Monadnock Table Fall 2012

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T H E G U I D E T O O U R R E G I O N ’ S F O O D , F A R M S & C O M M U N I T YTM

& C O M M U N I T Y

It’s Local!Issue 10 • Fall 2012 Free

INSIDE: Our Historic Farms • Sheep Clear the Way in JaffreyFarming Lessons at The Well School

Growing a Weed-Free Garden • The Art of Cheesemaking • PYO Apples & PumpkinsFall Recipes & Gardening Tips • Farmers’ Markets

Monadnock TableIt’s Local! • www.monadnocktable.com • Fall 20122

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German John’s BakeryHearty German Sourdough Breads,Original Soft Pretzels, Crusty Rolls, Pastries and Seasonal Specialties

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Farm store open by chance or appointment. Farm tours welcome, please call ahead!

2012 Wool Arts Tour Sat. & Sun., Oct. 6 & 7, 9am to 5pm

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Yarns, Fiber, Needles, Books,Knitting Bags, Classes,

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wild Maine blueberriescream cheese from Vermont family farms

cage-free eggs from New Hampshiresalmon smoked in Maine

all-natural, cage-free chicken & turkeynaturally-cured bacon & ham—no nitrites or nitrates

no hormones or antibiotics in our meats, everall-natural, unbleached, unbromated flour

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Reservations recommended


FeaturesBorder Brook Farm: Clearing the Way in Jaffrey 14Growing History: How two historical Monadnock area farms have survived the centuries 17The Well School: Buckets Full of Farming Lessons 20

Columns:Publishers’ Note: Our Farming Past 6readers write 6table talk: News from Around the Region 8Future Farmer: The Hall Girls 12made here: The Art of Cheesemaking 13dig iN!: Your Gardening Questions Answered 22local bookshelF: The Seed Underground 31the back Page backyard: Weed-Free Abundance 34

In-season ReCIpes:Shepherd’s Pie 24Sautéed Brussels Sprouts 24Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies 24

CalendaR oF events 30

dIReCtoRIes:Pyo aPPles & PumPkiNs 10Farm directory 26Farmers’ markets 28

____________________Contents

Photos (clockwise from top): barn roofs by kaisa Jarrell, www.kaisajarrell.com; the tenney family by kimberly Peck; cranberry chocolate chip cookie by katrina lewis; the hall sisters by Jodi genest; border brook Farm sheep by eric stanway; kathrine Piper, courtesy the artist; brussels sprouts, istockphoto.com. Photo of cover painting by al karevy, www.karevy.com.

On THe COver: Woven Pumpkin, by Kathrine Piper Acrylic on woven canvas, 16” x 20”Before moving to New Hampshire, Kathrine Piper worked in New York City as a costume designer for 16 years for such diverse entertainment organizations as Comedy Central and the Metropolitan Opera. Piper, who now works full-time as an artist, says she opts for vibrant colors reminiscent of the blinking lights of Times Square. She lives in Keene with her husband and daughter. Visit Kathrine’s website at: www.kathrinepiper.com.


our Farming past here isn’t one of us alive today who remembers when the monadnock region was blanketed with a green quilt of farms — the ancient forestscape almost entirely cleared to feed its growing population.

but our historical societies, replete with aging sepia photographs, prove to us that agriculture used to rule in the monadnock region: cows idly grazing in front of then-new colonial houses, rows of vegetables in the most unlikely places (such as in front of a mill), even sheep grazing smack in the middle central square in keene. many of these agriculture remnants are long gone, the land lost to development or simply returned to its original forestland (and the sheep forever herded out of downtown keene).

but some of the original farms have — through luck or sheer determination — remained. some have even stayed in the same families for generations. writer becky karush has found two such farms (and no doubt there are more) for this issue’s feature story, “growing history.” in it we learn that while farms may change hands, their original intent — to help feed a local population — remains.

we are grateful for these old farms. we’re also grateful for new farms that have sprung up over the generations — and continue to emerge. we are pleasantly surprised by the number of new farms we add to our Farm directory each issue (and amazed by the fact that we have deleted very few in the two years we have been publishing this magazine). yes, the monadnock region has a strong farming past. but, we also know that it has a healthy farming future. — Marcia Passos Duffy

PublisheRs marcia Passos duffy

Jodi genest

ediTORiAl editor: marcia Passos duffy

coPy editor: donna moxley ProoFreader: carol urofsky

coNtributiNg writers: katrina hall, becky karush, amanda maurmann,

Jen risley, Jeanne Prevett sable, andrea chickering sawyer, eric stanway,

willard williams

desiGN creatiVe director: Jodi genest

coNtributiNg artists: kathrine Piper, dawn kopczynski

coNtributiNg PhotograPhers:Jess gerrior, katrina hall, kaisa Jarrell,

michael moore, kimberly PeckadVertisiNg ProductioN:

margo hrubec, ron wasko

AdveRTisiNG sAles Jeanne morin (603) 345-5737

disTRibuTiON COORdiNATOR Jeffry N. littleton

“Monadnock Table” is printed on Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC®) Certified

Mixed Credit paper manufactured with renewable energy (92% from biomass). For more information, visit FSC’s

website at fscus.org. Printed by Tiger Press, an FSC-Certified printer in East Longmeadow, Mass., tigerpress.com.

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Publishers’ Note

Dear Monadnock Table, I just had a moment to delve into the newest Monadnock Table and was simply struck (again) with how superior, excellent, beautiful, useful, interesting and worthwhile your publication is. Thank you for bringing it into our world. Carol Renzelman, Alstead

Dear Monadnock Table, It’s always a pleasure to pick up Monadnock Table. I really enjoy the articles, the photographs, the illustrations, and learning of all the farm happenings around the region. The design is quite beautiful too. It’s great to see such a professional and attractive publication being produced right here in Keene. Kudos to you and your staff for making it all happen!

Robert KostickArt Department ChairKeene State College

Readers Write

monadnock table welcomes letters to our “readers write” column. Please send your comments to [email protected] or to monadnock table, P.o. box 1504, keene, Nh 03431. Please include your full name and town in your correspondence. letters may be edited for length and clarity.

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Marcia Passos Duffy Jodi Genest

coNtact us: monadnock table, llc, Po box 1504, keene, Nh 03431, [email protected], www.monadnocktable.com,(603) 357-8761,(603) 358-6954Follow us on Facebook & twitter.monadnock table advisory board: Jacqueline caserta, The Inn at Valley Farms; amanda costello, Cheshire County Conservation District; russ Fiorey, Crescendo Acres Farm; kate o’connor, Keene State College; Jen risley, Hannah Grimes Center.monadnock table is published quarterly by monadnock table, llc and distributed throughout the monadnock region of southwestern New hampshire. monadnock table, llc supports our local farmers and food producers and aims to connect them with monadnock region consumers. our goal is to inform the monadnock community about the art and science of growing, preparing, cooking and storing local foods, to highlight local farms and food events, and to promote local foods and products.

copyright © 2012 monadnock table, llc. all rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written consent. the publishers assume no responsibility for any mistakes in advertisements or editorial. statements/opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect or represent those of the publishers or editor. while every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, monadnock table, llc and monadnock table disclaim all responsibility for omissions or errors.

Monadnock Table has been awarded the APEX 2012 Award of Excellence in the “magazine and journals” category for publications with 32 pages or more. We want to extend our gratitude to our readers, advertisers and contributors who help us support our mission to promote local farms and food. We couldn’t have done it without you!

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THE CENTER AT KEENEGilbo Avenue - Keene, NH603-357-1525

Open 7 DaysMon-Fri 10-5 • Sat 10-4 • Sun 11-4

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Table TalkFOOD aND FarM NewS FrOM THe reGiON aND BeYOND

PeTerBOrOUGH — a new community garden in Peterborough is supplying vegetables to local food pantries and providing food to the town’s senior lunch program. The Community Center Garden, located on the former armory land on elm Street, is a project spear-headed by the Cornucopia Project, a local school-based gardening organiza-tion, and the Peterborough recreation Center. “it is a teaching garden as much as it is a giving garden,” says Joyce Carroll, associate director for the Hancock-based Cornucopia Project, which recently opened

a satellite office on 42 Main Street in Peter-borough. “The garden will provide fresh food to the needy … and it will also be a place to teach people to grow their own.” The 7,500-square-foot garden, only steps away from the food pantry now housed in the former armory, has 15 raised beds — some at 24 inches high, easy for seniors to

access and for those who use a wheelchair. The garden includes a greenhouse, an attached shed with a green roof and a mini-amphitheater for small events. The project was made possible through a $20,000 New Hampshire Charitable Foundation grant and $5,000 in private donations. Organizers say they are looking for additional funds to keep the project going. “People can sponsor the raised beds … and have their names on the beds for a particular growing season,” says Carroll. There is also an option of sponsoring benches in the garden. For more information about the Community Center Garden, or to sponsor a garden bed or bench, contact Joyce Carroll at the Cornucopia Project at 518-929-0781. To learn more about the Cornucopia Project visit their website at cornucopiaproject.org. — MPD

Send your Table Talk news to: Marcia Passos Duffy, [email protected]. Please put “Table Talk” in the subject line.

