Combine the great tastes of the Finger Lakes at the Farm and Fork

It’s a hot Saturday summer night. We enjoy a long drive rolling through the heart of the Finger lakes, headed for Trumansburg. As the sun grows low in the sky, we park the car, looking at a normal-looking farm and barn. Can this be it?

Silver Queen Farm plays host to a monthly gourmet, farm-driven meal, known as the The Farm & Fork. The Farm & Fork is a collaboration between a caterer and local farms. The third Saturday evening of each month they welcome guests for a gourmet meal prepared with just-picked vegetables and fruits from the Finger Lakes Region.

Finger Lakes Farm Markets: Get it Fresh

Rochester Public Market

The Finger Lakes region has some of the richest soil in the northeast.

The Seneca, Cayuga, and Onondaga Indians recognized long ago the fertility of the land in the Finger Lakes and were successful at growing crops. In particular they grew the “three sister”–corn, beans, and squash–as well as fruit trees.  During the American Revolutionary War, when George Washington sent John Sullivan and his army to extricate the Indians from the region, Sullivan’s soldiers commented on the type and quality of the crops the Indians were growing. Many of these soldiers came back to the region to start their own farms.

Agriculture is New York State’s number one business. Fresh produce can be found at several farm markets across the region. Support your local growers and shop for produce and livestock grown locally.

Below are links to listings of farm markets and U-pick Farms found in the Finger Lakes and Upstate New York Region, as well as a partial listing from Syracuse.com.

Be a locovore

Edible Finger Lakes: Farmer’s markets

Finger Lakes Visitors Connection

Pick Your Own  all  of Upstate New York

Winter Farm Markets in New York State (PDF)

New York State Farm Markets Listing

Ontario County Farm Markets

 

Rochester Public Market has both outdoor and indoor vendors

These images were taken from the Rochester Public.

Rochester Public Market

In operation for over 100 years
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. year-round
Saturdays from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. year-round. 

Shoppers enjoy buying fresh

Syracuse.com Listing of Farmer’s Markets

Onondaga County

Central New York Regional Market: 2100 Park St., Syracuse, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays through the Thursday before Thanksgiving and 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays; 422-8647. Open Saturdays year round.

Camillus Farmers Market: Camillus Municipal Building, 4600 W. Genesee St., 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Fridays, through Oct. 29; 488-1234.

Clay Farmers Market: In the parking lot in front of Sears at Great Northern Mall, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays, through the last week in September (weather permitting); 430-1668.

Green Hills Farmers Market: Parking lot of Green Hills supermarket, 5933 S. Salina St., Syracuse; 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, June 16 through October; featuring some certified organic growers; 492-1707, 569-4511

Downtown Farmers Market: Parking lot at South Clinton and West Washington streets, in downtown Syracuse; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, to Oct. 12; 422-8284.

Manlius Farmers Market: parking lot behind Sno-Top, off Fayette Street (Route 92) near Village Centre, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays, to Oct. 28; 682-7887.

Market Days at Marcellus Park: Platt Road, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays, June 9 to Sept. 15; 673-3269, ext. 2.

Syracuse Eastside Neighborhood Farmers Market: Westcott Community Center, 836 Euclid Ave., 2 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays, June 9 to end of October. 751-1067.

University Community Harvest Farmers Market: Q3 parking lot, on the Syracuse University quad; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 11. Resumes in September and October. 443-3608.

Cayuga County

Farmers Cooperative Market of Cayuga County: South Street, Auburn, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, to Oct. 30; WIC, debit and credit cards accepted; 678-1622.

Moravia Farmers Market: 130 Main St. (Route 38; in parking lot of Kinney Drugs), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays, to Oct. 28. 497-1632.

Handmade clever at the Ithaca Farm Market

Cortland County

Cincinnatus Farmers Market: 2704 Lower Cincinnatus Road, 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays, through Dec. 20; 607-863-3828.

Cortland Farmers Market: Main Street, between Orchard and Court streets, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays, to Oct. 30; 607-753-8570.

East End Farmers’ Market:Dexter Park, corner of Elm and Franklin streets, Cortland, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, to Oct. 23; 836-6069, 849-4892.

Homer Farmers Market: On the Homer Village Green, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays to Oct. 27; 836-6069, 849-4892.

Madison County

Canastota Farmers Market: corner of Main and Hickory streets; 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, from the second week in July to the second week in October; 697-2566.

Cazenovia Farmers Market: Memorial Park, Albany Street; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, to Nov. 6; 655-9243,

Hamilton Farmers Market: Village Green, Broad Street, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, to Nov. 7; 824-1111.

Oneida Farmers Market: Clinch Park, Oneida and Williams streets; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays, to Oct. 28; 363-4300.

Oswego County

Fulton Farmers Market: Canalview parking lot (off Route 481), 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays, to Oct. 23; 343-7681.

