July 19, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

Late Blight, a very very serious plant disease (cause of the Irish Potato Famine serious) that doesn’t usually appear until later in the summer if at all, has been confirmed in several places in New Hampshire and Maine. Unfortunately, there are no easy “cures” for this plant disease, but home gardeners alongside farmers can help stave off the spread and respond to instances. The photos links to at the bottom are especially helpful!

UNH Cooperative Extension  has put together excellent resources for diagnosing late blight and then formulating a plan of action if you do discover late blight:

Premature arrival, probably on infected tomato seedlings
“Late blight usually doesn’t strike the Northeast until August,” says Extension Plant Health Specialist Cheryl Smith. “Rainy, overcast weather has provided very favorable conditions for development and spread of the disease.”

“Some large, nationwide retail stores have apparently sold infected tomato seedlings. If you bought tomato seedlings at one of these stores, check your plants and keep on checking,” Smith says.

Symptoms
“Classic symptoms include large, irregularly-shaped, water-soaked, olive-green-to-brown spots on leaves. Under wet or very humid conditions, a slightly fuzzy, white fungal growth may be visible on the underside of the leaf,” says Smith.” “Leaf lesions begin as tiny, irregularly-shaped dark green or brown spots. Brown to blackish irregular lesions also develop on upper stems. Firm, brown spots develop on tomato fruit, and infected fruit often looks bumpy”.

Advice to home gardeners
“The late blight fungus produces many spores, which can travel long distances through the air. It’s crucial that everyone who grows potatoes or tomatoes, including home gardeners, is monitoring for late blight to avoid being a source of spores that move on to infect potatoes and tomatoes in neighboring gardens and commercial fields.

“There’s no need to take action if your plants show no signs of infection,” Smith says. But she urges home gardeners to heed this advice:

• Thoroughly inspect potato and tomato plantings on a daily basis, because late blight moves fast and can be difficult to control once established in a planting.
• Fungicides containing the active ingredient chlorothalonil are fairly effective in protecting plants from infection. Although copper fungicides are an option for organic gardeners, copper is not highly effective. Gardeners don’t have access to fungicides effective for controlling the disease once plants are infected.
• Don’t attempt to treat infected plants with fungicides, even those labeled for late blight. Fungicides available to home gardeners can’t cure plants that are already infected.
• If you see signs of infection, pull all infected plants from the ground, bag them up, and dispose of the bags in the trash. Do not put them in the compost or in a refuse heap.
• Put a few samples (include several stems plus leaves and/or fruit) into a plastic bag and bring it to your County Extension office, but don’t wait for confirmation to pull out the infected plants.
• Don’t touch healthy plants after handling infected plants until you’ve scrubbed your hands with soap and water thoroughly.

Guidance for commercial growers Detailed information for commercial growers, who have access to methods and materials for controlling late-blight infected plantings not available to home gardeners.

Cornell University’s late-blight photo gallery

Late blight/early blight photos Photos compare late blight with early blight.

An article on blight from the New York Times explains a bit more:

A highly contagious fungus that destroys tomato plants has quickly spread to nearly every state in the Northeast and the mid-Atlantic, and the weather over the next week may determine whether the outbreak abates or whether tomato crops are ruined, according to federal and state agriculture officials.

The spores of the fungus, called late blight, are often present in the soil, and small outbreaks are not uncommon in August and September. But the cool, wet weather in June and the aggressively infectious nature of the pathogen have combined to produce what Martin A. Draper, a senior plant pathologist at the United States Department of Agriculture, described as an “explosive” rate of infection.

William Fry, a professor of plant pathology at Cornell, said, “I’ve never seen this on such a wide scale.”

A strain of the fungus was responsible for the Irish potato famine of the mid-19th century. The current outbreak is believed to have spread from plants in garden stores to backyard gardens and commercial fields. If it continues, there could be widespread destruction of tomato crops, especially organic ones, and higher prices at the market.

read the full article >

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July 19, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

The Washington Post had an interesting piece that served to underscore for me the importance of being able to know the people growing the food I eat and eating more whole, unprocessed  foods as labels never tell the full story: Integrity of Federal ‘Organic’ Label Questioned

Three years ago, U.S. Department of Agriculture employees determined that synthetic additives in organic baby formula violated federal standards and should be banned from a product carrying the federal organic label. Today the same additives, purported to boost brainpower and vision, can be found in 90 percent of organic baby formula.

The government’s turnaround, from prohibition to permission, came after a USDA program manager was lobbied by the formula makers and overruled her staff. That decision and others by a handful of USDA employees, along with an advisory board’s approval of a growing list of non-organic ingredients, have helped numerous companies win a coveted green-and-white “USDA Organic” seal on an array of products.

Grated organic cheese, for example, contains wood starch to prevent clumping. Organic beer can be made from non-organic hops. Organic mock duck contains a synthetic ingredient that gives it an authentic, stringy texture.

Relaxation of the federal standards, and an explosion of consumer demand, have helped push the organics market into a $23 billion-a-year business, the fastest growing segment of the food industry. Half of the country’s adults say they buy organic food often or sometimes, according to a survey last year by the Harvard School of Public Health.

