eco-local living harvest 2010

8/8/2019 Eco-Local Living Harvest 2010

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DEPARTMENTS

7 News and Views

8 The Wellness Doc

9 Money Matters

10 Ask the Energy Expert

12 The Joy of Functional Living

13 The GREEN Designer

42 Eco-LOCAL Events

FEATURES

18-19 Lakeside Farm -A Local Tradition

20-21 Local Economic Outlook -Its Going to the Dogs

23-24 Fallon Wellness -A New Prescriptionfor Health

16-17 Sell ing theGREEN DREAM -

An interview withJane Sanzen andDeborah Andersson ofSelect Sotheby's Realty

22-23 Altamont Vineyard WineryCarrying on theOld World Traditions

40-41 R&G Cheese -The BIG Cheesein a Small Town

The Harvest Season brings on many sights, tastes and experiencesfor everyone. No place has brought more memories and flavors ofthe harvest past and present to more people than Lakeside Farm inBallston Lake. The iconic barn on the dramatic curve where RoundLake Road becomes Schauber Road has been the place to find thetastes of the season - apples,apple cider and apple cider donuts, forthree generations. Dick Pearce has been the inspiration andperspiration for Lakside Farm for it's entire existence. His gentlecharacter and boudless enthuusiasm has been the driving forcebehind the cider stand turned Farmers Market/Restaurant/CountryStore phenomenon that it is today. In a world of constant change,Lakeside Farm defies the odds by doing the same thing year in andyear out. And it's working like a charm, because despite the nationalrecesion aflicting many businesses,Lakeside Farm continues to drawa crowd every day. Good old fashioned service, value andconsistency are the hallmarks of success at this cherishedcommunity institution. There is no recession for those who candeliver on these principles. They work wherever they are practiced,at any time in the past,present and future. Thanks to Dick Pearce andLakeside Farm,we have a shining example of how to do business theright way. Their commitment to local farms, local community, andlocal land stewardship makes them our eco-localizer for the this 2010Harvest Season!

On the Cover


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Letter from the PublisherThe long,hot Summer of 2010 has come to a close,and while theheat was uncomfortable for most humans, the vegetablekingdom seemed to to like it just fine. The dreaded blight of2009 was nowhere in sight,and anybody growing tomatoes thisyear has been supplied with a bumper crop. Along with greenbeans, and squash,and peppers,corn and you name it,2010 hasbeen a fantastic year for growing local. The one bit of bad newswas that the warm spring got the apple blossoms started tooearly, and a cold snap in May killed a lot of the potential applecrop. There will still be plenty of apples to enjoy this autumnseason, just not the typical bounty that we are used to here inupstate NY. All the more reason to get out early and stock up onyour favorite variety of apples.

Fall is a great time to get out to the countryside of the upperHudson Valley. The autumn colors seem to be much more alive

out on the back roads; this is also where you'll find the gems of agri-tourism - farms where you caninteract with the the sights, sounds and smells. Of course, the pick-you-own apple orchards areperhaps the most direct contact with the farmers' land and craft - you have an opportunity to be afarm hand, although it may only be for the time it takes to pick a supply for your own family. Andthe fastest growing segment of agri-tourism is the corn maze. Fortunately,because of the farmingcountry being so close to our population centers,there is a good chance that there is a corn maze

attraction near you. We've got a special agri-tourism page in this issue,so be sure to get out to oneof the featured farms and go get lost for the day. Don't worry, if you truly get lost,all the farms havescouts that will retreive the hopelessly lost!

One dimension of the harvest season that may be unfamiliar to most people in this region is thegrape harvest. New York is a top grape and wine producer, but the Capital Region and upperHudson Valley are not exactly "on the map" if you are looking for vineyards and wineries. But thanksto the efforts of a few intrepid souls,our region is beginning to see the emergence of viniculture-the craft of growing grapes for wine. The DiCresenzo family of Altamont are forging ahead withtheir plans to put the region onto the wine map of New York State. Taking cues from the tenaciousLarry Grossi before them, the DiCresenzo's are proving that colder climates can produce fine wines.Find their story inside, and add them to your destination list this fall.

Not all the great finds of the season are out in the country...tucked into a back room of the HarmonyHouse Marketplace in downtown Cohoes you'll find the Big Cheese - Sean O'Conner of R & GCheese Co.,making his soon to be famous chevre and mozzarella. Already making waves in "foodie"

circles, R& G was a featured cheese on the prestigious cheese boards of the recent US Open. TheHarmony House Marketplace is is reinventing itself again, and the O'Conner's cheese making skillwill be in full view from the new bakeshop and cafe. Thanks to the gals at the Harmony House,downtown Cohoes is going through somewhat of a revival. It's worth checking out!

I am very excited that you are reading this copy of eco-LOCAL Living! It means that you are onemore person who is getting the message that the local-living economy is here,and you are helpingto make it the driving force of our prosperity in the future. Our goal is to connect you to the peopleand the places of this new local economy. We've added more column contributors,and continueto bring you interesting local people who are leading the sustainable lifestyles movement by theirexample. This magazine is free,only because it has been paid for by the advertisers within. If youenjoy reading eco-LOCAL and want to see it continue,it is vital that you reach out and do businesswith these people. Your interaction with them will make your life better... I guarantee it! Together,we will be the change that we want to see in the world... thank you!

- David DeLozier, Publisher

Every effort has been made to avoid errors and misspellings; however, if you see an error, please acceptour apologies. We welcome your ideas, articles, and feedback so that we can give you the best servicepossible. eco-LOCAL Living does not guarantee nor warrantee any products, services of any advertisers,nor will we be party to any legal or civil claims or promises. We expect advertisers to honor any claimsor promises. We reserve the right to revise, edit and/or reject any and all advertising with or withoutcause. Liability is limited to the cost of the ad space in which it first appeared for printing errors of thepublisher's responsibility or if the publisher fails to print an ad or article for any reason. We reserve theright to edit articles if needed for content, clarity and relevance. Unless otherwise noted, we use theCreative Commons License (in place of standard copyright), which allows anyone to freely copy,distribute, and transmit all content, although it must be attributed in the manner specified by the authoror licensor, and no one may use it for commercial purposes, or alter, transform, or build upon it.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR / SALESDavid Delozier 518-858-6866

ecolocalliving.com

DESIGN / PRODUCTION

Centerline Design 518-883-3872

PHOTOGRAPHYTom Stock - stockstudiosphotography.com,

David Delozier, Deborah AustinHeather Bohm-Tallman

CONTRIBUTORSHarry Moran, Rodney Wiltshire,

Amy Stock,Tracy Frisch,Sara Ellis,Stacey Morris, Joe Constantine,Jr.,Dermot Jinks,Mary Beth McCue

SUSCRIBEEco-LOCAL Living is the free bi-monthlymagazine for people choosing to lead

sustainable, intentional lifestyles in New York'sUpper Hudson Valley. Eco-LOCAL can be foundthroughout the region at independent retailers,

shops, restaurants and other high trafficlocales (visit www.ecolocalliving.com

to find a location near you). If you would liketo receive a subscription for convenience, send

$24 along with your name and address to:eco-LOCAL Media 38 Tamarack TrailSaratoga Springs,NY 12866.

If you would like updates and informationby email, please sign up at our website.

SUPPORTWe seek to transform this special region of

upstate New York into a local living economyof vibrant towns,productive farmlands andhealthy open space. By reading eco-LOCAL,you become part of our cause. But more is

needed - we need you to take an active role,by engaging in the commerce that will create

the living economy of our future This magazineis brought to you solely by the advertisers

found within. Please tell them you appreciatetheir support of eco-LOCAL Living.

We are all in this together, andwe must support each other.

Thank you!


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News and Views

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse, Go-Green,sustainable energy, climate change,global warming; these are all termsthat each of us have heard almostdaily in our personal lives. They arenot just the latest buzz words orphrases, but they are all part of alarger movement that affects us allone way or another. We all have anopportunity to take part in thismovement; it may be just as simple asturning off a light when you leave theroom, changing over to electronic

billing instead of paper, or buyingfrom your local farm stand instead ofheading miles further to the grocerystore. Jerry Macica, of Schuyler Farms

Corn Maze, points out Going Greenhas become a lifestyle for more andmore people and Mother Naturesurely appreciates it. But he is alsoquick to point out for the skepticsthat there are personal benefits togoing green. Reduced energy bills,healthier food choices, improvedhealth, or even having extra changein your pocket.

When Schuyler Farms beganconsidering the theme for their

familys 9th annual corn maze theclear choice was to Go Green. KenMacica of Schuyler Farms said thatsustainable energy is something that

is important to both the communityand to Americas farms. Tom Macicaadded that Going Green is just partof the social fabric of todays societyand it is a movement that can onlyhelp ensure a healthy future for hiskids and for future generations. Thethree Macica brothers felt that thefamily farm could use their 7-acrecorn maze to promote the ideas ofGoing Green and sustainableenergy. The maze design features theuniversally recognized recycling

triangle, wind mills, the sun, and yesthey even carved corn into the cornfield.

