Ithaca Farmers Market

Opening Day 4/6/24 9-3pm booth 6

Check out the new Ithaca Farmers Market blog here

As SoapIsBest.com changes into a lifestyle website, Ithaca Farmers Market continues. See you there in booth 6.

Annual Rutabaga Curl

ifm_soap_display.jpeg

Join us for the International Annual Rutabaga Curl. A zany twist on the traditional curling sport. Our farmers grow regulation rutabagas specifically for this event.

It's the last Ithaca Farmers Market at the outdoor pavilion at Steamboat Landing Dec. 16, 2023 from 10-2pm

The market pavilion is transformed into a curling court, complete with referees, rutabaga treats provided by our talented food vendors, rutabaga curl tee shirts and hoodies. There is usually a warming fire, plenty of hot drinks, good cheer, laughing, and fun as we close out another year of celebrating local food and locally made soap at Ithaca Soap in booth 6 (and other local businesses).

Ask Andy for bulk discounts to cover all of your gift giving.

The Ithaca Farmers Market moves indoors in January at The Triphammer Market Place. We do not attend this market. We will be back at the pavilion the 1st Saturday in April, 2024.

You can order on our website, ithacasoap.com throughout the year and sign up for our weekly newsletter to get a 25% off coupon good only online.

3 more markets outside

It's going to be a beautiful late Fall day this Sat. Come get lunch and enjoy the day. Select from a local array of vegetables, meats, and household items and gifts, like the very best soap from us.

Andy will be there in Booth 6 from 10-2pm.

Make your plans for the International Annual Rutabaga Curl, Dec. 16th from 10-2.

Storing pumpkins and Winter squashes

Pumpkins

It's so tempting to stock up on pumpkins and Winter squashes, but they never seem to last as long in your kitchen as they are supposed to.

Some squashes store better than others. The key is cool temperatures. A cold windowsill, a well ventilated cool, dry basement, an old root cellar. 40-50℉ is the the key. Store your squashes on steel or wooden racks, if possible. Make sure there are no moldy spots on the racks themselves or the squashes. AND space the squashes out so they do not touch each other. Do not store them in a box or basket.

THEN, you must examine them regularly, while you select the ones to eat. Cook at least one a week. When you select the one to eat, gently pick each one up and look it over to check for soft spots. If you find spots, those squashes should be cooked immediately. Simply cut out the soft spot, compost it, and cook your Winter squash to enjoy.

Make this part of your routine, and your Winter squashes could last through April. Click this link for recipes!

Andy will be at The Ithaca Farmers Market SAt. Nov 18th from 10-2pm. He will not be attending Sunday market.

It's the ginger harvest

Believe it or not, we have a few talented organic farmers at our market, that grow spicy, sweet, tangy ginger, right here in the Northeastern US.

I ferment it for 3 days and it lasts all year as fresh as they day I peeled it. I store it in the refrigerator.

This year I am also dehydrating it. I rehydrate it, 1 part ginger to 4 parts water. 

ginger

Set your clock back!

It's that time of year again, where we go back to natural time on Sunday 11/5/23 at 2am.

The Ithaca Farmers Market hours are also changing:

November through 11/26/23

  • Sat. 10-2pm
  • Sun 10-2pm

December through 12/16/23

  • Sat. 10-2pm
  • Sat 12/16/23 The Annual International Rutabaga Curl 10-2pm. All are welcome. Family friendly event

Visit us in booth 6 for the very best in all things soap! Can't make it, click here

Pumpkins and gourds

The pumpkins, Winter squashes, gourdes, and decorative corn have arrived in all of their slender at the Ithaca Farmers Market. Come select what you will eat, decorate with, feed to your pets, and store for a Winter's soup. The selection is vast. Click here for squash recipes.

Please look below to take note of our upcoming market hours change.

See you in booth 6!

turquoise corn
pumpkins 2

Fall hours for the Ithaca Farmers Market

bar_la.jpeg

As the light changes, so do our hours at the Ithaca Farmers Market:

October through 10/29/23

  • Sat. 9-3pm
  • Sun. 10-3pm

November through 11/26/23

  • Sat. 10-2pm
  • Sun 10-2pm

December through 12/16/23

  • Sat. 10-2pm
  • Sat 12/16/23 The Annual International Rutabaga Curl 10-2pm. All are welcome. Family friendly event

Visit us in booth 6 for the very best in all things soap! Can't make it, click here

Potatoes

I love to have a baked potato whole or to make some fresh baked potato chips. Farm fresh potatoes are being harvested all over the Northern US, in the Fall. They are fresh and delicious. Get to know your farmers and eat their potatoes. 

At the Ithaca Farmers Market, we have several potato farmers, who grow an amazing array of different colored, textured and size potatoes. 

Visit us in booth 6

Sat.  9-3pm and Sun 10-3pm

It's really simple to fresh make chips. Click this fruit and vegetable wash link for the recipe.

Bon appetite!

Pumpkins

Winter squashes and pumpkins are arriving at the Ithaca Farmers Market! It's time for pie making! This link is for winter squashes in general.

If you're in Ithaca this weekend, visit us in booth 6!

Bubble bath and harvest

As Summer comes to a close, and the harvest is in full swing, it's time to relax with a bubble bathTake care and pamper yourself. Celebrate the seasons, reflect, and relax. Use Instant Liquid Soap for a natural Castile soap bubble bath.

If you really want to collect and preserve the local bounty, you need to have the energy to find, bring home, and preserve the foods you love and want to eat during the Winter months. Whether this means spending long hours harvesting from your garden, or wading through crowds at your farmers market, it's all time you spend gathering groceries and filling your pantry, to give yourself and your family delicious healthy meals.

Harvest is a busy time for anyone who loves to eat the food that grows close to home. It's the best quality and the best for you. If you love sweet corn, or your chickens do, now is the time to get some.

Click here for Blueberry Custard Pie topped with apples

I have a friend who freezes sweet corn to eat during the Winter. He's kind enough to bring the cobs he cut the corn off of for my chickens. They LOVE it, and have a dinner party. Yes, chickens have dinner parties too. If you have roosters, they host the hens, making sure everyone gets a share of the goodies.

applesmake an apple pie. Or top a custard fruit pie with apple slices.
hopi-turquoise-cornThis is my garden grown Hopi turquoise sweet corn. I dehydrated this for my chickens

Beets, carrots, potatoes

The harvest is coming in and the light, here in the North Eastern US, is changing. It also means an array of colorful foods are being harvested and showing up at market. It's time to can, freeze, ferment and dehydrate your favorites so you can extend your enjoyment of them into the deep into Winter.

Click here for my fermented vegetable instructions.

Fermented Carrots2
sliced onions

Watermelons

It's Labor Day weekend at The Ithaca Farmers Market, and that means it's watermelon season. Watermelons are a fleshing nutritious Summer treat. If you're like me, I love to eat them all year long.

Click here for Dehydrated Watermelon instructions

watermelon-sudsy
watermelon sliced on tray
ILS Story Board 2
ILS Story Board 3

Fermented tomato and onion salsa

When life gives you an abundance of tomatoes, make salsa. It's a simple to make a delicious condiment.

Get a clean quart jar, pickle pipe and weight and tomatoes, a hot pepper of your choice, an onion and either a lemon, lime, or your favorite vinegar. You can add herbs like oregano, cilantro and or basil. 1/2t salt for fermenting and even a 1/4 teaspoon of kefir or other cultured food to add tang and dimension to your fermentation

Chop the tomatoes, onion and herbs. Chop the herbs. Mix in a bowl.

In the jar, place the salt and kefir. I used a goat milk kefir! Juice your lemon or lime and add to the jar, or add the vinegar. Swirl around to mix.

Fill the jar with your chopped ingredients, and tamp down until the jar is packed to the neck. The tomatoes will become liquid as you tamp down, which should be enough liquid to make your salsa. 

Place your weight on top of the salsa. The tomato juice should cover the weight. Place your pickle pipe on top of the jar and close with the jar band.

Ferment for 2 days, open and enjoy!

tomatoesI did a few seed swaps and ended up with 13 tomato varieties! It's a colorful, tasty and enjoyable tomato year.
fermented salsaFermented tomato salsa

tomatoes 

The tomatoes are ripening quickly and I am filling my dehydrator daily. This year my variety is vast, and after the tomatoes are dehydrated, I am storing all of the different varieties separately in different jars. They are so pleasing to look at.

The harvest is coming in quickly and the fruit and vegetable varieties are piling up at the ithaca Farmers Market. Join us for a visit in booth 6! 