new Giving and teaching Garden

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Food entrepreneurs Find a Home at Neighbor MadeKeeNe — The former First Course facility on Dunbar Street is cranking out food again — this time through a private enterprise called Neighbor Made Kitchen. The shared-use commercial kitchen, owned by the Keene-based True Nut Company (which also uses the kitchen for production), has been operating quietly since September of last year. But

the kitchen already has an impressive lineup of local entrepreneurs who are hard at work making barbeque sauces, mustards, pepper sauces, granola bars, pies, jams and more. The building is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it perfect for the budding food

entrepreneur who may be holding down a full-time job. “This is a good way to take a hobby food business to the next level,” says Matt DeGrosky, operations manager. “we have slots available, but they are filling up quickly.” rates start at $30 an hour for occasional use of the kitchen and can go as low as $18 an hour for full-time use, which is 64 hours or more per month. But unlike other shared-use kitchen models, DeGrosky says Neighbor Made Kitchen also provides services such as business counsel, distribution and sales support to those coming on board. “That is part of the deal,” he says. For more information visit: neighbormade.com. — MPD

Pasteurization equipment earns its KeepKeeNe — Stonewall Farm’s new micro-pasteurizing system is ideal for making a wide range of milk-based products. The latest has been ice cream, which the farm debuted this summer. The $45,000 low-heat vat pasteurization equipment — which half was paid for through donations and the balance through a loan — has been earning its keep making yogurt as well. “it is a small technology that serves many purposes on a small dairy farm … it enables us to not only make these products, but to educate other farms on how to do this as well,” says

Joshua Cline, executive director. as farm workers fine-tune

the ice cream recipe, sales of the farm’s yogurt are “going well beyond our dreams,” says Cline. “we thought we’d sell a couple hundred containers … but we’re already on our eighth batch,” he says. The yogurt, available in 6-ounce cups and

32-ounce containers, is sold at the farmstand and through

Kristin’s Bistro & Bakery’s two locations in Keene.

The farm also sells its own raw milk cheese, which is made from its cows’ milk, but processed

off the farm. For more information visit: stonewallfarm.org.

— MPD

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country home décor • table linens plates • town signs • annalee dolls • wreaths

byers’ choice carolers • willow tree angels snow babies • fontanini nativity sets • candles

department 56 villages • braided rugs homemade fudge • antiques and collectables

Jingles Christmas & Country Shop

1024 Route 12 • Westmoreland, NHMon-Sat 10-5 • Sunday 11-4

(603) 399-4972

G Wholesome FruitG Beautiful WeddingsG Special Events

G Lodging

www.alysonsorchard.com603-756-9800

In Historic Walpole, NHwww.walpolebank.com

Fresh & Local.

Equal Housing Lender Member FDIC

Serving Monadnock farmers and gardeners since the 1960s. Your local source for organic planting seeds and

soil amendments.www.achilleagway.com

We’re opening minds and hearts to inspired life-long learning from early childhood through high school.

Start small. Dream big.

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monadnockwaldorfschool.org 603-357-4442 Keene, NH

Rooted in Clay Pottery Studio

Hand-built & wood-fired

208 Middle Winchendon Rd. Rindge NH 03461 www.rootedinclay.com * 603-899-3120

Retail pottery, classes & workshops, wood-fired ovens, clay instruments & more!

Stop by for a visit! Open most days.


Fall Pick Your OwnPlease call ahead for picking availability and conditions

Alyson’s Orchard Walpole • 603-756-9800

Apples*, Pumpkins*

birchwood Orchard Mason • 603-878-0542 Apples, late Peaches

Maple lane Farm Keene • 603-352-2329

Apples, Pumpkins*

Mcleod brothers Orchard Milford • 603-673-3544

Apples, Pumpkins*

Norway hill Orchard hancock • 603-525-4912

Apples

stonewall Farm Keene • 603-357-7278

Pumpkins

Tenney Farm Antrim • 603-588-2020

Apples*, Pumpkins*

Trombly Gardens Milford • 603-673-0647

Pumpkins*

Washburn’s Windy hill Orchard Greenville • 603-878-2101

Apples, Pumpkins

*Not PYO but available freshly picked to purchase

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242 Chesterfield Rd, Keene NH 03431 www.stonewallfarm.org

603-357-7278

S T O N E W A L L F A R M Our own yogurt, hamburger, syrup, cheese, produce & ice cream. Daily 9-4:30

Family and school programs Wedding venue & facility rentals Discovery room, barns & trails open daily

Public Events Farm Olympics: Sunday, Sept. 23 Haunted Hayrides: Sunday, Oct. 28 Farm Fare: Friday-Saturday, Nov. 18-19

Homestead Farms

Christmas TreesHorse Drawn Wagon Rides

Homemade DoughnutsWreaths

16 River Road SouthWalpole, NH

603.756.4800

Christmas Season 2012November 24th

December 1st, 8th, 15th

MAPLE LANE FARM Gunn Road Keene, NH (603) 352 2329

Apple orchard in a beautiful, country setting, just minutes from downtown Keene. Enjoy PYO apples, fresh cider, maple syrup, fall decorations and more.

OPEN: September Early Nov.Wednesday Sunday


Family owned and operated since 1997www.cheshirehorse.com

8 Whittemore Farm Rd. • Swanzey, NH • 877-358-3001

Equine • Farm • PetApparel, Gifts, Feed & Supplies

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The New Hampshire Honey Bee Apiary & Beekeeping Supply, Co. LLC

138A Alstead Hill Road, Gilsum, NH 03448 Ph: 603-313-0186

E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.nhhoneybee.com

A Service-Disabled-Veteran-Owned Small Business

Bee Tree Farm & The New Hampshire Honey Bee

Apiary & Beekeeping Supply, Co. LLC138A Alstead Hill Road, Gilsum, NH 03448

PH: 603-354-8019e-mail: [email protected]

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John & Alison Solomonides, Proprietors

openTuesday & Wednesday 9 – 4

Thursday 11 – 7and by appointment

A Service-Disabled-Veteran-Owned Small Business www.orchardhillbreadworks.com

Available at Stores Throughout the Region & at the Keene & Brattleboro

Farmers’ Markets

a wood-fired artisan bakery in alstead, nh

5:00 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres 6:00 p.m. Dinner

New Hampshire Growers Dinnerwith live fiddle music

November 4, 2012$25.95 plus tax & tip

Reservations required.BYOBFarm Fresh Meat for sale:

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Farm Fresh Meat for sale:Pork, Beef, Lamb, and Goat

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Carmella, Haylee and Gretchen Hall schools: Keene Middle school and symonds schoolFarming interests: dairy and beef

Future Farmer

Carmella, haylee, and gretchen hall have been involved in 4-h and farming for the last six years; they raise and show

dairy and beef cattle. but these sisters don’t belong to a farm family; they don’t even live near a farm. in fact, they live in keene and lease all their animals from mike and Nancy Plante of windy acres Farm in chesterfield and from kimberly hudson of hinsdale to participate in their 4-h programs. the 4-h lease program has allowed these future farmer sisters to grow their interest in farm animals and even start to sell some animals at auction. gretchen, who is 13, currently has a beefalo steer she is raising and will show it at the eastern states exposition (the big e). “this is my first year going to the big e,” she says, adding that she plans to sell her steer in the auction there. the middle hall sister, haylee, who is 10, plans on showing beef and dairy calves at county fairs. carmella, the youngest, at 9, and in her first year of 4-h, is showing beef and dairy calves as well. the girls became involved in their 4-h activities because of their mother’s encouragement; she was a 4-h member herself. “4-h is really fun and teaches you a lot,” says gretchen, who went on to add that raising animals takes a lot of time. in addition to taking care of their daily needs, she says, “you have to teach them to walk with you when they are on a halter.” haylee, who enjoys working with beef animals, loves working with them because she is “always learning something new.” carmella says she “is really looking forward to showing my ayrshire calf named marley and my hereford steer named moe.” all three girls have identical hopes and dreams for the future: they all want to buy a farm, where they can raise their own animals and work with them every day.

— Interviewed by Andrea Chickering Sawyer, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development, Cheshire County Cooperative Extension.

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all three girls have identical hopes and dreams for the future: they all want to own a farm.

PLANT NOW FOR A BEAUTIFUL SPRING!

HORSE & BUGGY FEEDSRTE 12N – WINCHENDON, MA & DUNBAR ST – KEENE, NH

www.horseandbuggyfeeds.com

A nurturing and supportive environment for children from 18 months through 6 years old based on the ideas and work of Dr. Maria Montessori.

• Multi-age classrooms• Curriculum designed to engage

curiosity and creativity• Hands-on experiences• Individual and small group lessons• Centrally located facility built

specifically to our needs• A community fostering connections

between families and the larger Monadnock region

Call Sarah MacDonald at 352-4052 or email [email protected] for more information.

TODDLER & PRESCHOOL PROGRAMSEnROLLinG nOw!

• 125 Railroad Street

We have the costumes you want… from the latest in Leg Avenue retail styles to our custom-made rental stock. And we now have a line of adorable children’s costumes from Princess Paradise!

(603) 756-3113 • 54-A Main Street, Walpolewww.CostumeLadies.com • [email protected]

What do you want to be this Halloween?


Made Here

sawyer’s artisanal Cheese is a family affair. Together — Joseph, Sonia and their son ian Sawyer — they are creat-ing a living food that also supports our local food system.

