Planning & $mart $hopping!

Hello everyone!  We hope you will join us for the next delicious Pathfinder Produce fresh foods market at the Village Commons on Thursday, from noon to 5 p.m. Our friendly staff looks forward to helping you with your shopping needs … and don’t forget about our online ordering option!

This week we’re in the official countdown to the Splash Path 5k and Fun Walk, which takes place on Saturday, May 18. Sign up online at splashpath.racewire.com before May 11 to lock-in your early registration fees. A huge thanks goes out to all our sponsors and community partners who contribute to this fun and colorful event … THANK YOU!  Check out more Splash Path details at our website or on our Facebook event page.

Below, my colleague Sally Trosset shares some good advice on meal planning, shopping, and budgeting, essential skills that every consumer should develop.

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With careful planning and smart shopping, you can make the most out of your budget to include fruits and vegetables in all your meals. Produce items can also be an excellent value if you plan accordingly. Preparing meals and eating at home is another way to save money, plus it gives you the opportunity to enjoy meals with your family.

Many times, we are too busy to do that, unfortunately. How do we conquer this? Plan ahead! By planning you'll save time in the long run and be less likely to resort to pre-prepared or takeout food that always costs more. Start by making a shopping list and stick to it to avoid spending money on unnecessary items.

As we head into the summer months when many fruits and vegetables are readily available, there is nothing wrong with including frozen, canned or dried forms of fruit and vegetables on your list. They are also nutritious and good pantry/freezer items to have on hand for a quick meal.  There are many ways to get the most bang for your buck. Try planning meals around fruits and vegetables that have a longer shelf life. Include fruits and vegetables that can be used as a side dish in one meal or as quick snacks, or in smoothies, soups or a casserole for additional meals during the week.

One of the best ways to save when buying fresh fruits and vegetables is to buy in season.  In season means there is a larger supply which in turn makes these foods less expensive. When at the market, pay attention to the specials and buy extra (but not too much, as spoiled items are frustrating and wasteful). Many fruits and vegetables can be frozen, or you can prepare a dish to be frozen for another time. Keeping a storage chart on hand also helps advice on how best to store most fruits and vegetables. 

Another way to save money is to grow your own fruit and vegetables. A harvest calendar can help you plant your edible garden on the best dates. Planting your garden involves three steps, planning, preparation and planting. While it takes some effort to maintain, gardening can be a great family activity.  You may even find that kids will take more of an interest in foods they have helped grow!  Gardening is also a great way for kids to learn about the environment, it captures their interest in nature, and gives them a sense of accomplishment all while introducing them to healthy foods!

Having fruits and vegetables on hand doesn’t need to break the bank! Careful planning can go a long way, and remember all forms count toward your daily eating goals!  Look for weekly specials throughout the grocery store and stop by Pathfinder Produce on Thursdays from 12-5 to see our fresh bounty! 

Happy Spring!

Sally (and Lori)

See you this Thursday at Pathfinder Produce!

We hope to see you at this week’s bountifulPathfinder Produce market at the Village Commons
on Thursday, May 2, from noon to 5 p.m.!  

Sign up today at splashpath.racewire.com
to lock in your early registration discount!

Proceeds to benefit the Pathfinder Produce Mobile Market!

Young Lambs and other Spring Things

Hello everyone! We hope you’re enjoying time outside now that we’re on May’s doorstep.  At Pathfinder Village, our Produce crew is very busy in the rush of spring with planting the garden beds at our Hoop Houses, the weekly market, and getting ready for our sixth annual Splash Path 5k and Fun Walk on Saturday, May 18.  Register at Racewire to run or walk today!  More information is at our website; we also send out our sincere thanks to all our community partners and sponsors who keep registration fees affordable!

We invite you to visit our friendly weekly market each Thursday, from noon to 5 p.m., so that you may add the power of fresh produce to your family’s meals and snacks.  We’re fresh, affordably priced and convenient … Pathfinder Produce, we’re Rooted in Community!

