Saturday, May 7, 2022

MAKE IT: Blueberry Freezer Jam

I love blueberries, and will often pick gallons of them at local orchards every summer, eating some straight away, and freezing the rest so that I can later make yummy treats, like this recipe for blueberry freezer jam. Although this jam is not shelf-stable (i.e., should be stored in the freezer), it is incredibly easy to make and does make a delicious jam. I love adding the jam to my oatmeal, using it as a topping on sorbet or ice cream, or slathered on a slice of freshly baked bread. Enjoy!

Ingredients
 5 Cups of Fresh/Frozen Blueberries
 2 Cups of Sugar
 6 Tablespoons Ball Freezer Jam Instant Pectin
 3 – 12oz Freezer-safe canning jars

Directions
1. Wash berries, then place them in a shallow pan. Using a potato masher, crush berries.
2. Add the mashed berries to a saucepan, and add sugar. Mix well, and bring to a boil,
cooking at full boil for around a minute.
3. Remove jam from heat and stir in the pectin, mixing well.
4. After jam has cooled a bit, scoop the jam into small freezer-safe jars. Top with lids after
30 minutes, and then place in freezer.

Use within one year. Enjoy!

*Recipe adapted from The Frugal Navy Wife


Monday, May 2, 2022

Cornell Cooperative Extension – Providing Technical and Educational Information and Resources for Agriculture 

Did you know that New York is one of the nation’s leading agricultural states? Or that New York State agriculture generates well over $5-billion in revenue annually? Or that, according to the latest data available, when you figure in all sectors of agriculture, including processing and support businesses that provide feed, supplies, machinery, and services, the industry provides work for nearly 200,000 New Yorkers?
Our farmers are world-class producers of dairy products. We rank first in the nation in yogurt, cottage cheese, and sour cream production, third in milk and Italian cheese production, and fourth in total cheese production. We’re the second-largest producer of maple syrup, apples, cabbage, and snap peas; third in grapes (and recognized around the world for great, often distinguished and celebrated wines and wineries); and fifth in production of tart cherries and squash. Honey and other fruits and vegetables (e.g. potatoes, sweet corn) are of significant economic importance, as well.

Sunday, April 24, 2022

Adirondack Harvest Festival returns Sept. 24, vendors and volunteers needed


Festival enthusiasts are encouraged to save the date for this year’s Adirondack Harvest Festival which will return to its traditional, one-day, in-person format at the Essex County Fairgrounds in Westport, NY on Saturday, September 24, 2022. The crowd-pleasing, family-friendly event is free and will follow the same format as past festivals. This year’s festival will feature a large farmers’ market, local food trucks, a beer tent, live music, demonstrations and talks, plenty of kids’ activities, farm animals, and much more.
Adirondack Harvest Festival organizers are actively seeking event sponsors, vendors, speakers and volunteers to make this community event possible a reality for generations to come. Those who wish to lend a hand at any of the above roles are encouraged to read more below.

» Continue Reading.


Friday, April 22, 2022

Adirondack Council’s Essex Farm Institute awards farm micro-grants

sweet potato harvestIn celebration of Earth Day 2022, the Adirondack Park’s largest environmental organization today awarded 15 micro-grants totaling $32,000 to local farmers and value-added food producers, in an effort to build a climate-friendly local economy in the Adirondack Park.

 

It was the seventh 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 grant criteria were modified to accommodate both larger operations as well as projects featuring collaborations between several qualified applicants.

 

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, April 16, 2022

MAKE IT: Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake in a Mug

cinnamon roll mug cake

If you are craving something sweet and do not want to wait, this cinnamon roll coffee cake in a mug is for you! I use an 18-ounce mug to make these and will often use whole wheat flour instead of the all-purpose flour. If you do not want the cream cheese frosting, feel free to drizzle maple syrup, add berries, or even ice cream on top. Enjoy!

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, April 3, 2022

April Harvest of the Month | Spring Greens 

high tunnels

Spring Greens are the edible young leaves or new growth of plants. Spring greens are the tender new growth that first emerges in early spring. In the Adirondacks, spring greens start to appear in greenhouses at the end of March and early April. 

These tender greens are the unofficial start of the new year. They are the first fresh growth of the season! They indicate that young radishes, asparagus, and scallions are coming soon. 

When we say “spring greens”, we mean baby cut lettuce, kale, chard, spinach, and other plants like bok choy. Many times, a variety of different spring greens or types of lettuces are packaged together and called “Spring Mix” or “Salad Mix.”

