25 minute read
Granite State Growers
STORIES OF TRADITION AND INNOVATION
BY THE EDITORS OF NEW HAMPSHIRE MAGAZINE
It’s no surprise that agritourism is on the rise in New Hampshire, because fall is all about farms. From leaf peepers pulling over on the Kancamagus for a piping hot cup of apple cider, to teenagers running through flashlight corn mazes and pick-your-own apples galore, the state comes alive every fall as tourists and Granite Staters alike flock to local farms. New Hampshire’s local farms are the backbone of our communities, and many of them offer unique and interesting experiences that are as fresh as their produce; with the hope that visitors will stop by and stay a while, and then keep coming back.
LaValley Farms, Hooksett
Chris LaValley grew up playing in the fields across from the farm that he now owns. Even better? He co-owns it with his wife, Danielle, both high school sweethearts who grew up in and worked at Blake Farms as teenagers in Hooksett, and then purchased the property in 2006 that became LaValley Farms that many frequent today. The sense of family and community, and the connection between them, has been baked into the roots of the farm since its inception.
“Our farm is our legacy, not just for our family but for our community family as well,” Chris says. “We’re making sure every part of the farm can last forever, not just for my kids, but for yours as well.”
The first-generation farm started on 50 acres with fruit and vegetables that the LaValleys sold at the farmstand. Now in its 18th year, the farm occupies 65 acres and includes a Manchester farmstand, pasture poultry, and horticulture and floral shop.
“We slowly added more produce over the years from other regional New England areas and farms to fill ours out and supplement as needed,” Chris notes. “Not only are we passionate about bringing customers the freshest produce available, but we love that that means we’re able to support other farms in this way as well.”
Their original farmstand in Hooksett boasts fresh non-GMO produce picked daily that the LaValleys promise will taste as fresh as it looks.
“We have watermelon, zucchini, lettuce, tomatoes, meats and everything in between,” Chris says. “People come to us for a variety of things, but in the summer, it’s corn. Paired with local sausage and other veggies, it’s a summer staple for us around here.”
Stop by their greenhouse next door and you’ll also find an abundance of options to fit your gardening needs from bedding plants to vegetable plants.
“We pride ourselves in being able to offer vegetable starter plants that are from the same plants that we grow on the farm,” Chris notes. “The same cucumber that you see and buy in our store, you can grow in your own garden. I hand-pick them — each is high yielding, disease resistant and made to grow in our tricky New Hampshire climate. We believe that starting you with a healthy plant will best set you up for long-term success.”
Not only do customers have the opportunity to reap the benefits of the LaValleys’ growing practices and legacy mindset in their own gardens, but local restaurants do too. Restaurants like Tucker’s look to LaValley for their pasture-raised eggs to use in their kitchens, and grocery stores sell their produce and other goods.
“Having restaurants and stores support our farm allows practices like our egg operation to be big enough to be efficient,” Chris says. “We pour into each other, and like we tell our customers, investments in each other are investments in food security — keeping our land open, keeping our food close and keeping our food safe — which is priceless these days.”
From their farm fields to your kitchen table, the LaValleys are passionate about taking care of you as much as you take care of them.
“If the last few years have shown us anything, it’s the importance of community and how food ties us all together,” Chris says. “We’re so excited to finish up the summer season as we welcome in fall together with pumpkins, mums and turkeys. It may be the most beautiful time of year around here — we can’t wait to see you.” lavalleyfarms.com
Clockwise, from upper left: The LaValleys raise pastured hens who enjoy a cage-free, barn-free existence, all while helping to maintain their soil quality in their fields and help utilize their crops. You can find the produce from their fields at their farm store (right) including a variety of other goods like honey, meats, flowers and veggie plants, and more.
CSA PROGRAM
Buying a community supported agriculture share gives you access to anything at the farmstand in Hooksett and at the Manchester cart. Once your share is loaded on your card, you can use it for everything from freshpicked produce to locally raised meat and handmade pies or local decorations.
Brookford Farm, Canterbury
After graduating college with a degree in anthropology and realizing that he didn’t want to work in a museum, Luke Mahoney had a career change.
“I had always been a hands-on, hands in the dirt, physically active guy,” Mahoney says. “I wanted to stay outside, and agriculture seemed like a good place for me. I wanted to have a positive impact on the world, and I thought organic farming would be a good place to end my search.”