The family’s cheese business began when Joe Sawyer (pictured below), who worked at Boggy Meadow Farm (a cheese business just down the street from the Sawyer’s home in walpole),

became interested in artisanal cheesemaking. He took classes at UVM’s Vermont institute for artisan Cheese, studying all of the steps of cheesemaking — from culture to cave.

The multi-step process — which eventually becomes Sawyer’s artisanal Cheese — begins across the Connecticut river in Vermont, where milk from a small herd of grass-fed Jersey and

Normandy cows at Live water Farm in westminster is gathered and sent to Vermont Shepherd in Putney, Vt., where the milk is transformed into a Tomme-style cheese (a round cheese with an earthly grey-brown rind). Solar panels power the entire cheesemaking process.

From Vermont Shepherd, the round cheese is brought across the river into walpole, where it is placed in the Sawyer’s cheese cellar, a retrofitted refrigerated cellar with a controlled atmosphere. The cheese is first soaked in brine and then placed on shelves to let beneficial bacteria do their magic. The cheese is then aged four to six months. The Sawyers are currently experimenting in making a variety of cheeses, including those infused with mushrooms from wichland woods in Keene and wine from Barnett Hill Vineyards in walpole.

Sawyer’s artisanal Cheese can be found at the Hannah Grimes Marketplace (Keene), walpole Grocery Store, Blueberry Fields (Keene), the farmers’ markets in Keene, Peterborough, walpole and Brattleboro, Vt. and many stores and restaurants throughout New england.

Jen Risley is the education program coordinator at the Hannah Grimes Center in Keene.

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the art of Cheesemaking

by Jen Risley

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Open 7-4 Mon - Fri9-4 Sat

12 Depot Square, Peterborough(In the Toadstool Bookstore)118600118600

HOURS 10 - 6Friday 10-9, Sunday 11-4

32 Grove StreetPeterborough NH 03458

[email protected]

in downtown Peterborough HOURS 10 - 6Friday 10-9, Sunday 11-4

32 Grove StreetPeterborough NH 03458

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wichlandwoods.com(603) 357-2758 • Keene, NH 03431

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For the past 10 years, chris and Julia bartlett have been running border brook Farm, a small farm venture of grass-fed, antibiotic- and steroid-free

dorset sheep on 25 acres of rolling hills, in the shadow of mt. monadnock in Jaffrey. “my husband always had animals when he was growing up, so this was sort of natural,” says Julia bartlett. “we’re from the Jaffrey area. when we saw this farm was up for sale, we jumped at it, and chris gave up his job to take up farming full-time. that was when we decided to get into animal husbandry. we started out with two sheep, and, at one point, ended up with a flock of a hundred.”

Growth means changethere are currently 70 sheep on the property, but even that smaller number requires a considerable amount of work, and has neces-sitated certain changes in how they are raised. although the sheep are raised primarily for meat, the bartletts also shear them and sell the wool. “we used to sell retail for many years,” says bartlett. “we attended various farmers’ markets, as well as selling to restaurants

and individuals.” the couple found, however, that selling retail took up a lot of their time. “since it’s just us work-ing here we decided we needed to focus on the farming aspect of the farm, and now we just sell wholesale,” she says.

Meat sold to nearby marketsNot to despair, however; you can still get a nice leg of lamb with no difficulty, she notes.

“we sell whole animals to places such as blood Farm in groton, massachusetts,” says bartlett. “blood Farm has a retail store right on the property, and they do a really nice job. it’s like the old days, when the butcher was right there, and you could tell him exactly how to cut it for you.” you can, of course, elect to purchase a whole animal, a prospect that isn’t nearly as daunting as it sounds, she notes. the slaughtering process is performed by professionals, off the premises. “a 100-pound sheep, when processed, takes up about as much space as five gallons of milk,” says bartlett. “most people can easily fit that into their freezer.”

Humanely treatedthe major advantage of buying border brook Farm meat, says bartlett, is that the customer can rest easy knowing the animals have been well cared-for: the farmers don’t use hormones and feed the sheep hay harvested from local fields. “additionally, we’re attentive to housing and how the animals are pastured, making sure they get fresh air every day and graze naturally,” says bartlett. the bartletts practice rotational grazing, moving the flock periodically around through the fields, as well as lending them out to clear their neighbors’ lands. “sheep are really good at clearing land,” she says. “you don’t have to pay people to mow the back forty, everything gets cleared out, and the sheep come back fat and happy. everybody wins.” to keep the flock in line, the bartletts keep four border collies on the premises. the matriarch of the dog pack is Fly, a lively 14-year-old, who still loves to work, despite being a little deaf. “actually, i think her hearing problems are somewhat selective,” says bartlett, as the dog disregards her commands several times and, nose down, wanders off through the pasture.

Eric Stanway is a writer, musician and artist who lives in Fitzwilliam with his significant other, an extended family and two cats. His new book, the old rindge house, is available on Amazon.com.

Border Brook Farm • 66 Prescott Road, Jaffrey, N.H. 603-731-6768 • [email protected]

Fly, one of four Border Brook Farm border collies (pictured here with Julia Bartlett), loves to work despite being a little deaf.

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Clearingthe Wayin Jaffrey

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Growing History

How two historical Monadnock area farms have survived the centuries

by becky Karush, Photographs by Kimberly Peck

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ike to the top of mt. monadnock and look in all directions. what do you see? some open water, large

and small towns, roads and cars — and rolling sweeps of forest. you’ll see a landscape so blanketed by trees it seems eternal. but spin back a century or two. this time, the view from the top is vastly different: it is dominated by signs of farming activity everywhere you turn — pasture, hay fields, draft horses, sheep and dairy cows, with stone walls like capillaries stretching for miles. why did these small farms disappear? time was not kind to this type of sustenance farm: as soil fertility gave out, and as midwestern large-scale farming and manufacturing moved into favor, many of the farms dating back to the 1700s died out. year by year the forest nibbled the open spaces. it swallowed the rich history of foods grown and raised on this land. but not all of the original farms are gone. here and there are surviving houses, barns and fields that have been in continuous use for hundreds of years. their histories make it possible to look out from the mountain and see both the forested landscape and the farming past inside it, a past that today’s southwest New hampshire farmers are claiming and restoring anew. here are stories of two historical monadnock area farms.

Tenney Farm: Family and Flood“okay, i’m going to go way back.” crista salamy leans on the farmstand counter at tenney Farm in antrim. the wall behind her is covered in framed photographs. “this was originally the baldwin Farm,” she says. according to an 1880 antrim town history, isaac baldwin was a “stirring, earnest, useful man, greatly respected by all.” he founded

the farm and built a stately brick house on the property in 1793. the contoocook river bisected the farm and often flooded the fields. the town history recounts the story of two of isaac’s daugh-ters, harriet and estimate, who “once went over the river for the cows, when, being gone some time, the water suddenly rising,

flooded the road three feet deep. but undismayed, each got on a cow’s back and rode through it home!” salamy pulls out a photograph of the farm during the epic 1938 flood and a more recent one of farm workers harvesting corn in ankle-deep water. the baldwins eventually sold the farm to the colby family, and in the 1950s, the colbys sold it to a boston

millionaire. he needed a farm manager, so he poached one from hobnob Farm in nearby Francestown. “that (farm manager) was my grandfather, stanley tenney,” salamy says. “after two years, he and my grand-mother decided just to buy the farm.” tenney ran the dairy with the help of his sons, eric and mark, but it became very hard to make a living. at 175 acres, the farm was just too small to support a large dairy herd. salamy points to a picture of her grandfather standing by a trailer filled with squash. “so he started dabbling in vegetables. after my dad, eric, came back from cornell (university) and the Navy, he and my uncle started doing fruits and vegetables full time.” salamy was six months old when her family moved into the brick house. her entire childhood was wrapped up in the farm, from running tractors at 10 years old to forsaking family vacations to get all the work done. at 18, salamy left for college. by her mid-20s, she and her husband chris were living happily in california with no intention of returning to antrim. salamy can’t keep a bemused smile from her face. “and then, well, my husband realized he wanted to have kids. and i said, ‘then we’re going back to the farm, because the only way i can imagine raising kids is with my family nearby.’” she then becomes serious: “it was a really difficult decision. the work is incredibly hard, but coming back has been the best thing. here, we can try to give our boys, hunter and Jaxson, the foundation of being self-sufficient. we can teach

them that you can get what you want if you work very hard.” since their return, the salamys have made “lovin’ it local” the farm’s official motto. along with their own vegetables, fruits and bedding plants, they offer a wide range of locally made foods and goods. and salamy lives once again in the big brick house

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Above: (l to r) Crista Salamy, her father Eric Tenney, and her sons Jaxson and Hunter Salamy. Top: (l to r) Crista Salamy and her son Jaxson; historical photo of Tenney Farm. Page 17: Nancy Hayden, joined by grandchildren (l to r): Joshua, Sabrina and Gabrielle Hayden, holds a photo of Too Bad Farm.

Here and there are surviving houses, barns and fields that have been in continuous use for hundreds of years.


isaac baldwin built two centuries ago, keeping those old spirits company as she and her family keep tenney Farm alive.

