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.)

Rob Gibson and Joe Marquette of Yellow House Farm tell it like it is at the 2009 Slow Food Seacoast Down-on-the-Farm Picnic.

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)

Strawberries! (photo courtesy Wake Robin Farm)

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.

Heritage-breed pigs (photo courtesy New Roots Farm)

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

On Saturday, January 23, 35 farmers, fishermen and food producers will be inside the beautiful greenhouses of Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford, NH from 10am-2pm, selling their vegetables, meats, cheeses, milk, eggs, fish and shrimp, prepared foods, baked goods, honey and maple syrup! You can find a full list of participating vendors and the products they will be selling at www.seacoasteatlocal.org

Wentworth Greenhouses is located at 141 Rollins Rd, Rollinsford, NH, just a mile past Red’s Shoe Barn of Dover. Here’s a map!

Look forward to:

Vegetables
spinach, bok choi, salad greens, kale, radishes, cabbage, lettuce, winter squash, carrots, potatoes, turnips, onions, garlic, and parsnips

Meats
beef from Kellie Brook Farm, Lasting Legacy
pork from Brookford Farm, Jenness Farm, Kellie
Brook Farm, Lasting Legacy, New Roots Farm
elk from Velvet Pastures Elk Ranch
chicken from Kellie Brook Farm, Lasting Legacy,
Yellow House Farm
lamb from Lasting Legacy, Riverslea Farm
duck from Yellow House Farm
goat from Jenness Farm, Riverslea Farm
turkey from Kellie Brook Farm, Lasting Legacy

Dairy
As the daylight grows longer, chickens and ducks lay more eggs. Fresh eggs last up to five weeks in the refrigerator so plan to buy enough to last you until the next market on February 13, three weeks away! There will also be cow’s milk, goat’s milk, goat’s milk cheeses, and cow + goat’s milk yogurt.

Seafood
Yankee Fishermen’s Cooperative will (as long as the weather cooperates for fishing!) be selling their own shrimp and lobster and Eastman’s Fish will be selling their own locally caught fish. Seaport Fish will also be selling locally caught seafood. Keep reading for a workshop on cleaning, cooking, and freezing shrimp offered by UNH

Maple Syrup + Honey!

Locally made foods:
breads, jams + jellies, granola, teas, pot pies, Indian curries, chowder, sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, shepherd’s pie, country stew, muffins, frozen cookie dough, scones, pies, rolls, pastries, brownies, cookies

Seacoast area farmers are working hard to feed us well this winter, and appreciate our support as much as we appreciate their vegetables! Spread the word through friends, family, and coworkers, and invite them to come enjoy local food year round!

For a complete list of vendors and the products they will be bringing, visit www.seacoasteatlocal.org; check back often for updates! Product availability depends on consumer demand and weather; please be flexible when planning purchases.

Winter Farmers’ Market: Saturday, January 9, 35 farmers, fishermen and food producers will be in the cafeteria of the new Exeter High School in Exeter, NH from 10am-2pm, selling their meats, cheeses, milk, eggs, vegetables, fish and shrimp, prepared foods, baked goods, honey and maple syrup! You can find a full list of participating vendors and the products they will be selling at www.seacoasteatlocal.org. The new Exeter High School is located at 1 Blue Hawk Drive, or 315 Epping for GPS.

Seacoast area farmers and food producers have expanded their offerings in response to customers seeking fresh, wholesome, sustainable foods and this season’s winter markets include a wide diversity of local products. Shoppers can look forward to filling their tote bags with a wide variety of vegetables including salad greens, broccoli, bok choi, kale, radishes, cabbage, lettuce, winter squash, carrots, potatoes, turnips, onions, garlic, and parsnips. Local, sustainable meats and seafood will be for sale such as beef, pork, chicken, lamb, duck, goat, turkey, lobster, and shrimp as well as dairy products including eggs, milk, and cheeses. Honey, maple syrup, prepared foods and baked goods round out the farmers’ market making the market a one-stop shopping opportunity for local food.

For more information, visit www.seacoasteatlocal.org

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

• The market is open until 2pm - If you have something else to do in the morning, want a relaxed morning, or just want to avoid the crowds, feel free to come later! Our vendors are well prepared for a large number of customers and will appreciate your business whenever you can get there!

• Volunteer! We’re still looking for a few more volunteers to help set up, provide information during the market, or clean up afterward. Volunteers come for one or two hour shifts, and play a key role in ensuring the success of the markets! Email erin@yogaonthehillkittery.com if you would like to volunteer.

