It’s less than 2 months until the the first Seacoast Growers Association summer farmers’ market opens in Portsmouth, and the winter farmers’ markets in Newburyport, MA, and Northwood, NH, have finished for the season. But thanks to the efforts of local consumers, craftspeople, food producers—bakers, beekeepers, farmers, ranchers, vintners, and more—and the fabulous local organizations that bring us all together, we in the Seacoast region of New Hampshire are fortunate to have several more winter markets to get us there.

Final Winter Markets

Come check out what the vendors have to offer at the last indoor markets of the season.

• March 13 - Seacoast Eat Local Exeter Winter Farmers’ Market at Exeter High School, 1 Blue Hawk Drive, Exeter (GPS users, please use 315 Epping Road)
• March 20 - Rye Farmers’ Market - 10 am to 2 pm at Rye Junior High (note new location!), 501 Washington Road, Rye
• March 20 - Newmarket Farmers’ Market - 9 am to 1 pm at the Stone Church, 5 Granite Street, Newmarket
• March 27 - Seacoast Eat Local Rollinsford Winter Farmers’ Market at Wentworth Greenhouses, 141 Rollins Rd., Rollinsford
• April 10 - Seacoast Eat Local Exeter Winter Farmers’ Market at Exeter High School, 1 Blue Hawk Drive, Exeter (GPS users, please use 315 Epping Road)

Spring Markets

• April 17 -Newmarket Farmers’ Market - 9 am to 1 pm at the Stone Church, 5 Granite Street, Newmarket
• April 24 - Farmer’s Market at Heron’s Pond Farm, 299 Main Ave, South Hampton

Summer Markets Opening Soon!

The first summer farmers’ markets of the season usually feature early spring greens and locally grown plants to decorate your flower beds, create a vegetable garden, and add color to your life after a long winter. Other food and nonfood products will be available, too. Come see what they have to offer.

• May 1 - Portsmouth Farmers’ Market, Saturdays, 8 am–1  pm, 1 Junkins Ave., Portsmouth
• May 2 - Newburyport Farmers’ Market, Sundays, 9 am–1 pm, Tannery Marketplace, Newburyport, Mass.
• May 6 - Exeter Farmers’ Market, Thursdays, 2:30–6 pm, Swazey Parkway, Exeter
• May 15 - Newmarket Plant Sale & Farmers’ Market - 9 am to 1 pm, 5 Granite Street (Stone Church), Newmarket
• May 22 - Newmarket Plant Sale & Farmers’ Market - 9 am to 1 pm, 5 Granite Street (Stone Church), Newmarket
• May 27 - Northwood Farmers’ Market, Thursdays, 3–6:30 pm, Junction of Route 4 & Route 202A & 43, Northwood
• June 7 - Durham Farmers’ Market, Mondays, 2:15–5:30 pm, Pettee Brook Lane (Pettee Brook parking lot), Durham
• June 8 - Hampton Farmers’ Market, Tuesdays, 3–6 pm, 289 Lafayette Rd/Route 1 (Sacred Heart Church parking lot), Hampton, NH
• June 9 - Dover Farmers’ Market, Wednesdays, 2:15–6:00 pm, corner of Central Ave. and Sixth St. (parking lot of the new Dover Chamber of Commerce), Dover
• June 26 - Wentworth Greenhouses Farmers’ Market, Saturdays, 10 am–2 pm, 141 Rollins Road, Rollinsford (parking lot)

For More Information

Want to know which vendors are scheduled to be at the market, check a venue address, or get directions? Go straight to the source!

• Newburyport Farmers’ Market
• Newmarket Farmers’ Markets at Stone Church
• Northwood Farmers’ Market
• Seacoast Eat Local Winter Farmers’ Markets
• Wentworth Greenhouses Farmers’ Markets (Rollinsford)
• Rye Farmers’ Markets
• Seacoast Growers Association (Dover, Durham, Exeter, Hampton, and Portsmouth)

Follow Slow Food Seacoast on Twitter

More via Slow Food Portland:

Due to some last-minute cancellations, Appleton Creamery (Appleton, ME) still has space left in the 2-day Home Cheesemaking workshop, February 27 and 28. Visit the Appleton Creamery website for details and fees.