Too Bad Farm: A Perfectly Good Lifehayden family visitors who would glimpse mt. monadnock rising to the south on their way to their marlborough home would always remark: “too bad you don’t have a good view!” Nancy hayden allows a wry smile at the memory. “that was part of how we came up with the name ‘too bad Farm.’ when i moved here in the 1970s, it was still being called the mason place, the people my grandfather bought it from in the 1930s.” though the masons had farmed the 200 acres for a long time, even they weren’t the first inhabitants. there has been some kind of shelter in the exact spot of the current farmhouse since 1785, says hayden. but by the 1930s, New hampshire farms were in such decline that the government was running a promotion to convince out-of-staters to buy property and help preserve the state’s agricultural heritage. at the same time, hayden’s grandparents happened to be looking to move out of New york city. “my grandfather said that working at the New york stock exchange was a waste of a perfectly good life,” says hayden. she sips her tea, the old house quiet around her. “so he quit in July 1929, on his 40th birthday, well in advance of black tuesday. it was totally lucky that he retained some of his money.” her grandmother planted the idea to buy a farm, in part because of the state’s advertising campaign and in part because she feared for her sons’ moral lives. “they’d been going up to dublin (Nh) for several summers, and my grandmother worried about her teenage boys encountering dublin’s fast women and cards and liquor. so she suggested buying a place more out in the country,” she says, with a smile. as a child, hayden visited her grandparents every summer. she remembers her grandmother’s enormous delphiniums and the small treasures her grandfather would hide for her in a chest of 40 drawers. she especially remembers siggy: “she was a wonderful

woman who lived in harrisville, officially the cook for my grand-parents, but really the commander-in-chief of the whole operation. she hired and fired the guys who cut the hay or cared for the cows,” hayden says. siggy made the farm feel bountiful, recalls hayden. breakfasts were replete with three kinds of cereal, three kinds of freshly picked berries in special berry bowls, and a pitcher of Jersey cow cream so thick it had to be spooned. “we were all very attached to siggy,” hayden recalls. “it was such an unusual career path for a woman then. she stayed for a long time and was quite old when she fell from the hayloft and broke her arm. she died not long after.” hayden’s grandfather died around the same time. For some time it looked as though the farm would be sold out of the family, but eventually, it ended up with hayden and her young family.riding the wave of energy and idealism that was invigorating parts of New england in the early 1970s, hayden threw herself into farming. “this was the main reason we settled on the name ‘too bad Farm’ — all the times we would make some incredibly stupid mistake and say, ‘too bad we didn’t know!’ we were always saying ‘too bad.’”

they raised milk goats and pigs, layer hens and irish dexter cattle, vegetables and berries. Farm operations tapered off as hayden saw how financially unworkable the farm was. about five years ago, she put the majority of the acreage under a conservation easement. these days, her son Nelson and his family live just up the hill. in the spring he raises lambs for meat near the old, slightly slump-ing farmhouse. hayden still gardens for herself in the company of the pink rose bushes and siberian irises her grandmother planted more than half a century ago, in this place that has been the home for more than one perfectly good life.

Becky Karush is a freelance writer who lives in Swanzey with her husband, Bob, her new son, Gus, and 17 chickens.

Nancy Hayden (above) holds an old photo of Too Bad Farm. Left, her grandchildren Sabrina and Joshua, help care for the sheep.

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Here and there are surviving houses, barns and fields that have been in continuous use for hundreds of years.


Buckets Full of Farming lessons by Becky Karush

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wo buckets sit on the floor at the end of the well school’s community kitchen buffet line. each has a sign above it, one

marked “piggy bucket,” the other, “garden bucket.” the students, teachers, parents, volunteers and administrators of this private pre-k through 8th-grade school in Peterborough sit family-style — ages and classes all mixed — on wooden benches set before long tables. their plates are filled with hot, handmade pizza and fresh, crunchy vegetables. when everyone is finished eating, they scrape their leftovers into one of the two buckets (one rule: no vegetable scraps in the piggy bucket) and place their dirty plates and cups in gray plastic bins. the students talk and laugh and run, everyone bustling with the energy of this school day.

school farm part of a larger missionthe buckets — which will eventually be brought up the hill to the school’s 15-acre farm — are just one example of the well school’s wide-ranging commitment to sustainability. the school provides its 160 students with sustainable, organic and local food — which the school staff and children grow, cook and eat. and

nothing goes to waste: Food scraps are either composted or fed to the school’s five piglets. “we raise (the pigs) for meat,” says the well school farm man-ager, catherine condella. “they’ve got a few months to go, and then that meat will go right back to the community kitchen.” “our mission is to help every kid here eat well,” adds rachel

austin, head chef of the community kitchen. “we make use of local and organic and ethically raised food to encourage kids to eat as healthfully as possible.” the farm is a large part of this mission. condella oversees it all: nearly 2 acres in vegetable production; a barn that houses 45 meat goats, several sheep and nearly 50 layer hens; and a young apple, pear and cherry tree orchard. the farm produce goes to the community kitchen, a 21-member csa and some area markets.

students work and learn on the farmstudents regularly participate in chores. the youngest kids might visit the pigs, while a crew of sixth graders will help seed a crop of winter squash for a late spring project. teachers use the farm as a basis for everything from science to spanish lessons. Just outside the kitchen, the school also runs a small farmers’ market that stocks local bread, milk, meat, eggs, snacks and cheeses, among many other goods, as well as items such as student-made t-shirts appliquéd with wool from the well school’s sheep. while the school’s adult community is supportive of the farm and the kitchen, the real success of the mission to encourage healthful, local, sustainable eating lies with the students. “one mom said to me that this was the only place where her child ate healthfully,” austin says. “i really believe this kitchen could be a model for how we feed our kids in school.” T

The Well School • 360 Middle Hancock Rd. • Peterborough, N.H. 603-924-6908 • www.wellschool.org

teachers use the the Well school farm as a basis for everything from science to spanish lessons.

t

Becky Karush is a freelance writer who lives in Swanzey with her husband, Bob, her new son, Gus, and 17 chickens.

the Well school provides its 160 students with sustainable, organic and local food.

pictured above, students line up for lunch.


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Fall 2012

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Dear Amanda: I planted gourds this year but want to know the steps for harvesting and drying. And how long will dried gourds last?gourds (and other winter squashes) are ready to be picked when the vines of the plant have died back. simply snip the fruit off leaving 2 inches of stem attached and store in a cool, dry place with lots of air circulation (a fan works great) and out of direct sunlight for several weeks — or even a month or two. Preserving the stem is very important as it is very porous and serves as the exit point for moisture. when dried completely, gourds feel very light and the seeds rattle inside. if you grow “birdhouse” gourds you can then drill a large hole in one side and two smaller ones through the top and hang it outside for a bird house. No need to clean out the seeds and insides — the birds will eat them!

Dear Amanda: Could you give some tips for harvesting and storing my own seeds? the topic of storing seeds is immense and there are entire books and organizations dedicated to educating folks on how to save seed. briefly here are some basic points to get you started. genetic information is passed along generations two different ways: cross- pollination and self-pollination. the easiest way to enter into seed saving is to pick one species and one variety of vegetable or herb that is self-pollinated (for example, do not start by growing 12 varieties of cucumbers as they are cross-pollinated and the next generation will never be what you planned it to be!). i would choose dill, cilantro, lettuce or beans to start. of the seeds you sow, let a couple plants go to seed — meaning let them grow big and tall, flower and set seed (let the bean pods mature on the vine). once they flower keep an eye on them. when you notice the green seed or pod has turned brown and dried out, and rubbing the pod drops seeds into your hand, harvest the seed bundles. remove seeds from the plant material on a dry flat surface (they should shake off easily) and store in a plastic or glass jar. Find more information on seedsave.org or locally connect with the monadnock seed savers exchange via the sustainability Project.

Editor’s note: This is Amanda Maurmann’s last column for Monadnock Table. We thank Amanda for her hard work these past two years provid-ing insights and helpful advice to Monadnock Regional gardeners. We will miss her! Starting with the winter issue this column will be renamed “Ask a Farmer” and will include advice from several area farmers about gardening and backyard animals. Have a question for our farmers? Send it to [email protected].

YOUr GarDeNiNG qUeSTiONS aNSwereD

Dig In!by Amanda Maurmann

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By Katrina Hall

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In 2008, she started a food blog, “She’s in the Kitchen,” where her passion for cooking, photography and food has finally found a home.

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Shepherd’s PieFor a vegetarian pie, sauté or simmer sliced sweet cabbage with carrots, celery and a few mushrooms; drain and mix into the basic onion and herb mixture.

4 servings

The top:6 medium boiling potatoes (red or white)5 tablespoons butter 3/4 cup cream, milk or hot stockSalt and pepper, to taste

The bottom:2 tablespoons unsalted butter1 tablespoon olive oil1 clove garlic, peeled and minced1 large onion, peeled and diced1 1/2 pounds ground or finely minced beef or lamb (or vegetables)2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (about 6 sprigs)2 teaspoons fresh thymeSalt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Local ingredients available in the fall: potatoes, butter, milk (or cream), beef (or lamb), onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary

Cover the unpeeled whole potatoes with water and bring to a slow boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and place in mixer bowl while hot. add butter and liquid of choice. Using a flat paddle on mixer or potato masher by hand, mash until smooth consistency with a few lumps. add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F. in a large skillet, melt the butter and oil on medium heat. add the garlic and onion and sauté until golden, stirring often. Pinch off chunks of the meat and add to skillet with the onion mixture (if making a vegetarian pie, add cooked and drained vegetables). add the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Sauté until meat is cooked. Mix well, taste and adjust seasonings. Spread meat

mixture in the bottom of a ceramic baking dish or individual dishes. Top with potato mixture. add a sprig of rosemary and, if desired, a pat of butter to the top, a few grinds of pepper and a sprinkle of salt. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Sautéed Brussels SproutsThis recipe is a great addition to a Thanksgiving Day feast.