With no prior experience, Mahoney started farming and apprenticing in Pennsylvania. Eventually, that led him to farming in Russia, where he met his wife, and to Germany, before settling down in New Hampshire.
“I was in Russia in 1999, which was not long after the fall of the Soviet Union,” Mahoney says. “I was in rural Russia, in a region that centered on agriculture. The farms were humongous and the whole community supported the industry. I sharpened my teeth on machinery and repairs, and (I learned how to be) innovative, creative and spontaneous. It was an incredibly formative experience.”
From Russia, Luke and his family moved to his wife’s native Germany, where Luke continued his training in diversified organic farms before moving across the pond to New Hampshire, where the family remains today.
New England’s community orientation and quaint way of living, coupled with New Hampshire’s legislations on raw dairy, made the Granite State the perfect place to start their dairy farm.
“We had an incredible opportunity in Rollinsford for 300 acres of land, with all the equipment and milking parlors set up. We couldn’t pass it up,” Mahoney says. “Without that, it would’ve never happened. It took us a while to fill it, but over the five years that we were there, we feel like we filled that 300 with activity.”
For more than 12 years, Brookford Farm has called Canterbury their home. Their vision for a diversified farm, where different species of plants and animals are grown and raised, is in full swing. With 40 species of vegetables, dairy cows, beef cows, sows, chickens, eggs and more, along with their events and their annual Sunflower Festival, Brookford Farm is hoping to do it all.
Mahoney hopes that this year, they can drive more traffic to their farm store, and get more people to attend their events and visit the farm. The ultimate goal is to become a regular part of people’s lives.
“We’re only one mile off of I-93,” Mahoney says. “We want to see people come to our farm more and more. That’s why we’ve gotten into events.”
Brookfield Farm’s events begin in May with the annual Heifer Parade, which celebrates the seasonal transition and the heifers going to grass. This past June, the farm hosted a Strawberry Jam-Borree, which was a massive success, and they hosted Hideaway Circus for a Circus on the Farm night.
“We’d like to do more interesting shows, and marry different art forms with agriculture,” Mahoney says.
“Our next event is our Sunflower Soiree,” Mahoney says. “It’s a really cool, and has pick-your-own sunflowers, cow pie bingo, live music and so much more. This year, the Soggy Po Boys are playing. Then, we’re doing a Pumpkins and Puppets event in the fall, which will have larger-than-life puppets.”
According to Mahoney, the best way to support the farm is by going to an event, or by stopping at the farm store.
“Direct support to the farm and events, without the middle man, is the most beneficial,” he notes. “And tell your friends and neighbors!” brookfordfarm.com
Moulton Farm, Meredith
Jeff Mills remembers his first job working for Moulton Farm when he was 16.
“I did a lot of picking of vegetables and washing. That was my first job; first summer here,” he recalls.
Of course, he eventually moved up the ranks as he got older, taking on new responsibilities at the Meredith farm as needed.
“I worked here all through college and then stayed on after college,” Mills says.
Now as general manager, his daily tasks have gotten more complex, but he hasn’t forgotten one core mission of the farm: to grow outstanding crops for local residents.
Not many farms in New Hampshire today can say they’ve been serving up fresh veggies since the 1890s, but since the old days, Moulton Farm has gotten the job done; that’s why they’ve been such a popular place for locals every summer.
“It’s a diverse farm offering quality produce, prepared meals, freshly baked breads, pies and cookies while providing exceptional customer service,” he says.
Though last year’s harvest had some bumps and bruises weather-wise, this year’s searing heat is leading to a bumper crop, Mills says.
“It’s been a very good growing season. We are able to irrigate and we have been doing that a lot this year. Sun was hard to come by last year. We can always add water; we can't take it away. We will take a dry year like this over last year any day,” Mills says.
For example, a July news post on their website reveals they’ve already started picking corn, and it’s one of the earliest seasons in their record books.
“The corn we are picking now doesn't have that ‘super sweet’ sugar content that the later season varieties have, but it performs well in the cold start of April, has a decently sized ear, and still provides sweetness and the flavor that only fresh corn can provide,” Mills writes. “The best thing about our corn season is that the corn only gets better as the season progresses."
Other top crops at Moulton Farm have been beans, both yellow and green; field tomatoes; and a broad variety of peppers, including shishito, jalapeno, cubanelle and green bell peppers, according to Mills’ post. They boast 14 varieties of corn, so you’re sure to find exactly your taste.