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Taking an interest in many activities helps support one’s health; reading, gardening, playing music, and other crafts and hobbies keep our brains from atrophying and help relieve stress.  And so, as someone who enjoys reading, I thought I’d share this timely list of spring poems that I found at The Guardian’s website. 

One poet I hadn’t read before was John Clare (1793–1864), who was writing in rural England in the early-to-mid-1800s.  His “Young Lambs” alludes to how spring can be capricious.  More information on Clare is at the Poetry Foundation’s website.

Young Lambs by John Clare

The spring is coming by a many signs;
 The trays are up, the hedges broken down,
That fenced the haystack, and the remnant shines
 Like some old antique fragment weathered brown.
And where suns peep, in every sheltered place,
 The little early buttercups unfold
A glittering star or two--till many trace
 The edges of the blackthorn clumps in gold.
And then a little lamb bolts up behind
 The hill and wags his tail to meet the yoe,
And then another, sheltered from the wind,
 Lies all his length as dead--and lets me go
Close bye and never stirs but baking lies,
With legs stretched out as though he could not rise. 

This poem and others by Clare serve as a reminder of other spring traditions: The Morris Dancers from Binghamton, Boston, Toronto and New York will be performing at the Pathfinder Gym this Saturday at 12:30 p.m., part of their traditional tour of Otsego County that highlights rural dances and welcomes the growing season.  All are welcome to enjoy this great display of agrarian dances!

Until next time, keep active!

Lori

Getting Ready

Hello everyone!  Spring has finally arrived in Central New York – hooray!  That means everyone soon will be very busy with outdoor activities and pressed for time.  We invite you to discover the convenience of Pathfinder Produce to obtain your week’s worth of fresh fruits and veggies … we’re local, committed to customer service, and offer competitive prices. 

We’re Pathfinder Produce … Rooted in Community!

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Recently, I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with my friends and colleagues of Pathfinder’s Adult Day Services in prepping the hoop houses for another growing season.  The numerous beds in three metal-and-plastic greenhouses needed weeding and have the soil turned over before planting.  It’s a job not many enjoy, but honestly, I really do like to play in the dirt.

The garden bed earth is rich and has a pleasing deep brown-black color.  There are plenty of earthworms present, doing what they do best.  Chiefly, they consume organic matter and break it down through digestion, adding nutrients to the soil; they also break up the soil as they tunnel to mix in oxygen and make it easier for water to seep into deeper layers. 

As they say, “Many hands make light work,” and in no time, we’d accomplished the prep work.  From here, our ADS gardeners and Pathfinder School students will plant a variety of fresh greens, tomatoes, herbs, onions, garlic, summer squash, and other favorites.  I can’t wait to see how their crops progress through the early growing season.  (Perhaps we can set up some mulching experiments to see what works best … I’ll have to suggest that to the team!).

Other folks at Pathfinder are also getting prepared -- not for gardening, but for taking part in our annual Splash Path 5k and Fun Walk, which takes place on Saturday, May 18.  The Village’s Nursing and Enrichment Departments have started a Mileage Club, which encourages everyone to walk through our beautiful campus.  Last week was our first week of walking; despite the wind and cooler temperatures, everyone had an enjoyable time and logged in an impressive 187.25 miles in four days.

Splash Path, our signature paint run & walk event is now in its sixth year and is an inclusive and family fitness activity that is open to athletes of all ages and abilities.  This year’s event proceeds will support the continuing development of our Pathfinder Produce Mobile Market … we’re very excited about expanding our deliveries to area communities and helping more families access fresh fruits and vegetables to improve their health.

To take advantage of our early registration discounts before May 10, just go to splashpath.racewire.com to sign up; the registration fees are kept affordable through the generosity of Pathfinder’s community business partners and other sponsors.  Our thanks go out to key sponsors Brown & Brown of New York; NYCM Insurance; Excellus BlueCross BlueShield; Chobani; the Government of Otsego County; New York Pizzeria of New Berlin; the Wladis Law Firm; Coutleé Law; Bank of Cooperstown; NBT Bank; Preferred Mutual, Prolifiq Sign Studio and Gates-Cole Insurance.

