Local farms, suppliers featured at Paul Smith's College bakery event

Student Alex Puglisi relies on ingredients from in and around the North Country

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Student Alex Puglisi stands near bags of flour from King Arthur Flour, a Vermont company.

PAUL SMITHS, NY (03/04/2014)(readMedia)-- North Country farms and food producers produce enough flour, eggs and other ingredients that a bakery could practically rely on suppliers from this region alone.

On Thursday, March 6, the student-run A.P. Smith's Bakery at Paul Smith's College will prove it.

For that day, the bakery will procure about 70 percent of its ingredients from in and around the Adirondacks: Flour will come from the Champlain Valley Milling Co. in Westport and King Arthur Flour of Vermont, eggs from the Ottisville Eggery in Paul Smiths, chevre and feta cheeses from the Asgaard Farm & Dairy in Au Sable Forks, and a long list of other ingredients will also be locally sourced.

Alex Puglisi, the baking student who organized the event, cited several reasons for bringing in local ingredients, including quality and purity – none of the produce she'll use was treated with pesticides, and none of the ingredients contain preservatives.

"The farm-to-table movement is significant," said Puglisi, a sophomore from Fayetteville in the baking and pastry arts program. "It does two things: It supports local agriculture, and at the same time reduces dependence on pesticides and hormone- and antibiotic-treated meat."

All the producers donated their products to the bakery for the day, helping keep prices down. "I'm very grateful that the farms and businesses were willing to donate their products to Paul Smith's for this day," Puglisi said.

The event will feature baked goods such as potato bread, gluten-free chocolate beet cake, chevre and caramelized onion tarts, strawberry muffins and more. The bakery, located in Cantwell Hall, will be open from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Assistant Professor Deborah Misik said the college's baking and pastry department is interested in using more local ingredients and would use Thursday's event to test whether that's viable. "I know this will be a great endeavor for the department because it will spark conversation and interest," Misik said.

Suppliers donating products to the event include (but are not limited to):

  • Adirondack Cheese Co.
  • Adirondack Popcorn Co.
  • Asgaard Farm & Dairy
  • Cabot Creamery
  • Fledging Crow Vegetables
  • Harmony Hills Farmstead
  • King Arthur Flour
  • Ottisville Eggery
  • Rivermede Farm Market
  • Saratoga Olive Oil Co.
  • S.N. Rinas Apiaries
  • Tucker Farms

About Paul Smith's College

At Paul Smith's College, it's about the experience. We are the only four-year institution of higher education in the Adirondacks. Our programs, in fields including hospitality, culinary arts, forestry, natural resources, entrepreneurship and the sciences, draw on industries and resources available in our own backyard while preparing students for successful careers anywhere. For more information: www.paulsmiths.edu.