stakes race at over a mile in 2021. Despite its restricted status, the Curlin has produced Travers runners in the past. 

SUNDAY completes the week with another stakes for three-year-olds – the Amsterdam. This race is at 6 and ½ furlongs and will draw from the same pool of entrants as the Curlin. 

Why Are CD Rates So Low?

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Business.

Fresh out of college, I secured my first job as a personal banker for a national retail bank. A common complaint I heard in my first few months was that CD rates had started to fall below 5%. What we wouldn’t give for a risk-free 5% now, right? If we go further back in time, folks who were around in the 80s will tell of double-digit rates on both their CDs and their mortgages. Let’s examine the driving forces behind why rates are what they are.

The story starts with the Federal Reserve (“the Fed”), America’s central bank. They serve many functions but one of their most visible is setting the interest rate that banks charge each other for overnight loans, known as the Federal Funds Rate. This rate impacts a lot which is why it is so widely discussed. It is currently set to a range of 0.00-0.25%. Without getting into the inner workings, think of the rate as a dial for the economy. If the Fed believes that the economy needs a boost, it will set interest rates lower to make money flow more freely (as it did during the onset of the COVID-19 crisis in March 2020). They do the opposite when there is a risk of the economy “overheating” and inflation becoming a problem. It is a delicate balancing act as they try to keep the economy running on all cylinders while at the same time making sure inflation is in check. 

“Thanks for that,” you say, “but I asked about my six-month CD paying 0.45%.” Fair enough. As was previously mentioned, the Federal Funds Rate is the rate charged for overnight loans between banks and it provides a starting point for setting rates that carry longer times to maturity, like your six-month CD. Typically, the longer something is held, the more that the person lending that money will require in terms of payment. As a purchaser of a CD, you are effectively lending money to the bank and the rate they are willing to pay will be slightly higher than the Federal Funds Rate. As such, as long as the Fed Funds Rate stays pinned to the floor as it currently is, do not expect the interest rates on CDs, money markets, or savings accounts to meaningfully budge.

An unfortunate side effect of low rates is that those who need steady income (i.e., retirees) have seen the interest they can generate from these safe holdings dwindle to near nothing. However, it is all relative, and times of elevated rates on CDs are typically accompanied by either high current or expected inflation. A CD earning 6% per year while inflation is 7% is technically losing money overall. Let me conclude by saying that the percentage of your wealth to be held in these short-term instruments should be viewed through the lens of your personal financial picture. Hold too much and your risk becomes inflation. Hold too little and your risk becomes stock or bond market fluctuations. Much like the setting of those interest rates, it is a delicate balancing act. 

For more information, visit contwealth.com

David Rath, CFA is the Director of Portfolio Strategies at Continuum Wealth Advisors in Saratoga Springs.

Our History, Our Story

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in News.

Photos provided.
Picture 1: Cliff Oliver, Debbie Craig and Renee Moore.

Confucius said, “True wisdom is knowing what you don’t know.” 

Despite growing up in Saratoga’s west side, when Renee Moore was dining downtown, people didn’t know she actually lived here, they assumed she was just visiting. The reason why was the color of her skin. 

Experiences like this were just part of the reason why she founded Solomon Northup Day in 1999. 

An Extraordinary Story

Today, the population of Saratoga is nearly 92% white, according to the latest census data, so you might not know the extent to which African-Americans and other people of color lived and worked throughout the community, or how their history has shaped the city we know today. 

Much of this history has been lost, but thanks to Renee Moore’s dedication, the story of Solomon Northup lives on. 

Solomon Northup was born free in Minerva. While living and working in Saratoga Springs in 1841, he was illegally sold into slavery. After being rescued, he shared the ordeal that he (and others under the yoke of slavery) experienced in his autobiography, Twelve Years a Slave. 

Stronger Together

Moore first heard Northup’s story told in a 1984 docudrama based on his book. Thus began her quest to recognize Northup in a way that would bring the community closer together.

“No one was talking about African-American history in the city and it was not embraced in the early years. Not only did I have very little support, but I did every aspect of it myself,” said Moore.

Eventually, she was joined by several “very special souls” who helped her make July’s Solomon Northup Day a reality. 

