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Archway Farm Launches “Farm to Table on Wheels” Crowdfunding Campaign

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Archway Farm in Keene, NH is excited to announce that they have been selected by The Local Crowd (TLC) Monadnock as one of two crowdfunding campaigns focused on sustainable agriculture.

Archway Farm, a small family farm on Arch Street, is dedicated to raising quality local pork.

“With the support of our community, we would like to purchase a mobile sausage cart that would allow us to showcase the great tastes of locally grown food directly to our customers,” said Mark Florenz, owner of Archway Farm. “Our pork is available at the Monadnock Food Coop in Keene and the North End Butchers in Brattleboro, but we feel a direct connection to customers is critical to our farms sustainability.”

TLC Monadnock will officially launch online on March 15, 2017 with two campaigns focused on sustainable agriculture: Archway Farm’s “Farm to Table on Wheels” project and Stonewall Farm’s “Barn Raising” project. Supporting sustainable agriculture is a prominent part of Keene’s Comprehensive Master Plan.

“TLC Monadnock is about us — our region, our community — and the goals we’ve created around economic development and prosperity,” said Jen Risley, Monadnock Buy Local Executive Director. “We invite everyone to become a campaign supporter — it doesn’t matter where you live.”

Stonewall Farm in Keene will host The Local Crowd Monadnock’s Launch Party on Saturday, March 18, 2017 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The event includes food samples, children’s activity stations and hayrides. Also, this event is free that is open to the public.

Follow Archway Farm on Facebook for updates or contact Mark Florenz at mark.florenz@gmail.com or 603-352-3198.

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Fermentation Workshop: Kvass & Condiments

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event-slider-2017-fermentation-kvaasThe Monadnock Food Co-op will host a free workshop Fermentation: Kvass & Condiments on March 8, 2017 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Railroad Square Senior Housing Conference Room, 49 Community Way in Keene (next door to the Co-op).

Workshop presenter Celeste Longacre, author of Celeste’s Garden Delights, will describe why probiotics and other microorganisms present in fermented foods are necessary for the health of our gut biome.

Some fermented foods are complicated to make and take a long time to process. But a fruit kvass can be put together in under three minutes, a beet one in about five and fermented mayonnaise and ketchup can be made in ten or fifteen minutes each.

“Celeste will highlight how easy and inexpensive it can be to provide you and your family with healthy, immune supporting fermented foods” said Megan Straughen, Events, Education & Sustainability Coordinator at Monadnock Food Co-op. “We are excited to host this class as we are always trying to find ways to help our customers and member-owners make their dollars stretch farther and give them tools to eat healthy, even when time for food preparation is at a bare minimum these days.”

Registration is required: Visit http://monadnockfood.coop/event/fermentation-kvass-condiments-workshop or call 603-283-5401.

About Celeste Longacre:

Celeste Longacre is the author of “Celeste’s Garden Delights” as well as a blogger for “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” and “Mother Earth News”. She lives sustainably with her husband, Bob, and grows nearly all of her family’s vegetables. She learned how to make fruit kvass nearly six years ago, makes 1/2 gallon a week, and hasn’t been sick a single day since starting to drink it. Visit her website at www.celestelongacre.com.

CSA Day is February 24, 2017

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csa-dayCSA Day Offers Second Chance for New Year’s Resolutions

By Maegen Laney Noble and Kristen Laney O’Toole

Are your New Year’s resolutions already in the rear-view mirror? If so, you’re not alone, but you still have time to make good on those resolutions. February 24th marks the third annual CSA Day when you can join other like-minded people around the country who are committed to:

  • eating healthful foods and preparing them for their families;
  • supporting their local farmer;
  • being kind to our planet;
  • learning something new; and being adventurous in the kitchen.

CSAs in the Monadnock Region

CSA (community-supported agriculture) is a subscription to a season’s worth of sustainable, locally grown produce that is distributed to members throughout the harvesting season. It is a form of investment that allows small farmers to continue growing on a scale that may not be sustainable without the CSA model. CSA members enjoy the quality of fresh fruits and vegetables for their family, while supporting their local farmer.

According to Small Farm Central’s CSA Farming Annual Report, the most popular time to join a CSA each year is at the end of February. To promote this important time for farmers, CSA Day was coined, and each year it falls on the last Friday in February. It’s an entire day dedicated to the celebration of community-supported agriculture, and CSA farmers enjoy an influx of sign-ups from members, which gives them revenue when they need it most for the growing season.

Getting food from a CSA is different from going to a farmers market or using a grocery delivery service. As a CSA member, you make a seasonal commitment to a small farmer in your area, and the produce is either delivered to your door or you pick it up at a local distribution center. CSA members take pleasure in knowing where and how their food is grown, and typically have an open line of communication with their farmer.

“Community-supported agriculture is all about relationships and feeding families,” said Simon Huntley, CEO of Small Farm Central, a company that provides marketing support for small farms and started CSA Day. “CSA farmers typically teach members what’s in season throughout the year, and help them appreciate and cook food to which they may not otherwise be exposed.”

How to Get Involved with CSA Day

If you believe in the value of the work your local farmer does and would like to help that farm be successful, sign up for a CSA on February 24, and use the hashtag #CSAday to join the online conversation. To find a CSA in your area, search this CSA directory. You can also sign up here to stay up to date on news and updates about CSA Day.

About Small Farm Central and CSA Day

In 2006, Simon Huntley combined his passion for helping small farmers and his experience in technology to found Small Farm Central. The organization serves the technology needs of small business farmers,  including websites, ecommerce, CSA member management and marketing tools. Small Farm Central coined CSA Day in February 2015 to celebrate local agriculture among CSA members and farmers. Small Farm Central has worked with more than 1,000 farms across the U.S. and Canada. For more information, please visit www.smallfarmcentral.com and www.csaday.info.

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