Join Slow Food Seacoast and the Black Trumpet Bistro in getting children from Vivian E. Hussey Elementary School out of the classroom and into the field at Riverside Farm in North Berwick.  Children will do some spring planting and receive seeds to plant at home. The students will then return  to school to have a local meal in the cafeteria.

We are in need of people to help with the following:

• Friday May 18,  8:30 – 11:30: Assist with logistics of children arriving and departing from Riverside farm on buses and guiding groups where they need to go.

• Friday May 18, 10:30 – 1:30: Help Black Trumpet Chef Evan Mallett plate and serve a Taco Salad made from local ingredients in the cafeteria at Vivian E. Hussey School in North Berwick.

Please email slowfoodseacoast@gmail.com  or call Evan at  207-752-1389 to volunteer. It is going to be a great day and a wonderful opportunity to give children a hands-on learning experience!

A free screening of Meet Your Farmer and Rustlewood, two documentaries about farming in Maine, is being hosted by the Kittery Land Trust on Sunday, May 20th at 4 p.m. at the Dance Hall in Kittery, ME. These event is part of KLT’s Lecture/Film Series celebrating their 25th Anniversary, and is free and open to the public:

Film Screening: “Meet Your Farmer” and “Rustlewood”
Kittery Land Trust Lecture/Film Series
The Dance Hall, 7 Walker St, Kittery, ME
Sunday, May 20, 2012, beginning  at 4 p.m.
Free and open to the public.

Join us for the fourth of Kittery Land Trust’s 2012 monthly lecture/film series. Two short films — Meet Your Farmer produced by Maine Farmland Trust and Rustlewood by Peter Randall on the Johnson Farm of Kittery — present nine authentic portrayals of the enduring vibrancy of Maine farming from Aroostook to York County.  Meet Your Farmer  and Peter Randall’s new documentary featuring Kittery’s own Johnson Dairy Farm, reveal the beauty and hard work behind producing food locally. Total run time: 62 minutes.

This series, celebrating KLT’s 25th Anniversary, is free and open to the public, no reservations required.

For more information: www.kitterylandtrust.org

Ben Hewitt, author of Making Supper Safe, is next in Food and Health Forum’s dinner and seminar series, Food for Thought. Hewitt will be speaking on “Good Germs, Bad Germs: Exploring the Relationship Between Humans, Bacteria & Food” on Monday, May 21st, at 6:30 p.m. at Blue Moon Evolution:

Food and Health Forum: Ben Hewitt
Blue Moon Evolution, 8 Clifford St, Exeter, NH
Monday, May 21, 2012
6:30 – 9 p.m.

Join us for dinner on May 21st to hear Ben Hewitt as he teaches us about the United States food industry and how it impacts our health. Ben has investigated both the “vulnerabilities” of industrialized food processing and the “possibilities” of regionalized food systems and will share his stories over a locally sourced dinner at the Blue Moon Evolution restaurant in Exeter, NH.

Here are some of the questions that Ben investigates in his book, Making Supper Safe:

• What power do the USDA and the FDA have to protect our food?
• Is it really in our best interests to have a handful of corporations presiding over our food?
• What’s the cause of antibiotic resistance in the U.S. and why do 18,000 Americans die from it?
• How does the food we consume affects the microbiota of our gut?
• How much does our “interior terrain” have to do with how we react to germs that we encounter every day?
• Why does the consumption of processed foods cause havoc on our intestinal flora?

Ben is the author of two books about regional food systems and economies: The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food, and Making Supper Safe: One Man’s Quest to Learn the Truth About Food Safety. Be part of this important community discussion as Ben looks at the “ever expanding distance between people and their sources of nourishment.”

The seminar goes from 6:30 – 9:00 pm. The cost for the dinner and seminar is $70. For information or to register go to www.foodandhealthforum.com or register at the Blue Moon Evolution located at 8 Clifford Street, Exeter, New Hampshire. For more information call 603-380-1080.  Special rates are offered for farmers ($35) and non-profits ($55).

