June 1, 2010 by Debra.

“Who knew pests could be so riveting?”

Last week’s class with Eric Sideman from MOFGA was a terrific opportunity to hear him engage a wide-ranging audience of people growing food on the Seacoast — home and community gardeners, master gardeners and program students, and apprentice and working farmers were all included. For those who missed it, Eric has generously agreed to do a second class on June 10th. It’s free and open to the public, RSVP requested by emailing debra@seacoasteatlocal.org. More details available below:

Your Organic Vegetable Garden: Managing Pests & Diseases

Speaker: Eric Sideman, Organic Crop Specialist, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA)

Place: Portsmouth Public Library – Levenson Room, 175 Parrott Ave, Portsmouth, NH

Date: Thursday, June 10, 2010, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Many home and community gardeners have taken up growing vegetables in recent years as another way of eating locally. This rewarding pursuit comes with its own set of challenges — those vegetables we find so delicious can be equally attractive to a range of insects and host disease. This presentation will cover the identification of pests and diseases common to growing vegetables. Organic methods of prevention and management will be also discussed, with a special focus on identifying and preventing Late Blight.

Some of you may already know Eric Sideman through his informative Pest Reports for MOFGA. Eric earned a BS in agriculture from Cornell University, an MS in biology from Northeastern University and a PhD in Botany from the University of New Hampshire. He moved to Maine in 1982 to teach biology and ecology at Bates College. In 1986 he moved on to MOFGA to become what some call “the nation’s first Organic Extension Agent.” He provides technical support for farmers and gardeners, serves as staff scientist for MOFGA, plans and produces educational events for MOFGA and Cooperative Extension, and serves on various agricultural committees for the Maine Department of Agriculture and the University of Maine. From 1997 to 2002 Eric served a term on the National Organic Standards Board, an advisory board to the USDA National Organic Program. Eric has recently moved to New Hampshire, just over the border from Maine, and now MOFGA has a great opportunity to give support to farmers and gardeners a long way from Unity.

This event is free and open to the public. It is being offered as a collaboration between MOFGA, Seacoast Eat Local, and Seacoast Community Garden Network.

To RSVP or for more information, please email debra@seacoasteatlocal.org.

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

June 1, 2010 by Debra.

A new report from the NH Department of Agriculture takes a look at the economic impact of New Hamsphire’s food system, how it compares to neighboring states, and identifies possible areas of future growth. Via Seacoastonline.com:

CONCORD, N.H.— New Hampshire farms are less productive and profitable than those in Maine or Vermont but do a good job selling directly to an affluent, engaged population, according to a new report.

With interest in local food rising, the state Department of Agriculture had researchers at the University of New Hampshire analyze the economic impact of the New Hampshire food system, which includes about 81,000 people in farming, manufacturing, distribution or retail jobs.

Those four sectors of the food system account for 15 percent of the state’s nongovernment workers and together contribute 5.7 percent of the state’s economy, the report found.

The report cites several strengths and opportunities, including a wealthy population with a strong interest in the “buy local” movement. Residents generally are interested in preserving open space, and institutions such as hospitals and hotels show strong interest in supporting local food, researchers said.

New Hampshire farmers also are much more likely than farmers elsewhere to sell food directly to consumers at farm stands, farmers markets or “pick your own” operations. That direct marketing accounts for 12 percent of New Hampshire’s farm food sales, compared to just half a percent nationally, 3 percent in Maine and 4 percent in Vermont.

The flip side to those statistics, however, is that New Hampshire farms are less likely to have contracts with stores or restaurants that would bring in more money.

In 2007, only 30 percent of New Hampshire farms had positive net income, much lower than the U.S. average of 47 percent. Forty percent of Maine farms and 44 percent in Vermont turned a profit that year. New Hampshire’s economy would get a $70 million boost if its farms performed as well as Vermont’s, researchers said.

The report also analyzed local food production as a percentage of total food demand and found that just 6 percent of New Hampshire’s population could be supported by its current level of food production, compared to close to 40 percent in Maine and Vermont.

It recommended the state create a New Hampshire food council to establish a target for local food production and create partnerships among farms, manufacturers and retailers. And it listed more than a dozen activities that could increase local food production, including creating a business incubator to help new entrepreneurs in agriculture and food manufacturing and linking farms to hospitals, large employers and schools.

The report also recommends extending both the geographic scope and season of farmers markets, most of which run from June to September, and focusing on heirloom crops or high-margin specialty fruits and vegetables.

In Warner, Larry Pletcher of Vegetable Ranch already has implemented many of the recommendations and has seen them pay off. He said his organic vegetable were once a tough sell but now he has trouble keeping up with the demand. He supplies produce to several natural food markets, community-supported agriculture programs that run in both winter and summer and the Concord farmers market. He also is looking into supplying restaurants and schools.

Maine and Vermont have a much stronger agricultural infrastructure, he said, acknowledging that he gets many of his seeds, fertilizer and compost from those two states. But he also doesn’t face as much competition in New Hampshire and has managed to thrive.

“I sort of feel like I’m in the perfect situation. I’ve been here for a long time. We’re growing produce in a pocket where not that many people are growing produce where there’s a huge demand,” he said. “It’s good for us, but it is a difficulty for new people to get into it.”

Posted in author: Debra, eating locally in the media | Print | No Comments »