The Macica brothers intend on usingthis years annual fall festival atSchuyler Farms to help promoteGoing Green. This will includepromotional material for school kids,sponsorships from environmentallyfriendly businesses and of course theirgiant maize maze. Jerry Macica addedthat we are extremely excited aboutbecoming a green leader in ourcommunity and showing everyonethat being green can be fun!

If you would like more information onSchuyler Farms visit them online atwww.schuylerfarms.com or call 518-695-5308.

Because never, ever, has saying, orhearing NO elicited a good feeling.

Take 5 minutes,right now, to relive the

last 5 nos you heard or even go backto how it felt to hear NO as a child,and what do you answer with?

WHY NOT?! HOW COME?!

To now. Go meet your friend. Havelunch with your Dad. Watch your kidsplay. Go to the Show. Take a bike ride.Play with your dog. Go to the park.PEE! Take a nap! Do somethingyouve never done. Something youreafraid to do. Show up at the partyALONE! Accept a last minuteinvitation. Let yourself feelexhilaration, anticipation, excitement!

FEEL. How do you FEEL?Just say it all, out loud, and see... no.FEEL how you feel. NO, I cant go. Imtoo busy. Maybe tomorrow,. Work is

just so crazy. The house is a mess. Iam so behind. After the holidays.When I retire. Seriously, the work isnever going to be done. The house willnever stay clean. The projects willcontinue to line up. When will werealize that life truly is the journey?There is no final destination. There isonly now. Right this minute. All of

today. We are trading everything wedo, in a day, for a day of our lives. Didwe consciously chose, or mindlessly

follow, or worse, just react?Saying yes feels great. It meanssomething. It gives us a direction.Something to look forward toachance to treat ourselves; to payattention to the things, to the PEOPLEin our lives that truly deserve ourattention. To do something, to be withsomeone, to go somewhere. SAYINGYES! GETS US OUT OF THE RUT. Itreminds us that we have the freedomto choose. And we do everyday. Wechose consciously, or we chose by ourlack of attention, our indecision or ourinaction. But make no mistake, we are

choosing each and every day, how wespend our time, where we put ourattention, how we expend our energy.We can mindlessly, out of habit,continue with our rationalization ofwaiting. Or, we can do what feelsgood - Why? Because when we feelgood, we feel relaxed. We feelempowered.

So start today. Saying YES!

Kathleen is the Owner of Virgils House, 86Henry Street in Saratoga Springs.

JUST SAY YES!

LOCAL FARM CHOOSES A UNIQUE WAY TO PROMOTGO-GREEN INIATIVES & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

By Kathleen Quartararo

Schuylerville corn maze uses 7-acre canvas to raise environmental awareness

Stop in to Virgils House and say YES!To getting one free drink, when you buy one at the regular price!


8/44


We are all working hard to preserve

and protect the planet we live in.We must live greener lives tooffset indiscretions taken with theenvironment in the past. But doyou have the same greenconsciousness with one of the mostimportant environments under yourcontrol your body.

At first glance it might seem silly tothink green when talking about thehuman body. But like the Earth,there is a balance of importantsystems, process and chemicalreactions that comprise the human

experience it has its own ecology.The human body like the Earth is greatly influenced by chemicals.The balance of biochemistry isinfluenced by the air we breath, thefoods we eat, the liquids we drink,and the medications we take. It is interestinghow we grasp the concern for fluorocarbons inthe environment and the big businessinfluences that created the problem but missconcerns for widespread use of high fructosecorn syrup in our foods and the same bigbusiness influences. (see Wikipedia.com highfructose corn syrup).

The need for restraint in the use of plastic, paperand fossil fuels is important for our future. Thiscomes from understanding the relationship ofthese products with water, air, soil, plants andthe animals of our world. Using a similarprocess of logic, I understand the relationship ofthe body to sugar, trans fats, foods that are morepreservative than food (see ingredients on a bagof Doritos) and medications that aim more atcomfort than creating health. (health being theimproved function of the organ)Unfortunately,as with our planet, the agenda of comfort and

profitability still move many to continue topollute both the planet and their bodies.

As an example look at what many consider thesafest of all pharmaceutical products -acetylsalicylic acid, which you know better asaspirin. Do you know what aspirin does in thebody? It decreases the production of a hormonecalled prostaglandin. Prostaglandin is created bythe body NATURALLY and is involved in a varietyof functions in the body - including theexpression of pain, raising the bodytemperature, decreasing blood plateletcoagulation, and reabsorbing hydrochloric acid(created by the body to break down protein inthe stomach) in the stomach. When you takeaspirin you limit the amounts of this hormoneand restrict those functions.

Most of us have heard someone say I takeaspirin daily to keep my blood thin. The

antiplatelet effect of aspirin on

blood clotting does keep bloodviscosity low. (which is why youcant take aspirin before scheduledsurgery) Of course, the same sourcesthat recommend this usage list riskfactors supporting daily aspirin useas family history of heart disease,past heart problems, elevatedcholesterol, lack of exercise and/orpoor eating.

What occurs to me is that, perhaps,most of these heart problems wesuffer are related to unhealthylifestyle choices as opposed to

organic and/or genetic predispositionfor heart disease. Maybe not. Butdoes it make sense to you thatAmericans need to take 80 billionaspirins each year! These peopleare repeatedly interfering with anatural inclination to produce

prostaglandin in response to things likeheadache pain from to much coffee/sugar andto l it tle s leep, or a healthy-immune-response-generated fever, or maybe the needfor the blood to coagulate because a bloodvessel was damaged? I realize that there is atime for everything including the use ofaspirin but the biochemistry changed and

the enormous volume of aspirins ingestedcauses me to question.

I may be going out on limb here, but I think thepopularity of taking aspirin may havesomething to do with the fact that aspirin is abillion dollar industry. It is more about addressof an effect (pain) than resolution of cause (inmost cases, lifestyle choices). But then thatwould be akin to creating and using a chemicalfor the primary purpose of making money byputting the comfort of an individual over health.Now where have I heard that before.

By Dr. Dermot Connole Jinks, DC

The Wellness Doc

Green Inside


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With Autumn's arrival and the days begin togrow shorter, many of us start to think aboutthe approach of another winter heating seasonand of our energy sources in general. The BPdisaster in the Gulf has once again heightenedour awareness of the high cost of our addictionto fossil fuels and has prompted many of us toreexamine our options. With this in mind, I'dlike to take a look at the state of solar energywhich, along with wind power, is one of thetwo truly renewable and clean energy sourcescurrently available on a significant scale. Inaddition to looking at the general state of andoutlook for the industry, I'm going to sharesome thoughts on how the current landscapemay affect consumers and shareholders of solar

companies.

As anyone who has owned stocks of solarcompanies over the last few years is wellaware, these have been trying times whichhave tested the patience and resolve of solarinvestors. As much of the stock marketrecovered sharply following the financialmeltdown of 2008, shares of most solarcompanies have languished. In 2011: TheReturn of the Solar Shakeout, Shyam Mehtapoints out that with Spain's rapid retreat fromits position as a leading buyer of photovoltaic(PV) panels, coupled with the damage to thecredit system stemming from the global

financial crisis, many observers were expecting

a painful consolidation in the industry. Thisthesis was based on the expectation of demandbeing stagnant, manufacturing capacitycontinuing its long-term growth pattern and PVpanels becoming a commodity which wouldmainly be sold by the lowest cost providers.

Well, for a number of reasons, the predicteddoomsday scenario for solar manufacturers andshareholders didn't materialize, though thingshave certainly been far from rosy. What isnoteworthy going forward though is that someobservers such as Mehta expect that 2011 willbe the year in which we finally see this majorshakeout (consolidation to be more politicallycorrect) in the solar arena.The argument is that

it will be much tougher sledding for the highercost producers who have thus far greatlybenefited from the policies of countries such asSpain and Germany who have kept a floorunder prices by implementing governmentfeed-in tariffs. These tariffs ensuredguaranteed rates for solar power, locked in bylong-term contracts, which were much higherthan the rates for conventional power. WithSpain having dramatically reduced theseincentives and effectively out of the game fornow, and Germany announcing severe cuts tothese tariffs due to its recent austeritymeasures, there may be no one to prop upthese high cost manufacturers, and the severe,

prolonged shakeout that was originally

predicted for last year may begin to manifestitself in early 2011. Needless to say this wouldbe a very difficult environment for solarcompanies and their shareholders.

So what to make of all this gloomy soundingnews? While investors in solar companies mayindeed be facing a difficult period over the nextyear or two, this shakeout would be a sign of amaturing industry and would actually be veryhealthy for the long-term. The companies whosurvive this turmoil will be stronger and wellpositioned for future growth. In addition to thisbeing very healthy for the industry, it wouldlikely be great news for consumers in the nearterm as fierce price competition would likely

drive prices down and solar would becomeaffordable for many more people.

