LOCALadk Magazine

"Below My Feet Is Concrete And All I Smell Is Balsam" 57 Summer 2016 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk bars are cut, they are stored in drawers or wrapped up and packaged. I browse the drawers and read off labels such as Starry Night, Sweet Grass, Spearmint, and Sage Leaf. Some scents are classic like lavender and balsam fir; others have a creative flair. One of my favorites is Mud and Roses. I press the bar to my nose and I'm walking in the rain along a hedgerow of the plant. Sandy moves about the factory and points out offices, an area for product development, and shipping department. Every employee gives a kind smile and "Hello" as we pass through. July and August are the busiest at the factory. At the height of the Adirondack bug season, natural bug sprays are in high demand and fly off the shelves. In the shipping department, Katie Allenson labels a package to be sent out. The products of Adirondack Fragrance and Flavor Farm travel across the country and world. They can be found at many stores within the Blue Line and globally, in Canada and Japan. Katie, from Maryland, is easy going and a natural saleswoman. "Everyone here does a great job. There is such a wealth of experience." I ask her what her favorite part of the job is and she pauses a moment before laughing, "You always smell great." Sandy shakes my hand and heads to her office to make a phone call. Even under a new regime, she is still a busy woman with an extensive network. Many of her products are brought to life through collaboration with local distillers, farmers, ar- tisans and trappers. I browse the gift shop and pick out a Bal- sam Fir candle and bar of Mud and Roses soap. I step back under the Adirondack sky and a car zips by toward Potsdam. Below my feet is concrete and all I smell is balsam. As I drive back to Paul Smiths, I'm full of peace and inspiration. I reflect on the way Sandy talked about her Adirondack loves; a clear night sky, a cold river swim, summertime when the gardens begin to produce, good clean sweet water to drink, and honest people. Over the past thirty years, Sandy has been capturing the very best parts of the Adirondacks in her prod- ucts. She knows the fragrances and flavors of the Adirondacks because she has immersed herself in the landscape. Her am- bitions were humble—to live in the place she loved, to make a reasonable income, and to raise her children along the river. All while standing true to her morals as a citizen and using the best ingredients to make the safest product. Not only did San- dy Maine forge a way to live and thrive in the place that cap- tured her spirit, but she has added light, life, and fragrance to it. Like the scents she extracts, the essences of Sandy Maine linger as a persistent reminder to pursue your passions and step back and smell the roses—or Adirondack Balsam Fir.

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