The expanding market season

This winter will see the expansion of year-round farmers’ market opportunities in the Catskills. Over the last few years, Cooperstown and Saugerties have kept their markets going through the winter months. This year, they’ll be joined by Callicoon and (just across the river…) Rhinebeck. Most markets will take a bi-monthly approach to their events by setting up stalls every other weekend. Saugerties will capitalize on monthly holiday weekends to promote their Sunday market with programming highlighting everything from St. Patrick’s Day to Passover. Expect to find featured products such as prepared foods, dairy, storage crops, baked goods, meat and crafts. Nearly every market will offer special events at their markets. Community groups will share information and skills, local chefs will demonstrate cooking techniques, and musicians will entertain the crowd. Most market managers tell us that their markets have developed due to customer demand. Communities are looking for a way to stay connected with farmers and an opportunity to socialize with their neighbors during the long winter season.

CALLICOON Delaware Youth Center

Creamery Road, Callicoon

December through April, 11am to 2pm

Dates include December 19; January 2, 16 & 30; February 13 & 27; March 20; April 10 & 23

(Note, April 23 is a Saturday market)

email: manager@sullivancountyfarmersmarkets.org

www.sullivancountyfarmersmarkets.org

COOPERSTOWN Pioneer Alley

101 Main Street, Cooperstown

1st and 3rd Saturdays through April, 9am to 2pm

Contact Lynn Weir at lyn@lynweir.com

www.otsego2000.org/farmersmarket

RHINEBECK Rhinebeck Town Hall

80 East Main Street

Alternate Sundays through April, 10am to 2 pm

Contack Cheryl Paff at info@rhinebeckfarmersmarket.com

www.rhinebeckfarmersmarket.com

SAUGERTIES Saugerties Senior Center

207 Market Street

Holiday weekend Sundays through May, noon to 4pm

email: contact@saugertiesfarmersmarket.com

www.saugertiesfarmersmarket.com

Meet the Delegates

We couldn't be prouder to announce that Pure Catskills will sponsor its third Catskills delegation to attend Terra Madre in 2010. The group will head to Turin, Italy this Wednesday to spend five days meeting farmers and food producers from around the world. Over 5,000 delegates will be present from over 100 countries. The event includes workshops, tastings, regional meetings and a marketplace of sustainably produced foods.

Slow Food International organizes the event every two years. Slow Food USA selected our delegation through a competitive application process. Slow Food will provide housing, meals and transportation to the delegates during their time in Italy. Partial funding for travel from New York to Italy have been provided by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection through the Watershed Agricultural Council.

The Catskills region has been represented at this biannual gathering since we sent our first delegation in 2006. A group of farmers, chefs, retailers and advocates have attended each year. The delegates return to their businesses inspired by the experience. Delegates have made real changes in their operations as a result. Some have added new livestock varieties while others have grown their relationship to their neighboring businesses and community members.

In selecting this year's delegation, we called upon the twelve past delegates to nominate and select peers they felt would most benefit from the experience. The group did an excellent job selecting a diverse group from three counties in the region. So let's meet the delegates!

Thornwood Farm eggs at the Larchmont Farmers' Market.

Source: Larchmont-Mamaroneck Patch

Paula Allen, Thornwood Farm

Sidney Center, Delaware County

Thornwood Farm is a small family run farm that offers all natural pasture-raised eggs, chicken, pork and turkeys for Thanksgiving. All animals are raised antibiotic and hormone free. Paula travels to farmers' markets near and far including those in Franklin, Liberty, Callicoon and three in Westchester County-Armonk, Larchmont and Scarsdale.

Inside the Masonville General Store.

Source: Gimme Coffee! blog

Kendall Craig, Masonville General Store and Crescent Wrench Cafe

Masonville, Delaware County

The Masonville General Store strives to weave community, environment, and ingenuity together in an ethical and conscious manner. The store offers a fantastic and diverse selection of local and regional products that exemplify quality, health, and sustainability. Kendall educates her customers about the impact their choices make when shopping for food. The shop has been providing a location for rural residents to access healthy, delicious food since 2006.

Sonja handing milking one of her goats.

Sonja Hedlund, Apple Pond Farm and Renewable Energy Center

Callicoon Center, Sullivan County

Apple Pond Farm produces lamb, goats, eggs and wool and dairy products. They are also very active in offering agri-tourism programming and educational workshops to locals and regional visitors alike. Visitors can spend time in the guest house on a farm stay. The farm is a showcase of renewable energy practices including solar, wind and bio-diesel.

Marybeth with her husband Devin and their daughter Madeline. Devin, chef at The Peekamoose, will also attend Terra Madre!

