Via the Seacoast Eat Local blog:
Bringing together farmers, gardeners, localvores, educators, and consumers … featuring workshops and vendors: NOFA-NH Winter Conference: “A Place at the Table”
From Northeast Organic Farming Association of NH (NOFA-NH) via the Seacoast Eat Local blog:
There is nothing locally grown nor heirloom about genetically engineered food. The NH localvore, slow food and organic movement can collaborate and take the first steps in discouraging the presence of genetically engineered food and products in our state.
Take part in a meeting on
Wednesday, Feb 3
6:00-7:30 PM
Blue Moon Market and Café
8 Clifford Street, Exeter, NH
to hear about two bills in the NH House Committee on Agriculture and the Environment: one to label seeds that are genetically engineered or contain genetically engineered organisms (GMOs) and the other to provide farmers the right to seek damages if their crops become contaminated by GE crops. (The Café will still be serving food if you come hungry.)
Speakers at this meeting:
There will also be time for an open discussion about your interests in this issue.
The hearings for the two bills are scheduled for
Thursday, February 11
Legislative Office Bldg (LOB)
Concord, NH
11 AM for HB 1388 - Compensation for contamination
1:00 PM for HB 1172 – Labeling of GMO seeds
Please make the time to appear in person at any of these hearings, and let Elizabeth Obelenus at NOFA-NH know your plans. The many aspects as to why genetic engineering is not welcomed need to be covered at these hearings to build a strong case. For example, if you or someone you know works in the sciences and can talk from that point of view about why genetic engineering is bad for our health, or know a farmer that wants to grow sweet corn organically but wonders if their crop will get contaminated by neighboring GE corn, ask them to contact Elizabeth at NOFA. Written testimony is also encouraged.
NOFA-NH CONTACT INFO: (603) 224-5022 or info@nofanh.org.
Have you ever have considered raising your own chickens or other poultry, for eggs or meat? For years, many people have been raising backyard birds—just a few, or a sizable flock—because that way, they can be sure what the animals eat (good, clean, and fair food for them, too!), how the animals live (running and pecking around the yard, truly free-ranging), and how fresh the food is (like, eggs harvested just this morning).
Joseph Marquette and Robert Gibson of Yellow House Farm in Barrington are wonderful local resources of all things related to heritage poultry husbandry. They are friendly faces at Seacoast farmers’ markets, not to mention active planners and participants in Barrington Farm Day and the NH Natural Heritage and Agricultural Fair. And they aren’t selfish about sharing what they know, either! For example, at Slow Food Seacoast’s 3rd Annual Down-on-the-Farm Picnic (held July 12, 2009, at Osprey Cove Organic Farm in Madbury), Joe graciously shared his time and knowledge with a rapt circle of listeners. He talked about the history of domesticated poultry and explained why preserving old-fashioned heritage poultry breeds is important.
If you are ready to raise your own laying hens or broiler chickens, Yellow House Farm can help. They currently are accepting orders for Ancona and White Dorking chicks. Learn more about these two heritage breeds and how to order Day-Old Hatchlings on their website.
In 2009, Joe and Rob launched Yellow House Farm School (a.k.a. Chicken School) with great success, and the spring 2010 seminar schedule has been announced. One-day seminars that cover choosing, raising, managing, and marketing heritage poultry will be held on Saturdays, 9 am–4 pm, biweekly from March 6 through May 29, 2010. Each 1-day class is limited to only 10 participants, so learn more about the Homesteading Heritage Poultry class and calendar online, then follow instructions there to register—as soon as possible to guarantee your spot. The cost of the 1-day seminar is $45.00.
Learn how to peel, cook, store, and enjoy the delicacy that is Northern shrimp in a 2-hour workshop on February 10! Chefs from the UNH Thompson School Culinary Arts Program will demonstrate how to prepare these locally wild-harvested gems in many ways for you to taste. You will leave the workshop with recipes and educational materials so you can enjoy Northern shrimp at home. Register online at the UNH website.
