Keepin' It Local Market is OPEN!

We are open!!!

We currently have our farm raised meats, raw honey, bee pollen, maple syrup and gluten free granola.

We are also scouting for more local products to sell in our store. If anyone knows a farmer or friend that makes or grows local products we'd love to meet and talk with you! We are hoping to stick with a healthier more organic base of products, but are considering conventional products as well. Please email, call or stop by!

Also we are curious which local foods and farms you already buy from to give us an idea of what products to carry. We'd love to make your commute shorter and help you still eat that great farm fresh food!

Hope to see you soon!
Cheers,
Jesika & Bobby

hunkydunkfarm@gmail.com
603-401-2844
284 First Nh Turnpike Northwood

Deerfield Winter Market meets

The Deerfield Winter Market begins Sunday, November 17 at the Old Town Hall, 1:00 to 4:00 pm.  

More winter markets

Seacoast Eat Local announces their winter markets.

Join us along with old friends and family to feast your eyes on delicious root vegetables, crisp leafy greens, meats, cheeses, milk, tea and beer, baked goods and canned foods. All from over 60 vendors throughout the season! While you are there, be entertained by local musicians and learn new cooking skills at our demos. Kids won't feel left out either, with a variety of fun activities to keep them engaged and learning about local foods and farming. Don't forget to help keep fresh local food on the tables of those in need as well. We will have food donation tables at our markets helping a variety of food pantries throughout the season.

Nottingham Winter Market starting next weekend

Last market of the 2013 summer season!

A drizzly day for the last market of this year's summer season.  Red Manse was there for CSA pickup and the Root Seller had a wide variety of products: maple syrup and sugar, dried beans, eggs, potatoes and fresh pulled carrots by the bucket load!  What a great year it has been!  We've met a lot of new people, did some presentations on healthy cooking and eating, and as always, got to see old friends and meet new ones.  

See you in the spring!  Have a great winter and don't forget to check here for news of winter markets in the area.  

Farmers Market Studies Released in New Hampshire

 We think it is fair to say that people are well pleased by their farmers markets.

In the survey of farmers market patrons, researchers found that the majority of customers spend between $26-50 per market visit, 77 percent travel fewer than 10 miles to their farmers market, and 46 percent shop at their local farmers market once per week.  

You might even say we love them.

Extended season for some of our vendors

Be sure to check the Market on Thursdays through October, some of our vendors plan to be there.  Expect shorter hours due to earlier sunsets.

Fine Tuning Your Marketing - Merchandising Skills and Safe Food Handling

Now is the time of year for growers and producers selling at summer farmers market to catch their breath or get ready for the winter farmers market season. Whether you are thinking of evaluating your last season market display to make changes and get new ideas for future markets, you will want to attend the “Selling Successfully at Farmers Markets” workshops. The same workshops will be offered at the UNH Cooperative Extension offices in two different locations. Feel free to attend either Thursday, October 17 at the Carroll County Extension office in Conway, NH or Thursday,  October 24 at the Merrimack County Extension office in Boscawen. Workshops will be from 6-8 pm.  And the following topics will be covered:  Fine Tuning Your Marketing Skills & Merchandising” presented by Nada Haddad; and Safe Food Handling presented by Ann Hamilton and Deb Maes. The presentations will be by Food and Agriculture Field Specialists with UNH Extension. There is no cost to attend but pre-registration is highly recommended as space is limited. Contact Nada.HaddadATUNH.edu or 603 -679-5616.

UNH Extension thanks the following agencies and organizations for their support: NH Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food, NH Farmers Market Association, USDA and the Northeast Center for Risk  Management Education.

UNH Cooperative Extension provides New Hampshire citizens with research-based education and information, enhancing their ability to make informed decisions that strengthen youth, families and communities, sustain natural resources, and improve the economy. Visit extension.unh.edu.

Dairy Day: September 12, 2013 at the Market

REMINDER!
Northwood Farmers Market Presents
Dairy Day with Local Goat and Cow Producers
Thursday,  Sept. 12, 3:00-6:30 pm
Want to know where to get and how to use local dairy products?  Curious about goats milk soaps and cheeses, raw milk, organic daily products?  Join us.

Red Manse Farm OPEN HOUSE this weekend!

Greetings from Red Manse Farm!

We will be hosting our first ever open house next weekend, September 7 & 8, 9:00-5:00. Please join us for a short 1/4 mile walk through our fields, where you will see our certified organic vegetable crops, orchard, and shiitake mushroom production, and the start of a large expansion to our maple sap house. Some of Our Place Farm's livestock will be seen on summer pasture on our land, and they will be on hand with their meats and a few kid-friendly animals and to share their farm practices.

