Join us for a summer’s day full of art, friends, music, food, and fire. Come with family and friends to explore the grounds, hang out by the campfire, picnic on the lawn, get your hands into some art-making, and be a part of the first firing of our new wood kiln. This is your new Craigardan!
Experience Craigardan’s new site, view current and future plans, + learn about summer programs and events.
This day celebrates our opening with the first firing of Craigardan’s new kiln, the hearth and heart of our new home. We’ll be firing the kiln all day, and inviting you to participate in a community-wide project. Stamp your name into a clay tile to be installed on the new campus and become a permanent part of something truly special.
Several Adirondack-area towns have announced an array of family-friendly festivities to celebrate the Fourth of July, ranging from craft fairs to concerts, kids’ games, guided history hikes, and much more. Please see a roundup of a few of these events below.
When it comes to food, the definition of ‘local’ is somewhat vague. Some people consider food from the Albany and Syracuse regions or from nearby New England local. To others, buying local means supporting neighbors and friends from within their town or from nearby, by shopping at farmers’ markets and roadside stands, or by joining their neighbors’ CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture).
In recent weeks, area markets have offered locally grown sweet, delicious asparagus, beautiful, tangy rhubarb, tender, young greens, tasty radishes, delicious alfalfa sprouts, gorgeous bedding plants, appealing grass-fed beef, lamb, and pork, top-quality, mouthwatering baked goods, yummy farmstead cheese curd. The list goes on. Strawberries and much more will be available soon.
Lake Luzerne, NY- The Lake Luzerne Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Lake Luzerne are delighted to announce the inaugural food trucks and music extravaganza, which will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on six consecutive Wednesdays beginning July 12 and ending on August 16, 2023.
The event will be held at the pavilion park located at 248 lake avenue in Lake Luzerne, NY. The events will bring together a diverse selection of food options from various food trucks offering tasty treats, including tacos, fish and chicken sandwiches, gourmet mac and cheese, lemonade, doughnuts, and more. The live music will feature local bands and regional artists, adding to the ambiance and creating a festive atmosphere.
In addition to offering great food and music, the extravaganza will hold a 50-50 raffle to raise money for the Lake Luzerne food bank and local scholarships. All proceeds from the raffle will go directly to support these vital community organizations.
Summer farmers’ market season has officially begun in the Adirondack region, bringing a welcome return of locally grown and made food, plus arts and crafts to communities across the region. There are two new farmers’ markets in the Champlain Valley this summer in Port Henry and Schroon Lake. Both markets aim to grow the presence of local food and overall community vibrancy in their respective towns.
Gabriel Jaquish, market manager for the new Port Henry Waterfront Farmers’ Market says, “The Port Henry Waterfront farmers’ market aims to connect local producers, makers, and crafters directly to consumers. Its’ unique Friday evening time provides a perfect way to relax, shop, and stock up on local products before a weekend of hiking, biking, boating, or camping. This market will have a relaxed feel, with lawn games and live music. People are encouraged to come and hang out by the lake.”
The market will feature a mix of food trucks, artists, and small farms, as well as live music. Gabriel says, “Our market will be producer-only, all of our vendors will be local growers.” Shoppers will find fresh fruits and vegetables from Daughters 5 Farm in Crown Point, locally grown beef from Red Ranch Beef Company, spice blends from Bodette’s Barbecue Rubs, and more to come.
Smoke-drift from the Canadian Fires casts an eerie, orange-red glow over the Farm. Moon travels the night sky as a ball of fire; Sunset carries hints of the apocalypse. What’s more, a serious drought has settled upon us. The shallow spring that waters the livestock has already dropped below its lowest level from last Summer. I had put off measuring until yesterday. Less than two feet of water left. Just a month ago the spring was overflowing, the water-table near ground level. And then the Rains stopped coming. There is a second well here at the Farm, just behind the old Farmhouse, which sits near the crest of the land. When I moved onto the Farm a bit over a year ago, I found the upper well only by parting a thick tangle of vines. A bucket and a rope still hung there. From what I can tell, the Old Man drew his drinking water by lowering and raising that bucket, until the day he didn’t wake from his sleep. The well has not been drawn from in two decades. Last Spring, a neighbor told me that this was rumored to be one of the deepest hand-dug, stone-lined wells in the area—seventy-five feet, by his recollection. My measurement finds the bottom at about sixty feet, but the miracle of the thing shines regardless of the number. How in the heck did they do it? A sixty-foot-deep hole dug into the ground, lined with a dry-laid stone wall three feet thick, trying to fill with cold water the whole time. This week I will work to drop a pump down into this old marvel, all the while fumbling to remember how to pray for Rain. As I gather toward the story’s telling, I am wondering what it looks like to turn and face the past in a time of cascading ecological and social troubles. But first, this week’s
Chazy, NY – The Chazy Lions Club is pleased to announce that the 56th annual Chazy Old Home Day Festival is slated for Saturday, July 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Chazy Recreation Park located on North Farm Road in Chazy, NY. The event will feature live music, cold beer and craft draft beer, and great food such as world famous chicken and beef barbecue, and as well as hamburgers, hot dogs, sausages, and mickey fries. The family-friendly festival will also include a crafts and flea market, kids’ games and rides, a splash pad, a variety of vendor booths, a cornhole tournament, and much more. Spectators will also have the opportunity to watch the King and Queen of Old Home Day be crowned.
Lake Placid, NY – The fifth annual Lake Placid CommunityDay celebration will take place on Sunday, June 4, from 1 to 4 p.m. at the North Elba Horse Show Grounds. The event features live entertainment, exhibits, activities and refreshments. Residents, seasonal homeowners, those who work in the town and those who volunteer their time and effort for various events are encouraged to attend.