Summer harvest

Because the weather has been too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry and everything in between, you should get what's in season fast.

My tomatoes are abundant in my garden, but ripening very slowly. That says to me, one day they will all be ripe and I better have time to set aside to deal with them, when that happens. I planted 13 different varieties and they are beautiful.

Andy and I picked blueberries in the rain. Between showers the sun came out, making the air steamy. I was watching berries that I left on the bush to be picked in a day or so, ripen before my eyes. And they are fat, juicy and sweet this year! There are lots of blueberries in Upstate NY, but they will ripen quickly and disappear fast because they are so sweet.

It's blueberry pie season!  Click here for the recipe

tomato black strawberryBlack strawberry tomato on the vine
tomato w salad and sandwichThe sandwich is made with my new and improved sourdough bread. It's perfect. Stay tuned for sourdough bread making updates

Cucumbers and more!

With the crazy weather this year, the market selections are coming on fast. Pickling cucumbers are in, blueberries are on their way and I have even eaten a few yummy fresh tomatoes right off my vines.

Click here for Blueberry Custard Pie recipe

Click here for fermenting vegetables. You can ferment pickling cucumbers the same as any other vegetable. Yummy!

Roast chicken with black currants

This is a simple and delicious roast chicken recipe. If you purchase a healthy, farm fresh, organic chicken and local vegetables, you will get the added bonus of gelatin. You can substitute any in season vegetables for the celery and onions.

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken, including all parts and if you're lucky, feet (collagen)
  • 1 onion
  • 2-3 celery stalks
  • 1 pint black currants
  • 1 covered roasting pan with a drip grate

Directions:

  1. Rinse and brine the chicken in in salt water for at least 2 hours. Your can brine the chicken for up to 12 hours. 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and enough water to cover the chicken. In Summer let soak in the refrigerator. 
  2. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
  3. Slice the onion and celery.
  4. Wash the black currants. I like to remove the flower and stems.
  5. Evenly distribute all vegetables and currants in the pan, over and around the drip grate. 
  6. Rinse the brine off of the chicken and place on top of the vegetables and currants. Place all of the parts and feet on top of the vegetables in the pan.
  7. Rub a small amount of olive oil on your hands and rub this into the chicken skin. 
  8. Sprinkle on your seasoning. I use the classic French sausage seasoning: cinnamon, clove and white pepper. Sometimes I sprinkle in 1/4 cup fresh oregano.You can add basil, thyme, tarragon, whatever you like.
  9. Fill the pan with water up to the chicken bottom. Cover.
  10. Bake for 1-2 hours.  
  11. Serve with Kale chips (recipe coming), rice, quinoa, salad, whatever. 
  12. The chicken feet will make a very thick gelatin our of the broth. I use it as an oil for sautéing. You can pour the warm gelatin into a baking pan and cool. Serve in slices over salad for lunch. 

Zucchini

Summer squashes are in at farmers markets. In my opinion, summer squash is one of the most versatile foods. Sweet, savory, raw, cooked, zucchini can be in everything. Sauces, salad dressings, stuffed, breaded and fried, pies, cookies, cakes, omelettes. 

I side dressed my summer and winter squashes in my garden this week, and needed to clean up quickly and wash my shoes, before I went in the house to shower and put on clean clothes. Read more here

Currants

Berries are in full swing in Upstate NY. Black, white and red currants are juicy and tart. I love to juice them and make custard pies or dehydrate them into fruit leather. Yummy!

There are still strawberries. They are sooo sweet this year.

There is an abundant supply of fresh picked lettuce at The Ithaca farmers Market right now. If you've never had a farm fresh picked lettuce salad, it's time you tried one. You will never go back to lettuce that sat on a store shelf. When I pick my lettuce, I pick the whole plant, roots and all. This way, if I don't eat the whole head in one meal, I place the remaining lettuce with the roots still in tact, in a glass of water. It looks like a pretty bouquet on my counter, until I'm ready to eat the rest. 

Strawberries

strawberries

It's strawberry season! Yay!   There have been many farming weather challenges in Upstate NY this year. With that said, the strawberries are here, but not plentiful. 

Sweet, delicious and worth it, if you are a strawberry fan. I love to eat them fresh, in lettuce salads, jams, dehydrated in tea, and strawberry rhubarb pie. Click here for my blueberry custard pie and substitute strawberries for the blueberries. You can top with apples or a top crust.

For fruit only strawberry rhubarb jam, follow the pectin box directions and leave out the sugar. 

Of course you will need Instant Liquid Soap to hand wash your dishes. If you are in Ithaca, visit Andy in Booth 6 at the Ithaca Farmers market.

tender Spring kale

Fresh Greens

Tender Spring greens are going to be big this weekend, after this really gentle nice rain we are having. Tat soi, chard, lettuce, radishes, spring cabbages are all getting big enough to pick.

Keep on the lookout for strawberries in these next few weeks. Red raspberries, black caps, and currants after strawberries.

Spring was a time when Andy's dad, my father-in-law, was planting corn for the cows, and sweet corn for the family. He planted a small (haha) 5 acre sweet corn patch for the family. I learned from Andy cousin, who learned from my father-in-law, how to plant corn.

You don't have to wait for perfect planting conditions with corn. Corn waits for the right time. Sometime in the middle of May, put your corn seed in the ground. Keep it watered. When the soil temperature is perfect the corn seed will germinate. 

cornmulti colored heirloom popcorn from Andy's cousin. This stash is what I saved for seed.

Cornell Reunions

It's Cornell University Reunions week. While campus is bustling with alums, reunite with Ithaca and visit the Ithaca Farmers Market. 

As we move into June, be on the lookout for strawberries. Rhubarb has been in for a couple of weeks, so plan for a strawberry rhubarb pie. 

My garden lettuce will be ready for salads next week, but there's plenty at market.

Peas, radishes, arugula, mizuna, and tender Spring kale, all go nicely in a fresh salad.

If you are tent camping or camping in your RV, get the best camping soap.

Visit Andy in booth 6 to stock up on all of your soap needs.

Ithaca Festival Weekend

The Ithaca Festival is the 1st weekend in June, after the college graduations have concluded. The festival begins at noon.

Come to the Ithaca Farmers Market for breakfast and get the best lettuce. The lettuce selection is vast, crisp, and delicious. Visit us in Booth 6.

Read about the best car wash, so your car looks the best for your Summer outings.

Memorial Day Weekend

Traveling this weekend? Come to the Ithaca Farmers Market to get the very best picnic foods. Fresh salad veggies, meats for your barbecue grilling, hard cider, deserts. 

Ithaca Farmers Market hours through Oct. 29, 2023 at Steamboat Landing:

Saturday 9-3

Sunday 10-3

The Taste of the Finger Lakes (that used to be Taste of the Nation) is June 13th from 5-9pm. We will be demonstrating the Instant Liquid soap, so you can actually wash your hands before eating some of the area's best local foods. Come join us!

The lilacs are in bloom for Mother's Day

The Ithaca Farmers Market is full of lilacs of all colors, perfuming the air for about 1-2 weeks. Come down and enjoy this specular perfume in the moment. 

Click here to read about the lilac perfume and why it's so special

Take your mom out for lunch or bring lunch in. Either way, enjoy the day with your mom. Say hello to us in booth 6.

lilacs

Sunday market begins

Spring is in bloom

Do you love daffodils and their intoxicating perfume? Come to the Ithaca Farmers Market and get intoxicated when you park your car in the middle of the Spring daffodil bloom.

Get farm fresh eggs. Who knows, I may even bring some of our beautiful eggs. Check it out on booth 6

Come on out
lower nest boxInstant Liquid Soap is perfect for washing those farm fresh eggs right before cracking them open or hard boiling. Make sure your eggs are the healthiest and full of nutrition.

Get the best local fresh food 

It's a beautiful Spring, and the Ithaca Farmers Market has the best local food for your holiday celebrations. Visit us in booth 6 to get Instant Liquid soap for all of your dish washing and cloth napkin laundering.

Read about how I eradicated an aphid bloom on my garden seedlings with Instant Liquid Soap and a cotton swab. 

Do your part in helping with water conservation efforts. Read here

Opening Day Sat. April 1, 2023 booth 6

What is in season at the Ithaca Farmers Market in early April? Get the Spring bounty for your holiday celebrations.

We have a plethora of fresh lettuce, arugula, spinach, maybe asparagus. You may find some sweet overwintered special carrots, celeriac, onions, leaks, apples. 

