Organic Farming Goes Nuts

When winter strikes, farming alone doesn't pay the bills—which is why Gunther Fishgold took to the nut business.

Now, Piermont residents can find his wares at the weekly farmers' market, sold at the Tierra Farm booth.

Tierra Farm was started by Fishgold when he was a graduate student interested in organic farming. He bought his own farm in 1993 in Skaneateles, NY, at first only selling nuts and dried fruits in the winter as a side business. But the side business performed extraordinarily well—so much so that Tierra Farm was established in 2000 in Valatie, NY.

"[Our] entire line of certified organic products is all flavored by hand and baked without oils, in convection ovens," said Dan Laiosa of Tierra Farm.

"The nuts at the market are really fresh tasting," he added.

The business has grown over the years—now, you can find their products in many organic food stores and co-ops in New York and New Jersey. Fishgold makes a point to keep his products away from big corporations; he prefers to work with the co-ops that he can communicate more easily with. And he hopes, one day, that Tierra Farm itself will be owned by the employees so that everyone can take a part in its success.

At last week's farmers' market, the rain turned many vendors and shoppers away—but not Tierra Farm. It was one of eight booths that made it out, eager to offer its nuts and dried fruit.

The booth-master was informative: all of the farm's nuts are roasted, mixed and flavored at their in-house, certified organic location, he said.

And good news for those with peanut allergies: the facility is peanut-free! (I would image most nut places don't segregate this way, so people with peanut allergies can finally feel safe trying other types of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, nut butters and chocolate-covered nut snacks).

This is Tierra Farm's third year at Piermont's farmers' market—and Piermont is one of their best markets, as the people are a lot of fun, Laiosa said. They also go to 15 other markets in Westchester County and New York City.

At this point, Tierra Farm does not own their own store, but their products can be purchased on their website. Organica in Northvale, NJ and Nature's Pantry in Newburgh, NY are the only local stores that carry their assortments.

Piermont's Farmers Market runs Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., May through November. Rain or shine, you can find the vendors in the M&T Bank Parking lot. It was founded in 2005, and is sponsored by Piermont Fine Wines and Spirits.