The Local Farm for Foreign Foods

Farms. I’ve been talking a lot about them recently. Really, I should make our local farms a central part of this blog. But before I can do that, I need to get out of the house and visit more of our regional farms and farmers. Time is the limiting factor. Time has been kicking my ass lately.

Promoting local farms has been on my to-do list for far too long. If all goes according to plan, I should be able to get out and meet a few meat producers in the fall. But regardless of how many stories that trip might produce, it won’t even begin to scratch the surface of what’s out there.

I mention all this because sometimes, farms come to me. Well, kinda.

Recently, I heard from Tierra Farm which is out in Valatie, and they wanted to know if I would be interested in getting a sample of what they produce out in Columbia County. Well, naturally I said yes. And yesterday I got the box in the mail.

Tierra Farm is known these days as more of a roaster than anything else. But there is actually a farm. You can get some of its seasonal produce from the Valatie store. The farm’s website has a great video about the enterprise, which mostly makes me want to apply for a job on the farm.

As much as I love the eat local foods ethos, there are things that don’t grow in the Capital Region that I’m not going to be giving up anytime soon. Coffee is one. Nuts are another. Apples with walnuts is one of my favorite late night snacks. And if I’m hungry in between meals, I’m often going to reach for a few cashews to tide me over. Chocolate. Chocolate isn’t leaving my pantry either, even with its carbon footprint.

So it’s good to have a local place that’s not just processing these items, but doing it right. And by that, I mean with organic ingredients, supporting fair trade standards, and using renewable energy sources.

Plus, the happy employees in the video are truly inspiring.

Tierra Farm just sent me an eight ounce tub of their newest flavor of cashews, honey sriracha. I guess there was a t-shirt in the box too.

When the sriracha fervor is going to end is anybody’s guess. Personally, I switched away from the beloved Huy Fong sriracha aka the rooster sauce some time ago. It will always have a place in my heart, but I realized there were other brands out there with less sugar in the mix. My current go to is Uncle Chen.

Regardless of brand, the basic flavor components of sriracha are chili pepper and garlic. The Tierra Farm cashews deliver on that, but those who are looking for the fiery burn of the rooster sauce are going to be disappointed. These are mildly sweet and subtly spicy cashews, but they are an addictive and well-balanced combination of sweet, heat, and salt.

Most notably, the nuts themselves are super plump with a wonderful creamy texture.

Somewhere, in my email inbox there is a press release for this product. I’ll tell you what. Let’s make a deal. Today I’m going to share the press release, and tomorrow, I’ll write something completely devoid of press releases. In fact, I’ll make it about a summer cocktail. Deal? Good. Well, here you go.

BITE INTO SOME “SWEET HEAT” THIS SUMMER WITH TIERRA FARM’S
ORGANIC HONEY SRIRACHA CASHEWS

VALATIE, N.Y. – Tierra Farm, a certified organic manufacturer and distributor of nuts, dried fruits, coffee and chocolate products, is excited to announce the launch of its newest creation, Honey Sriracha Cashews. Like all of Tierra Farm’s products, these cashews are produced in small, hand-crafted batches and are 100% certified organic, certified gluten-free, certified kosher and GMO-free.

“We’ve given the traditional great-tasting cashew a surprisingly modern flavor,” said Todd Kletter, CEO, Tierra Farm. “Our Honey Sriracha Cashews combine the very best of what Tierra Farm has to offer—quality roasted nuts, organic honey and house-made Sriracha. We like to say that a business-savvy bee struck a deal with an adventurous chili, and our mouthwatering cashews are the happy result.”

At Tierra Farm, customers are guaranteed the best with every bite, thanks to a series of strong, lasting relationships held with some of the greatest organic farmers in the world. The difference is palatable. All of its products are grown without synthetic pesticides, genetically modified organisms, or chemical fertilizers.

The majority of Tierra Farm’s business comes from bulk and pre-packaged sales to cooperatives, health food stores and independently-owned grocery stores nationwide. Honey Sriracha Cashews can be purchased at these partners (store locator), at the Farm’s Valatie headquarters and online at http://www.TierraFarm.com.

About Tierra Farm:
Located in Valatie, N.Y., just 20 miles south of Albany, Tierra Farm is an employee-owned, environmentally-conscious farm specializing in the processing of certified organic nut, seed, dried fruit, coffee and chocolate products. Everything is grown without synthetic pesticides, genetically modified organisms, or chemical fertilizers, and sold at prices that are equally fair to farmers and consumers. Our products are available at food cooperatives and independently-owned grocery stores across the U.S, at our Valatie retail store and online at http://www.TierraFarm.com.

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