WHAT: 1st Annual Seacoast Community Eat-In

WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 12 at 5:30 pm

WHERE: UNH campus behind Demeritt Hall

MORE INFO: UNH Slow Food

Join UNH Slow Food on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 5:30 pm for the first annual Seacoast Community Eat-In.

This potluck event is free and open to the public and will be held on the UNH campus behind Demeritt Hall, just off Main Street in Durham. Bring a favorite dish to share with your friends and neighbors. Please visit the UNH Slow Food website for more details, including directions.

Via Cooking on a Star:

Cooking Up History: A Seat at the Islander’s Table

Don’t miss this marvelous culinary adventure! Join Chef Patrice Gerard for an epicurean journey. Enjoy an abundance of edible wisdom and savory fare. The freshest seasonal local ingredients grace our table. The scent of delicious baked goods will sweeten the atmosphere. Our Shoals historian shares lore and legends. Rejuvenate, explore and cook up a memorable experience!

WHEN: Monday–Wednesday, Sept. 13–15, 2010

WHERE: Star Island, 10 miles east of Portsmouth Harbor, one of the Isles of Shoals; sail on the Thomas Laighton out of Portsmouth Harbor

CONTACT & MORE INFO: Email Susan Wallack, (603) 828-3503

Cooking Up Comfort: Goodness and Well-Being from the Kitchen

Appealing and wholesome comfort food is our flavorful focus. Join Chef Patrice Gerard in creating dishes to nourish both body and spirit. Much-loved classics made both delicious and nutritious. The aromas, colors, textures, and taste of familiar ingredients will engage all of our senses as we prepare the recipes. The “demystifying” of how simple components comprise well-made food will increase your sense of competence and confidence in the kitchen. This will be a fun, interactive and delicious experience!

With wellness in mind, using fresh local ingredients we’ll spread our table with regional, seasonal favorites. Enjoy just from the oven treats!

WHEN: Wednesday–Friday, Sept. 15–17, 2010

WHERE: Star Island, 10 miles east of Portsmouth Harbor, one of the Isles of Shoals; sail on the Thomas Laighton out of Portsmouth Harbor

CONTACT & MORE INFO: Email Susan Wallack, (603) 828-3503

Last year, a big the Slow Food USA was Time for Lunch, a campaign to get good, clean, and fair food into U.S. schools. (Slow Food Seacoast championed Time for Lunch in its 2009 National Day of Action event: preparing and planting salad gardens at Dover High School. Read the recap on our blog!)

Late yesterday, the Senate passed the new Child Nutrition Act. Whether (and how) the revised act will be passed in the House remains to be seen, but read the Slow Food response on the Slow Food USA blog.

WHAT: 2nd [Annual?] Barrington Natural Heritage and Agriculture Fair

WHEN: Saturday and Sunday, August 28 and 29, 10 am to 4 pm (rain or shine!)

WHERE: Warren Farm, 30 Warren Road, Barrington, NH

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Barrington Natural Heritage and Agriculture Fair website

The 2nd [Annual?] Barrington Natural Heritage and Agriculture Fair will be held on August 28 and 29 from 10 am to 4 pm (rain or shine!) at Warren Farm, a full-time working farm in Barrington, NH.

Start the day with a hayride on a wagon pulled by an old-fashioned mule team from the parking area to the fairground! The Barrington Recreation Department will host family-oriented old-time games, and local farmers will show off their animals and be available to answer your questions. Purchase local goods at the on-site farmer’s market featuring high-end local artisans, maple ice cream and maple cotton candy from Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm, breads and other goodies from Forty-Five Market Street Bakery, breakfast and lunch foods from Figtree Café, fresh fish sandwiches from Seaport Fish, and more. Local musicians will be playing for the crowd on both days.

A few more highlights are scheduled:

• John Carroll, famed advocate and author of local agriculture, will speak at 12 noon on Saturday.
• Scott Young will lead nature walks on the 244-acre farm at 1 pm both days. Learn about turtles, frogs, snakes, dragonflies, birds, and more!
• Beekeeper Amy Antonucci will talk about her work with bees on Sunday.
• Peter Yarenski and friends will play fiddle music and jam with other local musicians on Sunday.
• Many educational booths will inspire and propel you towards community sustainability!