Splash Path will also include family fun activities as always, including our ZUMBA warm-up party with Zoe Curtis, prize drawings, a barbecue, music by DJ Chris Curtis, vendor exhibits, cornhole matches and lots of kids’ activities. The 5k begins at 10 a.m. with our traditional color burst at the Pathfinder School parking lot.

Until next time, eat well, be well, and get ready for great weather.

Lori

The Colors of Spring!

Spring greetings to all!  Today’s weather has been particularly fickle, going from blue skies to thunderstorms and back to blue skies within the space of a few hours! It makes it hard to plan sometimes.

But one thing you can always plan on is Pathfinder Produce with our great prices, the friendliest staff, and freshest fruits and veggies. We’re open every Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. at the Village Commons.  Don’t forget our online ordering option offers added convenience.  Pathfinder Produce …  we’re Rooted in Community!

Below, my colleague Martha Spiegel follows up on a timely tip for spring!

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A reader recently wrote to us about natural Easter egg dyes, which piqued our curiosity, so I did some investigating. I was amazed at how many colors you can come up with! It’s a bit of a process, but the results can be really stunning.

First, you’ll need to hard boil and chill some eggs, and gather some mason jars. Then follow one of the two methods of preparing the dye— boil, and no-boil—depending on the base.

To use the Boil Method:

1. Bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil.
2. Add your coloring agent (see below)
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or longer for deeper color.
4. Strain liquid into a large mason jar and cool to room temperature.
5. Stir in 2 tablespoons of white vinegar.
6. Add 3 hardboiled eggs.
7. Close the jar and refrigerate overnight.

Examples of coloring agents requiring the boil method include:

• Shredded red beets for purple eggs
• Turmeric or cumin for yellow
• Chili powder for orange
• Red cabbage for sky blue (surprising!)
• Spinach for green

I read some conflicting information about certain color results, such as red onion skins. Some sources say the result is lavender or red, while others said jade green! I suspect there is some element of surprise with the results, but that just adds to the fun of it.

The No-Boil Method:

The no-boil method starts with a liquid, such as grape juice or coffee, which is strained into the mason jar. The procedure is the same from there on.

This article from TheKitchn.com suggests drying the eggs after coloring and putting them back in the jar for another night to achieve a deeper color. You can repeat the process until you achieve the desired hue.

Here is a list of websites with different suggestions for ingredients to use for natural egg dyes:

• All Recipes
• Better Homes and Gardens
• Martha Stewart
• Wellness Mama

A word about safety: Of course, one should use caution when pouring hot liquids into glass jars, and young children should be supervised during these activities.  Also, you won’t want to waste the beautiful eggs, so be careful to refrigerate them. Eggs are unsafe to eat if they are left out for more than two hours.

Enjoy the colors of spring!

Martha (and Lori)

The Veggie Prescription

 

Hello, everyone, and welcome to April!  We’ll have a month full of delicious Thursdays for you at Pathfinder Produce!  Stop by the Village Commons from noon to 5 p.m. for the freshest tastes around, and don’t forget our online ordering option!  We’re local, we’re affordable and we’re Rooted in Community!

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The Veggie Prescription

The adage goes “You are what you eat.”  I believe that is true in many cases, and many people suffer from conditions that may be rooted in or affected by poor eating habits.  Locally, for several years, our partners at Bassett Healthcare Network have been promoting their 5210 programs to encourage folks to:

• Eat 5 servings of fresh fruits and veggies each day
• Reduce recreational screen time to
  2 hours
• Take 1 hour of physical activity daily
• And to reduce their intake of sugary drinks to 0.

Healthcare providers are now starting to examine alternatives to prescribing drugs as the first option of care.  A recent article from Fast Company examines a Tufts University study that makes the case that subsidized produce purchases–prescribing fresh fruits and veggies -- can prevent millions of cases of chronic diseases like diabetes, asthma, and heart disease, and reduce healthcare costs.

