One of my favorite things about fall is the beautiful seasonal color. Of course, I am talking about the glowing ruby reds of… cranberries! One of the last fruits of the year to ripen, these native, low-growing berries are a staple of holiday feasts, but they have application far beyond turkey condiments. Cranberries are high in fiber and vitamin C, as well as anthocyanin – that’s what gives them their vibrant color; it is also a powerful antioxidant. Naturally low in sugar, cranberries are often prepared with additional sweeteners – but they don’t have to be!
We are incredibly lucky to have one of just two cranberry farms in New York State right here in the North Country, at Deer River Cranberries of Brasher Falls. When I first tasted these berries – available fresh and frozen from many local retailers, as well as direct from the farm – I was amazed by how different the flavor was compared to supermarket ‘fresh’ berries. In fact, they are so tasty that my family and I like to snack on them raw, without any added sugar.
Autumn harvest at Deer River Cranberries in Brasher Falls. Photo courtesy of Sasha Kocho-Williams.
But, if you do want to prepare something with them, you will be spoiled for choice. From a simple cooked cranberry sauce (whole-berry, crushed, or strained style) that can be water-bath canned for long-term, shelf-stable storage, to fresh relishes, juicing, and baked goods, cranberries are as versatile as they are beautiful.
Deer River cranberries wholesales most of their berries, but they are also available for sale by the pound onsite during October harvest. Photo courtesy of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
Extension regularly reflects on ways to create meaningful connections between our northern NY producers and customers. Our first-ever Local Foods Weekend was in early September and farmers and food producers from across the region had unique offerings for the public to enjoy. Extension organized the event, and each producer had free reign to choose how they would participate. The result was a full events calendar across three days featuring over 40 farm and food businesses at 30 locations.
After the whirlwind of activity, we called each participating business to hear how the event was for them. As a complex web of activities across multiple locations and times, it was invaluable to hear their feedback on aspects that went smoothly and input for improvements.
Read on to learn more about the diversity of offerings paired with quotes from a half dozen producers. Check out the bonus gallery of images at the close of the post. The creativity and passion of the producers was evident everywhere we visited and community members were engaged and enjoying themselves at the various events.
For many farmers, the improvements to their farm are multi-year efforts. The Tuckers, of Tuckers Black Angus Ranch in North Lawrence have been working hard to expand their on-farm infrastructure and they planned the grand opening of their new farm store for Local Food Weekend. They offered tours of the farm, hosted the food truck Mac’s Mobile Diner and offered a full line of meat products and other artisan products.
“It was awesome, we had at least 300 people come that day. If this becomes an annual event, I’d love to participate and I’ll organize more staffing and signage.”
The Blue House in Madrid, specializes in seasonal rotating menus. During Local Foods Weekend they had a diverse offering that included Wood Fired Ruby Red Trout, Portuguese Sausage Kale Soup, Mexican Street Corn and much more. Sourcing for the menu featured ingredients from many local producers including Birchland Farm, Brandy View Farms, Cedar Hedge Farm, C&M Farm, Kent Family Growers, Martin’s Farmstand, M&M Farm, Meier’s Cheese, Squeak Creek Apiaries, Village Veggies, and Whitten Family Farm.
Co-owner and chef Josh Taillon shares, “I thought it was great. It was one of our busier weekends, for sure. People took fliers and went to other spots. The exposure was good, CCE did an awesome job getting the word out.”
Cedar Hedge Farm of Lowville traveled up to St. Lawrence County to be a day vendor at the Canton Farmers Market, selling their soft goat cheeses, breads and jams.
Jeff was surprised at the great reception he got and said, “People came out of the woodwork expecting me to be there. It was about twice my normal farm market proceeds for one day. I sold all the cheese I brought with me and I could have sold more.”
In December, the Local Foods team visited the newest food business in downtown Potsdam, the Hoof & Horn Butcher and Eatery. The LaClair family, with roots in Hermon and Saranac Lake, returned to northern New York eager to contribute to the local food scene. With experience as a chef and culinary instructor, Jonathan LaClair has the passion and skills to open up a farm-to-table whole animal butchery and eatery. Jon shares, “The big thing with us is that we are trying to utilize every part of an animal that we can.”
Charcuterie boards are available to order for any event. All of the cheeses and cured meats are sourced from New York State.
What will you find at Hoof and Horn? “We have our display case with all our raw cuts in it. We try to have some staples like New York strips and ribeyes when possible. But you will find some different cuts like the picanhas, sirloin steaks. We do a lot of beef tips and several different kinds of house-made sausages.” Think sausage flavors like maple brown sugar and chimichurri lamb.
Come take a seat and stay for lunch.
In addition, they offer eat-in or to-go lunches, such as warming ramen bowls and delicious lamb shoulder tacos. You can find other menu items like house-made chorizo sausage dressed with kimchi and garlic soy aioli.
Jon cooks up some of his homegrown purple potatoes.
LaClair, doesn’t stop there. It seems the longer Hoof & Horn is open, the more options become available to diners. With an indulgent brunch menu on Sundays featuring a variety of benedicts (crab, veggie and beef tenderloin). He says for brunch menus they are “trying to stay as hyper-local as we can and really celebrate the farms of the area.”Read more Hoof & Horn in Downtown Potsdam
