April 25, 2011 by Sara Zoe.

Stout Oak Farm, an organic vegetable farm in Epping, NH, will have seedlings available by order. They have an amazing variety of tomatoes and peppers, as well as herbs and eggplant. Orders are due May 10th for pick up in late May:

This Spring we are offering organic seedlings for your vegetable garden - 20 varieties of tomatoes, plus peppers, eggplant, and culinary herbs. To see our full list of seedling varieties and downloadable order form, click here (.pdf).  The deadline for pre-orders is May 10th. Plants will be ready for pick-up at the farm in late May.  Get your orders in soon to ensure that we have the varieties you’re looking for!

We are especially excited to be offering a few Italian heirloom tomato varieties that are traditionally used for drying. We are growing these from seed brought back from Italy by our friend Debra. These tomatoes can be sun-dried, dehydrated, or hung to dry on the plants at the end of the season. They bear small, relative low-moisture fruit, which makes them particularly suitable for drying. They can also be eaten fresh! Here are the three we’re offering as seedlings this year:  Principe Borghese (small red plum), Inverno a Grappoli (”winter grape”), and a yellow variety from Puglia called Ponderosa sel Oro.

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April 14, 2011 by Sara Zoe.

From the NH Commercial Fishermen’s Association:

Calling all NH Lobster Fishermen and friends - In Conjunction with the NH Fish & Game Department, the NH Commercial Fishermen’s Association will conduct the Annual Trap Clean-up, Saturday, April 23, 2011

If you hold a NH Lobster trap license of any kind please do your part to attend and participate in our industry responsibility to keep the NH coast clean.

Please meet Rye or Hampton Harbor at 8am

Bring gloves, a sharp knife, helpers and friends as the more that show up the quicker the job is accomplished. It really is a good time, very rewarding, and a collective effort.

Any questions, contact:

NH Fish & Game: 868-1095

Erik Anderson – 431-1779 or 234-7038

Jim Willwerth– 765-5008

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April 5, 2011 by Sara Zoe.

Willow Pond Community Farm, a 4 acre certified organic vegetable CSA in Brentwood, NH is seeking one motivated and hard-working individual to work on the farm this season. The worker or intern will participate in all aspects of organic vegetable growing. Work will include: planting, weeding, irrigating, harvesting, washing and distributing vegetables to members of the farm. There will be many opportunities to learn about organic soil fertility management, pest and disease control, cropping patterns, etc. Pre-requisites for the position include: a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, the ability to lift 50lbs, and the ability to work outside in all weather conditions. We are looking for someone who is able to work approximately 25 hours per week from May-August or September. For more information please contact Maggie Donovan at willowpondfarmer@gmail.com or go to our website at www.willowpondfarm.org.

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March 25, 2011 by Sara Zoe.

From Catnip Acres Herb Farm:

HELP WANTED: Seasonal/part-time
SELLING PLANTS AT FARMER’S MARKETS
7 Portsmouth markets on Saturdays 7am-1pm 5/7-6/18, possibly more if it goes well.
6 Exeter markets on Thursdays 2pm-6pm 5/5-6/9.

Must be honest, dependable, on time, able to work in all weather, cold/heat/rain etc. The market goes on unless there’s a hurricane! Must also be strong enough to put up an e-z up tent, must be good with people, have a positive, cheerful, helpful attitude. Experience in retail sales, and/or knowledge of herb and vegetable plants and organic gardening a plus but not necessary.

Pay is: $50 per Saturday Portsmouth Market, $35 per Thursday Exeter Market
pay may be negotiably higher if one were willing to take partial payment in farm products. (seedlings, p.y.o raspberries, basil, tomatoes, etc.)

If interested please email Wende at tomandnip@yahoo.com with your choice of interview day and time. Brief 1/2 hour interviews will be held in the next few upcoming weeks at the farm on 107 High Rd. Epping, NH Available interview times: tues., weds.,thurs.,sats. march 22,23,24,26…29,30,31,april 2… april 5,6,7,9.
times: 10am, 10:30, 11, 11:30, 12, 12:30, 1:00.

directions to the farm and a list of the plants grown can be seen on  fledgling website: http://catnipacresherbfarm.wordpress.com

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March 24, 2011 by Sara Zoe.

    York County Farmers’ Network (www.YCFN.org) is hosting a Food Safety for Small Farmers class on Tuesday, March 29 at the Anderson Learning Center on Bradeen St in Springvale, Maine.  This class is part of the monthly pot luck supper series and begins at 5:30 pm.  Bring a dish for the pot-luck, and your own plate, cup, and silverware (to avoid using disposable supplies).   The instructional portion of the evening begins at 6:30 if you would like to attend the class only.  This event is free to the public, but a small donation to YCFN is greatly appreciated.  This class is taught by Cheryl Wixson, the Organic Marketing Consultant for MOFGA.