4 servings

1/3 cup olive oil1/2 cup water2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juiceSalt and pepper to tastePat of butter

Local ingredients available in the fall: Brussels sprouts, butter

warm the olive oil over high heat in a 10- or 12-inch skillet. add water, followed by the Brussels sprouts. reduce heat to medium and continue sautéing until sprouts are tender — about 10 minutes. add lemon juice, salt and pepper. remove from heat. Place a lid on top of the pan and allow to sit for 10 minutes. add a pat of butter on top of the Brussels sprouts before serving.

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies One of the best things about fall and winter? Fresh cranberries! This chewy chocolate chip cookie is made with both dried and fresh cranberries.

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup white sugar 3/4 cup dark brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda Pinch of kosher salt 3/4 cup dried cranberries 1 cup fresh (or frozen) cranberries 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Local ingredients available in the fall: eggs, fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with foil or parchment. in mixer bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. add cranber-ries and chocolate chips, stirring gently as dough will be stiff. roll dough into balls the size of a small plum and place on cookie sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake about 18 minutes or until cookies are medium golden brown. remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes. Transfer each cookie onto a rack to cool completely.


Genevieve Groesbeck

Functional & SculpturalPottery

Member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen

www.genevievegroesbeck.com • 603-924-3686

Holiday Sale Nov. 30, Dec. 1 & 2

FEATURING AWARD WINNINGWALPOLE CREAMERYSUPER PREMIUM ICE CREAMAND OTHER FINE FROZEN DESSERTS

“Made the Old Fashioned Way”Enjoy Over 25 Flavors

Indoor Seating • Open 12-9 Daily

9 Edwards Lane • Walpole, NH603-756-4112

Experience farm life and taste real food at its source!innatvalleyfarms.com • Walpole, NH • 603-756-2855

Inn at Valley FarmsB&B, Cottages and Vacation Farmhousez z

Offers home cooked meals including: • our own scrumptious soups• fresh baked baguettes for subs• pizza using only the finest ingredients

OTHER OFFERINGS• local milk, cage free eggs, maple syrup and honey• nitrate free bacon • fresh from the farm ice cream• fresh brewed coffee with our fresh baked pastries

MONTHLY BISTRO DINNERS Join us by reservation only for our monthly bistro dinners offering authentic Mediterranean cooking with local products, meats, fruits and vegetables.

Catering AvailableM-F: 6 am - 5:30pm Sat: 8-5 Closed: Sunday

The Westmoreland Village Eatery

784 Rte. 63, Westmoreland, NH 603-399-0082

www.westmorelandvillageeatery.com

[email protected]

Elemental Designs Fiber ArtsFeaturing locally grown and locally spun

“Cheshire Sheep” yarn. We also offer Romney sheep, lambs, fleece and roving.

Susan N. Weaver115 Log Cabin RdNelson, NH 03457

603-847-9763

Local FavorNH’s Buy Local

Rewards Networkwww.LocalFavor.com

Support our LocaL Economy & SavE!

Monadnock TableIt’s Local! • www.monadnocktable.com • Fall 20122626 Monadnock TableIt’s Local! • www.monadnocktable.com • Fall 201226*Certified Organic

ACwOrtH Acworth village Gardens 835-7986, Eggs, Vegetables.blueberry Acres 835-2259, PYO; Blueberries.Knight Farm 835-9077, Beef, Cheese, Pork, Yogurt.squatters Farm970-560-2574, Eggs, Vegetables.Two Girls Farm Beef, Chicken, Eggs, Garlic, Pork, twogirlsfarm.org.AlsteAd Alstead Center Farm 835-2937, CSA, [email protected] Maple Farm 835-6361, Maple Syrup & Products, bascommaple.com.beryl Mountain view Farm 835-2246, Farm Campsites; Grass-fed Beefalo Freezer Meat & Sides, Honey, [email protected] Family Farm 835-6182, Farmstand, PYO; Fruits, Vegetables, comstockfamilyfarm.com.days Natural Family Farm 209-9133, Chicken, Duck, Eggs, Meat (Goat, Rabbit).dustin’s sugarhouse 835-6070, Maple Syrup & Products.Flying Cloud dairy 835-2519, Cream* & Milk* (Raw).Kercewich Farm 835-2520, Cream & Milk (Raw), Maple Syrup & Products, Meat (Grass-Fed Beefalo, Lamb & Pork), Turkey, Yogurt (Raw).Merrymeeting Farm 313-6059, Chicken, Eggs, Meat (Beef).sanctuary’s Alpaca Farm 756-3410, Alpacas, Fiber, sanctuarysalpacafarm.com.sunset Farm 835-6210, Flowers (Cut), Vegetables.village Roots CsA 477-5533, Herbs, Vegetables.AntriM brimstone Woods at liberty Farm 588-6539, Eggs, Goat Milk Products, Meat (Chicken, Pork).hidden hill Farm Alpacas 588-3320, Alpacas, Breeding Stock, hhfalpacas.com.Tenney Farm588-2020, Eggs, Fruit, Vegetables,tenneyfarm.com.

Windfall Farm 588-3296, Farm Shop; Eggs (Free-Range), Fleeces, Flowers (Cut), Turkeys*, Vegetables, Yarn, windfallfarmnh.com.benningtOn back Mountain beefalo Farm 289-6846, Meat (Beef, Pork),Turkey.CHesterfield hubner Farm 363-4675, Meat (Beef).The 1780 Farm (818) 929-2901, CSA, Farmstand, PYO; Chicken, Herbs, Meat (Beef, Pork), Vegetables.dublin dana Farm Honey, Vegetables, [email protected] John’s Plot 289-5927, Farmstand; Vegetables.Morning star Maple sugar house 563-9218, Maple Syrup & Products.Oxbow Farm 563-7991, Chicken, Eggs, Meat Birds, oxbowfarmnh.comfitzwilliAM boulder Meadow Farm 585-3461, Llamas, Sheep, Wool Processing, bouldermeadowfarm.com.Patchwork southdowns 585-9814, Meat (Sheep), Wool.

Tracie’s Community Farm209-1851, CSA, Farmstand; Cheese, Eggs, Fruit, Plants (Flower, Herb), Vegetables, traciesfarm.com.Webb hill Farm 585-3442, Herbs, Vegetables (Starter Plants).frAnCestOwn Green ledge Farm 547-3454, Chicken, Meat (Grass-Fed Beef*), greenledgefarm.com.lost village Farm 547-3509, Meat (Grass-Fed Beef).Rocky Meadow Farm 547-6464, Meat (Grass-Fed Beef).gilsuM bee Tree Farm & The New hampshire honey bee 354-8019, Beekeeping Supplies, Honey, nhhoneybee.com.Ridge view Farm 352-9044, Plants (Bedding, Seedlings), Vegetables, simplesite.com/ridgeviewfarm.greenfield Cloverly Farm 562-5754, Vegetables, cloverlyfarm.com.Pamomile Fine handmade soaps 547-2198, Herbal Soaps, pamomile.com.spring Pond Farm 547-2964, Farm Tours, Farm Shop; Alpacas (Registered Huacaya Breed-er), Garments (Hand-Knit), Yarn. greenville darling hill Community Farm 878-3130, CSA; Eggs, Herbs*, Vegetables*.Washburn’s Windy hill Orchard 878-2101, PYO (Apples & Pump-kins); Fruit, Vegetables.

HAnCOCk Amor Fati Farm & Mill CSA; Eggs, Vegetables*, amorfatifarmandmill.com. brimstone hollow Farm 525-3070, Felt, Fleeces (NH-Made Romney), Meat (Lamb), Roving (Natural & Hand-Dyed), Yarn (Handspun).hand drawn Farm933-0179, CSA, Vegetables*.longview Forest Products 525-3566, Maple Syrup.Mountain view Farm 525-8005, Maple Syrup, Products (NH-Made), Vegetables.Norway hill Orchard 525-4912, PYO; Apples.HArrisville Farwell Farm 209-1544, Turkey, Meat (Beef, Pork)Mayfair Farm 827-6925, Chicken, Meat (Beef, Lamb, Pork), Turkey, mayfairfarmnh.com.Railroad express sugar house 827-3245 (call first), Maple Syrup & Products.Wellscroft Farm and Wellscroft Fence systems, llC 827-3464, Eggs, Meat (Lamb & Goat).HillsbOrOugH bit O’heaven Fiber Farm 464-4392, Roving (Hand-Painted), Wool (Alpaca, Angora & Mohair), Yarns (Handspun).Clark summit Alpacas 464-2910, Open Farm Days; Handmade Items, Roving, Yarn, clarksummitalpacas.com.Rosewood Farm 464-2590, Farmstand; Vegetables, farmsteads-ne.org

some farms are open seasonally. please call ahead. Telephone area code is 603 unless otherwise noted.

Dawn Kopczynski creates her fabric art in her Keene studio. Her work can be viewed at fibermixedmedia.com. Dawn can be contacted at [email protected].