The Tufts study, published in PLOS Medicine, looked at Medicare or Medicaid recipients, and examined two different food voucher scenarios:

• one covered 30% of the recipients’ produce expenses
• the other covered produce plus other healthy foods, like whole grains

The study predicted through a simulation model that the patients receiving subsidies would rely less on healthcare services.  Quantitatively, the study said that the first scenario would prevent 1.93 million cardiovascular events (such as heart attacks) and 350,000 deaths, as well as cut healthcare costs by $40 billion. The expanded second scenario would prevent 3.28 million cardiovascular events, 620,000 deaths, and 120,000 cases of diabetes–and save the U.S. system a whopping $100 billion.

Other news headlines back up the effectiveness of integrating fruits and veggies into treatment plans and prevention programs. Allison Aubrey from NPR filed a story about the Food Pharmacy, a pilot program at Geisinger Health System in central Pennsylvania.  Diabetics accessing more fresh produce, at about a cost of $1,000 each year per patient, were able to markedly improve their health over time, and spent far less in healthcare costs, roughly about $24,000 per individual.

Other articles and websites featuring the benefits of healthy food prescriptions include:

• University of Vermont:  Trading Aspirin for Asparagus
• Wholesome Wave Website (based in Bridgeport, CT, and Berkeley, CA)
• Healthline.com: Here’s How Healthy Food Prescriptions Could Save Lives & Money

Until next time, eat well and be well!

Lori

A New Twist on Smoothies

What a wonderful World Down Syndrome Day 2019 we enjoyed here at Pathfinder Village last week!  Thank you to all our Pathfinder Produce patrons who came by to help celebrate our market’s 6^th anniversary … it was a fun day at the market, with some out-of-town visitors, produce special sales, decorations and some fun blue-and-yellow mini-treats from the Pathfinder Bakery. 

Every market day is special at Pathfinder Produce …  we offer a great selection of fresh, tasty produce, and feature our online ordering service …Pathfinder Produce, we’re ROOTED IN COMMUNITY.

Last week we explored smoothies during our Otsego Academy Leadership Week with students from the Colgate COVE.  This week, my colleague, Sally Trosset, continues this theme with some refreshing smoothie spin-offs you may try.

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As ski fanatics say on a sunny day after a snow storm, “it’s a bluebird day!”  Not a cloud in the sky and the sun is shining bright!  I can almost smell and feel the warmth of spring, which means outdoor activities!  Spring is also the time to dust off my blender for yummy smoothies!  I noticed the local coffee shop has put away their soup bowls and crock pots and seasonal smoothies are back on their menu.

While the tried and true strawberry banana smoothie is always a refreshing, safe and healthy treat, I’ve decided to step up my smoothie game and venture in fruit-and-vegetable combinations.  I might even try an acai bowl, a treat my daughters recently discovered. 

What is an acai berry?  They are small fruit native to Central and South America and are considered a superfood because of their high antioxidant levels. They’ve definitely become a trendy ingredient!  You can find packets of acai berry puree in the freezer section of many grocery stores, either with the frozen fruit or the cans of frozen juice. Just break up your acai packet into pieces, toss it into the blender with the other ingredients and you’re ready to go! 

An acai bowl is a blended mixture of acai berries and other fruits. It is essentially a smoothie made with fruit, acai berry puree and yogurt that’s served in a bowl and finished with a fun and colorful variety of toppings.  It is a perfect healthier option for breakfast, lunch or snack time as long as you keep the toppings healthy!  Topping choices include honey, granola, coconut flakes, almonds or fresh fruit, but really, anything goes!

I plan on checking out the recipes from wellandgood.com.  Another place to find more traditional smoothie bowls is bluediamond.com.  If it’s your desire to stick to the classic smoothie, check out, lalymom - spring-smoothie-recipes, or greenblender.com.  I found many recipes describing light, tropical flavors with easy to find ingredients like carrots, raspberries, and spring mix lettuce. 

Happy blending, happy smoothies and happy spring!

Sally (and Lori)