Shrimp Local, Eat Local
Date: February 10, 2010
Time: 6-8 pm
Registration fee: $10
Registration form: www.tinyurl.com/localshrimp
From Seacoast Eat Local:
Fresh salad greens, spinach, and lettuce … carrots, parsnips, onions, and potatoes … locally raised meats, locally caught fish, locally made jams, jellies, breads, and teas … New Hampshire grown Christmas trees, wreaths, poinsettias, and kissing balls — these are just some of the products that will be for sale this Saturday, December 5th from 10am-2pm at our next Winter Farmers’ Market indoors at Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford! Wentworth Greenhouses is located at 141 Rollins Road, a mile past Red’s Shoe Barn of Dover. You can find a full list of participating vendors and the products they will be selling at www.seacoasteatlocal.org
But wait, there’s more!
It’s Buy Local Week on the Seacoast. Our friends at Seacoast Local have been organizing and promoting a wide variety of opportunities to shift your spending locally, including buying local food! Read all about their other ideas and events for buying local art, toys, and more >
Help spread the word! Forward this email, post a message on your blog/website/facebook profile, invite a friend to come with you to the market this Saturday - the more the merrier!
For more information, maps and driving directions, visit www.seacoasteatlocal.org. Please note, when coming from the west, Google maps incorrectly lists Shady Lane as a through street near Wentworth Douglass Hospital.
We hope you’ll join us on December 5th as it is going to be another amazing farmers’ market, with an abundance of locally grown and raised foods that you can feel great about buying as you’ll be supporting local farms and agriculture while enjoying safe, healthful, and delicious food!
- Sara Zoe Patterson, on behalf of Seacoast Eat Local
www.seacoasteatlocal.org
blog.seacoasteatlocal.org
on Facebook
From our friends at Seacoast Eat Local comes the following request. We hope you can take part!
***
The Portsmouth Farmers’ Market is open through November 7 and the Kennebunk Market will be open through November 14, and indoor winter farmers’ markets are coming soon!
Seacoast Eat Local has organized a total of 11 winter farmers’ markets for the 2009-10 season, ensuring you can buy local food from your farmers all winter long. The first market is just three weeks away, on November 21 at the Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford from 10am-2pm.
We’re looking for volunteers!
Volunteers play an important role during our winter farmers’ markets. From helping unload and carry foods, to making sure the customers coming in know about the next markets and have answers to their questions, to clean up, volunteers make sure the markets are the best possible for farmers and customers.
Some of the volunteer roles include:
In addition to these jobs, we’re also looking for a volunteer who might want to take on a larger, organizing role. We’d like to set up a simple area for families to take a break and relax with their kids and we’re looking for someone who has a vision for what that might look like, to be implemented with volunteer support.
If you would like to volunteer, please contact Erin Ehlers at erin@yogaonthehillkittery.com. Mention the date(s) that you are available, and preferred volunteer role if you have one.
Market dates/locations: (All markets are Saturdays with hours of 10am-2pm)
November 21 - Wentworth Greenhouses, 141 Rollins Rd, Rollinsford, NH
December 5 - Wentworth Greenhouses
December 12 - Exeter High School, 1 Blue Hawk Drive, Exeter, NH
December 19 - Wentworth Greenhouses
January 9 - Exeter
January 23 - Wentworth Greenhouses
February 13 - Exeter
February 27 - Wentworth Greenhouses
March 13 - Exeter
March 27 - Wentworth Greenhouses
April 10 - Exeter
No matter your availability to volunteer, we hope to see you at the markets!
Sara Zoe Patterson, on behalf of Seacoast Eat Local
sarazoe@seacoasteatlocal.org
blog.seacoasteatlocal.org
www.seacoasteatlocal.org
Seacoast Eat Local welcomes donations in support of the winter farmers’ markets. Your donation supports the growth of these markets, enabling a more sustainable, self-reliant food system in our region. Donate online via PayPal, or contact us to send a donation by mail.
