Via Nada Haddad, Extension Educator, Agricultural Resources, University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension:

Growing Your Farm Markets and Profits: Alternatives to Cash Payments

Who should attend this workshop? Growers selling at summer or winter farmers markets, farm stands, PYO operations, or selling through Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs); market coordinators and volunteers; and anyone exploring alternatives to cash payments. Besides growing your farm markets and profits using alternative to cash payments, you will also make food accessible to low-income families and increase nutrition for the well-being of individuals and families.

Sponsored by UNH Cooperative Extension, Rockingham County, the workshop will be held on Thursday March 18, from 3:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., at the Rockingham County Nursing Home Auditorium in Brentwood.  The workshop will cover alternatives to cash at farmers’ markets and farmstands. The alternatives include Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) coupons; (WIC and Senior) coupons;  Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food stamps/EBT cards; as well as debit and credit cards.

Speakers:

• Laurie Desmarais (Vendor Manager, Nutrition and Health Promotion Section, NH Department of Health & Human Services)
• Peter Conti (Assistant Director, Field Operations, USDA Food & Nutrition Service, Northeast Region)
• Diane Souther (Grower, Apple Hill Farm, Concord, NH)
• Amy Miller (Farmers Market Coordinator, Lebanon, NH)
• Joel Breton (President, MJM, Associates Merchant Service, Hooksett, NH)
• Nada Haddad (Agriculture Extension Educator, UNH Cooperative Extension, Rockingham County)

No cost; registration is required. Email Deb Stevens or Nada Haddad or call 603-679-5616.

Photo credit: Culinary Delights Farm

From Local Harvest, just in time for CSA/CSF Day at the Wentworth Greenhouses Winter Farmers’ Market in Rollinsford this Saturday, 2/27 (and 12+ other CSA fairs around the region on Sunday, 2/28), comes an informative article entitled How to Choose a CSA.

More resources:

List of all Seacoast Eat Local Winter Farmers’ Markets: http://www.seacoasteatlocal.org/winterfarmersmarkets/index.html

Slow Food Seacoast blog post on local 2010 CSA fairs, Feb. 27 and 28: http://www.slowfoodseacoast.org/category/blog/2010/02/csa-csf-days-for-2010/

Read the full story on the Seacoast Eat Local blog.

Summer CSA harvest

Seacoast Eat Local is sponsoring yet another great event to connect consumers and food producers in the Seacoast! They’ve planned a community-supported agriculture (CSA) and community-supported fisheries (CSF) event to coincide with the Winter Farmers’ Market to be held at Wentworth Greenhouses (141 Rollins Rd, Rollinsford, NH—a mile past Red’s Shoe Barn on Broadway in Dover), on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 10 am to 2 pm. (Similar events will take place at 12 locations in Maine and in Newburyport, Mass., on Sunday, Feb. 28.)

If you’ve ever wanted to know more about CSA and CSF, keep reading … then attend the event that’s local to you. Learn, ask questions, meet 15 participating farms and fisheries, make connections, and maybe sign up for your own 2010 share.

Learn more: Download the Choosing a CSA flyer (PDF) from Seacoast Eat Local.

Learn more: Read a comprehensive list of CSA farms in Rockingham, Strafford, and York Counties in Seacoast Harvest: A Local Food Guide.

Learn more: Get dates, times, and directions for all of the Seacoast Eat Local Winter Farmers’ Markets.

From a Seacoast Eat Local press release:

Seacoast CSA + CSF Day Coming to Winter Farmers’ Market

Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a partnership between consumers and farmers in which members buy shares of the farm’s harvest and receive regular allotments of food throughout the growing season. For farmers, this provides much needed cash flow for the beginning of the season, as well as a ready market and community of supporters. Shareholders join in the risks of the growing season but reap the benefits of the harvest.

Community Supported Fisheries, or CSFs (modeled after CSAs), are a way to buy seafood directly from fishermen and support our local fisheries by purchasing seasonal shares.

Each CSA and CSF has its own pricing structure and distribution schedule, and some farms have work requirements. Signups for CSA and CSF shares often begin in February by directly contacting the farm or sponsoring fishery.