Robust stalks of corn aren’t just great for the kitchen table; they’re also excellent as tall concealing walls for the corn maze that Moulton Farm is planning to open Sept. 21, but more details, like this year’s design, are under wraps as of this printing.
“Our corn maze has been planted and the design has been finished. I can't quite give that away yet,” Mills says.
At their farm bakery, they sell apple pies, cookies, rolls and breads, including Moulton’s Signature Harvest Loaf. Their garden center offers various heirloom varieties of tomatoes, pumpkins and melons — the juicy, tender kind that are synonymous with New Hampshire summers on the farm.
At their garden center, visitors can find organic seeds and seed-starting supplies, soil and soil amendments and mulches, and also offer planting services. Some flowers and herbs, shrubs, perennials and fruit trees at Moulton Farm have been acclimated to the climate and soil conditions of the Lakes Region; some varieties for sale are ones that staff likes to personally use at their own home.
In addition, the farm has gone mobile with its new food truck, dubbed “Moulton’s Hay Wagon.” The Hay Wagon doesn’t just serve items made from veggies grown on the farm, but also makes sandwiches that have roots in other parts of the world.
For example, their Banh Mi sandwich is made with lemongrass-marinated grilled chicken, jalapeno, pickled carrots and daikon. For a more traditional palate, they also serve “Sunday brunch,” fish and chips, turkey melts and more. Wash it all down with an old-fashioned drink like Squamscott soda and Nixie flavored seltzer water, and your summer visit to the farm is complete.
Given that it’s been such a plentiful summer for local farms, apple picking, pumpkin picking and every other activity that comes with fall in New Hampshire should be spectacular.
“In addition to our farm market being open daily and offering a large variety of apples, pumpkins and fall ornamentals, our corn maze will open Sept. 21. We will offer tractor or horse-drawn carriage rides to the pick-your-own-pumpkin patch,” Mills says.
The farm offers both great food and entertainment.
“We will have music on most weekends," Mills says. " Of course, our Hay Wagon food truck will be serving hot lunch as well, plus the cider donuts from Cider Bellies Doughnuts is always a hit." moultonfarm.com
Miles Smith Farm, Loudon
In 2005, Bruce Dawson and Carole Soule sought a change from the highstakes corporate world in which they lived and worked.
Surprisingly, Miles Smith Farm, a 26-acre primarily grass-fed beef farm in Loudon, was the answer.
It turns out that job satisfaction and happiness can come in many forms.
“I switched, because the stress is not as bad in farming as it was in the IT world. I think Carol just simply got tired of working in corporate America,” Dawson says.
Since making that life-changing decision nearly 20 years ago, the couple have continued the traditions and work ethic started by the farm’s namesake. They’re continuing the work started by Miles Smith, who first tilled the land as early as the 1830s. Smith, a stone mason, helped provide food for Shakers living nearby.
“We sort of took a chapter out of his book and made a farm similar to what he was doing, although he ended up doing crops, mostly potatoes. He had some beef cows, but we decided to continue with the beef because they're very good at keeping the weeds mowed,” Dawson says.
Smith was also a hog reeve, a fancy, yet old-fashioned name for someone who evaluates damages done to crops by stray pigs, then finds ways to contain the wayward swine. Amazingly, it’s still an elected office in some New Hampshire townships. Several years ago, Grantham famously appointed a newlywed couple to the esteemed job.
While there are no hog reeves at Miles Smith Farm, there is a mischievous little pig that roams the property. Tazzy may be one of the state’s most popular mascots. A miniature pig, Tazzy often makes headlines for its gallivanting, freewheeling nature. Carol brings Tazzy with her to political events around the region.
“She’s been around a lot; she's been in the news a fair amount. Whenever there's a political event going on, like in Manchester, you'll see Tazzy and Carole down there,” Dawson says.
When Soule is not on the road, she’s working at the farm and documenting daily activities at the petting zoo, where they have chickens, horses, sheep, goats and more.
The farm’s website reiterates the health benefits of eating their grass-fed, locally raised beef and pork, which live in open environments. This beef has no hormones or antibiotics, and the farm is GMO-free. Besides raising grass-fed cattle, they also sell pastured pork and poultry, eggs and maple syrup, and partner with many local and New England-based food vendors.