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

And Apple Annie in Brentwood is once again open - with the year’s first cider this weekend!

At Slow Food Seacoast, we love local shrimp. The Northern shrimp are small, sweet, meaty, and succulent and taste amazing in everything - shrimp cocktails, curries, pastas, stir-fries, you name it. And what’s more, the Northern shrimp are a very good fishery for Slow Food folk to support; the shrimp (especially when trap-caught) are a sustainable fishery, with healthy population levels and low environmental impact. And as if that weren’t enough, purchasing these shrimp really helps local fishermen stay ‘afloat’ during a winter season in which not many other fish are available.

So we’re very excited to hear that this year, the Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative is offering a Shrimp CSF (Community Supported Fishery)! They write:

The Yankee Fisherman’s Cooperative (YFC) will be offering shares for the upcoming Northern Shrimp season. As a participant in the community supported fishery, you will be supporting the NH commercial fishing industry and a sustainably harvested resource. Your shrimp will also carry the NH Fresh and Local brand which ensures that it was landed in NH and is the freshest available.

WHAT YOU WILL GET
- An 8-week subscription to the winter CSF (January - February)
- HALF share of whole shrimp: 5 lbs per week
- FULL share of whole shrimp: 10 lbs per week FULL shares are $128 ($1.60 per pound), HALF shares are $72 ($1.80 per pound)

Please use this link to fill out the interest application and a member of the fisheries cooperative will contact you.

From our friends at the Seacoast Growers Association (SGA):

Seacoast Growers Association is pleased to announce the start of its weekday farmers’ markets in Dover, Durham, Exeter, Hampton and Kingston.  In addition to new vendors, this year brings the Exeter market a full two weeks early, and offers a new location with great accessibility in Dover.

The Exeter Farmers’ Market starts May 21st in the Swasey Parkway, off Water Street in downtown Exeter, Thursdays from 2:15 to 6:00 p.m.

The Dover Farmers’ Market starts June 3rd in its new home in the parking lot of the Herbal Path at 835 Central Ave., Wednesdays from 2:15 to 6:00 p.m.

The Durham Farmers’ Market starts June 1st in the parking lot of Durham Bike on Pettee Brook Lane in the downtown loop.

The Hampton Farmer’s Market starts June 2nd in the Sacred Heart School parking lot, across from the post office just north of Route 101, Tuesdays from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.

The Kingston Farmer’s Market also starts June 2nd and is located “on the plains” across from the fire station on Main Street / Route 111, Tuesdays from 2:15 to 5:30 p.m.

SGA’s weekly Saturday market in Portsmouth opened the first week of May.  It is held in the City Hall parking lot on Junkins Ave., from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

While maintaining an agricultural focus, SGA farmers’ markets also are proud to offer fresh seafood and quality prepared foods such as jams, cookie dough, honey mead, and blended teas.  Our skilled artisans also present some of the finest crafts on the Seacoast, ranging from woven reed baskets, pottery and leather work to goat milk soap, herbal medicine, jewelry and Chinese brush paintings.

All SGA markets are open rain or shine and offer the “SGA Guarantee”: Our products are grown and made by our own vendors here on the Seacoast.

Now in its 33rd year, Seacoast Growers’ Association is a state-registered nonprofit organization representing 57 local independent businesses.  SGA works closely with Seacoat Eat Local, Seacoast Local and Slow Food Seacoast, all of whom can be found every Saturday at the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market Information Booth. Volunteer Local Food Advocates are also welcome to join this local food movement; free training is provided.

Our monthly e-newsletter provides special recipes and updates on what foods and flowers are in season.  To sign up or for more information on any of our programs or markets, including maps to all six locations and a full list of vendors, visit www.seacoastgrowers.org.

From Seacoast Eat Local we received the following exciting bulletin:

Northern shrimp, also called native or Maine shrimp, are fast cooking, inexpensive, tasty, very local, and incredibly sustainable. You can buy them at many fish markets all over the seacoast, including Seaport Fish in Rye and Sanders in Portsmouth [and in many other local markets as well]. You’ll also be able to buy them directly from the fishermen at the next winter farmers’ market on February 7th in Exeter. For more information about northern shrimp, including cooking directions and recipe ideas, visit the Slow Food Seacoast blog.

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”

New England cheese, that is. This New England Cheesemakers site describes some New England cheesemakers, including two in New Hampshire and a few others not far from the Seacoast, and offers recipes, trivia, and lots of other information. It even gives some sources for local stores which carry New England cheeses. At this time of year, what could be a better treat?