Hello my Foodie Friends! 

This winter is certainly giving us plenty of snow. As I glance out into the white wonderland and watch the children in our neighborhood play, I reflect on some of my own fondest childhood memories playing in the snow. I enjoy sharing this story with you each winter. I grew up during a time when the average was at least four children per household and you were literally thrown outdoors to play and told not to come back home until the street lights came on. Playing in the snow included making homemade sleds to slide down the golf course hills, making snowmen, and of course, building the best snow fort in the neighborhood.  In our house we divided up the tasks to ensure that our “fort” could withstand repeated attacks of snowball wielding elementary school kids. In the creation of our snow fort, my brother Danny was the engineer and he mapped out how high and thick the walls should be. My youngest brother Billy was the builder and shaped the inside of the fort for the chairs, refrigerator and snow TV. The baby of our family Patty was support staff.  Since I was the oldest of the Reardon children clan, I was the recruiter and went door to door finding my soldiers and builders.  We were not allowed to use the phone back then (adults only), so when I came to the door and knocked you could hear a stampede of children in the house trying to get to the door. To get them to work on the fort I would tell them that my mother was making meatball sandwiches!  My mother’s meatballs were the envy of the neighborhood and far exceeded the bologna and spam the other kids were getting. My first stops were Dave and Karl’s houses and they lived next door to each other.  They were my age but already almost as tall as most of our fathers at the age of six. Dave turned out to be 6’8” and Karl is 6’6”. If you want your walls to be the highest, I thought, get the tallest kids.  My mother would grimace when she saw them coming as she knew she would need a lot more meatballs. Our first forts were wrecked at night by teenagers until my brother Dan came up with the idea to put water on the outside walls and it would turn them to ice.  You could hear the howls of the mean teenagers when they kicked the walls and they didn’t give so easily. 

To this day, when I talk with some of my childhood friends, they join me in reminiscing about the fun snow forts, and the reward of my mother’s meatball sandwiches. To this day, her meatballs remained unparalleled. However, Paula’s meatballs are on target with them especially since my mother did share her “secret” method with Paula. 

At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, we carry skillets to make your meatballs in, saucepans to make your sauce, baking sheets to pop your meatball hoagies into the oven with, and other really “Cool Tools for Cooks.” Meatball Hoagies are a great way to deal with these frosty winter days.  The neighborhood kids will love you!! Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

 Take Care,
John & Paula

Wintertime is a slower season at the farmers’ market. There are fewer vegetables and fruits in season, and there is a more intimate group of vendors. But innovation never stops for local businesses; customers can find new products almost every week. Here are some new arrivals and hidden gems to look out for the next time you shop in person or online at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

More digestible than cow milk yogurt and less processed than most plant-based options, R&G Cheesemakers’ goat milk Greek yogurts offer a solution for lactose intolerant yogurt fans. Choose from plain or strawberry. Their goat milk cheeses include more unusual finds like feta, which are also a great option.

Want an easy dinner solution that’s fresher than grocery store-bought? Try Argyle Cheese Farmer’s frozen pizzas, available in double cheese, garden veggie, and meat lovers-style (“Dave’s Fave”). They make the crusts with whey from their cheese which adds more protein, and they top the pies with their cheese curds.

Does your dog keep whining for a bite of your beef jerky? Next time you shop at Muddy Trail Jerky, add a chicken jerky pack to your bag. They make this jerky from dehydrated chicken breast, with dogs specifically in mind.

Do you hear more and more about the health benefits of some varieties of mushrooms? 518 Farms provides an even easier way to reap these benefits by offering pure lion’s mane and reishi mushroom powders. Add to loose leaf tea or coffee grounds, or make a mushroom tea or stock.

The cheesemakers at Nettle Meadow are always inventing. Their newest Schroon Moon, a line of spreadable cow milk cheeses, offers various flavors such as savory olive or chive or sweet lemon poppy seed.

Locally grown beans might not be what you would expect to find in Upstate New York in February. But now is prime time to pick up some legumes from Squash Villa Farm as the 2020 harvest is dried and ready for consumption. Choose between heirloom varieties of pinto or kidney or a variety pack of black, red, and white beans.

