In this edition of the eco-local guide, we are celebrating the Sowing Season.  Sowing typically refers the act of planting seeds to grow the food for our future sustenance. At this time of year, this activity is of paramount importance, because our very survival depends on what is sown. We are fortunate, then, to have the many dedicated farmers in region that carry out this seasonal ritual so that we can enjoy the fruits of their labor.  May and June brings the opening of the outdoor farmers markets, where you’ll find the freshest vegetables and the highest quality meats, and you’ll know where they came from, because the producer is the person selling the products.  It’s an opportunity to develop a relationship with your food and with the people who dedicates their lives to raising it for you.

Sowing is not just about planting crops; it is often used a metaphor for actions and behavior.  While the phrase “you reap what you sow” is a reminder of the karmic consequences of our behavior, it can also provide motivation for us to find new ways to create.  If we choose to sow an idea into the world, feed it with inspiration, drive it with perspiration, and protect it through the storms of discontent, we can reap the reward of making something manifest that can change the world around us.  An example of this intention to create is the dynamic duo known as Jane La Civita and Diane-La Civita, of the Harmony House Marketplace in Cohoes.  They saw on Remsen Street, not abandonment and desolation, but the fertile ground of opportunity. Starting with a crazy idea of wanting a local product marketplace, the pair opened up a New York-only wine shop, then a bakery and cafe.  Diane was a driving force behind the arrival of the Farmers Market on Fridays. The two are now opening their third enterprise and have inspired a host of others to remake Remsen Street into a place of hope. As cheerleaders for locally made, locally grown, and re-inventing local downtowns, Jane and Diane are our  "eco-Localizers" for this edition.

The seeds of the new sustainability economy are being sown throughout the Upper Hudson Valley.  To the north, in the Town of Thurman, numerous cottage industries have emerged that support the local economy and respect the environment that feeds it.  Out on the back roads of Thurman you’ll find sustainable forestry, a thriving maple sugar industry, a free-range poultry farm, makers of world-class goat cheese, and a white water rafting outfitter that promises to rock your world.  And there’s even a Taste of Poland making new digs in the former Northwoods Lodge – famous site of many a shin-dig and hoe-down! These folks all welcome you all up to their neck of the woods to see first hand how they’re living the dream and loving what they do.  You’ll find in these people the rugged self-reliance of the Adirondacker, but also the warmth and caring of a connected community that takes care of each other.

Sowing is really all about investing in the future  It’s the combination of faith, hope and love in something that can become bigger than ourselves, so that it produces a bounty that can be shared with others. Sow a thought you reap an act. Sow an act, you reap a habit. Sow a habit, you reap a character. Sow a character, you reap a consequence. The more goodness you sow the greater rewards you’ll reap. So with that in mind, please support the local businesses that appear within these pages.  They are all Sowers of goodness.

IN THIS ISSUE

Sowing edition eco-Localizers: Jane La Civita & Diane Conroy-La Civita of Harmony House Marketplace in Cohoes

SUSTAINABLE LIVING - Adirondack Style

Sustainable Restauratuer - Kim Klopstock of Fifty South

Driving the 2009 GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR

SUSTAINABLE EATING FOr Health & Happiness

articles can be viewed at Saratoga.com/ecolocal

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