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. JerryMacica, 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.
It is the final stretch for horse racing in the Spa City, AND it's also the final days of voting for "America's Favorite Farmers' Market"! This national contest is sponsored by American Farmland Trust (www.farmland.org) and voting ends on Saturday, August 31. Our very own Saratoga Farmers' Market is in a close three way dual for first in the medium size division of the 4-category contest. It's NY vs Delaware and Virginia. It's Spa City vs the beach town of Lewis, DE and suburban Falls Church, VA. The odds makers might have us losing by a vote or two, but New Yorkers love the underdog, so lets show it and vote for our own Saratoga Farmers' Market!
A perspective by Mary Cae Asay
Co-owner, Saratoga Downtowner Motel
I was honored to participate in Saratoga Arts Fest this past weekend. For those of you who missed the experience, Center Stage was a 'happenin' place' with marvelous productions that happened Fri. and Sat. in the hub of downtown Saratoga. I was asked to offer up my parking lot at the Saratoga Downtowner for this element of this event. However, the broad representation of so many art forms throughout our wonderful, fair city was far more in number than what happened at my location.
The next Sustainable Saratoga Task Force meeting is Tuesday evening, Dec. 1, 2009 from 7-9 p.m. in the Music Hall, above Saratoga Springs City Hall (third floor of 474 Broadway.) The topic for the evening is the importance of buying local products and supporting local merchants. The evening's agenda includes a brief discussion by several individuals actively involved in promoting and supporting 'buy local' initiatives, followed by opportunities to meet local business owners who will be displaying the types of products they can offer during the holiday season. At the core of a sustainable community is easy access to a diverse array of goods and services - something we're happy to say Saratoga offers, and which Sustainable Saratoga is committed to supporting. As part of that commitment, we're offering the community an opportunity to learn more about the importance of buying local and the types of locally produced goods as well as "green" and sustainable products sold by local independent merchants. The event is free and open to the public ( just in time to plan for the "gift-giving" season.)
WILTON - Asked if she could be described as a woman with a lot of junk in her trunk, sculptor miChelle Vara hooted with delight.
"You could definitely arrive at that conclusion," said miChelle, her laughter continuing. "But then again, the stuff really isn't junk to me."
The "stuff" in her trunk, and all around the grounds of her Wilton studio, includes antique metal tools, pipes and chains, bicycles, long-retired farm equipment, old car bumpers, a huge assortment of keys, and hundreds of other interesting metal objects rescued from a slow death-by-rust and now slated for new relevance in one of the artist's sculptures.
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."
Imagine a restaurant that recycles its glass, cans, and paper products, uses biodegradable take-out containers, purchases all its green produce locally, composts every kitchen scrap imaginable, serves only fair-trade coffee and made-from-scratch, cooked-to-order food, uses no trans fats or chemical additives, delivers its customers' plate-waste to families with pet pigs, gives its leftover bread to folks raising chickens, changes its cooking oil frequently, and donates its discarded oil to a local man who processes it and uses it as fuel - to power to his car!
COHOES - Jane LaCivita's plan for her Golden Years was unfolding perfectly. It
included a newly purchased condo Thailand where she would spend her days kicking
back after a career in nursing home administration.
Recent Comments