Join local fishermen and chefs in support and celebration of our local fishing industry at the 2013 New Hampshire Fresh & Local Seafood Kickoff! on Sunday, May 26th at the Portsmouth Commercial Fishing Pier:

2013 New Hampshire Fresh & Local Seafood Kickoff!
New Hampshire Sea Grant
Portsmouth Commercial Fishing Pier, Portsmouth, NH
Sunday, May 26, 2013
12–3 pm

• Taste fresh and local fish species
• Taste Red Hook Brewery’s “Black Lobstah Lagah”
• Meet local fishermen, brewers, chefs
• Learn about what you can do to support this 400 year-old industry

$18 online only: http://bit.ly/NHSeafoodKickoff

Contact: Gabby Bradt, gabriela.bradt@unh.edu or 603-862-0107.

For more information: http://www.seagrant.unh.edu/sites/seagrant.unh.edu/files/media/pdfs/extension/may_26_flier.pdf

Explore the growing and use of local grain, its nutritional value, and how to use this food in cooking new and old recipes. Also look at ways to shop smart using local farmers’ markets, CSA’s, and grocery stores.

Presenters:
• Introductory Remarks – John Carroll, Professor and Author
• Farmer – Dorn Cox of Tuckaway Farm on grains
• Nutritionist – Joanne Curran-Celentano, Professor of Nutritional Science, UNH
• Chef – Ted McCormack of the Blue Moon

For more information and reservations, please call the Lee Library 603-659-2626

Sponsored by the Lee Agricultural Commission and Lee Library.

For more information: www.leenh.org

Farming 101: A History of Farming in Kittery and Eliot
Kittery Land Trust
Star Theater, Kittery Community Center, Kittery, ME
Saturday, May 11, 2013
4 pm

Join us for the screening of Farming 101, a unique opportunity to learn more about the rich farming history of Route 101 in Kittery and Eliot.The film features Rustlewood Farm, where KLT is working to establish a 300-acre conservation easement.

Filmmaker and local resident Peter Randall tells the story of the many farms that for 200 years lined Wilson and Goodwin Road. “I simply wanted to document a way of life that was once so vital to our communities,” said the filmmaker.

Historic photographs and firsthand accounts from those whose families farmed the 8-mile stretch present a lost way of life. Now only a few working farms remain, Rustlewood–the last diary in Kittery–being one.

Randall will join the screening for questions and discussion.

This event is a part of KLT’s “Year of the Farm” events, which help increase understanding and appreciation of the importance of local farmland.

All “Year of the Farm” events are free and open to the public.

For more information: www.kitterylandtrust.org

A workshop for small, sustainable poultry farmers interested in breeding, growing and selling standard bred poultry:

Raising Heritage Poultry for Profit and Pleasure
Sustainable Poultry Network
Smiling Cat Farm, 155 Chase Rd, South Hampton, NH
Saturday, June 1, 2013
9am – 5pm

Have you ever tasted a farm-fresh egg or freshly-harvested chicken? Many people are now raising their own poultry for personal use or for sale, making this an exciting time in the poultry industry. The marketplace for historical, heritage breeds of poultry is growing rapidly. Would you like to learn about standard bred poultry? Learn how to breed and reproduce heritage poultry for eggs and meat! Learn about sustainable breeding, and how to market poultry products in stores, restaurants, and in your community! Learn what breeds are on the verge of extinction and how you can be a part of their preservation! During this workshop, you’ll learn how to iden­tify breeds, how to select and breed them legally and safely, how to create an envi­ronment for maximum, natural production, and finally, how to strategically market your poultry for a small farm profit.

• Session 1–2 – “Necessity of Identifying Heritage Poultry”
• Session 3 – “Facilities, Feed and Forage”
• Session 4 – “Selecting Heritage Poultry for Production” (both meat and eggs)
• Session 5 – “Introduction to Breeding Standard Bred Poultry”
• Session 6 – “Budgeting, Marketing and your Small Farm Business Planning”

The Sustainable Poultry Network offers workshops, seminars, and full classes in a wide range of topics regarding sustainable farming with poultry. Workshops, seminars and clinics are taught by the very best instructors and poultry specialists in the country.

Early registration, May 24: $89.
Late registration: $109.

For more information: www.sustainablepoultrynetwork.com

Despite the hardy souls we see walking around in shorts (we mean you, Mr. UPS Man) and sandals, it’s still considered early spring here and evenings can be downright chilly. We find ourselves craving such warming foods as this duck confit, served up with a side of red cabbage braised with ginger and apples. Truth be told, though, this week-end meal was just an excuse to make a pile of potatoes pan-fried in duck fat.

We started with the red cabbage, and sautéed it with a chopped onion, a couple of apples, and some chunks of ginger. For a braising liquid, we used hard cider with a splash of tart cider vinegar and, for some balancing sweetness, apple molasses; maple syrup would serve just as well. We keep a stash of Popper’s duck confit on hand, and after searing it in a cast iron pan a crust formed, we set the legs aside and finished cooking the potatoes in the remaining duck fat. The secret to crunchy potatoes: Blanch the cut pieces briefly in unsalted water, drain until dry, and, if possible, let them cool down before finishing frying; the sugars and starches drawn to the surface through par-cooking work to form a crispy shell surrounding an almost souffléd texture within.

Local ingredients: Duck confit from Popper’s Artisanal Meats; red cabbage from Red Manse Farm; onion from Black Kettle Farm; canola oil  from Coppal House Farm; hard cider from Nottingham Orchard; apples from Hackleboro Orchards; cider vinegar from Sewall’s Orchard; sea salt from Maine Sea Salt; homemade apple molasses, and the last of our storage potatoes from the garden. — Diary of a Tomato

Jenness Farm Spring Open House
Jenness Farm, 77 Garland Rd, Nottingham, NH
Saturday – Sunday, May 4 – 5, 2013
10 am – 6 pm, both days

Join us for our Spring Open House May 4th and 5th, 10am-6pm both days. Tour the farm, visit the animals and see the Spring babies. There will also be face painting, local artisans, live music both days and food from The Kitchen Restaurant. Bring a blanket and stay awhile!

• LIVE MUSIC! Saturday from 1 – 3:30pm by Bluegrass/Western Swing Band “LUNCH AT THE DUMP” and Open Mic on Sunday from 12 – 2pm featuring local musicians!

• The Kitchen Restaurant in Portsmouth will be there cooking up lunch for a hungry crowd in their mobil kitchen!! Great food choices for children and adults alike! Bring your appetite!

• We will have the customary yummy Cider Donuts from Stonehouse Bakery (while they last)! Face Painting for the children, tour the farm, meet & feed the goats and other creatures who live at the farm, visit the Spring Babies, check out our guest vendors and local artisans!

• Shop our wonderful handcrafted goat milk soaps and body care products, locally produced maple syrup, cheese, BBQ sauce & jams, free range eggs, beautiful photography, sweet hand felted characters, ceramics and more!! Too much to list!

• There will be milking demonstrations and spinning demonstrations!

Bring the kids, bring a blanket and enjoy life on the farm!We look forward to seeing you!

For more information: www.jennessfarm.com

3rd Annual Ploughing Competition
Coppal House Farm, Lee, NH
Saturday, May 4, 2013
10am

Our Third Annual Ploughing Competition is this Saturday, May 4th, 10 am – early afternoon. Free to the Public! Great family fun & photo opportunities! Come and watch teams of horses & oxen compete!

For more information: www.nhcornmaze.com

*Check out these amazing photos from last year’s competition!