On Sunday, April 3, 2011, Slow Food Seacoast and Tidewater Waldorf School welcomed 140 people to a Localvore Brunch & Heirloom Seed Plant-In in Kittery, ME. All the planning and prepping by lots of volunteers really paid off! When the first attendees entered at 11 am on the dot, the serving line was ready to fill their plates.

The Ouellette family, "hard-core locavores" from Barrington, were among the first to arrive.

The event’s truly local meal featured several dishes prepared by volunteers on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning:

• Buttermilk Pancakes made with whole wheat pastry flour, buttermilk, and whole milk donated by Brookford Farm (Rollinsford, NH); Kate’s Homemade Butter; local eggs (see below) and honey; and Maine Sea Salt (Marshfield, ME)—topped with maple syrup from Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm (Northwood, NH)
  
• Scrambled Eggs from Nick’s Chicks (at Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm) and many local backyard chickens
• Peppercorn-Fennel Pork Sausage from New Roots Farm (Newmarket, NH)
  
• Turkey Sausage made with turkey from Misty Knoll Farms (New Haven, VT), apple cider from Carter Hill Orchard (Concord, NH), maple syrup from Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm, and locally foraged native seasonings (sumac and sassafrass)
• Apple Compote made with apples donated by Wolf Pine Farm (Alfred, ME) sautéed in Kate’s Homemade Butter, sweetened with apple cider from Carter Hill Orchard and maple syrup from Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm
• Yogurt from Brookford Farm
• Apple Cider from Carter Hill Orchard
• Coffee from Equal Exchange (West Bridgewater, MA)
• Cream from Brookford Farm
• Tea from White Heron Tea (Rollinsford, NH)  and Equal Exchange

Alison Magill, co-leader of Slow Food Seacoast, talks a bit about what "locavore" means.

Even though the event was primarily about the meal, a few other activities rounded out the day:

• Volunteers from Tidewater led kids (and adults!) in seed-planting and other craft activities.
• Kate and Pam from Slow Food Seacoast gave away packets and packets of heirloom seeds—some featured in the Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) Alliance—and encouraged both novice and seasoned gardeners to plant the seeds, enjoy the produce, save seeds from the harvest, and bring seeds back in the fall (or next spring) to share with other gardeners.
• Deb Locke (a.k.a. Sugarmomma) answered questions about maple syrup and maple sugaring.

In addition, attendees donated a total of almost $250 to a special fund for Brookford Farm (which had generously donated many, many ingredients for this event, despite the tragic loss of several dairy cows last week). The Mahoneys have our support, and we were happy to be able to both thank them for their contributions and express our condolences in person.

A great many volunteers from Slow Food Seacoast and Tidewater Waldorf School made this event possible. THANK YOU to each and every person who donated, shopped for, prepped, cooked, served, cleaned up, or composted food (thanks to EcoMovement in Portsmouth, NH); set up or cleaned up the space at the Lions Club; or helped publicize the event or record it (in photos) for posterity. Without a community like you, a successful event like this one would not be possible.

Should we do it again? Let us know in the comments!

P.S. Want to see more pictures? Check out the event photos on our Flickr page.

Alison Petersen from Tidewater Waldorf School shows Catarina and Emanuel Mahoney of Brookford Farm how to create a living centerpiece that their grass-fed dairy cows wouldn't mind nibbling! Made from bark, potting soil, and soaked wheat berries, this decoration for their spring table will sprout into lovely green grass in about 1 week.

RAFT tomatoes 2010

Celebrate maple season with a Localvore Brunch and Heirloom Seed Plant-In! Slow Food Seacoast is partnering with the Tidewater Waldorf School to bring you a delicious truly local meal and activities for all ages.

• The meal will feature pancakes, maple syrup, eggs, sausage, yogurt and apple compote—all grown, raised, and produced in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. (Fair-trade coffee and tea also will be served.)
• Slow Food Seacoast will distribute at-risk heirloom seeds featured in the Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) Alliance and offer seed-planting tips.
• The Tidewater Waldorf School will offer nature-based craft activities for kids.

EVENT: Localvore Brunch and Heirloom Seed Plant-In
DATE: Sunday, April 3, 2011
TIME: 11 am–2 pm
PLACE: Kittery Lions Club, 17 State Road, Kittery, ME
COST: $12/adult (Slow Food USA members $10); $5/child under 12

Tapping maple trees at Tidewater Waldorf School

Volunteers are needed on the day of the event! If you are interested and available during any of the following times, please send us an e-mail with “I want to volunteer” in the subject line. Tell us when you’re available to help, and include your phone number and the best time to contact you. Thanks!

10:00am–11:00 am: Set up tables and chairs; prep food
11:00 am–12:30 pm: Cook and serve food
12:30 pm  - 2:00pm: Cook and serve food
2:00pm –3:00 pm: Clean up kitchen and hall

For 379 years, the Seacoast community has supported Tuttle’s Farm in Dover, NH—the oldest continually operating family farm in America—but the Tuttles are ready to pass the reins. They’ve enlisted the help of the New Hampshire Institute of Agriculture and Forestry (NHIAF) to help put the farm into the hands of those who will both respect the history and tradition of the land and shepherd it into the future.