But the USDA program’s shortcomings mean that consumers, who at times must pay twice as much for organic products, are not always getting what they expect: foods without pesticides and other chemicals, produced in a way that is gentle to the environment.

read the full article >

Rachel Forrest interviewed Carla Snow about her new book out with Blue Tree Press called Wine & Dine With New Hampshire, featuring New Hampshire wines and paired recipes from area chefs.

Carla Snow, New Hampshire’s first female certified specialist of wine, did tons of research to present seven New Hampshire wineries paired with recipes from local chefs. Add to that some gorgeous photography from Brian Smestad and the book is not just a reference for N.H. wines, but a coffee table book to savor — while sipping some great N.H. wine of course.

read the full article >

Also from Rachel Forrest, her Top Ten Reasons to visit the new Rye Farmers’ Market (including fish, chicken, and cheese!) read the article >

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July 18, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

the website is started, there’s a facebook page, planning is in advanced detailed stages for a most exciting event, the Natural Heritage and Agricultural Fair to be held September 12 at Warren Farm in Barrington. Mark your calendar and bookmark the website for more updates soon!

Natural Heritage and Agricultural Fair

When: Saturday, September 12, 2009

Location: Warren Farm, Barrington NH

Time: 10 am - 4 pm

What to expect:

• Farmer’s Market with lots of great, fresh, local food!
• Crafts and Specialty items made by local artisans
• Education and Information about Agriculture, Sustainability and Living Local and option round table discussions
• Animals accompanied by their owners who can answer questions about the purpose each animal serves on the farm as well as in our healthy local diets.
• Fun Field Games for the Kids, Musicians, yummy local food cooked up fresh, re-inactors in authentic garb, Old Fashioned Storytelling

Directions:
Two miles west of the Lee traffic circle off Route 4. From Lee Circle (where Rt 4 and Rt 125 intersect) head west on Rt 4 for 2 miles. Warren Road is on the right hand side. The farm is down Warren Road 1/3 rd mile.

Contact for questions, or to be a vendor: nh.ag.fair@live.com, or call Jessica at 603.335.2605

There will be more information and updates on who will be there, as well as, a little about their farms, crafts, businesses, or talents in the coming weeks. This is an event you must mark on your calendars now though! Please spread the word -  You can also join the Facebook group!

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July 17, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

Woody Tasch on “Slow Money,” at RiverRun Bookstore on Aug. 11 at 7 p.m.

Woody Tasch, author of “Slow Money: Investing as If Food, Farms and Fertility Mattered” will be speaking at RiverRun Bookstore on Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 7 p.m., as part of Seacoast Local’s “Making the Connection” speaker series, co-produced with RiverRun Bookstore.

“Think about it: A hundred thousand Americans providing millions of dollars a year for investment in local food systems. Is it typical philanthropy? No. Is it investing as we’ve come to know it? No. Is it achievable?  Yes.”

So says Woody Tasch, who works at the intersection of venture capital and slow money. He is chairman emeritus of Investors’ Circle, a nonprofit network of angel investors, venture capitalists, foundations, and family offices that, since 1992, has facilitated the flow of $130 million to 200 early-stage companies and venture funds dedicated to sustainability. Now, he is president of the newly formed NGO Slow Money. As part of the larger Slow Movement sweeping the cultures of food, travel, cities, and schools, Slow Money proponents seek investments and returns at the pace of sustainable business development. Click here for more information about his new book, “Slow Money,” and plan to join us on Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 7 p.m.

Seacoast Local and RiverRun Bookstore present the “Making the Connection” as a catalyst for continuing education, community connections, and sustainable change for Seacoast residents.

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July 16, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

Seaport Fish’s most recent email newsletter provides some insight into clams:

Where have all the clams gone? Red Tide Closes Maine Coast to Clam Harvesting   The Maine Department of Marine Resources has announced the closure of most of the clam flats from Kittery to Canada.  This closure also affects mussels and oysters harvested from Maine waters.  With native steamers being so hard to come by it has driven up prices in restaurants and retail stores for their Canadian replacements.   This outbreak is caused by an explosion of naturally-occurring plankton, Alexandrium fundyense, the toxin becomes concentrated in filter-feeding bivalves.  This bloom of red tide is one of the worst seen in years.  A period of rain followed by sunny weather is often associated with these outbreaks.  It will take several weeks of flushing with clean water before these shellfish are safe to eat.  Cooking does not destroy the toxin.  In humans the effected shellfish will cause poisoning that immediately affects the nervous system and can cause muscular paralysis as well as respiratory difficulties. Now the good news:   Lobster, crabs, shrimp and fish are not effected by red tide are always safe to eat.  We are able to get great steamers, mussels and oysters from Canada to our customers.   There are very strict guidelines regarding testing of affected areas to ensure no shellfish that carries the toxin ever enters the market.  Each area must test 100% free of the toxin before any harvesting is allowed. So you can safely eat all the beautiful fish and shellfish that we offer everyday at Seaport!  Can’t wait to see you here.