Investors in solar and shares of otherrenewable energy companies should have atleast a 5 to 7 year time horizon and understandthe volatility and risks associated with theseinvestments. Since price fluctuations can bedizzying at times, systematic investing over aperiod of time (dollar cost averaging) can bean effective way to dampen the effects of thisvolatility and reduce the significance of thetiming of an investment. Investing in mutualfunds or exchange traded funds (ETF's)focusing on renewable energy provides instant

diversification, professional management andsomewhat greater price stability but theseshares historically have still been quite volatile.For those with long enough time frames and ahigh tolerance for risk, solar shares still offergreat potential over the long haul and offer ameans to support a technology which remainsa key element of our clean energy future.

Harry Moran helps socially conscious investors defineand achieve their highest goals by aligning their moneywith their values. A 24-year veteran of the financialservices profession, Mr. Moran has held the CertifiedFinancial Planner designation since 1991. He is anetwork member of First Affirmative Financial Network,a national professional organization dedicated to

meeting the needs of the socially conscious investingcommunity. Mr. Moran can be reached directly atCornerstone Financial Advisors at 518-877-8800.Mention of specific securities, funds, or companiesshould not be considered an offer or a recommendationto buy or sell the security, fund, or company. To determinethe suitability of any particular investment, pleaseconsult with your investment adviser. Remember, pastperformance is no guarantee of future results and noinvestment strategy can assure success. The opinionsexpressed are those of the author and may changewithout notice. Harry Moran is a registeredrepresentative offering securities through Cadaret, Grant& Co., Inc., member FINRA SIPC. Cadaret, Grant is notaffiliated with Cornerstone or First Affirmative.

By Harry Moran, CFP AIFMoney MattersSolar Investing: Sunny Skies Ahead?


10/44


Over the years, many of my customers have asked me, What the best way

for my home to go Green and save Green at the same time? Well,depending on your perspective, there are many right answers to that, butin my world, the customer usually expresses this question in another way,What's the best bang for my buck? The answer has been, and always willbe found in living sustainably.

The first tenet to Sustainable Living is to Reduce (or refuse) consumption. In ourhome's Energy portfolio, that means lowering your demand for resources, andfor most of us, our home's comfort level is the biggest driver of those demands.

In the summer months,many of us try to beat the heat with Air Conditioners,and in the Winter Months, we are heating our homes with all sorts ofmethods. Those of us who choose to use less (Fans instead of AC's, wearsweaters indoor in the winter) do so at the expense of the creature comfortsthat we have grown accustomed to feeling entitled to (for better or worse).

The vast majority of us, who do heat and cool conventionally, do so very

inefficiently. Mostly, this is because even though we may be using newand improved technology in our furnaces and AC units (that make themmore energy efficient), our home's shell or envelope (as it's called in ourline of business) is so leaky, that your equipment is literally heating andcooling the outdoors. Believe it or not, most of us do not live in EnergyStar rated homes that have been constructed in the past 5 years. With thatsaid, most of the following discussion will be very relevant to existinghomes ten years and older.

Well, that said, I think most of you are probably aware of what comes next:how to seal the envelope. Your home's envelope is composed with fourmajor types of weak spots: your roof, your basement, your walls, and yourdoors and windows; each of which present their own type of problem andsolution. Let's start with the easiest first.

Doors and Windows; if your doors and windows leak like a sieve, then it's

time to remedy that situation. Sometimes,this situation can be very obvious,and you can literally see the gaps (broken glass) or feel the rushing airpassing by. If you need a more expert opinion on the integrity of yourenvelope, then a professionally conducted analysis can be performed with aBlower Door Test which will identify all the leaky spots in your home andquantify the loss for you.

But before you rush out to purchase a whole home's worth of replacement

windows and new doors, you do have significantly more affordable options.First off, if the doors and windows do mechanically function (open, close,andlock) as they are intended, then you absolutely have no reason to replacethem (unless you like spending lots of money), and even if some are broken,you can have them repaired locally for less than you would spend onreplacement anyway. Now, if you are satisfied with the mechanical integrityof your home's existing windows and doors, then you can seal any of gapson the sills and edges and with a light application of insulation, calk,weather-strips, felt, or a combination of these items (all of which should costyou less than $50 for your entire home). Now, if that's all you do, you have

just taken a huge step in sealing your home up , arguably for pennies.

After you have sealed the miniscule gaps, you can then install a removableproduct called an Advanced Energy Panel. Manufactured locally by WindowTerm, these devices are reusable, clear barriers that are custom-made for

each (and every shaped) window and installed inside your home, addinginsulation to your existing windows. The total insulation that these panelsachieve is greater than that of standard new or replacement windows - andfor a significantly lower cost. In addition to insulating your home from heattransfer, they also aid in sound insulation as well, so you will notice aquieter home.

Now that we've tackled the doors and windows, it's time to get to the mainmembrane of your home's envelope, your basement, walls, and attic. Theseare the spots in your home where a continuous flow of heat penetrates inand out throughout the day all year long.

Your basement (or crawlspace) foundation walls are in constant contactwith the earth, and are usually around 50 degrees. Now, the space above thefrost line where your home's sill plate is can be exposed to wintertimetemperatures well below freezing. So, in the winter, your home's basement

basically becomes a heat sink for any heat radiated in your basement fromyour furnace, water heater, and plumbing or ductwork that is carrying theheat to its destinations. Imagine for a moment, in the dead of winter, it is -20 below with the wind-chill factor, and your furnace is firing away to keepyour home comfy and cozy. That furnace has to work that much harder toovercome the environment that it is operating in, your ICE COLD basement.

Your main floor's walls also present a point of penetration where heat lossand gain occur, though not as dramatically as the basement and attic. Thisis mainly due to the fact that your walls have 3 to 4 different types ofmembranes on the walls interior and exterior. Finally, heat rises, so much ofthe heat that enters the walls will elevate to the attic space before it leavesyour shell.

Your attic may represent the largest culprit in this heat transfer battle; it isa two time loser. Most people have zero insulation on their roof structure

(between the rafters) and only some inadequate insulation on their atticfloor. What happens here in the winter is that most of the heat that isgenerated in your home rises to the top of your house due to convection andbegins to transfer through your attic to the outside environment. So in thewinter, your attic acts as a heat sink in a similar manner to your basement.

In the summertime, the sun's powerful radiation penetrates your roofingmaterials and heats your attic (temperatures up to 160 degrees F). Thisheating of your attic actually represents 95% of all of your summertimeheating gain. So, while you are trying to keep your home's living spacecool in the summer months, your attic is actually acting like a pressurecooker and boiling the contents of your home all the while you'refighting to keep it cool. This is even more difficult for those homes withcentral air ducts that run through the attic, all of that cool air is being

By Rodney Wiltshire, Engineer/President l Empire Solar Store

Ask the Energy ExpertSealing the Home Envelope


11/44


heated through your attic before it even gets todo its job.

OK, now that you've gotten the really bad news,what do you do? Well you insulate those areasproperly, and understanding how heat istransferred is the first step. Heat always movesfrom warm to cool, and there are three ways inwhich heat is transferred from warm spaces tocold spaces:

Conductive: the transfer of heat flowing througha solid or fluid material.Convective: the transfer of heat which involvesthe physical movement of air when it is warmed.Radiant: the movement of invisible heat raysfrom a warm surface to a cooler surface through aspace.

Radiant Heat Transfer is responsible for 75% of allHeat Transfer, so if you only deal with conductiveand convective, you are really not dealing withmuch. You MUST handle radiant heat transfer.

But before you run out to the local big box storeand buy the pink stuff let's get back to theoriginal question and the best Bang for your

Buckissue. You have options,and some of whichI bet you didn't know about.

The pink stuff or fiberglass insulation is, quitehonestly, a very inefficient way of resisting heattransfer, and that's all it does,resist. In addition toits poor performance quality, it is not really fun towork with or touch and it can be easilycompromised by water damage or compression todo mishandling.

Cellulose or blown-in insulation is slightly moreeffective than fiberglass, but also moreexpensive, and again it has its place (blowinginto an existing wall structure), but also itslimitations similar to fiberglass but also that it

settles, is messy, can't be easily removed, andcan attract rodents and pests.

Rigid Polyisocyanurate Foam-board insulationwith a radiant barrier provides a betterinsulator than the above two as it begins toaddress all 3 types of heat transfer, but it is a

very expensive product for the amount of R-Value you get, plus the installation effort orcosts associated drive the total cost of thistype of insulation up considerably.

Polyisocyanurate Spray foam insulation alsoaddresses all 3 types of heat transfer very well,is very flexible in its installation, but it is the

most expensive product installed. In addition toits expense, it is a permanent installation(removal is a bear), it can be messy, and maycontain volatile off-gassing compounds (VOCs)that may not be environmentally friendly. Onemore thing about these foam insulators is thatthey are not fireproof, so in the event of a fire inyour home, they will burn.