Wine, hard cider, mushroom spirits. WooHoo!

There will definitely be a delicious selection of meats: pork, lamb, chicken, goat, bison, possibly some duck or goose (you never know), and fresh yummy farm fresh eggs

Craft and food vendors will be there to add to your holiday tables. There will be soap to clean up after your guests. Conserve water by diluting Instant Liquid Soap at home.

The Ithaca Farmers Market moves back to the pavilion at Steamboat Landing on April 1st. Yes, this is April Fools Day, but it is really the opening day back at the pavilion. Andy loves Riddles and jokes. Bring one for him.

Saturdays 9-3pm: April 1, 2023 to Oct. 28, 2023

Saturdays 10-2pm: Nov. 4, 2023 to Dec. 16

Sundays 10-3: May 7th to Oct. 29

Sundays 10-2pm: Nov. 5 to Nov. 26

Visit us in Booth 6. See you at the market

There are 3 more weeks of the Winter Market at The Triphammer Mall. 10:30-2pm

We do not attend the Winter Market.


Goodbye 2022

This is the last Ithaca Farmers Market for 2022 in the pavilion at Steamboat Landing. Click here to order for pick up in booth 6

The Market moves indoors for the Winter to
Triphammer Marketplace – 2255 North Triphammer Rd, Ithaca NY
Saturdays only 1/7/22- 3/25/22, 10:30AM to 2:00PM

We do not attend the Winter Market, but our website is always open and so are our retailers. Check them out here.

Rutabaga goddess.jpegThere's the Rutabaga Goddess quietly getting ready for the precession
Coco.jpegCoco with his Lucky 7 registration tag.

Annual Rutabaga Curl-The Silver Year

The International Annual Rutabaga Curl at The Ithaca Farmers Market is celebrating its 25th year. Come warm your hands by the fire, your heart at the last farmers market for the year, eat some rutabaga fries, drink some hot cider or hot cocoa and compete! 10-2pm. click this link for my kohlrabi fries recipe and substitute rutabagas. 

How to take part

When you arrive at The Ithaca Farmers Market, you sign up to compete at the Registration booth and select your Regulation Grown Rutabaga. You will get a numbered tag and instructions of how, when and where to curl. Come alone or bring friends and family. It's a wonderful, cold weather, hilarious, outdoor event.

Rutabaga court.jpegThe Rutabaga Ambassador in the beret
Rutabaga Curl Team.jpegThe Grand Poobah Team

Believe it or not, this sporting event has been featured on the NPR show, "It's Only a Game". People have come from all over the world to compete. One year, a whole team arrived from Japan, complete with camera crew.

We, as a team, have been invited to play The Mandrake Toss in Scotland or was it Wales?? That was a long time ago and in the Spring when it was impossible for many of us to get away, since this is a farmers market and it is critical planting time. You never know what's going to happen.

What is curling?

Curling is a Winter olympic sport that dates back to midevil Scotland. It is a team sport, played with stone teapot looking things, called stones that you slide across ice toward a target called a house. 

The Ithaca Farmers Rutabaga Curl is a world famous yearly event, where contestants curl with Regulation Grown Rutabagas.

The Rutabaga Curl History

Rutabaga CurlThe turnip toss for kids
rutabagasThe registration table with the regulation grown rutabagas

It all started 25 years ago, when it was so cold at the market, the vendors were all visiting with each other. Farmers and vendors are generally active people, so standing around is a temporary thing. Eventually someone started to curl with frozen chickens that they were selling. This led to something rounder to roll, like rutabagas, This led to a game, which led to a competition.

A court is built exclusively for this event, and the rutabagas are grown exclusively for this event. There are referees, judges and prizes. There's even a turnip toss for kids. 

Some contestants are a team, like the Scottish team, complete with kilts. Interestingly enough, lately the busker at the market has been a bagpipe player.  

The Rutabaga Queen begins the games in a ceremonious promenade, and a lighting of the torch. It's wild with costumes, Protesters for the Ethical Treatment of Rutabagas, and anyone you want to be to pitch in. Think it up and be a part.

Conjure up the Rutabaga Goddess in you, and join the fun in the Rutabaga Curling spirit.

Rogues and hooligans

One year, Scott from Under The Tree, played with a black radish, which is a giant rutabaga sized radish. He snuck it in, and it wasn't noticed until he actually curled with it.  This caused a GIANT uproar as he curled well to score. Everyone ran after the radish, screaming fowl and other official sporting commands. They frantically tried to remove the offending radish from the court, when another black radish was curled. The referees went wild, right in front of my booth. 

It's one big laugh and a whole lot of fun for the whole family. I hope you can make it!

Soap Gift Sets

Lav Gift Set
Un Soap Gift SetSoap Gift Sets are a great way to give something useful that will be used every day. Your recipient will think of you. Buy your Soap Gift Sets on line. Save on shipping when you pick up at The Ithaca Farmers Market.

I wanted our Soap Gift Sets to be what our community of Ithaca Soap users would actually appreciate. I know that I love a really useful gift. I think of the gift giver every time I use the thing I really wanted and needed. Give something everyone needs. Great soap.

We can ship them right to your gift recipients. Simply put their address in the where to ship section of the shopping cart. Of course you can also get a set for yourself.

Do you live in Ithaca? Save on shipping. Select Pickup in the shopping cart for Ithaca Farmers Market pickup. Your Soap Gift set will be all ready when you arrive. Please place orders by the previous Friday by 9am. Orders placed after 9am will be ready by the following weekend for pickup.

Ithaca Farmers Market now through 12/17/22 hours 10-2pm. See you in booth 6

Kohlrabi Fries

Oven fries are the best. Did you know that kohlrabi is a super food? Full of omega 3's and 6's. Get some at market.

Preheat the oven to 375 degreesF. 

  1. 2-4 lbs kohlrabi. This could be 1 Gigante or a few smaller varieties.
  2. Wash the big kohlrabi with soap and water. Slice off the thick hard outer peel. If you have chickens, put it in your food processor and grind it up for them.
  3. Slice the kohlrabi into strips. Place them in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil to evenly coat all of the fries. Sprinkle on onion powder, chipotle powder, and salt to taste Toss to evenly coat. 
  4. Oil a baking sheet pan and evenly spread out your fries. Bake for about 1 hour. When you smell the yummy aroma, flip them over, until they are browned. They will not get crispy. 
  5. Serve!

On another note, we will not be attending the last Sunday (11/27) market of the year. We will be at all of the Dec. Sat. Markets.

The last Sat. Market is Dec. 17th. Join us for the International Rutabaga 
Curl.

Cauliflower and Crispy Pork

Come to the Ithaca Farmers Market this weekend before Thanksgiving to get the colorful fall harvest. Warm up your home and gather with friends and family with the very best local food.

Visit Andy in booth 6 for useful and fun gifts.

Can't make it? See our soap gift sets here

Fermented Cauliflower

I got the most beautiful, giant head of purple cauliflower from Stick and Stone Farm. They have a dynamic booth loaded to the brim with colorful vegetables, and the kids expertly run it. Click this link to read how to  ferment it, and get that gorgeous colored brine.  

Crispy pork with mixed vegetables

I got some "stew meat" from Cayuta Sun Farm. Michael carefully raises heritage breeds of meat animals. The difference is in the taste.

I call it cubed pork, since I "pork stew" isn't a thing.I made crispy pork with mixed vegetables. That recipe is coming soon.

Pumpkins and french fries

The Ithaca Farmers Market is full of Winter squashes. The selection is huge. I brought a pumpkin home and turned it into custard, sweetened with apples. Yummy! Andy will be in Booth 6 Sat. and Sun. from 10-2pm.

Blue Heron Farm has farm fresh picked potato french fries. The dipping sauces are amazing. What could be better? Check them out and bring home a pumpkin.

In the photo of the wool felt painting (below), there is a pumpkin at the Farmers Market stand, right above the eggs.

Farmers Market felt painting

As the days get shorter and the nights cooler, it's time to play with wool. The painting above is made with 100% wool felt that I dyed with natural plant dyes. I constructed the piece and used the Olive Oil Shampoo Bar to to felt it all together. That's right, Soap in the Yarn and Dye Studio.

Click here for Pumpkin Custard recipe

Nov and Dec IFM hours

Apples

apple and pear pies

Not the best photo. On the left is an apple pie made with local Farmer Ground wheat flour. On the right is pear pie, made with local buckwheat flour.