Source: Return to Bohemia

Marybeth Mills, The Peekamoose Restaurant and Tap Room

Big Indian, Ulster County

The Peekamoose Restaurant features an ever-changing menu inspired by the farmers and artisans of the Catskill region. Chef Devin Mills, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, hails from some of the finest restaurants in New York City. Marybeth manages the front of the house and so much more! The restaurant has become a gathering place for locals and visitors to taste the best of Catskills farm products.

Mary Tonjes with her husband Tim in their cheese plant on the farm.

Source: Times Herald-Record

Mary Tonjes, Tonjes Farm Dairy

Callicoon, Sullivan County

Mary manages Tonjes Farm along with her husband Tim and numerous family members. The farm is a grass-based dairy specializing in farmstead artisan cheeses, raw milk cheeses including 'Beachwood Blue,' made and aged in their underground cave. Fresh cheeses and bottled milk are made with morning milk: Mozzarella, Ricotta, Fromage Blanc, Yogurt, Kefir, and Buttermilk. Whole milk gently pasteurized. The products are sold at regional farmers' markets and retailers.

Keep an eye out for a wrap up of the experience next month. A special event is also in the works for the delegates to share their experiences (and some delicious food!) with our community in mid-November.

A fall visit to Heather Ridge Farm

One of my favorite things about the Catskills are all the down to earth spots to grab a great bite to eat. Sure, you might need to head a little off the beaten path - around the bend, down the valley. But the trip is worth it since there's always something great to eat and welcoming people at the end of the road! Your meal will be filled with the kind of food you would make if you had the time, the know-how or the amazingly fresh ingredients only found on a local farm.

The Bee's Knees Cafe at Heather Ridge Farm in Preston Hollow is just such a place. Sitting on a sunny hillside in southern Schoharie County, their menu offers up delicious soups, sandwiches, salads and desserts. Farm raised beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, eggs, garlic and honey are all highlighted in the menu.

Inside you'll also find the farm store. Products offered include the farm's own meat and honey as well as regional products such as wool, mushrooms (in season) and specially products like olive oil and coffee sourced directly from farmers abroad.

From mid-October through the spring, the farm is open Saturdays, 10 am to 2 pm. The farm is located at 989 Broome Center Road in Preston Hollow.

Farmer-in-chief

Carol Clement

on the front porch of the farm store.

Farmer John presses wild apples gathered on the hillside property.

Some of Heather Ridge's, dare we say, famous Lemon Honey.

Linda Hahn with the Euphoria Olive Oil she imports from a farm family in Greece.

Beautiful yarn in vibrant colors from Kate Henderson of neighboring farm, Sheepy Valley.

And here's the money shot! Fresh pork and chicken fill the cooler.

The hard working kitchen staff after a busy lunch service.

Mustards using the farm's honey.

The wonderful view from the top of the ridge.

Prezorski's Pumpkins

We received some great fall photos from the Prezorski Family in the Schoharie County hamlet of Lawyersville. They operate Cold Spring Farm and have a bumper crop of fall ornamentals including mums, Indian corn, corn stalks and pumpkins of every type! Their farmstand is two miles north of Cobleskill on Route 145 and open 8 am to 6 pm.

Catskills vendors featured at New Amsterdam Market

Catskills farms and food were highlighted on September 26th at the New Amsterdam Market in the South Street Seaport neighborhood in Manhattan. Products featured included cow and goat milk cheeses from Farm Catskills, Main Street Farm with a wide array of local items, Summer’s End Orchard with preserves and produce and Early Bird Cookery with seasonal ice creams. The Village Voice even covered the event!

Many thanks to Alex Jagendorf for the great photographs.

Jon Westergreen of Main Street Farm from Livingston Manor.

Amy Miller of Early Bird Cookery scoops seasonal ice cream flavors.

Amy Kenyon of Farm Catskills share samples of local cheeses.

Gregory Meyding of Summer's End Orchard of Unadilla.

New video on Spring Lake Farm

Delhi's own Spring Lake Farm is highlighted this week in a video on food.curated. The farm's grass-based production is highlighted through interviews with Ingimundur Kjarval and his daughter Ulla.

Spring Lake Farm: Inspiring the Grass Fed Movement in Upstate New York from SkeeterNYC on Vimeo.

Rusty Plough Farm readies for market

We stopped by the fields of Rusty Plough Farm on a recent Friday afternoon. Farmers Oleh and Nadia Maczaj were picking for Saturday morning's Kingston Farmers' Market. We were able to get in a few shots of their lovely little corner of the world!

Farmer Oleh with a bright row of calendula.

Heads of lettuce that will be ready for next week's market.

The last of this year's green beans.

Interns hard at work harvesting.