Macaroni and cheese, pulled pork and collard greens from Mama Lo's Barbecue in Great Barrington sit on an outdoor table in the sun. Photo by Kate Abbott

Food

Here are the Hill Country Observer’s articles about food, listed from newest to oldest. We look into local food and foodways — farms and farmers, local markets and restaurants, food security, native plants and more.

  • Issue:

    Rural roasters

    By STACEY MORRISContributing writer HEBRON, N.Y. When Shelley and Alan Monder began roasting their own coffee nearly a decade ago, they were merely trying to satisfy their craving for a quality cup of java. “We were able to roast coffee that tasted so much better than anything we could buy at the supermarkets, and Shelley read more

    Rural roasters
  • Issue:

    Fruits of summer, all year long

    Jam maker grows home business through farmers market sales By STACEY MORRISContributing writer BALLSTON SPA, N.Y.   Anna Mae Clark started selling her homemade fruit jams at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market 15 years ago and now ships them to customers around the country. With the exception of oranges and cranberries, she uses only fruit grown read more

    Fruits of summer, all year long
  • Issue:

    In Mass., a hot debate over saving bees

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    Farm lobby’s plan prompts pushback from beekeepers By TRACY FRISCHContributing writer   Beekeepers in Massachusetts have been organizing in recent months to challenge regulatory and legislative proposals they say would not do enough to protect bees from pesticides — and might actually put them in greater jeopardy. The changes are aimed at curbing recent mass read more

    In Mass., a hot debate over saving bees
  • Issue:

    Spreading the gospel of locally grown grains

    The case for regional production start with taste, author says By TRACY FRISCHContributing writer TROY, N.Y.   Amy Halloran spent five years learning about the new movement to produce regional grains and flours, which she uses in pancakes and crepes. Ellie Markovitch photos In Amy Halloran’s new book, flour is a character that can be read more

    Spreading the gospel of locally grown grains
  • Issue:

    Farm to plate, at the farm

    Barn dinners showcase couple’s sheep cheeses, cured meats By STACEY MORRISContributing writer GRANVILLE, N.Y.   A crowd gathers for a Saturday night dinner last month at Dancing Ewe Farm in Granville, N.Y. The farm’s owners, Jody Somers and Luisa Scivola-Somers, started serving barn dinners two years ago as a way of showcasing their artisanal sheep read more

    Farm to plate, at the farm
  • Issue:

    Hives of controversy

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    As bees vanish, critics build a case against a class of pesticides By TRACY FRISCHContributing writer   Ross Conrad, a former president of the Vermont Beekeepers Association, works with his bees at Dancing Bee Gardens in the town of Cornwall. Conrad is among the beekeepers in the Northeast who’ve become convinced that honeybees are being read more

    Hives of controversy
  • Issue:

    Lively service, vital flavors

    Fryer foods showcase cousins’ sauces, spice blends By STACEY MORRISContributing writer SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.   Jude Goldberg and Reuben Schwartz tend the Vital Eats booth on Sundays at the Spa City Farmers Market. Stacey Morris photo On a summer Sunday afternoon, a line is beginning to form at the Vital Eats booth at the Spa read more

    Lively service, vital flavors
  • Issue:

    Local groups get creative in fight against hunger

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    By TRACY FRISCHContributing writer GREENWICH, N.Y.   Caryn Tindal has become a regular visitor in recent months to the Comfort Food Community pantry in Greenwich, N.Y. She said her husband was laid off from a job he held for 21 years, and his new job pays 50 percent less. The food pantry, she said, helps read more

    Local groups get creative in fight against hunger
  • Issue:

    Shearing the flock

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    Spring’s arrival finds an age-old tradition thriving in Vermont By TELLY HALKIASContributing writer RUPERT, Vt.   Andy Rice shears a sheep in 2013 at a farm in West Pawlet, Vt. Rice is among the shearers making the rounds at area farms this spring amid signs that the demand for locally produced wool is increasing in read more

    Shearing the flock
  • Issue:

    Matching farmers, landowners in the Hudson Valley

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    Hudson Valley program matches aspiring farmers to landowners By JOHN TOWNESContributing writer PINE PLAINS, N.Y.   Miriam Goler and Mark Stonehill are starting their first season at Full Circus Farm on 15 acres of leased land in Pine Plains, N.Y. They found the property through a database that matches aspiring farmers with landowners who want read more

    Matching farmers, landowners in the Hudson Valley