Welcome to

It’s all happening — peace, love, music and fresh, local produce.

In Woodstock, New York, the new town center (at least on Wednesdays) is the
Woodstock Farm Festival. Although this year will be only its third year, this
farmers’market feels like it’s always been here. The great fresh food, however,
is not the only draw.

Two seemingly divergent areas of interest combine for a truly special atmosphere.
Of course, the rows of vendors with their ultimate-in-freshness wares are the first
thing one sees here, but a closer look reveals more — a music stage. And if there
is anything one can depend on in Woodstock, it’s a good crop of local musicians.
So, along with great tasting food from local restaurants, educational things for
kids to do, world-class farmers and producers from the region, and all types of
music,there is the Mower’s Flea Market, a Woodstock institution. To drift from flea
market to farm market and back again, listening to great music and enjoying freshly
prepared foods is a wonderful way to spend a summer’s evening.

The Woodstock Farm Festival- another Woodstock original.

You could call Patrick Martins a mover and a shaker and you would be right.

After working in Italy to help launch Slow Food USA, he moved back to helm
its national office. Mr. Martins was everywhere — founding the magazine for
Slow Food, writing the Slow Food Guide to New York Restaurants, Markets
and Bars, and still finds time to be the series’ editor for both Chicago and
Northern California Slow Food Guides. Patrick currently sits on the advisory
board for Slow Food USA with the title of Founder.

Taking slow food a step further, Patrick founded Heritage Foods USA with his
business partner, Todd Wickstrom. Their goal is to help farmers market their
artisan foods and to provide an alternative to industrial agriculture.

They are doing a great job.

The Heritage Turkey Project, which helped double the population of heritage
turkeys in the United States and upgraded the Bourbon Red turkey from “rare”
to “watch” status on conservation lists, was Heritage Foods USA’s first foray
into saving American food traditions.

In 2004 it became an independent company (from Slow Food) dedicated to
saving not only turkeys but also Native American foods, pigs, sheep, bison,
cows, reef-net salmon, goats and all breeds of food livestock.

And, if that wasn’t enough, Patrick started the Heritage Radio Network.

The studio is in a recycled shipping container in Bushwick, Brooklyn behind
Roberta’s. (this restaurant is quickly moving to the head of the “best pizza”
line — you have to check them out) On the radio one can hear people like
Zak Pelaccio, (Fatty Crab) and Anne Saxelby (Saxelby Cheesemongers)
talk about their current food obsessions.

Patrick is all about fighting the good fight, and it looks like he’s winning.

This guy is all about helping you to eat locally. He buys local vegetables from
his neighbors at the Union Square Greenmarket, dunks them in way tasty brines,
adds fresh herbs, spices, and other delicious accoutrements and before you
know it–another batch of Rick’s Picks has been born.

Harkening back to the original reason for pickling, partners Lauren McGrath and
Rick Field are preserving the bounty of the harvest. They offer not only the kinds
of traditional tastes we all know and love, but they rock green beans, okra, beets
asparagus and curried green tomatoes. Their flavor profiles are in the forefront
in the pickled genre–you don’t see these combinations just anywhere.

The folks at Rick’s Picks are picky about their ingredients, their process and are
extraordinarily enthusiastic about their wares. And why not? These jars contain
some of the best tasting, turbo-charged flavors available anywhere.

Shot in New York City.

His grandfather came to America in 1907 and opened a butcher shop in Perth
Amboy, New Jersey. He practically grew up in the grocery business working
alongside his father and uncle. But most people know Rob Kaufelt as the owner
of the venerable Greenwich Village institution, Murray’s Cheese Shop.
Cheese has grown almost exponentially as one of the foods people like to talk
about, study, evaluate, discover . . . and, oh yeah, eat. And for those who crave
the good stuff Murray’s is universally acknowledged as THE cheese temple.
The contacts he’s made around the world guarantee his shop has the best cheese
available. Murray’s has an affineur (cheese ager) constantly checking the wheels
and rounds in four separate temperature and humidity controlled caves - this
allows the cheese to evolve and develop unique flavor profile and appearance.

Watch part one shot at Murray’s Cheese Shop in New York.

In the Hudson River Valley there is no better source for healthy, clean meat than
Fleisher’s. Jessica and Joshua Applestone are the energetic people behind this
quality shop. Supplying customers (and high end restaurants) with quality meats
has become their one and only goal. They consider themselves partners with the
farmers they do business with and are involved in every detail along the way.

Check out the video that was shot in their store and in the Hudson Valley.