The fair organizers need VOLUNTEERS to help before and during the fair (setup, parking) and afterward (cleanup). If you would like to help put on a great local event, contact Heather Warren.

ALSO, Amy Pollard would love to have VOLUNTEERS join her at the Slow Food Seacoast table to talk to fairgoers about good, clean, and fair food. If you can spare an hour or a few, please email Slow Food Seacoast with “I Want to Volunteer” in the subject line.

See you there!

The consensus is that the 4th Annual Slow Food Seacoast Down-on-the-Farm Picnic was a great success! More than 80 people—singles, couples, and families—joined Slow Food Seacoast at Dalton’s Pasture, the Rowells’ homestead in Nottingham, NH, to learn about permaculture, homesteading, and living simply and to enjoy a lovely summer afternoon with like-minded people.

Host canines Finnegan and Sparky greeted each arriving party at the Welcome tent. On Saturday, Peter Rowell had prepared a pot of baked beans and cooked it in a fire pit overnight, so just after 12 noon, he unearthed it with a crowd watching to see whether they were going to be edible. Luckily for us, they were very much so, and they joined the rest of the delicious dishes on the potluck table!

After lunch, Lauren Chase-Rowell led her largest tour group ever around her farm, introducing them to permaculture principles along the way—how to not disrupt the site’s ecology, work efficiently, and use resources wisely. Next, John Forti led a wild and medicinal edibles walk on the property while Peter simultaneously showed a group his “chicken tractor” designs for keeping his pastured chickens safe in the field.

This event could not have taken place, never mind have been successful, without the planning and communications expertise of the Slow Food Seacoast board: Alison Magill, John Forti, Jenny Isler, Amy Pollard, Erin Jenkins, Pam Angulo, and Laura Spelke. (A few years of farm picnic experience doesn’t hurt!) In addition, the board extends a heartfelt and humongous thank-you to everyone else who helped make the event a success:

• Our most gracious and hospitable hosts, Lauren Chase-Rowell and Peter Rowell, who allowed us to march on their mulch, trample their thyme, and cackle with their chickens.
• All of the Slow Food Seacoast board members, chapter members, and other volunteers who collectively performed as planners, site-scouting crew, event-day signage team, set-up crew, sound engineers, food tent crew, kid’s activities director, event photographer, and clean-up crew.
• Daryl and Douglas, who staffed the Northeast Organic Farming Association, New Hampshire Chapter (NOFA-NH) table.
• Jenny Isler, who staffed the Seacoast Community Garden Network (SCGN) table.
• Heather Fernald, who staffed the Seacoast Eat Local table.
• Amy Antonucci and Steve Dimond, who staffed the Greater Seacoast Permaculture Group table.



• Amy Winans and Dan Winans, who organized the UNH EcoGastronomy table and Italian food tasting.
• Ali, who helped staff the Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) heirloom and wild edibles info and tasting table.
• Michael Sterling—who never appears in photos because he’s always behind the camera!—for taking pictures at the event. Check out our latest Flickr photo sets when you have a chance.
• Deb Locke of Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm, who donated the cutest and most delicious maple candies as prizes for the children’s activities.
• Everyone who talked up the event, handed out flyers, forwarded emails, or shared Facebook updates with people who otherwise might not know about Slow Food Seacoast and this wonderful annual event. (Thanks for getting the word out!)
• All the attendees who dared to venture out of Portsmouth … and drive down 3 miles of sometimes washboard dirt road to get to the property. (Wasn’t it so worth it?)

The Children’s Museum of NH is putting fresh food in focus with For the Love of Food, an art exhibit featuring images of nutritious foods—especially fruits and vegetables—depicted in attractive ways. This collection of paintings, photos, and illustrations by more than a dozen acclaimed New Hampshire artists is accompanied by nutritional information, recipes, and helpful suggestions designed to support caregivers in encouraging kids to make wise food choices.

For the Love of Food will be on display in the museum’s Gallery 6 during regular business hours (Tuesday–Saturday, 10 am–5 pm, Sunday 12 noon–5 pm, and Mondays 10-5 during July & August) through September 5. No admission fee is required to view the gallery only; regular museum admission is required to explore the rest of the museum.