Something’s Brewing is known for its coffee beans and drinks, but don’t miss products like herbal tea (their hibiscus, vanilla, rose, and rooibos blend is refreshing) and coffee sugar (organic sugar blended with freshly ground spices).

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.

Hello my Foodie Friends!

We are definitely spending more time in our kitchens. Food prep has become an essential step in creating the spectacular dishes we are now creating for ourselves, family, and friends. 

There is one tool that has become an “essential” in the kitchen: enter the mezzaluna. The mezzaluna is the meal prep tool that you never knew you needed. Meaning “half moon” in Italian, this old-fashioned workhorse will cut your chopping time in half—and it’s actually fun to use. Why chop or mince when you could rock? The mezzaluna, with its half-moon-shwaped blade and knobby handles at each end, possesses the simplicity of a tool like the hammer. Its design recalls an earlier time, before the food processor, and before home cooks had knife skills worthy of a restaurant kitchen. Operating a mezzaluna is simple: Grab the two handles and rock back and forth while the curved blade does its thing, gliding over the board. It makes a pleasing whooshing sound when seesawing—somewhere between a rocking chair and a samurai’s sword. Your fingers will be tucked safely away too, as you use both hands to grasp the sturdy handles instead of guiding the blade as you might with a conventional knife. In other words, they are foolproof—which is useful when you want to keep all your fingers intact. The crescent-shaped curved blade is often used in Italy for pesto and soffritto, the small dice of carrot, onion, and celery that is the base for so many soups and stews or to dispatch herbs, garlic, ginger, nuts, and anything else that needs to be roughly chopped (done in seconds) or finely minced (more like a minute.

Mezzalunas come in a variety of sizes (if you want to impress your mates by slicing up a pizza like a pro, opt for a larger one), with one or two parallel blades. The latter will give you twice the number of chops in the same amount of time, but you risk getting bits of food stuck between the blades. Many will find that the traditional single-blade ones are best.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, to find those cool tools that can help you as you plan out your menus and get chopping. Make a mezzaluna a part of your culinary “go to” collection. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

 Take Care,
John & Paula

From Europe to the Middle East, the Saratoga Farmers’ Market has authentic foods from around the world available for take-out every Saturday. So even though we all had to cancel our travel plans this past year, you can still get a taste of your favorite international foods. What’s better is that you can take a break from cooking and enjoy delicious meals prepared by people who love sharing their native cuisine.

Euro Delicacies offers various flavorful Mediterranean dishes like stuffed grape leaves (dolma), baklava, and stuffed peppers. Try their moussaka; a casserole layered with potatoes, ground sirloin, and caramelized vegetables with bechamel sauce. Or spanakopita; a Greek pastry filled with chopped spinach, cheese, onion, olive oil, and seasonings. Euro Delicacies began in Sarajevo by the Hrelja family, now sharing their Eastern European heritage with the Upstate New York community. 

Giovanni Fresco has a selection of freshly made pasta, homemade sauces like alfredo and meat sauce, and entrees such as penne alla vodka and eggplant parmigiana. Some items can be purchased frozen as well so that you can stock up and enjoy fresh Italian food whenever you want. Giovanni Fresco was started in 2017 by Giovanni and Francesca, an Italian couple who moved to America with the hopes of bringing authentic and traditional Italian dishes to their new community. 

Petra’s Pocket Pies makes savory pita pies, a dough stuffed with combinations of vegetables, meats, and cheeses. Owner Sabreen Samman was inspired to share flavors from her home country of Jordan and began selling her savory pastries at the farmers’ market in 2018. Samman uses a blend of Mediterranean seasonings for her food and offers American style options, like buffalo chicken and Philly cheesesteak. 

My Dacha Slavonian Cafe makes various entrees like pierogies, lasagna, beef stroganoff, and cabbage stuffed with ground beef, tomato sauce, parsley, and rice. They offer a variety of homemade Slavic foods from Eastern Europe. Aladdin and Nataliya Kamel, from Egypt and Ukraine, blend their unique backgrounds to make classic dishes that reflect their home countries and their Italian cuisine knowledge. 

