Old Saratoga Mercantile

Three years ago, I wrote a story about high tunnel farming and instantly fell in love. I knew I wanted to be a piece of supporting other farmers and making a difference in my community. I knew I wanted have my hands in dirt year-round. I had no idea what was to unfold.  Fast forward to today. I've left my reporting life, but I am still in the business of truth—and it's a way better kind!  I own a store bringing goods from more than 100 local farmers, growers, producers, artists, etc. to my friends and neighbors. These are people passionate and dedicated to their gardens, flocks, herd, talent and ingredients. If that's not truth, then I don't know what is.  If you've been wondering what's been going on behind the store, a high tunnel is going up. I simply can not wait until those veggies are on the OSM shelves. You'll be getting fresh cut greens all winter long, right from my back yard. None of this would be possible without the help, tutelage, unending s

As we were warned before beginning our tour of St. Croix Farm in Valley Falls, farm owner John Moore could talk for hours about grasses. He did talk about grass. A lot.  And every word was fascinating. The picturesque fields are green, but an attempt to count the types of grasses and plants quickly showed a landscape rich in many, many varieties. Most I'd heard of before and never thought much about: Crab grass, bedstraw, dandelion, clover, violets, burdock....alone they may not seem so impressive, but together, they weave a nutritionally dense diet for the cows.  More fascinating? We learned that the underground structure of roots connects with mycorrhizae , where plants can actually share nutrients! (Sorry if this is not new info to you! I'm still super excited about it!) You can read a little more about it here . We watched as the herd was let into a new field for "first bite" of new "teenage" grasses, which like teenagers, have lots of ene