Recently in Farms Category

By Amy L. Stock

"Ooh I love their apple pie!"
 "They make the best fresh cider!"
 "You have to try their breakfast - it's great."
Mention the name Lakeside Farms to someone in Saratoga County and these are the kind of responses you're likely to get.  Started in 1948, Lakeside Farms has been a mainstay in the Saratoga and Schenectady region for fresh apple cider, vegetables, baked goods, or a fresh homemade breakfast or lunch.  
Rob Pearce and his brother, both from Schenectady, started this fourth-generation family business as "a means to make a little extra money on the side" said Dick Pearce (Rob's son).  The brothers bought the Ballston Lake farm for its old barn and cider press, with the intention of making and selling fresh cider.
After a year in business, Rob Pearce, who held a full time job with General Electric, offered the business to his son Dick Pearce.  Dick Pearce said yes, and has been running the Lakeside since he was a junior in High School, and taken it through its various transitions and expansions.  
Said Pearce, "My father offered me the place to run.  I decided I was up for the challenge, and I've been doing this ever since."  That's of course with a break while he served in the Army.  After which he returned and continued to operate the farm with his mother Agnes, until the early 1970's when she passed away.  

Schuylerville corn maze uses 7-acre canvas to raise environmental awareness

 

Schuylerville, NY, August 20, 2010: Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Go-Green, sustainable energy, climate change, global warming; these are all terms that each of us have heard almost daily in our personal lives. They are not just the latest buzz words or phrases, but they are all part of a larger movement that affects us all one way or another. We all have an opportunity to take part in this movement; it may be just as simple as turning off a light when you leave the room, changing over to electronic billing instead of paper, or buying from your local farm stand instead of heading miles further to the grocery store. Jerry Macica, of Schuyler Farms Corn Maze, points out "Going Green" has become a lifestyle for more and more people and Mother Nature surely appreciates it. But he is also quick to point out for the skeptics that there are personal benefits to "going green". Reduced energy bills, healthier food choices, improved health, or even having extra change in your pocket.

Number 3 in the nation for medium markets and number 2 in New York!

Fifty years ago there were 1,800 farms in Saratoga County... today 641 farms (one-third as many) are in operation. Because fewer people are directly involved in farming, not many have the opportunity to experience agriculture first-hand and understand how the food we eat (and some of the fiber we wear) is produced. The Saratoga County Agricultural Promotion Committee decided to provide that critical link between the farming community and the public-at-large and hold an open house at a different farm each year for area residents to visit a real working farm, learn about local agriculture, and realize the importance of a viable agricultural industry in Saratoga County.

Saratoga Springs: Saturday, May 1^st marks the opening of the 32^nd  Saratoga Farmers' Market summer season under the pavilions on High Rock Avenue. On hand to assist with will be NYS Commissioner of Agriculture Patrick Hooker, Saratoga County Cornell Cooperative Extension Executive Director Bill Schwerd, and CCE Agriculture Economic Development Extension Educator for Saratoga and Washington Counties Paula Schafer. Special activities at the market on opening day in addition to live music,  will be a station where children will be able to turn a paper plate into their favorite flower. Adults and children are encouraged to wear a hat when they attend the first summer season market, the wilder the better! This show of hats will add to the festive spirit of opening day and it will also demonstrate the wearer's support for a variety of causes, including: the Farmers' Market, May Day, the Kentucky Derby and/or support for racing in Saratoga Springs. From May through October the market will be open from 9am to 1pm on Saturday and from 3pm to 6pm on Wednesday.

The Saratoga Farmers' Market, the area's longest running farmers' market is comprised of local vendors who must grow or produce what they sell. Customers are treated to the freshest produce as it is harvested in season. The use of green houses by some producers allows variety year round, fooling Mother Nature. At the opening day market look for fresh spinach, mesclun, arugula, ramps, herbs, hydroponic tomatoes and fiddleheads. Apples beets, carrots, potatoes, and celeriac will also be available along with a variety of bedding plants, and the abundance will continue to expand as the growing season gets underway in the growers' well tended fields. Also available will be dairy products including milk, ice cream, yogurt, and cheese, plus baked goods, meats and eggs. Some farms are now creating delectable "heat and eat" entrees made from their products. Other items for sale include, but are not limited to: be soap, jam, honey, pottery, and mushrooms.

A visit to the produce isle in any supermarket this time of year is, in effect, a trip around the world.  While we are freezing up here in the great white north, folks down in Argentina, Chile and Brazil are growing the produce for our winter salad bowls.  To remain healthy throughout the winter months, we need to eat veggies daily.  But must we support the intercontinental food transport system, just to get our RDA of vitamins and minerals?  You'd prefer to buy local, but with snow everywhere, that's not possible, right?

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) announces Circles of Caring, their 28th Annual Organic Farming and Gardening Conference in Saratoga Springs, NY. The conference, which attracts more than 1,000 people each year, will take place from January 22- 24, 2010 at the Saratoga Hilton. Over the three day event, attendees can choose between more than 80 workshops which explore all types of organic farming, gardening, value-added processing, cooking and policy issues.  Workshops are of interest to farmers, gardeners, educators, environmentalists, foodies, and more.  A special focus this year is on Beginning Farmers.  Starting with a reception for young farmers on Thursday Jan 21st, there is programming throughout the conference to help people who are just starting out in farming or are considering becoming a farmer.  New this year, NOFA-NY will offer 75 scholarships to beginning farmers.

The Saratoga County Fair is wrapping up this weekend, so if you haven't had a chance to go yet, now's the time.  The rain has passed and the sun is out, so head on down to Ballston Spa and check it out!  The Fair may conjure up images of cheese fries, dizzying Midway rides and tractor pulls, but the Fair is also a showcase of the locally made and locally grown.  I went into the Townley building and found displays featuring an amazing array of food and other products made right here in our region.

By Stacey Morris
Contributing Writer
Photos by David DeLozier
 
TROY - When Larry Schepici moved to Troy from Boston ten years ago, one of the first things he did was hop in his car and check out the farms in his new neighborhood.

"Where I come from, I was used to dealing with farmers," said the long-time chef. "It's just part of the restaurant scene in Boston."