If you’re looking for fresh and tasty take-out food, try the melting pot of cuisines every Saturday. For complete menu options, online ordering, and delivery, check the businesses’ websites or retail locations.

EDITOR’S PICKS:
FAVORITE DISHES NOT TO MISS AT THE MARKET!

Euro Delicacies’ sweet potato salad is probably the best we’ve ever had. It’s made with steamed sweet potatoes and topped with walnuts, cranberries, and scallions, and tossed in an olive oil dressing. This dish is also vegan.

Giovanni Fresco has fried snacks that are a must-try. They make Italian-style arancini (fried rice balls) that are stuffed with cheese, meat, or vegetables. They also make American-inspired fried mac & cheese.

Petra’s Pocket Pies has a roasted chicken pita pocket with garlic aioli; a tasty comfort food that includes aioli sauce from Saratoga Garlic Company.

My Dacha’s lasagna is a Ukrainian take on traditional Italian comfort food. 

DON’T FORGET THE DESSERT!

Euro Delicacies has baklava, a Turkish dessert made from a sweet pastry of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. Their famous apple strudel is a version of a Mediterranean apple pie made with filo dough.

Giovanni Fresco makes traditional and Nutella tiramisu; an Italian dessert made of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavored with cocoa.

My Dacha Slavonian Cafe’s sweet crepes are filled with raisins and cheese, or poppy seeds. They are the perfect dessert to follow any of their savory dishes. They also offer Neapolitan cake, tiramisu, and baklava. 

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.

Walking around a farmers’ market, you see tables neatly displayed with mountains of produce. There is a long journey before produce lands on market tables and then, eventually, your table. Farmers are on a tight schedule to do all they can to make sure their crops flourish. Now that we are deep into winter, we asked local farmers how they are preparing for this year’s growing season.

Laurie Kokinda, owner of Kokinda Farm, says, “It’s the hardest time of year, in terms of grunt work.” Farms are working tirelessly to sanitize their greenhouses and tunnels and repair and order new equipment. Farms are starting their first seedings like tomatoes, alliums, and head lettuce. This year, many farmers ordered their seed supply earlier than usual due to Coronavirus-related increases in demand as well as mail delays. Paul and Sandy Arnold, owners of Pleasant Valley Farm, note, “Normally, we can get seeds in the day after we order. This year, we’re waiting weeks!”

Local farms often choose to work together to share resources. Pleasant Valley Farm’s Sustainable Farmers’ Network Group is hard at work in the mid-winter, bulk-ordering supplies so that farms may share discounts. Gomez Veggie Ville works with Denison Farm to get this year’s supply of organic potato seeds. And, for the first time, they will work to grow ginger. “I am learning how to grow ginger well in our climate. Hopefully, if it works out, we’ll be able to bring some to the market in September,” says Efrain Gomez.

Owl Wood Farm is taking this year’s seed shortages as an opportunity to try a new practice: seed saving. “We’ve wanted to save seeds that aren’t offered commercially, like tomato heirloom varieties and Abenaki flint corn, for a while. It involves a lot of work and isn’t very economical; you have to dedicate a new plot of land and grasp a whole new knowledge base,” says Mark Bascom. “But we see that seed saving is important this year especially.”

Squash Villa Farm (formerly Squashville) is trying not just a new crop or practice but also a whole new land plot after moving farms in 2020. “There’s lots of anticipation! As soon as the snow melts, I’m eager to walk the new land and just get a feel for what it’s like to step into the soil,” says Gupta-Carlson.

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.

Hello my Foodie Friends!

Valentines Day is right around the corner. As we get ready to celebrate Valentines Day and truly show those around us that we love them, it is a perfect time to remind ourselves of our focus to eat healthier and take care of our heart.  A heart healthy eating plan and lifestyle are considered the best weapons against heart disease.  Turning your kitchen into a heart-healthy area of your home can involve including certain items to assist you.  Developing a healthy living routine can include using a technology seeking approach by using a food scale to help make your plan work for you.  Weighing out foods and ingredients is the most accurate way of calculating how much you actually eat.  A food scale can be a fun way of double checking portion sizes and helping to keep yourself accountable. 

