Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Plattsburgh: Food From The Farm Tasting Event

Food from the Farm 3005The public is invited to meet Northern New York farmers, food processors, wine and cider makers, and chefs with a diverse array of products at the 5th annual Food from the Farm event on Saturday, March 7 from 2 pm to 5 pm at the Plattsburgh Recreation Center gymnasium on the US Oval in Plattsburgh, NY.

Visitors will have the opportunity to sample and buy locally-grown or produced foods, wine and cider; pick up recipes and gardening tips; meet local food producers, and support the local economy and food movement. Products for sale may include overwintered storage crops such as carrots, beets and potatoes; winter greens, frozen meat, maple, honey, wine, and hard cider. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, February 19, 2015

Tupper Lake ‘Brew-ski Trail’ Event March 7th

Tuper Lake Brew-Ski TrailThe 2015 Tupper Lake Brew-ski Trail will be open Saturday, March 7, 2015 at the Tupper Lake Cross Country Ski Center. The event will include six regional brewers sampling their brews along nearly a mile of trail for cross country skis or snowshoes. Sledding is available as well.

Brewers this year include Adirondack Brewery, Lake Placid Pub and Brewery, Great Adirondack Brewing Company, St. Lawrence Brewing Company, Blue Line Brewery, and Raquette River Brewing. A food concession will be provided by Arthur’s from Dolgeville. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Next Farm Talk: Raising A Cow, Ag Tax Reductions

Raising LivestockSmall farmers and interested hobbyists have been attending the Warren County Soil & Water’s “Farm Talks”.  The next Talk, on Friday, February 27th, will include two presentations open to all: “Agricultural Value Assessments: What do they mean?” and “Mooooving and Grooving: What I need to know about raising a cow, but was afraid to ask”.

The first presentation, with Fulton County Soil & Water’ John Persch, will consider the details and requirements for property tax reduction based on agricultural assessments.  The second presentation, by Corrina Aldrich of Washington County Soil & Water, will cover the process of raising a cow. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Snow: Nature’s Fertilizer?

winter corn fieldWhere agriculture is concerned, dairy is king (or is dairy queen?) in Northern New York. But with the kind of winter we’ve had so far, I wonder if we shouldn’t start producing other crops, ones particularly suited to our region. How about we raise snow peas? Or iceberg lettuce?

OK, so I’m indulging one of life’s most futile activities, griping about the weather, but for farmers, foresters and gardeners, there is an upside to all this snow. » Continue Reading.


Saturday, February 14, 2015

The Homestead: Fake Eggs

StellaWell, no one can ever say that I have never had my finger inside of a live chicken. While there’s not a ton going on at the homestead this time of year, the chickens have been keeping me pretty busy. But tonight takes the cake.

Whitey was acting strange all day. She’s usually the sketchiest one of the girls, so her allowing me to pet her was definitely out of the ordinary. With her being so lethargic, I decided that it would be best to bring her inside for the night. She can be warm and get plenty of rest, plus if she had something contagious this will hopefully keep the other birds from getting it. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Growing Local Greens In Winter

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winter greens trial - Willsboro 3-2012With the cold weather we’ve had lately it’s hard to imagine that anything could be growing in the unheated high tunnels around our region. While some growers do let their tunnels rest over the winter, others keep them in production, growing crops of cold hardy winter greens – how do they do it?

The first step is to use a full-sized high tunnel. You might think that a smaller tunnel would be easier to keep warm but in fact, the opposite is true. The large volume of air in a high tunnel acts as a buffer, warming up quickly on a sunny day and cooling down more slowly than the outside air at night. » Continue Reading.


Friday, February 6, 2015

Potters Gathering For View’s Annual ‘Chili Bowl’

Chili2014_2View’s 9th Annual Chili Bowl Luncheon will be taking place on Saturday, February 21 from 11:30 am until 2:00 pm.  Homemade meat & vegetarian chili, stews and soups prepared by local restaurants, will be served in handmade bowls from the Pottery Workshop at View as well as many artists who deliver their bowls to View from towns nearby and as far away as Ithaca and Syracuse.

The potters this year are making a variety of styles of crock type bowls with either one or two handles attached. Many of the local and area potters who have been making the bowls for this event will also be displaying their works in the Regional Ceramics Exhibition from February 12 until March 12. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, February 5, 2015

Fort Ticonderoga Garden & Landscape Symposium

Landscape Sympoisum 2015The King’s Garden at Fort Ticonderoga presents the Fourth Annual Garden & Landscape Symposium on Saturday, April 18th. This day-long symposium, geared for both beginning and experienced gardeners, provides helpful insights from garden experts who live and garden in upstate New York and northern New England.