Insulated Reflective Foil represents the best of allworlds, and ultimately the best bang for your buck.When installed correctly, this type of bubbleinsulation material accomplishes what all of theabove fail to do, and at the most affordable price.Cost wise,Insulated Reflective Foil is as inexpensive

as fiberglass (and that is installed) yet as effectiveas Spray foam. However, it's the associatedattributes, which make this a slam dunk.

BenefitsFoil insulation reflects 97% of radiant heat makingyour home or building more energy efficient

Unaffected by humidity or moisture Class 1 /Class A fire rating (passes the newest fire test inthe industry, ASTM E84-2009) Non-toxic / non-carcinogenic Environmentally safe Fiber free Durable and lightweight Maintenance free Lowers heating and cooling costs Easyhandling

The product is most commonly installed in thefollowing scenarios: Attic Installation, WallInstallation and Basement Installation.

This reflective product works primarily byblocking 97% of radiant heat therefore loweringthe Effective Radiation emissions from a heatsource is it the sun's rays penetrating your homeor your furnace's heat leaving your home. Whatthat leads to is an increased EffectiveInsulation value. In addition, this product actsas a vapor barrier, and prevents convective heattransfer as well as isolates moisture. Finally, thebubble air insulation aids in resisting conductiveheat transfer. All combined, this lightweight,

flexible, durable product can get your home'senvelope sealed in the best and most affordableway possible.

See these products demonstrated and described athttp://youtu.be/aMuhhnu6igc Empire Solar Store islocated at 6 Brunswick Road (Route 2), Troy NY. Call 518-687-0135 or go online to www.empiresolarstore.com.


12/44


Question - Editor David Delozier: We expectthat food from factory farms can be safe if we

just have proper inspections (FDA, etc).Congress may legislate more rules andregulations, but the problem cannot be solvedthis way. The problem is not with theinspections; it is that factory farming is toxic onevery level. So as a question...With the latestrecall on eggs and past memory of major recallson meats and even spinach, it's obvious that ournational food system is not producing safe food.What are the options for a family looking forclean healthy food today?

Answer - MBM: Do not rely on our NationalFood System 100% of the time for safe andfrankly healthy & nutritious foods. There isvirtually minimal effective levels and quality ofnutrients in the soil of these foods to provide thebody with what it needs. People have beenforced into standardized, unnatural diets, andaggressive, chemical-based agriculture isravaging ecosystems from the Great Plains tothe Kalahari. Food has been stripped of itsmeaning, reduced to a mere commodity, andsome would go as far to say its mass productionis contributing to injustice all over the world.Theproblem hits at many levels beyond this article.

Fear not, the consumer trend IS out of the

grocery stores and into the local communitymarkets and farms, and home growing/farms.The organic/sustainable industry is said to beTHE fasting growing industry, and thus a morecost effective organic industry is emerging. Ibelieve this is our answer and we need tocontinue to provide access to all.

Factory farming, that which is subsidized by ourgovernment; can be very toxic, because many

corners are cut, safety measures are forgottenin many cases, and poorly conducted inspections if they are completed- can all contribute to atoxic system. In many settings animals aresqueezed into very uncomfortable, sometimesabusive unhealthy and unsanitary conditions.This is all done in favor of our greedy USgovernment and CORPORATIONS that run thesefarms. There are better methods; they choose notto use them. Farmers around the world arepressured into mortgaging their farms topurchase genetically modified seeds, pesticides,and fertilizer from American companies likeMonsanto. It all leads back to money. Thistranslates to devastation of lives on the part ofthe animals, the plant life and to the US citizens.And the #2 point of my response is this is all alarge contribution to creating a very unhealthy USculture, poor health, economic disaster in healthcare and beyond , etc. I think poor health affectseverything. Do you see the full circle here? Thesystem that created all this is not the systemfixing it, and in many ways this is a good thing.

We need to continue to take things into our ownhands collectively if you will. We dont have tobe the victims of anyones experiment especially our governments. We do not have toeat the foods (which are barely food) that are

killing our nation and we do not have to abideby the incomplete advice given in the mostbroken health care system in the world - ours.This is the other side of the coin in the foodbusiness health care. One is actually feedingthe other. People are getting progressively sickerfrom unhealthy and unsafe foods. The US FoodSystem is maintaining business for the US HealthCare System.

Dirty foods- from dirty environments can easilylead to a dirty body which leads to chronicconditions.We are seeing this is the overwhelmingamounts of auto-immune conditions such as withallergies. Conventional medicine seems to knowlittle about resolving chronic conditions such asfatigue (and the unique sources of it) ,cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression,autism, and the list goes on.BUT, these ARE beingresolved on a regular basis in the practice offunctional medicine and nutrition. In addition,toss in toxic heavy metals such as lead from dieselfuel, mercury from pesticides and wastes, highlevels of stress, and pharmaceuticals.

Over time these contribute to much of thechronic health conditions we see today. Chronichealth conditions always leads back to 2 causes:Toxicity &/or stress. We are living longer yes,BUT on average, we are chronically sicker duringthese later years. Cleaning up your diet will helpclean up your body. Toss in specific nutrients tore-grow the systems in your body that are down,eliminate the toxins, and youll be feeling andlooking years younger.

I believe the end goal is in the process of beingachieved: a world in which communities areentitled to food sovereignty; allowed to choosenot only what they want to grow and eat, but

also how they produce and distribute it. We areseeing this here in our own local communities aswell as throughout the world. By choosing to eatsustainable foods and using a more sustainablehealth care practitioner as a compliment toconventional health care, one will surely, in thelong run, save time, money and energy, and ofcourse health which is the reason why theothers are SAVED.

By Mary Beth McCue, RD, LDN, CDN

The Joy(s) of Functional Living

Food Safety, Functional Medicine

and our Health


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There are few manufacturers of wood flooringthat are as dedicated and eco-friendly asEcoTimber. This company was founded on thepremise that the best way to preserve theworld's forests is to build markets for wood

and bamboo products sourced from superiormodels of forest management.

What we appreciate about their products isthat they are FSC certified - all the wood comefrom forests that are certified well-managedaccording to the rules of the ForestStewardship Council (FSC). The suppliers ofEcoTimber adhere to forestry practices thatguarantee a perpetual yield of high-qualitytimber while maintaining or restoring healthy,self-regenerating forest ecosystems.

The other quality of their wood products isthat no urea-formaldehyde is used, andtherefore EcoTimber floors do not off-gas

toxic VOC's (volatile organic compounds),which are known to vaporize in the air andcan have short- and long-term adverse healtheffects.

They came up with a innovative woven Poplarfloor made of 100% FSC-recycled scrap fromthe furniture manufacturing and pulpindustries. It is woven, which consists ofveneer wood scraps compressed and woven

together using a heat reactive glue. Thisprocess creates similar characteristics tohardwood but a harder and more stable floor- 3000 per janka scale (white oak is 1360).Woven poplar floors can be installed over

hydronic radiant heat systems, and can besanded and refinished.

The Woven Recycled Poplar flooringrepresents a revolution in the flooringindustry, says Doug Foucault, Vice Presidentof Product Development for EcoTimber, it'scomprised of 100% post industrial scraps ofpoplar from the furniture industry that iscombined with a proprietary process of resininfusion and high compression. This makes itnot only the most environmentally friendlyfloor on the market but also extremely durableand extraordinarily beautiful.

The good news is that this beautiful Poplar

wood floor comes in 4 colors, and is availableat a discounted price through October.

Karen Totino & Sophie Castro own GreenConscience Home & Garden, 33 Church Street inSaratoga Springs. Green Conscience is the localEcoTimber dealer and a retail showroom that offers avariety of organic, eco-friendly lawn, garden andhome improvement products. Call 518-306-5196 oremail: [email protected]

By Sophie Castro & Karen Totino

The Green Designer

Woven Recycled Poplar: A beautiful

and unique eco-friendly floor


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utumn is a great time of year to enjoy the greatagricultural assets of the Upper Hudson Valley. Weare blessed to have bountiful Apple Orchardsnearby, many who invite you to pick your own. Thecrop is a little short this year, due to a late frost, so

if you plan to go,go early in the season. And of course, who can resistthe ultimate treat, Cider Donuts? Another way to get up close andpersonal to our nearby farms is to go get lost in one of the many corn

mazes in the region. Dont knock it till youve tried it. This activity istruly fun for the whole family, and local maze operators have got outto help you get lost with this years labyrinths. Schuyler Farms onRoute 29 in Schuylerville is featuring a Go-Green Maze this year, tohelp you remember the three Rs Reduce, reuse and Recycle. Thecorn maze, which is open through the end of October, has expandedto include gemstone and fossil mining, a petting zoo, miniature golf,hayrides, pumpkin patches and much more. Look for their HauntedMaze in late October. Its an experience that will literally freak youout!

Liberty Ridge Farm, just outside of Stillwater in the town ofSchagticoke is always a hot spot for fall activities. The centerpiece ofLiberty Ridge Farm is the Fall Festival. The Harvest Season kicks off on

September 18th and runs through November 11th 2010. It includesthe Capital Region's largest corn maz , Brad's Barnyard Adventureand lots of family fun on the farm. You can venture by day or nightthrough the 12-acre labyrinth of 13 foot high cornstalks, try all theactivities in Brad's Barnyard, feed the farm animals, take a scenictrolley ride along the banks of the Hoosic River, and pick pumpkins.Dine in the Quincy Room or out on the sprawling deck overlookingthe farm. There's always fresh cider donuts from the farm kitchen.