My pies are simple, nutritious, and delicious. They can be desert or part of a dinner, since they only contain fruit, cinnamon, and cloves, and no sugar.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

The pie crust is simple: 1/2 cup olive oil (or butter), 1/2 cup water, 2 cups flour. Mix the ingredients together, knead and let sit while you prepare the fruit. This is for a thin crust. If you prefer a thicker cagier crust, double this recipe. I switch back and forth. 

The wheat crust can be cut in 1/2 and rolled out into 2 crusts. Oil your pie plate, lay in the bottom crust. Pile in the fruit and sprinkle with cinnamon, cloves, add nutmeg and allspice if you'd like. Of course you can add sugar to taste also! Carefully lay the top crust and pinch closed. Cut in a smiley face or flowers for vents.

The buckwheat crust is the same recipe, but I do not roll it out. You can, but it's a difficult crust to lift up. Oil your pie plate. Add 1/2 of the crumble crust and press into place. Pile in the fruit, and add your spices and optional sugar. Evenly distribute the crumble crust on top of the fruit. Carefully press into place, covering as much of the fruit as you can.

Bake your pies for about 1 hour until the fruit is saucy and begins to bubble.

Pears

pear sauce w pears

I made pear sauce with these sweet, delicious little pears from Sabols Farm, at The Ithaca Farmers Market. We had a drought this past August, and the pears are small, but yummy.

Click here for the recipe.

Choose from 5 different natural essential oil scents

Instant Liquid Soap is the perfect stovetop cleaner. It's gentle on your hands while being tough on built up, caked on grease. Click here to read How to Clean your Greasy Stovetop using zero waste natural soap methods

  1. Tear open pouch at notch
  2. Fill pouch with water to top of label. Gently stir.
  3. Pour into a reused plastic bottle. Use.

The future starts now as you end single use plastic bottles. Click here

Pears are in at The Ithaca Farmers Market. They are small and irregular, measuring about 2 1/2" in height and 1" in diameter. Actually the small size is very cute and attractive.

This year's drought has its affects. Some are very sweet and some are not as sweet. I will be getting a bushel to split with a friend. Out of my 1/2 bushel, 1/2 of that will be kept in the fridge for Andy to eat fresh. The rest will be made into canned pear sauce for Winter time enjoyment. 

Stay tuned for the recipe.

Pumpkins and Winter squash

Pumpkins and Winter squashes have arrived at The Ithaca Farmers Market. The choices are many, providing you with culinary delights you can make at home for personal enjoyment and nourishment. 

Did you know that Winter squashes are sealed up in their own container because of their hard skin? If you have a dry place they stays between 40-50 degrees F, many winter squashes will last for weeks or months. I'll have more info on this type of storage in my "Live Kitchen. Happy Home." course coming in the near future. Stay tuned, by signing up for our newsletter.

delicate and honey notDelicata and honey nut squash

The squashes in the photo to the right are delicata (the yellow ons) and honey nut (the burnt sienna ones). These are both very flavorful and versatile, once cooked. Soup, pie, cookies, quick breads. The list is endless.

My favorite way to cook them is to bake them. Since they grow on the ground, and usually have some dirt on them, start by washing them with soap and water. I break off the stem with my fingers and place them whole in a baking pan. Bake at 350-375 for about 45 minutes to an hour. You'll know when they are done, by sliding a knife into them. It's like butter.

Serve with any meal, with any topping. Sweet or savory, they are full of nutrition.

I scoop out the seeds for my chickens, but you can also toast them as a snack for you.

Apples

The Ithaca Farmers Market has a wide selection of apples, in all colors and sizes. Apples will grace our meals from now until next Spring, given the correct storage conditions. Click this link for my Apple Ginger Chutney recipe. The ginger is also a local delight. 

Peppers

Back to school means the pepper harvest is in full swing. Come to the Ithaca Farmers Market to view a veritable plethora of sweet, hot, round, long, crinkly, yellow, green, purple, brown, orange, red, big, small peppers. 

Here's a quick recipe for Roasted Red Pepper and Romano Dressing, aka Romesco, a sweet pepper pesto (literally translated as nut paste, but this recipe does not contain nuts) from my cook book The Ravioli Book, which I'm planning on doing a 3rd printing.

Ingredients:

  • 4 Large red sweet bell peppers
  • 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/8 t salt (optional, since the cheese is quite salty)
  • 1/8 t black pepper
  • 1 sweet apple, optional

Directions:

  • Roast the peppers in a 400 degree oven F, until the skins are brown and puffy.
  • Cool the peppers enough to remove the skins and seeds.
  • Peel and core the optional apple.
  • Put all of he ingredients in your food processor and puree. 
  • Serve with salad, bread, pasta or use as a sauce for anything.

Zucchinis

Zucchinis are my all time favorite. Sautéed, boiled, breaded and fried, baked in pies, with eggs, on pizza, in curry, stir fried, in cookies, cakes, breads, dehydrated as chips, salsa, soup. The list is endless. I can eat zucchini a different way every day. 

This is a great zucchini year at The Ithaca Farmers Market. The market is bursting at the seems with them, lucky for me. In my personal garden, I had a crop failure, and it looks like I will get 1 or 2 of my prized trombonccino zucchinis this year. Sad face. 

I bought a bunch of delicious perfectly sized green zucchinis and yellow summer crookneck squash. Among all of the other delicious dishes I'ver prepared, the dehydrated chips are my new favorite. The recipe is below.

Zucchinis usually are harvested with dirt splatter on them. I give them a gentle scrub with Instant liquid Soap, to make sure none of that dirt gets on the tender flesh when I slice them open. 

Zucchini Chips

zucchini and yellow crookneck squash chips.

Zucchini chips are simple, nutritious and delicious. A great snack or addition to a sandwich.

Ingredients:

As many zucchinis as you can fit in your car. Lol

Apple cider vinegar, salt, water

Directions:

Wash zucchinis with Instant Liquid Soap. Rinse well.

Slice into about 1/4" slices, either by hand, with a food processor, or a mandoline slicer.

Fill a pot with 1 part apple cider vinegar to 10 parts water. Bring to a boil.

Add the sliced zucchini and par boil dog 3-4 minutes. 

To bake in there oven: 

Preheat oven to 170 degrees or lower

Place the zucchini slices on an oiled baking tray, and turn therm over, so they are lightly oiled on each side. Salt to taste.

Bake for 2-4 hours, until the chips are dried out and crispy. You can check them and turn them over part way through. Cool and snack. For storage, make sure they are very dry and store in a clean canning jar with a good fitting lid.

For dehydrating:

Fill a pot with 1 part apple cider vinegar to 10 parts water. Bring to a boil.

Add the sliced zucchini and par boil dog 3-4 minutes. 

Line your dehydrator racks with parchment paper and arrange your zucchini slices so they are are not touching each other.

Set your dehydrator temp at 145 and dehydrate for 7-14 hours until they are crispy. 

Salt and eat! Or store in a clean canning jar with a good fitting lid. For proper storage, make sure the chips are totally dry

Hot Peppers

Wash your Mason jars well before storing food in them to avoid any pathogens.

Hot peppers are in at The Ithaca farmers Market. We had a very hot, dry July and this year the hot peppers are HOT. If you are a hot pepper person and love to have lots of hot sauce in your kitchen to enhance all of your cooking, this is a great year for hot sauce making.

Visit Andy in booth 6 and get a free foaming soap pump to make your own soap dispenser from a reused Mason jar, with a 4 bag Instant Liquid Soap purchase.

Click here for Hot Pepper Paste recipe

Click here for fermenting tips

I simply washed my hot peppers and gently packed them in the jars, making sure not to crack them open or bruise them. I will leave them in the brine for 8 weeks before moving them to cold storage.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are so versatile, they can be in almost every savory dish. There are so many varieties and colors, shapes and sizes. I have been fermenting them for tangy salsa, making fruit leather and sun-dried for Winter casseroles and soups, making classic tomato sauce, and snacking on the yummy Sun Gold cherry tomatoes.

Here's a great quick recipe for any meal of the day.

Ingredients:

  • One tortilla or piece of bread or the best option is a slice worth of fresh bread dough stretched out to tortilla size
  • eggs (1, 2, 3, however many you want per serving)
  • A handfuls or cupful of washed cherry tomatoes. You can slice them if you'd like
  • Butter or olive oil or whatever oil you have.

Directions:

  • Heat the butter or oil in a frying pan to hot, but not sizzling 
  • Place the tortilla or bread or dough in the hot oil. If using fresh dough, cook one side and flip over before proceeding.
  • Cover with washed cherry tomatoes. I made a nice circle for my egg.
  • Crack your egg (s) inside your cherry tomato circle. 
  • Turn the heat as low as possible and cover the pan. Cook until your egg is perfect.

