from the Union Leader:
Web menu includes NH produce, meat
By PAULA TRACY
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
Concord – New Hampshire’s farmers are getting a new way to reach more customers.
The state Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food has entered into an agreement to develop a Web site where chefs, food buyers and consumers can buy fresh produce, meat and other products directly from farmers.
According to the request for approval of a $10,500 contract, Commissioner Stephen H. Taylor said his agency is one partner in this project, “which will create a venue for easy purchasing of local goods and expand market opportunities for New Hampshire agriculture.” Other partners include the University of New Hampshire Office of Sustainability Programs, United Parcels Service and the Farm Credit Service.
The contract, which was approved by the Executive Council at its meeting Aug. 22 in Charlestown, is with the NH Farm to Restaurant Connection/NH Stories Inc. of Andover, for six months.
NH Farm to Restaurant Connection/NH Stories will develop a central theme and Web site where direct connections can be made with farmers.
Funding for the state portion of the contract is being made available by a marketing line item that exists in the Agriculture, Markets and Food budget.
The contractor is Laurie Ferguson, executive director of NH Made.
New Hampshire Stories and New Hampshire Made is a nonprofit corporation formed in 1997 to promote locally made products. It has its own Web site: www.nhmade.com, where there is an online store.
The Web site also notes that a number of “Growers Dinners” are being offered across the state to raise awareness about New Hampshire foods and how they can be used in a restaurant setting.
It lists a number of dinners being organized, including Sept. 21 aboard the MV Mount Washington at Weirs Beach in Laconia (366-2628); at New Hampshire Farm Museum, Milton, on Oct. 20 (625-7840); and in November on a date to be determined at Orchard Street Chophouse in Dover (749-0006.)