Business digest

Hayworth to visit Pine Island Black Dirt Farmers Market tomorrow Pine Island — U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth will visit the Pine Island Black Dirt Farmers Market to tour the new locale and meet area residents tomorrow, June 18, at 12 p.m. “We are so happy that Congresswoman Nan Hayworth will be on hand to share our excitement over bringing local farmers and vendors together in one shopping place highlighting the bounty of the Black Dirt Region,” said Pine Island Chamber President, Marlene Caraballo. The market features a variety of local products including fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables; grass-fed meats; plants; hanging baskets; herbs and herb-infused olive oils; cheeses, organic tea, coffee and ground cacao; pies; cheesecake; baked goods and artisan soaps. All are welcome. Self-defense workshop for women Slate Hill — Han Ho Martial Art will hold a free, interactive workshop designed for women on practical self defense techniques on Saturday, June 18, at 11 a.m. This 90 minute class will help a person stop an attack, break free from an assault and escape a dangerous or life threatening situation. Led by Master Mike Barnard, the free workshop is open to women ages 15 and older. Han Ho Martial Arts is located at School Side Plaza, 2376 Route 6, next to the Minisink School Campus in Slate Hill. For more information visit www.hanhomartialarts.com or call 355-4462. Pie-eating contests to commemorate Noble Pies’ first year anniversary Warwick — Noble Pies of Warwick is holding a pie eating contest on Sunday, June 26, in conjunction wit its first anniversary. The company has been in business at its retail location on Route 94 in Warwick since June 2010. The celebration will also include pie games for children and adults, drawings for prizes, and product samples. Noble Pies specializes in homemade baked goods made from scratch using local fruits and vegetables, and no preservatives. Noble Pies also makes muffins, cookies, quiches and cakes. Gluten-free and sugar-free products are available They participate in several farmers markets and fund-raising activities locally. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enter the pie eating contest by e-mailing to: pielady@noblepies.com or calling 986-7436. Entries will be accepted on the day of the contest until 11:30 a.m. Pie contests start at noon. More details are available at www.noblepies.com Warwick publisher to hold eBook seminar for self-publishing authors WARWICK - Unlike print media, an author who self publishes an eBook, not only saves time and money, but his work is immediately accessible to a worldwide market on any day and at any time. That’s the message to be discussed next Tuesday evening, June 21, at 7 p.m. when Gavin Caruthers, publisher of Hudson Valley Authors, will conduct a free seminar for authors interested in discovering how to publish their books in an eBook edition. The event will be held at the Tuscan Café, 5 South St., in the Village of Warwick. “The Hudson Valley is rich with many authors who have explored publishing their own works,” said Caruthers. “But most of these books aren’t available as an eBook. I want to help local writers publish in this new and exciting format.” Based on his experience as a former vice president of marketing and publicity for a major publishing house and as the current owner of 1500 Books, an award-winning publishing firm, Caruthers argues that as eBooks continue to soar in popularity this format becomes more critical to anyone interested in publishing their own books. “I have spent the last few years working with writers in the area who have chosen to self-publish,” he said. “And the most common remark about the experience is 'Writing the book was the easy part.’” Caruthers points out that sales of eBooks continue to rise dramatically and that Amazon and Barnes and Noble, for example, have both reported selling over a million eBooks in a single day. “There are over 12 million eReaders like Amazon Kindle in the market, plus tens of millions of other devices that can be used to read eBooks such as iPads and even cell phones,” he said. “This is a great opportunity for authors who choose to publish their own books.” The free seminar next Tuesday evening will cover topics on the process ranging from mechanics to marketing. For more information contact gavincaruthers@hudsonvalleyauthors.com or call 845-987-7233. - Roger Gavan Craft vendors sought for Applefest Warwick — Warwick Applefest, to be held on Sunday, Oct. 2, is now accepting craft vendor applications for the 23rd year of this large festival. Craft applications and guidelines (juried) may be downloaded at www.warwickapplefest.com (Vendor Information), or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Applefest, P.O. Box 22, Warwick, NY 10990. For more information visit www.warwickapplefest.com, send an e-mail to applefest@optonline.net or call 987-8300 (voice mail). Lions Club Craft Fair vendors wanted Washingtonville — The Greater Washingtonville Lions Club Second Annual Craft Fair is seeking vendors of crafts, goods, children’s activities and food for Saturday, July 9. The event will take place at the Washingtonville High School parking lot. Contact gtrwashlions@gmail.com for information and forms.