In conjunction with the exhibit, Eileen Behan, RD, will present a 1-hour interactive workshop entitled Exploring Fruits and Vegetables on Tuesday, July 13, at 11 am. Families with children of all ages are invited to explore the amazing world of fresh foods and participate in a fun, food-related scavenger hunt. This family workshop is included with regular museum admission, and advance registration is not required.

The Children’s Museum of NH is located at 6 Washington Street, Dover, NH. For more information about the museum, the exhibit, the workshop, and other special events, please visit the museum’s website.

Are you—or do you aspire to be—a gardener? The Seacoast Community Garden Network (SCGN), brainchild of Slow Food Seacoast’s very own membership coordinator, Jenny Isler, is now a live, interactive website of resources for gardens and gardeners. It’s a place to make connections:

• See what community gardens (more than 30!) in the Seacoast area are doing.
• Find or list a community garden plot, gardeners, or supplies.
• Share problems, solutions, and achievements.
• Get help starting a community garden.

You don’t even have to be a community gardener to benefit from the wonderful  SCGN website, because anyone can

• Learn about composting, companion planting, canning, and more from the growing list of gardening resources.
• Consult the Calendar for an array of events related to gardening and sustainability and the Free Classifieds.
• Contribute to the Compost Pile.

If you want to respond to a Free Classified ad or participate in the Discussion Forum, you’ll have to register; but it’s quick (I just did it in about 30 seconds) and FREE, so why not check it out?

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For those of us who weren’t working behind the scenes for the past 4 or 5 months, building the framework for and decorating the virtual walls of this nonprofit interactive online community, SCGN seems to have have sprung straight from seed packet to vigorous seedling. But in reality, SCGN is an idea that has been germinating for a long time.

As long as 4 years ago, Jenny and fellow community garden coordinator Gail Wingate talked about connecting gardeners. They noticed that community gardens operated in isolation but faced many of the same problems—and as a result, each one was reinventing the wheel to solve them, duplicating efforts and wasting time that could be better spent working in the garden or enjoying the harvest! Their deep passion for vibrant community, local food resources, and the environment fueled their dream of making the Seacoast community garden movement stronger by bringing together the wisdom, experience, and vision of many gardeners.

Eventually, technology caught up with Jenny and Gail’s vision. A grant from the New England Grassroots Fund provided seed money, and the intrepid pair called together more than 20 community leaders to help define their vision. Bringing the vision to life were gifted community gardeners, artists, and Joomla! gurus Kathy Lombard and Donna Chick. Together, the four women met regularly from winter into spring, and the SCGN website went live on May Day, just in time for spring planting.

The resulting SCGN website—open-source construction, and free to anyone to use—features everything the focus group envisioned and more. And just like a garden, SCGN is self-managed: Anyone and everyone can contribute, update, and post to their heart’s content—planting their own seeds! Each community garden can create a Garden Page and even use it as their own website. Folks without a community garden (for now!) can contribute to the general forums and learn from the wonderful resources that the site provides.

Since Jenny and Gail’s initial conversation 4 years ago, the number of community gardens on the Seacoast has blossomed from 3 to more than 30. Many more gardens are yet to come, and SCGN is the place to learn, support, connect and share as our community garden movement grows stronger—together. Stop by the SCGN website to see what’s growin’ on!

Via Seacoast Eat Local:

The 3rd annual Barrington Farm Tour Day is tomorrow, June 27, 2010. Eight farms will be open to visitors from  10am to 4pm. Visit the Seacoast Eat Local blog to see who’s participating and download a map.

In the Seacoast and beyond—wherever you find yourself this summer—make a point of finding good, clean, and fair food for yourself and your family. The 2010 Summer Markets page has been updated with all kinds of resources to help you do just that! Farmers’ markets are bigger than ever, in more locations than ever, which is great news for consumers and producers alike. (Local economies reap the benefits, too.)

A list of markets managed by the Seacoast Growers Association (SGA) follows, then some other NH markets in the Seacoast area, and finally some resources for finding farmers’ markets in Maine.

Many farmers’ markets (and farmers) have websites, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts, so look for your favorites online! And even if they don’t have their own individual sites or accounts, many farm and market locations are available in online listings. For markets within the broadly defined Seacoast region (encompassing Rockingham, Strafford, and York Counties in New Hampshire and Maine), search the easy-to-use online version of Seacoast Harvest: A Local Food Guide by location, product, or farm name. (Note: Very soon, you will be able to get your own printed copy of new-and-improved 2010 edition of this go-to resource for eating local in the Seacoast at local farmers’ markets and other events.)

