Malta Farmers Market to host season opening
The Malta Farmers Market will open for the season today in the allerdice acE hardware parking lot.
MALTA The Malta Farmers Market will open for its 2014 season at 3 p.m. today in the Allerdice ACE Hardware parking lot at 2570 Route 9, just north of the round about at Route 67. The market will be open every Tuesday through the end of October.
“We’re excited to be back for our second year in the Allerdice location, which provides very convenient parking for customers and easy access to the market. We have a wide selection of locally grown products, as well as prepared meals and fabulous desserts that make for a quick weeknight supper,” said Suzanne Balet Haight, the on-site manager of Malta Farmers Mar- ket and owner of Balet Flowers & Design, a Malta-based farm on Nelson Avenue Extension.
This season’s market will feature area farms and vendors bringing vegetables, berries, plants and flflowers, eggs, baked goods, prepared foods, crafts and a knife- and garden tool-sharpening service, which includes mower blades and chainsaws.
New products at the market include gluten-free baked goods, Paleo diet meals (grain and dairy-free) and take-out Mediterranean-style entrees.
Other events for opening day include:
• Local blogger and magazine publisher Saratoga Mama will have its newest magazine and provide advice for families on the summer season.
• Balloon Gal Jenny will twist balloons into favorite creations from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
• Balet Flowers & Design will help customers select
flowering plants, vegetables, or herbs for a themed container garden (herb assortment, “pizza” garden, shade or sun container, etc.).
• A master gardener from the Saratoga County Cornell Cooperative Extension will answer gardening questions and offer advice and test dry soil samples for pH levels ($1 per sample). The master gardener can also collect moist soil samples, insect and plant samples for further analysis.
The Malta Farmers Market is managed by the Saratoga Farmers Market Association, which runs local “producer-only” markets. This standard requires all vendors to grow or produce their goods in Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer or Washington counties and ensures that products are fresh and unique, not purchased for resale.
Other summer-season Saratoga County markets operated by the Saratoga Farmers Market Association include Saratoga Farmers Market at High Rock Park (Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., through October); and a market in Clifton Park at St. George’s Episcopal Church at 912 Route 146 (Thursdays from 2 to 5 p.m., beginning July 3 through end of October).
More information is available at Maltafarmersmarket.org and on Facebook.