The annual celebration features live music by locally based band Quantum Cosmic, featuring members of Annie and the Water. Representatives from more than 30 not-for-profit organizations will be on-hand to share information about their work within the community. Food and beverages will be provided throughout the day by representatives from the Lake Placid Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, along with a number of community-based establishments.
Raquette Lake, NY – Great Camp Sagamore is hosting Community Day on Sunday, June 11, 2023. Guests are welcome to gather for free self-guided walking tours throughout the day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and also for brunch in the camp’s historic Dining Hall from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for a fee. Donations are encouraged. The Dining Hall will be available to visitors for brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on a rolling basis and will be served buffet style by Sagamore’s culinary team led by Chef Annie Prizzi.
The definition of heirloom vegetables varies, depending on who you ask. Some gardeners will tell you that heirloom vegetables are those they’ve grown successfully for many years. Others identify heirloom vegetables as those that are a traditional part of their family heritage or ethnicity. But most of the gardeners I know define heirloom vegetables as older, time-honored varieties whose seeds have been passed down from generation to generation, preserving all of the qualities of the original plant for decades or, in some cases, centuries.
As first light breaks the thick black of night, the most unabashed Spring choir comes to full voice. The choir’s members have traveled from afar and attuned their voices to this specific landscape—a place of Sand and Swamp, of Hickory and Oak and Pine, of River and Lake shore. Yesterday I attended, for the first time, the Saturday afternoon Mass at the grand stone Church atop the hill on the far side of the broad, sandy River, built by the French Catholics around 1900. The pew I slip into doesn’t have a service booklet to read from, so I spend an hour listening. I am struck by how much of the service is sung—simple chanted prayers committed to memory by all in attendance, save me. I stretch my ears into the shared air space as others sing, just as I would extend my hand upon meeting.
After the service, my ninety-year-old neighbor Pat calls me over to introduce me to a few people, including the priest. Father Chris has a kind way about him. I extend my hand, in greeting. Like most people I’ve met in this town, he knows of the old Farm where I live. There’ is a good bit of mystery surrounding the place, which sat abandoned for two decades. The Schermerhorn family descended by marriage from the Adgates, whose patriarch Matthew was awarded the land for exemplary service in the Revolutionary War. On that day, he was granted claim to this patch of unceded Mohawk hunting, fishing and gathering territory. I pull a stack of printed invitations to Sunday’s May Day Gratitude Feast from my jacket pocket, and hand a few to Father Chris. “Please pass along the invitation as you see fit, and join us yourself if you are free,” I say. He thanks me, and I walk from the church.
My son, Will, loves to experiment with comfort food recipes, making them healthier than their original counterparts, using ingredients that we might normally have on hand. This calzone recipe is one of his favorites, using his staple “protein dough” and whatever meat/sauce/cheese/spice combination he might crave that day. The day that the photo for this recipe was taken, he used turkey pepperoni, marinara sauce, and low-fat mozzarella cheese.
Other favorites include ground venison and spices with provolone cheese, venison sausage and diced mushrooms, a mixture of minced venison, potatoes, garlic, and spices, or sofrito and rice mixed with diced, cooked wild turkey. The beauty of this recipe is that you can be creative with your filling, and know that the dough will also be good for you!
Elizabethtown, NY – In celebration of Earth Day 2023, the Adirondack Park’s largest environmental organization awarded 12 micro–grants totaling $26,000 to local farmers and value-added food/beverage/fiber producers. The initiative is an effort to support climate-friendly economic activity in the Adirondack Park.
The Essex Farm Institute, a project of the Adirondack Council supports local sustainable agriculture by working directly with farms and by advocating for soil health, habitat connectivity and climate change mitigation. This is the eighth consecutive year that the Adirondack Council has awarded micro–grants to farmers and small business owners who want to reduce their environmental impact and adapt to a changing climate. This year’s application drew proposals from almost two dozen small and mid-size agricultural enterprises as well as projects featuring collaboration between farmers.
Saranac Lake, NY – ADK Unite, an annual running, walking and bicycling event that raises funds for community food pantries, is back for 2023 with some fun new ways for people of all ages to participate. Since 2020, the virtual event has generated over $20,000 for food banks throughout the Adirondacks. Registration is now open at BikeAdirondacks.com. The event, which was started in 2020 by Bike Adirondacks, LAKEfm and Adirondack 105, is designed to help people get active while generating much needed operating funds for local food pantries. Participants will run, walk, bike or hike and track their miles digitally through the event website to compete for prizes with every single dollar generated going directly to the cause.
Saranac Lake, NY — The Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA) and Foodshed Capital have announced that Donahue’s LivestockFarms in North Bangor, N.Y. is the second farm to receive a loan through their revolving loan fund for small-scale food producers. The zero-percent interest loan will help Donahue’s renovate and purchase equipment for a specialty butcher shop.
The new retail operation, Donahue’s Chop Shop, will provide farm-fresh beef, pork and lamb for local customers, including families who participate in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The renovation project at 255 West Main Street, in Malone, N.Y. will begin in Spring 2023.
Heirloom Vegetables – Planting the Seed
What are Heirloom Vegetables?
The definition of heirloom vegetables varies, depending on who you ask. Some gardeners will tell you that heirloom vegetables are those they’ve grown successfully for many years. Others identify heirloom vegetables as those that are a traditional part of their family heritage or ethnicity. But most of the gardeners I know define heirloom vegetables as older, time-honored varieties whose seeds have been passed down from generation to generation, preserving all of the qualities of the original plant for decades or, in some cases, centuries.
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