Oswego Farmers Market: West First Street between Bridge and Oneida streets, 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, through Sept. 30, 343-7681.

Oneida County

Farmers Market at Sylvan Beach: At the foot of the Erie Canal bridge, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, to Sept 7; 203-979-9872.

Tompkins County

The Ithaca Farm Market stays shady and breezy on the hottest of days

Ithaca Farmers Market I: Steamboat Landing, Third Street at the waterfront, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, to Oct. 30; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, to Oct. 31; 607-273-7109

A Trip to Owen Orchards in Elbridge

Cortland, Macintosh, and Jonamacs were in season.

This week’s post is guest written by Adam Coholan.

While fall is officially here according to the calendar, the sun is still out and the air is warm as summer slowly loosens its grip over the Finger Lakes region.  When the days get shorter and the leaves start to turn, the farms in the area come alive.  With a myriad of activities, from tractor rides through apple orchards to corn mazes and pumpkin patches, it is truly an exciting time to live in Upstate New York.

Many of the surrounding trees were still green, speckled with some red and orange of leaves

There’s one tradition my family started a few years back that I now look forward to as soon as I know it’s fall.

Grandma, the snowbird, dodges the cold winters by heading to Florida each fall around the end of October, so a few years back we developed a plan to get the whole family together before she left.  The end result was a trip to Owen Orchards for a little apple picking, and we’ve been going back ever since.

Located right off of Route 5 in Elbridge, it’s an easy location to get to and luckily they have ample parking, because we usually show up with about twenty people.

As I step out of the car, I’m immediately hit with the smell of fresh cider donuts and apple fritters.  It’s hard to resist the urge to head directly into the barn for a fritter and some cider to wash it down.

Somehow we all fought temptation and entered the orchard, just as a tractor unloaded a wagon of pickers lugging bags of apples.  We clambered aboard and the driver took us on a tour of the orchard before dropping us off where all the action was.

It was a gorgeous day, a few clouds dotting a brilliant blue sky.  We went earlier than normal this year, and many of the surrounding trees were still green, speckled with some red and orange of leaves looking to get a jump on the winter.

Among others, Cortland, Macintosh, and Jonamacs were in season.  My grandma makes amazing homemade applesauce, so I helped her fill up a couple bags.  When all of our bags were busting at the seams, we jumped back on the tractor for the quick trip to the barn.

Our “work” done, we gave into the aromas and ordered a couple donuts and some cider, then continued browsing around the barn, checking out the crafts, pumpkins, and other treats on display.  It’s a great experience every year, the staff is terrifically friendly and certainly knowledgeable about all things apples.  They even let our dogs come with us out into the orchard.  There are dozens of orchards throughout the Finger Lakes, and having been to many, Owen Orchards is the one that keeps us coming back year after year.

Thanks Owen!

Adam Coholan is an active blogger who writes about experiencing New York’s great outdoors for Elliman Real Estate, the top NY agency for homes, apartments, and condos.
You can reach him on Twitter @Coho22

Lockwood Farms: Lavender Capital of the Finger Lakes

Prepare to be educated about Lavender. There are 18 varieties and over 1800 plants on the farm. The plants originate in France and England, but all these plants have originated from Washington State. Besides being known as a fragrant dried flower, Lavender is also used in cooking. If you go to the Festival there will be a chef preparing recipes featuring Lavender. You can also pick your own Lavender.

Finger Lakes Cheese Trail Adventure

Did you think I meant to say “wine trail?” No whey! Cheese farms are popping up all over the Finger Lakes. We’re took a special trip to ride some of the trail, meet the cheese makers, and try as much as possible!

Finger Lake’s Finest — The New York Wine and Culinary Center

If you have only one day to spend in the Finger Lakes and you have want to sample a bit of everything, make sure you visit the New York Wine and Culinary Center.

The Center (or NYWCC) offers cooking classes, wine, beer and spirits tastings, a gift shop and a restaurant.

Finger Lakes Honeoye Harvest

An exceptionally warm Saturday allowed me a late fall bike ride in farm country north of Honeoye Lake. I was careful to bike east/west, thus avoiding some of the mile-long N/S hills common in this area, and instead opting for the quad-ripping drumlins that make riding in the Finger Lakes a worthy workout.

Enjoy a Finger Lakes Harvest at Elderberry Pond

The menu at Elderberry Pond uses many of the fresh seasonal ingredients from the farm. Many of the meat dishes are prepared from local organic and/or grass fed livestock including their own pork and beef from farms in upstate New York that raise free range livestock, hormone and antibiotic–free, with healthy diets.

We ordered Potato Leek Soup (using their own potatoes and leeks), Turkey Chili and their signature crab cakes. Everything was delicious, especially when paired with some delicious wines, a chardonnay and a gewürztraminer. Service was attentive and helpful especially with our questions regarding gluten in the recipes.