If you’re planning to vacation in another region, look up good, clean, and fair food options at your destination by searching Local Harvest, which lists farms and markets nationwide (mostly along the U.S. East Coast). So before you travel this summer, use one of these online tools or do an Internet search on “<town> farmers market” (replacing <town> with your destination) to find the freshest food while you’re on the road or just getting some R&R. Have fun!

Who’s your farmer?

Seacoast SGA Markets Are Open

info via Seacoast Growers Association

All the Seacoast-area farmers’ markets managed by the Seacoast Growers Association (SGA) will be open by the first full week of June.  (Click on location names to read market details on the SGA website.)

In-season update (June 3): asparagus, rhubarb, lettuces, greens, greenhouse cukes and tomatoes (limited), eggs, honey, maple syrup, meats, milk & yogurt, seafood, teas, wine, gourmet prepared foods, and plants of all kinds! (annuals, perennials, hanging flower baskets, herbs, and all kinds of veggie transplants)

Durham

Mondays, 2:15–5:30 pm
7 Mill Road / Durham Marketplace NEW LOCATION!

Hampton

Tuesdays, 3–6 pm
289 Lafayette Road / Route 1, Sacred Heart Church School

Dover

Wednesdays, 2:15–6pm
550 Central Ave. / Dover Chamber of Commerce parking lot NEW LOCATION!

Exeter

Thursdays, 2:15–6pm
Swasey Parkway, off Water Street

Portsmouth

Saturdays, 8 am–1 pm
1 Junkins Ave., City Hall

More NH Markets: A Great Statewide Resource

info courtesy of the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food Division of Agricultural Development, via NH Farmer’s Markets Association

The NH Farmer’s Markets Association has posted an extensive list of farmers’ markets across New Hampshire! Check out the list below for markets near your home or work, and go to the full list to find the market days in towns you’ll be visiting this summer. Celebrate local farms and food producers across the state, all summer long.

Barrington Farmers’ Market

Rt. 9 & 125, across from Calef’s Country Store
Sat., May-Oct., 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Rain or shine.
Vegetables, fruits, flowers, plants, maple, baked goods, meat.
603-749-0377

Farmington Farmers’ Market

Central & Main Sts.
May 1-Oct., Sat., 8:30a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Vegetables, plants, homemade goods, pies, jams, handmade quilts, pillows, hats, mittens, soaps, jewelry, pot holders.
603-859-2551
barrons@worldpath.net

Farmington-Puddledock’s Farmers’ Market

203 NH Rt. 11, Farmington
Sat., June-Sept., 10 a.m.-2 p.m., rain or shine.
Vegetables, fruits, flowers, plants, dairy, maple, baked goods, crafts.
603-335-2252
fromtheheart@metrocast.net

Lee Farmers’ Market

Old Fire Station, Rt. 155
May-Sept., 3-6pm, Thurs.
Vegetables,fruits, flowers & plants, maple, bakery, meat, fish, crafts. Rain or shine.
659-9329
tubadirt@comcast.net

Newmarket Farmers’ Market

The Stone Church, 5 Granite St.
Sat. June 19-Oct. 9, 9a.m.- 1 p.m.; 3rd Sat. of month, Nov.-Mar., 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, flowers, dairy, eggs, preserves, baked goods, coffee, honey, wine, maple syrup, meat, seafood, crafts, music.
603-659-5900

Northwood Farmers’ Market

Jct. Rtes. 4, 43, & 202
May-Nov., 3-6:30p.m., Thurs.
Vegetables, fruits, flowers & plants, dairy, maple, bakery, meat, body care products, goats milk products, jams, jellies, wine,
herbs, honey, eggs, dog treats. Rain or shine.
603-942-8313
northwoodfarmersmarket@yahoo.com

Nottingham Farmers’ Market

Blaisdell Memorial Library
May-Oct., 1-4pm, Sun.
Vegetables, fruit, flowers & plants, dairy, maple, meat, crafts, honey, sauces & salsa. Rain or shine.
603-679-5392
brieghangardner@aol.com