Tracie’s Community Farm 72 Jaffrey Rd., Fitzwilliam, NHSpring, Summer, Fall Shares

Stand: Veg., Herb & Flower PlantsStore: Veg., Fruits, Eggs, Cheese,

Flowers, Walpole Creamery Ice Cream www.traciesfarm.com

Farm Directory

Tenney FarmRoute 202, Antrim, NH • 588-2020

Lovin’ It Local - A True Family Farm Our own corn, unpasteurized cider,

pumpkins, winter squashes, mums, meat birds, eggs

& local apples.

Monadnock TableIt’s Local! • www.monadnocktable.com • Fall 2012 27Monadnock TableIt’s Local! • www.monadnocktable.com • Fall 2012 2727*Certified Organic

Western view Farm 464-3015, Meat (Freezer Lambs), Roving & Yarn (Shetland).JAffrey boutwell sugar house 532-7621, Maple Syrup.Coll’s Farm Market & deli 532-7540, CSA; Eggs, Maple Syrup & Products, Vegetables. collsfarmllc.com.hijinks Farm 562-5775, Farmstand; Eggs*, Fruit*, Honey, Maple Syrup, Vegetables*, hijinksfarm.com.Monadnock sugar house Maple Syrup & Products, monadnocksugarhouse.com.

Wild star Farm 532-2434, Meat (Rabbit), Vegetables.keene borden Maple Tree Farm 352-6466, PYO Blueberries, Maple Syrup & Products.Green Wagon Farm Farmstand; Honey, Maple Syrup & Products, Vegetables.Maple lane Farm 352-2329, PYO (Apples); Fruit, Maple Syrup & Products, Vegetables.Mt. Caesar Alpacas 355-3555, Farm Store; Clothing, Fiber, Yarn, mtcaesaralpacas.com.stonewall Farm 357-7278, CSA, Farmstand, PYO; Cheese, Eggs, Maple Syrup & Products, Meat (Beef), Vegetables, stonewallfarm.org.Whippie Farm 352-4868, Eggs.Wichland Woods 357-2758, Mushrooms, wichlandwoods.com.lAngdOn Clark’s sugar house/valley view bison 835-6863, Maple Syrup, Meat (Bison).shorts sugar house 835-2909, Maple Syrup & Products.lyndebOrOugHFox den Farm554-5596, Eggs, Starter Plants (Herb, Vegetable), Vegetables.MArlbOrOugH earth haven Farm 876-4036, Hay, Fleeces (Romney), Meat (Grass-Fed Beef & Beefalo, Lamb).Webber sugar house 876-4554, Maple Syrup & Products.MArlOw hodge Podge Farm 446-7917, Chicken, Eggs, Honey, Turkey.Painted shadow Farm 446-3944, Chicken, Fiber, Turkey.

Ruffled Feathers Farm 446-9474, Chicken, Eggs, Herbs, Meat (Pork, Rabbit), Maple Syrup, Plants (Vegetable Starts).MAsOn barrett hill Farm 878-4022, Fruit, Vegetables, barretthillfarm.com.MilfOrd butternut Farm 673-2963, Plants (Bedding, Herb), Vegetables, butternutfarmmilford.com.Fitch’s Corner Farmstand Eggs, Meat (Beef, Pork), Milk, fitchscornerfarmstand.com.holland Farm 673-0667, Farmstand; Eggs, Goat Products (Cheese, Milk & Soap), Vegetables, hollandfarmcsa.com.lull Farm 673-3119, Berries, Eggs, Vegetables, lullfarmllc.com.Mcleod bros. Orchards 673-3544, Apples, Pumpkins, Vegetables, mcleodorchards.com.Miracle Acres Farm 673-9077, Honey, Maple Syrup, miracleacresfarm.net.Trombly Gardens at sunny Prairie Farm 673-0647, CSA, Farmstand; Eggs, Fruit, Meat (Beef, Pork), Vegetables, tromblygardens.com.nelsOn elemental designs Fiber Arts 847-9763, Fleece, Lambs, Roving, Sheep (Romney),Yarn (Handspun and Cheshire Sheep).hidden birch Farm827-2950, Chicken, Eggs, Meat (Goat), Turkey, hiddenbirchfarm.com.

holland homestead Farm 827-3025, Goat Products (Cheese, Milk, Bath & Soap Items). new ipswiCH Amazing Flower Farm 878-9876, Fruit, Plants (Annuals, Perennials, Starter Vegetables).Cargill Farm769-7114, Fruits, Vegetables.sleeping Monk Farm Alpacas llC 878-2183, Alpacas, Batts, Fleeces (Raw), Products (Felted Sheets, Finished Goods, ), Roving, Yarn, sleepingmonkfarm.com.smith’s berries 878-1719, PYO (Blueberries).Winter’s summer home Farm291-0459, CSA; Vegetables.peterbOrOugH dancing dog Farm Milk (Goat), dancingdogfarm.wordpress.com. Far sight Farm 924-4333, Chickens (Pasture-Raised).

Nubanusit Neighborhood & Farm 924-3850, CSA, Tours First Sunday of the month, 2-4 pm, peterboroughcohousing.org.Rosaly’s Garden & Farmstand 924-3303, Farmstand, PYO; Fruit*, Herbs*, Vegetables*, rosalysgarden.com.sunnyfield Farm 924-4436, Chicken, Eggs, Meat (Beef, Lamb, Pork), Milk, Vegetables, sunnyfieldfarm.org.riCHMOnd ewe Mountain view 239-8008, Bunnies (Angora), Eggs, Fleeces. rindge Fairmont Farm 899-5445, Fleece.Fieldstone Farm 899-6009, Maple Syrup.sunflower Field Farm 899-2817, Maple Syrup & Products.White’s Farm stand 899-5000, Farmstand; Maple Syrup & Products, Vegetables.sHArOn Alpacas of Kilblaan Farm 924-6113, Alpacas, Fiber, kilblaanfarm.com.stOddArd Pitcher Mountain blueberries 446-3655, PYO (Wild Blueberries).Pitcher Mountain CsA 446-7094, CSA; Vegetables, pmcsa.org.Pitcher Mountain Farm 446-3350, Chicken, Eggs, Meat (Beef).shearluck Farm 847-9708, Meat (Lamb), Wool.sullivAn bo-Riggs Cattle Company 352-9920, Meat (Beef, Lamb).hollow Oak Farm 847-3417, Meat (Beef, Lamb), Vegetables, Wool (Felting Supplies, Rovings, Yarn).Moon Meadows Farm 847-3291, Meat (Boar, Goat), moonmeadowsfarm.com.surry Crescendo Acres 352-9380, Farm Store; Maple Syrup & Products, crescendoacres.com.

surry’s Wild & Woolly Farm 352-7193, Eggs.swAnzey stowell’s 352-8059, Custom Meat Services (Curing, Slaughtering, Smoking, Wrapping), Meat (Beef, Pork).teMple Autumn hill Farm 878-0802, Fruit*, Vegetables*.ben’s sugar shack 562-6595, Maple Syrup & Products.Connolly brothers dairy Farm 924-5002, Eggs, Ice Cream, Meat (Beef), Milk.Fiber dreams Farm 396-9136, Dyes, Fiber (Batts, Felt, Roving, Yarn), Rabbits (Angora), Sheep.herban living Farm 878-0459, Chicken, Eggs, Herbs, Meat (Beef), Vegetables, herbanlivingbandb.com.New Field Farm 878-2063, Blueberries, Vegetables, newfield.locallygrown.net.Nomadic Farms 547-5389, CSA.Temple Mountain beef 878-4290, Meat (Beef).trOy east hill Farm 242-6495, Chicken, Honey, Meat (Beef, Lamb, Pork), east-hill-farm.com.Monadnock berries 242-6417, PYO; Fruit, Vegetables, monadnockberries.com.Tri-Well Farm 313-3264, Cheese (Artisan Goat Milk), Goat Milk (Raw), [email protected] Abenaki springs Farm 445-2147, CSA; Chicken, Fruit*, Meat (Pork), Turkey, Vegetables*, abenakispringsfarm.com. Alyson’s Orchard756-9800, Farmstand, Fruit, PYO, alysonsorchard.com.boggy Meadow Farm 756-3300, Cheese, boggymeadowfarm.com.brookfield Farm 445-5104, Meat (Grass-Fed Beef*, Goat, Lamb), Milk*.

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Hidden Birch Farm96 Nubanusit Rd., Nelson

Chevon (Goat Meat), Meat Chickens, Fresh Eggs & Thanksgiving Turkeys

603-827-2950www.hiddenbirchfarm.com

(continued on next page)

Mountain Light Café & Farmstand Local & bioregional foods.

Local arts & crafts. Organic coffee, tea, chocolate.

Jewelry & gifts. 27 Main St., Jaffrey, 603.593.5085.

www.mountainlightcafe.com

Monadnock TableIt’s Local! • www.monadnocktable.com • Fall 201228 Monadnock TableIt’s Local! • www.monadnocktable.com • Fall 2012

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Crescent Farm 756-4049, Meat (Beef, Pork).Fletcher Farm 756-4230, Hay*, Milk*.homestead Farms 756-4800, PYO (Berries), Farmstand ; Maple Syrup, Plants (Bedding), Vegetables, homesteadfarmsnh.com.Milkhouse at Great brook Farm 756-4358, 313-8808, Cheese, Eggs, Honey, Maple Syrup, Meat (Beef, Pork), Milk (Raw).