Ellms Family Farm in the quaint hamlet of Charlton has been expandingtheir operation every year. In addition to the cornmaze, ride the "MooMooChooChoo" to the pickyou own pumpkin patches or jump on the JumpingPillow - an Ellms Family Farm favorite! Take aleisurely break and have fun on our scenic trolley

ride, or just sit and relax in the comfort of theinviting farm market setting. The Halloweenhayrides are fun for everyone, and awesome applecider donuts create memories and familytraditions when you visit Ellms Family Farm.

No matter which way you go, there is somethinggreat to discover out on the country roads of theregion. Dont forget to pick up the last of thelocal produce while out and about. Its a greattime to process the harvest and stock up yourpantry for the long winter ahead.


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16/44

Beginning with its establishment in 1744, theSotheby's Auction House earned a reputation inthe valuation of fine possessions. Continuingthis fine tradition in exceptional real estate andprofessional seller services, brokerages withinthe Sotheby's International Realty networkrepresent many of the world's finest houses andestates. Sotheby's has relationships with anational and worldwide community of expertreal estate professionals. Sotheby's Select ofSaratoga sells a lifestyleJane and Deborahspecialize in offering properties with a greenlifestyle; their goal is to help the discriminatingbuyer to make the right decision when seekinga low-impact home. Jane and Deborah haveearned their Green Realtor designation; the onedesignation approved by the NationalAssociation of Realtors. By doing so they aremembers of the Green Resource Council -providing them with the growing body ofinformation regarding sustainable building

practices, materials, design considerations,statistics, and ongoing education.

Eco-LOCAL Living: The term green buildingis being thrown around a lot these days. Whatexactly is a Green Building?

Jane and Deborah: Simply put, green buildingis about building it right the first time; making itdurable, long lasting, low maintenance, energyefficient, and healthy for the environment aswell as the people who populate it.

ELL: There's a belief that green homes cost

more. Why is that, and what are the benefits tothe homeowner by going green?

J&D: Green building is a whole systemapproach which reduces environmental impactand improves the health and safety of theoccupants. It provides features that ensure ahealthy environment-such as the use of fewermaterials which could undermine our health -like the use of low VOC paints, or wood and

stone flooring- or the addition of a HeatRecovery system (HRV) which distributes freshair in and expels stale moist air out. A GreenHome should be durable and designed withefficient systems like energy star appliances andvery efficient heating system, celluloseinsulation, or simply the proper siting of thehouse to take fullest advantage of the sun'slight and heat. Greater conservation is achievedby the use of recycled products such as fibercement board which is made from recycledconcrete.These types of features provide health,value and conservation benefits to the owner.

ELL: So a green home has a lower operatingcost in the long term. With energy costscontinually going up, that's a huge advantage!Are there other advantages?

J&D: The lifestyle advantages of living in agreen home include healthy indoorenvironment, and value in long term durability

Interview by David DeLozier Photos supplied by Select Sotheby's Realty

Living in the Future - Today!Green Homes

An interview with Jane Sanzen and Deborah Andersson of Select Sotheby's Realty,

representing the unique homes at Louden Ridge,built by Capital Construction.



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and energy efficiency. The homes of LoudenRidge are also extraordinarily beautiful whichclearly provide more subtle advantages.

ELL: With those benefits, I'd say that everyoneshould own a green home. Do you see thedemand increasing for this type ofconstruction?

J&D: Green is officially "mainstream"-according to the Green Resource Council, 69%of the population is seeking green products and76% perceive that green products are of ahigher quality. Buyers are evermore concernedwith energy efficiency, energy independence,

and environmental issues facing the planet.They wish to have their homes be a reflection oftheir values. Also the benefits of living in ahealthy environment are of growing interest,especially to young families.

ELL: Sotheby's has teamed up with one of thearea's leading green builders, CapitalConstruction, to market their unique homes atLouden Ridge in Wilton. What makes thisrelationship unique?

J&D: There is an ever increasing interest insustainable building principles and energyconservation as well as health benefits of greenhome environments. Sotheby's representation

of the environmentally responsible homes ofLouden Ridge in Saratoga Springs is an exampleof their commitment to this emerging market.

ELL: So, for those people who are seeking outthese unique homes - do they need to find aspecial real estate agent to help in their search?

J&D: Agents with a green designation areuniquely qualified to address this fast growingreal estate market -They can provideknowledge, leadership, and understanding ofGreen real estate principles. The National

Association of Realtors Green Designation setsus apart, and indicates to the consumer that weare committed to the growing and positiveforce behind the Green Building movement. Anagent with a Green Designation can tell thestory of our product that helps to protect ourworld- communicate an understanding of greenbuilding practices, and make the connectionbetween green building and value/benefits &performance.

ELL: What's your prognosis for the future - willmost homes in the future be built with greentechnologies, or will this remain a specialty

niche?J&D: Sotheby's and Capital Construction andthe future: Select Sotheby's International Realtyrepresents unique and distinctive properties inthe upstate region at large.We are so proud to

offer the brilliantly designed homes of LoudenRidge and provide our customers the possibilityof an exceptional lifestyle with these properties.We feel that our commitment to the highestquality of service, marketing, and relationshipsis the perfect match for the fabulous work ofFrank Laskey of Capital Construction. Weanticipate more demand for high quality GreenHomes in the future. There is certainly a greatlyincreasing interest in conservation, and agreater commitment to protecting theenvironment and preserving natural resourcesfor future generations. The future is what

"green homes" are really all about.For more information about the homes atLouden Ridge, call Jane (pictured below) at526-6056 or Deborah at 496-0237 (bottomleft), or go online to sothebysrealty.com.


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Ooh I love their apple pie!They make the best fresh cider!You have to try their breakfast - it's great.

Mention the name Lakeside Farms to someone inSaratoga County and these are the kind ofresponses you're likely to get. Started in 1948,Lakeside Farms has been a mainstay in theSaratoga and Schenectady region for fresh applecider, vegetables, baked goods, or a freshhomemade breakfast or lunch.

Rob Pearce and his brother, both fromSchenectady, started this fourth-generation familybusiness as a means to make a little extra moneyon the side said Dick Pearce (Rob's son). Thebrothers bought the Ballston Lake farm for its oldbarn and cider press, with the intention of makingand selling fresh cider.

After a year in business, Rob Pearce, who held afull time job with General Electric, offered thebusiness to his son Dick Pearce. Dick Pearce saidyes, and has been running the Lakeside since hewas a junior in High School, and taken it throughits various transitions and expansions.

Said Pearce, My father offered me the place torun. I decided I was up for the challenge, and I'vebeen doing this ever since. That's of course witha break while he served in the Army. After whichhe returned and continued to operate the farmwith his mother Agnes, until the early 1970's whenshe passed away.

A true family business, Pearce's wife, children andgrandchildren all work at the Farm. His two sonsand daughter work closely with him, and some ofthe work, like operating the 120-ton cider press, isdone predominantly by family.

As Dick and his mother Agnes focused on makingand selling filtered, preserved cider - the businesstook off. As their cider business grew, so did thedemands. In 1958, Pearce opened a small retailstore on the premise. In 1961, they renovated anold carriage barn on the property, naming it theLakeside Cider Mill & Farm store, the store'scurrent location. They sold fresh vegetables andapple cider. Two years later they added pies,salads and sandwiches. In 1971 customerdemand warranted the construction of an applebarn - to better serve their customers by offering alarger space for selling apples and cider.

In the early 1980's Dick began growing his ownvegetables on the property, including corn, squash,pumpkins, beans, tomatoes and cucumbers. Inresponse to the popularity of their home-bakedpies and made-to-order sandwiches, in 1990Pearce also started serving homemade countrybreakfasts. Their business did so well, by the late1990's he added on a larger indoor dining area.

By Amy L. Stock l Contributing Writer Photos by Tom Stock, stockstudios.com

A Local TraditionLakeside Farms


Dick Pearce pictured with his sons Jeff (left) and Rich (right).


19/44


Today, the Lakeside serves breakfast, lunch andselect dinner dishes on Friday and Saturdays(dinners from mid-June to end of August.)

A keen businessman, Pearce is retired now, butyou wouldn't know it. He still works every day onthe Farm. On any given day you might find himmaking cider, running deliveries or cooking up

chicken or steak for one of their famous chickenroasts or for a special event.

The centerpiece of the business continues to betheir fresh apple cider and apples, grownthroughout the region, and sold for retail. Builtin the late 1880's, Pearce continues to use the120 ton screw driven press to make their freshcider. Impressive in size and look, the press takesup much of the barn where it is housed.Manually operated, the process for making ciderwith an old cider press is very labor intensive,commented Pearce.