Ossipee Farmers’ Market

Ossipee Main St. Park, Moultonville Rd., Center Ossipee
Sun., June-Sept., 10 a.m.-1 p.m., rain or shine.
Vegetables, fruits, flowers, plants, dairy, maple, baked goods, meat, fish, crafts.
Craft demonstrations, food contest, bobbing for apples, pumpkin carving contest and more.
603-539-7200
director@ossipeemainstreet.org
http://www.ossipeemainstreet.org

Rochester-Downtown Farmers’ Market

Foster’s Daily Democrat parking lot, 90 North Main St.
June-Oct. 28, 3-6 p.m., Tues. & Thurs., rain or shine.
Vegetables, fruits, flowers, plants, baked goods,crafts.
603-332-1765

Rochester-4 Corners Farmers’ Market

4 Corners Antique Shop parking lot, Jct. 202A, Estes Rd. & Meaderboro Rd.
May 8-Oct. 11, Sat. 10am-2pm.
Vegetables, fruit, flowers & plants, bakery, jams, jellies.
603-859-6979
squires@metrocast.net

Rollinsford-Wentworth Greenhouses Farmers’ Market

141 Rollinsford Rd., Rollinsford
June 26-Oct.30, 10am-2pm, Sat.
Vegetables, fruits, flowers & plants, dairy, maple, bakery, meat, fish, crafts, special craft & cooking demonstrations, gardening lectures, workshops.
603-749-4919
kokolis@comcast.net
http://www.wentworthgreenhouses.com

Rye Farmers’ Market

580 Washington Rd.
June-Oct., 2-5p.m., Wed.
Vegetables, fruit, flowers & plants, dairy, maple, bakery, meat, fish, apple pie contest, sandwich contest, seafood throwdown. Rain or shine.
603-379-2007
trit30@comcast.net

Wakefield Farmers’ Market

Corner of Rt. 16 & Wakefield Rd.
May 29-Oct. 9, 9am-3pm, Sat.
Local vegetables, fruits, baked goods, flowers, honey, eggs, meat, plants, wood crafts, fiber goods, jewelry and more!
Demonstrations last Sat. of month. Rain or shine.
603-473-8762
http://www.wakefieldmarketplace.homestead.com

But Wait, There’s More … in Maine

Maine offers its share of farmers’ markets this year, too. The Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (MFFM) has posted a list of farmers’ markets from the York “Gateway” market to Kennebunk, North Berwick, Portland, Augusta, and beyond! Find your closest market (or where you’ll be on vacation) in the full list of Maine markets online. And here’s what might be a late addition that didn’t make the last website update:

Sanford Farmers’ Market

Gowen Park, Main Street/US Route 109, next to the Sanford Junior High School
Saturdays, 8 am–12 noon
http://www.sanfordfarmersmarket.org/

Resources

• 2010 Summer Markets (Slow Food Seacoast’s guide to opening dates for Seacoast farmers’ markets)
• Seacoast Harvest: A Local Food Guide (a seachable guide to producers in Rockingham, Strafford, and York Counties)
• NH farmers’ markets (NH Dept. of Agriculture list)
• Seacoast Growers Association (Dover, Durham, Exeter, Hampton, and Portsmouth summer markets)
• Maine farmers’ markets
• Local Harvest (nationwide)
• Maine Federation of Farmers’ Markets (MFFM)
  
• NH Farmer’s Markets Association

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Do you know of another nearby market? Leave a comment and let us know!

We had such a great time at the Blue Moon Market & Café (8 Clifford St., Exeter, NH) last spring that we are happy to be heading there once again. This year, participants can sign up for a special cooking class (preregistration and fee required) before the potluck. The potluck will feature dishes prepared during the class, and the meeting will feature some thoughts from Kathy about growing, preparing, and eating greens.

4:00 pm Class: Cook Your Greens and Eat Them, Too! with Blue Moon Chef/Owner Kathy Gallant. You must register in advance for this class by sending an email to Alison. A few spots are still available; $15 per person. Read about this event on the Slow Food Seacoast website.

5:30 pm Potluck Dinner: The theme is … greens! (What else?) Please remember to bring your own dining kits … read About Our Potlucks on the Slow Food Seacoast website.

6:30 pm Meeting: We’ll quickly announce upcoming events (like the 4th Annual Slow Food Seacoast Down-on-the-Farm Picnic on August 1—details to come!), and Kathy will share some thoughts about growing, preparing, and eating greens.