Tag: NH

Farm & Garden Education Update

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A first draft of the MFCC Farm and Garden Education Toolkit was presented to a small group of teachers, parents, school staff, farmers, gardeners and students at Antioch University New England on December 3, 2009.

In addition to viewing a slide show of photos from the toolkit’s ten case studies, the group offered feedback and next steps for strengthening young people’s connections to local food and farming.

One suggestion was to post the case studies and other sections of the toolkit onto a blog – to share the information and initiate more networking and discussion.  This is the first of many postings!

Please feel free to share your questions and comments.

What Does a Local Living Economy Mean to Us?

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In November 2009, a group of community members gathered to explore the concept of a Local Living Economy.  The BALLE Network has its own definition, but what does it mean to us – citizens of the Monadnock Region?

Here is a small sample of ideas to describe a Monadnock Local Living Economy – What would you add?

The Monadnock Local Living Economy is a place where:

  • All citizens can have a great quality of life.
  • Our basic needs are met within our community and region.
  • Individuals realize that they are beyond the worth of their jobs.
  • Leadership helps identify common ground and overarching community goals.
  • Citizens are creating a new definition of what our needs really are.
  • Individuals and banks are investing in social capital.
  • We are working cooperatively and collaboratively.
  • All citizens are engaged and feel included.
  • Celebrating our community.
  • We are thinking of our community as a system.

Monadnock Buy Local Grows Regional Effort to Support Local and Independent Businesses

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Monadnock citizens and local business owners are invited to help grow a grassroots movement in our region: Monadnock Buy Local (MBL).

A MBL Steering Committee is forming and current members are reaching out to towns beyond Keene to make this truly a regional effort.  For more information, contact MonadnockBuyLocal@gmail.com.

Monadnock Buy Local’s roots lie with the Keene Buy Local Initiative – a project of the Keene Downtown Group.   The Keene Buy Local Initiative launched a 10% Shift Challenge the week of July 1-7, 2009, to coincide with other nationwide celebrations of “Independents Week”.  For more information visit http://keenelocal.com.

The Keene Downtown Group is a non-profit membership organization whose mission is to insure the vibrancy and vitality of Downtown Keene: http://keenedowntown.com.

July Farm of the Month: Rosaly’s Garden & Farmstand

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Rosaly’s Garden and Farmstand
P. O. Box 210, Peterborough, NH 03458-0210
603-924-3303
RosalyBass@aol.com
By Jan Sevene

Local vegetables and fruits are fresh and nutritious. To assure they are grown in a healthy and sustainable environment, we’re often reminded:  “get to know the farmer.” Rosaly Bass, master gardener and owner of Rosaly’s Garden and Farmstand, is one farmer you will want to know.  In business for over thirty years, her 16-acre Rosaly’s Garden is the oldest and second largest Certified Organic Farm in New Hampshire. And because every vegetable, fruit, herb and flower sold at the farmstand is grown right on the farm, each is guaranteed organic.

“People just love the farmstand. It’s convenient right on Rte. 123. It’s organic food. And, Rosaly puts her heart and soul into it,” says Donna White,” the farm’s bookkeeper, herself a first-year gardener who uses Bass’s book on successful organic gardening as her guide.

Every day from mid-May to Columbus Day, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with numerous locally-made foods and crafts, Rosaly’s Farmstand offers mounds of tasty, farm-fresh, colorful and seasonal vegetables, fruits and herbs, plus fresh flowers. These encompass 90% of the farm’s produce. The additional 10% continues to provide for the community, sold to local markets, health food stores, restaurants and schools.

Scissors, baskets, or containers of water are provided for Rosaly’s Garden customers, to harvest the vegetables, herbs, berries or flowers of their choice.  The adventure of a scavenger hunt delights children searching for small plaster animals hiding among the culinary and medicinal herbs.

Get to know Rosaly Bass (see NOFA NH Organic Garden & Farm Tour). For more information on the many ways to get farm-fresh food from Rosaly’s Garden and Farmstand, and learn about the informative book and video series on organic gardening by Master Gardener Rosaly Bass, visit http://www.rosalysgarden.com.

Other farm-direct vegetables:

Keene Farmers’ Market
Tuesdays and Saturdays
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Gilbo Ave.
Keene, NH

Green Wagon Farm
Bill Jarrell
Upper Court St.
Keene, NH
603-355-3258