Cheryl Wixson grew up on a dairy farm in Winslow, Maine. She is a third generation graduate of the University of Maine, and is the University’s first woman agricultural engineer.  In 1999, Wixson built a state-of-the art kitchen and educational facility dedicated to teaching people the joys and benefits of healthy eating and cooking utilizing Maine products while supporting a sustainable environment.  Cheryl is a food columnist for the Bangor Daily News, consults with restaurants from Maine to California, develops recipes for food manufacturers and hosted two Maine Public Television series, the latest being What’s for Suppah?.  She has studied food science and human nutrition at the University of Maine, is a master composter, and teaches kindergarten children that food comes from farms.

The York County Farmers’ Network was formed in 2003 to encourage the growth and viability of farm-based businesses in York County, Maine. We invite all types of commercial farms to be members of our organization: small or large, full or part-time, organic or non-organic, crops or livestock.

YCFN meetings throughout the year encourage networking among farmers and sharing of successful practices as well as lessons learned. The organization also aims to serve as a resource to the community by connecting individuals to our members through our “Find a Farm” search feature on the www.YCFN.org website.

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March 18, 2011 by Sara Zoe.

Beginning in June, the NH Farm Museum will offer weekly shares of fresh, organically-grown produce to participants in its new Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.  The CSA will help support the museum’s farm-based educational programming while offering members access to a variety of locally-grown vegetables and herbs.

Members of a CSA purchase shares of a farm’s harvest before the season starts so that the farm has cash to buy seed and equipment for growing.   In return, CSA members receive the freshest possible produce through out the growing season (roughly June through October.)  With the NH Farm Museum’s CSA, participants will additionally receive a museum membership which includes free admission to the museum as well as free or discounted admission to a number of special events that occur throughout the year.

Kathleen A. Shea, the Director of the  NH Farm Museum, plans to offer a variety of produce through the CSA: “In the spring you will enjoy plenty of greens, radishes, and possibly peas — shell and snap,” said Shea. “Warmer months will bring on carrots and beets, beans, squash and cucumbers, new potatoes, corn, garlic and onions, peppers and tomatoes. In the fall you will see most of these items plus storage crops like potatoes, turnips, winter squash, and onions.”

This year, the museum is offering 25 shares at the cost of $500 per share, which works out to about $25 per week for a quantity vegetables that would feed a family of four.   Shares may be split with friends and CSA members can pick up their shares at the Museum Country Store on Wednesdays 10 am-6 pm or at the Wakefield Marketplace or the Museum Store on Saturdays 10 am-3 pm.  A share is payable in two payments:  $200 deposit by March 30th and final payment of $300 by May 15th.

By becoming a member in the NH Farm Museum’s CSA, members would be taking an active role in supporting the museum’s farm-based educational programs. Furthermore, they would also be keeping their food dollars in the local economy, and reducing the amount of fuel used to ship food across the country to their table.

The NH Farm Museum has initiated the process to be certified organic.  Farmer, Kirk Russell, uses no synthetic fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides as well as no genetically modified seeds. Russell focuses considerable time and attention on soil improvement and brings years of organic farming experience to the NH Farm Museum.

To find out more about the NH Farm Museum CSA, call or email the museum at:

1305 White Mountain Highway
Route 125 / PO Box 644 Milton, NH 03851
603-652-7840
http://www.farmmuseum.org/
info@farmmuseum.org

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March 16, 2011 by Sara Zoe.

Fruit Trees and Small Fruit
Sunday, March 20th 11am-12pm

Free seminar with Julie.  Julie has been growing and professionally pruning fruit trees for many years.  She is an avid gardening and loves to share her knowledge.  Learn basic care and pruning techniques to get the best fruit production from your plants.  If you have any questions Julie will be able to help you out.

SCALE CLINIC
Tuesday, March 22nd 3pm-5:30pm

The NH Division of Weights & Measures will be holding six scale inspection stations for anyone who grows & sells their own agricultural products and use a scale/s commercially at Farmers’ Markets or at a Farm Stand.  The inspection & certification is free to growers who have three or fewer scales under 100 lb. capacity and no other commercial devices.  In addition to the inspection, Weights & Measures Staff will also be available to answer questions with regard to method of sale, taking a tare and applying for a license.  Please call our office at 603-271-2894 if you have any questions.