CSA members can elect to pick your share for the week at the farm during the open house.  If you would like to do so,
please tell us no later than one day before your regular pick up day.

Hope to see you there!

Earl & Alice Tuson
Red Manse Farm
5 Pittsfield Road
Loudon Center, NH 03307
(603)-435-9943

Food Day, October 24th, 2013

From the University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute:

Food Day is a new, national, annual celebration on October 24th created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest to increase awareness and action for a more sustainable food future. Communities across the nation will be hosting Food Day events and activities to support Food Day’s six commitments:

Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness

Expand access to food and alleviate hunger

Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms

Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids

Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

Like them on Facebook!

It's APPLE SEASON!

It's apple season and apples are everywhere at the market.  Come enjoy everything from drops for cooking to special varieties that taste great right then and there!

Purslane Potato Salad

Susan Comte of The Root Seller had samples of this potato salad at the market today and it was yummy.  Here's her recipe:

1 lb. potatoes
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp mustard
1 lemon juiced and zested
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 cup purslane
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup calamata olives without pits
1 tsp mint
1 tsp oregano

A big thank you!

Thank you, Meg McGoldrick and Linda Smith, for your demonstrations and information on canning and dehydrating the harvest.  Come February, it's wonderful to taste the summer bounty again.

Are You a Farmer or Rancher in One of These States?

Connecticut
Delaware
Hawaii
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Utah
Vermont
West Virginia
Wyoming


If so, you are eligible to receive a 2013 organic certification cost share reimbursement!

REMINDER! Canning and preserving the harvest at the market

REMINDER!
Northwood Farmers Market Presents
Canning and Preserving the Harvest
Thursday,  August 22, 3:00-6:30 pm
What do I do with all this produce?  Learn how to preserve food that is tasty and nutritious. Linda Smith will demonstrate the basics of canning and Meg McGoldrick will share how to make dried fruits and vegetables.

It's FAIR season!

The NH fair season begins!  Here's a listing of all the fairs.

Wheat berry and Bean Salad

Ingredients:
Salad:
1 cup dry wheat berries, cooked and drained
2 cups/500 ml cooked navy beans (or beans of choice)
1 English cucumber, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 large tomato, diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fresh parsley, diced with large stems removed
4 green onions, diced
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing ingredients:
2-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, to taste
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp hot mustard
1 tsp tamari
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Rinse the wheat berries and place in medium sized pot, covered in 3 inches of water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and simmer for one hour. Drain and cool.
In a large bowl, mix together the diced vegetables.  Add in cooked and drained navy beans (or other bean of choice) and stir.
In a small bowl whisk together the dressing ingredients.  Set aside.
When the wheat berries are ready, drain and rinse and then stir into the salad.  Add the dressing just before serving and stir well.  If desired, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Garnish with additional parsley.

Adapted from Alive Magazine

Tempeh (Faux Chicken) Salad - with Basil

Ingredients:
1-2 tbsps olive oil
1 (8 oz) package tempeh
1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1/4-1/2 cup vegan mayo (like Veganaise)
1/2 cup finely sliced green onions
2 heaping tbsps chopped parsley (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

Directions:
Cut tempeh into small bite-sized squares.  Saute the tempeh in the oil in a wok or heavy skillet until it turns golden, about 5 minutes...be patient, you want it golden.  Turn off the heat and stir in the tamari to coat the tempeh evenly.  Place the tempeh in a bowl and add the chopped vegetables and the mayo and mix well.  This is delicious as a salad on a bed of lettuce or as a sandwich filling.

Adapted from The Chicago Diner Cookbook

Vegan gluten free zucchini bread recipe from Hippie Cakes

Ingredients:
2 cups grated fresh zucchini
1 cup organic applesauce
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup white sorghum flour
1 cup gluten free all purpose flour
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp xanthan gum

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large mixing bowl, combine zucchini, applesauce, sugar, oil, vanilla and apple cider vinegar
Sprinkle in dry ingredients over the top
Whisk dry ingredients first, then incorporate wet ingredients
Pour batter into lightly greased loaf pan
Bake for 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes, remove to cooling rack and allow to cool completely before serving.

Check out pictures from our vegetarian cooking and gluten-free baking event!

Hippie Cakes shares samples and recipes for gluten-free baking

Sandra Koski makes music for us

Susty's Restaurant shares easy vegetarian meals and of course you can taste-test!

Reminder: Thursday is another healthy food preparation event.

This one is Easy Vegetarian Cooking and Gluten-Free Baking.  Join Norma Koski of Susty's Vegetarian Restaurant for easy vegetarian meal ideas and samples. And visit Jennifer Ouellet at Hippie Cakes for gluten free recipes and more samples!  Thanks to Capital Area Wellness Coalition for funding these great events at our market!