There are several types of food scales. The mechanical scale has a platform on which you can place whatever it is that you want to weigh. The weight is then displayed after the weights of the ingredients that you want to measure have pushed down a spring that is connected to the meter of the scale. The main advantage of mechanical scales is that they are cost effective and are not complicated when it comes to operating them. The kitchen digital scale is one of the most reliable scales in the world. The reason why many people perceive it as the best kitchen scale is because of its precision. In fact, it has the ability to measure even the smallest quantities with an accuracy of up to four decimal places. Another advantage of digital scales is that they give you the measurement as you add more weight so there is no need for you to wait for the scales to balance. Making healthier food choices can help with improving the quality of your diet.  However, regulating the size of food portions is a simple process that can help with weight loss.  Weighing out food before it is eaten is a convenient method of controlling portion sizes and is something you can easily do at home with basic kitchen equipment. A digital kitchen scale helps with measuring. 

A pointer to assist with weighing: Weigh out the desired portion size. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a standard portion for most meats and fish is 3 ounces. Look for portion size information on packages and use on-line resources such as MyPyramid.gov to learn about the recommended portion size of other foods. Weigh the food before it has been washed or cooked. Place the plate of food on the scale. The calibrated scale will measure the weight of the food only. Remove or add more of the foods until you reach the required portion. You can remove the plate as many times as you like provided that you do not press the tally button for a second time. For Food Safety reasons, you need to wash the plate thoroughly with hot water and detergent between weighing different foods.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery Store. We can help you with selecting the culinary tools you need to create that special meal this Valentines Day. “Cooking is love made visible.” Make something special for those that you want to show your love to. Remember: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

 Take Care,
John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends!

Who doesn’t love a good bagel? Once you find that place that makes the perfect bagel, it is difficult to avoid making a bagel a regular event especially when thinking of the crusty outside and chewy interior along with the amazing flavors that are now available. If you only think of bagels in terms of breakfast and the occasional pizza, you’re missing out on using a surprisingly versatile weapon in your kitchen’s arsenal. Not only are there more things you can do with bagels than you’re thinking, it is a perfect recipe start for those with a hectic schedule. Keeping an extra sleeve of bagels in the kitchen cupboard can be surprisingly useful. 

Whip up a batch of Bagel French toast with a hint of cinnamon, some amazing egg custard, and whatever fresh fruit is in season, and you’ll never use bread again. How about Mac n cheese? Bagels are the last thing to be added to the mac n’cheese (and you can definitely use your own favorite recipe or cheesy combination) before it’s baked for ten minutes to finish it off, giving the top of the cheesy, flavor-filled casserole a crispy brown crust. It will be filled with bubbling cheese underneath and all the flavor of your favorite bagel and will change the way you make mac n’ cheese. How about adding it to your salad? Whatever bagel you choose is going to turn into the perfect salad garnish. After just a few minutes in the oven, your shredded bagel pieces will crisp up as they cool, and your Caesar salads will never be the same when they’re topped with croutons. Get creative with breakfast. Rather than making a hole in a perfectly fine slice of bread for the egg-in-a-hole recipe, use the hole that’s already in a bagel for a heartier morning egg. If you’re already updating this favorite by swapping in a bagel, spread your toasted bagel with smashed avocado — seasoned just the way you like it — and then add your egg.

Is you mouth watering yet? When you are attempting to slice a bagel with a knife, you understand the difficulty, as well as the potential safety issues. You need a safe tool to easily slice bagels. Choose a bagel slicer. 

It is designed for heavy-duty usage made with high quality bases and guards and solid handles to prevent breakage. Never worry about cutting yourself.  The guillotine blade safely slices the bagel behind the protective finger guards. It is dishwasher safe in the top rack only. It is engineered for safety and performance.  All you have to do is insert the bagel, push down, and remove the perfectly sliced bagel. There are so many delicious dishes to make with bagels. 