Celebrated on the Big Screen

In April 2013, PLAN B/Searchlight Pictures contacted Moore for background information and help reaching out to Northup’s descendants for a film they were producing. The movie, also called 12 Years a Slave, was that year’s Oscar award winner. 

Interest peaked and Skidmore College (Moore’s alma mater) hosted a flurry of talks and other events in town. A historical marker for Northup now stands near the intersection of Broadway and Congress Streets by the Saratoga Springs Visitor Center. Inside, you can see a placard and pick-up a handout with more information. 

Their Story is OUR story

To further discover and explore the history of people of color in the city, a walking tour and a free OURstory Treasure Hunt Map, published by MLK Saratoga, is available. 

Points of interest include Mouzon House, Hattie’s Chicken Shack, and High Rock Park’s Tree of Peace, among others. 

The OURstory Treasure Hunt was conceived by diversity advocate/trainer Jean Fei, with help from author Carol Daggs, into a 10-site adventure as an inclusive, family-oriented activity.

“We cannot truly know ourselves and how we have arrived where we are today until we re-weave the very fabric of OUR shared story — a much more colorful, vibrant and extraordinary tapestry of Humanity than our history books, classrooms, and memories have represented over the centuries,” said Lezlie Dana, President and Co-Chair of MLK Saratoga.

Find it at the Visitor Center or online at www.mlksaratoga.org/treasure-hunt

Injustice Today

If you don’t know these stories, you may struggle with understanding why divisions and unrest remain today. 

“Every single life is important. You have to look at the whole picture,” said Moore.

Turbulence around race has erupted in recent years, and the number of people taking to the streets to protest has increased. Saratoga is not immune, as demonstrations like last week’s “Take Back the Narrative,” which resulted in five arrests, illustrates.

“Everyone suffers when our country is at odds with itself,” said Moore.

“There are no winners in the continued dialogue of ‘us against them’ that robs us from dealing with the real crisis’ we must face together as one country united.”

What Solomon Would Say

Widely-debated and controversial topics such as mass incarceration and qualified immunity show that despite how far we’ve come as a country, there are still changes to be made. 

“It’s my guess that if Solomon Northup were alive today, he might be disappointed with our lack of progress toward freedom and justice so many years later. Right now, regardless of our skin color, we as Americans are watching a chipping away of our one guaranteed freedom; the Right to Vote.  This is not solely a black issue, however, but an issue that affects us all as Americans,” said Moore. 

Be in the Conversation

A free Solomon Northup Day program with re-enactor Clifford Oliver Mealy and the dedication of a Solomon Northup Highway Marker will be held at the Town of Minerva Community Center, 5 Morse Memorial Hwy, Minerva, on July 27 from 5:45- 8:30 p.m.

Ballston Spa’s “Éclair” House

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in History.

One Hundred and Fifty Years ago, on July 15, 1871, a news article appeared in the Saturday edition of the Ballston Journal, “Wm Brown and John Parent are preparing the foundations for two fine houses on Bath Street, opposite the Washington Spring.”

Brown’s house would not be the typical gable-roofed residence, But a fashionable French-Gothic Mansard. The post-civil war period was known for unabashed ostentation. Suppliers, manufacturers, and financiers had profited greatly from the government’s need to equip and maintain its armed forces. There was so many nouveau riche showing off their wealth, it was fashionable to do so.

Brown was a grocer in Ballston Spa and had made a comfortable life for his family. He was, in no stretch of the imagination, wealthy. That didn’t stop Brown, a poor boy from Oswego, from trying to appear rich.

Not to be shown up by Mr. Parent or anyone else, he engaged the services of architect, Marcus Cummings. Cummings worked out of Troy and had recently landed important commissions in Saratoga Springs, including the Village Hall, John Morrissey’s Casino, and the railroad station.  He was also designing the Glens Falls Opera House.

Brown’s Mansard-roofed cottage posed a stylistic problem. It was essentially a story and a half structure. The steep roof covered most of the second floor, allowing for ten-foot ceilings. However, windows in the roof area were traditionally set above the cornice, creating a claustrophobic interior.