Shoppers can browse the farm’s website according to preference: There are gluten-free and nitrite/nitrate-free options, for example. Choose from a wide variety of meat, like pork belly, pork kielbasa, pork chops; grass-fed burger patties and beef bones, even Delmonico steak; and plenty more. And stocking up your freezer by buying in bulk can keep costs down, they suggest.
There are two types of cattle at the farm: Scottish Highlander, known for their hairy coats and lengthy horns and for being a durable breed, Dawson says; and Belted Galloway, “which have long flowing hair, if you will, in the wintertime.” Belted Galloway are known as Oreo cows, so named for the alternating white and black segments on their bodies.
Dawson and Soule take pride in their cattle, and make sure to treat them humanely, including naming each cow that arrives on the farm. Dobby D is a reddish-brown, mini–Scottish Highland bull calf for sale, and Crackle sports a silvery mane. June Bug is a friendly 6-year-old cow just waiting to be loved.
“The people who buy our live animals, buy them for a number of reasons. Obviously, the backup is so that they can, ‘well if all else fails, they'll always have some meat,’ but they buy them for everything from lawn ornaments to animals for their kids to train. They just want an animal to go around and mow their lawns,” Dawson says.
Kids, on the other hand, might say “ew” and “yuck” when they hear they’re about to take care of a Scottish Highland cow, but those expressions soon turn to “ooohs” and ahhhs” as they proudly show off the cattle they’ve been taking care of all week as part of “Cow Camp.” It’s an intense 4-H experience for kids that’s now an annual event here.
Participants can spend a week getting to know the likes and dislikes of their very own calf, and learn how taking care of an animal can instill in them self-confidence and responsibility.
Camp activities include playing farm games, brushing, snuggling and scooping the cows, learning about their family members, running with their new best buddy, and writing in their journals about their adventures together. Once they get past the gross factor of scooping, Dawson says, kids are able to take the necessary task in stride.
On the last day of Cow Camp, the children hold a “calf show” and costume contest to show off what they’ve learned about caring for these gentle creatures. “Every kid should spend time like this on a farm,” writes Carole Soule in a blog post about this year’s camp. milessmithfarm.com
Brookdale Fruit Farm, Hollis
Brookdale Fruit Farm has been Rick Hardy’s family since 1845.
In the past 144 years and six generations, the 400-acre farm has grown from a small, traditional New England farm into a successful wholesale and pickyour-own enterprise that’s at the forefront of trickle irrigation, right in the heart of Hollis.
“We were all brought up in the business, and chose to stay or eventually come back to it,” Hardy says.
Brookdale Fruit Farm’s secret to their long-lasting success has been their commitment to staying on the cutting edge of technology and distribution. In the 1920s, they had the first cold storage unit in the state, which was cooled using ice blocks, and during the onslaught of mills that sprang up in New Hampshire during the Industrial Revolution, they increased their distribution radius to bring milk to the mills' boarding houses in Nashua. Their ability to distribute farm-fresh goods quickly has been one of the farm’s main tenets.
“We have our own distribution network, and our own trucks on the road in the morning,” Hardy says. “We can go from farm to table in 24 hours. Our biggest asset is producing and delivering fresh product, which is difficult to do with a smaller farm.”
A few years back, Brookdale was named one of five conservation farms in the United States. The farm uses practices like crop rotation, nutrition management and soil mapping to ensure that nutrients are being put back into the soil, and so that they have an understanding of what’s going on in the soil nutritionally before each growing season.
“We do a lot of specific things, like soil mapping, for our farm management for the soil type and fertilization for different crops,” Hardy says.
Brookdale Fruit Farm currently finds themselves on the forefront of trickle irrigation, which allows the farm to conserve water.
“We raise a lot of our products on raised beds with plastic underneath,” Hardy says. “Our irrigation system is also used for fertilization and nutrients, and we can be very specific with our application.”
Hardy works with New England Fruit Consultants to help evaluate and target what kinds of insects and diseases may pop up during the growing season, so that they can be proactive in their spray programs. Using a proactive approach to pests and diseases means they don’t have to use any more sprays than they need to, which is ultimately better for the crops, environment and consumer.
Brookdale Fruit Farm is bustling with activity year-round, but their pick-your-own programs are particularly popular. The PYO season begins in the summer with strawberries and extends into the late fall with Brookdale’s last crop of apples.