FDA TO HOLD PUBLIC INPUT SESSION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE ON PROPOSED FOOD SAFETY RULES

Go tell the FDA that some of these new rules discriminate against small farms!

The event will be hosted by the New Hampshire and Vermont Departments of Agriculture on Tuesday, August 20, 2013 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the Hopkins Center on the campus of Dartmouth College in Hanover.  The session will specifically focus on FDA’s proposed rules for implementing the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), a 2011 law revamping food safety laws to increase the safety of our food supply.  Small farmers across New Hampshire and New England could be substantially impacted by these regulatory overhauls.

Coming to the market from Sanborn Mills Farm this Thursday!

Bean Day at the Market!

Don't forget that Thursday is Bean Day at the Market. Sue and Dan Comte of The Root Seller, an organic farm in Nottingham NH, will offer their recipes and samples of bean dishes made from their 12 varieties of dried beans.

New Vendors at the Market in July

We welcomed three new vendors to our market last Thursday:

• Chickadee Haven Farm 
• Cracked An Egg Farm
• The Farmhouse Bakery

Please welcome them when you see them!

Healthy Food Preparation Events at the Market!

The Northwood Farmers Market and the Capital Area Wellness Coalition present a series of healthy food preparation events at the Market!

*****************************

July 25: Cooking with Healthy Locally-Grown Beans

Aug. 8: Easy 

Vegetarian Cooking and Gluten-Free Baking

Aug 22: Canning and Preserving the Harvest 

Sept 12: Dairy Day with Local 

Goat and Cow Producers

***************************

Music by Sandra Koski at all events

All dates are Thursday afternoons from 3:00 to 6:30 pm

Thanks to the Capital Area Wellness Coalition for funding for these programs.

July 11th Market Preview

What will you find at tomorrow's market (rain or shine!)? ... Peter and Dina Bock will have - Mulberrries, scapes, sweet green peppers, basil, parsley, cilantro, baby chard, flowers and possibly some snap peas ...yummm!

Wild Blueberries available in Alton

Looking for wild blueberries this summer?  While they won't be at the market, Taylor-Brown Wild Blueberry Company has fresh quarts and fresh or frozen 10 pounders to be picked up upon order. Please call (603) 776-0432 to place an order. Their website says they will be offering fresh-frozen 5, 10, and 20lb boxes.
Note: They are NOT a PYO (Pick Your Own) farm. Please call ahead to reserve your order and to check availability, as they do not have regular retail hours. Due to a variety of factors, they do NOT ship.
(Note: your blogger is just getting to the end of our 20 lbs of frozen berries from last summer.  Good timing and still tasting great!)

4th of July is a Holiday for the Market

The Northwood Farmers Market will not meet on July 4th.  Enjoy your holiday and EAT LOCAL!

Honey!

One of the most sought after items at the market is local honey.  So we were delighted to see a table full from Hunky Dunk farms yesterday!

New produce vendor from Alton Bay

We welcome Precious Gardens from Alton Bay to the market.  When your blogger asked Steve Bell, the owner, if she could take his picture, he asked if I really wanted a picture of a grumpy old man.  He told me that his nickname was "Grumpy."  So here's Grumpy!  He's seemed quite pleasant to me.

Market News from Evandale Farm

Evandale Farm is a small-scale, permaculture-inspired farm in Pittsfield, NH. We grow field and forest-raised pork that are fed organic grain and a variety of other nutritious foods. We also raise certified organic pastured chicken. This year, we'll have a selection of vegetables and fruits at market. You can learn more about us on our website.

This week at market:

Bacon
Sausage
Pork Chops
Roasts
Southern Style Ribs
Spare Ribs
Fresh Ham Steaks

Tomorrow is the first day of summer!

Tomorrow is the summer solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the year, and the Farmers Market is into full swing!  Here's what your blogger came home with!

Strawberries from Montminy's; crabapple jelly from Sherri Brown; Thai rolls from Susty's; chocolate cupcakes from Hippie Cakes; really new potatoes, dug today, and maple sugar from The Root Seller. Good eating ahead.

Red Manse Farm is back for the summer season.  We have several locally raised meat sellers from Hunky Dunk Farm and Evandale Farm, Susty's provides the vegan and vegetarian prepared food, Sherri Brown of Northwood has jams and jellies.  Great to see the corner of Rt. 4 and 202/9 bustling with tents and customers.  Come visit!

Deerfield Farmers Market opens Friday, June 14!

Enjoy the Grand Opening for the 2013 summer season!! Visit us June 14 at our new location - Old Town Hall - 10 Church Street from 3:30pm - 6:30pm!

Meet the new vendors and say Hi to the vendors that have been with us for years. The Traveling Barnyard and The Balloon Guy will be there for the kids. Come see the animals and get a free balloon!  Lots of local goodies!

