February 7, 2010 by Debra.

The York County Farmers Network is resuming their monthly winter breakfast meetings at a new location:

York County Farmers’ Network 

Breakfast Meeting 

The Hayloft Restaurant

124 Post Rd., Rt. 1, Wells, Maine

Tuesday, February 9, 8:00 AM

The York County Farmer’s’ Network will restart the monthly winter breakfast meetings (At a New Location). The meetings were well attended and a wonderful farmer-to-farmer networking opportunity when held the past two years. The purpose of these meetings is mainly to socialize, enjoy breakfast together, informally share ideas and discuss what we want to see happen with the York County Farmers’ Network activities in 2010.

This year we will be meeting and eating at The Hayloft Restaurant, it is reasonably priced, the food is good and they have a separate area where they can accommodate our group.

For more information: www.ycfn.org

Questions: Please contact Frank Wertheim at 207-324-2814 or frankw@umext.maine.edu

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February 6, 2010 by Debra.

The proposed National Animal Identification System (NAIS) which many farmers objected to has been abandoned. Officials state that it would be left to the states to devise their own system. New federal rules are to be developed but would apply only to animals being moved in interstate commerce:

U.S.D.A. Plans to Drop Program to Trace Livestock

Faced with stiff resistance from ranchers and farmers, the Obama administration has decided to scrap a national program intended to help authorities quickly identify and track livestock in the event of an animal disease outbreak.

In abandoning the program, called the National Animal Identification System, officials said they would start over in trying to devise a livestock tracing program that could win widespread support from the industry.

The agriculture secretary, Tom Vilsack, will announce the changes on Friday, according to officials at the Agriculture Department, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision had not yet been made public.

The officials said that it would be left to the states to devise many aspects of a new system, including requirements for identifying livestock.

New federal rules will be developed but the officials said they would apply only to animals being moved in interstate commerce, such as cattle raised in one state being transported to a slaughterhouse in another state.

It could take two years or more to create new federal rules, the officials said, and it was not clear how far the government would go to restrict the movement of livestock between states if the animals did not meet basic traceability standards.

To read entire article >

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February 6, 2010 by Amy.

The menu is posted on the website www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner . If you have local food available at medium-to large quantity, please contact Amy Winans at amy.winans@unh.edu. For everyone else, join us!-do you dare? 

Enjoy Some Sinful Indulgence at the UNH Gourmet Dinner March 5 and 6 

DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire will serve up seven courses of sinful indulgence at two gourmet dinners in March.   Organized by the hospitality management students at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics, “Sinful Indulgence” gourmet dinners will be held Friday, March 5, and Saturday, March 6, 2010, at Stillings, 20 Ballard Drive, Durham, NH, beginning with a cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres at 6 o’clock and dinner to follow.
The concept of the dinner revolves around the Seven Cardinal Sins. Each course will include locally produced foods and represent each of the sins. The menu will be paired with elegant décor that will transform Stillings into an atmosphere where guests will experience the seven indulgences representing greed, lust, wrath, gluttony, pride, sloth, and envy.
“This event challenges the students of UNH’s Advanced Food and Beverage Operations Management class to design, organize, and direct two gourmet dinners for approximately 200 guests per night. The event prepares students for what to expect in the world of hospitality management beyond the college classroom, and it provides hands-on management experience from the beginning to end of formal event planning,” said Bridget McCartney, marketing manager for Sinful Indulgence. Students have six weeks to plan and execute the dinner, and take on real-world executive management positions in the process, including general manager, chief financial officer, front of the house manager, executive chef, human resource director, and director of marketing.  

Tickets for Sinful Indulgence are $50 per person and may be purchased online at http://www.wsbe.unh.edu/gourmetdinner.  

The UNH Department of Hospitality Management combines business fundamentals as well as classes geared toward the service industry sector. Hands-on education proves to be a strong and integral part of the experiential and academic curriculum. The department also offers the first-ever EcoGastronomy Program, which integrates UNH’s strengths in sustainable agriculture, hospitality management, and nutrition to offer a unique academic program emphasizing the interdisciplinary, international, and experiential knowledge that connects all three fields.  

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state’s flagship public institution, enrolling more than 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students. 

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February 6, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

From the good folks at ATTRA:

Take Action on Food Safety Legislation
While we all cheer this Administration’s emerging emphasis on local and regional food production, let s not forget that the Food Safety Modernization Act (S 510) now on its way to the Senate floor could erect a formidable barrier to those markets for many small and moderate sized farms. The Act would considerably ramp up FDA regulation on farms that even minimally process their crops and sell them to restaurants, food coops, groceries, schools or to wholesale markets. One of the best ideas for improving this legislation has been introduced by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The Stabenow Amendment is called the Growing Safe Food Act (S. 2758) and it would create a national food safety training and technical assistance program. If you value safe, local, and healthy food, please call your Senators and encourage them to co-sponsor the Growing Safe Food Act.
Related ATTRA Publication:   Food Safety Act Background and Resources

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February 6, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