News from Slow Food Portland:

February 18: Rob Shetterly, Maine artist of the famous “Americans Who Tell the Truth” series, will speak about what it means to stand up and take action at important moments in history, like today.  After a reception of local food, he will lead a community discussion about what needs to happen in our communities, and how we can stand up to take action.  (Freeport Community Center, February 18, 6:30 pm)

February 23: Suburbia and all it promises has become the American Dream.  But in the 21st century, serious questions have emerged about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, the film The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. (Frontier Café, February  23, 7 pm; $5 admission)

March 6: Celebrated economist and environmentalist Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature, will talk about his upcoming book, Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, and his work with 350.org. (Freeport Performing Arts Center, March 6, 7 pm; suggested donation $5)

From Roger Doiron of Slow Food Portland and Kitchen Gardeners International comes this update and opportunity to say thanks. Take a look at the White House Garden video featuring Michelle Obama and White House chef Sam Kass. Roger says:

By the way, I’m going to visit the garden next week along with some of the other FAS fellows and will be bringing the 110,000+ petition signatures and thank yous we collected in the course of our 14-month “Eat the View” campaign.  I’m going to print them on recycled paper and ask that Chef Sam Kass toss them onto the “First Compost Pile” so that we can literally become part of the garden we helped plant.  There’s no guarantee he’ll do it, but I’m hoping the symbolism will be too much for him to refuse.

We’ve kept our White House garden petition open on Facebook causes for people who might have missed it during the campaign but still want to show their thanks:
http://apps.facebook.com/causes/petitions/43

For the non-Facebook crowd, we have another thank you form set up here:
http://www.kitchengardeners.org/2009/08/white_house_here_we_come.html

Best wishes,
Roger

Slow Food Portland writes:

We’ve received a generous invitation from Jim Britt at Share Our Strength to earn ticket revenue from the event listed below. The organizers will let Slow Food Portland keep 100% of the proceeds from any tickets we sell. All you have to do is call or email me, and write Slow Food Portland a check for $25 for each ticket purchased. I’ll collect names and reserve tickets for you at the door. Short notice but it looks like a fun party, hope many of you will consider attending! David

make checks out to: Slow Food Portland
and send to: David Buchanan, PO Box 5140, Portland, ME 04101
confirm by email: eatbydesign@mac.com or by phone, 772-2710

Next Wed (Sept 26) a fun event is going to take place in Portland. It’s called “The Speakeasy.”

The Speakeasy
Wed., Sept 26
5:30 to 8:30 PM
At the Portland Company Warehouse (58 Fore Street in Portland)

Tickets cost just $25 each.

Tickets include all top-shelf cocktails, a wide array of delicious foods (see menus below), and terrific live entertainment. Performers include Bellamy Jazz Band, singer and actress, Kelly Caufield, and Portland Ballet dancers, Alicia Pyle and Cristal Cooper.

MENU PREVIEW

Cool Blues
Blue Cheese Tarts with Blueberry Chutney
New Blue Potatoes with Chive Cream Cheese and Caviar
Blue Corn Biscuits with Smoked Turkey and Cranberry Butter

Hot Jazz
Chicken Adobo Skewers with Salsa
Baked Pastry-Wrapped Olives
Lemon-Pepper Grilled Shrimp
Sausage and Fig Skewers

Buffet
Cheese, Fruit and Assorted Crackers
Salmon Mousse
Assorted Dips and Dippers

BAR PREVIEW

Johnnie Walker scotch - Green, Gold and Blue
Don Julio Tequila - Blanco, Reposado, Anejo, and 1942;
Ciroc vodka
Godiva Liqueur
Tanqueray No.10 and Rangpur
Bullet Bourbon
Caol Ila Single Malt
Clynelish Single Malt

Sara Zoe sends word of an interesting web movie: “This short non-narrative video tracks the day in a life of a fish as it travels from sea to stomach. Starting at the Portland Fish Exchange, fish are unloaded from the fisherman’s boat and then sold at auction to the highest bidding “Fish Pimp”. They are then transported from the Exchange to processing plants, restaurants, and retail markets all over the world. A salmon is filleted and sold at a local fish market. At the end of the day, the salmon is cooked on a grill and made into a nice meal”

Looking for a Slow way to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Our friends at Slow Food Portland, ME, are hosting Oyster Night from 5-8 PM Wednesday, the 14th. They say, “Twelve dollars will get you a sampling of four Maine oysters, some great music from Hot Club of Portland, and an all-around general good time as we support our local aquaculture growers! Bring your sweetheart and start your Valentine evening off right!At 6pm there will be a presentation from Dana Morse, a UMaine Extension Agent with the Maine Sea Grant, and Sebastian Belle, Executive Director of The Maine Aquaculture Association.More Oysters, champagne and local beer available at the bar. Tickets available ($12 ea.) at the door or at Aurora Provisions, Rosemont Market and Bakery and Standard Baking. Location: Center for Cultural Exchange at One Longfellow Square.

Grab a date and go!

Take a look at the web page for Slow Food Portland, Maine. This active convivium is only about a year or so older than ours, and has taken leadership in local agriculture, food, and the arts in an inspiring way! Their spring Fiddlefest is a great example of an event that provides fun, taste education, connections between chefs and farmers, a bright spotlight on a unique regional food, and a fun outing for all ages. Their winter Writer’s Nights sound great, too.