For more information: www.foodandhealthforum.com

Are Pests, Disease, and Weeds the bane of your beautiful garden? Learn how to better identify and control the vermin that feast on your garden’s bounty at this hands-on workshop — enthusiastic Gardeners and Gardening Families Welcome!

Individual workshops are $15 per family or $40 for all four remaining sessions. To register, contact Ron Christie, UNH Cooperative Extension Rockingham County office, at 603-679-5616 orron.christie@unh.edu. Because of limited space, registration is required.

Workshops through September: Tuesday, May 15: Weeds, Pests, and Disease; Crop Rotation; Companion Plants and Allies; Tuesday, May 29: Permaculture; Composting; Cover Crops and Green Manures; Tuesday, Sept. 11: Extend Your Growing Season; Tuesday, Sept. 25: Closing YourGarden, Assessing Your Success, Planning for Next Year

For workshop flyer >

As part of American Craft Beer Week, Nicole Carrier of Throwback Brewery will be speaking about “Brewing A Truly Local Beer: The Process, Challenges and Rewards” at the Rye Public Library on Wednesday, May 16th at 7 p.m. This session includes a tasting of Throwback beer, and is free and open to the public:

Brewing A Truly Local Beer: The Process, Challenges and Rewards
Nicole Carrier, Throwback Brewery
Rye Public Library, 581 Washington Rd, Rye, NH
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
7 – 8 p.m.

Join us as we welcome Nicole Carrier of Throwback Brewery during American Craft Beer Week, May 14th-20th 2012 for this timely discussion of a locally produced and sourced (and outstanding) craft beer.

Today’s consumers are increasingly interested about knowing where their food comes from. But what about knowing where your beer comes from? In this session, Nicole Carrier – Rye resident and owner of North Hampton-based Throwback Brewery – will discuss the process of crafting a truly local beer (from malting through distribution), as well as some of the challenges and opportunities. The session will conclude with a tasting of several of Throwback Brewery’s locally-crafted brews.

Free and open to the public.

For more information: www.ryepubliclibrary.org

The 36th Annual New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival takes place this weekend, Saturday, May 12th to Sunday, May 13th, at its new location, the Deerfield Fairgrounds:

36th Annual New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival
Deerfield Fairgrounds, Deerfield, NH
May 12 – 13, 2012
Saturday 9am – 5pm, Sunday 9am – 4pm
Adults – $5.00, Seniors 62 and over – $4.00, Children 12 and under – Free

Each year the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Festival lines up a wide variety of presenters to help educate the public on everything sheep or wool related. Your family can take advantage of the many activities taking place throughout the weekend. These include demonstrations and talks on everything from sheep shearing to sheep dogs, to nutrition for your sheep and raising angora rabbits for fiber use, including:

• Educational Programs and Special Workshops
• Dog Herding Demos & Sheep Dog Trial
• Fleece to Shawl Contest
• Fiber Show
• Fleece Show & Sale
• Breed Display
• Youth Shows
• Vendor Auction
• Sheep Quiz Bowl
• Commercial Exhibitors
• Sheep Equipment

Sponsored by the New Hampshire Sheep and Wool Growers Association, and the New England Alpaca Owners & Breeders Association.

For more information: www.nhswga.com

When it comes to gardening or farming, having the right tool can make all the difference. NOFA-NH and the UNH Coop Extension is co-sponsoring a hand tool demonstration for gardeners and commercial gardeners on Tuesday, May 15th, 5 to 7 p.m., at Tuckaway Farm in Lee, NH:

Small Equipment Demonstrations for Vegetable Farms – Part II
Tuckaway Farm, 59 Randall Road, Lee, NH
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
5 – 7 p.m.

Presenters: Chris Hiller, Commercial Sales Representative and Adam Lemiuex, Tools Product Manager from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

Hand tool demonstration for gardeners and commercial growers. Weeding, seeding, transplanting, cultivating and harvesting tools will be demonstrated and you’ll get a chance to try some hands-on practice as well as hammer in a few ground posts to show the beginning of setting up a high tunnel.