And there is plenty of delicious local groundfish to be had. Seaport Fish sells locally caught, locally landed, locally filleted (in short: the fish stayed here and didn’t do any travelling, making it the freshest, most local fish available) fish at its Rye and Dover stores as well as at the Rye Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays. Make sure to visit www.seaportfish.com to sign up for their timely and informative email newsletters.

Eastman’s Fish does the same thing (locally caught, landed, filleted) and offers both a CSF and fish for sale at Emery Farm in Durham on Wednesdays, the Exeter Farmers’ Market on Thursdays, and the Rye Farmers’ Market on Wednesdays. Joining the CSF (pay up front and pick up your fish every week for 6 weeks or more) makes sure you get fish every week, and you get the freshest fish at the best price. Or, you can take your chances and see what they have available for sale if you are looking for choice. Last night I got some very delicious Monkfish caught by Carolyn’s husband.  For more information on the CSF,  call Carolyn Eastman at 760-7422.

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July 14, 2009 by Debra.

The season for fresh peas is all too brief and easily missed. It seems fewer farmers are growing them, and their appearance at the farmers’ market is often eclipsed by the increasing variety of other offerings there. Still, a few hold-outs persist (thank-you Meadow’s Mirth and Wild Root), and the welcome change in weather means fresh peas should be available for the next few weeks or so.

When peas do appear locally, I make sure I buy enough to put away for winter. They’re a great entry-level vegetable if you’re just learning to stock up.

Freezing Peas:

1. Blanch shelled peas in boiling water for 1 minute. This fixes their color and sweetness, and they will start to float when ready to remove.
2. Chill immediately in cold water, then drain. Do not let them sit in water too long or texture will be affected.
3. Package and freeze. Peas may be flash-frozen on trays before packaging to keep them from freezing to one another.

After they’re poached and chilled, I reserve enough for a simple dinner of fresh peas and crab. A slaw-like salad made with kohlrabi, and a side dish of roasted beets, both from this week’s CSA share, rounds out another locally-sourced meal. I imagine that native shrimp instead of crab would also work well with these flavors. 

Fresh Pea & Crab Salad:

• 1 1/2 cups shelled peas, poached
• 6 to 8 ounces fresh cooked Maine crabmeat
• 1 scallion, minced
• several sprigs of mint leaves, chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•  juice from 1/2 lemon

Combine ingredients, and adjust amounts and seasoning to taste. 

Notes: Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman. Freezing instructions adapted from “Keeping the Harvest” by Nancy Chioffi & Gretchen Mead. Tuttles and Riverside Farm Stand may still have fresh peas, and can be found along with other local sources at Seacoast Harvest.

Posted in Market Notes, author: Debra, putting food by | Print | 3 Comments »

July 12, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

I am going to be counting rows of corn (when it arrives with our late summer) after reading the Fun Facts section of the corn info sheet - apparently it always has an even number of rows!

In addition to fun facts, each sheet has tips for storage, cooking, and preserving the vegetables, along with a couple recipes and nutrition information. From the New Hampshire Farm to School Program. 

(.pdfs)

Corn

Cherry Tomatoes

Summer Squash

Cucumbers

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July 11, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

Seedling Café to Kick off the 2009 NH Growers’ Dinner Series

Dinner to feature local organic farm products

Chef Josh Enright and his wife, Danielle, members of The New Hampshire Farm to Restaurant Connection, are planning an exciting dinner on Saturday, July 25, 2009 at The Seedling Café, 9 Water Street, Nashua, New Hampshire. Working with New Hampshire’s Red Manse Farm, Middle Branch Farm and the Vegetable Ranch, Chef Enright promises the freshest and highest quality, seasonal ingredients in this multi-course dinner, which will also highlight local cheeses, wines, beers and baked goods.

Since opening The Seedling Cafe four years ago, Chef Enright and Danielle have supported local farmers and food producers by serving local and organic seasonal produce. The food is grown close to the restaurant, providing diners with highest quality, fresh ingredients.  This local sourcing helps sustain New Hampshire farms, preserves its rural heritage and supports the local economy.

The five course dinner gets underway in the Seedling Café’s new dining room at 6 pm at a cost of $45 per person. Call the café at (603) 594-4000 for dinner details and reservations. Visit their web site at www.theseedlingcafe.com.  For information about the NH Farm to Restaurant Connection, contact Gail McWilliam Jellie at the NH Dept of Agriculture, Markets and Food at: 603 271 3788, gmcwilliam@agr.state.nh.us or visit www.nhfarmtorestaurant.com.

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July 10, 2009 by Sara Zoe.

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July 9, 2009 by Audrey.

PIZZA KIT CLASS w/ CHEF
TED McCORMACK – July 24th
5:30-8pm
Sign-up Deadline: July 15
Come enjoy a hands-on fun learning
experience with Ted and others
from our farm community. Make
and eat pizzas with fresh, local
tomatoes, basil, oregano, and other
in-season vegetables. Use mozzarella
and a sampling of other local cheeses
and sausages. Learn to make your
own dough. Enjoy the taste of fresh,
local, and homemade together with us.

Email Ted at crazylucie@msn.net

12 person limit/$25.00 per class

Posted in author: Audrey, events | Print | No Comments »