Bon appetite!

Potatoes

I have only grown potatoes outside, but they can grow from the end of your snow fall in early Spring all the way up to Winter, as long as the soil doesn't get soggy. For example, I planted last year's seed potatoes that I pulled out of my eating stash, and planted them outside in the end of April. I just harvested them. BUT I kept aside some potatoes that had underdeveloped good eye sprouts. They were stored in my sister's excellent root cellar, so they kept longer than the ones I stored at my house. The ones in better storage, I slowly woke up from their dormant state all Summer by placing them in a large paper bag, which I kept on a shelf that got good afternoon sun and is in a dry place, in my kitchen. The bag got the sun, not the potatoes directly. I am going to plant them very soon and expect to harvest them by the end of Nov.

If you are not growing potatoes but want to enjoy the best freshest potatoes and make some yummy chips and more, go to The Ithaca Farmers Market (or the one near you if you can't get to Ithaca this weekend) and get the best for you and your family. It's worth it.

Click here for dehydrating potato chips and potato skin chips recipes

Melons and more

I did the unthinkable and added carrots to my sour gherkin pickles. I think they will be fantastic. Instead of adding sugar to the brine, I added carrots

Click here to for a short fermented vegetable tutorial.

It's really all about the melons this time of year for me. I can't get enough of them. I puree them for ice pops and slice them about 1/4" thick and put them in the dehydrator, to make melon jerky. 

honeydew melon jerky
sour gherkins with carrots
coleslaw is simple. Salt for a few hours, rinse and dress with mayo and lemon or apple cider vinegar, and black pepper

Melon jerky recipe. This works with all melons!

Making melon jerky is very simple. If you do not have a food dehydrator, you can do this in your oven or even a toaster oven. It's simple and sooo yummy.

Scrub your melon with soap and water to remove any old all dirt from their rind. Tiny bits of dirt can hide in the crevices. Slice open, remove the seeds and quarter the melon. Remove the rind and slice the fruit into 1/4: thick pieces. Place on an oven tray or your dehydrator rack and bake at 135 degrees F for 7 hours.

Cool completely and place in a storage jar. It's very popular to use vacuum seal plastic bags, but I prefer glass jars. I put a piece of cheese cloth over the top of the jar and hold it on with a rubber band for a week and then I will close the jar with it's sealed lid. Snack at will!

Blueberries and more

Everything is ready to pick, pickle, and preserve at once. Come down to market this weekend and enjoy the waterfront, while stocking up. Click here for kitchen ideas and recipes

Andy will be there in booth 6, with all of your household cleaning and personal care bar soap and Instant Liquid Soap. I just updated the laundry soap recipe here.

Are you going to more festivals this Summer? Maybe you need an all natural first aide kit. Click here to make your own. Summer is a time for outdoor living. Enjoy it!

It's GrassRoots Festival time

It's GrassRoots Festival time. 

The sour cherries have come and gone and the blueberries are going fast. This year's garlic has been harvested. That means it's time for the FingerLakes GrassRoots Festival.

Take a festival break on Saturday morning and have breakfast at The Ithaca Farmers Market. 

That bar of soap you spent $6.00 on at the festival has already washed away. Visit Andy in booth 6 to get your festival personal care made to last until next year's festival. 

Remember 1 bar of Ithaca Soap last for up to 84 showers. That's $.11.5 (eleven 1/2 center!) instead of more than $1.00 per shower.

Good, all natural bar soap is an essential as a whole body soap wash. It's economical, luxurious, and effective. When selecting a bar of soap, look for simple ingredients with pleasing essential oil aromas and lots of sudsy lather. Sudsing all the way down to a sliver, over 3-4 months of daily use, is key in good bar soap. Try Ithaca Soap   

Summer bounty

Summer bounty exploded last week at the Ithaca Farmers Market. Blueberries, zucchinis and cucumbers appeared in abundance!  These are the foods I love to eat. 

I was pleasantly surprised. I planted my zucchinis at the end of the planting window, so mine are a few weeks away. My cucumbers have flowered. Since I am a gardener and not a farmer, I don't have giant greenhouses to extend my growing season for a a larger harvest. Click here to see how to ferment vegetables, so you can plan your Summer pickling.

Get to know your farmers and enjoy their efforts at bringing you the very best food.

Click here for the recipe and how to make an unsweetened Blueberry Custard Pie. 

Get the best flavor your fresh picked blueberries has to offer by using Instant Liquid Soap to wash all of your dishes. Detergent aftertaste or aromas is unpleasant and unnecessary.  

Unsweetened blueberry jam is tart and sweet.

Click here: How to hand wash dishes

The strawberries are fabulous

Ithaca farmers Market hours:

  • Saturday's Hours: from 9-3 the 1st Sat. in April through Oct.
  • Sunday's Hours: 10-3pm.  May through the last Sunday in Oct.
  • November's Hours: Saturday and Sunday 10-2pm 
  • December's Hours:  Saturdays 10-2 til Dec. 17th (the Rutabaga Curl)

We are in Booth 6 between Macro Mamas and Waid's Honey

It's July 4th weekend

Have you ever tasted currents? They are recently back to being grown in NYS and are sweet, tart delicious and an excellent source of vitamin C. Get some at Black Duck Cidery. I made a no bake refrigerator pie. It was quick and delicious. Once again, we ate it before I had a change to take a photo, so you'll have to whip one up to see how pretty the little red currents looked in the cream colored custard, like a polka dot dress.

Refrigerator Red Current Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Graham crackers or a grape nuts type cold cereal
  • 1 pint currents: red, white or black or a mix (thoroughly rinsed)
  • 1/4-1/2 cup sugar to your preference (optional, if you like unsweetened food)
  • 1/4 cup oil - I prefer olive oil, but whatever you have and enjoy the flavor of
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons bread flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

  • Crumble the graham crackers (or place your chosen cereal) in a 9 inch deep ish pie plate. Pour the oil over the crumbs and toss with a fork, so the oil coats the cereal. Spread evenly over the bottom of the pie plate and press up on the sides. If your crust is too dry (from soaking up all of the oil, add some more bu the 1/2 teaspoon, so you don't over due it)
  • Spread the berries evenly across the bottom of the crust

Make the custard:

  • Pour 2 1/2 cups of the milk in a sauce pan and turn on a medium heat.
  • Add the flour to the remaining 1/2 cup oil milk and stir well, so the flour is evenly mixed into the milk and thick
  • Separate the eggs
  • Add the milk and flour mix to the milk and whisk hard or use a stick blender, to make sure there are no lumps.
  • Add the sugar and vanilla. Whisk hard again.
  • When the milk begins to thicken, use a rubber spatula to scrape off the sides and bottom of the pot.
  • Optional: If you want to add some froth, while the custard is still piping hot, add the egg whites, and use the stick blender to blend them in, until they form a meringue froth.
  • Let the custard sit for 5 minutes in the pot. Pour over your currents in the pie plate. Let the pie cool on a trivet until the bottom of the pie plate is not warm anymore. This can take a few hours. Then put the pie in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. It's better over night.

Wash your dishes by hand and enjoy this delicious nutritious pie!

I made large batch of Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, last weekend. My basic recipe is below.

Since I had more than I wanted to can, I used the rest of the jam to make simple treats.

1. I packed some jam in my ice pop molds. Frozen jam pops. YUMMY!

2. I made a strawberry rhubarb cheese cake. 


Strawberry Rhubarb Cheese cake

It would have been great if I thought to take at least one photo. C'est la vie.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

I used a pie plate and buttered it with about 2-3 tablespoons of better.

Press in 1 cup of any of the following:

Crushed graham crackers, grape nuts type cold cereal, bread crumbs, stale muffins crumbled up, flour. What every you have. 

About 1 1/2 cups jam

2 fresh eggs

1cup double cream, cultured cottage cheese (regular cottage would be fine too)

Mix the jam, eggs, and cottage cheese together and pour on top of your pressed in crust.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes until the crust edges are brown ish. Cool completely.

Top with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. 

Suds up your canning jars to be sparkling clean and really showcase your fresh locally grown jam.
Fresh strawberries right across from us
Strawberry rhubarb jam

I made strawberry rhubarb jam and a rhubarb custard pie, topped with fresh strawberries. The strawberries are REALLY sweet this year. Come down to the Ithaca Farmers Market and get some before they are all gone. I'd like to get more and make another batch of jam. 