This springtime event takes place in the Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center and is open by pre-registration only.

This one-day program focuses on practical, easy-to-implement strategies for expanding and improving your garden or landscape. The programs are offered in an informal setting that encourages interaction between presenters and attendees. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Warren County ‘Farm Talks’ Return

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe Warren County Soil & Water Conservation District is continuing its series of free agricultural “Farm Talks” presentations. The Farm Talks are open to all interested in learning about the variety of small farming and homesteading techniques.  The next talk will include two presentations.

The first will be “Year-Round High Tunnel Production” with Sandy and Paul Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm in Argyle.  The second presentation of the night will be Starting a Small Scale Tree Nursery with David Lee of the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Saratoga Tree Nursery. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Seed Catalogs: Reading Between the Lines

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seed catalogsIt’s January and my dining room table is covered with seed and garden catalogs. I you’re a gardener and you’re not getting catalogs, something is wrong! Most have toll-free phone numbers and websites, so just let them know you’d like a free catalog and you’ll be set for life.

If you have high speed internet and like to surf the web, the online catalogs have a lot of information and links, but I enjoy having the catalogs around the house, and I’ll often grab one to flip through as I drink a cup of coffee or wait for my toast to brown. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Stay Local With Winter Farmers Markets

SnowyGrocery300325When the doldrums set in, winter farmers’ markets can brighten your day with fresh local food and other products.   Many stores have “local” sections. As I visited a larger one in our neighboring Vermont recently, with a bustling melee of shoppers, vendors, veggies, maple, hard cider, and other foods and crafts, it occurred to me that I’m long overdue in encouraging readers to visit the winter markets throughout Northern New York. For example, I’ll bet you didn’t know that we not only have one, but now two indoor winter farmers’ markets in Plattsburgh and Upper Jay. » Continue Reading.


Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Hiring Your First Employee Workshops Set

essex-farms-workers-in-dirt1Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) will offer training to help local farmers who will be hiring their first employees in 2015.

The beginners course covers payroll accounting, minimum wage, withholding, general work agreements, worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, youth hiring rules and rates, termination, quarterly and annual report filing requirements. OSHA safety regulations, dangerous jobs, Right to Know and training will also be covered. » Continue Reading.


Sunday, December 28, 2014

Forest Products: Wood, Whiskey and Wine

Wood Whiskey WineBarrels – we rarely acknowledge their importance, but without them we would be missing out on some of the world’s finest beverages – most notably whiskies and wines – and of course for over two thousand years they’ve been used to store, transport, and age an incredibly diverse array of provisions around the globe.

In the new wide-ranging book Wood, Whiskey and Wine (Reaktion, 2014), Henry Work tells the intriguing story of the significant and ever-evolving role wooden barrels have played during the last two millennia, revealing how the history of the barrel parallels that of technology at large. » Continue Reading.


Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Stock Up: Local Vegetables in Soups and Stews

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winter vegetablesCookie baking season is here, but before I bring out the sugar and butter, I’m going to cook up some healthy soups and stews for the freezer. My garden potatoes are starting to sprout so I plan to make a potato soup using my own onions and garlic, as well as the corn I froze in September.

I’m busy, so I like to make a big batch of soup or stew and then freeze it in pint-sized canning jars to get a lot of meals out of the one effort. These single-serving sizes are easy to grab on my way out the door in the morning and then heat in the microwave for a warm lunch at work. » Continue Reading.


Thursday, November 27, 2014

High Peaks Happy Hour: BARRED!

IMG_9512“You’ve been Barred!” – the dread phrase contestants at the first ever BARRED! Bartender Challenge did not want to hear. Twelve bartenders from near and far showcased their talents at Basil & Wick’s in North Creek on November 15, hoping to bring trophy and bragging rights back to their bar.

The best ideas are often born when least expected. A casual Happy Hour in the High Peaks board meeting agenda listed the question: Can we do something interactive with an upcoming book reading gig? Whether through inspiration or by blatant theft, we were not surprised when the concept of a Chopped style competition materialized. Based on the Food Network’s popular reality series in which chefs are given a mystery basket of ingredients that they must incorporate into a finished dish, BARRED! would do the same with cocktails. » Continue Reading.



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