Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Donate That Excess Halloween Candy

IMG_4472Right now I have three oversized bags of candy hidden on a shelf in my kitchen, waiting to be opened on Halloween. I’m sure my children are thinking that they will be eating everything that remains after I pass out most of it to the waves of tiny princesses, goblins and super heroes on Friday night. My kids don’t get a lot of candy, but they aren’t feeling neglected either. I’ve always asked my kids to divide their candy into a pile to keep and a pile to give away.

I understand the logic that there is no such thing as “leftover candy.” I do think there is something as too much. I also understand that Halloween candy seems to have an infinite shelf life. Even though every event doesn’t have to be a lesson, I feel that when my children are faced with an obscene amount of treats, it is exactly the time to make sure something is given back. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, October 15, 2014

High Peaks Happy Hour: Trashed & Treasure

WLGS2014 sofaHappy Hour in the High Peaks was off the wagon (in a manner of speaking) as Warrensburg’s World’s Largest Garage Sale rolled into town. Rain or shine, good cheer follows wherever we go. This time it was in the form of a Radio Flyer Town & Country wagon, converted to a portable pub carrying a cargo of Garage Sale Punch. We will neither confirm nor deny its potency. Costermongers with innocent grins, we towed our little contraption from one end of town to the other and back again. Self-declared “Yard Sale Crashers”, we pursued the Garage Sale party. Despite our attempts to blend in, the three-gallon cooler jug and plastic cups aroused suspicions. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, October 15, 2014

North Country Junior Iron Chef Competition Planned

Super Chefs-ActionMy daughter has brought the same sandwich to school everyday since the 1st grade: turkey on 12-grain, with an occasional side salad. My son not only brings his lunch, but sometimes manages to eat a second school lunch. His school food isn’t the stereotypical cafeteria lunch however, but part of the Adirondack Farm to School Initiative that is making quality food while supporting local farms and local food.

The North Country Jr. Iron Chef competition is another resource that is bringing students and commercial cafeterias together in a fun, educational environment that mimics the television show “Iron Chef” with a local twist.

Inspired by Jr. Iron Chef VT, middle and high school students in Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, create healthy recipes using a combination of local and USDA commodity foods that could be realistically prepared in a school cafeteria. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Garden Work Now Makes Spring Chores Easier

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d2678-1.ARScomposttrial3005You might think that by mid-October in northern New York there would be little left to do in the garden. I don’t blame weary gardeners for wanting to take a break from tending to their plants and soil, but don’t put down that shovel quite yet.

During the growing season there’s a sense of urgency: pull that weed before it goes to seed, squash that bug before it lays any eggs, water that row before it wilts. In fall, that pressure of time has eased. Now it’s a matter of getting things done before the ground freezes, and that is still several weeks away. So it’s understandable for gardeners to want to escape from their chores and climb a mountain or hike a trail while the fall color is so gorgeous. That’s wonderful, but save a little energy for your garden, too. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Essex County Cheese Tour Offers Local Dairy Treats

asgaardfarm_newI’ve made my own yogurt for years and recently started experimenting with fermented food. I’m now struggling to produce Kefir without a grainy taste.

I just can’t seem to get the balance right. With a cupboard full of sourdough starter and ginger beer plant grains, my pantry looks like a science experiment.

With everything else bubbling and brewing, the one product I have no desire to make is cheese. » Continue Reading.


Monday, September 22, 2014

Laurie Davis: 2014 Farm Bill Funding

adirondack harvest logoEvery 5 years the United States reviews and signs into law a new Farm Bill. We were due for a new bill starting in 2012, but it took until this past February for Congress to sort through what didn’t work in the past, add new things for the future, and generally agree enough on everything to have the President sign the bill into law.

Don’t worry, this isn’t a column about the intricacies of government legislation, but the Farm Bill is something we all should pay attention to because it largely governs our food systems. I’ve always thought that it should be called the “Farm and Food Bill” – then maybe we would take more of an interest. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Laurie Davis: The Farm Bill, Local Foods, And You

adirondack harvest logoIt’s been a few months now since President Obama signed into law the Agricultural Act of 2014. You probably remember hearing about it under another name: the (long overdue) Farm Bill. There was much hoopla in the press when, after a delay of over a year, it finally became a law. OK, I can sense your eyes glazing over or darting to the next article. But wait! Just bear with me.

The Farm Bill (as we shall refer to it from here on out) is chock full of some good news for the local food movement and, whether or not you realize it, many parts of this legislation will affect you. I’m going to break this article up into two parts to address all the positives that will be supported by this Farm Bill, so let’s begin part 1! » Continue Reading.


Friday, September 5, 2014

Paul Smith’s College Launches Craft Beer Minor

Paul Smith's College LogoPaul Smith’s College will offer a minor in craft-beer studies and operations beginning this fall.

The new minor prepares students for careers in micro and craft brewing. “Although hands-on, practical brewing will be an aspect of the minor, the main intent is not to create beer brewers,” said Prof. Joe Conto in a statement to the press. “Rather, the goal is to prepare students for all the management, administrative and operations opportunities the craft-beer industry has created and supports.”

