By Barb Biagioli
In May, the farms surrounding Saratoga awaken into their busy season. Fields that sat quiet through winter begin filling with rows of greens. Frost still clings to the morning fields, but the green returns anyway — first in rows of spinach and arugula, then in the muddy tire tracks of tractors heading back into the fields. Greenhouses fog with warmth before sunrise, and handwritten roadside signs begin appearing again: fresh eggs, spring greens. The air carries the scent of damp soil, fresh-cut grass, and lilacs blooming beside old barns.
Across the region’s farms, spring is no longer a promise — it’s finally in motion.
As the growing season gets underway, local farmers are deep into the rhythms of spring — planting, harvesting, and preparing for the busy months ahead. We spoke with a few farmers about what spring looks like on their farms.
Mark Bascom and Lindsay Fisk share spring at Owl Wood Farm:
“Spring on the farm is always exciting and full of hope. We plant our first seeds indoors at the end of February to have vegetables ready for opening day at market. Once the snow melts, we begin preparing field beds by removing old crop debris and adding compost to feed the soil and plants.
The garden is beautiful this time of year with bright green transplants and no weeds in sight. The strawberry plants are full of blossoms, which takes vigilance on cold nights to prevent frost damage. We’re also busy in the tunnels, taking out cold-hardy greens and transplanting cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and ginger.”
Laurie Kokinda explains spring at Kokinda Farm:
“We’ve cleaned up the gardens, removed debris, and gently tilled the soil. We’re setting up water lines for irrigation and putting up fences. I’m hilling potatoes and fertilizing everything with natural fertilizers and organic plant food. We also have many chickens producing eggs, and chicks will arrive midway through the summer to help supply eggs through winter. We’re maintaining black raspberries, currants, peach trees, pear trees, and rhubarb. Rotation planting is also a top priority right now so we have produce throughout the season.
Ariel Garland of May-K-Mark describes springtime shifts:
“Spring means lots of babies — all our beef cattle are calving, so that’s always exciting. We check on the cows twice a day to make sure the moms don’t need any help. Then we tag the calves and let them do their thing.
We’re also doing lots of fence checking to prepare for rotational grazing. Right now all the cattle are in one pasture, but soon they’ll start moving from pasture to pasture. Over on the dairy farm, we’re spreading manure and getting the pasture ready for the dairy cows to graze.”
In a region where farmland still stretches beyond back roads and small towns, it’s easy to forget how special it is to have access to fresh, seasonal food grown just miles from home. Throughout the spring, local farms provide more than produce for market tables — they offer a direct connection to the land, the season, and the people who care for both.
The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Wednesdays, 3–6 PM, and Saturdays, 9 AM–1 PM, at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga. Visit saratogafarmersmarket.org to sign up for the weekly newsletter, and follow the market on Facebook and Instagram.