Old drewsville Farm380-8386, Cut Flowers, Herbs, Seedlings.

Walpole Creamery 445-5700, Ice Cream, walpolecreamery.com. Walpole Mountain view Winery at barnett hill vineyard756-3948, Tastings, Tours; Wine,bhvineyard.com.Walpole valley Farms 756-2805, Chickens (Pastured), Eggs, Maple Syrup, Meat (100% Grass-Fed Beef, Pork), Turkeys (Pastured),Vegetables, walpolevalleyfarms.com.

wAsHingtOn All Good Farm 495-0520, Farmstand, PYO (Blueberries); Maple Syrup, Vegetables, allgoodfarm.com.eccardt Farm 495-3157, Farm Store; Meat (Beef, Pork, Veal), Milk.lovell Mountain Farm & Gardens 495-0055, Eggs, Herbs, Plants (Starter Vegetables), lovellmtn.com.Mirage Alpacas 495-3435, Alpacas, Goats, Sheep, miragealpacas.com.

west CHesterfield Kizazo Farm 256-6764, Chicken, Eggs, Vegetables.westMOrelAnd brick Oven Farm 399-7721, Chicken, Meat (Beef), Vegetables, brickovenfarm.com.edgefield Farm 399-9975, Meat (Whole Lamb), edgefieldsheep.com.Fertile Fields Farm 399-7772, CSA; Herbs*, Vegetables*, fertilefieldsfarm.com.high hopes Farm 399-4305, PYO (Blueberries & Raspberries), highhopesorchard.com.hillside springs Farm 399-7288, CSA; Fruit, Vegetables, hillsidespringsfarm.com.long Ridge Farm 313-8393, CVM/Romeldale Breeding Stock, Fleece (Raw), Rovings, Yarn, longridgefarm.com.Milkweed Farm 209-8676, Vegetables.Old Ciderpress Farm 399-7210, PYO (Apples); Apples, Chestnuts, Heirloom Cider.stuart & John’s sugar house 399-7778, Maple Syrup & Products, stuartandjohnssugarhouse.com.

wiltOn hungry bear Farm 654-6626, CSA-Vegetables, Herbs, hungrybearfarm.com.Nomadic Farms547-5389, CSA; Vegetables.winCHester black Cat honey 392-0008, Bee Products, Honey, blackcathoney.com.Cheshire Garden 239-4173, Fruit (Jams, Jellies), cheshiregarden.com.Country Critters Farm 831-0534, Cheese (Aged & Fresh), Milk (Farmstead Goat), [email protected] Measure Farm 239-4006, Meat (Whole Lamb), Fiber (Cotswold).Manning hill Farm 239-4397, Eggs, Meat (Beef, Pork), Milk, manninghillfarm.com.My Old Farm Pure Maple syrup 239-6751, Maple Syrup.Picadilly Farm 239-8718, CSA; Eggs, Meat (Lamb, Pork), Vegetables*, picadillyfarm.com.

Monadnock Table’s farm directory listings are free. Promote your seasonal offerings with a highlighted listing for $49. To purchase, send us an email at [email protected].

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Farmers’ MarketsYou’ll find a farmers’ market in the monadnock Region every day of the week!

MONDaY Peterborough: may-oct., 11-4 p.m., monadnock community hospital, northeast parking lot, Facebook: Fresh chicks local outdoor market.

TuesDaY

Keene: may-oct., 9 a.m.-2 p.m., behind the colonial theatre, main st., Facebook: keene Farmers market. (winter market begins in November.)

WeDNesDaY

Peterborough: may-oct., 3-6 p.m., depot sq., peterboroughfarmersmarketnh.com.

THursDaY

Keene: June-oct., 10 a.m.-2 p.m., cheshire medical center/dartmouth-hitchcock keene, rear employee entrance.

rindge: June-oct., 3-6 p.m., west rindge common Park at the corner of route 202 and bradford st.

FrIDaY

Harrisville/nelson: June-oct., 5-7 p.m., harrisville store or Nelson Village green. market begins June 8 in harrisville and alternates with Nelson every other week.

Walpole: may-oct., 4-7 p.m., town common, walpolefarmersmarket.com. (holiday market in december; winter market begins in January.)

saTurDaY

Gilsum: may-oct., 8 a.m.-noon, gilsum Village market, main st.

Hancock: may-oct., 9 a.m.-noon, horse sheds behind First congregational church, main st. (holiday market begins in November.)

Hillsborough: July-sept., 9 a.m.-noon, butler Park, corner of central and main sts., hillsboroughpride.org.

Jaffrey: June-sept., 9 a.m.-noon, coll’s market and deli parking lot, old sharon rd.

Keene: may-oct., 9 a.m.-2 p.m., behind the colonial theatre, main st., Facebook: keene Farmers market. (winter market begins in November.)

Milford: June-oct., 10 a.m.-1 p.m., granite town Plaza, elm st., milfordfarmersmarket.com. (winter market begins in November.)

Washington: may-oct., 10 a.m.-1 p.m., washington town common.

suNDaY

Temple: may-dec., 11 a.m.-2 p.m., temple town common, route 45. (holiday market begins in late october.)

28


SUMMER MARKET: behind The Colonial Theatre, Tuesday & Saturday, 9–2, through Oct. 27. Rain or shine.

WINTER MARKET: starts in early November. Watch ourFacebook page, The Farmers’ Market of Keene, for info.

The Market now accepts VISA, Master Card and SNAP

summer market open through oct. 13 at tractor supply Winter market starts oct. 20 at milford toWn hall, 10am-1:00pm

2013 Season Shares Available

Pick up at the farm, or in Keene, Greenfield or Brattleboro.

Lovely Pick-Your-Own Garden

Summer Season Shares 12 weeks, June through mid September

Full Season Shares25 weeks, June through Thanksgiving

SIGN UP ONLINE www.picadillyfarm.com

• Pasture Raised Chicken

• Rabbit Meat

• Farm Fresh Eggs

• Herb & Veggie Starts (in season)

603.446.9474

210 Newell Pond Road • Marlow, NH [email protected]

Phone and email inquiries welcome

PROTECT YOUR FARM, MINI-FARM, or

ORCHARD

New farm programs available through…

Whether you own or lease, whether it’s a berry, dairy, horse, or vegetable farm… you can choose from several

basic policies or build a custom policy to suit your own specific insurance needs!

Call us today for a no obligation quote!

10 Main Street, Peterborough, NH

603-‐924-‐7155 www.bellowsnichols.com


ORCHARD








ORCHARD







Flying Cloud Dairy in Alstead, NH

(603)835-2519

Raw milk from cows fed only grass. No grain.

William R. Jahos - Proprietor


sePTeMber1-2 sat., sun. art in the Park, ashuelot river Park, Keene. Monadnockareaartists.org.

13-16 thurs.-sun. (time TBa) responding to the Call of the Land: Building a Community Supported Food System in the Monadnock region, venues in Peterborough and Keene. [email protected].

15-16 sat., sun. (starts 4 p.m.) antrim’s Home & Harvest Festival, antrim. antrimnh.org.

15-16 sat., sun. (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) 7th annual Hillsborough Open Studio Tour, Hillsborough area. Hillsboroughartisans.com.

22 sat. (11 a.m.-5 p.m.) Marlborough Madness Festival, downtown Marlborough. 5K race starts at 9 a.m. Marlboroughmadness.com.

22 sat. (starts 5 p.m.) Fall Harvest Celebration and Potluck, Tracie’s Community Farm, Fitzwilliam. Traciesfarm.com.

22 sat. (10 a.m.-4 p.m.) winchester Pickle Festival, downtown winchester. 603-239-4951.

23 sun. (11 a.m.-3 p.m.) Ultimate Harvest Challenge, Stonewall Farm, Keene. Stonewallfarm.org.

29 sat. (noon-5 p.m.) 10th annual Schnitzelfest, downtown Hillsborough. Hillsboroughnhchamber.com.

29-30 sat., sun. (11 a.m.-4 p.m.) 4th annual Farm Family Fun Days, Crescendo acres, Surry. Crescendoacres.com.

OCTOber6-7 sat., sun. (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) Open Studio art Tour, studios throughout the Monadnock region. Monadnockart.org/art-tour.php.

6-8 sat., sun., mon. (9 a.m.-4 p.m.) annual N.H. wool arts Tour, shops and farms throughout the Monadnock region. woolartstournh.com.

7 sun. (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) Local Food Festival, Thayer Public Library, rt. 119 (3 Main St.) ashuelot, 239-6521 or 239-6830.

10 Wed. (9 a.m.-noon) Monadnock Matchmaker, Stonewall Farm, Keene. Cheshireconservation.org.

13 sat. (9 a.m.-4 p.m.) “Peak into Peterborough” celebration. Greater-peterborough-chamber.com.

20 sat. (noon-8:30 p.m.) Keene Pumpkin Festival, downtown Keene. Pumpkinfestival.org.

28 sun. (2-5 p.m.) Haunted Hayrides, Stonewall Farm, Keene. Stonewallfarm.org.

NOveMber3-4 sat., sun. (10 a.m.-5 p.m.) New Hampshire Open Doors, locations throughout the state. NHopendoors.com.

4 sun. (5-8 p.m.) New Hampshire Growers Dinner, The inn at east Hill Farm, Troy. reservations: 603-242-6495.