When canning, I use Instant Liquid Soap to clean my canning jars and lids. Get the full flavor of your jam, minus any dish detergent taste. Stop by booth 6 and get some Instant Liquid Soap when you get your strawberries from Buried Treasure Farm, across the isle from us. 

Buried Treasure is a family owned farm. Mary, Doug and their daughter Rachel are very talented growers My jam glows in the jars.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Recipe

It's easy to make, if you already know how to make jam and do water bath canning. 

Click here for my canning method. Simply put this jam recipe in the jars.

12 pints of fresh strawberries, washed. Cut out the tops and feed them to your chickens or your compost.

about 20 is rhubarb stalks, washed and chopped. 

Put all of the fruit in a large stock pot. Add your desired amount of sugar. 

Follow the directions for strawberry jam in your pectin box, but add 1/2 of the pectin and calcium amount, since rhubarb gels up nicely. Also, there's no need for lemon juice or good sweet vinegar, since rhubarb is VERY tart. My jars started to make that pleasing canning pop before I put them in the water bath. Enjoy!

Strawberry season has begun

If you love a good strawberry and you are within 20 miles of Ithaca, it's sop worth it to come get some locally grown organic strawberries.  Definitely come get some on your way to the Trumansburg porch fest.

Strawberries are in season for 3-4 weeks depending on the varieties grown. There are early ones, small sweet ones, large juicy ones, later varieties, darker ones, pinker ones. It's not quite endless, but a lot.

See you in booth 6

Memorial Day

Plan your Memorial Day weekend and visit Ithaca. The Ithaca Farmers Market is a great place to sample local wines and hard cider. We even have a mushroom spirit vendor. 

Eat lunch on the waterfront and take a boat ride with Captain Stephanie. Take in the local harvest, relax and enjoy some music.

Visit Andy in booth 6 and get some Waterless Hand Soap on Sale. 30% off while supplies last!

Sunday Market starts

Sunday's at The Ithaca Farmers begin May 1st, from 10-3pm.

We are in booth 6. Giving a long lasting Mother's Day gift will be easy. Great soap and some perennial garden plants from us, and lunch on the Waterfront. A very pleasant day indeed. To order plants for pick up before the plant sale, read below.  

May 13th, Tompkins County Cornell Cooperative Extension is hosting the Annual Plant Sale at The Ithaca Farmers market pavilion, from 12-6pm. We are participating this year with some heirloom rhizome plants that I have been cultivating for the past 20 years!! We will be in our regular booth 6, so it will be easy to find us.

We will have Andy's grandmother's giant deep purple, light purple and gold bearded irises and his grandmother's rhubarb. These are heirloom plants.  If you would like irises and rhubarb before the plant sale, contact us here and we will bring them to market before the plant sale for pick up.

Earth Day 4/23/22

Learn about Soil Health and Vermicomposting at Ithaca Farmers Market

As part of the Earth Day Activities on Saturday April 23rd, individuals from the Tompkins County Farm Bureau will be at the market from 9AM to Noon with a display on soil health. They will be joined by Future Farmers of America students who will have an interactive demonstration of worm composting.


Of course you should also come see us in booth 6. You can speak the 25% off coupon we will honor it!


Be sure to get some Spring greens and and eat a salad. See you there. 

Holiday shopping and garden planning

Get the very best for your holiday kitchen from the Ithaca Farmers Market. You know you need those extra fresh Spring greens and the best kitchen soap. Visit us in booth 6. 

Can't make it? We ship! Click here

Opening Day 4/2/22

April 2, 2022 is Opening Day back at Steamboat Landing on 3rd. Street, Ithaca, NY. It's always nice to see everyone after a long cold Winter. Get some Spring greens and make a gluten free quiche. Make your strawberry plans. 

Booth 6 from 9-3pm. See you then!

Winter Market

The Ithaca Farmers Market moves indoor for the Winter through to the end of March. Here's a link to the information. We do not attend this market. But you can order through the farmers market store and pick up your market goodies (us included) by clicking on that link. Or you can order through our regular website too.  

Until we meet again in the Spring

Andy and I would like to thank everyone for a wonderful Ithaca Farmers Market year. It wouldn't be the same without all of you.  The Rutabaga Curl was packed and a fun time was had by all. Our neighbor, Macro Mama's served Rutabaga Fritters and Rutabaga Soup. 

In case you missed it, click here for my rutabaga fries and rutabaga soup recipe

Until then you can check out the Winter Market, which we do not attend. You can order through the Ithaca Farmers Market online store for pick up to get Ithaca Soap and LiXTiK Lip Balm, along with other IFM goodies, shop on our website, or visit your favorite store on your travels, where our soap is stocked.

12/18/21 Last Market of the year and the Rutabaga Curl

Come on down to the Ithaca Farmers market from 10-2pm on Dec. 18th. Get your regulation grown curling rutabaga to compete, shop for local food and last minute gifts. Get a cup of hot cider and be with community. 

We will be in booth 6, as usual. Stock up for winter on all of your bar soap, liquid soap refill, olive oil shampoo bar, lotion stik, and lip balm needs.

Below are 2 quick rutabaga recipes

Rutabaga recipes

Rutabaga Fries:

Preheat your oven to 375 F.

Scrub off the dirt with a sponge and soap and water. Peel your rutabaga.

Slice into strips about 1/4-1/2" wide. Toss in cooking oil of your choice. Sprinkle with salt, chipotle and onion powder. Spread out on a baking pan and bake for 30 minutes. Turn once or twice when they begin to smell sweet.

Extra ingredients:

Add to each recipe potatoes and  fresh onions (replacing the powered onion) following the same instructions.

If you are lucky enough to have access to organic, farm fresh rutabagas that are not waxed, chop up the skin for your chickens.

(Do not feed your chickens onions, since they are toxic to them, potatoes will make them fat, and they cannot process any oil or salt and spices. )

Rutabaga Soup.

Scrub off the dirt and peel your rutabaga.

Cut into cubes about 1/3-1/2" square. 

Place in a 3 quart sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until rutabaga pieces are tender and break apart. 

Mash up with a potato masher or a stick blender.

Add to taste salt, coriander, turmeric, cumin.

Winter Squash

The winter squash selection at market is vast. I made a delicious butternut soup that is so simple I'll put the recipe right here

Andy will be at The Ithaca Farmers Market on Saturdays ONLY from 10-2pm

Dec 4th- Dec. 18th which is The Annual Rutabaga Curl. 10am-2pm

I will be at The Lexington Food Coop, at the Hertle Store Dec. 4th from 11:30-2pm in a demo party. Come sample, taste and select goodies for this holiday season.

Fresh Ginger and updates

Andy will be at The Ithaca Farmers Market on Saturdays ONLY from 10-2pm

Nov. 6th - Dec. 18th which is The Annual Rutabaga Curl

There's something very special about fresh organic ginger. It's more flavorful, sweet, crisp, and hot. Ginger is also very high in vitamin C. I've been getting ours from Muddy Fingers Farm at The Ithaca Farmers Market.

I made some super delicious apple ginger chutney with it! Click here for the recipe. Also read about ginger storage so you'll be able to enjoy fresh ginger all winter until next year's harvest.

Halloween weekend

Trick or Treat. Some vendors love to give out candy at the Ithaca Farmers Market for Halloween. One year a farm went crazy and staged a haunted House. You never know what's going to happen. Dress up as your alter ego, go out and have some fun.

This the last weekend at the Ithaca Farmers Market when we will be open from 9-3 on Saturdays and 10-3 on Sunday.

  • Starting Nov. 6th, November hours change to both Sat. and Sun. 10-2pm 
  • The last Sunday market of the year is Sun. Nov. 28th.
  • December market hours are Saturdays only 10-2pm
  • The Rutabaga Curl is Sat. Dec. 18th from 10-2

Peppers

If you love peppers of all sizes, shapes and colors, The Ithaca Farmers Market has an excellent array. Click this link below for my Hot Pepper Paste recipe, made with roasted tomatoes and beautiful hot peppers Andy brought home from the Ithaca Farmers Market from Humble HIll Farm

Fall hours

As the light wanes here in the Northeast US, Archie, our adult rooster is crowing a little bit later every day. 

This coincides with the Ithaca Farmers Market hours changing:

  • October hours remain the same: Sat. 9-3pm Sun. 10-3pm
  • Starting Nov. 6th, November hours change to both Sat. and Sun. 10-2pm 
  • The last Sunday market of the year is Sun. Nov. 28th.
  • December market hours are Saturdays only 10-2pm
  • The Rutabaga Curl is Sat. Dec. 18th from 10-2

Get your winter squash supply at your farmers market or join us at ours. The Ithaca Farmers Market farmers grow an impressive variety of winter squashes for you to collect and enjoy throughout the Fall and coming Winter months.