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery for a bagel slicer to assist you with slicing your favorite bagel. Let the one you love know that they are your “everything.”  Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

 Take Care,
John & Paula

With The Big Game quickly approaching, football fans might be thinking about the field, but we’re all looking forward to the snacks! 

The array of creamy dips, bite-sized snacks, and decadent desserts are certainly something to anticipate, even for those who aren’t big sports fans. Appetizers and finger food are the traditional spread for most, making for easy snacking between plays or the much-anticipated commercials. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market has options to meet all your snacking needs for next Sunday. Get your shopping done at the Saturday market to incorporate fresh, locally made ingredients into your Sunday spread. 

Whether you are cooking for a crowd or keeping it lowkey this year, we put together a few recipes that are sure to impress, using fresh ingredients from the market. And for the hardcore football fans looking forward to more traditional snacks, you can, of course, pick up plenty of wings or spinach and cheese for artichoke dip at the market too!

FRIED PICKLES
Kick off the game with some savory and sweet fried pickles. Mix 1 cup flour with 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp Cajun spice, and ½ tbsp cayenne pepper. Preheat an air fryer to 400. Grab 2 cups of your favorite flavor of pickles from Puckers Gourmet (we’re using the Dilly Sweet pickles, but you can substitute whatever you like) and coat with the flour mixture. Place in a single layer in the fryer and spray with olive oil. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce. 

BUFFALO GOAT CHEESE BALLS
If you’re craving something cheesy and a little unique, make some fried buffalo goat cheese balls. Add ⅓ cup of flour and a pinch of pepper to a medium bowl. Add one large beaten egg and 2 tablespoons of water to a separate shallow bowl. Add 1 ½ cups of panko breadcrumbs to another medium-sized bowl. Then your favorite flavor of goat cheese from Nettle Meadow or R&G Cheesemakers and roll it into 20-24 balls. Roll each ball in the flour, then dip in the egg mixture, and then cover in the panko mixture. Place the balls on a baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes or until firm. Then heat 1-2 cups of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and fry the goat cheese balls in batches for 1-2 minutes until crispy brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined surface. Serve hot with spicy buffalo dip from Argyle Cheese Farmer!

APPLE NACHOS
For dessert, try making apple nachos, which are easy to customize to your taste and perfect if you’re looking for something a little lighter after all the afternoon snacking. Just cut Fuji apples (or apple of choice) from Saratoga Apple into thin slices and arrange on a plate. Then drizzle about ¼ cup of melted peanut butter (we’re using Plain Jane creamy from Saratoga Peanut Butter Company) and ¼ cup of melted semi-sweet chocolate over the apples. Top with a handful of chocolate chips or some granola to serve. 

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.

Hello my Foodie Friends!

So many foodies are getting back to the basics with using the mortar and pestle as part of their food preparation. The mortar and pestle is one of the most primitive kitchen tools. You place ingredients in a bowl usually made of stone or ceramic and then pound them with a tiny club. In an era of specialized kitchen gadgets, mortars and pestles have maintained their relevance remarkably well. The mortar and pestle is versatile, easy to use and provides more control than its electric counterparts, allowing for both rustic and refined preparations. It is an excellent addition to any kitchen, and who can resist the allure of using an ancient tool to create something truly handmade? This tool adds fun and flavor to any kitchen. Grinding herbs and spices in a mortar and pestle releases their delicate natural oils, something an electric appliance cannot do. It is perfect for making healthy dips like guacamole (the Mexican version of a mortar and pestle is called a molcajete) and fresh tomato salsa as well as flavorful pastes and pesto from fresh herbs and olive oil. Mortars and pestles are also ideal for grinding spices into rubs and toppings to sprinkle over your favorite dishes.

You can choose the best mortar and pestle for your kitchen by anticipating how it will be used most frequently. Smaller mortars and pestles are perfect for grinding spices, whereas larger versions are better suited for grinding large leafy items and nuts, or for mashing avocados.