History aside - a walk through the Lakeside Storetells the story of why this place is so popular with

the locals. In addition to their cider, LakesideFarms tops the charts in terms of fresh and localvegetables and products. The list is almostendless: fresh fruits and vegetables from localfarmers and the Menands Farmer's Market,homemade pastries and pie including the

childhood favorite whoopie pie, local honey,Adirondack Maple Syrup, fresh mozzarella,cooking items,arts and craft items, and a vintagecandy section.

They also carry a number of other locally-madefood products including milk from BattenkillValley Creamery, fresh eggs from Thomas' Poultry

in Schuylerville, and meats and sausages fromOscar's Smokehouse in Warrensburg, NY.

The success of Lakeside Farms is clearly due toPearce's adaptability and willingness to trysomething new. As business changed so didLakeside Farm.

Said Pearce,You can never be complacent inbusiness. Our business changed as timeschanged. In the early 1970's, Lakeside Farmreduced their wholesale cider production whencustomer preference and regulations requiredincreased pasteurization. Their cider is runthrough an ultraviolet machine which kills anybad bacteria. According to Pearce, to produce

at the level needed for wholesale would haverequired a significant investment. So now theymake enough to sell at their farm store and a fewother locations.

Pearce also added on a greenhouse to the 25-acreproperty, where they grow and sell flowers and

other plants in the spring. He's raising pigs in theback, some which end up as dinner at one of theirpig roasts. In 1998 he got the idea to build apavilion which people could rent for events. Agreat success, the pavilion is regularly rented forwedding receptions, reunions, and family parties.They also host some of their own events includingbarn dances,big band dances, Polish dances, andchicken and pig roasts.

Pearce still lives in the original farmhouse on theproperty - where he raised his family. Over the50+ years of operation Pearce has built a newstorefront, a greenhouse, pavilion and fouroutbuildings to house the cider mill, cider makingequipment, and a large walk-in cooler, along withother amenities.

A visit to Lakeside Farms, a few miles west ofRound Lake village (exit 11) on Round Lake Road(turns into Schauber Rd) is a must. Stop in anyday during the summer and you're sure to find aparking lot full of cars and lots of customersmilling around the veggie stand out front,checking out the newly-arrived apples in theapple bins, or inside enjoying a hearty meal.

Lakeside Farm operates seasonally, from mid-April through December, so be sure to time yourvisit accordingly. For more information go towww.lakesidefarmscidermill.com or call 518-399-8359. Open 7 days a week, 7:30 am - 6:00 pm.

Amy L. Stock is a freelance writer and environmentaleducator living and working in Saratoga Springs, NY.www.goinggreensaratoga.blogspot.com.

Donna Peck

Lorraine and Dick PearceLorraine and Dick Pearce


20/44


It's no secret that the Pet Industry is notsuffering the current economic slump. But whatdoes that mean for a local company in that verybusiness? Success? Expansion? Philanthropy?

Turns out, a chance for all threeThere is no question that Amy and KeithAugustine, of Lazy Dog Cookie Company havealways strived to make high quality, healthy dogtreats and their updated products prove justthat. Five years ago they changed recipes to aWheat and Corn-Free base. Two years ago they

made the Organic switch. Now they are leadingthe industry with an all natural healthy yogurtand carob coating that use dye from beets,cabbage and carrots. The end result is a treat

that everyone can feel confident sharing withtheir dog. Undoubtedly, this is a huge reason forAmy and Keith's continued success in anindustry inundated with bakers. They ended2009 with a 29% increase in sales over 2008.As we grow, the company will continue toevolve and products will change, Keith said. If

that is happening we are doing something

right.There is not much time for laziness at Lazy Dog

judging from the hustle and bustle at theirnewest location. They recently movedoperations to an impressive 13,000 Square Footfacility. The structure, a fully renovated 1840'sPost and Beam Barn, is located on Ford St inBallston Spa, NY. This is a three fold increase inspace from their previous expansion into 4,000Square Feet in 2008. They are working out thekinks of a complicated move, but could not behappier with their decision. Keith said I feel likewe are taking part in preserving the local historyby being here. The renovation began at a timewhen condemning it was eminent anddemolition looked like its future. Jim Dalpe, thebuilding's owner, recycled every piece ofmaterial he could salvage from the existingstructure. In the 1800s it housed a bag makingfacility and was home to the first modern daypaper bag.

The entire first floor is dedicated to baking,decorating, boxing, packing and shipping - allthe grunt work of a bakery.Upstairs is what soldthe move for the Augustines and when you walkup the stairs you get it. It screams possibility -Lazy Dog has always donated and sponsored forother events, but this added space gives themthe opportunity to organize and host their own

philanthropic events. Their family of fouradopted dogs, Hazel (Sausage), Hoagie(Steuben), Lucy (Juicy Lucy) and Jimmy(Meatball) keep their passion for rescue strong.So many dogs need homes, so many groupsneed help. It all should go hand in hand. Ourhearts are in it for the animals. We love being in

By Sarah Ellis l Contributing Writer Photos by Heather Bohm-Tallman

It's going to the Dogs!Local Economic Outlook...


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a business that surrounds us with them. Howcould we not want to do all we can for them?Amy said. It just makes sense. They hope tothrow events every 2 months of varying sizesand rotate the beneficiaries. Maybe one or twobig ones each year, Keith added. Lazy Dog hasdesigned the second floor to have a RetailSpace that will be open during functions toassist in the fundraising. They are consideringthis idea for other local companies, as well.

Keith explained,The idea is for sale proceeds togo to benefit the organizations. The store willnot be a year round thing. We'll let the full-timeretailers take care of that side. Lazy DogCookies can be found at many local, familyowned businesses including Dawgdom,Benson's Pet Centers, Four Seasons Health FoodStore, Pampered Pooch and Putnam Market.

Their first event is planned for October 28th at6:30 with a fitting Halloween Theme. It is sureto be a success with live music and 50 South's

delicious food! Costumes are optional, but you'llregret leaving them home when you see some ofthe Prize Baskets for Best Costume, Look Alikes,and more! Heather Bohm-Tallman Photographywill be there taking shots in the well knownHBT Doggie Booth, where dogs and peoplecan cut loose and show their silly side. Proceedswill go to Mohawk & Hudson River HumaneSociety, where their adoptee, Juicy Lucy, camefrom. We want people to appreciate what a

great experience adoption can be. MohawkHudson was wonderful. Lucy was a bit of achallenge at first, but she is amazing now. I wishpeople could understand you have to give thema chance. Don't give up on them so fast.Sometimes it just takes time, Amy said. Theevent will be $10 per person.

Details on the event will be available soon atwww.mohawkhumanesociety.org

Sara Ellis is the owner of Dawgdom, where dogs rule!Dawgdom is located at 441A Broadway, in SaratogaSprings

Amy and Keith Augustine


22/44

Think of wine growing regions, and the greatvineyards of France and Italy come to mind.Here in the US, California is a favoriteviniculture region, producing the spicyZinfandels and Syrah, and buttery Chardonnays.Closer to home, New York's Finger Lakes,Hudson Valley and Long Island regions aregaining in popularity and reputation. Once youget north of Catskill, however, the colderclimate of the north pretty much means thatgrowing grapes is a foolish proposition. Defyingthe odds, the DiCresenzo family of Altamont isproving the naysayers wrong, by not onlygrowing grapes at their 1000 foot elevationvineyard, but by producing some very goodwine as well!

It all started back in 1981 when the previousowner of the hillside property, Larry Grossi,decided to retire from his career as a dieselmechanic. Like many first generation Italianimmigrants, Grossi felt the call to return to the

land and rekindle his family tradition of winemaking back in the old country. Grossi firstbecame inspired when he stumbled upon theunique property, its sun-drenched slopes andviews of the Helderberg Escarpment remindinghim of landscape of his youth, growing up in theLazio province of Italy (this region has avinicultural history that dates back to the talesof Homer's Odysseyreferred to in the sirens'song episode).

In defiance of the experts, Grossi begancultivating the grape vines on the property in1981. He began experimenting with differenttypes of grapes, to see which varieties mighthandle the climate and topography. Locatednear the crest of a ridge and blessed with a

southern facing downhill slope, the land beganto yield some surprising results. Hybrid grapevarieties that were developed by the Universityof Minnesota and Cornell University were ableto survive the bitter cold winters. The high

elevation shielded the vines from the killingfrosts that engulfed the valley below.

