Adams Fairacre Farms, Kingston
/Adams Fairacre Farms in Kingston is a place I knew about throughout my childhood, but rarely went to. I remember it being an interesting place to go to, mostly when my father needed ingredients for fruitcake. When I returned to Ulster County as an adult, I started going there occasionally for my grocery shopping, and enjoyed the produce and the independent family feel of it. I also learned of their reputation for their greenhouse in the spring.
I asked management if I could photograph inside, and during my first visit, it was packed with people, particularly in the greenhouse. I wasn't comfortable photographing customers, and while I got some photos I enjoyed, I didn't feel quite satisfied. Some of those photos are immediately below.
I noticed during that visit that so much of the food was prepared in house, from the meat to the baked goods to the candy and more, and that the people working there were the best part of the story. So, I asked to come back, and arranged to visit at 6 AM and meet some of the people who make it all happen. It was amazing to see what it takes to run the store and efficiently feed the myriad customers!
A few photos from the first visit
And then a return visit one morning at 6 AM.
Joe "Fish" Longendyke, below, heads up the seafood department. I am pretty sure he said he's been doing it upwards of 20 years. I learned about how the fish come out of these coolers every night, and into the walk-in, and go back to the coolers every morning. He also talked about how he likes to fish at one of the local reservoirs, among other things. The guy loves fish! I enjoyed chatting with him.
Inside the meat department was pretty cool too...literally and figuratively. In the first picture on the left below, there was a machine that weighed, wrapped, and labeled meat. Count me impressed!