Since we are not going to set up our booth at The New York Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY. this year, Andy is bringing my beautiful plant dyed organic Merino yarn to the Ithaca Farmers Market through Oct. 17th.

Click here to purchase yarn online

Click here to read about my yarn and dying adventures

I will be in booth 6 this coming weekend. The harvest is in full swing. There are onions, shallots, sweet corn, peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, cheeses, meats, and fruit!! Love your farmers. They do amazing things to be able to supply you with delicious food.

I was amazed when picked our first apple. It's incredible that we have any. In the early mornings, I do my animal cleaning tasks, and then gardening is my zen time before work.

The beginning of the growing season came with an abundant supply of tent caterpillars, that I fought off daily for weeks. Since our garden is organic, I would go out to the apple trees, with thick gloves on, and spend quite a while every morning picking off caterpillars and squishing them. It was a disgusting task. Sometimes the caterpillars would jump off the trees and into my jacket. Their spiny hairs have a little toxic venom on them so if they scratched your skin, it was a very itchy "bite" 

We gently barbecued a tender, juicy pork chop over applewood coals from Michael from Cayuta Sun Farm. Check it out!

I am growing a wonderful variety of peppers in my garden this year. 1/2 of them were a gift from my friends at Under the Tree Farms. That's where my beautiful Orange Sweet Pepper plants came from.

When you come to the Ithaca Farmers Market, check out Under the Tree Farm. They are 2 booths away from us in booth 8. See you there!

Apple Cider Vinegar

I stocked up on Apple Cider Vinegar from Little Tree Orchards. Yummy. It makes the best pickles and salad dressings. Summer food at it's finest.

I met a traveler at market many years ago. He was from Paris and was spending the Summer in Ithaca. He said we had the best selection of fresh food he has ever seen, which is a big compliment coming from a Parisian. When I was in Paris oh so many years ago, there was amazing fresh food everywhere in the middle of Winter. 

Join in the celebration of the Summer harvest and eat well.

This news is tangentially related to the Ithaca Farmers Market. We are now on an end cap display in P and C Fresh grocery store in the East HIll Plaza, Ithaca, NY.

Andy will be delivering more Liquid Soap Refill in Lavender, Peppermint, and Unscented tomorrow. Check it out! 

This is related to Ithaca Farmers Market, because this store has over 100 local small suppliers filling their shelves. Quite a few are farmers market members. The staff are friendly and knowledgable. You will always be greeted with a smile.

Blueberries

We got some blueberries last week at the market. They were plump and sweet. Yummy. I will be getting more and make some blueberry jam. 

See you in Booth 6

The Ithaca Farmers Market

Andy will be in booth 6, our fabulous new location at the Ithaca Farmers Market, with Lavender, Peppermint and Unscented Liquid Soap Refill in stock. It is moving very quickly, so come early if you'd like some or order here.

Too much rain is a challenge for fruit harvesting. It speeds up the ripening time, making it hard for farmers to pick it all. If you are a fruit lover, come early to get your share.

Blueberries are juicy fruit this July

I was unable to make it to the Ithaca Farmers Market last weekend, only to find out Andy was too busy to bring home some perfect blueberries. I will definitely get some this weekend.

Visit Andy in booth 6. We now have Liquid Soap Refills in Lavender, Peppermint, and Unscented. 

Save 20% on Liquid Soap Refills Lavender 4 quarts when you subscribe. Click here

July is filled with Music in Ithaca

This is my garden sink complete with liquid soap refill in a dispenser, and a fresh picked head of lettuce.

And the freshest produce. Music is back at the Ithaca Farmers Market pavilion. It's a festival on the waterfront, with great food, and a breeze from the lake. I eat lettuce all year, but it is especially delicious during the summer. See you in Booth 6 til 3pm.

One more week of sweet cherries and then the sours are ready. Pucker up!

Samples are back

Samples are back at the Ithaca Farmers Market and we are giving out     LiXTiK Lip Balm tastes. If you haven't tried LiKTiK, come to the Ithaca Farmers Market to booth 6 Sat.9-3 and Sun. 10-3. Andy will there.

It's also the beginning of Cherry season. Sweets 1st, then in 2 weeks it will be tart or sour cherries. With all of the rain we've had, this should be a good juicy year. My wild black raspberries are just the right amount of flavor, juice, but not too plump. So the cherries should be perfect.

It reminds me of when I ran the FingerLakes GrassRoots Festival hospitality kitchen. I managed 50 volunteers (who all have a special place in my heart). We made 1500 meals, three times a day, for 7 days. Most of the food, at that point in GrassRoots history, came from local farms and suppliers. It was a special moment in time.

Saturday night was the big night. Everyone got dressed UP. The dinner menu had a Bayou flair, in honor of the Cajun/Zydeco bands that kept us dancing all night. Desert was Vanilla Ice Cream from Purity (the inventors of the Ice Cream Sundae), Topped with Sour Cherries from Little Tree Orchards. Yuuuummmy. Get your tix here

Sweet cherries from Black Diamond Farm

It's strawberry Season!!!

Soooo Good. Yummy. Fresh and sweet. Doug (who knows the divas!!), Mary, and Rachel from Buried Treasure Farm are across the isle from us kitty-corner, sort of.  We also got some collard greens from Six Circles Farm, and cheese from Snow Creamery. All good stuff.

I picked some rhubarb and made a simple sauce with butter on the stove. Then I made a buttermilk custard with our fresh eggs. Get them before they're gone!

The Ithaca Farmers Market lost a friend last week

It is with great sadness that I share with you the news of the loss of one of our long-time beloved members Jim Hardesty who passed away recently after a year long struggle with illness. Jim was a master of Chinese calligraphy, a renowned painter of traditional Chinese art, and a treasured artisan at our market. A member of our market for 35 years, Hardesty presided over every annual stall auction at our market since the construction of the pavilion at its current location. He was known for his good humor and unexpected acts of kindness. He will be missed by so many!

Samples and food at the Market

It looks like we are going back to vendors being able to give out samples in their booth. Shoppers can order food, pick it up and I think eat inside the pavilion. Yay to eating, shopping and visiting normally. 

We are still giving away free sample kits with a $20.00 purchase,

Saturday 9-3pm and Sunday 10-3pm in booth 6. 

They are in a cotton zippered pouch and contain:

  • *Waterless Hand Soap 2 oz. unscented
  • *Silk Dental Floss
  • *Bamboo toothbrush - prepasted with mint toothpaste
  • *KN95 mask

You can also order here. Mention FreeSampleKit in the notes section of your shopping cart.

Ithaca Soap and LiXTiK Beeswax Lip Balm, is an environmentally conscious and socially responsible company located in the heart of the Finger Lakes in New Your State. Visit the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York sometime soon. 

Sunday Market opens May 2, 2021 10-3pm

Sundays at the Ithaca Farmers Market open May 2, 2021. The hours are

May-Oct. 10-3pm.

Nov.-Indigenous Peoples Day 10-2pm

Sundays at the market are a time for brunch and planning for the week ahead. We are there in our new booth 6. 

Bouquet at Glenhaven Farm Winery booth 66 (?). Tell John I sent you.

The weather is supposed to be great this coming Saturday at the Ithaca Farmers Market. Andy will be there in booth 6 from 9-3pm. She's back at the Ithaca Farmers Market...We are in between Macro Mama's and Waid's Apiary. It's always so nice to see everyone! See you Sat. Sundays start May 2nd from 10-3pm.

order online for Ithaca Farmers Market pick up here

Opening Day
The Ithaca Farmers Market
April 3rd, 2021 9-3pm

As I write this, Andy is moving our booth once again. After 20 years, we are moving to booth 6 in the middle of the pavilion. 

Goodbye booth 22 and to our friends on the waterfront trail end of the pavilion.

Spring Swag Special

Our market is having a special and we are featured! Here's what's in the tote:

Spring Swag Package includes: our famous canvas sunflower tote, a 3-pack of lip protection from Ithaca Soap, a handmade mask from Carolina Perez Designs AND a $5 gift certificate to spend anywhere in the pavilion. Upon purchasing, you will be contacted to make mask style and lip balm flavor selections. All this for $35 (excluding tax), a $45 value. One week only, limited quantities available.

