We went to the Gloversville Farmers Market today- we saw an Irish step-dancing performance, bought Conbeer's pesticide & chemical-free strawberries, shell peas, and garlic scapes!
Saturdays, from 8-12, under the Elm Street Pavillion (between Church & Spring Streets, behind Bleeker Square) this exciting, 100% grower's market happens each week from May 1st to October 30th.
Amsterdam has two farmers markets of its own- Wednesdays from 3-6pm on Rt. 30, across from Walgreen's by the Sanford Barns, and Thursdays from 9am -12pm by the Roosevelt Apartments, across the street from the Inman Center on Guy Park Avenue.
Please support local agriculture! Without your support, without everyone's support, we are in danger of losing our precious local farms.
When you buy produce at the grocery store, it is a vote against your local farms. When you buy grocery store produce, you can't be sure always if its a GMO or not. Your grocery store veggie or fruit has probably traveled over 1,000 miles from the giant agribusiness farm to your home. If it is non-organic, it is likely to have a chemical cocktail and even sewer sludge as part of its raising. It was grown for conformity in appearance & long shelf life, picked underripe & if its not organic, it was grown in depleted soils that severly lower its nutrient content.
When you buy from your local farmers, you can ask if their corn is GM or if they use pesticides & chemical fertilizers. If you buy from local farmers, your produce travels a couple hours tops, its picked fresh that morning At the peak of its nutritional value, and its grown for flavor, not merely looks. Local family farms are local small businesses, & supporting them supports the local economy. Chemicals are expensive, so even the farmers that use them probably use far less than the agribusiness monster farms, but you can ask your farmers directly about their practices. Your food has a face- your farmer is your neighbor, they take pride in their crops & reputation for honesty. Unlike the anonymous industrial produce in the grocery store, your local farmer is held accountable for his goods, & would be embarased to sell you that tasteless, mealy knock-off tomato that the grocery store hocks.
Eating local, seasonal produce provides a socially responsible, nutritionally superior option for us all. The local farmers markets in Gloversville & Schenectady even accept EBT cards through the on-site purchasing of tokens.
When we choose to only eat local, seasonal produce, we are automatically shifted to an Earth-friendly diet filled with variety. In that variety we acheive abundant nutrition. Preserving the harvest is as easy as freezing, or for better taste, learning the old-fashioned, glorious science of canning.
PLEASE PLEDGE TO SHOP THE FARMERS MARKETS. DO IT FOR GOOD TASTE, GOOD NUTRITION, GOOD ECOLOGY, GOOD ECONOMY, GOOD CIVIC SPIRIT AND BECAUSE IT OFFERS US A SIMPLE WAY TO SUPPORT ALL OF THESE GOALS!
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