Grossi was inspired by the results, and Larry'sVineyard and Farm Winery was born. Grossibegan making a name in New York wine circles,not only for growing grapes in an area notknow for viniculture, but also because his winetasted good! Those who stumbled upon thehidden gem in the shadow of the Helderbergswere treated to the fine wines that Grossi handcrafted, and charmed by his grace anddemeanor. Grossi would proudly show off hisawards, proving that his little piece of paradisecould indeed produce quality wine.Unfortunately, just as he was building afollowing, Grossi succumbed to lung cancer and

died in 2001.A few years later, Lou DiCresenzo came uponthe property in his search for his own piece ofland to spend his days in retirement from theconstruction trade. The grape vines had calledhim there, says DiCresenzo. I had heard aboutthe property 'through the grapevine' and had tocheck it out, he recalled. The vineyard hadbeen idle since Grossi's passing, and had grownwild and wooly. Undaunted by the state of thevines, DiCresenzo saw the potential; like Grossibefore him, the pull of the old world traditionswere calling him back home to the land. Theproperty was not even listed for sale, butDecresenzo was determined to acquire it. TheGrossi family was reluctant to give up theirfather's pride and joy, but when they metDiCresenzo, they saw in this man the spirit oftheir fatherthe same broken English; thesame cigarette smoking behavior; the sameItalian heritage - and, with a unique twist offate: DiCresenzo had also originated from theLazio province of Italy. What would be thechance of two native sons of Lazio ending up onthe same property, called to do the same thing -wine making? Was it mere coincidence? No, itwas serendipity - a destiny manifest! For theGrossi family, it became clear - this was the guywho would carry on the legacy of what their

father had started. After some longnegotiations, the Grossi family finally sold theproperty to the DiCresenzo family.

There is no doubt that the spirit of Larry Grossiis watching over this land. DiCresenzomentioned that he often talks to Larry whenworking in the vineyard. Every once in awhile,I get the feeling of a presence of someone nextto me, he explained. One day I was trying toput an attachment onto the tractor; I tried and Itried, but I just couldn't do it. I was gettingmad, because I couldn't get the thing onto thetractor, so suddenly I turned around and I said

Story and photos by David Delozier

Carrying on the Old World TraditionAltamont Vineyard Winery


Mike and Lou DiCresenzo


23/44


'Hey, instead of you just standing around herewatching me, why don't you get your handsdirty again and give me a hand with this?' Istepped aside, smoked a half of a cigarette,threw the cigarette down and went to push thething in, and thenFwump! The thing wentright in, DiCresenzo exclaimed with a smile.

Now called The Altamont Vineyard Winery, LouDiCresenzo is joined by his son Mike andpartner Deborah Crawford, who handles all the

legal and compliance issues. Old world ways,new world wines is how they describe theirproduct. The 'old world ways' refers to theirgrowing all the grapes on site, with nothingbrought in from elsewhere, and the dedicationand passion to producing the best grapes thatthis land can produce. 'New world wines' refersto the application of hybrid technologies toproducing grapes that can thrive in this climate.

The vineyard currently has 15 acres in activecultivation. There are 23 different grapevarieties in the vineyard, which all require adifferent kind of care. The wines produced fromsuch a diverse vineyard are exciting and

different. There is a white wine resembling aRiesling called Edelweiss, which Grossi alsomade and is still very popular; St. Pepin, a cold-hearty grape variety developed at the Universityof Minnesota by Elmer Swenson; a Cabernet-style red called Passione; a blend of DeChaunacand St. Croix; a Burgundy-style red called LeonMillot; plus two sweet wines, Elefante andSpider's Rose; two types of Cayuga White, oneof which is oak aged, and Patience, a blend ofwhite wine grapes featuring citrus andherbaceous tones. In a good year, they typicallyproduce 3000-4000 gallons of juice that willbecome wine. With this summer's long stretchof hot and dry weather, they expect 2010 to be

an exceptional vintage.At the prime age of 32 years old, Mike could beworking in a much more lucrative career in thebusiness world, and bringing in a lot moremoney. Choosing farming, with its weatherinconsistencies, battles with insects, and longdays with out immediate financial gratification,is risky, and some would even say, crazy. But likehis father, the call to work the land, to producesomething, is strong. When I was a kid, Ialways had crazy ideas, said Mike. Hecontinued, I was always dreaming, andknowing deep down that I that I wanted tocreate a product. And what better product tocreate than wine? How many 28 year olds (hisage when they began the project) get anopportunity to take the bull by the horns andride it? he exclaimed.

The father-and-son team does all the day to daychores of the vineyard. It takes a certain type ofperson to take on the challenges of producingwine. Despite the romance of being a vintner,often times, the work is gritty, dirty andrepetitive. Only about one half of one percentof the population have the gut to do this, saidMike. You've got to do the work everyday thatneeds to get done.You've got to get outside and

do it out there (pointing to the vineyard); you've

got to do it in the winery - if it takes two hoursto clean something before and two hours after,you gotta do it, because if you don't do it theneverything gets backed up, he explained.You've got to get up every day and do thesame thing again and again; plus having toworry if the hails might be coming, or if therains will be plentiful at the right time, and thedays will be bright and sunny between the rains.It's the unabated determination to tend thevines every day, knowing that if we keep at it,and with a good amount of luck, then it will allbe worth it in the end - when the customertastes our wine and smiles. That is our rewardfor all the hard work.

At the end of the day,Altamont Vineyard Wineryis really all about family, and the faith that theland can provide for those who work it and carefor it. It's about the heritage of the past,keeping traditions alive, and passing the torchto the next generation. And of course, carryingon the Italian-American tradition ofindependence - getting up, putting in the work,and earning iteveryday!The Altamont Vineyard Winery is located at 3001 FurbeckRoad near the hamlet Altamont, in Albany County. Call355-8100 for information and directions. They are openfor wine tastings on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays noon

to 5 pm or by appointment. You may also find them at

area Farmers Markets: Saturdays at the Capital DistrictFarmers Market in Menands and on Hamburg Street inRotterdam, and Union Street in Schenectady. Tues andThurs at the Altamont Train station from 3-6pm, and theEmpire State Plaza on Wednesday mornings 10-2, andWednesday nights 4-7 at the Canal Street Market on Rt20 in Duanesburg, where the wines are paired with thedinner that is served for the farmers. Also available atselect retailers in the Capital Region. If you can't find itat your favorite wine store, ask them to carry it.


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As soon as you walk into Fallon Wellness Center,you know it's not your average pharmacy.Instead of the chain store aisles of candy, back-to-school items, and over-the-counter remediespromising symptom relief for hemorrhoids andpost-nasal drip, the room is filled withnutritional supplements, enzymes, and othernatural-type products. Off to the side, a glasswindow allows a view into the sterilecompounding room, where pharmacists actuallyfabricate medicines, filling capsules andpreparing other prescriptions to order forhumans and pets.

These obvious differences reflect thephilosophical divide between this Lathambusiness and conventional drug stores. But just

looking, you miss an even deeper and moreradical break with the medical status quo.

Pharmacist and co-owner Peter Fallon has beenintroducing lay people and health practitionersto functional medicine, with formalconsultations to help people overcome chronicand seemingly intractable conditions.

Functional medicine treats the body and mindas an integrated whole. It looks for coreimbalances and underlying deficits in the body'sfunctioning and guides people in taking actionto correct them. If nutrients or hormone arelacking, they must be replaced.

Where harm comes from lifestyle choices - fromsmoking to stress, he works with clients to helpthem eliminate destructive patterns. He mightrecommend modalities like yoga, meditation,acupuncture, or psychotherapy or even simple

practices like chewing one's food and drinkingenough water.

Peter draws a clear distinction between whatFallon Wellness offers and the advice you mightget in a health food store to take such and suchsupplement for the liver, for instance. It's notabout taking a pill to get rid of a malady, heexplains. "We're trying to move them awayfrom that mentality."

"In the future we're looking for you to eat right,poop right, sleep right, have good relationships,and exercise." Since the goal is to bring patientsback to normality, this approach has "a built-inobsolescence," he says.

HISTORY OF A CHANGING FAMILY BUSINESSOver the past four and a half decades, theFallons' willingness, time and time again, to

carve out their own special niche in response tochallenging market conditions has made for aremarkably resilient business.

From the early 1950s, Peter's father and uncleowned the Troy Drug Company, "a huge,extremely high-volume" business. But by the70s, chain pharmacies were squeezing outprivately owned drug stores. In 1974, underintense pressure, the Fallons sold out to RiteAid. The week of their buy-out, several othersubstantial independent pharmacies also closedtheir doors in Troy, Peter said.

A couple years later Peter's dad opened the firstFallon Pharmacy inside the Latham MedicalGroup. A small clinical pharmacy in a medicalbuilding couldn't have been more different thanhis earlier high-volume enterprise.

In 1985 Peter returned to the area to purchasethe business from his father, who was ready toretire. (He admits he almost ended up inoceanography but pharmacy school was "thepath of least resistance.") Peter had beenmanaging three pharmacies in California andwas getting discouraged about his profession.

"Nobody was getting better." Take diabetes."They were just controlling blood sugar withdrugs," he says. He took over the familybusiness at a time when health insurance planswere imposing new restrictions on payments.So

from the beginning, both because of hispersonal inclinations and the tightening marketenvironment, he "gravitated to naturalmedicine and compounding."

Within a few years he had a contract to runBellevue Hospital's pharmacy and then around1993 he opened up a third pharmacy in aClifton Park medical building. EventuallyBellevue bought him out, keeping on a Fallonemployee to manage its pharmacy. Peter alsosold his Latham Medical prescription businessto Hannaford.