Click here to get yours

The Ithaca Farmers Market moves back to Steamboat Landing starting 4/3/21

It's that time of year again. The 1st Sat. in April, the market moves back to the pavilion at Steamboat Landing. Come on down April 3rd from 9-3pm in Booth 22. If you would like to speak a coupon to Andy, write a product review on any page that has a tell your story box at the bottom. Here are some links to a pages to write your favorite Ithaca Soap and LiXTiK Beeswax Lip Balm Story on.

We look forward to seeing you after this sort of lonely Winter.

Sat. April 3, 2021 from 9-3.

Curbside pick up available at The Ithaca Farmers market
 Order here: on line store Picks up on Saturdays between 12 - 2 pm. Place your order from Sundays - Thursdays until 10pm.

Plan ahead for Valentines Day.

The Ithaca Farmers Market has set up an on line store for curbside picks up on Saturdays between 12 - 2 pm. Place your order from Sundays - Thursdays until 10pm.

The Winter Farmers Market is located at:

The Triphammer Marketplace

2255 North Triphammer Rd.

Ithaca, NY 14850

Our product line is mostly all there in the online marketplace, plus you can order from other vendors participating in the marketplace store. You pay for everything at once and do a pick up. You can also go into the marketplace and see who is set up and shop in person. 

PLEASE NOTE: We do not have a booth at the Winter Farmers Market, we only participate in the online Marketplace store. 

We do however have our regular website here. You can do a scheduled pick up in our driveway, or get it shipped, as always. If you haven't signed up yet to receive our newsletter, The Soap Tribune, please do so here and you will receive a 15% off coupon toward your order.

Ithaca farmers Market

Market in the outdoor pavilion at Steamboat Landing is closed until the First Sat. in April. The Market moves indoors to the Triphammer Mall on Jan 9, 2021 from 10:30-2pm.

We do not attend the Winter Market. You can order here, and pick up or we will ship it. Mention "Happy Solstice" in the notes, now through 12/31/20, with every $32.00 order, and receive a Free LiXTiK Lip Balm

Rutabaga Curl today (12/19/20).
Join the silliness.

Celebrate the end of 2020 with us at the market pavilion this Saturday. Stock up on food, farm and artisan products - and wish your favorite vendors happy holidays! WINTER MARKET starts January 9th at TRIPHAMMER MARKETPLACE.RUTABAGA CURL: December 19thWant to participate in the Rutabaga Curl? Buy a rutabaga at market on 12/19/20 and then curl it in your back yard! Record a video or snap a photo and post it to Instagram/Facebook and TAG the market to be featured in our game day coverage! While at market -you can stop by the office to register for the virtual curl and grab a bib number to wear.

Facebook Event
 You can order a t-shirt online or at the market office. These will be available for pickup at market tomorrow or to be shipped.

Buy the t-shirt
Merchandise sale!This weekend at market we are running a HUGE sale on our branded merchandise! We’re talking T-shirts, hoodies, hats, bags, mugs, cookbooks and more! Buy 1, get 1 50% off - on EVERYTHING! Mix and match - and the discount will be applied to the item of lesser value.

LAST CHANCE to get merchandise!

12/19/20 Last
Ithaca Farmers Market for 2020
10-2pm

Once again, the end of the IFM season ends with curling rutabagas. Only this year, the event has a funny little twist. You can attend in person or join a virtual Facebook event here. Andy will be at market from 10-2pm. 

I want to give a shoutout to my friends who have passed on and made the Rutabaga Curl near and dear to my heart. Coco Reboh and Peter McDonald. I miss you both every time I even think about market, let alone the curl.

This is also the finish of our 20th!! year at the market. What a long strange trip this year has been. Come down to the pavilion, get a rutabaga, and wish Andy a Happy Solstice. He'll give you a free LiXTiK Lip Balm with every $32.00 purchase.

Or mention "Happy Solstice" in the notes section of the shopping cart and which free LiXTiK Lip Balm you would like with a $32.00 purchase.

Offer good through 12/31/20

Check out the Winter Solstice on Dec. 21st. Saturn and Jupiter are in conjunction for the 1st time in almost 800 years. Read about it here

12/12/20 Ithaca Farmers Market 10-2pm

There are 2 more Ithaca Farmers Markets left for the outdoor season at Steamboat Landing. Andy will be there from 10-2pm.

You can order ahead here, select pickup in the shopping cart and he will have your order ready when you arrive. The weather is going to be in the high 40's.

I got a rutabaga last week and will be making rutabaga latkes for dinner. I got some incredibly beautiful lettuce. It looked like a bouquet, before we enjoyed eating it.

The Rutabaga Curl is going viral on line. Read about it so you can join the fun from anywhere in the world.

Celebrate our 21st year in business!
Free stuff when you order

As an anniversary gift, put the code "happy21styear" in the notes section of your order to receive a free LiXTiK Lip Balm on orders over $32.00. Also select which flavor/scent LiXTiK you would like. Choose here

Our celebration free lip balm offer is good on orders from today through 12/17/2020

12/5/20 Ithaca Farmers Market 10-2pm

Andy will be at the Ithaca Farmers Market this Sat.

Get out, stock up for winter, and get some great gifts. We stock up on vinegar, apples, apple butter, root vegetables, and frozen meats.

Also, I have yet to find fresher vegetables. For the same money as the grocery store or supermarket, I get a better head of lettuce that looks like a bouquet, the stoutest leeks, and perfect celeriac. The last 2 celariacs that I got from the store, looked great on the outside and had rotten centers. The Ithaca Farmers Market rocks. We have quite a selection of farmers that know the divas. If you don't know what I'm referring to, you have to read the book, "The Magic of Findhorn"

And of course, the best soap maker I know is there.

Our same great skin conditioners have been transformed into a convenient Lotion Stik package. Slip it in your pants or shirt pocket, purse or knitting bag. It great for those on the go or at a work site. It's always with you. Simply swipe LiX Lotion Stik where you want it. It's fast, neat and it works!

There's Lavender, Unscented, Patchouli and for that extra boost LiX Calendula Stik with Lavender Mint. 

LiX Calendula Stik Lavender Mint is a great natural disinfectant and Potent Topical Remedy for cuts, burns, and other booboos. Made with our own garden grown, hand processed flowers. 

Free LiX Calendula Stik with every $100.00 or more purchase. Buy in bulk for gifts and get a little something extra. 

Is Andy going to Ithaca Farmers Market (IFM)?

Sat. Nov. 28th, Andy will be at the IFM from 10-2pm. We are having a sale for market goers this day only, since all of our coupons are usually for our website. This time it's for you who show up. 15% off any purchase in our booth of $50.00 or more. Just mention it to Andy when you are making your selections. Plus the market is holding a contest. Read the instructions here.


It is Friday, 11/20/20 at 9:30pm. Andy is definitely going to The Ithaca Farmers Market (IFM) Sat from 10-2pm and is pretty sure he is not going on Sunday.

I forgot to mention in the newsletter that this is the last Sunday of the season. Sunday Market starts up again the 1st Sunday in May. For those of you who are new here, Saturday markets go til the last Sat. in Dec. before Christmas.

Rutabaga Curl 12/19/20

This year that's Dec. 19th. The last Sat. of the year is the Rutabaga Curl. WooHoo! It's a really fun curling game. Anybody can play. You sign up the day of and play with a market grown regulation rutabaga. If you haven't been to the Rutabaga Curl, this is not something to be missed. 


Saturday 11/21/20. Ithaca Farmers Market weather is projected to be high of 48 degrees. It's a great time to get your holiday feast ingredients. I have a turkey on order. I will pick up apples, which I can never get enough of. Our market has an amazing assortment of apples. The best I've ever seen. I will also pick up lettuce, greens, and a celeriac to wilt with remoulade dressing. My favorite.

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Good, all natural bar soap is an essential as a whole body soap wash. It's economical, luxurious, and effective. When selecting a bar of soap, look for simple ingredients with pleasing essential oil aromas and lots of sudsy lather. Sudsing all the way down to a sliver, over 3-4 months of daily use, is key in good bar soap. Try Ithaca Soap   


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Instant Liquid Soap is liquid soap, sold in a paper bag.  The soap is sold dry. The end user adds water to turn it into true liquid Castile soap. This saves ship weight, space, and the environment. Water stays where it belongs.

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Farmers Market felt paintingVisit The Ithaca Farmers Market. Booth 6

Main Street Farm

Good eats at Main Street Farms

Eat, shop, small, local.

Main Street Farm

36 Main Street 

Livingston Manor, NY 12758

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