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, March 31, 2022

Why do we eat what we eat?

farming
What will we eat when the Bugs are gone? Part 2

What you eat and drink is often no less a matter of fashion and tradition than what you wear, with the important qualifier that what you eat has generally much more impact on your health than what you wear, assuming that what you wear at least correlates with the seasons of weather and climate conditions and doesn’t offend people to such an extant that it invites abuse from others. Our Cro Magnon ancestors, who left Africa about 80,000 years ago, were hunter-gatherers who hunted mammals, fished, and routinely ate insects, all of which are good protein sources. They foraged plants which provided nuts, seeds, berries, fruit and roots. Proponents of the paleo diet claim that the fact that we subsisted for 200,000 years on such a diet, and evolved to accommodate such a diet, points to its efficacy. 

What if you want to cut back on your meat consumption, whether for health or environmental reasons, but you lack the imagination to eliminate red meat from your diet altogether? I try to avoid beef whenever possible, and if I am cooking at home, substitute bison, which browse free range, and are much tastier and healthier for you anyway. Bison have lighter impact on the land, being like deer more browser than grazer (grass eater). The word “moose” is derived from “moswa”, a Native American word meaning “twig eater”. Elk are more grazer than browser, but unlike cattle move around to fresh graze, thus allowing grazed lands to recover. 

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, March 31, 2022

Adirondack Experience announces new virtual ‘Dacks Drinks series

The Adirondack Experience, The Museum on Blue Mountain Lake, (ADKX) announces their new virtual program series – ‘DACKS DRINKS. This series, co-sponsored by the Albany Public Library, will highlight local flavor – from the adventurous rum-runners of the early 20th century to today’s craft brewers infusing their brews with tastes from Adirondack forests. The series will feature two free online sessions, A Taste of Tupper with Garret Kopp from Birch Boys and Josh Weise and Tanner Hockey, Brewers at Raquette River Brewery on Wednesday, April 13 at 7 p.m. and History with a Twist – Adirondack Bootlegging with Niki Kourofsky, editor at Adirondack Life, and Stacia Takach from Lake Placid Stagecoach Inn on Wednesday, April 20 at 7 p.m.

‘Dacks Drinks

Wednesday, April 13, 7 pm: A Taste of Tupper with Garret Kopp from Birch Boys and Josh Weise and Tanner Hockey, Brewers at Raquette River Brewery

Meet two of Tupper Lake’s taste-making companies as Raquette River Brewing and the Birch Boys share their stories and offerings. Discover their unique collaboration to create Chugga Chugga Chaga Honey Brown Ale, an English-style brown ale made with sustainably harvested Chaga mushrooms. Josh Weise and Tanner Hockey from Raquette River Brewery will wrap up the evening with a few tips on how to infuse local flavor for home brewers.

About the speaker: Garret Kopp grew up in Tupper Lake and began harvesting Chaga mushrooms and selling them at local pop-up markets with his grandmother when he was 15. He created the Birch Boys while in college and today, the company leases 220,000 acres of private land in the Adirondacks for sustainable Chaga harvesting, making products like teas, tinctures, and skin care products. Kopp is also a certified mushroom identification expert & licensed NYS guide.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, March 26, 2022

MAKE IT: Fish Chowder

Fish chowder is a wonderful way to use up the panfish in your freezer. This simple recipe is easy to make and cooks up quickly. Pair with some crusty bread and a salad for a full meal. Enjoy!
(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
 1 small onion, chopped
 1 stalk celery, chopped
 3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
 3 cups low-sodium stock (fish, chicken stock, or vegetable)
 1/2 cup chopped carrots or sweet corn kernels
 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
 1 tablespoon lemon juice
 1 tsp. Old Bay-type seasoning
 Salt and pepper to taste
 1-pound boneless, skinless panfish fillets, cut into 1-inch chunks
 1 cup milk (I used 2%)

Directions:
1. Sauté onion and celery in oil until tender. Add potatoes, fish stock, carrots or corn,
parsley, lemon juice, and seasonings. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30
minutes.
2. Add fish and simmer for around 5 minutes, or until fish flakes with a fork.  Add milk, and
heat gently (do not bring to boil).
3. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information: (calculated with vegetable stock and carrots): Serving size: 1/4th recipe |
Servings per recipe: 4 | Calories: 324, total fat: 22.5 g, saturated fat: 9 g, cholesterol: 0 mg,
sodium: 44 mg, carbohydrates: 53 g, fiber: 4.7 g, sugar: 6.5 g, protein: 20.2 g

*Recipe adapted from The Wild Harvest Table


Monday, March 21, 2022

Maple Syrup Production Combines Principles of Silviculture, Forest Management, Sustainable Agriculture, and Agroforestry 

In a few words, sustainability is the practice of using resources responsibly. It focuses on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

The concept of sustainability can be traced back to the forest management philosophies of Hans Carl von Carlowitz (1645–1714), in his work Sylvicultura Oeconomica (Instructions for Wild Tree Cultivation), in which he established a set of concepts for sustainable management of forest resources. His belief that timber removed from a forest stand should never exceed that which can be regrown through planned reforestation continues to be a guiding principle of forestry today.