By Tracy Frisch l Contributing Writer Photos by David DeLozier

A New Prescription for HealthFallon Wellness Center


Mike Lenz and Peter Fallon


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At the Clifton Park store, Peter built in aportable compounding room to increase thebusiness's focus on this rather unique service.When he made pharmacist George Doherty hispartner, he eliminated his only seriouscompetition. Doherty had developed a thrivingcompounding business at an unlikely venue, alocal branch of the Eckerd chain. After he joinedFallon, most of his customers followed him.

In 2002 for greater space and a more central

location, Fallon moved to its present site - aBavarian-style building that formerly housed ahigh adventure ski shop -- on Troy SchenectadyRoad a few miles west of the Northway.

The most recent development came thissummer when Fallon Wellness entered apartnership with pharmacist Mike Lenz ofMenges & Curtis drug store in Saratoga Springsand so gained another outpost. Mike initiatedthe business relationship because he wanted to"get out of the rat race" of selling drugs, Petertold me. He was already doing somecompounding, and now is attending courses infunctional medicine.

The community in and around Saratoga hasembraced the new business arrangement.Within two months of joining with Fallon,Menges' sales of compounded medicinesdoubled, while nutriceutical sales quadrupled.

THE COMPOUNDING PHARMACY NICHESince moving to its present Latham location,Fallon Wellness has experienced about 25percent growth annually making it a muchlarger enterprise than it seems.

Fallon's compounding service lies at the heart ofthis impressive growth. (Compounding is abillion dollar sector nationwide.) While word ofmouth brings in new customers, Peter saysstrategic marketing accounts most of thegrowth. Promotion extends throughout NewYork and into the neighboring states to the east,and for two years Fallon has even employed afield rep to call on particular physicians andveterinarians.

Targeted outreach to retina specialists is anexample of how Fallon has built up its medicalclientele. The cancer drug Avastin reducesangiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels,which in this case feed tumors. The same drughas become the standard of practice for wetmacular degeneration, a disease in which asimilar proliferation of new blood supplies

impedes vision. But the cancer drug maker doesnot serve these eye patients. Fallon buys theactive ingredient from the manufacturer andcompounds the drug for delivery to the eye.

Avastin is an example of the value ofcompounding. Drugs not available from thefactory in a form or dosage required may becompounded. In another scenario, apharmaceutical corporation stops making aconsumer-ready product because it doesn'tgenerate sky-high profits, despite a continuingdemand for the product. If the active ingredient

is still made, pharmacies can compound it forpatient use.

Having had my thyroid gland removed due to asuspected malignancy, my personal situation ledme to Fallon's compounding pharmacy for arecently prescribed second form of thyroidhormone (T3). Almost all thyroid deficientpatients only take a single form of thyroid,levothyroxine (T4, often known by the brandname Synthroid). As my health care practitioneradjusts my dosage, Fallon makes up T3 capsulesin whatever strength ordered.

Peter clarified that a compounding pharmacywould be violating patent laws by making adrug in the same dosage as is factory-produced.However, if a patient is allergic to fillers in acommercial drug product, such a pharmacy canfill a prescription for the drug compounded withnon-allergenic ingredients.

Fallon was one of the first 50 compoundingpharmacies in the U.S. to get accredited by anew independent non-governmental boardcalled the Pharmacy CompoundingAccreditation Board. The process is designed toensure patient safety.

Accredited pharmacies have to institute variouspolicies and procedures to meet qualityrequirements and they are inspected forcompliance. They also must provide continuingstaff education. Peter estimates it costs hisbusiness $100,000 a year to maintainaccreditation. Peter predicts that liability issueswill eventually force all pharmacies that do anycompounding to become accredited.

Fallon is accredited for making the highest-riskinjectables. Whether they go in an IV, thebladder, or the eye, these must be sterile.Precautions guarantee manufacturing-qualitypurity. Employees wear a "bunny suit," theroom is precisely temperature-controlled, andwork surfaces are swabbed and samplesincubated to detect any pathogens. Fallon alsosends out products for independent testing.

Big Pharma considers compounding a threat totheir monopoly control, and according to Peter,"They have FDA's ear." Despite that industry'scomplaints, compounding pharmacies have amuch better safety record than pharmaceuticalfactories, he said.


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PARADIGM SHIFT TO FUNCTIONAL MEDICINEPeter defines functional medicine as"personalized, natural medicine for health andwellness." In his consultations he uses a 17-page questionnaire to gather information on allthe core functional systems. Going back to birthor even in utero, it covers every aspect of aperson's health status and history from diet topsychosocial dimensions. "We also look forantecedents, like genetics," he says.

Peter shared an example from the previous day.He had consulted with a woman who felt thatshe had been overmedicated with prescriptiondrugs for many years. It started when she had ababy and ended up getting prescribed drugs to

treat post partum depression. A drop inhormone levels following childbirth canprecipitate this form of depression. Petersuggested temporary hormonal replacementwith bio-identical hormones as a possibleremedy for her condition.

Recalling the numerous medications taken bythis client, Peter remarked that a lot ofprescription drugs cause side effects, which inturn create a need for additional drugs. He alsonoted that pharmacy schools are teachingstudents about the importance of minimizingthe numbers of drugs a given patient receives,due to the epidemic of drug-induced illnessesand harmful interactions between drugs.

Whereas modern medicine treats symptomspiecemeal, "the problem has to be withimbalances of the core functional systems."Thus, the functional medicine practitioner looksat how different bodily systems are working andwhat insults could affect their functions.However, if an organ has been damaged orremoved or a person has cancer, bringing thesesystems back to homeostasis becomes muchmore difficult.

The detox and metabolic system:Living near atoxic waste dump, being exposed to lead paint

from an old house, or having mercury dentalfillings could overwhelm your body's detoxmechanisms with heavy metals or other toxicsubstances. Hepatitis C or a kidney disorderwould compromise organs involved indetoxification.

The neuro-endocrine-immunological systemencompasses the nervous system, hormonalsystem, and immune functions. Few of us areaware that the gut and liver produce more

neurotransmitters than our brains do. The digestive and absorption system extendsfrom the mouth to the anus. "You get the mostbang for your buck when you correct it," Petercontends.

He likens the intestinal tract to skin, but it's abarrier inside your body rather than to the worldoutside. As with skin, an intact gut serves as aprotective barrier. Taking lots of antibiotics, notbeing breastfed, or having an infection willcreate problems with the structural integrity ofthe digestive tract.

In Peter's experience, people with lupus,arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders tendalso to have a digestive problem such asIrritable Bowel Syndrome,Crohn's disease, or anulcer. He attributes this to leaky gut, or inscientific lingo "permeable membrane."

Other functional systems include structural,comprising the skeleton, muscles, and skin,psycho-spiritual, inflammatory, and redox,which pertains to how energy is utilized at thecellular level.

Grounded in biology and biochemistry,functional medicine has an objective basis."There are lab tests for measuring all of this,"says Peter, giving examples like blood chemistryanalysis at the cellular level and extrapolating

the presence of certain bacteria by detection oftheir toxic byproducts. But conventionalphysicians aren't familiar with many of theseassessment methods, and insurance oftendoesn't pay for them.

Peter does work with doctors and he says he'sgotten "a pretty positive name in the area." Alot of his clients are medical practitioners of alltypes. For instance, an immunologist came tohim for his wife's immune disorder.

In treating patients, he says physicians have tostay within the confines of standard medicalpractice. But "when it comes to their ownfamilies," they are willing to look beyond towhat's effective.

In contrast to his early experience as apharmacist in California, Peter is excited by thesuccess he finds with functional medicine."Ninety percent of the patients will come backthe following month feeling 50 percent better."

He also perceives a shift away from westernmedicine in progress, even among mainstreammedical practitioners. "When I go to afunctional medicine conference, I see one or twohundred new physicians learning it at a crack,"he says.

Despite the boom in interest, there's somethingbesides the medical-industrial-pharmaceutical-insurance establishment that's blockingacceptance of functional medicine. Since thisapproach involves the mind and body andfavors the client's active participation,sometimes you have to start with "baby steps."Peter has learned the necessity of meeting the

person where he or she is. For instance, ifsomeone isn't sleeping and can't get out of bed,he'll look for the simplest intervention that canstart the ball rolling toward the desiredchanges.

Peter's pharmacist daughter, Erika Fallon, sharesher father's excitement about functionalmedicine. Long-term she will be part of thecompany project to expand regionally throughpartnerships with other independentpharmacies.

FIND OUT MORE AT PUBLIC LECTURESAt present she is taking over educationallecturing for the Wellness Center. Along withfunctional medicine physicians, she will bepresenting a community lecture series inSaratoga Springs.The first lecture takes place onOctober 13 at 7 PM. These informationalprograms for the public and practitioners will beheld at Barre Strength Studio, 468 Broadway,second floor. Contact 518/583-0361 [email protected] or visitwww.barrestrengthny.com.


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