Cost: $5.00 per person, pay at the door.

Register: To RSVP, contact the NOFA-NH office at 224-5022 or Ray Conner at bof@nofanh.org

This project was supported by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant # 2011-49400-30510, and is co-sponsored by NOFA-NH and the UNHCE.

For more information: www.nofanh.org

Using data exclusively from government sources (principally USDA and US Census data) dating from 2010 and 2011, the Locavore Index measures the commitment of states to locally-sourced foods by measuring the per-capita presence of Community-Supported Agricultural enterprises and Farmers Markets, each of which is an indication of both the availability and demand for locally-produced food. To read more…

The Fifth Annual Portsmouth Sustainability Day is being held at a new location this year, the Portsmouth High School, on Saturday, May 12th. For the first time, this all-day event includes a 50/50 Potluck Brunch, with 50% of your dish to include ingredients from within 50 miles of Portsmouth!

Fifth Annual Portsmouth Sustainability Day
Portsmouth High School, Cafeteria and outdoors, Portsmouth, NH
Saturday, May 12, 2012

Learn how to make your community and home more sustainable, and have fun doing it!

• Workshops
• Nature Walk
• Local Food
• Rain Garden Tours
• Educational Exhibits and Activities
• Commercial Green Vendors

Join us for a sustainable meal! We are having our first ever Potluck Brunch. Bring a dish to share. Your mission is to make 50% of your dish with local products. These products should be gathered within 50 miles of Portsmouth. Zero waste; bring your own dishes.

Related community events:

• Tour of the Hodgson Brook Restoration Project
• Women’s Clothing Swap at the Portsmouth Library Levenson Community Room
• The PHS Eco-club is hosting a 5 K road race at Great Bay Community College at Pease
• The Whaleback Film Festival focusing on environmentally related films will be ongoing all weekend
• An art show using recycled materials during the month of May at the Portsmouth Library

For more information: http://portsmouthsustainabilityfair.org/

]]> http://seacoasteatlocal.org/2012/05/portsmouth-sustainability-day-may-12/feed/ 0 http://seacoasteatlocal.org/2012/05/york-county-farm-to-school-meet-greet-may-11/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=york-county-farm-to-school-meet-greet-may-11 http://seacoasteatlocal.org/2012/05/york-county-farm-to-school-meet-greet-may-11/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 14:01:26 +0000 Debra http://seacoasteatlocal.org/?p=7949 Partners for a Hunger-Free York County are hosting an informal “meet and greet” for those interested in Farm to School initiatives in York Country, in North Berwick on Friday, May 11th, from 1 to 3 p.m. Via the York County Farmers’ Network:

Please join us in North Berwick, this Friday, May 11th from 1-3pm for an informal “meet and greet” with school folks from York County who are interested in making connections with local farms. Farm to School inititiatives can take on many shapes and sizes – but the important thing is getting kids exposed to as much fresh, local food as possible – in as many ways as possible.

Friday, May 11th, 1-3pm, 2nd floor, North Berwick Town Hall, 21 Main Street (parking on the street)

We’ll share some refreshments, make connections and exchange ideas. Some items to discuss include:

-USDA funding for farm to school initiatives
-Successful models for cooperation
-Harvest days and other events
-Building a database of available produce and school wish-list
-Possibility of using the Cumberland/York County Co-op (for school food services) to make contracts for local food purchases
-Update on funding for additional Senior FarmShares for York County
-Hear about the May 12th statewide Farm to School conference in Thorndike
-Visit and shop at the North Berwick Farmers’ Market which starts at 3 in the parking lot of the Town Hall

and more…..

Erin MacGuire from Chellie Pingree’s office will join us, as well as some school folks from Cumberland County too who would like to connect with farms and farmers.

We’ve had a good response from Food Service Directors – and I hope some farms will be able to be represented too!

Please contact Kristine Jenkins, Partners for a Hunger-Free York County at (207) 409-9193, kristineljenkins@gmail.com for more details.