On March 19 from 12 noon to 9 pm, NHIAF and Tuttle’s Red Barn will host TuttleFest: a day dedicated to supporting and celebrating the tradition of small family farms. Food from the Seacoast will be served up to the accompaniment of live local bands; llama rides and other child-friendly activities will engage the next generation in local agriculture, up close and personal!

Many local organizations will be represented at TuttleFest—including the Green Alliance and some of its business partners. Come join the fun while raising money and awareness about the importance of family farms to their communities, in the Seacoast and beyond.

DATE: March 19, 2011

TIME: 12 noon–9 pm

PLACE: Tuttle’s Farm, 151 Dover Point Rd., Dover, NH

FEE: $10/adult, $5/student, $5/Green Alliance member; children free!

MORE INFO: Call NHIAF at 603-534-5292, send an email to NHIAF, or visit the Tuttle’s Red Barn website.

John Forti, Jean Jennings, and Evan Mallett in Italy (Photo: Jean Jennings)

CALLING ALL FARMERS, FISHERS, RANCHERS, CHEFS, AND CONSUMERS WHO VALUE GOOD, CLEAN, AND FAIR FOOD: You’re invited to Terra Madre “Taste of Place”: A Slow Food Seacoast Social at The Press Room in Portsmouth on March 10!

Come celebrate our shared roots with great local food and fun! Learn more about Terra Madre, known as the “farmers’ United Nations”, from local delegates who represented the Seacoast region at the Terra Madre conference in October 2010: John Forti of Slow Food Seacoast, Jean Jennings of Meadow’s Mirth, and Evan Mallett of Black Trumpet Bistro. These Seacoast representatives joined more than 5,000 delegates from 150 countries at the Olympic Stadium in Turin, Italy, to discuss how to create new economies and artisanal products around local agriculture, horticulture, and fisheries.

DATE: Thursday, March 10, 2011

TIME: 5–7:45 pm

PLACE: UPSTAIRS at The Press Room, 77 Daniel Street, Portsmouth, NH

MORE: Click here for more details about Terra Madre “Taste of Place”: A Slow Food Seacoast Social.

Beautiful produce in Eataly! (Photo: Jean Jennings)

Admission to this informal social event is free! Light appetizers will be provided by Black Trumpet Bistro, and local music will entertain us. Please patronize the cash bar to thank The Press Room for hosting this event.

More Info

• Slow Food Seacoast
• U.S. Terra Madre Network
• The Press Room

Are you going to be around the Seacoast this holiday weekend? If so, you will have lots of ways to make it “slow” while being outside and enjoying the sunny fall days!

Saturday, 10/09

• 3rd Annual NH Fall Festival & 21st Annual WHEB Chili Cook-Off at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, NH
• Portsmouth Farmers’ Market
• Newmarket Farmers’ Market (closing day)

Sunday, 10/10

• Brookford Farm Quark Festival & barn movie in Rollinsford,  NH
• Other 10/10/10 (Global Environmental Action Day) events, searchable by ZIP code
• Newburyport Farmers’ Market

Monday

• 3rd Annual Fall Eco-Fest at Clay Hill Farm in Ogunquit, ME

All weekend

Search the online database of Seacoast Harvest: A Local Food Guide for a farm near you for

• pick-your-own apples
• pick-your-own pumpkins

Have a wonderful weekend!

Photo: Chefs Collaborative

This September, Slow Food Seacoast is planning an exciting and elegant educational component to the Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) Heirloom Harvest Barn Dinner to demonstrate what RAFT really means and why it’s an important initiative. Our hope is that diners will take away from this fabulous fine-dining experience a full tummy, a contented smile, and an appreciation of not only what RAFT is but also what it means.

The goal is to bring each diner’s attention back from the plate to the chefs in the kitchen, to the farmers in the field, and to those who have come before as a way of connecting the dining experience to the significance of the “at-risk” produce varieties featured in the RAFT Alliance and, hence, on the Barn Dinner menu.

Diners approaching the barn at Meadow’s Mirth/Berry Hill Farm for the 4 pm cocktail hour will be greeted by tables displaying the very RAFT varieties that will grace their dinner plates an hour later. They can learn where those produce were grown and by whom, why those produce are historically interesting or significant, and who will be preparing that food for the dinner. RAFT seeds also will be available as give-aways to attendees, who can learn how to save the seeds from one year’s harvest for the next year’s planting—which is not only a frugal practice but also an essential step in preserving the best heirloom varieties.

In the barn, displays will illustrate the many connections underlying the dinner. They will feature photos of the 2010 RAFT Grow-Out farmers, chefs, and produce varieties, accompanied by relevant quotes (from farmers and chefs) as well as descriptions and the significance (historical, agricultural, and gastronomical) of the varieties to us New Englanders. In other words, why have people in New England bothered to save these seeds, grow these crops, eat these foods … then start the process all over again for generations? And in this so-called modern age, why should we continue to do so?

Slow Food Seacoast and co-organizers of the Heirloom Harvest Barn Dinner are excited to collaborate on this project and look forward to making the event successful in so many ways! Visit the Heirloom Harvest Barn Dinner page for event details and purchase your tickets.

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?)

This is tug-o-war!

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.

All aflutter at Yellow House Farm, Barrington, NH

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