Posts Tagged ‘Adirondack Harvest’

Sunday, May 15, 2022

Harvest of the Month: Eggs

Feeding Hens at Essex Farm. Photo by Ben StechschulteEggs, more specifically, chicken eggs, are an integral part of traditions, celebratory dishes, and the everyday diet around the globe. Historians estimate that humans have been eating eggs for roughly 6 million years. Originally, people foraged eggs from wild bird nests until they were domesticated around 1500 BCE in Ancient Egypt. Throughout history, eggs have become a symbol of life, rebirth, renewal, and fertility for many cultures

Today, humans eat about 88 million tons of eggs each year worldwide. China is the top producer of eggs (roughly 34 million tons), then the United States (roughly 6.9 million tons), and then Mexico (roughly 4 million tons). While we may think of them as a staple of the American diet, countries like Japan, Paraguay, China, and Mexico consume more eggs per person each year. 

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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 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.”

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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. 

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Sunday, February 6, 2022

February Harvest of the Month: Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are large, sweet-tasting, starchy, tubers that grow under soil attached to a sprawling vine with heart-shaped leaves. While we eat them like potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), they are actually not a potato. Sweet potatoes are a member of the Convolvulaceae plant family and are more closely related to morning glories than potatoes. Potatoes are in the nightshade family, and are more closely related to eggplant, tomatoes, and peppers. 

Sweet potatoes thrive in warm climates, and they continue to be a culturally significant food in the American South, where they have been grown by indigenous people, European colonists, and enslaved people, and farmers for hundreds of years. 

Photo from the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, Pleasant Valley Farm, By Pattie Garrett

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Sunday, November 7, 2021

November Harvest of the Month: Brussels Sprouts

brussels sprouts Brussels sprouts are one of the many vegetables in the brassica family, along with kale, turnips, collard greens, broccoli, arugula, bok choy, and more. Brussels sprouts are cabbage-like sprouts on tall stalks that thrive in temperate weather. The United States produces 32,000 tons of them each year, with most production in California, Washington, and New York states. It’s estimated that up to 85% of brussels sprouts grown in the US are for frozen food. The largest global producing country is the Netherlands, where they harvest 90,000 tons each year.

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Saturday, November 6, 2021

It’s turkey ordering time

turkeysAdirondack Beef Company, Croghan, NY

4 Reasons to Go Local for Your Thanksgiving Turkey

1- Keep your dollars in your community: The average farmer only makes $0.17 for every $1.00 spent on the food they grew. Buying directly from a farmer means they will receive 100% of the profits they earned.

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Thursday, September 16, 2021

Picking the Perfect Market Melon

It’s that time of the year when so much is in season in the Adirondack region- including melons like honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon.

In the Adirondacks, locally grown melons only start to appear with sweet corn and winter squash, right around when kids start heading back to school. Once the frost comes, they are done.

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Sunday, September 5, 2021

Harvest of the Month: Honey

bees on honeycombSeptember is National Honey Month

Since the 1980’s September has been “National Honey Month”, in honor of the end of the season for most areas, when beekeepers collect honey from their hives. It’s a time to raise awareness of beekeeping and the benefits of honey. 

This National Honey Month, learn more about how honey is made by bees, collected by humans, and how you can support beekeepers in your community. 

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Thursday, August 26, 2021

Farmers Markets are in Full Swing Across Northern New York

keene valley farmers market adirondack harvest

During my years at Extension, one of my (self-proclaimed) missions was to support local farms and producers and to promote consumer-access to, education about, and appreciation for local, fresh, sustainably produced foods and products, while also working to develop farmers’ markets as vibrant gathering places within local communities. That mission continues.

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Monday, August 23, 2021

Adirondack Harvest Open Farm Week Planned for September

adk harvest festival

Lewis, NY – This year, rather than a large one-day event, the Adirondack Harvest Festival will instead celebrate a week filled with events at farms, businesses, and community organizations around the Adirondack Region. Mark your calendars from Monday, September 13 through Sunday, September 19, 2021! The “Free Range” Open Farm Week is designed to give folks a chance to see for themselves how agriculture, wilderness, and community can work together toward a sustainable local food system in the Adirondacks.

The Open Farm Week includes over 75 events ranging from free family-friendly farm visits early in the day to fine dining and spirit tastings in the evening. Just a few examples include:

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Sunday, August 1, 2021

August Harvest of the Month | Peppers

serrano peppers

Photo of serranos courtesy of https://peppergeek.com/serrano-peppers/

History and Facts

Peppers are the berry-fruits of plants in the genus capsaicin which are in the nightshade family, with tomatoes and eggplants. The spicy “chili peppers” and mild “sweet peppers” and “bell peppers” are all native to tropical parts of the Americas. Prehistoric remains of peppers have been found in Central and South America. 

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Sunday, July 25, 2021

Adirondack Harvest, Hub on the Hill team up to facilitate wholesale buying

hub on the hill wholesale buyingNew Wholesale Database and Online Wholesale Store to Help Regional Institutions and Businesses Buy More Local Food

 Lewis, NY – Adirondack Harvest and the Hub on the Hill have launched synergistic offerings to help businesses and institutions in the greater Adirondack region better connect with local food producers who wholesale.

Many businesses and institutions have echoed that they would like to be able to offer more locally grown food, as the Adirondacks are home to a large variety of farms, producing everything from fruits and veggies, eggs, and meats to many value-added products such as artisan cheeses, charcuterie and cream-top yogurt. However, knowing where to start when buying local food wholesale can be time-consuming and confusing. » Continue Reading.


Sunday, June 13, 2021

June Harvest of the Month | National Dairy Month

dairy cowsJune is National Dairy Month, which originated in 1937 as “National Milk Month” by the National Dairy Council in an effort to encourage consumers to drink more milk during a time of surplus. Today, many organizations and regions continue to observe June as Dairy Month along the same theme. 

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Sunday, May 2, 2021

Harvest of the Month | Asparagus

asparagusWhat is Asparagus?

Garden asparagus, asparagus officinalis, is a perennial flowering plant. It belongs to the Asparagus genus, along with other perennial bushes and plants. Asparagus is dioecious, meaning some plants have flowers with a stamen and produce pollen, and other plants have flowers that have a pistil and make seeds. This means that a variety of plants are needed for reproduction. When you eat asparagus, you’re actually eating the immature stalk of the entire plant. Most asparagus is harvested when it is about six to ten inches long, but when left to mature, it grows into four-foot-tall plants with long fern-like branches. 

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