Local Food Posts

July 13, 2023Laurel Balog

Save The Date for Local Foods Weekend 2023

Local farmers and food businesses are busy working in the fields and kitchens to bring delicious food to our plates, pantries, and freezers. Whether you make a salad with greens you picked up from a farmer’s market, cook a roast from the farm down the road, or enjoy meals at restaurants sourcing ingredients from our area’s growers, you are participating in our fabulous local food system.

To highlight these valuable members in our community and give them the credit and support they deserve, join us on September 8th, 9th, 10th, 2023 for the second Local Foods Weekend! The weekend consists of different public events hosted by local farmers and food businesses. It is a 3-day celebration of the products and the people that grow, raise, sell, or prepare food in and nearby St. Lawrence County and is organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension of St. Lawrence County. Every eater can play an active role in building a resilient local food system, and here’s a chance to learn more about the many farmers and food entrepreneurs involved.

Visit one or more of the 30+ events at locations across St. Lawrence County. There’s something for all interests including children’s activities, special menus, free samples, guided farm tours, workshops, open houses, and more.

Photo of a woman standing at her market tent with assorted herbs, vegetables, holding sunflowers. — Ashley Campbell of Trout and Heron in Potsdam is ready to welcome visitors to her new educational facilities with garden-centered creative children’s activities during the weekend.

April 27, 2023Laurel Balog

Extending the Growing Season in Northern NY

Spring is here which means local greenhouses and high tunnels are filling quickly. Some businesses focus on growing transplants of flowers, vegetables, and herbs for sale to the public and others plant into the ground for a bountiful harvest later in the season.

Last month, 19 farmers and gardeners participated in the final 2023 Ag and Food Producer Academy course organized by Cornell Cooperative Extension, Planning and Maintaining a High Tunnel or Greenhouse. The group was eager to learn how to incorporate protected structures on their own property, to extend the growing season and grow crops that otherwise might be challenging in northern New York.

A wealth of experience was shared throughout the three online sessions and field trip day to local greenhouse businesses and high tunnels. Here are a few tidbits we gleaned from our course instructors and field trip hosts.

Determining Your Structure Size and Soil Management Plan

Judson Reid, Course Instructor and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Vegetable Specialist emphasized proper structure size and soil management tools. Jud explained that it’s sometimes easier to start with a larger high tunnel or greenhouse so you can grow into it, rather than trying to scale up from a smaller one as your operation evolves. He walked course participants through considerations to determine the correct structure size for their business. Jud also strongly recommended having a soil management plan.

A man stands in a high tunnel between plants, speaking to a group. — Jud discussed air circulation in high tunnels and greenhouses during the field trip.

Soil tests are crucial to manage soil health and he suggests including a fertilizer injector into your system as a cost effective and efficient way to make adjustments to grow robust plants.

2. Finding Funding

Lindsey Pashow, Guest Instructor and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Agriculture and Business Development and Marketing Specialist, discussed searching and applying for grant funding based on your farm and high tunnel or greenhouse needs. She suggested making a list of your needs and starting with internet searches, finding the past timings and deadlines of grants, and looking at past projects to see if your project is similar and a good fit.

March 15, 2023Flip

Developing Skills with New Food Entrepreneurs

Every business owner comes to their work with unique strengths. Some folks start with a solid background in planning and business, while others know kitchens and food safety well. One business owner might have building and design experience, while others are proficient at developing marketing materials and outreach. Each one of these skills and many more are required when running a food business. One aspect of my job as manager of the shared-use Harvest Kitchen at the Extension Learning Farm is offering technical assistance to food entrepreneurs. Part of the technical assistance equation is understanding a person’s strongest foundational skills and filling in with supportive information and resources where needed.

This winter, based on the most common questions I was fielding throughout the year, I designed a 3-week class called Creating or Renting a Commercial Kitchen for Your Food Business for the Ag and Food Producers Academy. In January, the group met together online in the evenings for three sessions, and we all came together for a field trip at the close of the course. 19 businesses participated and had wide ranging business ideas including dehydrated products, baked goods, prepared foods, and more.

At the close of our month together, Extension asked the class participants which aspects of the course were most valuable for them as they move forward in diversifying an existing business or starting fresh with a new idea. We had so much fun together unraveling this important and complicated topic, I wanted to share some of their comments below alongside photos of the course experience.

1. Making Connections
“I gained some new friends and I learned what others are doing locally with commercial kitchens.”

group picture — During the field trip participants toured three different facilities of varying scale and use including Kent Family Growers in Lisbon, the Harvest Kitchen at the Extension Learning Farm in Canton, and Big Spoon Kitchen in Potsdam.

2. Learning about Recipe Approvals
“It really demystified the scheduled process for me and the whole process is much less daunting than I originally imagined.”