Kids’ Class - Square Foot Gardening for the Family
Sunday, March 27th 1pm-2pm

Bring the whole family to learn about the Square Foot Gardening method.  SFG is a great family activity and an easy way to grow vegetables!  The kids will learn a little about gardening and then plan out their own garden design.  We will finish class with a fun label making craft.
Class size is limited.  Please call or email to register.

Wentworth Greenhouses
141 Rollins Road
Rollinsford, New Hampshire 03860
www.wentworthgreenhouses.com
603-743-4919

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March 13, 2011 by Sara Zoe.

While the Chez Boucher crew takes a trip to France, Chef Ted McCormack has been invited to be guest chef for Friday night Bistro on April 8th and 15th.

The return of the Localvore Dinners will be community seating and pre-paid by reservation only for four courses at $45/pp. Dinners start at 6:30pm at Chez Bouchon in Hampton. Sign up through Chez Boucher, visit www.chezboucher.com or call 603 926-2202.

Chez Bouchon Bistro Menu Friday April 8^th

Soup: Smuttynose Porter Onion Soup with Boggy Meadow Farm Baby Swiss Cheese

Salad: Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with Heart Song Farm Goat Cheese

Entrees to choose from:

Riverslea Farm Lamb Pot au Feu

Sole Francaise

Vegetable Moussaka 

Dessert: Espresso Pots de Crème

Chez Bouchon Bistro  Menu Friday April 15^th

Soup: Baby Shrimp Bisque

Salad: Roasted Pear and blue cheese Salad

Entrees to choose from: 

Blueberry au poivre Velvet Pastures Elk Medallions

Ratatouille Tarte

Scallops in Riesling

Dessert: Ouefs a la neige – Floating Islands of Meringues in Crème Anglaise 

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March 3, 2011 by Sara Zoe.

Just a reminder that you can subscribe to this blog by email. You’ll receive no more than one email a day and if we don’t post that particular day, no email at all!

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March 3, 2011 by Sara Zoe.

IPM Update, Corn Heat, & Winter Greens
Twilight Farmers Meeting at Farmer Dave’s in Dracut MA

Time: Monday, March 14, 2011, 3:30 pm to 7:00pm

Location: Farmstand and greenhouses at Brox Farm, 1276 Broadway Road (Rte 113), Dracut, MA 01826-2813

Hosted by Dave Dumaresq

Sponsored by UMass Extension Vegetable Program

Join us for our first 2011 vegetable twilight meeting, hosted by Dave Dumaresq of Farmer Dave’s farm. Dave farms about 90 acres of vegetables and about 18,000 ft of heated greenhouse space, at three different locations including Bronx Farm in Dracut, MA. Dave uses greenhouses to grow flowers, winter and spring greens, greenhouse tomatoes, and vegetable transplants. Dave sells through two farm stands, several farmers markets, a summer CSA with many pickup locations, and some wholesale. Recently he has started selling through winter farmers markets and both winter and early spring CSA’s.

The full program will include:
•    Pre-season IPM update & weather monitoring information. Dave will describe innovative IPM techniques that he uses with assistance from crop consultant Jim Mussoni. Ruth Hazzard will introduce a new UMass Extension project that will offer basic and advanced training in specific IPM tactics, and Jon Clements will talk about our new network of weather stations and how you can use them to access on- line weather data and pest modeling and make more informed pest management decisions in both vegetables and fruit crops.

•    Corn burning furnace for greenhouse heat. This is the third winter that Dave has heated his warmest greenhouse with shelled corn. We will see his innovative heating system in action and discuss the costs, benefits, and challenges. We will review the economics of using corn for greenhouse heat, based on several years of economic data.

•    Growing & marketing greens in the wintertime. Farmer Dave’s has recently started growing and harvesting greens through the winter and early spring greens for a 10-week spring CSA using a sub- irrigation bench filled with compost and potting soil. Becky Sideman UNH Extension Veg. & Berry Specialist and UNH Extension Greenhouse Specialist Brian Krug will discuss their studies comparing benchtop production vs in-ground winter production for yield and energy use. Kate Donald from Seacoast Eat Local will talk about profitably marketing winter produce. Discussion of winter production and sales will continue over refreshments.

1 pesticide applicator recertification credits will be offered. Refreshments will be served.

Directions from Route 93: Take exit 46 for MA-110/MA-113 toward Lawrence/Dracut. At the traffic circle, take the 3rd exit onto Lowell St. Slight right at MA-113/N Lowell St. Continue for ~2.4 miles, the farm stand will be on your right.

For pre-registration or more information contact Andy Cavanagh at 413-577-3976 or acavanagh@psis.umass.edu. Pre-registration is encouraged but walk-ins are welcome. Attendance is free.

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