“It’s well laid out,” Hardy says. “We have dedicated areas for PYO that are mowed, and we have dozens of varieties of apples. Last year, the Hippo named us the best PYO in the state, and people travel for that. Agritourism is important for PYO and goes in hand with the fall tourism.”
Hardy takes great pride in the farm’s fall atmosphere, and offers hayrides and corn maze tickets at reasonable prices, so that every family can enjoy fall festivities on the farm.
“The most important thing you can do to support your local farm is shop locally, or shop some locally,” Hardy says. “We’re unique because we do a lot of wholesale, but other farms have to rely on farmstands and local sales. Buy your corn at a roadside stand instead of a supermarket.”
“Everybody should be aware that this has been a great growing year compared to the past two years,” Hardy says. “Farmers are able to produce an abundance of product and what we would expect for our product. Last year was a disaster. We’re all trying to rebound.” brookdalefruitfarm.com
Vernon Family Farm, Newfields
The minute that you pull into the driveway at Vernon Family Farm, you’re considered part of the family. Whether you’re doing your weekly shopping at the farm store or attending a Friday summer night live music event, this family farm focuses on creating a community space that serves as your home away from home — a mission that owners Jeremiah and Nicole Vernon have been passionate about since they founded their 33-acre farm in Newfields in 2014.
“It’s been our focus since day one to be the people who grow your food and bring community together through it,” Nicole says. “It’s been a wild last few years, especially for us, and it couldn’t be more evident that connecting with each other, pouring into you as you pour into us, is what holds us together.”
The Vernons founded Vernon Family Farm in 2014, but they came into their new family business with a decade of prior experience in farming everything from livestock to vegetables.
As a first-generation, owner-operated pastured livestock farm, they pasture-raise chickens (one of their most popular draws), cows, pigs and lambs, all using regenerative practices, and they sell their meat along with products from over 50 local farms and makers at their year-round farm store — a community favorite.
“The store started as a household freezer, and we were able to build it up to what you visit now with display cases and shelves,” Nicole says. “It’s open from Wednesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. as a one-stop shop for eating local food with an intentional focus on fresh and frozen protein like pastured chicken and other grass-fed and pastured meats, fruits, vegetables, sauces and spices. We also have our bone broths, soups, pot pie and others. It’s consistent with what’s available in that season.”
Shopping at the store is a great way to get to know your local farmer, but the Vernons know that may be intimidating for some. The solution? Agritourism events.
“Our agritourism events are a great, safe and easy way to taste the food grown and raised on our pastures, walk through the wildflower meadow, visit the grazing animals and enjoy live music with family and friends,” Nicole says. “Tacos and beer are less intimidating than starting in the farm store. They are also the first step to a lasting relationship with your farmer.”
Their event season starts in May and runs through October with a rotating roster of talent from Wellfleet to the dam Ezra Group stopping by the Vernon Family stage from Friday to Sunday nights. Vernon Kitchen, the sister catering company of Vernon Family Farm, now has a kitchen off-site in Kensington where they cook up their famous fried chicken and a taco bar to bring the food to you while you enjoy the show. (Don’t forget to drop into the farm store for dessert and a few groceries to bring home with you.)
After long days and seasons of dealing with the stress of owning and running a farm, and the unpredictable New England summer weather, it’s the community the Vernons have built that keeps Nicole and her family and farming staff going.
“At the end of the day, we do this because of our passion for our farm and our family, and we love sharing both with you,” Nicole says. “Farming is difficult but incredibly rewarding. All of what we’ve experienced to date is an authentic example of how it truly takes a community to fight the good fight and make amazing things happen. We can’t wait to welcome you to the farm.” vernonfamilyfarm.com
Get a Monthly NH Meat Box Subscription
Sign up for a local meat share with rotating monthly items ranging from a variety of cuts like grass-fed beef, pasture-raised lamb and/or chicken and more. Choose from a subscription level with a box perfect for a couple or family, and pick up your box on the second Saturday of each month.
Buy a Debit-Style CSA
CSA CSA (community supported agriculture) programs were created to help alleviate the stress of high expenses for farms, but Vernon Family Farm’s is a little different. Instead of purchasing a share at the farm where you’ll receive several boxes of produce (including items you may or may not love), you can partake in their debit-style CSA where you can pick whatever you want. Use your CSA membership throughout the year at your local farmers market or their farm store where goods are available from more than 30 farms year-round.