Great news! Sandwich Creamery and NH Cider Works have signed up for the markets, starting Feb 13. Sandwich Creamery will be bringing their fantastic cow milk cheeses, and NH Cider Works will have apples! We’re at the new Exeter High School from 10am-2pm on the 13th, and the market is overflowing with farmers and fishermen. Check out the full list of vendors >

We’re still hoping that Silvery Moon Creamery will be able to attend as well. A recent change in the management at Smiling Hill Farm (where the creamery is hosted) has caused a lot of changes, including lack of support for selling at farmers’ markets. If you would like to express your desire to see Silvery Moon Creamery continue to come to the markets, you can email info@smilinghill.com

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February 4, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

From their website:

Mark Your Calenders

We have set the date of our annual open house, March 27th and 28th are our 2010 dates. More details will come soon we are still planning. We will begin tapping within the next two weeks and are presently freezing in the woods. We look forward to seeing you soon.

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February 3, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

Some great (informative!) fun to be had this Saturday, 9:30-2  in Fremont.

Ellis School Go Green, Go Healthy Fair
Saturday, February 6, 2010 9:30 am – 2:00 pm Ellis School 432 Main Street Freemont, NH 03044
Please join us for this fun and rejuvenating day while learning how to save money, green your life and enhance your health and well being.

We are excited to welcome the following local businesses:
•    Flatbread Pizza •    Happy Fleece •    Hannaford Grocery Store •    Stoneyfield Yogurt •    Seacoast Hospice •    Energy Audits Unlimited •    Red Worms, Green Earth •    Whole Life Health Care •    and many, many more!

This free, family-friendly event will also include massage, chiropractic care, natural cleaning ideas, nutrition ideas, energy conservation tools, stress reduction services, face painting, and healthy food samples.

spread the word!.pdf

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February 3, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

We’re  very excited to see Sharon Astyk as the keynote speaker at this year’s NOFA-NH conference!

Winter Conference “A Place at the Table”
NOFA NH
Saturday, March 6, 8am - 5:30pm
Rundlett Middle School, Concord

The Winter Conference is the premiere gathering of New Hampshire’s organic food and agriculture community: farmers, gardeners, localvores, educators, and consumers joining together. This year our keynote speaker Sharon Astyk, will speak to us on “…central issues of our century. Coming to the table together is going to be the great challenge of our times, and it is the one I care most deeply about.”

Please join us for over 40 workshops, including some led by teens and programs for Youth and Children. This year herbalists from the NH Herbal Network will be leading several of the sessions. Plan on strolling through the popular Green Market Fair where vendors and a farmers’ market offer all things green and organic. nofanh.org/winterConference

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February 2, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

A note from Meadow’s Mirth Farm with details of their unique, very flexible CSA:

Josh and Jean at Meadow’s Mirth have been growing organic produce and selling at the farmers’ markets since 2004.  We are now accepting new members for our 2010 Community Suported Agriculture (CSA) program.  Buying
 a
 farm 
share
 is
 a
 sustainable 
way
 to
 help 
farmers 
with
 early 
season
 start‐up
 costs,
 and
 secures 
a 
market
 for
 farmers’ fresh 
produce.  By joining our CSA, you, the 

shareholder,
 benefit
 by 
getting
 a 
discount
 on
 our
 wide variety of products offered at the farmers’ market,
 and 
free
 choice
 as 
to
 what
 you
 want
 in
 each
 pickup.   You take
 as 
much 
or
 as
 little
 as 
you
 need 
for
 the 
week and it gets deducted from your balance.

  This 
amounts 
to 
less
 food
 waste,
 and 
more
 of
 what 
you 
enjoy.

  Pickups will be at one our farmers’ markets.  You 
can
 choose
 
location
 that
 works 
for 
you,
 and 
not 
worry
 about
 having 
to 
bring
 cash 
to
 the 
market 
for
 your
 veggies.

  Plus 
if
 there 
is 
something
 you 
need 
that 
we
 don’t
 provide 
(eggs,
 dairy, 
etc) 
you 
can 
purchase 
it
 from
 one 
of 
the 
other 
market
 vendors for one stop shopping at the farmers’ market.

  If
 you
 need
 to 
skip 
a 
week
 or two, 
there is
 no 
need 
to
 call.

 We
 will
 keep
 track 
of
 your
 balance 
and  periodically
 notify 
you
 so
 you
 can 
plan
 accordingly.

  Pickups are at Durham, Amesbury, Exeter, and Portsmouth markets in the summer, and Rollinsford and Exeter in the winter.   For more information check out our website or come see us at the Seacoast Eat Local winter markets.

  Download and read the .pdf for the nitty gritties

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February 2, 2010 by Sara Zoe.

Congratulations to the organizers and host of Concord’s new winter farmers’ market on the beautiful, welcoming market with lots of great food they hosted this past Saturday. Upcoming markets are scheduled for February 27th and March 27th (also dates of Seacoast Eat Local markets on the Seacoast, so people in multiple parts of the state can have very local food!)

Here’s a great write-up on that market, and you can become a fan on Facebook!

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