Cumming’s solution was to push the second-floor windows through the cornice, creating a two-foot by four-foot alcove, peaked by the sides of a right, isosceles triangle to a height of over eight feet.  The result opened up the second-floor rooms, creating airy spaces of fanciful angles. 

That solution created another problem.  Dormers formed by the projection through the cornice had to be supported. Two were over porches, and one over a bay.  The fourth was over nothing.                                                   

The solution was to extend a downstairs window through the wall to support the fourth window.  Two provide a balanced interior, the first-floor parlor’s other window also had to be extended, even though it was under the front porch.

That created yet another problem for Cummings.  He couldn’t leave the resulting alcoves unadorned in a formal parlor.  He topped them with canopies jutting into the room, which were supported the same way as the presidium over the Glens Falls Opera House stage, with square columns turned 45 degrees.  The columns of Mr. Brown’s house, though, were decorated with an indented molding, terminating with a right isosceles triangle.  The architect could have stopped there but carried over the same interior design to the bay window in the second parlor.

Having solved the cascading problems, Cummings added an exterior flourish of sheer genius.  In a period of heavily decorated exterior window surrounds, he eliminated all moldings from around the second floor, front parlor, and bay windows. Only windows under the side porch and on the non-public side of the house had heavy moldings. A light band course ran the length of the house, tracing over the tops of the windows on each floor. (see exterior picture above)

Finally, Cummings created a false tower by pushing to the ceiling four, tall, narrow second-floor windows above the house’s entry and capped them with a four-gabled roof topped with a crest.  The over-all effect of steep-roofed dormers rising along the height of the building, an unbroken span of body color along the public sides of the structure, and an apparent tower, was a far larger and taller house than the small French Gothic cottage really was.

Mr. Brown had a house unlike anyone else, except the owners of the Glens Falls Opera House.  They had Cummings design a slightly larger sister house, which was built on the corner of Platt and Warren Streets in Glens Falls.  Eventually that building was cut into apartments, allowed to deteriorate, and torn down several years ago.  Brown’s cottage remains, one of Ballston Spa’s many architectural landmarks.

John Cromie is the Ballston Spa Village Historian, has authored an architectural survey of Ballston Spa, was one of the organizers of Preservation Association of the Southern Tier and has served with Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation for 25 years on its board and advocacy committee.

Builder’s Corner: Build it and They Will Come

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Home & Garden.

There Has Never Been a Better Time to Build a New Custom Home

Did you ever notice that the most popular homes bustling with activity year-round are the ones with lots of amenities? You know the one in your neighborhood, the one with the inground pool, nicely landscaped yard, basement game room, vaulted ceilings, nice entertaining spaces with an open floor plan, fireplaces, and a custom kitchen? “If you build it, they will come.” You will be the toast of the neighborhood and possibly the envy to some. Friends and family will want to come celebrate holidays, graduations, birthdays, and milestones in life at your home because people like to recreate in beautiful spaces. It is the American dream home I am talking about and it can be yours! There has never been a better time to build a custom home either. Here is why:

Interest rates are at an all-time low and you will pay less than if you wait for the market to change. I highly encourage anyone who is thinking about building that custom home, addition, or remodeling project, to invest in your future now. A home is the single biggest investment most people will make in their lifetime. It is also the one that pays the most dividends and only increases in value and builds equity over time. Other big purchases like cars only depreciate where a home appreciates in value. Taxes are reasonable in Saratoga County because of the industry tax base. The tax burden does not fall solely on homeowners here. Therefore, homeownership is a particularly wise investment to make, given property values in Saratoga County remain the highest in the region. High property values with low taxes are a winning ticket here in Saratoga Springs.

Another reason right now is the time to build a custom home or take on the project that you have been considering, is that the housing inventory is exceptionally low. There is simply a higher demand for homes in the capital region than there are homes to sell. This also means it is a seller’s market and you will pay more for a dated home without the updated amenities you desire. No matter what existing home you end up choosing, you will most likely desire to make some major renovations to get the custom features you want. In a tight housing market, buyers can end up feeling like they settled. Existing home vs. new home means settling for choices others have made. Building a new home means you get to make all of your own personal selections. 

So, if you are thinking of building a new home contact a qualified builder as soon as possible. They will assist you with locating lots, home design, zoning laws and financing options. You could be in your custom new home before you know it! And remember, most qualified builders also do home makeovers, remodeling and renovations. 

