At The Historic Salem Courthouse, The Battenkill Kitchen, an approximately 800 square foot New York State certified commercial kitchen, has been the heart of countless food focused activities for many years. Managed by volunteers since 2013, the kitchen has hosted cooking classes and nutritional awareness activities for both adults and children, as the meal preparation site for events and fundraisers, and a place where small food entrepreneurs can build their businesses. Until 2003, when the new jail in Ft. Edward was completed, it was the kitchen for the Washington County Jail.

Currently, there are 12 members of the shared kitchen program, who use the kitchen to prepare and package specialty foods, which for the most part, they sell at farmer’s markets. In order to be a member, each food maker must have liability insurance, a license from NYS Agriculture and Markets and pay $100 a year for membership. They can then reserve time slots, which are available seven days a week, 24 hours a day. The charge for kitchen use is $25 for the first hour and $10/hr after that. The kitchen is equipped with a 40 gallon steam kettle, industrial size mixer, lots of table space, a Hobart 3 bay dishwasher, 5-shelve convection oven, walk-in cooler, 4 foot chest freezer and a variety of tools and pans. At the end of each shift, a cleaning and organizing checklist is completed so that the kitchen is ready for the next member’s use.

Shared use commercial kitchens, like the Battenkill Kitchen, provide small food retailers with all they need to produce their products without having to invest in expensive start-up costs associated with owning their own facility. It’s an affordable way for them to launch their businesses and eventually grow into their own space, if that is their goal. There are very few commercial kitchens in the region offering other food makers the opportunity to share their space. Some members of the Battenkill Kitchen travel from Colonie and Latham, others from Vermont. The Battenkill Kitchen provides a rare and valuable service to the community, especially during stressful economic times. Some of the members have other jobs, and the convenience of 24/7access to the kitchen, its high standards for safely and legally producing food for retail, make it possible for them to increase their income.

One member, Michelle Nagai, of “On a Limb Catering”, has been creating her locally sourced seasonal food since 2015. She says, “…the kitchen and courthouse staff were a great anchor for our company—we were new at everything and had a steep learning curve…we’ve grown and gained some skills. We will actually be moving into our own kitchen this year. I don’t think we could have evolved in the way we did without the support of the Battenkill Kitchen…having an affordable, permitted space to work in, with all the right equipment, just gave us the confidence to go out and bring our products to the community. That helped us grow our customer base and business”.

Another member, Michele Bleichert, of ”Fat Crow Gourmet”, produces gourmet mustards, rubs, sauces, jams and scone mixes. She says, the Battenkill Kitchen “…really has been instrumental in our growth. The variety of equipment available has allowed us to expand our product offerings and scale up our wholesale business. We now have a brick and mortar store and commercial kitchen in Troy.” She adds that Kitchen Manager, Patty Burch, is “simply awesome to work with.”

Blue Boot Farm owner, Megan Long, makes award winning Heirloom Tomato Salsa, locally sourced jams and specialty jellies. She says, “The Battenkill Kitchen has been amazing for our business… it is where we are proud to recommend and tell our customers that everything is grown and produced in Washington County.”

In addition to providing a significant resource for people wanting to start their own businesses, the Kitchen is an asset to the community in other ways. It’s a cooking classroom for the summer kids program, Lunch, Learn & Play, and The Courthouse’s largest fundraiser, the Al Fresco Dinner, counts on it for food preparation. The Kitchen also assists the Salem Food Pantry by providing additional refrigeration space, and has built a walk-in freezer for their use. Although it isn’t surprising that a kitchen is at the center of so many activities that enrich the life of a community, the Battenkill Kitchen stands out as being unique and priceless.