What great news! After a few years of stellar local stewardship for an “Eat Local” event by Seacoast Eat Local, the state of New Hampshire has embraced the idea of celebrating local agriculture with a statewide Eat Local Month. The press release below gives details about the month and its theme weeks, so you can begin planning for how you’ll take part. Discover the amazing bounty of our state by celebrating with us! Since the month begins with “Farmers’ Market Week,” August 2-8, why not get started by venturing out to a brand new weekday market in one of the many Seacoast towns that offer one - you’re likely to be delighted by your discoveries!
August is NH Eat Local Month!
August 2-8 is NH Farmers’ Market Week
By
Gail McWilliam Jellie, Director
Division of Agricultural Development
NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food
Governor John Lynch has proclaimed the month of August 2009 as NH Eat Local Month! Each of the four weeks of the month has a theme: “Visit a Farmers Market”, “Family to the Farm” (visit a farmstand or farm), “Share the Harvest” (providing food for those in need), and “Looking Ahead” (preserving and storing food for the winter). Last year, the first week of August was declared “NH Eat Local Week”, and was marked by local dinners and other events, and more interest is anticipated in this month long celebration of New Hampshire’s farmers and their harvest.
New Hampshire residents and visitors, alike, are showing unprecedented interest in local food, and this month long celebration offers a great opportunity to feature New Hampshire grown foods. Visit www.nheatlocal.org for event and activity information.
As part of the NH Eat Local Month festivities, the week of August 2-8 has been proclaimed as New Hampshire Farmers’ Market Week, by Governor Lynch. It also coincides with the 10th annual National Farmers’ Market Week, saluting farmers’ markets all across America.
Direct marketing of farm products through farmers markets is an important sales outlet for agricultural producers nationwide. Farmers markets have continued to rise in popularity, mostly due to the growing consumer interest in obtaining fresh products directly from the farm. The number of farmers markets in the United States has been growing steadily, according to US Dept. of Agriculture figures, with over 4,800 farmers markets operating in the United States.
New Hampshire has also seen tremendous growth in farmers markets, with nearly 80 markets operating throughout New Hampshire today. The NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food and the NH Farmers’ Market Association support the development and operation of farmers’ markets and other direct marketing activities for agricultural producers. Farmers’ markets offer products such as farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, meat and dairy products, baked goods, flowers and much more. Learn more about New Hampshire farmers’ markets at the NH Farmers’ Market Association website: http://www.nhfma.org/. Find a list of New Hampshire farmers’ markets at: http://agriculture.nh.gov/publications/documents/farmersmarket.pdf.
Local farmers’ markets will be celebrating Farmers’ Market Week with a variety of events such as demonstrations, food tastings, music, entertainment, and more. A special kick off celebration for both NH Eat Local Month and Farmers’ Market Week will be held on August 1st, 9 am at the Concord Farmers’ Market. NH Commissioner of Agriculture, Lorraine Merrill will welcome Governor John Lynch and First Lady, Dr. Susan Lynch to the market, along with many other guests, farmers and shoppers.
For more information, contact Gail McWilliam Jellie at the NH Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food, 25 Capitol St., Concord, NH 03302-2042, Tel. 271-3788, email: gmcwilliam@agr.state.nh.us, website: www.agriculture.nh.gov.
Our local food system already has many great components, but we know there is room to grow broader and deeper. We’re delighted to have June help us with building this network. In particular, she’s interested in helping us identify our resources, discover what the missing links might be, and how we can make our local food enterprises grow, and be more profitable, for all of us, from farms and fishing boats to processors, markets, restaurants and distributors.
Seacoast Local has organized this interactive workshop to increase the percentage of local food produced, sold and eaten in NH and across New England, as part of our mission to strengthen our local economy. We are bringing leaders in this movement together to create opportunities and solutions.