The market is shaping up!

The market is shaping up nicely as we move into summer.  We have a couple of new vendors, the Bock Family Farm from Nottingham will have lots of fruits and vegetables all summer (mulberries, anyone?) and The Farm Spa (doesn't that sound lovely) has some great soaps with oatmeal to clean the soil off our hands, along with other products.  Old favorites are joining us as well, Montminy's, The Root Seller, Folsom's Maple, the cheese guy (my dogs love his cheesy dog biscuits!).

See you every Thursday from 3:00 to 6:30 pm!

Market is shaping up

Bock Family Farm

Don't plant too early!

This is a story from Maryland, yes, that state well south of us, about how climate change is making our weather more unpredictable.  Killing frosts in MD are very unusually this late in May.

First market

The first market was rainy.  However, there were some vendors who were celebrating some rain, and some determined customers.  Here's what this customer bought (along with maple sugar from Dan Comte).

Market time!

Yahoo !!!   It's market time again !

Northwood's 1st market will be this Thursday - May 9th   3:00pm - 6:30pm.

See you there!

Nottingham Farmers Market Opens June 2nd!

Looking forward to our Opening Day on Sunday, June 2nd! Below is a list of vendors who will join us this season:

The Root Seller (produce and maple)
Saddleback Mountain Farm (organic produce)
Our Place Farm (pasture-raised beef)
Nielson Road Farm (organic produce)
Montminy's Farm (produce and eggs)
Cracked an Egg Farm (eggs, poultry, meat)
Elderberry Acres (produce, honey, and jams)
Henwyn Farm (pasture-raised pork)
Stage Road Gardens (plants, cut flowers, fruit)
Solidago Farm (wool and fiber goods-special events only)

Berry Bogg Farm Plant Sale

Berry Bogg Farm is selling fruit bushes this coming weekend!

Don't miss our annual plant sale of two year old blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and peach trees which will take place this year on May 4 and May 5 from 9am to 2pm. We also plan on having a limited number of beautiful hanging annual plants and potted herbs just in time for Mother's Day. 

Get ready for the market opening!

Yes, it's that time again!  Winter is over and the Northwood Farmers Market will be opening on Thursday, May 9th from 3:00-6:30 pm!  We're looking forward to seeing you there!

It's maple syrup season!

This coming weekend is the 17th Annual NH Maple Weekend, so be sure to look around and find your local maple syrup producers.  Don't forget Northwood's Sugarmomma! There's a list here of the many maple producers around the state.

Other local producers are:

Comte Family Farm/Root Seller
Dan Comte
13 Nielson Road
Nottingham, NH
603-942-1297
e-mail:comte.danATgmail.com

Folsom's Sugar House Brian & Sue Folsom 130 Candia Rd., Chester, NH 03036 603-887-3672 Visit our website

Setting the table

Your blogger was looking for more information about a bill introduced by Martha Fuller Clark in the NH Senate this session to establish a Granite State Farm to Plate program, and came upon this great article from last summer.

It starts like this:

Our nation is in the midst of the most widespread and devastating drought it has experienced in 70 years. So far in 2012, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated some 1,369 counties across 31 states as disaster areas.
The majority of those states are in the South, West and Midwest; the Northeast has mostly been spared of the ruin. But, since more than 90 percent of the food we eat in New Hampshire is produced in other states—including grain to feed our livestock—the drought is still taking a huge toll on our food supply.
“Basically, half the country has declared disaster, including large swaths of the grain-producing regions. That’s a major concern for New Hampshire farmers and New Hampshire eaters,” said agriculture commissioner Lorraine Stuart Merrill.

Read the rest while you're looking at your seed catalogues.

Update: and here's some information from the Vermont Farm to Plate program.

Granite State Future Outreach Event

Want to talk about what you want to see in NH's future? Here's the place this Saturday.
SRPC Granite State Future Wentworth Greenhouse Farmer's Market Outreach Event
Sat, January 26, 10am – 2pm
Wentworth Greenhouse, 141 Rollins Road, Rollinsford, NH

Master Plan: Agriculture and Related Issues

The Northwood Planning Board invites you to discuss Agriculture and Related Issues at its January 10 work session at the Community Center on Main Street at 6:30 pm. The board decided to address agriculture in more depth since it has received some input on agriculture from its visioning sessions and the community survey responses as part of its Master Plan Update review. The public is encouraged to attend to listen, provide input, and take part in the discussion.

The board’s Master Plan Update work session schedule has been revised as follows:

Economic Development, Income & Employment will be discussed on March 14, 2013 (no change)

Transportation will be discussed on April 11, 2013

Population and Housing will be discussed on May 9, 2013.

Master plan discussions begin at 6:30 pm.