Sustainability, as a policy concept, is most-often thought of as the ability to continue use over a long period of time, or as long-term goals and / or the strategies that may be applied to achieve those goals.

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, March 12, 2022

MAKE IT: Traditional Irish Scones

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, here is a recipe for traditional Irish Scones called Frances’ Scones. Several years ago, I was able to go with my daughter, at the time, one of the Wild Irish Acres Dancers, on a trip to Ireland. During that magical trip, we visited the Rathbaun Farm, a working sheep farm in County Galway. After watching the farm’s border collie round up the sheep, we went inside the farm’s thatched cottage for some freshly baked scones, prepared by Frances, and topped with farm-fresh whipped cream and preserves. Every time that I make Frances’ scones, the scent of them baking brings me back to the farm in Ireland.

*If you do not have self-rising flour, you can create your own with 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt per cup of flour. For this recipe, you would add 2.5 Tablespoons of baking powder and 1 ¼ teaspoons of salt to the 5 cups of flour, and mix thoroughly before following the remaining steps.

» Continue Reading.


Thursday, March 10, 2022

Farms invited to apply for Adirondack Council mini-grants

Full and By farmFor the first time, the Adirondack Council’s Essex Farm Institute’s Micro-Grants for Adirondack Farms and Value-Added Producers will offer grants of up to $8,000 for the implementation of environmentally-beneficial and sustainable projects led by Adirondack farms and value-added producers. Prior grants had not exceeded $5,000, with most awarded in the $1,500 range.  The grant application was updated for the 2022 cycle to provide more resources for larger operations or those projects led by a team of applicants.

The 2022 guidelines have also been updated to provide clarity with respect to eligibility criteria and gives preference for historically-underserved or socially-disadvantaged groups. As the Adirondack Park’s largest environmental advocacy organization, the Adirondack Council recognizes the huge role agriculture plays in meeting climate goals, sustaining the health of natural resources and fostering economically vibrant communities.  It adopted the Essex Farm Institute to ensure that local farmers would have assistance in reducing costs (fuel, fertilizer, electric power, waste removal) and increasing profitability/sustainability by adopting sustainable, environmentally friendly methods.

“Curbing climate change will require new investments in those parts of the economy that can help us conserve energy and reduce fuel use,” said Adirondack Council Executive Director William C. Janeway.  “That also reduces pollution, creates more local jobs and make the Adirondacks less dependent on easily-disrupted supply chains that reach halfway around the world.”

» Continue Reading.


Wednesday, March 9, 2022

Northern New York Agricultural Development Program report offers first look at alternative maple tubing

The latest results of maple research from the Northern New York Agricultural Development Program (NNYADP) may suggest a possible advantage of using quarter-inch tubing for sap collection vs. the current maple industry standard. The research is detailed in the “Alternative Maple Tubing That Prevents Clogging and Increases Sap Production” report posted under the Research: Maple tab at https://www.nnyagdev.org.

Maple research commissioned by the farmer-driven NNYADP has prompted the growth of the northern New York maple industry from $3.25 million in 2008, according to a Cornell University survey, to more than $12 million in 2019, with potential to reach a $15 million annual valuation.

» Continue Reading.


Sunday, March 6, 2022

March Harvest of the Month: Whole Grains

grain

When you think of agriculture in the Adirondacks, you may not think of waving fields of grain. New England was the “breadbasket” of the United States until the late 1800’s. Global markets have driven local grains out of favor. Flour is flour, right? 

Many grain growers and “bread heads” would whole-heartily disagree. Have you ever eaten cornbread made with freshly ground cornmeal? Or eaten a shortbread cookie made with freshly ground buckwheat? The difference in flavor, nutrition, and community impact is significant. 

» Continue Reading.


Saturday, March 5, 2022

MAKE IT: Trout with Thyme and Lime

thyme fishFish can offer our bodies some amazing benefits including omega-3 fatty acids and a large
amount of protein. This is a great way to fulfill your protein needs without overloading your
system with saturated fats and additives.

This recipe allows for a bright flavor while providing a
zesty taste in the mix. This dish is also lower in calories but with the high content of healthy fats,
you are sure to be left feeling very full!

» Continue Reading.



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