May 31, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

“Choosing & Preparing Spring Greens”
Monday June 8
Attrezzi, 78 Market St., Portsmouth
7:00-9:00pm

Not sure what to do with deep leafy green vegetables such as arugula, chard, and kale?
Come and learn some easy and delicious ways to select and prepare deep rich greens both raw and cooked.  Nothing could be healthier!

Come hungry and try raw kale salad, arugula pesto, green quiches, some simple homemade dressings to top off your greens and more!  You’ll learn about some local and organic farming practices, and what questions to ask farmers so you know what you’re getting.

The perfect cooking class for members of local CSA farms -  CSA shares typically include a generous amount of greens for salads and cooking – like kale, Swiss chard, beet greens, mustard greens, bok choi, arugula, etc.  This class will help prepare CSA families for the harvest season, with great recipes, storage tips, and food preservation ideas!Instructors:   Tracey Miller is a certified health & wellness counselor from Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She helps individuals and families eat healthier through personal coaching, nutrition education and cooking classes.

Kate Donald is an organic vegetable farmer, and advocate for local, sustainable agriculture.  She works with Seacoast Eat Local to help consumers connect with local farmers and locally produced foods.

Fee:  $40.  Includes a full meal of greens, handouts, reference materials, local sources

RSVP to tosbornemiller@yahoo.com, 603-380-1080 or katedonaldnh@gmail.com, 603-580-5364

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May 30, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

The premier issue of edible White Mountains (a quarterly publication for the whole state of NH) is now available! Editor KC Wright distributed copies at the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market and it is beautiful and full of stories about the people who grow and produce food in New Hampshire.

You can now subscribe online, $28/year

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May 30, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

There was so much demand for the last cheesemaking class in Exeter that they’ve added another! There are still spots available:

Home Cheesemaking: Ricotta & Mozzarella

Learn to make your own unprocessed, local cheese right at home. Through a lecture and hands-on demonstrations, this introduction to home cheesemaking will get you started on making ricotta and mozzarella, and may include yogurt and goat cheese if time allows. Basic equipment and procedures will be covered. This one-night workshop by Debra Kam and Lenore Smith will be held on Monday, June 1, from 6–9 p.m. Course fee is $30. Supplies included. 

To register, call Joyce at the adult ed office at 775-8457 or stop by the office 8:30 AM -3:00 PM M-F at 30 Linden Street (old Exeter High School), entrance D, room 137.

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May 25, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

NH Farm to School has just posted 4 new Spring Vegetable Fact Sheets on the “Resources” page of their website:  www.nhfarmtoschool.org

Each fact sheet includes seasonal availability info, recipes, cooking and storage tips, and fun facts about vegetables currently in season in New Hampshire. (.pdfs)

 Asparagus

 Rhubarb

 Spinach

 Lettuce / Salad Greens

Looking for asparagus and other spring vegetables? Search Seacoast Harvest >

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May 24, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

The latest edition of Renaissance, the New Hampshire Center for a Food Secure Future’s newsletter is now available and features an article on an initiative we hope you will all get involved in - the Giving Gardens Network. This initiative is just getting off the ground, but will work to help connect gardeners and farmers with food pantries. 

To read the spring newsletter, please go to http://www.nhcfsf.org/docs/newsletters/NHCFSF11.pdf. 

To subscribe to the newsletter, or to unsubscribe, please go to: http://www.nhcfsf.org/contact.html.

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May 23, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

From Rye Eats Local:

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May 17, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

They’re not the most frequent updaters (which is good, because they are busy growing food!) but there are quite a few Seacoast area farms that have blogs, giving us a look into their farming practices, the process of growing food, what’s coming into season, events and special sales.

Here are some of the ones I know about - if you know of others, please share in the comments!

Berrybogg Farm

Heron Pond Farm

Two Toad Farm

Meadow’s Mirth Farm

Sugarmomma’s Maple Farm

Warren Farm (including asparagus availability updates!)

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May 10, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

Canned food — an often needed timesaver, a sometimes necessity, and most of the time a complete mystery in terms of where these foods were grown.

The Global Grocer from Food and Water Watch is a tool that aims to help us demystify where those apples for that apple juice were grown before they were packaged at the address listed on the label. The tool also covers frozen foods and fresh. Some of the information is somewhat benign, such as potatoes. But those apples for that apple juice? Grown in China, a country that we know has significantly different agricultural practices that result in more contaminants in our food.

I’m going to use this tool to help me focus my shopping when I need to rely on non-local foods, and as inspiration to do more of my own canning and freezing at home!  Visit the Global Grocer >

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May 8, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

I’ve been enjoying reading all about Amy of the What Did She Do Today? blog’s adventures in getting started in ducks.

Duck and Goose School at Yellow House Farm

Making the Duck house

Which Ducks to Get?

Getting the Ducks

First Duck Egg (with info about a goat husbandry class scheduled for May 17 at Jenness Farm!)

Thank you Amy, for sharing the nitty gritty details with us - seeing someone else go through the steps makes me think about the details, but it also makes me think about just how doable it is!

Posted in learning, grow your own | Print | 1 Comment »

May 7, 2009 by Audrey.

Looking for organic plants and herbs for your garden this year?

Please stop by the Pilgrim Church on Saturday, May 23^rd from 9 am to 12 noon for Certified Organic vegetable seedlings, including 16 varieties of tomatoes. To pre-order seedlings, download and print the pre-order instructions, plant selection and order form and mail the order form in with your payment. Pre-order deadline is May 16^th, more plants available day of sale.   To insure you are able to purchase the heirloom or particular plant you would like, make sure you pre-order.  The plants sell quickly.  

The Pilgrim Church is located on Middle Rd., Route 111A, at Haigh Rd. in Brentwood. 

For more information and pre-ordering forms click HERE.

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