March 30, 2010 by Heather.

The New Hampshire Cheesemakers Guild is hosting a tasting event for local chefs, retailers, and distributors to come taste our local cheese. The event will take place from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 13, 2010, at the Common Man restaurant, 25 Water Street, Concord. The event is geared to help chefs, retailers, and distributors learn about our local cow and goat cheeses as well as to allow them to meet the artisans who make the cheese. The event is expected to highlight more than 20 different cheeses from 8-10 cheesemakers.

The event is made possible by the NH Cheesemakers Guild in conjunction with Granite State Dairy Promotion and the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food.

If you have any questions for would like to RSVP for the event, please contact Gail McWilliam Jellie at gmcwilliam@agr.state.nh.us or 603.271.3788.

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March 30, 2010 by Heather.

It’s been a hard few years for everyone. For our dairy farmers, hard is an understatement. This is from a recent article by Alexis Macarchuk for Seacoast Online:

Six of the state’s 130 dairy farms — some of which were in business for generations — closed last year. Many New England dairy farmers make less than what it costs to run their farms, forcing them to choose between long-term debt and slaughtering their cows.

“It’s been really horrific,” said Lorraine Merrill, the New Hampshire commissioner of Agriculture Markets and Food, after addressing attendees at Thursday’s annual New England Leadership Conference on conservation issues.

 At that conference,  Merrill gave a presentation about a new program, started by all six of the New England states’ departments of agriculture, Keep Local Farms. This program is an effort to support dairy farms, through monetary donations, consumer education, and milk and dairy product promotion. According to the article, “ultimately, Merrill would like to see reform on a national level that would stabilize milk prices.” But Merrill said, “Farmers are working to give up their money. It’s almost like they’re the ones subsidizing the consumers and the grocery stores, and that needs to stop.”

According to the Support Local Farms website, there are several things you can do to support your local dairy farms.

1. Buy milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy products at the store.  If you can, purchase dairy products that are made locally in our region.
2. Contribute as generously as you can to the Keep Local Farms program.  One hundred percent of your contribution will go directly to assist New England dairy farmers and help stabilize and enhance their income despite fluctuations in milk prices.  
3. Support the businesses and organizations that display the Keep Local Farms logo. 

Many of our dairy farmers’ milk goes to the Hood plant in Concord or to Cabot. So if you’re buying a gallon of Hood milk and a package of Cabot cheddar, then you’re helping a little to support our local farmers.

Please read the full article. And visit the Keep Local Farms website.

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March 30, 2010 by Heather.

Greenfield Apple Box, in Greenfield, NH, is constructing apple boxes out of local on-site custom sawn lumber made from New England white pine. The sturdy boxes are good for apple storage and are great for displaying produce at farm stands and farmers’ markets. They produce a couple different sizes and are priced from $7 to $8, a price which drops with quantities of 20 or more. All sizes nest together for portability and easy storage.

Visit their website to learn more about this great local product.  

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