Sundays play host to just two of the 31 farmers’ markets that take place weekly in Rockingham, Strafford, and York counties. Sunday markets provide a great opportunity for a fun family shopping adventure and a chance to buy groceries for the week ahead. This week we visited both the Nottingham and Salem Farmers’ Markets.
B and SZP are challenging themselves to visit all 31 farmers’ markets of Rockingham, Strafford, and York counties in the 31 days of July, and share their discoveries along the way. Previous entries in this series.
We stopped first at the Nottingham Farmers’ Market, where the market takes place on the lawn of the public library from 1-4pm every Sunday from May to mid-October. The six vendors there on the day we visited had a great selection of fruits and vegetables, eggs, chicken, and gardening plants. The Root Seller had a great variety of vegetables and maple syrup and maple sugar. Hayward Natural Farms had chicken. Notably, Hayward Natural Farms also sells a really great variety of chicken parts – including super familiar packages of chicken breasts, tenders, and more. Students from the Nottingham school were selling produce from their school garden, a really amazing project!
Nottingham Farmers’ Market
Sundays 1-4
May to mid-October
Blaisdell Memorial Library,
129 Stage Road, Nottingham, NH map
From there we traveled south to the Salem Farmers’ Market, which takes place year round at the Lake Street Garden Center (every week in the summer, slightly less often in the winter). It’s a beautiful location, with space to move inside in rain and snow and a wide expanse outdoors in fair weather. The day we visited, there were about 22 farmers and vendors there. There were three farms with an amazing variety of produce, Hurd Farm with beef, pork, and eggs and J+F Farms with their beef, milk, and vegetables. The honey vendor is a 12-year-old beekeeper named Karley, and Steve Anderson of Anderson’s Mini Maples sells maple syrup and maple candy. There’s plenty of baked 
goods and prepared foods, as well as craft products, coffee, and mead. There was live music and 4-H was hosting a kids activity. With such a wide variety of foods to buy and things going on, it was a great afternoon to spend in a beautiful place.
South Brook Farm sells their lamb at the Salem Farmers’ Market as well, and the farm owner was kind enough to allow me to snap this photo. I really appreciate how they set up their booth. With goods in coolers, creating a display can be a challenge for farmers selling meat. South Brook Farm has a great big sign clearly showing the name of their business, a very clear sign labeling their main product, “lamb”, so everyone can see from a distance who they are and what they are selling. Their price list is clear and up front of their booth, and they have a photo album showcasing pictures of their farm. Their great display is also very inviting.
Salem NH Farmers’ Market
Sundays 1-5
July to October
Lake Street Garden Center
37 Lake Street, Salem, NH map
more info: www.salemnhfarmersmarket.com
Farmers’ Market Count: 14 down, 17 to go!