Seacoast Local
PO Box 1459
Portsmouth, NH 03802
June has been weaving economic and community networks for almost 20 years. Back then, she discovered complexity science and became intrigued with the phenomenon of transformation. How could communities change in ways that would make them good places for everyone?
WIth others in Appalachian Ohio, she began a stream of experimentation to discover how to encourage many more people to start and then expand businesses. With these entrepreneurs, she mobilized dozens of area organizations to collaborate and create an environment that would help these businesses innovate and work together.
After twenty years as executive director of the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks (www.acenetworks.org), she stepped down to devote her energies to helping communities around the globe form Smart Networks by training and supporting Network Weavers. She helps clients use Smart Network Analyzer social network mapping software to understand and enhance their networks.
Her recent Smart Networks projects have involved communities, regions, statewide collaborations, healthcare and hospital systems, national learning and innovation networks, and large corporations.
Clients include the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the United Nations, the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, the Ohio University Voinovich Center, Kaiser Permanente, the Plexus Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Millennium Project, Interaction Institute for Social Change, the Veterans Administration, FAIMER, the Center for Working Families and many others.
She is available as a keynote speaker, workshop presenter, network mentor or consultant on Network Weaving projects. She often partners on social network analysis projects with Valdis Krebs (www.orgnet.com), Jack Ricchiuto (www.designinglife.com) and the Plexus Institute (www.plexusinstitute.com), an organization committed to the application of complexity science to help people create healthier communities.
Visit her blog at www.networkweaving.com/blog
Portsmouth Farmers’ Market Tours will be available on Saturday, May 9, in conjunction with the Sustainability Fair at the Middle School. Volunteers will meet tour-goers at the fairgrounds and lead them up the hill to the market, where they’ll receive a personalized tour, introductions to the vendors, and tips on how to choose and purchase items at a farmers’ market. There is no charge, and tours are expected to last 45 minutes. They will be conducted every half-hour from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Map of the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market location
The Backyard Farming Series at the Madbury Public Library - free and open to the public. For more info contact the Madbury Public Library, 9 Town Hall Road, Madbury, NH 03823, 603-743-1400, www.Madburylibrary.org
“Bees: Getting started in backyard honeybee-keeping”, presented by Amy Antonucci, April 29 at 7pm
“From Seed to Farm stand”, presented by Jill Leavenworth, May 6 at 7pm
“Chickens in your backyard, eggs in the basket!”, presented by Peter Leavenworth, May 20 at 7pm
“Build a root cellar in your own basement”, presented by Craig Stephan, May 27 at 7pm
Thistleridge Farm in Dover has chicks for sale: broilers, NH reds, white leghorns, Red Silkies, Aracanas, Buff Brahmas, and Barred Rock X. They also have fertile eggs for hatching, chicken, duck, goose and quail, and rent incubators with eggs included! If you’re looking for more ready-to-eat food, they have eggs: goose, chicken, quail, turkey and duck. For more information call Sherri at 603-740-9332
Home Cheesemaking: Ricotta & Mozzarella
Learn to make your own unprocessed, local cheese right at home. Through a lecture and demonstrations, this introduction to home cheesemaking will get you started on making ricotta and mozzarella and may include yogurt and goat cheese if time allows. Basic equipment and procedures will be covered. This one-night workshop by Debra Kam and Lenore Smith will be held on Tuesday, May 19, from 6–8:30 p.m. Course fee is $30. Supplies included. To register, call Joyce at the adult ed office at 775-8457 or stop by the office 8:30 AM -3:00 PM M-F at 30 Linden Street (old Exeter High School), entrance D, room 137.
Nourishing Your Family From the Inside Out: Earth-friendly Cooking and Wellness Classes
"If you value place-based foods like heirloom seeds and rare breeds, the best thing you can do is to eat them. This list helps identify those which are rare/threatened and endangered to help us create priorities and a value of preservation."
—John Forti, Co-Leader, Slow Food Seacoast, and contributor to this Renewing America's Food Traditions (RAFT) document