Here’s a list of cooking tasks you can accomplish with a mortar and pestle:
• Grind your own peppercorns and spices including cinnamon sticks, coriander, and cloves.
• Remove cardamom seeds from their pods and then crush to use in Indian cooking.
• Grind sea salt to the fine texture of popcorn salt and season your movie night treat.
• Crush whole dry chilies into flakes. Crush capers to use in homemade tartar sauce recipes. Smash fresh peeled ginger to use in Asian recipes. Crush some flax seeds to release their benefits and add to yogurt for a nutritious breakfast or snack.
• Crush lavender to use in baking or potpourri. Crush herbs and seeds to make medicinal teas. Make fresh, homemade nut butters. Turn fresh garlic cloves into a paste and spread on Italian bread with olive oil for some intense garlic bread. Crush some fresh basil, garlic and pine nuts together in the larger sized units. Then mix in some olive oil to make super fresh and flavorful pesto.

One of the most classic uses of the mortar and pestle is for pesto. Combining the flavors of basil, pine, nut, Parmesan, garlic, and olive oil can make a wonderful pesto to add to pasta, spread on a sandwich, or eat by the spoonful. When it comes to making pesto, you can’t go wrong with a pestle and mortar. You could make it in a food processor, but you just won’t get the same flavors as when you’re pounding and crushing all that lovely basil by hand. 

Cooking can be fun! No matter how long you have been cooking, there is always something new to learn. The mortar and pestle may take a little elbow grease, but it is the tool that will not fail you. Go back to the old grind for a while, stepping away from modern technology and use the mortar and pestle for your incredible culinary creations. Stop into Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to get your “cool” tools for your favorite foodie. Remember, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

 Take Care,
John & Paula

If you’ve seen Shane Avery at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, you’ll know he’s a busy man operating two businesses at once. Avery started at the market as Saratoga Urban Farm, selling microgreens and wheatgrass shots. The latter inspired him to make holistic wellness products more accessible to customers. The creation of both Earth To Mind, a CBD product line, and Junbucha, a green tea and honey-based twist on kombucha, soon followed.

Earth To Mind was born at just the right time: “People were asking if anyone at the market produced CBD products, so it seemed like a great opportunity for me to try to fill that gap,” says Avery. Earth To Mind’s product line includes tinctures, topicals, rubs, and now also soft gels. Its CBD Assistance Program aims to improve accessibility and gives 40% off to veterans, low-income customers, and those on disability. And CBD isn’t limited to humans; the products are also great for pets, to calm anxiety and to ease inflammation.

The origins of Avery’s Junbucha, “the champagne of kombucha,” were also at the market: loyal customers demanded more of the homemade kombucha that Avery would share. “Jun is a tough to brew culture, but the honey makes for a lighter, floral brew that still has those same probiotic properties.” Made with organic ingredients, Avery produces flavors like blueberry & lemon, pineapple & turmeric, and ginger & yerba mate. Cold-pressed juice is added just before bottling to make a fruitier brew than the often vinegary kombucha.

{loadmoduleid 268}

Avery’s companies both aimed to fill customer demands at the farmers’ market. The regard for community wellbeing is evident from the way they operate, whether it be through sourcing local ingredients to support other small businesses or renting out their shared commercial kitchen space for others to incubate new ideas. “You need a healthy ecosystem for your business to grow in, and I try to take an active role to help sustain that ecosystem for others.” The brands also value environmental sustainability, using recycled packaging and reusable bottles (a recent favorite was a customer using bottles for sand art). “It’s obvious to consider the earth when you’re a farmer; your hands are literally in the dirt. But other food producers are equally responsible for operating sustainably,” Avery says.

Avery is grateful for the platform that the farmers’ markets have given him. “In my opinion, it’s the best place to incubate new products and ideas. You get instant feedback, and customers’ reviews are honest, accurate, and high-quality. As a farmer or producer at the market, you’re adding value to a larger marketplace of ideas.” Find Earth To Mind and Junbucha at the farmers’ market every Saturday, or order online on earthtomind.com and junbucha.com.

Are you looking to grow your business in 2021? Vendor applications for our summer markets are open until January 31! Local farmers, artisans, crafters, and specialty food makers are welcome to apply. For more information visit saratogafarmersmarket.org/vendor.

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 curb-side pickup, visit localline.ca/saratoga-farmers-market.