Participating Farms & Fisheries:

Brookford Farm
Connolly’s Organics
Eastman’s Local Catch
Farmer Dave’s CSA
Heron Pond Farm
Meadow’s Mirth
New Roots Farm
Riverside Farm
Riverslea Farm
Stone Wall Farm / Osprey Cove Organic Farm
Touching Earth Farm
Two Toad Farm
Wake Robin Farm
Willow Pond Community Farm
Wolf Pine Farm CSA

Take a virtual tour of a Seacoast Winter Farmers’ Market in this story from Seacoast Online!

For some of us, the farmers’ market is the social event of the week … or fortnight, or month, as the case may be. So come to EXETER tomorrow (2/13) and ROLLINSFORD in 2 weeks  (2/27—also community-supported agriculture [CSA] day at the market) to get your goodies! See the full market calendar on the Seacoast Eat Local website.

Other markets will be held next Saturday (2/20) in RYE (info on Local Harvest) and NEWMARKET (info on Local Harvest).

See you at the market!

On February 5, the New York Times reported that the USDA was scrapping the National Animal Identification Program (NAIS), “a national program intended to help authorities quickly identify and track livestock in the event of an animal disease outbreak” that has been in the news for at least 4 years. This much-maligned proposal treated all levels of producers similarly, from Big Ag’s concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to homesteaders raising meat for their families. As proposed, NAIS raised serious questions, including confidentiality and privacy, but the biggest concern was the high cost and low feasibility of implementation for producers smaller than factory size, because they would have to tag and track every animal owned. Many small producers effectively would have been put out of business, thereby removing an important link in the local market chain that allows us all access to good, clean, and fair food.

Secretary of Agrigulture Tom Vilsack made the announcement while the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published a factsheet explaining plans to create the Animal Disease Traceability Framework. In this FAQ, the USDA admits that “the vast majority of participants were highly critical” of NAIS and promises to include “representatives from States, Tribal Nations, industry groups, local farms, organic farmers, and underserved communities” in the new effort. What’s more, it promises to allow “maximum flexibility” and to “reduce the burden on producers.”

Of course the reality remains to be seen, but for now, saying “no” to NAIS is a victory for small farmers, because “producers who raise animals and move them within a State, Tribal Nation, or to local markets, as well as to feed themselves, their families, and their neighbors are not part of USDA’s framework’s scope and focus.” Thanks to all the people who signed petitions, wrote to lawmakers, and generally made noise about NAIS—and hoorah for all of our local livestock farmers!

Via Streetsblog Capitol Hill (with thanks to Joy!):

A new budget proposal is aimed at developing new food outlets in urban neighborhoods that policymakers call “food deserts”: White House Pitches $400M for Healthier Neighborhood Food Outlets

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”

The New England Marketplace at One Washington Center in Dover, N.H. is seeking artisans and specialty food producers throughout New England with products for purchase to participate in a Specialty Food and Artisan Marketplace being organized in the upcoming months.
 
“We noticed a demand for specialty food producers and artisan to have an outlet to display their wares”, says Bonnie McLoud the marketplace organizer and part owner of Crazy Camel Dessert Hummus. “There are so many wonderful products hand produced in New England that do not have always have a channel to market their goods.  Many small business owners of this type do not have typical bricks and mortar storefront and we thought that this would be a great venue to offer to artisan and specialty food producers.”
 
In partnership with Washington Street Mills at One Washington Center in Dover, The New England Marketplace will offer three different event dates in the upcoming months.  The events will be held inside on the first floor of the Picker building. Vendors can attend all three event dates or choose from one of the dates based on their schedule.
 
Also organizing the event is Sheila Speckin and Kim Knight of Maine Buck Nuts. “The Picker Building is a great space to hold this type of event.  It has great windows with views of the river and there is room for 40 vendors. We want the event to be a feel good event.  Great products that make you feel good from gourmet packaged foods to a one of kind artisan works.”
 
The New England Marketplace event dates are slated for the last Saturday of the month from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. February 27th, March 27th and April 24th        
 
There will be music performed on acoustic guitar from 12:00 p.m. 3:00 p.m. by Barry Arvin Young of Buxton, Maine.
 
Specialty Food Producers and Artisans interested in participating or who would like more information can contact Bonnie or Sheila. Bonnie McLoud 603-502-0434 Email: Bonniemcloud@comcast.net or Sheila Speckin 207 423-2854 Email Sheila@mainebucknuts.com.

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.