The craft-beer industry boasts impressive numbers. More than 2,700 craft breweries were in operation in 2013, selling 15.6 million barrels of beer. In that same year, sales grew 18 percent by volume and 20 percent in dollars. Craft brewing provides an estimated 110,273 jobs in the United States. Craft-beer production and sales are expected to grow even further in the college’s home state of New York. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, September 3, 2014

A Kids Farm Festival In Peru

IMG_0457_newThere are numerous opportunities to continue to education children and families on the importance of local food. The success of the recent Farm2Fork Festival, farm tours and farmers’ markets as well as farm to school initiatives indicate that people are interested in what happens to their food. One place to visit that is continuing that farm to table education is the Babbie Rural and Farm Learning Museum in Peru.

According to Babbie Museum Secretary Carol Rock this weekend’s 4th annual Kids Fair and Festival is a fun educational way to keep families interested in the importance of rural farming traditions. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Farm 2 Fork Festival Set For Saturday

Farm2ForkA bounty of locally produced food and drink is on the menu for the fifth annual Farm 2 Fork Festival, scheduled for 9 am to 2 pm, on Saturday, August 30th at Saranac Lake’s Riverside Park.

New this year, local organizers have partnered with Taste NY, a program of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, to highlight the quality, diversity and economic impact of food and beverages produced in the Adirondack region. A collaboration of the Adirondack Green Circle and the AuSable Valley Grange, the festival’s mission is to expand the support of local foods and local farms and promote food awareness in the northern Adirondacks.

“What could be more fun than a festival that celebrates fresh food and local farm abundance? Not much, at least for me,” said Gail Brill, event coordinator for Farm 2 Fork in announcing this year’s event. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, August 6, 2014

The Water’s Edge Marina on Lake George

photo 2The Water’s Edge Marina on Lake George has been family owned and operated for over 44 years. This hidden gem next to the bridge in Bolton Landing offers local favorites from their kitchen, fully equipped cottages with fireplaces and sun-decks, a pool, and a new fleet of rental boats.

This seasonal spot was opened in 1971 by the Waters family, and is now in its third generation of fast, friendly service. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Choosing The Right Stick for Roasting Marshmallows

Roasting Marshmallow by Flickr user Nina HaleI don’t know about you, but I really look forward to those sticky evenings around a campfire. Not the sweltering, sweaty kind of sticky nights, mind you. I’m thinking of those outdoor-fire evenings spent with family and friends, dodging mosquitoes and smoke, and trying to find the perfect marshmallow stick. I realize campers roast other things on sticks, such as hot dogs and fish (helpful hint: don’t eat the fish sticks). For our purposes, though, we’ll stick—so to speak—to marshmallow.

A caller recently asked what kind of tree yields the best marshmallow sticks. It seemed like a silly question since the scientific method for finding the right stick historically involved two criteria: It must be 1) close at hand, and 2) long enough to avoid burning oneself. However, it occurred to me if it’s a fresh-cut green branch, the species of tree is important. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, July 24, 2014

The Chateau On The Lake In Bolton Landing

photo 5(2)The Chateau On The Lake, one of Bolton Landing’s newest fine dining restaurants, has simply fantastic food, on point service, a beautiful view, and a great atmosphere. Originally a boathouse on the lake, the building was moved up hill and converted into the home of Hugh Allen Wilson, a talented musician. After Wilson’s death in 2010, the house was purchased by Ed and Jennifer Foy who converted it into The Chateau and brought in Chefs Shaun Hazlitt, Tyren Crain and Bert R. Soto.

The culinary creations change frequently throughout the seasons, but one item that has become an instant favorite is the Cheese and Charcuterie Board for Two.  The Board consist of a variety of five cheeses and five meats such as Stilton, Manchango, Montchevre Goat, a triple crème imported brie, Prosciutto di Parma, Australian Speck, Soppressata and hot Italian Capicolla. The board is garnished with tear drop peppers, green pitta queen & Kalamata olives, toasted Pistachios, a garlic rubbed Crostini, and heirloom tomato jam. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, July 10, 2014

High Peaks Happy Hour: Paradox Brewery, Schroon Lake

Paradox_ExtFree beer – today! There’s no sign making that claim, but Paradox Brewery in Schroon Lake gives away beer samples all day long. Try one. Even better – try them all!

Located at 154 State Route 9, the Paradox Trail is well marked. A giant trail marker is tacked to the front of the log building and a roadside trailhead sign informs the distances to both the brewery and the tasting room. The brewery, a short hike of .015 miles from the edge of Route 9, occupies the ground floor. The “best climb in the Adirondacks” (the tasting room) is upstairs in the back, an additional .004 miles up, though no specialized gear is required to make the ascent. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, July 10, 2014

Amy Ivy: Appreciating Our Local Vegetable Producers

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NCGrownPepperMan30033.25Gardening, especially growing your own food, is one of the number one pastimes across the country. But ask anyone who has actually tended a garden and they will also admit it is a humbling experience! You don’t just drop a seed in the ground and ‘Voila!’ a basket of tomatoes appears. There are bugs, diseases, fertility, too much or too little water, and then there are weeds, weeds, and more weeds to contend with.

Supermarket shelves brim with perfect produce, and farmers markets and roadside stands have beautiful piles of all sorts of vegetables; they make it look so easy. Home gardeners might be content with having enough for a few meals but our North Country commercial growers are in this is as a business. If they don’t make a profit, they aren’t going to keep farming. Today, I hope to increase your appreciation of the work and innovations our growers use to produce all that beautiful food. » Continue Reading.



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