16-17 Fri. (5-8 p.m.), sat. (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) Thanksgiving Farm Fair, Stonewall Farm, Keene. Stonewallfarm.org.

23 Fri. (all day) Plaid Friday, throughout the Monadnock region. Monadnocklocal.org/plaidfriday.

ONgOINg Fall eveNTsFirst sunday of the Month, (Year-round 2-4 p.m.) “what is Co-Housing?” Nubanusit Neighborhood & Farm, Peterborough. Peterboroughcohousing.org.

First saturday of the Month, (June-October, 10 a.m.) Farm Tours at walpole Valley Farms, walpole. walpolevalleyfarms.com.

Fall Calendar

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Don’t miss the Monadnock Matchmaker event. Wednesday, Oct. 10, 9am - noon, Stonewall Farm, Keene, NH.rsvp: [email protected]

Farmers: do you want to sell wholesale?

Buyers: do you want to purchase from local farms?

Cultivate a wholesale relationship!

www.cheshireconservation.org or 603.756.2988, ext. 116

Hand Dyed YarnsIncluding Local Alpaca Yarn

Shop online at Nightingalefibers.com 603-547-6645

Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival 9/29-9/30 Wool Arts Tour 10/6-10/7 New England Fiber Festival 11/3-11/4

Visit us this Fall


A gripping novel about a small Vermont town caught in the crossfire of multi-national agribusiness and genetically

contaminated crops.

Seed Keepers of Crescentville

by Local Author Jeanne Prevett Sable

“ This book is far from fanciful. It portrays real technologies and the real resistance of teed-off people around the world.” –Bill McKibben

At your local bookstore, library, or online: booklocker.com/books/2001.html

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www.bauhanpublishing.com603-567-4430

Publishing books to nourish

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The Seed Underground: A Growing Revolution to Save Food by Janisse ray (Chelsea Green Publishing, Vermont)

By Willard WilliamsCo-owner, The Toadstool Bookshops

while the wordplay of the title “The Seed Underground: a Growing

revolution to Save Food” is a tad too clever, the book itself is a fascinating look at the movement to preserve thousands of heirloom plant varieties for our future. But before delving into her interviews of more than a dozen revolutionary seed savers, Janisse ray gives us compelling reasons to be grateful for their efforts. She points out it is giant corporations and big agriculture (“Big ag”) that are the cause for concern. Human agriculture is the result of farmers selecting and crossbreeding for thousands of years, improving varieties and passing down the seeds down through the ages. But that all changed in the 1930s when Big ag introduced hybrids. The result: By 1939 nearly 90 percent of iowa’s corn was planted with the hybrid Golden Cross Bantam; by 1946 all of iowa’s corn was hybrid. The problem with hybrid seeds is that they do not grow “true,” that is, you don’t get the same variety if you use the seeds from a hybrid plant. So, a vicious cycle ensues: Seed for next year’s crop has to be bought from the company that manufactures the hybrid. For economic reasons farmers stuck with the hybrid and tossed the old home grown seed corn varieties, and “in giving up seed saving, became prisoners to Big ag,” ray writes. The 1990s brought GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and farmers embraced “GM corn” as they had hybrid corn. But, ray wonders, did Monsanto develop roundup ready plants to feed the world and protect the environment? Or to sell more roundup from its chemical division? The rest of the book, however, celebrates the seed savers. There’s will Bonsall in Maine who keeps alive 1,300 varieties and Sylvia Davatz with 150 in her Vermont garden of a few hundred square feet — she believes locally grown seeds are the logical next step for the local food movement. in Georgia, the author’s home state, we meet several gardeners maintain-ing heirloom varieties of vegetables such as okra, sweet potatoes and cowpeas. it is the sharing of seed lore, seed saving methods, and the seeds themselves in the “seed underground” that so entrances ray. She’s hooked and she says her book “is for everyone, but it is especially for young people” that they may build lives that “make sense” and “are lived as far outside and beyond corporate control as possible.” Her belief: “… the most powerful thing in the world. it is the seed.” Careful, this wonderful book could leave you hooked too.

THE TOADSTOOL BOOKSHOPS“Enchanting selections of wonderful books and music”

And online at toadbooks.comwhere you can see what’s in stock at our stores, what’s available to order,

and you can download e-books for many types of e-readers

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Lorden Plaza Milford 673-1734


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Please see our website for farm hours & purchase locations

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Visit our kitchen, bath and window treatment showroom

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Thank you for shopping locally owned!

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The back Page backyard

Weed-Free AbundanceBy Jeanne Prevett Sable

on Witzke’s 4,000 square feet of garden space yields more than enough food for himself, his partner, Michael Bell, and many of their friends and neighbors. What it doesn’t seem to grow at all is weeds. We toured the raised bed boxes around their lovely 1906 home in Dublin and talked with Witzke and Bell, to find out their secret to a weed-free garden.

Ron, what are the boards lying on the ground at the edge of the boxes for?The old boards become edging after we’ve replaced them. it keeps the weeds down around the boxes where it would be hard to mow.

Looks like you mow a lot of grass. i don’t mow grass; i harvest it. it’s against my religion to weed. i use grass clippings to smother the weeds.

What else keeps the weeds down?Mulch, mulch, mulch — woodchips, compost, manure and pine needles (for around the blueberry bushes). Soon i’ll be moving these bags of leaves to the shed for winter. i use black plastic for the most persistent weeds.

What vegetables do you grow?everything but corn — it’s a raccoon magnet. Soon we’ll be harvesting chard, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and a fall crop of lettuce and peas. in august we froze pesto from the parsley and basil. we give away tons of food and sometimes trade veggies for organic chickens and geese. we grow pots full of

hot peppers and other heat-loving herbs out on the patio. Cilantro goes into practically everything. we make our own salsa with a special chopping machine. a regular processor just emulsifies it. we grow dill (for pickles), leeks (for homegrown potato leek soup) and walking onions.

I see you grow lots of gladiolus, dahlias, peonies, Mexican sunflowers and wildflowers.Yes, we have quite a following of ladies who depend on us for free gladiolus. Food without flowers is life without spirit.

You seem committed to sustaining both.we’ve lost the sanctity of food. it’s become a commodity. Here, we don’t eat from boxes or cans. Michael does all the cooking and i do the baking.

Any tips on keeping food for winter?i leave the butternut squash in the sun to cure for about a week. when the leaves die off, we store them in the cellar where it stays about 40 degrees. we put them against the wall along with pumpkins, beets, carrots, etc. They’ll keep until January or February. we put the apples down there and juice them for cider or make applesauce which we freeze. The apple tree was overgrown. i spray it with horticultural oil and prune it no more than 25 percent a year.

Michael, what dish do you most like to prepare?everything’s a favorite dish. i make a lot of stir-fries. i’ll use a hot and spicy oregano on coconut Thai trout with cilantro and

onions. Or i’ll peel, cube and stir-fry butternut squash with green onions, garlic, parsley and peppers for a sweeter dish. Sometimes i’ll take eggplant fingers, cut them thick, brush with olive oil, and bake with a topping of garlic, Parmesan cheese and white panko crumbs. Fresh tomatoes are always good with fresh mozzarella. i like to do grilled stir-fries too: summer squash, zucchini, onions, garlic, mushrooms — you cut them in advance and marinate in a bowl for four hours with olive oil, fresh minced parsley, peppers of all colors, oregano and cook on the grill. You can also grill corn, asparagus or pork tenderloin in foil. we drink teas from our mint — chocolate, spearmint and other flavors. For dessert: ricotta pudding with peaches and berries.

Jeanne Prevett Sable is a writer, musician and author of seed keepers of crescentville. She lives in Fitzwilliam.

The Back Page Backyard is a peek at what our neighbors are growing and raising in the Monadnock Region. Have an idea for this page? Email us: [email protected].

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Visit New Hampshire’s Oldest Inn

Food for the Hungry•

Drink for the Thirsty•

Rest for the Weary

Established in 1789, our country inn offers fine New England cuisineTuesday - Saturday 5:3o - 8:oo pm or our Innkeepers’ Supper on Sunday

from 5:3o - 7:oo pm served in our colonial dining room or cozy tavern. And with13 comfortable guest rooms, The Hancock Inn is a perfect get-away close to home.

Call 603-525-3318 for dinner or room reservations.

• The Hancock Inn • 33 Main St 8 • Hancock, NH •

Visit New Hampshire’s Oldest Inn

Established in 1789, our country inn offers fine New England cuisineTuesday ~ Saturday 5:30 ~ 8:00 pm or our Innkeepers’ Supper on Sunday

from 5:30 ~ 7:00 pm served in our colonial dining room or cozy tavern. And with13 comfortable guest rooms, The Hancock Inn is a perfect get-away close to home.

Call 603-525-3318 for dinner or room reservations.

• The Hancock Inn • 33 Main St. • Hancock, NH •

Food for the Hungry•

Drink for the Thirsty•

Rest for the Weary

105 Main Street • Keene, NH • (603) 352-3039109 Main Street • Brattleboro, VT • (802) 254-2287 • mbnmenswear.com

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In our Winter Issue (available december 1)local beer & Wine • Cut Your Own Christmas Tree • Winter Farmers’ Markets & More!visit us at www.monadnocktable.com • Follow us on Facebook & Twitter

Photo: Kimberly Peck

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Monadnock Table Fall 2012