Best wishes in your pursuit of a custom new home and/or remodeling project in 2021!

– Lou Galarneau, President Galarneau Builders

Growth Energy: “Recharging” Flowering Bulbs

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Home & Garden.

Just about now, the spring flowering bulbs are finishing up their spring show. 

Cool weather in late April extended the show the tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and others put on for a delightfully long time. If you have trouble getting your bulbs to come back bigger and better every year, you probably need a reminder on the “after care” they need right now as they are finishing up. 

The trick to perpetual success with bulbs is to think of them as rechargeable batteries. To make sure that they return in greater numbers with more flowers, you need to know how to “recharge the battery” after they flower in spring.  The “growth energy” stored in the bulb since last fall is quickly depleted during the all-out effort to flower in spring. 

To “recharge” your bulbs, you’ll want to wait until after the flower “go by” or shrivel up. Then cut the spent flower off including the stem it was on. Make sure that you don’t cut off the leave though. Think of the bulbs’ leaves as solar collectors that change sunlight into “growth energy” that is sent to the bulb below for storage. Don’t cut off these solar collectors when you remove the spent blossoms. 

With the flowers cut off the bulb won’t waste “growth energy” producing seeds. Instead, that “growth energy” will instead be directed to the bulb where it is stored until next spring’s flowering cycle. 

This is also the time to feed the bulbs. My favorite bulb food is Espoma Bulb-Tone. It will provide the balance of nutrients your bulbs will need, along with the energy from the sun that the leaves are still collecting, to grow the bulb below even bigger and better so you’ll have more plants with more flowers every spring. To feed the bulbs, simply poke some holes into the soil among the bulbs and pour a little food into the holes. This will get the food closer to the roots that will absorb and make use if it. 

Remember; don’t cut the leaves off, just the flower stems. The leaves will eventually turn yellow as summer begins letting you know they’ve finished their job charging up your “bulb batteries” for another spring filled with the flowers we love so much after a long winter.

THANKS FOR THE READ!

The Magic of Sowing Seeds

Written by Kacie Cotter-Harrigan on . Posted in Food.

Winter was hard. Just as I thought I could start to socialize again, new variants of the Coronavirus surfaced, pushing me back into isolation. I found myself feeling haggard from too much work at home, sitting at the computer trying to manage my teaching work and other responsibilities as a college professor alongside running our farm..

I longed to rip open a bag of organic potting soil, fill a tray of 72 seedling cells, and start planting arugula. But my husband Jim and I have been moving our farm, and with me left responsible for much of the packing, decluttering, and cleanup of our old locale, there was little time or space to make such a dream come true.

Last weekend, though, was Easter and its promise of renewal. I celebrated with Jim at the new farm. We sunk our hands into the soil and began planting rhubarb crowns that had arrived two days earlier. I checked out the seedlings Jim had started under grow lights and marked times in my calendar for when I could help transplant those starts into the ground. 

Last year, many of us fought back pandemic fear by creating what were dubbed “COVID gardens.” Gardeners planted radishes, turnips, arugula, lettuce, carrots, and peas. They obtained seedlings from such places as the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, along with tips on how to transplant, water and fertilize.

This year, we can tackle combat pandemic fatigue with gardening again.

Seeds for most spring crops – think peas, radishes, turnips, carrots, beets, lettuce, and kale – are widely available. Seedlings for summer crops, along with such vegetables as broccoli, will be available soon at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market at the Wilton Mall on Saturdays and, starting in May, at High Rock Park on Wednesdays. 

Many gardeners – from novices to experts – came to my market stall last year with stories about their successes – the spicy tang of a radish pulled straight from the ground, the sweetness of a tomato just off the vine – and their failures – the seeds that did not germinate, the rabbits who made the lettuce bed their salad bar. Their celebrations and their laments show how planting seeds is about more than growing food. It’s also about magic: the healing power of letting our hands touch dirt, the wondrous transformation of a germinating seed to sprout, plant, and fruit. 

It’s time to get planting. Let’s do it together. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. For online pre-ordering and curbside pickup, visit localline.ca/saratoga-farmers-market.

FM Cornbread